An end … and a beginning

The National's Teen Life columnist Lavanya Malhotra is going to study medicine in the UK, from where she will write a new column, University Life.

Lavayna Malhotra, our erstwhile Teen Life columnist, at home in Dubai. Delores Johnson / The National

For four years, Lavanya Malhotra has been providing this newspaper with humorous and poignant insights into being a youngster in the UAE.

Now, the 18-year-old Dubai College pupil is about to write her ­final Teen Life column. This month, she will be heading off to the prestigious University of Cambridge in the UK to study medicine.

As she pursues her dreams of becoming a pathologist, her fans will be pleased to know she will not abandon her talents for journalism – she plans to continue writing a new column for The National, University Life.

Malhotra believes that being tasked with a weekly column has generally been an edifying experience, helping her become an astute observer of the goings-on around her.

But while her perceptions have largely been applauded by her acquaintances, at times her work has gained her a certain enmity.

“Yes, I have occasionally offended people. I wrote about a boy at school who had a band and I didn’t write a very complimentary piece about it. His mum contacted me to say she was really offended,” she remembers.

“But, mostly it’s been really wonderful. I always feel proud when I see my name in print and most people say they like what I write.”

In fact, one particular assignment seriously boosted her social standing in her school. “When they played their concert in Abu Dhabi, I was asked to interview the Jonas Brothers for the paper,” she recalls.

“I wasn’t star-struck because I’ve never listened to them. But for a while I was the most popular person in school – loads of people came up to me asking me if I could get them to meet them or if I could get them tickets to their concert.”

She also believes her writing may have helped dispel some misperceptions of young people in this country.

“Yes, sometimes we’re called ‘expat brats’,” says Malhotra, who is of Indian descent. “But like all stereotypes, they are formed for a reason. There has to be an element of truth in them.

“But not all teenagers are troublemakers or lazy scroungers. So many of us are doing wonderful things in terms of charity work or organising groups.”

Nevertheless, she admits youngsters in this country are more spoilt than their counterparts elsewhere in the world, as she chronicled in one of her most popular columns. “One of my pieces was about a friend of mine who went to Bath University. When he ­arrived in his halls of residence, he plonked his suitcase down and asked: ‘Where’s the bellboy to take my luggage to my room?’

“The dean told him that this was student housing, not the Ritz. I’m just hoping I don’t act like this when I turn up at my residence.”

To ease the transition to self-­sufficiency, Malhotra has been undergoing a domestic training regime. “I am really trying to learn to look after myself. I have tried cooking, but it is a lot harder than it looks,” she reveals. “The first time I made a cake, I put in chilli powder instead of cocoa. As you can guess, it wasn’t very pleasant.”

She admits to some trepidation about leaving but is also looking forward to trying new things. “Yes, I am a bit apprehensive, but this is also mixed with excitement,” she says.

“I’ve heard they play a game called Muggle Quidditch at Cambridge. It’s the game they play in the Harry Potter books, but obviously not on broomsticks.”

If this improbable sport does exist, you can be sure you’ll be reading about it in a future column.

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