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Saturday 21 June 2008

Picnic at Arnala Beach Resort

6:45 am sharp on Sunday the 8th of June, a group of Ex-Canossians were gathered at the Canossa High School gate, Mahim. Inspite of the heavy rains they looked all excited and ready to go for the ESAC (Ex-Students’ Association of Canossa) picnic to Arnala Beach Resort at Arnala. During the two and a half hour bus ride, all of us, first, introduced ourselves. Ex-students from the batch of 1967 to the youngest batch of 2008 were present. Then, of course everyone played the good old antakshari and the rapid fire version of it too.

On arrival at the Arnala Beach Resort, we were welcomed with a sumptuous breakfast. We then got into the swimming pool. We spent our pool time on the water slides, dunking each other in, playing throwball, splashing around and dancing in the water. The rain dance was indeed great fun, with the DJ keeping up a continuous stream of latesht filmy gaane! There was an artificial waterfall too. The ESAC members were in and out of the water coming for rounds of their share of the unlimited popcorn, ice candy and candy floss. A heavy, much awaited lunch was served at 1:00 pm; after which all of us changed into dry clothes and settled down in the rustic wood shed overlooking the swimming pool. After a short nap, all of us played group games – kacchi papayi, pakki papayi; clap at seven, dumb charades and so on. The winners were well rewarded during an elaborate felicitation ceremony J. The all time favourite monsoon snack of tea and hot bhajiyas was served at 5:15 pm.

Ending the day at the resort with a group photograph, we got into the bus for the return journey. We had all had a lot of fun, but had thoroughly missed one thing – an adventure! So our bus readily obliged us. One rear tyre came off and the other one got punctured on a deserted stretch of the highway, near Vasai. During the one and a half hour while the tyre was being repaired, the rain clouds darkened outside and stories of ghosts, split personalities and other psychologically creepy phenomena started going around in the bus. When the bus started, boy were we glad!

Back to the Canossa gate at 11:00 pm, we heaved a big hussha! I have to quote the words of an ex-student Varsha Kurdekar, ‘It was a well rounded trip’. A memorable, adventurous and absolutely fantastic first ESAC picnic. The first of many, many more to come. See you at the next one!!!

Samiksha Neroorkar
Batch of 2001