So Long, Sanjay
Yesterday was Sanjay’s last day in Chennai. You haven’t heard of Sanjay because I haven’t written about him before. I haven’t written about him before because I met him just 18 days ago. I’m writing about him now to illustrate the dark side of expat life.
I met Sanjay at a party. We sat and talked about burritos. Also about infectious diseases. Sanjay is an Arizona boy (of Indian descent), so he knows about Mexican food. He and two friends founded a Chennai-based organization that provides free HIV/AIDS education, so he knows about infectious diseases. He’s just out of college, a save-the-world type. Which is great for the world but bad for me. It means Sanjay had to return to the States to go to medical school, raise funds for his organization and whatnot. Bastard.
I knew when I met him that he’d leave us soon. We became friends anyway. Over three brunches, two dinners and one “Esencia del Mundo Hispania: An Evening of Spanish Music and Dance” (think Indian adolescents impersonating Santana and Shakira), I learned a lot about Sanjay. He loves steak, bacon and his girlfriend of three years. He dances, drums and does impersonations that rival Sacha Baron Cohen’s. He’s climbed Kilimanjaro, but his four-day trek in the Himalayas was harder.
And now he’s gone.
Yesterday’s send-off -- a three-hour, all-you-can-eat affair -- was the second I’d attended in less than two weeks. We hugged and pouted and promised to meet again -- maybe here, maybe in Hong Kong, maybe in the good old US of A. Then he rode off into the, um, smog.
That’s Sanjay in the back.
Wild rides, strange foods and fast friendships -- all part of the expat experience. So is saying good-bye. A lot.
Sanjay is returning to Chennai in April. I may have taken off by then. Not to save the world, necessarily, but to see it.
I met Sanjay at a party. We sat and talked about burritos. Also about infectious diseases. Sanjay is an Arizona boy (of Indian descent), so he knows about Mexican food. He and two friends founded a Chennai-based organization that provides free HIV/AIDS education, so he knows about infectious diseases. He’s just out of college, a save-the-world type. Which is great for the world but bad for me. It means Sanjay had to return to the States to go to medical school, raise funds for his organization and whatnot. Bastard.
I knew when I met him that he’d leave us soon. We became friends anyway. Over three brunches, two dinners and one “Esencia del Mundo Hispania: An Evening of Spanish Music and Dance” (think Indian adolescents impersonating Santana and Shakira), I learned a lot about Sanjay. He loves steak, bacon and his girlfriend of three years. He dances, drums and does impersonations that rival Sacha Baron Cohen’s. He’s climbed Kilimanjaro, but his four-day trek in the Himalayas was harder.
And now he’s gone.
Yesterday’s send-off -- a three-hour, all-you-can-eat affair -- was the second I’d attended in less than two weeks. We hugged and pouted and promised to meet again -- maybe here, maybe in Hong Kong, maybe in the good old US of A. Then he rode off into the, um, smog.
That’s Sanjay in the back.Wild rides, strange foods and fast friendships -- all part of the expat experience. So is saying good-bye. A lot.
Sanjay is returning to Chennai in April. I may have taken off by then. Not to save the world, necessarily, but to see it.
posted by Badass at 3:55 PM
2 Comments:
Wow, what a poignant entry - it makes me think of that cheesy quote about how some people are meant to float in and out of your life but that it doesn't make them any less important. Knowing you - you will probably still in amazing touch with Sanjay - I think about how many friends you have in different parts of the world because of the effort you put into maintain these long-distance friendships. On another note, I loooove the photo. I am sooo getting a bike. Also, I swear to god, you hang out with the most athletic people - what, this guy climbs Kilamanjaro (excuse the spelling)...what's next, a friend who can fly? Love, AJ
I have no doubt that you will manage to stay in touch and keep people in your life, even if they are far away. You've always been so good at that!
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