Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwkwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaard.

 The great Mount Carmel Tradition: Hugging. While it is really a very sweet, friendly gesture, sometimes it does get really awkward. I am not even kidding. Okay, so I was talking with Niyang, in front of room 405, which is on the fourth floor and while climbing the stairs, you kinda feel like you are repenting your sins. That’s pretty much the theory we came up with. So, anyway, we were talking about how many buildings MCC has (no bragging here) and out comes Alexandria (not a fictional character), with whom I was talking about how awkward and quiet I am (I have reasons and no, I am not a snob!), the previous night. So, she comes out and I thought she would ask me about my foot, because I got stung by a bee and I still don’t have any powers of sorts (I feel cheated) but that didn't happen. She came over and hugged me instead and my hand was mid-air, prepared to lead her eyes to my foot which had become a planet then, and that resulted in my hand being sandwiched between her shoulder and mine. Awwwwwwwwwkwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaard. But I guess we unanimously and telepathically decided to not realize or acknowledge that.

          Uh no, that’s not the end. It had been just one month since I was the new girl when I was in the canteen, buying myself food when one of my class-mate appeared from absolutely nowhere and hugged me. Luckily, then my hand wasn't anywhere mid-air. It was in my bag. And all I did was stand there while she hugged me because one hand was in my bag and the other hand was holding the bag open from the side. But that was quick. Did a quick hug and wished me good day and went her way. Convents, I tell you. Once, I was waiting for…no-one in particular because that’s how I was when I hadn't made friends and Shifa came walking towards me, smiling and offered a hug. And I just stood there looking at her – staring, actually – not knowing what to do because who hugs strangers from the same class, right? Duh. And she had this look of disbelief wash over her whole face and then finally the whole awwwwwwwwwkwaaaaaaaaaaard thing. And then we walked towards our class, and attended Economics happily ever after.

          It’s been almost a year and I am still getting used to it. The whole hand-between-shoulder was what, last Thursday. However, there has been some changes because now I am, apparently, the lunatic who hugs people for no reason at all. Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaard.