I am glad to know that what i really do is pretend to be a unicorn.

Its busy time

Finally into my last month or so here, and I'm getting to do what I want to do. Not completely but at least its something. I haven't been able to accomplish much in terms of journalistic work or travelling but hopefully this should lay the seeds for me to come back in the future. Nepal is awesome and my mind about that has not been changed.

I wish I could have done more though. It seems like such a wasted opportunity to have spent more than a third of the year here without anything yet to be proud of showing. As it is, it is annoying that I neither got to work on stories I really want to nor did I get to travel.

I'll leave you at an alley in Patan, where kids jump around like its still the 60s.

Do What You Like

by Samantha Ann Branson

I’m two years away from graduation. But I know the day will come when I have to decide between doing what I want to do because I enjoy doing it, and doing what makes me money.

And I would think that’s the issue for the most of us. From primary school, to secondary school to junior college or polytechnic, do we really know what we want?

The most of us don't (I know I didn't). We just go with what we think will work out for us in the future, and of course where our interest lies. And up till junior college or polytechnic for that matter, our choices are limited by our aptitude. And by that, I mean grades.

And I think that’s what changes something in us. Grades. And the fact that up till university/work we’ve been under the notion that how well we do determines whether we’re good at something.

You need to do well in school, our parents have been telling us this from young. Because when you do well, you succeed, you get a job, you get paid, you earn a stable income. And then they tell you, when you’re earning a good amount and you’re doing well, that you’re successful in life. It makes sense. Logically at least.

And so, at the end of the day, we tell ourselves, we will do what it takes to do well in life, to be successful. We climb ladders like everyone else in the world. It’s normal. We do what it takes to survive, because at the core of everything, money makes the world go round.

And how I wish it didn't.

What ever happened to doing something because you like it? Or simply because you wanted to? And I don't mean small decisions like buying an ice-cream cone because you feel like. I’m talking about our priorities, in general. When grades mean more to us than doing something for fun. I’m talking about all the times that we let grades define us.

Whether it’s eating, writing poetry, taking photos or whatever else you can name, everyone enjoys doing something. Sometimes what you enjoy doing, is something you can make money out of. I would say that’s the best situation to be in. But what about the zillion other things people like to do that doesn't make them money?

I guess, in principle, when you do something you like, you dont (and rightfully so, you shouldn't) bother whether people notice you. It doesn't matter if any one pays you for your work, or if anyone recognises you. You do it, because you enjoy doing what you like. Again, it’s awesome if people pay you for what you like to do. But for most people that doesn't happen.

And if you’re one of that majority, I hope that at all costs, you don't stop doing what it is you enjoy. Especially not for good grades.

Never too old for Disneyland
By Samantha Ann Branson

“Too many people grow up. That's the real trouble with the world, too many people grow up. They forget. They don't remember what it's like to be 12 years old. They patronize, they treat children as inferiors.” – Walt Disney

It’s a very strange thing. When you’re young, you want to grow up. My father recalls that when I was 8 years old, we were in a restaurant, and I told him that I wanted to grow up to be a “serve” and when he asked me what that was, I told him- “Someone who serves food!” When you’re 8 years old, you want to be a doctor, a princess, a teacher, an astronaut, and so many other occupations. But all that never really happens for the most of us. We grow up. We become more practical. Reality hits us.

Growing up means becoming more mature, my parents told me- and it made sense. When you grow up, you gain more knowledge through school, you make better decisions, and you become more rational. You understand the concept of reality. But at what cost?

I think the most of us lose that childlike spark of happiness, and the ability to appreciate the simplest things in life. As a child, getting ice cream makes you so happy. I can still remember how happy I would feel as child, when my father would come home with 250grams of Famous Amos cookies. But not so much anymore.

And when we grow up, not only do the things that make us happy change- we have so much more to think about. Life is more complicated. It’s more than just which toy to play with or who you want to be friends with. Now we think about school, we think about work and on top of everything, we think about making money. We go to school and study hard, so that we can get a good job and earn a stable income. Money makes the world go round now, not toys and candy.

A friend once told me, that people want everything, but see nothing. It’s a very sad concept. Being caught up with everything that makes us busy makes us bypass so many other things in life. We find it hard to stop to smell the roses. I can almost say that we try so hard to be happy, when happiness is right there - only if we stop trying so hard. The harder we try, the more elusive happiness gets, or so it seems. All you need to do is to embrace the child in you. Be 12 years old again.

I’m now 21 years old, not exactly old, but not a child either. I feel like I am at the junction of adulthood. Maturity is inevitable, I believe. It may be difficult for a child to retain childlike qualities, but I am going to try. I’ve just booked my tickets to Disneyland. I don't want to ever be too old to enjoy a themepark. And I hope no one ever feels that they are.

Growing up is a double edged sword. It is necessary, and yet we want to hold on to things of the past. And it’s not simple. As Mary Lamberton Becker once said: “We grow neither better nor worse as we get old, but more like ourselves.” And I guess, that is the beauty of growing up.

so it's march 18 now.
looking at the dates,
i have about thirty ish days left in jonkoping,
after taking into consideration the days that i'll be out of jonkoping travelling-
that is to russia in april (:

it's kind of weird how i've come to like the place.
you know how people say it's boring and there's nothing to do and all that.
but that kinda is the beauty of it

it's slow and it's nice.
you dont have to rush
it's never crowded (i mean it)
it's so different from singapore in so many ways.

with that said,

i cant wait to get to london.

yes i will miss jonkoping for all the quiet, peacefulness and everything

but honestly language is a big barrier.

which is pretty much a big reason why i prefer london-

everything is in english.

so yeah,

it's russia, gothenburg again, then hello london.

i'm pretty excited to start travelling.

it's going to feel great when school's out.

but for now,

there's like three essays due,

and a ton of news articles.

sigh.

time to get down to writing.

tonight i'm looking at immigration and education in singapore.

not too difficult, especially when you just need to pass.

i have to admit that i prefer classes in wkw much more than here.

i dont feel like i'm learning that much of what i want

(that's prolly cos most of the courses i'm clearing here are UEs)

but yeah, it's the travelling and being away from NTU that's been making it awesome.

very ironic.

guess you cant have your piece of cake and eat it.

been playing around on photoshop to see what i can do with my pictures.

it's been fun.

apart from that, i am very frustrated at how blogger uploads the photos so small!

i cant seem to fix it without too much trouble.

zzz.

for better photo resolutions:

samanthabranson.posterous.com