The Pursuit of Happiness

*thanks melon farmer*

I once watched a show in CNA called Pursuit, which told stories of a few people who have the courage the pursue what they really want to do in life. One of them was a mechanical engineer from India who pursue his dream of becoming a photographer. He did become quite famous, although I can't recall his name. For a while I imagined myself becoming a photographer too and then not a second later I woke up and I realised... nayy.. I don't want to that for life =P. But my teacher seemed to know all along that his destiny is to become a photographer.

Every wednesday I would travel for almost an hour after work, tired, without dinner *no time*, for my photography class. My teacher is 80 years old for your information, but you'll be surprised to find him very agile still, and he uses internet by the way, he even has his own website=S. At times when I'm tired with my stomach growling, I'd struggle to keep my eyes opened while listening to him teaching about photography. I would soon wake up however when he start sharing about his life stories, which are so dramatic I think it would be an interesting film script.

I hope he doesn't mind me sharing some here. He said there were 2 great miracles in his life. One was when he fell from a coconut tree and survived. Second happened on the night the Japanese attacked Singapore *go open history book*. According to wikipedia, on 31 January 1942, the Allied forces bombed the causeway to hinder the Japanese from entering Singapore. Right then, my teacher was attending school in Singapore but lived in Johor. His father would usually pick him up from school but that day, his father forgot. My teacher was waiting and his uncle happened to pick up his cousin, so he followed him home to Johor. That night, after hearing the news that the causeway was bombed, his father, busy from playing mahjong =S, rushed home. He told her wife panickly that their son was still in Singapore. Then his wife said "No lah, he's here already, there...". His father rushed to him and hugged him like never before, my teacher said. If he were left in singapore that night, he wouldn't be able to help his mum to take care of his siblings after their father passed away during Japanese occupation. My teacher even had to make his father's coffin and buried him on his own. I remembered him saying"what is hardship, I have gone through the worst..."

My teacher started his pursuit of photography at the age of 42, leaving a secure job, having family and kids who supported his dream. He went all over the world, UK, Italy, to learn photography. There were many many other amazing stories of his career which I can't possibly share all here. All his courage and effort are truly inspirational. My teacher is a very renown photographer, which I never expected when I knew him the first time. I was expecting a young enough teacher and then I saw this 80 year old man and I thought he still lives in the era where they used films =S... but I was definitely wrong, he knows ACDC better than I do =S. The great thing about him is that he always seems to be very happy and contented. Like he has lived life to the fullest and there's no regrets. I wonder whether I would ever find what I'm meant to be and be as contented when I'm 80 *If I ever reach that age* haha...

My mum was just telling me just now to stop wasting my money attending this photography course. Well, although I might just end up still being a amateur photographer *using auto mode =P*, I think I've learnt a lot of life lessons from this man. Melon farmer, where's snoopy with camera??? =P