We celebrated Ronald's Birthday yesterday. Nineteen. That's much too big a number. For some reason, I expected being 18 to last for much longer. You should be 18 for 3 years. Then you're 21. What a more elegant system.
I hope to keep this blog running for the next few years, amid all the life changes I'll be experiencing. Someone once told me that the years from 18 to 21 is the focal point of your life, and any mistakes in the future can all be traced back to this period.
I'm not going to make a long Hong Kong post, if any of you are looking for one. Such an experience can't be expressed in one post. The freedom of parents on an overseas trip is a completely different experience, but the gravity of it struck me standing at Changi Airport. Being the first to arrive, as usual, I stood with my luggage on the center of the concourse, looking up at the board of flights. As the faceless mass of humanity streamed past me like a water flowing around a rock, I honestly had never felt so alone. Luckily, Jing Min arrived 15 minutes later, restoring my mood. But the damage was done. If I do go to US for my studies, a 2 way ticket costs a bomb. I'd not see many of my family and friends for 2 years, let alone 15 minutes. The rest of the Hong Kong trip was amazing, and waking up with the same few friends 7 days in a row tends to bond or break a group, and I'm glad to say it was the former. Many good stories and jokes were had, all immortalized in Debra's and Jing Min's photos on Facebook. Including some rather controversial ones I've heard.
National Service is coming up soon. More excited than dreading it. Really beats bumming around the house everyday, if I'm not driving or exercising. Having my Dad in the military, I've never actually questioned the importance or relevance of NS. Honestly the only reason I have against it is that it defers our tertiary education. Ah NS. The only things I'm worried about right now is running, my mortal enemy, and fitting in with the rest of the unit. I really do want to become an officer. If anything else, to make my father proud. He says he'll wear his Number one to the commissioning ceremony if I actually do make it, provided he can still fit in it haha. So literally the only things stopping me is my crappy 2.4 timing (a blistering 12 minutes, thank you very much) and my ability to connect with my sectionmates. I hope they're all at least nice people. Any Aaron Tans would just scupper my plans entirely. Although, the thought of just slacking off and being the section joker is quite seductive. Singing "Always look on the bright side" in Cockney accent during a route march, or "Singing in the rain" on a rainy field camp would be awesome.
Well, Chinese New Year is coming up, and I'll have a lot of visiting to do, as well as UPenn interview on the 28th. Hopefully I'll enjoy the last few months of being 18 :D And I'll leave you with this.
