Preparation for the UK YMS Trip 2 - Almost There (1 month left)

I think it's down to the middle to final stage of preparation of the YMS trip.  I've got the visa, booked the ticket and am now searching for an accommodation (got a few choices on hand) and jobs.   I even ordered a SIM card on ebay and get it shipped to HK first (normally if you're already in the UK you'd get it free but I'm obviously the nervous type and would like to have my hands on it first - just a few bucks more anyway).   So far so good, except that I'm now going without my friend but by myself.

I've told myself before the trip does not begin when the journey starts, but way before when all the thinking process and preparatory stage start.  So I should be aware of what I've been doing in these few months and shouldn't waste a lot of time on unnecessary things.   I did prepare for "the worst" - taking a coffee class (with exam) and been working in a cafe so that I could at least get ahold of a waiting staff/barista position.  But I also tried to write more blogs, watch more classic movies, read more about the UK (doubtful!) and film-making, write my own script, etc., only that I wonder if I could ever take part in an art or film related production in there.  Put aside of my language skills, my confidence and assertiveness are what I still have to work on to make my life easier, let alone to pursue my dream.

Traveling, as I would like to put it, doesn't mean "to escape".  It's a process to better our knowledge, to learn and borrow the wisdom from the different cultures and people so that we could do better when we're back.  On a personal level though, traveling to a specific country that I like is like lifting the bride's veil.  Does she really look the same as the photoshoped picture that I got of her?   Could I actually be able to connect to her?

Facebook Rant (I kept the rant down so it's more of a personal essay)

It is unrealistic to think that you could connect with people on facebook.

Okay, perhaps not entirely unrealistic, but I couldn't go wrong with "too optimistic".  You think people could know you on facebook?  No, they can't!  They have absolutely no idea of who you are!  Well yeah, it's been silly of me for years to think they can, but they just can't.  Perhaps you'd wonder why billions of people would use it if it couldn't do what it's supposed to do.

I didn't accuse it because I didn't enjoy my facebook experience.  Most of the time I did (I'd admit sometimes things went shitty).  There're some pretty amazing moments such as when you suddenly built/rebuilt a special connection with your acquaintances or old friends when they liked and replied your post with interest and passion.  Or the moments when you feel weak, lonely and miserable, you saw dozens of notifications (except games invitations) popped up.  Or when you and your friends have constantly exchanged fun and crazy messages on your wall, showing off in front of all your other friends and acquaintances how fun, loving and charming you were.

Don't we all like to think that we are special and great to be around with, if not conventionally popluar?  In this hectic, information-overloading world, it is so hard to get one's attention, not to say to actually exchange messages (however meaningful or mindless they are don't seem to matter) continuously with you.  It's like you two had such an amazing moment of true connection that you're gonna remember for the rest of your life.  Amazing moments that so happened on your desktop computer or whatever digital device you used at that time.

By now, my rant seems to extend to other social media platforms as well and not just facebook.  Whatsapp, twitter, weibo, LINE, tumblr..., you name it.

Do we write or post anything we want anymore?  Or do we need to think deeply what we write could cause uneasiness on someone or consequences that we do not hope for?  Have you spent hours to write a "perfect status" just to delete it when you finally pressed submit?  Have you been posting statuses or photos that others wanted to hear from you but not yourself?  Have you tried to attend more parties or edgy events just to show how popular or artisitc you are, or constantly travel to have more chances to check-in at some exotic places or overseas airports?

I'm not against facebook or other social media platforms.  I use them and yes I use them well.  I use them to build an image of mine (sometimes it's not deliberate) just like I dress and talk and behave to build one in real life.  But since I've become more aware of it, I'd also use it to deconstruct this "image" I've built.  Whether it works up to my expectations or not, this deconstruction in the end is still just another way of constructing something else.  I guess this process would just go on and on.

At the end of the day, I want just to be me, fearless of what the others think of me.  But with these social media platforms, I think it's hard to ignore the self-awareness that we all possess.  I hope many could wake up, realise people are not what they really are like on facebook, and spend less time typing perfect facebook statuses or checking up other people's statuses (easier say than do though).  If those people really care about you, they'll call you or text you (okay, "text" is considered fine in this day and age) to catch up with you.  Stop wasting time on those so-called stalker friends!!!

Jogging (No, it's not about jogging, but it's jogging essentially)

Time passed without us noticing... It's nearly March that we're talking about, which is just about 2 months before the journey.  I'm getting really excited just to think about it.

I've wanted to write a post on finding a job in Hong Kong (to gain some relevant experience) since late January and now I've got one and worked for a few weeks already.  Would it be too late to write one about it?  Umm, actually I may as well as the job I have now isn't very secure and I may start searching again real soon.  Anyway, good work experience I'd say.  Learned a lot about the skills and knowledge and surprisingly, I do enjoy working there every day to the point that I start to think maybe I should give it a shot even after the journey ends?  It's still too soon to say but at least the future doesn't seem so grim to me now that I have more practical choices.

