Happy pink Tuesday ka, everyone.
Last week, my little podcast program offered an episode entitled, 'เข้า NYU และสู้ชีวิตใน NYC' (studying at NYU and surviving in NYC) and I have a few things to share ka.
My guest was Chin -- Ajarn Pakin Tangsakulsathaporn whose life has been through very interesting stories like a movie ka.
When mentioning that he got admitted into the Tisch School of the Art, New York University, we would tend to think that he must have been one of the top students with somehow good GPA . It wasn't so ka.
My first learning from Chin:
Life isn't on just one fixed academic track.
Learn to know what you like and if you love the 'skill/hands on track', seek what's available and their requirements to be ready for your next step.
His GPA was only 2.00 and he barely graduated as he had to work his ways to study while finding it fun to be involved in cheering activities.
He knew what NYU expected from only 36 students it admits every year from worldwide applications. He started shooting films and got quite a few national/international recognized awards to appear on his profile ka. He said we need to sit on the right chair....with self awareness who we are and what that particular chair requires ka....love, love!
My second learning:
Accept your own 'life capital/ต้นทุนชีวิต' and do the best to survive and achieve your goal! ์
No time to waste to look at others and feel inferior and sorry about your own life. Chin said some of his friends were from wealthy families and life was chill. Yet, he struggled hard with the least reservations to study and survive during his years at NYU and expensive living in NYC.
I was struck with his humble and realistic self when we met in NYC (through the link of our Thai Consul-General in New York ka). Then my 2 colleagues and I had bento dinner delivery. Each portion was too much for us to eat. Chin said it was the best meal he had in months....that sounded tough enough and then he asked if he could bring back home the left portions we couldn't finish too as it meant at least 1-2 meals for him.
That was the story I'll always remember and when he mentioned about 'life capital', he proved to us how he managed it loei ka.
The last one:
His gratitude is beyond description. His love of his mom is really obvious and I felt it when I had lunch with them some years ago.
In the interview, he said he had collected like 300,000 baht before he went to study at NYU (he got like 30% of the tuition fee waivers). At the airport, he handed an envelope of 200,000 to his mom telling her to spend it while he was away. He therefore had only 100,000 left for himself ka.
After 6 years teaching at Suan Sunandha Rajabhat Univesity (he eventually got its scholarship.), he has moved on to the next step to pursue his passion as director, script writer and actor ka.
Having seen how much he's grown and how far he's been him today, I can't stop admiring him ka!
