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  Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008 6:50AM / Standard Entry / Members only
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  Characteristics of Quarter-Life Crisis may include:

  • feeling "not good enough" because one can't find a job that is at one's academic/intellectual level
  • frustration with relationships, the working world, and finding a suitable job or career
  • confusion of identity
  • insecurity regarding the near future
  • insecurity concerning long-term plans, life goals
  • insecurity regarding present accomplishments
  • re-evaluation of close interpersonal relationships
  • disappointment with one's job
  • nostalgia for university, college, high school or elementary school life
  • tendency to hold stronger opinions
  • boredom with social interactions
  • loss of closeness to high school and college friends
  • financially-rooted stress (overwhelming college loans, unanticipatedly high cost of living, etc.)
  • loneliness
  • desire to have children
  • a sense that everyone is, somehow, doing better than you

  this info is borrowed from Wikipedia... hope i didnt break some internet law or anything... but for more info click on this link >>> Wikipedia - Quarter Life Crisis

  ***apparently its a very common period  that many of us go through after entering the "real world" and its something i realised i was going through even before leaving sydney for japan. i guess some never encounter that feeling, some do and grow out of it, and some just get stuck in it and overlap mid-life crisis.

  ***in search for the so called "me" and an exit to this phase in life, i headed to japan. a place far from home that i knew would be safer/easier to live for someone who is slightly gullible, clean freak, passive and socially awkward at times. but who wouldve thought a 1 year working holiday visa couldve turned into a 3 year stay. many things in japan were as expected, and of course many valuable lessons learnt from the unexpected. ive gained n lost things, added a few buddies to my bestfriends list but still miss my family and friends back home. i enjoy my freedom and making choices for myself, but unable to live up to being the ideal daughter of my conservative chinese parents. ive learnt more of what i dont want or dont like, but yet to find what i want or would like to do. they say that we dont appreciate something till its gone, but ive also learnt that it really depends on what it is, very true for most things! but on the other hand, some things are better gone or forgotten.
   
  ***i guess it wouldve been possible to go anywhere in the world, but since i studied japanese for so long and thought i was going to make some kind of a career out of this skill, i wanted to test myself and see how far i could go in japan. though i did have slight intentions of further japanese studies, i ended up not only not improving but letting this skill i had deteriorate. i guess i do regret that a little but it seemed like the least important thing at the time especially when trying to make ends meet and live life day by day. whatever the reason it happened, its forcing me to look around for more options and paths. the plan to move to hong kong is definitely one of them. europe is also somewhere id love to check out, but whether i have the courage to live there alone is doubtful.
   
  ***these 2 years and 10 months have flown by like theres no tomorrow. (that simile sounds funny in that sentence...) i think ive learnt more about appreciating life, people and what i have more than anything else. for some people its for granted, they just seem to know what theyre doing and what to appreciate. for me, it took a long flight overseas, costed a lot of money and sweat. but in saying so, i still totally think its all worth it! im so glad to have grown out of the superficialness i had in me, (not that i dont like shopping anymore becuz uve all read my last blog and i cant justify that..., but at least not super crazy like i used to be back home) i havent become a saint, any kinder or anything, but instead of envying those who i used to believe lived a great life, ive been thinking more about the ones who arent as lucky as us and what could be done to help. the lazy me hasnt gotten off my butt n taken action to help or volunteer, but perhaps having the thought is a good start. then i can gradually do something about it! im hoping this idea will stick with me even after moving to hongkong in the future becuz superficiality seems to be what the majority of the population is made out of. stay strong, just be yourself n do ur own thing wherever u are suse...
   
  ***having a break from japan now and spending these 2 months in hongkong dealing with family stuff is the greatest opportunity for me to clear my head and focus on my future. but then again, trying to adapt takes up energy too, plus the fact that the only time i think about things such as career and financial plans is when im not out, not with friends, not watching movies and not online. and thats really not often.... so im kinda feeling a little unproductive, hence guilty... hence wanting an escape... hence missing work... never thought i would though! meeting up with old friends from sydney is pretty fun and makes me reminisce those good old days. seeing them live a life they want, enjoying themselves to the max and keeping it real is very encouraging and motivating! some have settled down doing their own thing as usual which is great! and maybe harsh but a fact, there are also those who never move on, living in the same (if not worse) cycle since the day we met... i guess thats one way how people grow apart... i hope im not just being a hypocrite though...
   
  ***anyway, so moving on... recently im a little bummed about a 3 - 6 month backpacking kinda trip i had planned for this year with a girlfriend/housemate/co-worker being postponed and shortened alot due to our financial situations... but its not gona stop us from having fun in japan for the rest of my time there and going on short budget trips! there are sooo many wonderful things about travelling and one of them is definitely meeting people and making friends. since leaving sydney, ive missed my friends and family a lot esp when im over the moon and wanna share it or going through some bumpy ride on a rocky road. theres also so much going on back home that ive missed and am missing out on right now. marriages, promotions, births and celebrations! it was when leaving japan that i realized another downside of being a traveller and making great friends is that the number of people u miss and will miss so dearly as u move to other places INCREASE... australia, hong kong, america, singapore, china, new zealand and japan... omg, i really wish i had Doraemon's Dokodemo (Anywhere) Door! its the easiest way to move around when time and money are major issues.
   
  ***im in a blogging mood tonite bigtime, and i dont seem to be able to shut up... but apart from a Dokodemo Door, right now, i really wish i had a time machine so that it wouldnt be 6am now... and i still havent gone to bed... but unfortunately time machines dont really exist so i guess its shut eye time for me and sorry but this post is gona end without any kinda conclusion... zzZZzzZ
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