Aba’s 2016

*Fighting in Goda Uda

Vietnam

teaching to wear condoms

being someone’s crush

eating crocodile

“husband” of an amazing girl

MattisForever

best birthday ever

Meme Wars

crashing strangers’ parties

ENTC

Projects

Mora Tamil exams

Switch Off 4.0

Recruitment

Knuckles

Batticaloa

Chilaw

Monaragala

Hanthana

Kanneliya*

Well, I began the year with the excitement of living alone. Back then I was a bit anxious without any close friends in Mora, but by the end of the year, I had close friends I could not have asked more from. I also had fun acting in dramas like Roopana and fighting with Praga and Kaveesha in Goda Uda for promotion.

VIETNAM: Undoubtedly, this was the highlight of the year. During six unforgettable weeks in Vietnam, I taught schoolchildren how to wear condoms and discussed LGBT rights, traveled through beautiful places, and made lasting friends: Chloé, Tam Dan, Quân, Jeta Jojo, Johnny, Cristin, Thanh, and Linh. I also “married” Jeta Jojo in a restaurant, ate crocodile, and above all lived more freely than I could back home. It was also in Vietnam that Trang told me she had a crush on me, which was unexpectedly affirming.

I travelled a lot in Sri Lanka too. 3 day Knuckles workshop, hiked in Hanthana (batch trip), trekked in Kanneliya (Dept trip) and had a survey trip to a beautiful village in Monaragala. I had an amazing time in Batticaloa, thanks to my Muslim friends Muqsith, Amal, Nibraz. I tasted the best beef there, bathed in Eravur and Pasikkuda beaches and had the unforgettable experience of travelling for 10 hours in a crowded bus, standing.

With good results in the first sem exams, I had the dilemma of choosing between Mechanical and Electronics. Insaf ayya, Chinthana and some others convinced me to choose ENTC and have a wonderful time here, I’m grateful I made that decision.

Of course, the best thing about the year was how naturally I clicked with Ashwin, Sandalika, Sachini, and Praga. We still have no idea how it happened, but I had never felt so at ease being myself until I found them. We had a wonderful time together through the Jaffna trip, late-night drives, birthday parties, and many personal moments. I do not know how I would have handled the academic pressure without them. Thanks to them, I had one of the best birthdays of my life.

Doing the first-ever project in ENTC was quite an experience. The alarm clock project, which kept me sleepless for a week, and working with Matheesha, Samith, and Ampatishan taught me a lot. The smart lock project, which I’m passionate about, also went very well, thanks to the team.

Plus, I found a new lovely family in mora: Gavel with Rochelle & Piyumi akki, Kasun and all. I also attended AIESEC NLDS conference in Chilaw & got acquainted with Sapumal, Vimukthini, Shehan & Haaziq.

On the side of personal development, I had a great time coordinating the Islandwide Mora Tamil Exams in Kandy district with Jarsigan, Vinu, Akmal & Uzama. I also learnt a lot from Denithra and team, being the part of the OC that did the largest recruitment in AIESEC SL’s history. Currently working for the Switch Off 4.0 project, I’m learning a lot, while bonding with the amazing OC of Supun, Madhavi, Bhanuka & Arshak and having great moments together.

So, thanks to all my friends, family and my amazing boarding owners, for making it the best year so far! Well, each year has been the best year so far for me. I love the fact that I’m a far better individual than I was at the beginning of the year. Hope I would change to a better person by the end of next year too!

Wish you all a wonderful new year!

First posted on Facebook: facebook.com/abarajithan11/posts/10210032584602660