Last September, I was given a chance to sit for an exam that could allow me to study in Singapore. I went to AICC in JB, took the test, and a month later, I was contacted by Singapore MOE, saying I passed the test, and they would like to interview me. Went back to AICC, sat for the interview, and went home feeling confident.
Another month later, I received an email from Singapore MOE.
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED TO RECEIVE THE PRESTIGIOUS ASEAN SCHOLARSHIP!
Bruh I went mad, thinking that DANG I WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO STUDY IN SG
At first, I was convinced I was going. Then, I started to think about some stuff.
You see, I was inspired by a classmate of mine, who took the test and accepted it. He told me about how hard Singaporean topics were, which gave me the chills, but he assured me the teachers were very helpful and stuff. However, it still worried me, since one of the clauses in the contract said if I were to fail in the exams and sent back to Malaysia, my parents will have to compensate for the rest of the scholarship, in SGD. I'm not a man of confidence, so this really scared me.
Then, there was the issue of hostel and accommodation. I didn't know who I will be living with.
I didn't want to leave my family, my friends, my country.
But the biggest issue by far was Covid. Malaysia-Singapore borders were closed at the time, and if I were to go, I probably wouldn't be able to see my family until God knows how long. I was to leave in mid-December, they announced the border would be closed until May or something(correct me if I'm wrong).
On the flip side, I had access to better education. I could know how it is to live in a big city. My family in Singapore really encouraged me to accept. And what I thought would be an easy decision, turned into a fickle disaster. For one whole week, I had sleepless nights on whether I should accept or not, and it really messed up my mental wellness. And it was during Deepavali, which kinda ruined it for me coz thinking about the scholarship prevented me from enjoying the day with my fam.
On the final day, I had a mental breakdown, and my family decided not to send me. 'No regrets', I told myself.
6 months later, I'm in F4, Science stream(yay) with things going mostly well for me. But we have a terrible Covid situation in our country, while SG is recovering quickly. While I have no regrets not taking the scholarship, I can't help but think: What if I did? I could go jogging in big
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Translation: Hey, any furry Filipinos here?
Just interested because most furries I see are either American or European the kinds of countries where people can afford to spend money of fursuits.
Welcome to this week's edition of the Geopolitics Thread, where we discuss events from around the world. Discussion does not have to be related to India. Please share interesting stories, insights, and questions in the comments. Here are some stories to get the conversation rolling:
Top Stories
Israel, which has achieved one of the world's highest and fastest vaccination rates against SARS-CoV-2, moved a step further to normalcy by dropping the requirement for people to wear masks when outdoors, although indoor norms remain in place. This follows substantial opening up of even indoor activities in the country, with schools being fully open for the first time in a year. The country has fully vaccinated about 81% of the eligible population (16+ years) with mRNA-based vaccines developed by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.
It was a difficult week diplomatically for Russia as it faced headwinds in both Europe and the US. President Joe Biden slapped sanctions on Russian leaders in retaliation against the massive hacking of private companies (including Microsoft, large parts of whose Office product is feared stolen), known as the SolarWinds hack and expelled several Russian diplomats. Separately, the Czech Republic expelled Russian diplomats after it concluded that Russia was involved in a 2014 explosion in an ammunitions depot, the biggest dispute between the countries since the fall of the USSR. Finally, Ukraine is leading a diplomatic push against Russia for amassing huge military forces on its border.
In continuing escalation of violence in Pakistan, radical Islamist organization Tehrik-i-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) kidnapped six police officers (including two from the paramilitary) in their office in Lahore. The group has been protesting the publication of cartoons of Prophet Muhammad in France by demanding, among other things, breaking of diplomatic ties with France and a nuclear attack on the country. After violence broke out, the government banned the organization and arrested its leader, although that hasn't had much effect with the group shooting
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Diskusi disini. Gak akan ngehasilin apapun gw bilang.
With the tensions surrounding the territorial disputes in the South China Sea, I was wondering what is the plan by the Chinese government if they hypothetically do manage to claim that entire region as theirs. Many of those ASEAN nations are highly reliant on those bodies of water for their industries, and a huge number of trade ships flow through the region. Do China's territorial claims mean that those other ASEAN nations territories are decreased, and expect those countries to not enter that region?
To the governments of ASEAN:
China's recent financial crisis requires it to seek markets abroad for industries downstream of the construction sector. China is looking for countries with high potential for urbanization-led growth, a focus on macroeconomic reforms, and favorable geographic locations (near global sea lanes) for a large series of investment and export zones. Within these zones:
- Chinese banks will have the right to make RMB-denominated real estate construction loans at prevailing rates of interest in China
- Loans will be collateralized by the built real estate
- Developers who take these loans are encouraged but not required to use general contractors who will buy concrete and steel from China
- Chinese construction labor is available for these projects but not mandatory
- If an investment zone succeeds in attracting more than $10B in projects (by invested capital), China will grant individuals who move to the zone and work there for more than 3 years a 7-year residency and work permit in China, so long as they have no prior criminal records and are under the age of 35.
- The max size of an investment zone is 25 sqkm.
How does this sound? China is especially keen to build out Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, Padang, Yangon, Sittwe, Pnomh Penh, and other cities in the region.
Hi everyone!
I've heard that the ASEAN Scholarship is given only after accepting the admission offer. Currently, I have a scholarship offer from NTU but am still waiting for NUS. If I choose NTU on the 24th of May, will I still stand a chance for the NUS ASEAN Scholarship? Or do I have to choose NUS for the NUS ASEAN Scholarship?
Thank you for your replies!
Why foreign companies such as Samsung, Nike and other foreign companies all set up their factories in Vietnam instead of other south east countries. For example, Philippines and Indonesia has longer coastlines and similar GDP per capita. Thailand has better economy and better infrastructure.
