The final countdown

It has been half a year since the budget re-calibration that slashed our Public Services Scholarship, and we gradually settled down in our destined institutions for the new chapters of lives. There are friends who opted for locals (Sunway, Monash, IMU, NuMed) and already started school back in March; others were more ambitious and head for overseas institutions from everywhere in the world using own funding, scholarships from universities and local companies (NUS, NTU, HKU, HKUST, Cambridge, Oxford, University College Dublin, Warwick).

I will the bandwagon to go abroad this fall.

Back in IMO training, the successful stories of those senior contestants have shaped my dream to study abroad one day, especially to those universities that enjoy being showered with fame on newspapers. Later, the predominating thoughts of getting into top 20 universities reinforced this dream: so badly I wanted to turn this into reality that I went crazy with my work. Late 2015 and early 2016 took me from the distraught of admission work to the quandaries of decision making process, before relieving myself with the decision on Waterloo. It was a happy choice to make, considering the appealing aspects of co-op programs, scholarships, and its wonderful math and computer science department.

But the eagerness and the excitement to attend Waterloo were gradually supplanted by reluctance as the orientation draws near–when the anticipation to start a new life there was mixed with a cruel truth that I have only 31 days left to enjoy all the well-beings of Malaysia: my family, teachers, coaches, classmates, friends, food. There’s no question of doubt that those individual really went deep into my life and my heart; that’s why the bonding is so strong. There’s no question of doubt that Penangites’ taste buds are pampered with a motley of delectable eateries; that’s why I will miss food here.

It’s therefore timely to relax myself from all the hustle and bustle of work (except those mandatory ones like teaching math, and Toastmasters), and enjoy the things I like to do. Beyond that, I shall cherish the final month with my loves ones, making sure that we have good times together (with good food too, of course).

Saying goodbye doesn’t have to be bitter if we are mentally prepared for that. Thinking from a broader spectrum, there’s only one root reason for all the toil in preparing myself for this, logistically and mentally: to chase for my dream. Therefore, it is a positive separation from those I care, for when we meet again, they will be together with a different me.