Two Weeks To Homecoming

So many things. So little time.

Pejam celik pejam celik, the time is almost up. Two weeks, and I'll be home. 

Wow.

It didn't actually really feel like pejam celik though. I guess doing so many things could stretch time. That's my theory of relativity.

Unlike what many people would love to announce, I wouldn't say this one year stint abroad have totally changed me. But my sense of perspective and maturity in life have definitely improved tremendously. That's what happens when you are well traveled, and the reason why I am so passionate about promoting friends to travel. You learn more about yourself, and about the world. 

I enjoyed my learning period just as much as I enjoyed the travels made in between reading and writing. I touched many of the places and did so many things I have always dreamed of, many with specific personal mission such as:

"Eating Norwegian salmon in a small Norwegian fishing town, overlooking the Norwegian Sea"

"Sleeping in a boat-house in Sweden"

"Trip into the Sahara Desert, and sleeping under the stars on the dunes"

"Travelling by the coast of Dalmatia Sea"

"Cycling around a Greek island"

And many more.

I have covered 12 countries in 12 months, without neglecting my postgraduate life. Which is why with all the travelling made, the place I will miss most is still this lovely British land - their green and welcoming parks, the brisk walking from our home in Rochester to Chatham High Street, Russell Square and Holborn, the underground travelling, Oyster card, the weather (trust me, the Brits have no idea how lovely their weather is!), the summer carnivals, and the excitement of the Olympic Games.

Such a heart opening experience this year, and will be treasured and missed for eternity. Two weeks, and back to the working world. Crossing my fingers for more great year's ahead...

A Degree Above

All journeys are not without destination.

After months of sailing this academic yacht, the land is finally a short distance away. Yes, this journey is reaching its end, and thankfully, the sail has been nothing short of smooth - the sea was calm, the wind generous, and the yacht intact. Of course, there were challenges along the way, but for a journey well planned, most challenges are not difficulties; they are simply anticipated obstacles, and anticipated obstacles make journeys meaningful, not difficult.

It's been a pleasant ride in the sea of knowledge. Contrary to what the society like to perceive, postgraduate study is not about how smart or bright you are. The qualification is simply a recognition that you have more knowledge of a more specific subject matter. I guess that is why it focuses less on grading the way they do at undergraduate level. It is the process of acquiring that knowledge that is more important, because at this level you start to question and argue established knowledge and practices,and that raises your overall intellectual capacity to a degree above. Unlike the almost biblical textbooks in the previous studies where everything seems to be carved in stones, references for postgraduates are full of scholarly disputes and antagonistic theories, and one is forced to make his own careful judgement based on this wobbly premise.

While the journey is only a short one year, a part of me cannot wait to get a hold on that scroll. Master of Science in Management of Intellectual Property. A degree above, in more ways than one :)