Living my dream

Ever since I visited Germany and neighbouring countries for the very first time when I was 14, I've been deeply fascinated by European history, its architecture, music, arts and culture and the beautiful languages. 

I said to myself, one day, I shall be back.

I didn't have to wait long.

In pursuit of a better education, I researched on A-Level schools in England, sought advice from friends who were already studying there, sent my application and passed the entrance exams easily, thanks to a thorough foundation nurtured by the Chinese education system almost solely based on exams. Chinese education, not all bad, after all. May 2005, we went on a family trip to England with a week of unbelievably sunny days wherever we visited. Incredibly lucky to have such fantastic yet deceiving (!) weather for our first visit. Still, totally felt in love with Great Britain, the campuses I've lived in, all my solo travellings, experiencing the beautiful historic cities or alfresco style buzzing seaside towns and above all, the lovely people I've met during my six years of studies with unforgettable memories...

Time flies. May 2011, a call from a graduate headhunter changed my life. I was introduced to an international graduate trainee opportunity at a FTSE 100 company, enjoyed the entire process of getting to know the company through telephone interview, face-to-face interview followed by an interesting assessment centre where I clicked with the company and its people straight away.

Six years of memories squeezed into six large shipping boxes. Sealed. A new page of my life has began. I stayed in China for 3 weeks, travelled back to the UK for a week of graduate induction meeting my fellow graduates on the same programme, off we went the two of us recruited for China, to a place that's far, far away - Down Under. 11 months in Australia was filled with a very steep learning curve getting my head around the industry and the world of work, lots of sunshine (at least I'd like to remember it this way), Aussie accent (which I brought back with me :P) , friendly locals, endless beaches, fun parties, meeting new people (travellers and professionals alike through some fantastic social networking communities), wild life encounters, concerts, theatre night out, Christmas on a midsummer day (still a strange thought to me but hey!), wine tasting, city breaks, backpacking...Such a fabulous time!

Towards the end of my assignment, I travelled intensively as I always thought I had a chance to extend my assignment further to stay in Australia for another summer, but another opportunity had come up so I learned that I had to pack and go in less than a month. I love travelling so much and yet I felt like I was getting that "local laziness syndrome" already since staying in Australia, that I hadn't been travelling as much as I wanted to, thinking to myself, I will always have time, next month, next summer...I'm sure there will be a way to do this. No. Reality check: no, no, no. Of course the purpose of me moving to a mature market is to learn as much as I could from the very experienced. Business needs determines where we graduates will go and what we will be doing in our next assignments/rotations. There are unknowns, uncertainties and we are very flexible and open-minded about the arrangements but what welcome all of us, are unique, exciting, challenging opportunities to fast-track our career internationally like no other.  

Self-note: If I want to do something, I will do it. I do it now.

I didn't have time to take any days off in my final months in Sydney, so I carefully planned several weekend trips and realised there are so many things you can do within 48 hours. Just a bit more research effort goes a long way. 

Friday 3rd Aug after work, I rushed to the airport, got on the plane at 20:00, arrived 5 hours later in Perth, 3000km away from Sydney, at local time 23:00 due to 2 hours time difference. First proper couchsurfing experience for me - meaning, not knowing my hosts before I stay at their place! I am always a little bit scared about the idea of sleeping on someone else's couch, as you have never met each other yet! Even though I have hosted 20+ where I lived in Sydney. I'm an experienced host but was still cautious about surfing myself. I got to my host's flat in Merrylands, beautiful place, spacious flat shared by 3 boys, massive living room downstairs by the door, where my host Robin prepared me a very comfy airbed with warm blankets. It was great! We were chatting for 3 hours or more until I could hardly keep my eyes open after almost a half-day worth of travelling after a long week of work! 

2 hours sleep. Up and go again! I jumped on the first train in the morning to Perth city centre to join the 7:00 tour to the Pinnacles Desert. Solo traveller globetrotter Michelle sat next to our wonderful driver/tour guide, speaking to him and some fellow Welsh ladies during the entire tour, had great fun and happily exhausted after seeing this stunning, moon like view on earth!

