Education Abroad

There is something about my friends and colleagues who studied or stayed abroad. They're chic, funny, independent, outspoken, and open-minded. They are able to organize and arrange their thoughts in a structured way. They know clearly who they are. They have a stand and form solid basis for their decisions. They do not back down in the face of oppression. Instead, they stand up to it, stare it down and scare it back to where it came from.

That is why I yearned to study abroad, for the longest time ever, since I started working.

It was with these expecations that I came to pursue my postgraduate studies in Paris. To incorporate all the values above in my own personal well-being. Initially, I thought it wouldn't be happening as I saw the size of the school, the class, the lecturers, the people and the town.



But after the Energy Transition Day today, I've changed my mind. I am gradually beginning to discover that change does not happen overnight. Transformation takes time. It's a process that occurs from inside-out.

It's easy to be influenced. I know. Because I'm one of those people who sways easily. On the pretext of being diplomatic, I tend to bend in the direction of wind, to succumb to stress of the resultant direction. Yet, I realize I can't afford to be like that anymore.

I need to state my stand, voice my thoughts. Otherwise I would be taken for a ride, or taken for a candle without a candlewick, melting without even burning. As the Professor of Exploration and Production said today, "We may have apprehensions about making certain decisions (based on gut feelings or instinct initially), but always support them with facts. Hard, solid, facts. If you sit in the middle of the fence, it's no different than having no stand at all. Choosing to sit on the fence or having no stand is also a decision. And remember, you are responsible for your decisions. "

In short, always ask "Why?! Why?! Why?!" and support your answers with "figures, statistics, graphs, evidences, proof", not with "just because I don't feel like it"  or "Just because I don't think it's right". There must be a basis for your fears and your confidence. If you can't identify them, you can't move forward. Without knowing the root cause, how can you expect to resolve your issues?"

Being analytical is good after all! Finally! I have found someone who resonates along the same frequency as me.



So,  now that I'm back to my active, dynamique, energetic, optimistic mode, I'll describe my present school!  

It's small. It is a 'C' - shaped building, with glass windows in every room

(that's what I like most about the classrooms)!

Whenever the Professor stands in front of the blackboard to explain something,

my mind frequently wanders of the window,

my eyes staring at the raindrops falling and rolling down the leaves,

or bouncing off the metal bars;

or the leaves turning from green to red to brown,

 and eventually peeling themselves off from the branches, leaf by leaf;

I see dawn arriving later and later,

and notice dusk arriving earlier and earlier;

I see the sky switching from day to night, and night to day;

I see blue birds flying across the window,

hopping happily from one branch to another, without a care in the world;

My soul is transported to a whole new world, 

with singing birds, bright flowers, swaying trees, rainbows, snow flakes and light, floating clouds...

Oh.. this is my world... my whole new world!

I see trees with leaves and without leaves,

leaves of different shades of green, red, and brown...

I'm starting to wonder when will the first snow flakes fall this year...

I love quiz time in my school!

Each of us are given this special device on the left to key in our respective answers.

A software will calculate the percentage of students who gave the correct answers!

It's so cool!

My multi-national class, each of different shapes, sizes, colours, height and characters.

It's interesting and wakes me up everyday!

Colourful people with interesting personalities...

(Like blunt pencils, we're being sharpened daily too!)