Talking of career, couldn't I leave "movie" behind, could I?  Lots of great films this year (well, haven't watched most of them but they all looked so promising in the Oscars).  I'm catching up some classics and new ones at the same time.  Well, good movies do provoke me to write a story or pick up a camera for proximately 3 minutes.  I know, I know this is my weakest characteristic so that's why I come in here to write again, to remind myself to finish the stuffs that I started!  Oh, this post gets drifted so far away and without any solid point being made.  I just hope to finish this post like I finish jogging on a Sunday morning (that is, IF I could get up early on a Sunday morning!).
 

Learn to embrace vulnerability

It's been an emotional journey for me in the past two days.  Lessons learned:

1. Don't listen to your friends sometimes, despite however good intention they have.  They aren't you and don't know what exactly you've been through.  You, and only you, could make the decision for yourself. 

2. Sometimes you make the decision and you feel dreadful afterwards and you start to doubt yourself whether or not you've made a wrong choice.  THINK CAREFULLY.   Has the pain interfered with your mind?  Have you chosen the rare and unsafe route that normal people wouldn't dare to and a sudden thought of failing and losing more than you already have has crept into your mind?  Or have you really made a wrong choice?

In my case, and I've thought very carefully, that I've made a painful and difficult choice.  I've made a bad choice but a right one - right, according to my heart.  Most people would choose the easy way - well, it seems easier anyway although life wouldn't end easy just because of an easy choice you've made - and I too wanted to choose it, and am still attempted to choose it, but I'm resisting.  It is heart-breaking, but it seems the right thing to do.

I wouldn't say here what it is because it's too complicated.  I've never had such a dilemma in my life that just drains every bits out of you every day.  It is depressing and exhausting.  My point is (yes, please bear with me, I know it's the 3rd paragraph already), don't, don't, don't set boundaries to yourself because you've been told to do certain things at a certain age supposedly in life.  Don't easily give up on your interpretation of life and your way of living life, however people called you an idiot or loser.  Don't follow the paths of the majority - no matter how lonely and rough the path you choose would lead you - if your heart tells you this is it.

3. Learn to embrace your vulnerability.  It's the acceptance of your imperfectness gives you space walking towards perfection. 

Preparation for the UK YMS Trip 1 - Why UK

I still remember I had the wishes written down on the 寶碟 and have it tossed over the tree around CNY last year.  Yes, one of it was "going on a working holiday trip to the UK in the near future".  I promised myself that I would "find an answer to my life" if I ever go there.

So, why the UK?  Oh, there're so many reasons to state.  The UK has so much links with HK to start with.  And yes I'm the ones who have been mainly influenced by the western cultures when I grew up (rather than Japanese or Korean).  Though awkwardly, my love for the British culture came during my 5-year stay in Australia. Hahaha.  You couldn't imagine how Aussies love the British and hate the Yanks (Yeah, I don't know why, 'cause I'm more prone to the US before that).

Anyway, I started to listen to more British music, movies, TVs, comedies, and most of them are soooo fab!  And because I'm still quite attached to the old colonial days in HK, and because how I found the English and Chinese are so much alike (I mean the really traditional Chinese culture, in terms of literature and rituals), I would really enjoy finding out how the English live, and seeing their culture and historical sites with my own eyes.  Lastly, I thought I would give myself one last chance to be a free spirit.  To just go and explore the world before settling down in a place, work like a slave, get married or not and die.

Now, after nearly a year making the wish, there's a chance that I could make it happen.  There're lots to think about but I'm doing it.  I might have a friend with me too but it's not definite yet.  I'll need to do some homework otherwise I might already be leaving one month after setting foot in the land.  I've came across a few blogs on the web about UK working holiday (officially called as Youth Mobility Scheme) - it's not as popular yet as the Australia WHS since only BNO holders can apply for it - you could hardly find a book about it so the internet really helps a lot.  So I decided to write down my journey too - before, during and after - and perhaps a few tips so that any other who is interested could get something out of it, as I really appreciate those who wrote down theirs.  It really meant a lot!

P.S. And I got an excuse to get my 10-year expired BNO renewed!

My joke collection 1

Joke inspired by my postcard experience:

I just realise that I didn't know where my friends live until I asked them for their addresses for the postcards. It's not the same anymore right? We used to write letters to our friends and post them to their actual addresses where they actually lived.  Now that I could imagine, when you asked somebody their address, they would say, "Well, I live in Hotmail. It's not too big, it only has 2 gigabytes." "Well, why not getting a property in Gmail? It has 25 gig and it's free!"  (Sorry I didn't really check the actual storage of both providers :P)

It's really hard for me to pin down where people live now 'cause I only know three estates in the world and yeah we surely are turning into a global village.

Haha, feel free to comment and I hope I'd gather more jokes here in the future. :) I love comedy.