25.

25. Mid 20s. A quarter century old.

I can no longer claim to be in my early 20s. 25 seems to be the start of another chapter in life. Similiar to 18, where national service beckons and 21, where university life begins. Looking back at the chapter that just closed, I managed a faint smile of satisfaction. It was a rollercoaster ride (however abused this term is)-

Familial wise- my dad's cancer(recovered le) and bike accident took the cake. My close uncle's death and my female cousin's marital problems added on to the anguish felt. Importantly, the ripples did not cause me to break down but actually toughen me up(especially with two of the events happening in the midst of my exams, it was really a test of how I would react in times of adversity-ok, andrew, will cut down on the melodramatic effect. haha)

Friends wise- Knowing Hong, Meiling, Zheyuan and Heyi was the best thing that happened in my varsity life. The trio's graduation a year ago and the inevitable separation from Hong in terms of modules taking has rendered my honours year less exciting than the previous three years. Perhaps, that softened the impact of my graduation and leaving this santuary of school. Of course, other friends such as Nabilla, Fatma, Wanrong, Peishan, Min Li and Yixian also added on to life in the rather protective environment of school. I can go on naming the friends that contributed in their own way to this chapter of my life but this ain't exactly a thank you speech blog entry. :p

School wise- I didn't get my first class honours. A 2nd Upper(baring a major disaster) is still a scant consolation. But oh well, nonetheless, the decision to major in political science instead of history was the hardest decision ever in my academic life. For history was what I have always deemed as my first love, my forte. Yet, political science had all the glam to it. LOL, of cos I aint that himbo. A combination of factors, good professors taking the exposure modules, the allures of international relations and current affairs lured me in. Along the way, I had my fingers burned here n there by different profs. Sometimes, I do think that I don't deserve the grade that some of my profs awarded me. Not a true reflection of my brillance and hard work. :p But overall, I am just thankful for the brillance of my profs who was able to open up my mind sufficiently and expose me to so much knowledge that I realize what I know is so little. This is not the end though, for I will definitely return to school(probably not nus) for my masters.

Personal growth wise- A sprinkling of ccas in nus, mentorship with mcys feedback unit, internships with mindef nexus and people's association-woodlands CO has allowed my CV to be presentable. The testimonials and the generous assistance rendered by my mentor who is willing to be my referee in my job applications allows me to 'sell' myself to my prospective employers. More importantly is not the CV or even the 'selling', but that added perspective which these experiences has imbued me with. I had a lot of good mentors too who was willing to guide me- an undergraduate who's obviously booksmart but not really 'street-smart'(IN THE PAST, not now), who's patient with me and who's willing to go beyond their duty to actually share life lessons with me. Mr Toh, Mr Ho, Victor(don't know whether you will read this blog entry :p) and Ms Sherlene Tan, it has really been a blessing to be able to learn from all of you. Thanks. :)

Relationships/Emotions wise- I was a boy. Besides the occasional, harmless crushes, I had one of my worst fall into that emotional abyss. But, somehow, through that experience, I dare say, I am no longer a boy but a man. LOL, at 25, I don't think anyone will begrudge me for saying that. Yes, age does not represent emotional maturity but the ardous process of finding yourself after you lost it sure brought about emotional growth.

So, a brief recap of that last chapter of life which is closing(with the release of results at the end of may and graduation ceremony in july), I look forward to the opening of the next chapter in life which I have loosely demacarte into the period of 25-30 and given the nice name of-the YUPPIES life. woooooo...lol.

Plans- I have made so many plans for the future that it seems that I am not leaving much room to surprises (yes, Clausewitz, I am not disagreeing with your centrality of the element of chance which can override everything). In this rather uncertain times, I feel at peace actually. I have plan A, plan B, contingency plans, etc, etc. I never thought I am such a planner. :p More or less, I am going to be a civil/public servant who may be going for a masters either during this chapter or in the beginning of my next chapter in life. Trying my best to get a job related to international relations is the job scope of my preferred career and I may still try for MFA in the foreseeable future(especially if I don't get a job which I deemed to be challenging and engaging enough to build my career on).

Personal growth- I have made up my mind to learn malay. Will start learning 1 or 2 months into my working life. As for the fourth language, the allure and practicality of spanish still dominates, but I may instead choose to learn a regional language should proficiency in it be required for my job. For now, the desire to be multi-lingual dominates my future plans.

Yuppies life- I want my car. (Will get my car sooner than later, probably in the very near future, if everything goes well). My friends are already planning overseas trips, 1 to Thailand in October, another to Taiwan in February, but nothing is confirmed of course...one thing is for sure though, before this chapter closes, I will make my pilgrimage to the holy place- OLD TRAFFORD!! LOL! Once, I start earning money, I will have the ability to indulge in plays/musicals/concerts! yay! I'm starting to sound like a spendthrift already, but I have decided to really enjoy life in the first year of working and saving up for the future after the first year. :)

I am going to be a YUPPIE soon!