Life Is Like A Box Of Chocolates, You Never Know What You Are Going To Get

The above line is made famous by my favourite movie character from my favourite movie played by my favourite actor, "Forrest Gump" starring Tom Hanks. My favourite tune "Forrest Gump Suite (Feathersong)" is also from the movie, which I always wanted to play during my wedding as a march-in song, together with Pachelbel's "Canon in D".

I had always been inspired by the famous line as it is so true! Besides the fact that I am a die-hard chocoholic, the statement itself reflects life in general. When you open a box of chocolates, there are many shapes and sizes and flavours. Each one is different and unique in its own way. Even in a packet of Kit Kats, each one is different. Some has more chocolate, and some has more wafers. Same goes to Ferrero Rocher. Some has more nuts, and some has more chocolate coating. The point is that every chocolate is different, no matter which brand it is. But they are all chocolates.

Just like life. Every individual is different. But we are all humans. So is it really necessary to kill each other off? Chocolate in a person's life is just like the above saying - one never knows what one is going to get. You will never know what will happen in life. You may set out to do certain things, but end up achieving some others. For instance there are a few things I wanted to be in life. I wanted to be a performing artist, a deputy public prosecutor, a teacher, a journalist, a counsellor, a historian, even an IT analyst. Strange is I have never throught of being an enginner (I cannot do physics) or doing something finance-related. Look at where all my ambitions landed (except for the teaching part, even then it is not really successful) and look where I am working at right now.

I already knew what I wanted to be when I was young - in the performing line. When that dream was killed, I received a Humanities scholarship to enter junior college, and I decided to go into some other areas - law, mass communications, arts. I thought the path of Mass Communications was open for me when I was accepted into Harvard University. Then when I received news that both Oxford and Birmingham Universities had accepted me, I was really ecstatic. I thought I could do a double degree in Law and English. Afterall, where best to study Shakespeare and the Classics than at the birthplace itself?

My folly caused my scholarship dream to be shattered, and since my brothers were still young, I did not want my parents to struggle just to send me overseas to study. An overseas education is very expensive; I know as right now, my parents are paying through their noses for my brother's overseas education. If I were to go overseas to study, what will happen to my brothers? Can my parents still afford if they want to go overseas as well? I do not want them to resort to withdrawing all their CPF, savings and even mortgaging the house just for our education. They have worked so hard all their lives to bring us up, they should keep their money for themselves.

So I chose the local route. Although a university education is expensive, but it is still much less in a local university as compared to overseas. I initially wanted Arts and Social Sciences, but since I made the grade, I decided to try for Law. When I was accepted, I was really ecstatic and decided to give it a try. Well, I tried but failed. I did not have the brains to continue. I barely passed my first year. So I decided to give up and concentrated on my passion for Humanities.

It was a choice between Mass Communications or teaching. If I entered Mass Communications, my parents had to pay another three or four years for me. If I entered NIE, I would only need to sign a bond with the Ministry of Education and my tuition and all other fees would be taken care of. I would even receive salary and bonuses for the first two years and an allowance for the last two years (in my case, my final year), as I was considered being employed by the Ministry and undergoing their training programme. It was literally being paid to study. Why not? Such a good deal! My parents need not pay for me anymore and they could have more money for themselves and my siblings.

Thus sometimes life may not necessary be what you think it will end up to be. There will always be changes along the way. Just like today, I was supposed to sing in the Sacred Music Festival, but I woke up with my voice gone. *Sob Sob* And talking about chocolate makes me want to indulge, but I cannot with a sore throat. *Sigh*

The most important is to just live life to the fullest and learn as much as you can, so at least you know you have led a fulfilling life and can go without regrets in the future. Although with my eating habits (everything extra sweet and salty, sometimes spicy but nothing bitter or sour), some of my friends commented that I am prepared to contract diabetes or kidney failure and die early. What to do since I have such a sweet tooth and enjoys good food? Afterall, what is the point of life if you do not get to enjoy things you like?