The rest of my Perth weekend was completed by koala encounter, visiting the Indian Ocean Lobster factory, museums and art galleries, promenade with a Czech guy working in Perth towards the famous King's Park for a panorama view of the city, touring inside a submarine (it's tiny down there!), seaside walk, alfresco pub food and beer, exploring the neighbouring city of Fremantle at night, before catching the last flight on Sunday night departing at midnight, arrived in Sydney at 6:00 in the morning. Got home, showered and embraced another working week straight away. :) Super tired but super happy. What a weekend! 

In a similar fashion, I spent some fantastic weekends in Gold Coast, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Canberra. (More travel stories, photos and city tips to come! Watch this space!) It's different when you're working full-time instead of travelling full-time. But honestly, weekend travels are great and you can, and definitely should make the most of them! :) Go Explore! 

So yeah. Back to Sept 10th, I arrived in Shanghai with mixed feelings upon leaving a country I loved so much. Since then, I've been travelling a bit within China, relocated to Hong Kong, "crash course" on my new role and responsibilities, horse racing (little gambler's first time unlucky^^), company boat trip... Attended a global team conference in the amazing Antalya, Turkey, did henna tattoos, tasted many Turkish delights (sweeeet *_*), experienced traditional Turkish bath in a 150-year old Hammam place, had photo walks/shoot and finally went rock and roll at Scorpions concert in Istanbul with a couchsurfing friend Serkan who happened to be in Warwick University at the same time as me but we never met each other! Small world indeed! 

Then Istanbul - Cannes (trade show) - Athens (induction) - Hamburg (induction) - Hong Kong at the end of November. I'm enjoying my life, learning so much more every single day from all the colleagues I work with, challenging myself to step outside my comfort zone, being incredibly independent, and getting stronger, smarter, as a person. Of course, I do get homesick from time to time and I owe my parents so, so much as without their support and unconditional love all these years, I wouldn't have such amazing life experiences around the world and to be able to grow into the person I am today. There are always sacrifices and trade-offs. Right now, I am exactly where I wanted to be and I know that I will become even better. Keep going. Living my dream. 

Till next time. Good night Europe. 

An optimistic challenge

So you want to do something you really want to do.

Something you really want to do.

Not what someone else says you should do with your life.

"You must study hard, go to a top university, graduate with First Class, get a good job at a Fortune 500 firm and this and that." No, I don’t.

Don’t let anyone hold you up from doing what you want to do from the bottom of your heart. 

Of course respect the inevitable constraints that are out of your control and any cultural and family values, beliefs but do seek advice and work on alternative options.

Where there is a will, there is a way.

There must be a way for you to fulfill your dreams.

Set a deadline for your dream, make it a goal and so that you can achieve it. If you don’t do that, a dream will always be a dream.

If you really want to do something, do it.

If you really want to do something, you will be able to make it happen no matter what.

Do it soon if you can’t do it right now.

Do not wait.

"But I can always do that later."

Maybe not.

"Those things are always gonna be there, I will visit next year."

Maybe not.

We don't know what can happen next year, next month, next week, tomorrow, not even the next minute.

Life is complicated, fragile, challenging, unfair, unpredictable. We just don't know.

The only way to find out what's ahead of us is to live on.

Live your dreams the best way you can.

Live your life to its very full.

Waste no time in activities with low or no returns.

Keep in touch with family, friends and contacts. Go out and socialise. Talk to people.

Exercise. Jogging, running, stretching, fast walking, dancing, going to the gym. Whatever. Something is better than nothing. Keep yourself active.

Try new things. Learn about other cultures. Pick up a new language. Get trained.

Enjoy arts. Read a book. Watch a movie. Write a letter. Sing a song.

Read the news. Know what’s happening out there.

Go travel. Go see the world with your very own eyes. Go explore while you can.

Travel by yourself. Spend more time with yourself. Discover more about the real you.

If you don’t have someone to travel with, go by yourself. Why not? You will meet amazing people from all walks of life along the way. Life will surprise you.

Keep aside time and space for yourself.

Get crystal clear about what you want to do with your life from deep inside your soul.

Question yourself.

What keeps you awake at night?

What motivates you to move on?

What makes you happy?

What cheers you up?

What brings a smile on your face?

What do you enjoy doing?

Do you want to make a difference? In what way?

How do you make a positive impact to your world?

What do you have to accomplish by the end of your life?

What is the purpose of your life?

What is your life mission?

So what do you really want to do?

I love you

Last week was difficult. Thinking that nothing is working out for me right now. Missing someone special. Missing friends back in the UK and the rest of Europe. Coming back from hometown in Changshu & Tongxiang made me homesick even more. The longer I stay back in China, the more dependent I become with my closest family members and realise how much I want to be with them more.

Things are happening. Normal things. Things that happen to everyone at different times in their lives. People come and people go. New life is preparing his or her journey greeting the big big world. Loved ones are getting old, older until they cannot live by themselves anymore. There has to be someone taking care of them at all times. Every minute. They get frustrated easily. They forget. They lose motivations. They are fragile. Lonely. They may not even be able to recognise the loved ones, their own children. They cannot see very well. Their faces change. Wrinkles crawl all over their faces like tree branches or river streams, on the faces that were once upon a time so young and beautiful. They pretend they are happy. They tell us that they're fine, they're doing okay even if they're not. They just don't know. Or perhaps they don't want us to worry too much. Or perhaps we don't understand. Yes we would not be able to understand, until the day. The day is going to come. That day when everything ends. The very day our journey of life on earth completes.


Well that is a scary thought. Sad too. But that's what happens to millions of people on earth every single day. It's something we all have to face and go through. I love her. I wish I could spend more time with her. Simply sitting next to her, warming her hands, putting a blanket over her body when she falls asleep on the sofa. Sometimes she asks: who are you? So I say to her: I'm your granddaughter, don't worry, everything is okay. Then she's calm. Sometimes she goes hysterical and throws things onto the floor or pushes people away from her. Or even pinching people's hands and arms, trying to pull her jumper apart or clapping and dancing like a child, muttering. It was what I experienced this time when I went back for Chinese New Year that I realised how challenging it can be to prepare oneself for this. When I sat next to her I just knew how miserable it is to be in her situation. Her right eye got infected and always looks red, dry and blurry. She doesn't read or write very much. With her eyesight, she cannot see the TV programmes. Even if she could, she probably wouldn't be able to hear very well or understand anything that goes on in that box. 


She needs people more than ever. We are not there. I'm not there! I have a job here. Her daughters have to work. Her other granddaughter is having a wonderful baby who is coming to see us in the world in April. Who does she have? Him. 


To her, he is everything. He is her eyes and ears. He is her walking stick. He washes her, feeds her, walks with her, watches her sleep, holds her hands, stays with her whenever she needs anything. He's the man. He's the entire world. He was such a handsome young man, smart and fit, full of ambitions and aspirations to be in the best military academy in China. The late arrival of his admissions letter destroyed his dream and locked him in the small village for the rest of his life, doing accounting work for a water station. Ordinary life. She lost her mother in the war and made a living for herself and four younger brothers by working extremely hard to make money in a big city, Shanghai. She was so able and fearless, taking the huge responsibilities of putting a family together from an early age, too much suffering along the way. Is life fair to her sufferings? Not really. Is life fair to anyone? No, not really. Life gives us something and takes something away from us - something we treasure even more. She's had loving daughters and grandchildren and a man of her life, who has always loved her and taken care of her, going through rain, hail and storms. That's beautiful. That is her treasure. 


Thank you for being there when I was a little girl. I love you so much. I want you to be there when I'm next back in the village. I want you to hold cousin's baby in April. I want you to see me getting married whenever that happens. I want you to be good, healthy and spend more time with us. I pray for you with my heart. I love you.