I'll be able to grow

Photo taken at The University of Queensland

To grow is to exchange thoughts, ideas and culture with those who are different from us. Break out of that comfort zone once in a while. Talk to strangers because we can't make friends unless we do. Talk to people who aren't our age who has different opinions. From different countries, religion and culture and see how they think, how they work. Bring back what is good, and leave what's not.

Honestly I don't see the reason to study overseas if we don't try to engage with people who aren't from our own country. Why should we come all the way to another continent just to engage with people we've already known all along. Just because we make friends with different people, does not mean we can't keep our old ones. It takes effort to keep good friendships but that's an extra step worth taking if we really want to make full use of our time here.

Why come back home with the same mind set that we came with? Why should we and why would we want to really? It's great to get to experience a different country from our own. See different things, different ways of life. But what's the point if we only see things but not do things? We end up going back home to serve our country anyway so might as well we come back with an edge.

I'm not saying we should act high and mighty because we shouldn't. It's not that people who don't study overseas are of less worth or that people who study overseas are of more worth. But, we have an opportunity which some people can only dream of so grab it! We're already here, we get paid to study and so we should use the resources we have to give back some day somehow.

Seeing the world doesn't only mean to see many places. It also means to see, talk and share ideas with the people. People make up the world so we should try to at least understand who we share the world with.

I feel quite strongly about this because not many people feel the same way and sometimes I don't get why and this makes me so frustrated because I really think it's a good opportunity which only comes once in our life. Allah sent us here for a reason. There's a reason He didn't send us to the UK or US, or kept us in Malaysia. He granted us this gift because He knew we're capable of something. He wanted us to find something, do something. It's just a matter of discovering what it is.

I guess this post is more of a reminder to myself. I don't think I'm using my resources enough either but I'll continue to try. Being in Australia has changed me somehow. I'm not exactly like how I used to be. Or to be completely honest, I'm actually more myself. I'm not always bound to the Malay society's judgy eyes. I don't get judged severely for saying something wrong, or wearing something they deem weird. I feel more comfortable in my own skin. And probably by feeling more comfortable, I'll be able to uncover Allah's plan in all this. I'll be able to discover more of myself, the people and the world.

and I'll be able to grow.