First Anniversary.
If not for Noel's reminder, I don't even realise that I have already ORDed for a year :PSo it is time for reflection:
From 14/3/06 to 12/4/06:
Slacked? Was planning for the Europe trip... other than that did not do anything. Admin aside... I remember I was worrying over housing or something and told my dad how to respond to letters on my behalf when I would be in Europe.
From 12/4/06 to 10/5/06:
Had a very nice and enchanting trip in Europe. Learnt its beauty, its hospitality, its enchanting history and culture, strengthened a friendship, and realised the fact that you really need to be careful in picking your travel companions...
From 10/5/06 to 15/5/06:
Told people my travel stories. And showed them my photos.
From 15/5/06 to 12/6/06:
Phase one of lab internship. Learnt a lot of new skills and knowledge, and figured that apoptosis is interesting. And my mentor is really very good.
From 12/6/06 to 23/6/06:
Astar departing batch pre-departure programme. Basically it's one whole having fun session: got to know a whole new bunch of fun people, got to know those I have met previously better, and had fun with those who were already my friends.
From 23/6/06 to 18/8/06 and 19/8/06 to 29/8/06:
Phase two of lab internship and pre-departure period. I was put under the test of faith.
1. Lab was fine... I was running experiments on my own, and decided to extend my internship for 2 weeks at mentor's request.
2. Pre-departure admin was really messed up. I-20 got lost in the mail, and was desperately getting JHU to courier it over again; housing had a last-minute problem; unexpected hiccup for my deed signing... Almost have to draw up crisis management plan in case I cannot arrive on time.
3. Flew twice back to HK once with each of my parents to settle some problems just before I left for the US.
4. And have to deal with the stress of leaving home...
I was extremely grateful that in the end everything was fine.
Though I got to know very good lunch companion(s) over this period of time...
From 29/8/06 to 14/3/07:
Have been staying in the US since. And to my horror sister told me recently that my mother was telling her friends that I have 'changed', basis being 'usually I will not want to spend the kind of money flying to Chicago over a weekend just to watch a show'. So how I have changed?
1. Definitely saw/heard/got to know different perspectives, styles of work, cultures, and systems via classes (esp. the humanities/social sciences small classes), interaction with faculty, interaction with other students and interaction with friends who had been here for a while.
2. Discovered that I can actually write in English rather decently. I used to only be able to write bio essays; this I definitely changed.
3. I have begun to not take things for granted. Here, edible food is something you have to either pay a lot of money for or you have to create it yourself. Here, getting from one place to another never fails to be a hassle; buses need not come on time, and planes need not depart on time. Here, no insurance means no medical care. Here, even security and personal safety is not an entitlement too... (sounds worse than SAF right :P)
4. Friendship becomes more important: I realised I talk more to some of my friends now than when I was in Singapore. Might explain why I bother to spend the money (not a lot what anyway... and of course I figured that I can afford it with money to spare...).
5. I think I became more open, or more willing to, directly face my feelings, follow my heart and leave things to fate. This has nothing to do with my American experience; though my sister certainly played a large part in this accidentally :P
6. I am not too sure but I believe I can pretty decently suppress my Singaporean accent now. People are not making me repeat what I say anymore. This is something I can't imagine myself doing before I left. And I can pretty much understand everything in the movies and shows without subtitles too... I am forced to listen carefully nowadays I guess.
From 14/3/07 onwards:
Hope that I can continue to get a 4.0 GPA, get started on my research project (I already have a rough idea! I need more knowledge to come up with a concrete plan and skills to carry it out), learn as much as possible from Johns Hopkins, make more friends here, and,
Hope something really really nice will happen! :)
140307 0040hrs
Labels: Life
