Stepping out of the Box

I'm sitting across a room where a huge bunch of girls from China are engaged in a loud conversation about everything from their families, lives, activities done during the semster break, down to the every single detail. Nothing seemed wrong except that is what I see all across the University.

Malaysians stick to Malaysians, everybody sticks to their own group of countrymen. Well maybe not, once in a while you'll see a mixture of people together and for one moment you might even think that there's hope for having diveristy when you hear them speaking native English. That is when you realize they're born and bred here as well. Enough said.

It feels werd having them around today. Unlike the few days before when it was just me and Michael in the room with rows of computer and leaving us with plenty of chances to focuse on what we're supposed to do. Not that we did a lot, since people would love to come over and mindlessly challenge me into something I have played for the past 5 years. Therefore a massacre ensued and I have to put on my pity face at them while I was yawning away when I was playing with them. Their problem? The same as every newbie has. Lack of experience, lack of skill ,and lacking the correct mentality. The latter seemed the worst to me.

I sometimes felt obliged to guide these people to the right path, when I should be really happy to steamroll them time and time again until they quit eventually, OR, study. Then again I have self-doubts of reaching over the Great Wall of China. The social wall, the wall that denies them the ability to reach out to others and talk to them and befriend them. They just to seem to just stick to their own people, thus causing even poorer command of the language, and even poorer understanding of the others.

The fact is, they never left their country at all. They didn't allow themselves to forget who they were, where they are, and are tied up with the notion that they must stick together. I even had someone I knew immediately dissing off the food pictures I've taken in Barossa without even wanting to experience it for even once. Is it that hard to even step out of the box for once?

I'm not saying that is wrong. I do this too. But once in a while I reach out to some stranger and talk to them and get to know another new soul. Just this mid-term, I had two wonderful days with new people outside my normal circle and that changed everything in me. I sincerely wanted to thank John, XiOng, Amanda and especially Michele for giving me the opportunity to love life once again. I then understood that you can't have too many friends, but it's the quality you have that makes you realize how important they are.

Mid-term is officially over. Two more months and I will be able to see where I am. For once, I wanted to stay.