Week 27

Lucas Malvacini

A whole string of news.

Firstly, I got so-called cheated of my payment for the Wali Band Concert that I did. I was originally promised to get paid $800 but then I was only paid $500 for the event.

Then after that, I found out that I got rejected by National Arts Council Arts Scholarship.

Soon after, I found out that I got rejected by National Arts Council Management Scholarship.

After being rejected by both scholarships, I found out that I got accepted into Paris, College of Art - Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) in Arts History, Theory and Criticism programme.

A few days after that, I received a letter stating that I was being offered a place in Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Top Up Degree programme with University of Essex - Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Creative Industry Management. 

After accepting the programme at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, I was being told that I will have to wait for them to call me to sign the contract. It has been 3 weeks and they still have not contacted me yet.

Then I was informed that because the programme was not MOE syllabus approved and switched into a two years programme thus I won't be able to pay for the programme using my CPF and my parents' CPFs. I will have to pay it using cash or cheque only.

Soon, it was the end of June and I still did not get my two weeks' worth of pay for May because apparently my workplace accidentally forgot to credit it into my account.

Then last Thursday, I received an email that I did not even get a single scholarship, bursary or merit awards at all from NAFA even though I know for a fact that I fit all of the criteria.

Pretty much, it was back-to-back bad news for me for the past few weeks. Now I'm applying for the Goh Chok Tong Youth Promise Award Scholarship as a second last option and the Mendaki Student Loan as a last resort.

As much as these news are really bringing me down, all I could think right now is that there's a silver lining behind all these dark clouds. I have faith in Allah SWT that he knows what is best for me and guiding me to be a better person everyday. I need to constantly think positive.

"Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words become your behavior. Keep your behavior positive because your behavior become your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny." - Mahatma Gandhi.

In Shaa' Allah, everything will be alright.