The Unfortunate Loss (es).

Most of you who had been visiting my page in orkut / facebook would have remembered I had a trip to Lunglei 23rd – 26th June for a field study. But, the more you read, the more you will know it was not an ordinary field trip. Allow me to share with you

I started from Aizawl on the 23rd June, around 6:30 am and reached Lunglei around 3:30 pm. Of course we had taken the road via Sailsuk (175 kms from Aizawl). Just as we started the trip, the driver started giving us theory lessons on how to drive. Guess he was so engorged in it; we almost hit a truck twice, and finally just before reaching Lunglei, “BANG!!” we collided with a Zen, right at the curve. Sad but true, he had to pay for it. That was the reason we reached Lunglei later than expected, if you were wondering. The sight of Lunglei made my anguish and fear vanish. It’s a lovely town! You must make a point to visit if you haven’t been there already.

From then on we (one project fellow and I) started hunting for Anopheles. Maybe because of the heavy rain every evening, the whole day’s hunting seemed to be in vain. We started each day from 6:30 am to 6:30 pm to different places. To our surprise around 4:30 pm, on the second day; in Zotlang tuikhur, we could find 6 (six) measly Anopheles larvae. Anyway it’s much better than none right? We were happy...

This was my first trip to Lunglei. As for my partner, it was his first trip to Mizoram (he is Assamese btw). It was a great relief when …. called me and assured me that everything was prepared and we would not have any trouble. (hmmm…!!!! You might have guessed - this was my second reason, to ….. you know). I had looked forward so very much to meet him there. Allow me to say, I have never met a man more comforting, friendly and supportive in my life. Though we have known each other for just three months, I was so very grateful that our paths crossed. Sadly, on the 24th (the following day we reached Lunglei), he left for Saiha. But then, :-) he came back from Saiha the day before we left Lunglei; through the swarming grasshoppers, the heavy rain and thunderstorms, so that he could see me off. I felt loved! The first sight of him made me want to hug him so very very tightly (Ahemz!) … he was fully drenched, and dirty (he fell off the bike – which he admitted with a cute boyish grin). But I couldn’t; it was neither the time nor the place. There were people around (hush!!!).

Okay, another reason - conducting workshop for ‘Sensitization of The National Children Science congress’ to the science teachers of Lunglei and Saiha district. Wish you can see the faces of the elderly teachers when they saw me!!! LOLz . But owing to Pu Chhandama’s introduction in the beginning, they could finally see me as a ‘Resource person’. The workshop went smooth than expected. I was happy that no one stood up to go outside the room to smoke (or do what bored people normally do when they go outside) till the end of the programme. Hmm!! Let’s see the success in the next Children Science congress Competition somewhere in Sept-Nov, 2009.

Now coming to my title…

Stayed in Lunglei, went around the town –visited every nook and corner of 23 Vengs (including Theiriat) we could find only 6 larvae, out of which, only two survived the trip back home. They both emerged to become (the loveliest and prettiest female) Anopheles theobaldi. I preserved them with utmost love and care; fully realizing the pain, the trouble and the hard work to find them…. in our freezer. My grandmother threw them before I could take them to University!!!!

The man of my dreams; the man, whom I thought, had fulfilled everything a girl could hope for; turned out to be a Forbidden Fruit!!!

Whuizzz!!! Guess now, I should concentrate on the positive aspects of my trip – the lovely elderly science teachers of Lunglei and Saiha.!!!

Will I be ever unlucky as this!!!! LOLZzzz

But with God holding my hand, I am growing stronger than ever! (… or at least I hope I do!!!).