Alright finally settled most of the administrative matters at hand for now, so finally time's on my side for once. Anyway, I have moved to Zurich to start the next phase of my life. 2012 has been a really fast year for me. Before I went for exchange at Delft, I applied for graduate school at ETH Zurich, and lucky for me, I got accepted with a small stipend. So that's really awesome. So after exchange, I just returned to NUS, wrote my thesis and completed the remaining credits required to graduate. I think the time I spent at NUS was perhaps the definitive time of my life - in the sense that I learnt so much and grew up as a person. I learnt to handle the shit the life throws at you and turn it into something meaningful. It's definitely no simple process - in fact, it was a harsh one. The one thing that I think everyone needs is that little bit optimism and hope. Many a time, we are left to drown in the abyss of the unknown. But most often we manage to get out alive and unscathed - but definitely much stronger. So that's the biggest takeaway from NUS.
And the moment I step foot into Zurich, I can just sense the difference. Zurich's very much your typical European city - filled with beautiful classical European architecture and culture. But the difference lies in language. Coming to Zurich alone with my very limited knowledge of German's a really bold thing to do. Although it's not my first time in a non-English speaking environment, it's the first time being in one alone. There's even greater levels of uncertainty and fear. I have to handle every little thing in my life on my own. And more importantly, getting out of an environment where I'm constantly surrounded by the comfort of friends and family, it's as if life starts from zero again. The troubles of getting to know new people and getting comfortable in a new environment. Perhaps in the first place, I'm not used to constantly meeting new people in Singapore - like no one ever says hi to a new student in class. I really have to do that here and establish my "life" here. Alright, Only being in Zurich for 3 weeks, I haven't been able to experience much of what Zurich has to offer. But I'm pretty sure that this 1.5 years in Zurich will be another valuable chapter in my life. Perhaps a period where I look back in the future, and smile and say that that's something definitive in my life.
Looking forward to what life's got installed for me. :)
