The Untold Story of The Future

Good morning world. Its a bright and beautiful Saturday morning.

As usual, I haven't slept. Neither am I planning to sleep later or anytime soon.

I have to fix this reversed body clock of mine that thinks I'm living on the other side of the globe. Not sleeping is probably the only way to get it fixed, I think.

Kingdom of Heaven with Queky and Yihan earlier this morning at Tampines Mall - Golden Village. Prata at 0400 at some coffee shop next to Holy Trinty Church after that.

Despite all the negative comments I have received about Kingdom of Heaven, I would say that its a rather good movie. Inspiring is the word I reckon. Go catch it and see if you share my sentiments.

After prata, we settled down and talked about pretty much a lot of things. School, SIP and the future.

The glint of excitement in their eyes as they talked about going back to their "normal" school lives; checking out the freshies, endless projects and late nights, screaming for each other from one end to another (Design School is small enough for that), evoked a sense of desire of doing likewise.

Of course it is literally impossible to scream for someone in Business School. Firstly Business is too big and everyone around you would start staring. I can hear Quek going, "Yeah, business students are boring and stuck up just because they are supposedly the smartest faculty in TP what".

I'm going to be devoid of meeting up with the gang during breaks, glaring at those who shake their legs in my presence during lectures, smoking sessions with Marilyn at the reservoir, running to ITAS Ultra Supplies to print reports and projects, calling Queky on the phone bugging her to visit me in Business, running to tutorials because I'm late, staying in the labs till 2200, okay the list can go on and on, for 24 fucking weeks till the final semester starts.

Moving on to the topic of SIP, I popped the question of whether they truly enjoyed and learned from their 8 week stint with their respective companies. I'm glad I got a positive answer.

The topic of what we were going to do after graduating crept into the conversation unknowingly.

Yihan wants to get her degree in media studies in Australia. Quek wants her degree but doesn't know what she's planning to do after graduation and prefers to not think about it yet. Queky please don't go back to the States, I'll be devastated.

As for me? After thinking for about 6 months, honestly I'm not sure. I want my degree but I know my own financial condition would not allow it.

SQ Stewardess? Sales & Marketing in a hotel? Events? Attractions? Discovery Travel & Living? *grins at Queky. You'd never know. The future is just a blur haze.

Put it this way. I don't know if everyone knows that I never planned to be doing Tourism Management.

What I really wanted after O's was Fine Arts at Lasalle. Painting was and still is my passion. The smell of oils, fingers stained with the smell of turpentine, the texture of the paint when its dried, manipulation of the colours and the satisfaction of knowing that there is nothing else you can do to the painting. I miss all these.

Then there was Mass Communications at Ngee Ann. The interviewers told me straight in my face that I was digging my own grave when they shot me this question "Why not Lasalle since you've got the passion and the talent for painting". My answer? "Financially incapable".

I guess they were right. If you dare to dream, be brave to do it. But they didn't understand and I don't blame them. My life is such that it has revolve around making money. Fine Arts at Lasalle is not going to bring food to the table.

Most artists are poor and as shallow as it sounds, I'm tired of being poor. I want to go back to the days of spending money without a worry or at least knowing I have enough for necessities.

First two options were out so the rest I left to fate. First choice for JAE was Law Management at TP. No idea why they posted me to Business (which was like my 4th/5th choice) at TP since I met the cut off for Law. I'm glad now I didn't do Law.

Then there was Tourism. Headed for the interview with my cousin. I went to accompany her. Voila, I got accepted on the spot and she didn't.

I didn't sign the acceptance letter and thought I was stuck with Business. Then two enrolment packages came. In the end it was Tourism because my mum preferred Tourism (she was in the hotel line for awhile).

I'm glad fate brought me to Tourism. Through the past 2 years, I've developed an intense passion and interest for the industry. This is where I see myself in the future.

But then again, you'd never know do you.