..Rêve Sans Frayeur..
"it is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities"
- Albus Dumbledore
1. 50 Management Ideas You Need to Know
2. Sing You Home
3. Only 13
4. Personal Finance
1. Southeast Asia: An Introductory History
2. Clean
3. The God Delusion
4. Hedgehogging
1. To become an outstanding consultant
2. To speak basic Korean
3. To grow Audible Hearts
4. To improve my Malay
5. To publish a scientific paper
6. To create a junior squash ranking system for Singapore
7. Get my Kayaking 3-Star
8. To take more salsa lessons
9. To climb Mt Kinabalu
10. To find true love
The picture that made the world weep. 1994 Pulitzer Prize - Kevin Carter
10/07/2001 - 10/14/2001 10/21/2001 - 10/28/2001 10/28/2001 - 11/04/2001 11/18/2001 - 11/25/2001 11/25/2001 - 12/02/2001 12/02/2001 - 12/09/2001 01/06/2002 - 01/13/2002 01/13/2002 - 01/20/2002 01/20/2002 - 01/27/2002 01/27/2002 - 02/03/2002 02/03/2002 - 02/10/2002 07/28/2002 - 08/04/2002 08/04/2002 - 08/11/2002 08/11/2002 - 08/18/2002 08/18/2002 - 08/25/2002 08/25/2002 - 09/01/2002 09/01/2002 - 09/08/2002 09/08/2002 - 09/15/2002 09/15/2002 - 09/22/2002 11/10/2002 - 11/17/2002 11/17/2002 - 11/24/2002 04/06/2003 - 04/13/2003 09/14/2003 - 09/21/2003 09/21/2003 - 09/28/2003 09/28/2003 - 10/05/2003 10/05/2003 - 10/12/2003 10/12/2003 - 10/19/2003 10/26/2003 - 11/02/2003 11/02/2003 - 11/09/2003 11/09/2003 - 11/16/2003 11/23/2003 - 11/30/2003 11/30/2003 - 12/07/2003 12/07/2003 - 12/14/2003 12/21/2003 - 12/28/2003 12/28/2003 - 01/04/2004 01/04/2004 - 01/11/2004 01/18/2004 - 01/25/2004 01/25/2004 - 02/01/2004 02/01/2004 - 02/08/2004 02/08/2004 - 02/15/2004 03/14/2004 - 03/21/2004 03/28/2004 - 04/04/2004 04/18/2004 - 04/25/2004 05/09/2004 - 05/16/2004 05/16/2004 - 05/23/2004 05/30/2004 - 06/06/2004 06/06/2004 - 06/13/2004 06/13/2004 - 06/20/2004 06/20/2004 - 06/27/2004 06/27/2004 - 07/04/2004 07/04/2004 - 07/11/2004 07/11/2004 - 07/18/2004 07/18/2004 - 07/25/2004 08/08/2004 - 08/15/2004 08/29/2004 - 09/05/2004 09/05/2004 - 09/12/2004 09/12/2004 - 09/19/2004 09/19/2004 - 09/26/2004 10/03/2004 - 10/10/2004 10/10/2004 - 10/17/2004 10/24/2004 - 10/31/2004 10/31/2004 - 11/07/2004 11/07/2004 - 11/14/2004 11/14/2004 - 11/21/2004 11/21/2004 - 11/28/2004 11/28/2004 - 12/05/2004 12/12/2004 - 12/19/2004 12/19/2004 - 12/26/2004 12/26/2004 - 01/02/2005 01/16/2005 - 01/23/2005 01/23/2005 - 01/30/2005 03/06/2005 - 03/13/2005 03/13/2005 - 03/20/2005 03/20/2005 - 03/27/2005 03/27/2005 - 04/03/2005 04/03/2005 - 04/10/2005 04/10/2005 - 04/17/2005 04/17/2005 - 04/24/2005 04/24/2005 - 05/01/2005 05/01/2005 - 05/08/2005 05/08/2005 - 05/15/2005 05/15/2005 - 05/22/2005 05/22/2005 - 05/29/2005 05/29/2005 - 06/05/2005 06/05/2005 - 06/12/2005 06/19/2005 - 06/26/2005 06/26/2005 - 07/03/2005 07/03/2005 - 07/10/2005 07/24/2005 - 07/31/2005 07/31/2005 - 08/07/2005 08/07/2005 - 08/14/2005 08/14/2005 - 08/21/2005 08/21/2005 - 08/28/2005 09/04/2005 - 09/11/2005 09/11/2005 - 09/18/2005 09/18/2005 - 09/25/2005 10/02/2005 - 10/09/2005 10/16/2005 - 10/23/2005 10/23/2005 - 10/30/2005 11/13/2005 - 11/20/2005 11/20/2005 - 11/27/2005 11/27/2005 - 12/04/2005 12/11/2005 - 12/18/2005 12/18/2005 - 12/25/2005 12/25/2005 - 01/01/2006 01/01/2006 - 01/08/2006 01/08/2006 - 01/15/2006 01/15/2006 - 01/22/2006 01/22/2006 - 01/29/2006 01/29/2006 - 02/05/2006 02/19/2006 - 02/26/2006 02/26/2006 - 03/05/2006 03/05/2006 - 03/12/2006 03/12/2006 - 03/19/2006 03/26/2006 - 04/02/2006 04/02/2006 - 04/09/2006 04/09/2006 - 04/16/2006 