Where I 'Camp'

This is where I'm going to spend 8 months.

I stay at what my Malaysian colleagues classified as the-5-star dormitry. I can understand why they say that because they are staying at the refugee camp. I am really grateful that I can afford myself the USD4.5 per day room. Or else I can just hang myself and die in Shandong.


USD 4 per day room to share with 4 people. You should thank me for not showing you their toilet.

My room is facing the direction of South, i.e. Malaysia! Nah.... more of Bornoe. It's facing a range of mountains called the Thousand Buddha Mountain. How awesome!

I can almost see Mount Kinabalu!

There are about 3 thousands local students staying at the local student hostels for RMB300 a year. 8 students will have to share a tiny room, with no air-con and no electricity after 11pm. It's virtually impossible to sleep during summer time. They told me that they all sleep naked since it's totally dark.

Speaking of local students. They really couldn't comprehend the fact that I'm reading the degree out of interest. In fact, they think that I'm stupid to spend 5 years studying and might not end up being a doctor at all. To them, studying is a means of acquring a secure career in the future and hence the return of money. Education is, to them, a tool for an ultimate goal for monentary comfort. Their philosophy is such that studying a medicine degree means you must become a doctor. Whereas to me, studying is a process of acquiring knowledge and hence to lead a more fulfilling and worth-its-while life. Whoever lay the rules that you must get a university degree to be rich and happy? Must you become what your degree says? It really is a misconception. George Lucas studied Astromony at university and became a legendary director for his epic Star Wars series. Jet Li was a poor boy who never went to any university to study marital arts or acting. As yet he was 4 times Gold medal winner at a Martial Art competition in mainland China and ended up a much respected Hollywood movie actor. So did Jackie Chan. And did Bill Gate finish his study at university?

Ultimately, I think it's safe to say that thinking out of the box is what will make you achieve extraordinary goals but not your degree. Wake up, shallow people!

Still in the box