The Pros and Cons of Studying in a Foreign Country

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This is based on my own experience studying in a different country. There are both pros and cons when it comes to everything and it includes studying away from your family.

The Pros
1. Experiencing a New Environment and Culture
The top advantage of studying abroad is that you get to experience staying in a different country. You get to experience a new culture which can be very refreshing. This could be the main advantage for someone who never travels to other different countries before. I’ve traveled before but the thought of studying in a different country and being an international student always intrigues me.

2. Meeting New People
New environment, new culture and new people. Getting to know other people from a different country is always intriguing, isn’t it? I don’t have any high school friends that I still keep in touch with. This is because I used to hate my high school life and wonder why did I ever study in such a shitty school. Not to mention that my high school is filled with delinquents and I was not the type to hang out with these people. As a result, I don’t have much close friends. That started changing when I did my A-Level. Again, I only have few friends that I am close to. So, the thought of making new friends in a different country intrigues me. I am not going to lie, I love my college life even though I am often faced with shitty group members and fake bitches. At least here, I managed to make some real friends that I love hanging out with and I actually care about some of them.

3. Better Education Quality
One of the reasons why I left to study abroad. The country that I currently study in has better education quality compared to my home country. Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that my home country has a shitty education quality but if you have the chance to learn from the best, why should you reject the offer? Unless if your home country’s education quality is already good, I guess you don’t really have any reason to study elsewhere unless if you love the idea of meeting new people and experiencing a new environment.

4. No Family Members to Watch Over You
This might be both good and bad. The idea of studying in a different country may be fun for you since you can do whatever you want without any family members to control you and watch you like a hawk. Going out whenever you want, wherever you want with whomever you want? No problem! Coming back late at night at 3am in the morning? Who cares! Mom is not here! I am guilty of coming back late at night especially during the weekends or when the finals are over. It is time to chill with friends. However, I am not totally free from my family’s clutches. In my case, both my aunt and uncle is in the same country as me. They can actually help my mom to watch over me. However, I live in the dormitories. I don’t live with my aunt. So, I am still free as a bird! This might be a good reason for you to leave if you just need a bit of time to be away from your controlling family members! My family members are not controlling at all but I like coming back late at night without having my mom yelling at me afterwards.

The Cons
1. Missing Your Family
They can be really annoying but you tend to missed your family especially when you are 7000 miles away from them. I am a mommy’s girl and I am close to all of my family members. I tend to missed them a lot when I am away. I talk to my mom via Gtalk but sometimes it is hard to even chat because of my busy schedule and the time difference. My mom is busy as well. We don’t really talk much if I am away. She does call from time to time.

2. Missing Out on Family Activities
I can’t even spend my holidays with my family. Even if the holiday last for about a week, I don’t see the point of travelling back to Malaysia. Also, I tend to missed out on a lot of family activities. Recently, my family went to the Universal Studio in Singapore without me! I am so annoyed, I swear! And they spent the night in a beautiful resort without me as well. I told my mom to fly me to South Korea this December so that I can ‘absolve all her sins!’

3. Missing Your Home Country
Believe me, you will end up missing your home country. Or maybe not. Depends on the individual, I guess. I tend to missed my home country a lot because of the food! I am not afraid to say that the food in the country that I studied in sucks. It sucks so bad! I am not used to the food there. Even the sushi sucks. Also, I missed the malls and the busy streets of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Also, the night life in Malaysia is fantastic as well. I am pretty sure that if I had studied in Malaysia instead of studying abroad, I would have been a party animal. I would be a wild child! My mom recently confess why she sent me somewhere else to study. It is because she wants me as far away as possible from the sin city! I agree though. Even in a country where the night life scene is very limited, I still come back to the dorms at around 3am in the morning. :P

4. No Family Members to Watch Over You
As I stated previously, this can be both a good thing and a bad thing as well. What if you get seriously ill in the hospital? Who is going to take care of you? Your friends? They don’t really give a shit about you, believe me. Even if they do, they can’t anyway because they have other commitments to attend to. You can only depend on your family members for these kinds of things.

