Yan.

Remember those long-ago forlorn days where we thought your dad was going to force you to become a doctor? But he didn't. Your family sent you to United Kingdom, freaking United Kingdom, fresh out of SPM, because they had sheer, raw, faith in your talent. I have faith in your talent. There probably isn't a week in 2011 when I haven't blabbed on and on to my new friends about my "amazing artist best friend". So please- never, ever, ever believe that you are without talent, because you know that would be dismissing one of the many gifts that God has blessed you with. You speak of competition and wanting to win- but the minute you give up on your own strength, you have dropped out of the race. Do you understand me?

Do what it takes to impress your teachers, or your friends, or whoever else, but first and foremost please make sure that you still enjoy the prospect of creating art. There's no point in getting the highest score if you find yourself not loving what you do. Okay?

You didn't go through twelve years of Malaysian education to finally break free into doing what you love, only to decide that you're not good enough to do it. Art, Yan, Art. If you've lost that special place inside you where you used to go whenever you made art, that place that used to make your sky bluer and the sun brighter... then find it. LOOK FOR IT, WOMAN, LOOK INTO THE FURTHEST DEPTHS OF YOUR SOUL IF YOU HAVE TO. You've come too far to back down now. Okay? I love you. All the way from Malaysia. And a lot of people here, LOVE you, and believe in you- with good reason too.

And I know, and I'm sorry, that I haven't been around (literally and cyber-wise) lately. Everyone's been overwhelmed by this whole college/university business, this excitement for our bright and glorious futures just sweeping into our lives so utterly and totally until everything else seems trivial. But you know... even when I don't blog, or tweet, or Facebook.. just send me an e-mail. Okay? Above all else, I still have time to check my e-mail. And believe it or not, when I'm on campus an e-mail is probably the fastest way to reach me (yes, even taking into consideration SMS and calling- STUPID SIGNAL COVERAGE).  So. Yeah. Please contact me sometime soon, you rosy-cheeked broken child. :(

p/s To our Indian counterpart... YOU SEND ME E-MAIL ALSO IF YOU EMO. OR NOT EMO ALSO CAN. BUT DON'T BE EMO. LIFE'S TOO SHORT TO BE EMO. /And I know I'm totally being uber hypocritical about this. But. KY has changed my perspectives on life in a lot of ways. :)/

:) <------------ LEAVING YOU WITH A SMILE.