switzerland

i've just received the best news of my life so far...i've been accepted into the Masters Advanced Studies (MAS) in Sport Administration and Technology organised by the International Olympics Committee (and a few other Swiss universities) in lausanne, switzerland!!! i'm very excited by the prospect of going to switzerland for a whole new experience. i really can't express in words how i feel...but it's just wonderful. i might even get to watch the world cup in germany next year! =)

a few weeks before me and adeline broke up, she actually mentioned something about applying to a french university to further her studies...and being the sucker that i was (meaning that i built my life around a girl that i really loved), i started searching for a masters course in europe...way back in january / february...then a few days after i found MAS on the net, she broke up with me. there were times when i thought of just giving up the search, but i had to get on with life. so anyway, i found MAS and decided to give it a try...since i have always been very involved in sports. after making the initial decision to apply, i went to the east coast park almost EVERY weekend with jason to fill in the application form and to write the application essay. it was not easy man. e.g. - "what are the key problems facing sport today?". i wanted so much to get in just to show myself that i could make it. failure was not an option.

my essay was quite brilliant...after all the editing by jason, mike, my brother, and other friends (including lawyers no less...). so i'm very thankful to all of them. i hope that they will share the happiness that i am feeling now.

immediately after i received the good news via an email sent by the MAS secretary, i forwarded it to all my close friends and family. i was overflowing with joy. i even called up a few of them just to tell them personally (for those of you who didn't get the call...don't feel bad, i still wanted to tell you personally if and when we meet. haha.). i even sent the email to adeline...who replied...but that's another story altogether.

in fact, just yesteday, my mom called me when i was in "ice-cold-beer" and asked me whether i got accepted to the programme. i told her that it was still pending and that i would tell her when the time comes. i couldn't reach her today cuz she's in boston now, but i'm sure that when she sees my email, she'll be overjoyed. it's been a while since she's had that feeling with regards to my studies...haha.

but then again, there's the problem of expenses...the whole course costs CHF18,160 (Swiss Francs)...which is about S$24,000...for tuition only...and if the website is correct, living expenses comes out to around CHF1,500 per month, which is about S$2,000. sheesh. the total cost of studying in switzerland for one year is approximately S$50,000. wow. i gotta start looking out for scholarships / sponsors already...any takers? =)

i still can't believe that i got in. only 33 people in the WHOLE WORLD got into the programme last year...and now, this year, i'm one of them. i just hope that i'll live up to the expectations. apparently they have a football team which is doing pretty well. i better start running and doing sit-ups soon...ok ok...after this tiger....haha. life is getting better. i wish i felt like this all the time. =)