What's next?

Thirteen years ago, I went straight to my dad and said “Forget it, dad. Just stick to my old school. I think that’s a better option”.

“How can a neighborhood school be better than this, which is among the top in the region?” he retorted.

“It’s just too good and I am simply not good enough for it. My entrance qualifying test was a blunder. I know it. Don’t waste our time, dad. Just proceed with the school application in SMP BK.”

“No, Sanmar is the only option for you. I will not proceed with BK at all.”

“But then, how if I am not admitted in Sanmar?”

“I promise I’ll take care of it. You don’t need to worry a bit.”

My faith was minuscule. And yet, a strong hand was behind me, setting me a direction to move forward and none other. The hand is now old and weary. Wrinkled and weaker than before. But that’s the hand which has brought me up to this point.

I was always the pessimistic one. A small flop can whack me flat to the ground.

That conversation is and will always be very vivid in my mind.

He always told me “Our standard is up here.” He always raises his hands up high. So high that the short me (at that time) had to strain my neck just to look at it.

“We can settle at NOTHING LESS. NOTHING. LESS.”

He stood behind me. He is too big, I couldn’t step over him and move backward. I had no choice but move forward. His big and assuring hand was behind my back. I. Couldn’t. Move. Backward.

His prophecy did come true. To my surprise, despite the blunder, I was accepted. The school seemed too big. The students looked too smart. The teachers looked to stern. I was afraid. But I can’t let him down. Not at that time, this time, and anytime that the world would possibly had.

And then, the next thing we knew was: I made it. I made it in SMP Santa Maria and beyond. SMU Santa Ursula, and then Nanyang Technological University.

He only allowed me to apply for his chosen school, which most of the time, only one. No backup for me. So it was a do or die kind of thing.

And now, as he always told me, I’ll move forward.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US, will be my next destination. A tough program awaits me. I can’t lie to you that I am so damn afraid and it’s not an understatement. The student mailing list which is just created revealed that most of them were and are scholars from different part of the world.

So that’s my next step that I haven’t disclosed to everybody though some have known about it. 1 year MSc program from MIT, continued by 4 (FOUR!!!) years of Ph.D. in a collaboration between Singapore (in particularly NUS for my case) and MIT.

Computational Engineering. I wonder how this will later be. I chose this because I ‘think’ it’s about mathematics and programming that I always want to pursue.

But Singapore, I would still be around this year (as if you’re gonna miss me hahahaha). Our sponsor opted to have us having up-to-midnight video conference lessons (and that’s the main reason I move to Clementi) instead of sending us to spend the whole academic year in Boston. B. O. S. T. O. N. Among the most expensive place in US.

America, I will be there in February-August 2007. And for the subsequent trips, I will let you know again as it is still in oh-so-future.

So next year I can vote for American Idol!!! Only if I like them though and perhaps if they have, if I can hope high enough, an Elliott Yamin-equivalent?

So now you’ve known….

(to my parents, for their tremendous encouragement, support and most importantly, belief that their children have to set a standard of their own. I wish I wish I wish I would never fail them)