Personal

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THE first time I discovered grades ruled my life was when I was preparing my high school graduation speech.

I came across American student Erica Goldson’s words, which struck a deep chord in me. She said in her valedictorian speech:

“I have successfully shown that I was the best slave. I did what I was told to the extreme. While others sat in class and doodled to later become great artists, I sat in class to take notes and become a great test-taker. While others would come to class without their homework done because they were reading about an interest of theirs, I never missed an assignment. While others were creating music and writing lyrics, I decided to do extra credit, even though I never needed it.”

We sometimes forget that education is about learning. It becomes apparent now as I enter university, that I used to study for the sake of studying, for the sake of getting good grades.

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SITTING here in a well-known five-bean-rated cafe sipping my cup of coffee, I begin to wonder about how I came to fall in love with this divine culinary art form. Was it the aroma? Was it the caffeine? Was it the silky milk froth that you can never make at home?

Fascinated, I put down my cup and started thinking, but nothing came. I looked around, getting lost in the busy afternoon of people ordering their brunch and laughing to each other with their cups of coffee in hand. After a long pause, suddenly, I smiled, I knew exactly why I loved coffee.

Do you still remember your first cup? Mine was back in Indonesia when I was still in high school. My older sister and I went to Starbucks and she ordered a mocha. She insisted I should take a sip and I did. I didn’t like it. It tasted weird and I gave the takeaway cup right back to her.

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