Five days to go...

Hello friends and family,

First things first - I'm going to put it out there - I'm not a very funny guy. So, if you are expecting this blog to be a laugh-a-minute, you may be disappointed. But I will try to make reading this as little excruciating as possible.

Secondly, this is my first blog. So, I might just make a few blog faux pas. But be gentle and patient with me, as I'm sure (hope) this will get interesting.

Thirdly, I am a lawyer. I believe there are two types of lawyers. One's who have had their personalities removed (and make great lawyers) and one's who have not (who are writers, actors, philosophers, poets etc in denial). I fall into the former category (although I cannot say that I am a great lawyer). So, if I lapse into legalese, become verbose, or use, too, many, commas then have pity on me, for I do not know better.

So, in five days I'm leaving the country to begin my adventure at the University of Oxford in the UK. But first, I am going to spend a week with this chick:

Seeing as Marilyn is long dead, that's my sis doing a pretty good job of 'being' Marilyn at Universal Studios, Singapore as a character actor. I think as she  has been in the job she is channelling Marilyn more and more (just kidding sis). So, we will 'do' Singa for a day or so and then head over to Chiang Mai, Thailand. 

Why Chiang Mai, you may ask? Because it does not have full moon parties and it (hopefully) is not full of Aussie bogans, the combination of which looks like this:

But, more positively, in Chaing Mai we can become FREAKING ELEPHANT TRAINERS! So, as awesome as that sounds my mate helpfully pointed out that we are essentially paying to pick up elephant dung. But meh to that, I think it will be a barrel of fun. 

After that, off to the UK. So, what am I doing over in the UK, you may ask? Why am I missing summer? And why am I asking all these questions? Good question.

(me in the UK)

About this time a year ago I was grilled for about an hour in front of about 8 senior members of my Rotary District in interview for the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship. That night, I received an awesome phone call, which said that I had been selected!!! The scholarship funds me for a one-year post-graduate degree abroad as well as embeds me in a local Rotary community abroad. Again, fortunately, I was granted my first preference at the University of Oxford. This was such an honour for me, and one that I did not, do not, and will not take lightly. 

So fast forward a few months and I was selected by Oxford to attend their one-year postgraduate course, the Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL). Essentially, it is Oxford's version of a Master in Laws where I will take 4 courses over the year in various subjects. At this point, I definitely want to study comparative human rights, jurisprudence and comparative public law (the fourth is still TBD). To those who don't know, I'm a slightly obsessed cyclist, so I intend on joining the Oxford University Cycling Club. I am also really passionate about access to justice and public interest law, so I intend on applying to Oxford Pro Bono Publico, Oxford's public interest legal group. As a former rower, I may (or may not) dabble in a bit of rowing. 

People always ask, "Are you excited about going?" Until recently, my stock standard reply was "I will be excited when I am on the plane." But just recently, after a really nice farewell dinner with a few of my colleagues, I feel ready to go and am getting super excited. I think your subconscious has an uncanny ability to prepare you emotionally at just the right time. It's the same as when you are about to come home after a long trip, it doesn't matter how long you are going for, you will feel ready to go a few days before you leave. So, I'm really looking forward to a few things:

• Seeing my sis;
• Re-engaging my brain on an academic level and conceptually locking horns with other postgraduates; and
• Throwing myself into everything Oxford has to offer extra-curricularly.

Anyways, I've probably broken a blog rule by making this too long. So, I'll sign off for now. Stay tuned for my next instalment.

Toby