In praise of togetheringNovember 30, 2016

Ben and Judy, his girlfriend, didn't mind Jack and I joining them, as we all agreed that we would see the coastline soon. Judy did a thorough research on Ubud, such that she convinced Ben about the virtues of staring at terraced fields. And we would have all the pool by ourselves. We would experience separation anxiety, which amused Judy. And she turned out to be right. It was a fine Tuesday morning when we arrived in Ubud. Judy was excited at the sight of our accommodation, which resembled a villa. It brought back memories of our house parties.

Jack opted to check out the pool, which offered a panorama of the unspoiled rainforest (or so he thought). It didn't take long for us to take a dip and enjoy the silence. And then Ben wondered who would be the villa mayor, which elicited laughter from us. I sensed that this would be a memorable holiday, but we must keep our mates (back home) waiting for our latest update in our Instagram accounts.

It was our gap year, and we figured that we needed a holiday. The older students at the English Department have been talking about Bali, and Ben and Judy thought about the Joneses. The university taught us about the virtues of togethering. Let me cite five good reasons:

Support would come in numbers. The pressure of the coursework could be too much to students, and the members of the faculty were aware of it. Professor Millman never forgets to tell me to approach him whenever I have a problem. There won't be a trivial matter, he added. Anything that could affect our focus would deserve attention. Moreover, I could share my little worries with my coursemates and flatmates. It didn't matter if they rather talk about reality TV shows and sport.

Company would be good for our mental health. There was no such thing as a good company and bad company. I might be wrong, but I wanted assurance in any form. The sight of it was enough on a number of occasions. I was pertaining to my deadlines, where I procrastinated several times. And man was a social animal (or so I thought).

Togethering could have a romantic ring. Judy was thinking of George Clooney's palatial home in Lake Como, hobnobbing with the rich and famous. Ben pretended not to hear it, as he was done with his second bottle of beer. A villa-like accommodation in the heart of a Balinese forest would have a romantic aspect to it. I was thinking of Crocodile Dundee and Sue Charlton. Jack wondered if we should ask some guests if they wanted a house villa party. I sensed that it might be jagger time sooner or later.

It would be nice if the others were green with envy. Misery loved company, which surprised my flatmates. I saw Judy raising her eyebrows.

It won't be hard to find ways to have a good time, but it would be easy with numbers. And we don't intend to leave the pool anytime soon.

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