My Top 3 All Time Favorite Anime

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One of my favorite offline activities: anime. Although I watch a lot of anime, I only find a handful that manage to win me over. Here are my top 3 all time favorite anime. This list may change though! You never know, I may lay my eyes on another anime that is better than the listed anime here!

3. Great Teacher Onizuka
Possibly one of the best animes out there. You can consider it as a classic! The story of the perverted Eikichi Onizuka sensei who only becomes a teacher so that he can get closer to high school girls although he does have a conscience and refuse to take advantage on his female students. An ex-gang member who is also a virgin, he is desperate to find a girl that will sleep with him and he will hit on every attractive girls that he lay his eyes on including female teachers and the students’ attractive mothers.

He is not the kind of teacher who will teach math, science or other normal courses that you took in high school because Onizuka is not very gifted when it comes to such courses (he is better at street fighting). Instead, he teach his students ‘life lessons’. What are these ‘life lessons’? Well, you have to check out the anime if you want to find out!

What I like about it? Onizuka himself and the way he handles some of his stubborn students. I also love the adventures that he and his students experienced throughout the anime. You have to watch this anime if you love comedy.

2. Gokusen
Another anime that centers on a teacher and her high school students. I consider her to be the female version of Onizuka though she is not as perverted and she specializes in Math. Yamaguchi Kumiko is a new homeroom teacher to one of the classes in Shirokin Gakuen, a school that is notorious for the delinquents that they produce. Yamaguchi Kumiko is a dedicated teacher but she also keeps a very dark secret; she is the granddaughter of a Yakuza boss.

What I like about it? A very short anime with just 13 episodes. I love comedy so this anime clicks very well with me. I wish it was longer though! I watched the live action J-drama as well but I still prefer the anime.
(So which anime got the first spot?)

An Ode to My Mother

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Well, not exactly. It is more like a blog post dedicated to her rather than an actually ode. Happy Mother’s Day to all you mommies out there. I am well aware that I am late but I wrote this three weeks ago and it had been sitting on my draft queue ever since. I just couldn’t find the right words to write this.

My mom is the cheerleader of my life. She always supports whatever I want to do regardless of how ridiculous it is. Recently, I wanted to take up pole dancing lessons for physical fitness purposes. I thought that she would oppose it but instead, she offered to drive me to the pole dancing studio so that we can check it out together. We will check it out this weekend. For now, I’ll just stick to my Yoga routine.

My parents divorced when I was 10 years old and my mom single handedly take care of me and my little sister with the help of my grandparents. I believe that the divorce made us stronger. Things happen for a reason right? ;)

Like most parents, my mom is obsessed with my school grades. She is a slave driver and she wants to make sure that I do well in school. She is still obsessed with my grades even though I am already studying in a good university. She uses the “carrot and stick” method. If I do well in school, she will reward me and I get whatever I want. Otherwise, I won’t get any sort of punishment but I won’t get any privileges either. I don’t mind this method at all since I am very competitive as a person anyway and I love learning. I want to do well not because of the privileges that she offers but it is for my own personal satisfaction. But since she offered me gifts, why not take it, right? :P

Recently, she bought me an iPad in order to reward me. I am now a proud owner of the iPad! I downloaded a few apps like Flipboard, PDF-Notes, etc. Suggest me any cool apps to download if you are an iPad user as well. Preferably free ones. :P Not interested in buying apps at the moment.

I am planning to go to Singapore to get her a gift for Mother’s day. I am well aware that I am really late but HEY! It is the thought that counts. :) I have my own ups and downs when it comes to my relationship with my mom but I am happy that I have a healthy relationship with her. I know some of my friends who actually hate their own mother. I am glad that I actually love my mom. Happy belated mother’s day, all!