Gifts & More

    With the quarter ending, there are only two things that are stressful. The first, much more mild and minute, is finals. The second, which causes people to reconsider studying abroad, is buying gifts for your relatives and friends. It is considered a crime, punishable by excommunication, to forget to buy a gift for someone. This is why lists are made about a month in advance, most items are secured early, but the mad dash to find a stuffed bear for the newborn that arrived six hours ago, a week early, will drive anyone up the wall because they need to be at the airport in an hour. While the situation is not necessarily as high intensity as the newborn, there is still always something that will go wrong. The comforting thought of being near those you love is coupled with the anxiety of making sure everyone gets something.

     I have not seen my family in about six months, which means that expectations are high. Everyone is expecting me to pull out a fantasized version of whatever it is they wanted, be it a diamond-encrusted fridge magnet or a stuffed doll in the shape of a transformer the size of a human woven out of gold. This is obviously impossible, as I can barely get my clothes to fit inside my suitcase and stay within the fifty-pound limit. What I can do, and have been doing for a month, is pretending that I don’t have the time to buy anything. Since they are forced to love me and support my pursuit of education, they all have to say that it’s okay and they just want me back safe, even if it is a bit disgruntled. This way, I can buy what they wanted in the first place in its ordinary form, and they will all be pleasantly surprised. Also, buying a transformer will no longer rob me of my first born child.

 

Mustapha Jechi - 1st year UG student; major: Mechanical Engineering

Comments

[Daiane]

Hello there, I came here because I'm considering to study at DU. Thanks for share your experiences with everybody else including me. Maybe you can help me with my admission process, I hope. I have some doubts about it. Almost forgot: I'm Daiane, from Brazil.