The Extraordinary

Those who regard the history of societies as the history of their great men, and think that these great men shape the fates of their societies, overlook the truth that such great men are the products of their societies.

In high school, I recall taking part in a Socratic seminar where I instigated a discussion on whether the heroism of a man was given simply as a product of the circumstances in which they were placed or whether that man possessed truly extraordinary qualities. In my opinion, men or women of character exist anywhere and anytime but if there are no circumstances in which to reveal such a person, he may never be great and remembered in the textbooks of learning or through the stories of tradition.

There are no great men, only great challenges that ordinary men are forced by circumstances to meet.

The same can be thought on smaller scales. We must constantly challenge ourselves in order to reveal our true potential. If we remain in a stagnant and comfortable environment, we also will remain stagnant in growth and never know how much we can really accomplish.

That's the reason I'm here at HKUST. And although I'm homesick, how else am I going to test the limits of my abilities? I'm used to making friends instantly, but that was in my own territory. It was my nature to be sociable. Now I'm encountering cross-cultural and cross-lingual boundaries. This is surely one of the most difficult time periods of my life. Constantly questioning whether I'm going to be well-liked or even welcomed into friendships and societies. I'm encountering different learning strategies and difficult accents in class. The extracurricular choices are diverse. And intellectual conversation, something which serves as both stimulation and motivation, in my own language is not to be found! I can't find a single soul I can truly relate to because of our language differences.

It boils down to one thing now: Adaptation.

You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.

In another example to this concept of circumstances revealing hidden attributes: my relationship with my boyfriend. At the beginning of our relationship, I never imagined we would be the way we are now. I never imagined that I could feel so much love for someone. And I never imagined he, as a person, would be so loving. I have always believed that Hieu remains sincere to his emotions at all times but even so I'm hesitant to accept the happiness at hand. That boy is truly full of surprises and he makes me feel so loved and so important. Maybe the idea of being apart prompted me to cherish him in such a way that wouldn't have happened if we had an average (local vs long distance) relationship. True, the distance has made my love stronger so far, but it's only been two weeks. There's still a long way to go. To this, I will keep hoping for out future. Circumstances over time will reveal love in many ways.