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Wednesday, August 03, 2011

A Tale of 2 Worlds

I just met up with an old time friend, one I've known since primary school. She is currently pursuing studies in film and was telling me of the month long overseas internship she just did. We discussed briefly some of the others in our group, living overseas, pursuing passions... Living what counts in SG as a wild and bohemian lifestyle basically.

I thought of this group and the friends in another group living on more practical Singaporean terms, i.e. having a stable job with a CPF account and concerned with more bread and butter issues. Stocks, shares, politics, gossip...

Over a lifespan of 30 years, I'm fascinated that I have these 2 totally diverse kinds of friendships. In each group, I am the same person, same likes and dislikes, same ages even, and yet i have friends at 2 opposite poles. (literally, in the case of one)

How misplaced I must seem in each group! A boringly married HDB dweller in one, a flaky artistic temperament type in the other!

But as in nature, diversity is a strength. One group shows me that insecurity should not get in the way of my dreams, the other reminds me to keep grounded at the same time. To me, the experience of both these groups shaped my life philosophy over time: to create a stable foundation and yet never let it hold you down from your dreams. Best of both worlds!

I can't imagine how people live with friends who are exactly the same or who live almost similar lifestyles. Don't one get bored once in a while?

Sent from my iPhone