Choices in life

I've taken a hiatus from updating my blog of late, largely due to my teaching schedule.








Having spent some time in the corporate world, the contrast between that and a teacher's life is quite substantial. That said, specific occupational rigours are expected whether you are a corporate man or a teacher. For example, corporate life can be quite intense during the different cycles in a work year. But once I got used to it, I was energized! When teaching, I underestimated the energy required to conduct public speaking and to explain challenging concepts on the fly. And although contact hours are much less than the time spent at a corporate job, I somehow crash after every lecture and facilitation session.

It is commonly circulated amongst the corporate folk that those in academia tend to be 'out-of-touch' from the 'real world'. There is some truth to this statement, but try and figure out this anecdote --- most patients who get admitted into the Institute of Mental Health are teachers. A friend of mine who happens to be a psychologist at the aforementioned facility could not comment on absolute figures, but concurred that the anecdote is not 'too far from the truth'.

Hmm...

But yes, given that I have a little time now, it is only decent that I update my blog and once again, to all those who are actually reading this entry, an appreciative thank you to you --- but don't you have better things to do?

LOL!

I am blessed to have been able to complete my Masters program last November. Nope, I don't feel any smarter or wiser. In fact, the more I learn, the more I don't know. Someone once insinuated that the reason for his studying an MBA was to obtain a higher level of intelligence. I never knew he wanted to be an alien.

But yes, having made the switch from being a corporate man to becoming an educator, I can say with all my heart that I am loving every minute of it! The past 3 years have also confirmed my calling in life. And thus, the plan to study even more hatched sometime late last year. Yes, this former school dropout applied to doctorate programs earlier this year --- and got accepted into both schools.

*background refrain of obama-esque shouts echoing 'Yes, we can!'*

I thank God for life's journey so far. There was a time that I used to ridicule doctorate students as having irreversible brain trauma. Looks like they are having the last laugh now as I go over to the dark side. One program was based in Spokane, Washington. (Now where the heck is that?) Another is a French program based in China. Yes, the fella who failed his Chinese exam at high school level in Singapore got accepted into a doctoral program in China. Rest assured, the program is conducted in English but the telephone interview was conducted in both English and Mandarin. I guess the professor probably admitted me because he felt that my Mandarin language skills make for good comic relief amongst my mainland Chinese classmates.

*Grin*

When the time came to make a decision on which offer to accept, a thousand and one things ran through my mind. Are we good on the financial situation? Must we sell the car? How about Junior's education? The Wife's job? Where will our new domestic helper go? But the time came and the choice was quite clear.

It helps that both programs allow for me to commute to class over the 4-5 years course duration, but I guess the clincher really boiled down to an issue of how relevant the institution was at a global level. The fact that classes are held in China is a plus point for me. This prodigal son of Hainan Island (China) has never stepped onto the mainland soil yet (if you exclude Hong Kong). Perhaps, one might see me as a Sea Turtle (Hai Gui, a term to describe mainland Chinese who leave home for greener pastures in the West, but return to the mainland eventually), but I do think it is time. The decision making process involved thought, prayer, research, seeking out wisdom from the correct folks, lobbying and of course, waiting.

I am certain this will be a life changing decision, and I am looking forward to the journey ahead! And so all you folks out there, if you happen to be living in Grenoble (France) or Beijing/Guangzhou (China), I shall be knocking on your doors very soon! Come to think of it, I am doubtful I know anyone in these places...