I dreamed a dream (Q&A)

I dreamed a dream (Q&A)  

The talk show was just appetizer for a 3-course personalized meal. The Q&A followed the talk and in summary it was like this:

Why did you decide to go aboard? – Because the income was not enough to support myself and my family. I worked hard with a full-time job and some part-time teaching. Most of the time, I reached home about 9:30pm or 10pm. But the income was still not enough. So, I wanted to do something different. 

Tell us more about your journey. – I studied full-time. It was a full-time course but I had to attend only three classes a week. I had two part-time jobs. The first one was in a family business. The company sold forklift parts. I was the office girl; I prepare quotation, statement of accounts, etc. The second one was Banquet waitress in a five-star hotel.

What did you do when you were stressed? – I cried, cried and cried. The most stressful part of the journey was the first semester. Once I’ve arrived Singapore, I had to look for a job. It took me five weeks to get the first part-time job. My friends who arrive there earlier were already doing their studies and some were working thus they couldn’t accompany me every day. I felt lonely, homesick and scared. That five-week period was the toughest of all. I was stressed because I worried if I would get a job, I worried if I would pass the exam and I worried if I ever had to go home. 

The next stressful time was the first exam. I was so stressed as the exam drew closer. Once I had taken the first exam, I wept. It was sort of relief that I felt I was going to pass that exam.

I also would like to share a funny moment. Once I was so stressed, I thought I might get into argument with my colleague at the hotel. So I got out of the hotel, walked along the Singapore River until I found a quiet place to sit down and relief stress by crying. But to my disappointment, I couldn’t cry. I was very angry because I wasted an evening of work in which could have earn some money.

Some students in the audience shared their dream and the stumbling blocks on their way. I understand how they are feeling now as I was in their shoes a few years ago. Apart from some factual advice, I also shared this general information. “In the process of chasing our dreams, dreams are not so obvious. Upon reflection, I didn’t really have a dream. All I wanted was to go somewhere, do something and have a better life. In fact, I didn’t know what is coming to me. I just kept applying for further study and looking for any possible opportunity to achieve what I wanted. 

What worked for me, then? I had an offer from NUS in my hands because of perseverance. Finally, I found the kind souls who were willing to help me. I think that was the outcome of sincerity and hard work that convinced these kind people to land me a hand. Now that the situations are so much different from fifteen years ago, I am sure the member of this audience will have more opportunity to do better than us. All they have to do is keep trying and keep looking out for opportunity. 

The best part of the 3-course personalized meal is the fact that “Nothing is IMPOSSIBLE. Just change the way you write it. I’M POSSIBLE!”   

Urging all our next generation of U Wynn Naing (Hledan Tuition) to dream and DREAM BIG. 

Yours truly

Ma Saint