After a tough semester, it's a relief to finally be on sem break for two weeks. Time just seemed to fly by over the past two to three months or so with it being a short semester and all, and all of a sudden it was already study week, followed by the final exams. I wouldn't be surprised if I didn't do too well for those, judging by how indifferent I've been feeling about my grades this past semester.
But that's all done now, and I've found myself looking forward to next semester as always. The university's business faculty, or the School of Management and Business (SOMB), is planning for a study trip to India in January, and these next few months will be spent raising RM50 000 to fund it. As part of the working committee, and being assistant project director to boot, it looks like I'll be playing a huge part in that. Next semester looks to be an extremely busy one for me, and even more so as I'll be taking six subjects, but at least I'll have that trip to look forward to as my reward.
Semester break has been going smoothly so far. I've been playing football, catching up on sleep, and basically enjoying not having any work to do. Most importantly, though, I went to two weddings with my grandmother and met a bunch of relatives I never even knew I had.
Growing up, I've only really known my family to consist of my siblings, parents, parents' parents, parents' siblings, and parents' siblings' children - plus several others outside that circle. I barely knew anyone else, and wasn't really interested in meeting any of my more obscure relatives.
Things change as you get older, of course. You start to come out of your shell, start taking an interest in the things and the people around you, and start realizing what's really important.
I've never really been a fan of weddings, especially if I know I won't know anyone there and vice versa. These two weddings were no different - but my attitude towards them this time around was. I decided that, instead of just sitting around moping and generally not wanting to be there, I'd just enjoy the ride. See the sights, eat the food, bother to actually make a mental note of how I was related to anyone I met - that kind of thing.
It worked a treat. I found the two weddings to be quite enjoyable - more enjoyable than past weddings anyway. Never underestimate the power of positive thinking.
My grandmother had over a hundred first cousins and apparently knew all of them. The way she was chatting people up at the weddings and somehow being very up-to-date with the family goings-on was hugely impressive; even more so when you consider the fact that she doesn't use the internet or a smartphone. Kinda makes me wonder how much I'd care about maintaining familial relationships in the future, because right now I can't imagine myself driving for an hour through busy traffic just to visit some uncle or cousin. Which probably says something about the individual relationships I currently hold with my uncles and cousins.
Sometimes you get too immersed in your own life that you forget that you're not exactly the center of the universe. At times you just need to step back and look at the bigger picture, appreciating all the people in your life who, directly or indirectly, have helped you to make it as far as you have.
Fans of Disney movies may be familiar with this quote: "Ohana means family, and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten." I think that's pretty deep, as it shows the role of a person's family as his or her unwavering support.
My siblings seemed pretty happy when I told them that I wouldn't be going back to Nilai for a while. I guess I should make the most of my time at home.
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