summer of 2007...

I was about to finish my graduation and was confused like many and not sure about what’s next in my life. Am I going to study? Or am I going to opt for a job? If yes what to really study? Or what kind of job will be good? Well at that moment all I had to do was study for my final exam and leave the rest on time. Finally the day came, our 2007 batch was given a warm farewell, we all clicked pictures with one another, hugged, cried and waived a final goodbye, not sure what fate has decided for us. We might be in touch with each other through phones, emails or facebook but it won’t be the same. We won’t see each other everyday, we won’t get to hang around together and gossip. Now that we were fresh graduates, full of new hopes and new dreams, some of us still had questions looming in our minds, lots of them in fact. But I needed a break and it was going to be a long one. It was May 2007 and in India it’s the beginning of the hottest months of the year, just opposite to New Zealand seasons. I guess it was almost the end of May when I received a call from my regional youth director about going to a place in France known as Taize. It was in relation to an international youth exchange program for three months where I would have to represent the culture of my country along with 8 other representatives from different parts of India. How could I say no for such a beautiful opportunity? So I gave my name in and completed all the formalities that were required on time as. I guess I could, I’d just graduated and I had nothing to do! It was short notice though as I was supposed to fly by 18th of June. Somewhere deep down my heart I was not sure if all the formality and visa work would be done in time but I think luck was in my favor and everything was done smoothly and on time, no hassles at all.
On 16th June exactly two days before my flight I was asked to reach Delhi for an orientation program where I was introduced to other representatives and after two days we were supposed to fly together. The most amazing part was that most of us didn’t speak the same language, now to explain this I must tell you India is a country where we have 18 official languages and approximately 1654 dialects. It was something I never experienced in person where I had to be with people with so many diversities for three months in a foreign land but then all I knew was that I was simply loving it. Finally the big day came and we were all set for a new journey to a new place and to meet new people from all around the world. We travelled for more than 22 hours and here we were in Lyon in France waiting for our ride to Taize. We were welcomed by a young girl and a boy approximately in their early 20’s I guess who were there to pick us up. After what seemed like an age (but was in fact only two hours) we finally reached the place I had been imagining from past one month.
We were again welcomed by a group of sisters (nun) and they offered us hot tea, cookies and muffins. After this overwhelming experience we were showed our rooms. All of us got different rooms and we were supposed to share our rooms with three strangers all from different part of the worlds. The moment I reached my room I was faced with a neat bed with flowers, cookies, fresh towels and a note saying “Welcome Josmin”. Then one by one I met my three other room mates, one was from Argentina, second one from Kenya and my third room mate was from Germany. It was simply a different but a life time experience for me. The second day arrived and we were shown the places around Taize and we participated in different workshops presented by youth of different countries, it was so astonishing. We even got an opportunity to represent our countries culture; we presented few dances, few dramas, songs and number of other things. Everyone watched us with great interest and appreciated our effort and asked us various questions related to our workshop.
As the time passed my roommate and I as well as all the representatives became good friends. There were hundred’s of international representatives living there for three months with the same purpose. We all became like one big family, we almost knew everyone and we would meet in Church in the morning, afternoons and evening. We would share our stories; laughter’s, joys and sorrows while sipping our tea or while having food. We all worked in different areas such as exposition, kitchen, laundry, cleaning, tents, church or choir almost everything and trust me I never ever had such fun. Working together was so much fun and it was a new way of learning to live in a close community. Everyone was different in different ways, be it language, food habits, culture, thinking or living but still we all were together, so united and there was no room for discrimination of any kind.
The time passed by, slowly people started to leave to return, back to where they came from. But I didn’t realize how time actually went by. In fact for us the worst thing to do there was to say goodbye to our friends whom we were not sure of meeting ever again in life. I didn’t miss my family and friends much since I was there as I actually got a new family in Taize, where every day was a miracle, where no one cared who is rich and who is poor, who is good looking and who is not, who is educated and who is not, who is of high status and who is not, who is a looser and who is a winner, everyone understood each other in spite of the fact that no one spoke the same language as the language of love is never difficult to be understood. Whenever I had a tear in my eye I would get a warm hug from my friends, there was always a sincere care and love for another for nothing, expecting nothing in return. I was away from all the worries, all the tensions and materialistic love and I was happy from the core of my heart and most importantly my mind was at peace. Finally the day for us to return was near, and two nights before that we were given a warm farewell, we exchanged sovereigns, danced, took lots of pictures and thanked one another for all the love and care. The next day I and all the Indian representatives packed their bags for the flight next morning and spent the last night with others in the church praying and together.
Finally the time came, everyone got up early in the morning to say bye to us, for the last time we cried together, hugged each other and said goodbye with a heavy heart. Its been two years since I came back from that magical place but the memories are still fresh, I still miss every moment I spent there, I miss everyone I met there as I never got such friends again, I am still in touch with most of them and I don’t where rest of them are and how they are, I still email when my friend from Taize whenever I my heart is disturbed with any reason, I wish to go back there and meet each and every person again, I know its not possible but I still want to keep my hope alive. I have spent three months in Taize and I said everyday was a special day so I cant put everything in words but all I want to say while ending my notes is that life is beautiful and its just the way you make it for yourself and others around you, so make it good.