When the heat of a typical spring-summer transitional day was burning our desire to hang out with friends, we saw the emergency to find a place to cool out. What we need was a short, quick, one-day trip to a clean, shaded, non-crowded place just to lie down and catch our breath before diving back into the papers. Several choices popped up in our mind: boating along a lake, stretching our eyes to the green horizon of paddy fields, or trying to fill our lungs with the pure, salty wind on a rocky beach... Sound tempting? Yes! Realistic? Errr, not quite so! After a while brainstorming, we finally knew what we need: a picnic and the title says it out loud, at the campus of Chittagong University. Since it was in spring break, we decided to make something special and an outdoor barbecue won the election.
9.00 AM:
The trip started.
With all the skewers full of vegetable, sausages, a big bowl of rice, water and coal, we were more than ready for a wonderful day ahead. The most exciting reason to choose Chittagong University campus was that the university offered a direct train for free (hey, it’s how student mentally react to free stuff at the end of the month!).All you need to do is pick a CNG, then “Sholo shohor jaiben?” and let Mr. Driver do the rest. There are two trains in the morning, at ... and 9.40, two in the evening at ... and ..., so we had plenty of time to enjoy and came back before dinner. For those who have not tried this train to Chittagong University, be warned, you may either think it is super cool, or …
10.30 AM:
As we arrived at the campus’ main gate, we were greeted by a group of security guards who excitedly asked us a series of questions. The problem was, with a bag of coal and a plan that may result in smoking not just our stick but every plants and trees and buildings around, we just wanted to run past them, ASAP! After the greeting, we had a walk along campus’ rear to find a spot to settle and ended up in a perfectly shaded sandy land right in front of a dormitory. From here, the real fun began.
After some half-an-hour’s sweating and crying, blowing and frantic fanning, we managed to fire up the coal. One by one, the colorful, nutritious sticks grilled with butter made our stomachs groan harmoniously. (For more details on the sticks and grilling, hunger yourself with the recipe by Thuy Huynhle’s article Picnic with Summer BBQ and Friends).The feast was one of the most lavish ones we had cooked, also the toughest challenge, which gave the food a better taste than ever. Everyone sat and enjoyed the sweetness of corn, the buttery taste of mushrooms mixing with sausage in butter, and we all felt sleepy under the shades that move gently along the afternoon wind.
2.00 PM:The day continued with a full-stomach afternoon rest. Chittagong University campus in the afternoon was quiet and peaceful, yet secured with security guards in a safe distance. Some of us lied down and dove into a nap; the others played cards and pursued their passion of cam-whoring. The freshness from the air filled our minds and brightened our hearts with a pleasant joy that blurred away the heat of a late spring day. Everyone had a relaxing time to enjoy and recharge their energy before a long walk to some of the most attractive spots in the campus in the evening.
3.00 PM:
It was time to get on the roads. Before leaving, we cleaned up the area and did not forget to fix our hair and clothes: It is time to say “Cheese!” The posing party began with some group pictures to mark a spot of fun we had been. We took on a route cutting through the campus that offered an experience of the university unique in both antiquity and modernity.
We came across this hanging bridge and could not refrain from a little posing.
The iconic attraction of the campus: Chittagong University Campus in a spring afternoon.
4.15 PM:
It took us nearly one hour going around and taking pictures, yet we did not have a chance to go everywhere around the campus. Everyone got tired, so we sat at the station in front of the main gate, waiting for the 5.00 PM train to come. We chatted about the vastness of the campus, about the security guards (my friend picked up some really good looking, check-out-worthy ones), and about how the barbeque still lingered in their mind. It was time to go, but deep within our heart, we promise that one day or more, we would came back to this place, hunger for more exploration and enjoyment. We came back to AUW in the evening. Our clothes still carried the scent of smoked sausage and our minds were filled with vibrant reminiscences of the blackened faces and the shining eyes in one of the most memorable day of our student’s life.
Author: Thao Le
Source: AUW Spectrum
*About AUW Spectrum: Former student-run magazine club in its operation from 2011 to 2014 at AUW
