A little update on how it's been so far. Well, getting hang of university life is not something you can do within the glimpse of an eye. But it takes a while to get familiar to your surroundings. Where to go, what to eat, what to do, who to go to are all the normal questions you'd ask when you first arrive somewhere. Even though I've come to this place a few times already, it's still relatively new to me. Like people say, staying some place is a whole lot different to going some place for a holiday. This certainly proved it to me.
So far, uni life has been great. Made a few friends and acquaintances. Pretty nice people I'd have to say. Although I haven't actually made any close Malaysian friends *=P*, no matter. I've met lots of people from various backgrounds and origins. Got a few local friends, few from China, few from Malaysia etc. All is well in the SA town is what I would say for now. Though, I can tell you that I've been quite a Yon-Hon minus the epic cleverness in the university :P........ Of course, you'd expect me to talk whenever I'm talked to and start a conversation when the time is right. But I've kept my distance haha....
Well, you can argue that I did not achieve my mission of becoming a socializing freak that I boasted about before I went, but certainly, just want to create a good base come January... when my actual intake happens. Haha..... never told anyone here yet... except maybe TS XD.
Anyhow, life has not been not brilliant for a while. It's actually kind of relaxing, being in a place like this. I must say that as much as I miss some hectic environment, I feel a lot better being here. Though, the days pass by really quickly for some reason. Unlike the past few years, this has been one of the quickest years I've been through for a while. But hey, all of this is worthwhile.
"Life is dull." I bet this statement would come to an end when you feel the way I'm feeling right now. At the moment, I feel a lot like an ant in the Amazon jungle, being a tiny fraction of what's to be the entire world. Coming here for the past two months meant a lot. It was what I expected and yet it seemed a hundred fold more. All those talk about the place being silent and absolutely boring by peers..... well, let's just say they were extinguished in the blink of an eye. A brand new horizon looks upon my life and I can't help but feel woeful yet intrigued about its emergence. It was only for the past few weeks that I realised, "Hey! Who said we're only stuck to one course?" Life is absolute. It's just a matter about how you depict it and experience it throughout your journey.
You can never expect anything to go Boom! Boom! Pow! and appear right in front of your eyes. You need patience and resilience. You can say that it is a fact that I had doubts coming to the place I currently set foot on every time I wake up from bed. You can say that I aspired to go to the land where I once come from. You can say that I had a bigger desire to do things dubbed better than what I was going to do now. Yet, all these claims were only left into the garbage after an air trip two months ago.
To all who feel that the world is only confined to two peninsulas with a multicultural composition, I would say I am sorry to disappoint you. Few months ago, if you asked me if it would be any difference if you were to go out of that box, I'd tell you of course...... though, with not a single proof of it. Sure, I might have travelled to many places, but nothing beats the feeling of actually being there and doing that. I guess that's where "been there done that" came from, hah? You'd ask me, "Why don't I just go to IMU or Taylor's for a simple degree and then work my way overseas.... later in life?" or "I want to study and live in Malaysia." Something I'd tell you would seem like "When you go overseas, you get experience, more recognition and more opportunity." Somehow, I have to admit concrete proof was what I lacked. I thought to myself when answering that it was true that there was nothing really much of a difference, even when my mouth was saying something else. I had a strong belief though, that kept burning throughout.
Finally, however, I can say that what I argued about and tried to point out to each of you is still the case for me now, if not having a stronger argument. What you get out of the country is a whole new different world. You can never deny that Malaysia is your safety pillow, some place where you are sure that you are going to have a good and enjoyable life ahead. But, isn't life all about taking risks? When you offer someone your hand, it's taking a risk. When you sit on a cable car to Genting Highlands, it's taking a risk. Even when you are driving a car, it is still taking a risk. If you don't take a risk in life, you will never get anything out of it. Pessimists exist throughout the world. Why? I would say that they had never experienced the beauty of life enough.
I'd like to say what WY said was absolutely right. He'd rather go to a new place like North Dakota than some place similar. I can say that he would be having more fun than I am. But still, something I would like to say to him is, no. He was right in the sense that the environment is the same. But still, even with the many similar conditions, the world is much different from what I experience back then. Even if you have a lot of Malaysian friends in a place, the things you experience in that place is a whole lot different, if you actually want it to be. Take my cousin for an example, he has already been here for 3 years. No doubt, he would have a lot of Malaysian friends and he does. However, I can bet that he has already experienced a whole lot more than what some people here have experienced. It's all about enjoying life and maximising what you do to the fullest. You can have that much similarity and yet, it's that little difference that could make you unleash your inner self and experience what's around here for you in a whole new different way.
I guess I'm being a little repititive, but all I'd like to advise to all of you out there still working your way to university is that, do what you got to do. If you do well, then opportunities will come. And when they do, grab them with the quickest motion. If you ever get a chance to go overseas, never hesitate to do so. Even if it's to a little town in South Australia, or some place far north in the middle of the United States, life has not given you a better chance! Who cares about the weather, the possibility of not knowing anyone or even the possibility of not having games to play! It is these sacrifices that you have to make in order to achieve what you want to achieve. It is only with these sacrifices that you can finally experience what is meant by life.
Isn't this what this blog is supposed to be about? "Looking through the window to life and its wonders." I guess what I thought would be a nice theme has certainly become an effective motto for me in life. There is a saying that opportunity only knocks once. Yes it does. But do you know how many opportunities come knocking on your door? Millions and billions! I could write a whole essay on this. Problems always arise out of opportunities. That comes with the whole package, doesn't it? Where there is profit, there is always a loss. Newton even came up with to every reaction there is an opposite and equal reaction. Financial issues, social issues.... those are just problems that hinder you from doing what you are destined to do. And sometimes, these problems make the profit you get seem so small when in fact, it is bigger than ever.
You can say that financial status is a problem. Hey, I can just about write a 1000 word essay to prove you wrong. Take WY for an example. What I admire about him is his ability to take such a risk. Even if it's going to NDSU which is virtually unknown and is in a very secluded part of the United States, it is to me, one of the best decisions I have seen anyone make. I even sometimes bite myself for not doing it, out of fear and out of greed. Yes, fear and greed. But at the end of the day, he can say that he has been to the United States. I am sure his perspective towards life is even more sophisticated than mine come three years later. In fact, a lot of people do this already. Take a look at the people around us, I can see at least 5 taking this step towards the wilderness. If you even come out with an excuse that you do not have enough money, take a look at the cost of it. In fact, it is about the same as what you would get in Malaysia itself. If it was because of parents of course, I can't argue much.
However, the point is, there are many ways for one to experience this. It's all about searching and seeking these opportunities. If opportunities were said to knock on one's door, I'd say that opportunities would never knock on one's door if you never even make an effort to seek them. Take these opportunities in life and make a giant leap forward. Take these risks and prepare for a great future ahead! Experience life to its greatest extent before you can say that you regret not doing so. I hope this message goes across your thoughts. Hopefully, you can get to experience what I experience right now in the near future. And all the best in life!
