“There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want.” ― Bill Watterson
If I had to sum up 2013 in two words, they’d be "awesomely hectic!" And when I say hectic, I mean the kind that makes you wonder if sleep is just a mythical creature from ancient textbooks. Most of my year, surprisingly (or perhaps not so surprisingly for anyone who knows me), was spent… studying! Yes, you heard that right.
As I mumbled in a previous year-in-review (back when my Bahasa was doing more heavy lifting), I’d snagged an MBA scholarship from KAIST. Me, the Computer Science guy, diving headfirst into the deep end of business. My goal for 2013 was simple, if a little ambitious: soak up as much knowledge as humanly possible from this intensive one-year MBA. Little did I know, this noble pursuit would demand a rather significant sacrifice from my life balance. My sleep schedule became a tragic comedy, and my social life? Let's just say it went on a prolonged sabbatical. But hey, looking back, it was only by some divine guidance and protection that I not only survived but actually thrived (mostly) in a foreign land. A testament to sheer stubbornness, perhaps, and a whole lot of grace.
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| KAIST Information & Media MBA 2013 |
January: A Winter Wonderland
안녕하세요! So there I was, a fresh-faced Indonesian in Seoul, bracing myself for the first winter of my life. And boy, did it deliver! We’re talking a bone-chilling -16.5°C. I remember the air stinging my face, each breath turning into a visible cloud, and wondering if my toes would ever truly thaw. I'd arrived in late 2012, spent New Year's Eve doing "nothing" (which, when you’re in a new city with new friends, is actually everything) around Gwanghwamun, and then hopped on a bus to Nami Island – you know, that famously picturesque spot from Winter Sonata. It was breathtaking, even if my hands were numb from trying to snap photos.
The real fun, or rather, the "pre-academic event," kicked off right after: new student orientation. Walking into that room, I was surrounded by brilliant minds. Managers from big corporations, folks with years of experience under their belts. I felt a tiny flutter of imposter syndrome, but mostly, it was just inspiring. This program was clearly going to be a masterclass in learning from the best. Our short, four-week semester plunged us into IT Strategy & Management, Media Economics, and Business Presentation. It started innocently enough, but then came exam week. Sleep? Showers? Those became luxuries only spoken of in whispered legends. (Though, in my defense, it was very cold winter!). Yet, despite the academic acrobatics, the toughest part wasn’t the schoolwork; it was the quiet ache of missing loved ones far away.
