il Giardino Romantico

I've been wanting to introduce you to the name of this blog for quite a while.  The only reasons why I have been thwarted from doing so were the fact that I've seemed to have something else to write about, or that I have not yet found the inspiration to do so.  'What's in a name?' as good-o Willy would say.  Well, it's important to me.  I saw Saphi writing about the name of her blog, thinking perhaps it's time for me to do this as well.

Being alone is not a sin.  Neither should it be frowned upon.  Yet the world was not built for loners.  I am not against the practice of matrimony, nor am I against committed relationships.  However, I am protesting against the idea that the only achievement one should seek in life is to find his or her better half.

A romantic relationship should be the reward one picks up along the way.  A goal that one should set out to achieve should be something greater than merely a time killer.  That goal could be an achievement in academic areas, or it could be a realization of a dream in the area of one’s profession. The meaning of such goals is so that one can come to realize their own individuality, and elevate themselves to a higher status in their spirituality.  When they look back at their past, they would gasp at the progress they have made.  It is very much like mountain climbing, where the climber does not cease to reach the top only because they have found a very pretty flower and wished to keep it. The flower is a reward for the climb.  The priority remains to be to reach the top of the mountain.  That is the ultimate goal. 

We have heard of many stories of those who claim to have given up on their goals in life in order to be with someone who they believed is their better half.  This, is what society should really frown upon.  If this better half of yours do not believe or assist you in achieving your goal in life, then what is it that makes them your ‘better’ half?  Must one really surrender a dream or a goal for the sake of a relationship?  It may be a difficult choice, but trust me, in the end both you and your supposed better half will survive. 

How have I come to realize this?  A few years ago, I, myself, was ready to give up my ultimate goal in life believing that the person I was involved with would be the one that I would marry.  When the relationship broke down, I mourned.  I was ready to make a commitment, and give up my dream altogether so we could have a future together.  Yet he insisted on ending the relationship.  Guess what?  Whenever I look back now, I always have a feeling of relief knowing that the end of the relationship meant I was back on the track towards my dream, my goal. 

Some interesting facts about Third Culture Kids

什麼是第三文化小孩？

所謂第三文化小孩(Third Culture Kids)是指童年時跟隨父母至異鄉成長的孩子。這些孩子除了父母傳承的文化，也無形間接收了成長期所居住國家的文化，形成屬於自己的第三文化。

Third culture kids refers to those who, during childhood, have followed their parents to a foreign country and have lived in other countries for sometimes longer than they have in their own country.  Not only do third culture kids absorb the culture passed down by their parents, but also the culture of the country in which they lived, thus forming their own unique 'third culture'.