04/16/2006 - 04/23/2006 04/30/2006 - 05/07/2006 05/07/2006 - 05/14/2006 05/14/2006 - 05/21/2006 05/21/2006 - 05/28/2006 05/28/2006 - 06/04/2006 06/11/2006 - 06/18/2006 06/18/2006 - 06/25/2006 06/25/2006 - 07/02/2006 07/09/2006 - 07/16/2006 07/23/2006 - 07/30/2006 09/10/2006 - 09/17/2006 10/01/2006 - 10/08/2006 10/15/2006 - 10/22/2006 10/29/2006 - 11/05/2006 11/12/2006 - 11/19/2006 11/19/2006 - 11/26/2006 11/26/2006 - 12/03/2006 12/10/2006 - 12/17/2006 12/17/2006 - 12/24/2006 12/24/2006 - 12/31/2006 12/31/2006 - 01/07/2007 02/04/2007 - 02/11/2007 02/11/2007 - 02/18/2007 02/18/2007 - 02/25/2007 02/25/2007 - 03/04/2007 03/11/2007 - 03/18/2007 03/18/2007 - 03/25/2007 03/25/2007 - 04/01/2007 04/29/2007 - 05/06/2007 08/12/2007 - 08/19/2007 09/09/2007 - 09/16/2007 09/30/2007 - 10/07/2007 10/14/2007 - 10/21/2007 10/21/2007 - 10/28/2007 10/28/2007 - 11/04/2007 11/04/2007 - 11/11/2007 11/11/2007 - 11/18/2007 11/18/2007 - 11/25/2007 12/02/2007 - 12/09/2007 12/09/2007 - 12/16/2007 12/16/2007 - 12/23/2007 12/23/2007 - 12/30/2007 12/30/2007 - 01/06/2008 01/06/2008 - 01/13/2008 01/13/2008 - 01/20/2008 02/10/2008 - 02/17/2008 02/24/2008 - 03/02/2008 03/02/2008 - 03/09/2008 03/16/2008 - 03/23/2008 03/30/2008 - 04/06/2008 04/06/2008 - 04/13/2008 04/13/2008 - 04/20/2008 04/20/2008 - 04/27/2008 04/27/2008 - 05/04/2008 05/11/2008 - 05/18/2008 05/18/2008 - 05/25/2008 06/15/2008 - 06/22/2008 06/22/2008 - 06/29/2008 06/29/2008 - 07/06/2008 07/06/2008 - 07/13/2008 07/20/2008 - 07/27/2008 07/27/2008 - 08/03/2008 08/03/2008 - 08/10/2008 08/17/2008 - 08/24/2008 08/24/2008 - 08/31/2008 09/14/2008 - 09/21/2008 10/05/2008 - 10/12/2008 10/19/2008 - 10/26/2008 11/09/2008 - 11/16/2008 12/14/2008 - 12/21/2008 12/21/2008 - 12/28/2008 12/28/2008 - 01/04/2009 01/04/2009 - 01/11/2009 01/11/2009 - 01/18/2009 01/18/2009 - 01/25/2009 02/01/2009 - 02/08/2009 02/08/2009 - 02/15/2009 02/15/2009 - 02/22/2009 03/08/2009 - 03/15/2009 03/22/2009 - 03/29/2009 04/05/2009 - 04/12/2009 04/12/2009 - 04/19/2009 04/26/2009 - 05/03/2009 05/03/2009 - 05/10/2009 05/17/2009 - 05/24/2009 05/24/2009 - 05/31/2009 06/07/2009 - 06/14/2009 06/14/2009 - 06/21/2009 06/21/2009 - 06/28/2009 06/28/2009 - 07/05/2009 07/26/2009 - 08/02/2009 08/02/2009 - 08/09/2009 08/09/2009 - 08/16/2009 08/16/2009 - 08/23/2009 08/30/2009 - 09/06/2009 09/27/2009 - 10/04/2009 10/11/2009 - 10/18/2009 11/01/2009 - 11/08/2009 11/15/2009 - 11/22/2009 11/22/2009 - 11/29/2009 12/13/2009 - 12/20/2009 12/27/2009 - 01/03/2010 01/10/2010 - 01/17/2010 01/17/2010 - 01/24/2010 01/24/2010 - 01/31/2010 01/31/2010 - 02/07/2010 02/07/2010 - 02/14/2010 02/14/2010 - 02/21/2010 02/21/2010 - 02/28/2010 03/28/2010 - 04/04/2010 04/04/2010 - 04/11/2010 04/11/2010 - 04/18/2010 04/18/2010 - 04/25/2010 05/02/2010 - 05/09/2010 05/16/2010 - 05/23/2010 05/23/2010 - 05/30/2010 06/13/2010 - 06/20/2010 06/27/2010 - 07/04/2010 07/11/2010 - 07/18/2010 10/03/2010 - 10/10/2010 10/10/2010 - 10/17/2010 11/07/2010 - 11/14/2010 11/14/2010 - 11/21/2010 11/21/2010 - 11/28/2010 12/12/2010 - 12/19/2010 01/23/2011 - 01/30/2011 02/13/2011 - 02/20/2011 02/27/2011 - 03/06/2011 03/27/2011 - 04/03/2011 04/03/2011 - 04/10/2011 04/24/2011 - 05/01/2011 05/15/2011 - 05/22/2011 06/26/2011 - 07/03/2011 10/02/2011 - 10/09/2011 11/06/2011 - 11/13/2011
audible hearts
quincy house
o'shea lab
harvard siama
blood-the river of life
03s71's blog
