The best part of working at the Uni is that you get to meet a lot of wonderful people. Toni is one such person.
He is the first generation Argentinian born to Korean parents. He was born in Argentina, didn’t speak a word of Spanish(his parents themselves didn’t speak Spanish, they moved from Korea to Argentina in the early 90’s and had Toni a year after arriving in Argentina) and went to school, struggled and persevered.
He became an Orthopaedic surgeon. A very successful one too. Pride of every immigrant parent, role model for the whole Korean community.
Last week, he registered for a carpentry trade certificate at a local Tafe college in Brisbane. He had always wanted to be a carpenter and dreamt of selling his own signature works.
He sold everything he owned and moved to Brisbane. From owning a posh car to a beat up cycle, condo to share house.. all because of a dream.
There are two factors at play here.
His parents having to explain to the rest of their community that their successful son has gone mad and he having to live with the choices he make.
I know so many people who are stuck doing the jobs they hate, yet they do nothing to change their situation. They are afraid of taking that leap even if they know that it is the right thing to do. You have one life to live.. live you must. Even if it means giving up so much, just to gain what you really really want.
The first sentence you wrote struck a chord with me. “The best part of working at the Uni is that you get to meet a lot of wonderful people”. I studied at a university in India where people from all parts of the country (& some from abroad), from all backgrounds, with varied life stories and personalities come to study. The best part of my education there was meeting those people from different worlds I’d never have met otherwise. Thanks to the inevitable department politics things didn’t go well for me, but you reminded me why I still think fondly of the Uni.
A: I love my work. I never thought I would teach.
wow!! need guts to do something like this!
He has his education and skill to back him up if he needs to.
How are you?
MS: I am good. Toni really quit his work as an Ortho. So, his education won’t back him up anymore.