A book for myself

04/12/2020 09:45 p.m.

We gave I-can't-remember-how-much to the school to hold a prom for our batch. Before the prom commenced, all of us were given a solid, eco-friendly notebook and a pen that were bought using the leftover amount of money each of us paid because the cost of prom went below the initial budget provided. That was back in 2017. And that notebook? I decided to compile lessons, quotes, poems, favourite paragraphs and/or sentences, parts of speeches said by people who inspire me. Oprah Winfrey, Taylor Swift, Rupi Kaur, Don Miguel Ruiz, just to name a few.

This book became my go-to-helpline whenever I faced obstacles, whenever I needed reminders, whenever I needed a change in perspective. Reading through it and at the same time, adding more into the collection get rids of all irrational and errant thoughts, gives me a peace of mind and most importantly, refuels me to allow me to continue to grind forward.

There were countless times I turned to this book. This book of wisdom. This book of lessons. This book of advice. I thank those people who shared their stories for the whole world to see, to hear, to learn. Without experiencing what they had experienced, I am able to learn through the accounts of what happened to them. Without experiencing the hell they went through, without experiencing the rollercoaster ride they sat through, without experiencing the darkest and seemingly endless abyss that fell into.

This is the power of communication and story-telling in this day and age. 

Vulnerabilities they bared, in hopes of saving the grace of the next generation.

I thank the-2017-me for setting my mind on compiling all of these nuggets of wisdom I came across. This book is one of my most treasured possessions. I cannot imagine living without it. It saw me through my highest and lowest. This book guided my thought processes and shaped the person I am today. I am someone who cannot settle less for myself. I am someone who would do my best in whatever I believe and support in. I am someone who is still and always will be a work in progress. 

To you, who is currently reading this right now, if you want to start becoming more independent mentally, having a book of wisdom will help. It helped me. Back then, whenever I am in the darkest place ever, it takes a lot of effort from those around me to try to pull me out. At the end of the day, it was time and myself who successfully dragged me out of my own head. It drains people around you and it drains yourself. To have a book to turn to whenever you hit a rock or a wall, it lifts you up and it serves as a constant reminder for yourself that there is hope and you can get through this. All of this.

Work hard, Stay humble.
xoxo, Hui 

Travelling around the World

04/11/2020 01:47 p.m.

I grew up watching the classic movie: Around the world in 80 days, which was what seems like an elusive dream. Travelling, by itself, was something unattainable back when I was young. Not because we could not afford it, but it was not a priority, neither was it a necessity. As I grew older, I had more and more opportunities to travel out of my abode. There was that packing my own luggage for the first time, there was that flying across the horizons for the first time, there was that being welcomed into new territory in a completely different language. But there was also that feeling as though whatever I am seeing was not real for the first time, there was that wanting to stay here forever for the first time, there was that dream to travel around the world in 80 days for the first time.

Travelling to me, became a dream, became something I want to do in the future. Amidst all the uncertainties in life, this became clearer and clearer to me that this was something I want to do certainly, for sure. 

I went to Phuket, Thailand once with my family in 2017 and again with my class in 2019. Let me just say that despite going to the same country, to the same province, but I had two completely different experiences. The trip in 2017 bonded my family, and we became closer together as we forged memories in a different land. The trip in 2019 completely blew my mind. That 5 days I had with my friends could safely be assumed to be the best 5 days I ever had in 2019. The sky, the ocean, the sand, the sun, the moon, the stars, the people, the life. IF I could hold it all in the palm of my hands all over again, I would take it all in, without a doubt. I enjoyed the unexpected peace among the passionate shoutings of hawkers in the night market. I enjoyed the serenity of the sound of waves crashing onto the white sandy beach. The rhythmic percussion of the waves hitting all so gently onto the barnacle-encrusted dead, bleached coral reefs. I enjoyed the salty kisses of the ocean as I sat near the edge of the boat while allowing the cool draught of air to comb my errant strands of hair behind, giving me an undisturbed full and wholesome view of the faraway, never-ending seamounts. Beyond all of that, I enjoyed swimming/scuba diving in the endless, watching the underwater parade and that was as far as Finding Nemo can be a reality to me. I had a whale of my time, or should I say a dolphin of my time, when the entire boat of us was blessed by the sightings of dolphins, not one, but four of them. 

These will be memories that I will hold on for a lifetime. 

Undoubtedly, this was that trip that really changed the way I think. To be able to travel is a blessing and I would deem it as a necessity because you can truly learn so much more by travelling, or if not staying for a period of time at a different country. Not everyone is able to do that, but if I can and have the opportunity to work outside my home ground, I would, a hundred per cent, take it on. 

I am not scared and I do not need to be. 

Be fearless, be bold.

Work hard, stay humble. 

Rookie for life, 

xoxo, Hui