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast. It is not proud, it is not rude. It is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered. It keep no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves.
Friday, July 01, 2011
After graduation, after travelling around Europe, after doing SEALnet in Thailand, I'm finally back in Singapore. Things feel different. People talk a lot about culture shock when they enter a new environment. What about reverse culture shock when you return to your roots only to find that you have changed and so have many things around you?
I've been back to Singapore in my four years abroad. But this time, it feels different. in the past four years, whenever I've been back, I was never more than just a passing tourist in my own country. I would fly back, meet up with all my friends, taste all the local delicacies, visit new attractions and then before I knew it, it was time to leave again. This time, I'm not sure when the time to leave would be. Sure, there's always business school in the horizon, but even that is 2-3 years away and so much can happen between now and then. This time, i'm actually back as a local, only not really. I haven't quite gotten rid of my hybrid american-singaporean accent that always raises a few eyebrows when I'm out on the streets. but really, it runs much deeper than that. maybe it's the lack of individual expression. maybe it's the blind submission to authority. maybe it's the difficulty in trying to reintegrate into social networks that have progressed without me. in truth, it's probably all of the above and more.
and yet, it was my choice to come back. i'm not bonded by any government scholarships. i don't have a bank loan to pay. i had my nice cushy job offer in the states. when stating office preferences i could have listed elsewhere other than singapore. do i regret that choice? it's probably still too early to tell, but probably not. one thing i'm glad for was the opportunity to choose. that the decision to return wasn't just thrusted on me as an inevitable course. i'm pretty sure that if i had chosen the other way (remaining in the states), i would have many reservations about that choice as well.
if the past is anything to go by, and it might very well not be, i believe i make pretty good life decisions for myself (if you would indulge me in that bit of egoism). at least if you accept that the way to judge any decision is if you would have chosen the same way again knowing full well the consequences of that decision. i do have some regrets, things i would have done differently, but they were usually more trivial. while i still believe i made the right choice in coming back for now, it doesn't mean that i do not rue the opportunity cost.
i guess the other minor complicating bit is that i don't quite intend to stay in singapore beyond 2-3 years nor would i really be 'allowed' to. consulting firms are almost like schools. you enter with as a class, and do your two-three years before people head off to do their mbas/start a business/decide what else they want to do with life. 2-3 years is, to be honest, neither here nor there. it's too short to really make long term plans, yet too long to not plan at all. but on the bright side of things, i'm really really looking forward to starting work! i've already met quite of number of my future colleagues as well as people who are in my associate class from this region. i think the last time i was this excited was waiting for harvard to start.
defining himself: Shawn
Comments:
Post a Comment