At this point I have been getting advice from extreme ends on 3 different topics. Starting from the mediocre to more serious:
1) Should I ‘bring lots of instant noodles’ to Fonty?
At first thought, why on earth should I rely on quick fixes when I’m living in one of the most sophisticated culinary countries in the world? There is good wine, cheese, bread, confit, boulliabase, etc - I love them all! However, I heard from other Asians that they get sick of the food after a while, and yearn for something spicy. I am not the type of Singaporean who brings packets of chilli sauce wherever she goes, so I think I can accept the fact that things will be blander in that sense, but there will be other flavours to savour.
Now I have decided to not just listen to the different pieces of advice but also look at the background of the person. If they have been in Asia all their lives, I can expect them to miss Asian food more which is why they rely on recreating Asian flavours more often. I have survived eating English food for 3 years. I’m as happy with potatoes and pasta as I am with rice. I think I can handle anything. (But note these famous last words and check back with me in 2 months’ time)
2) Should I get an auto or manual car in Fonty?
There are very strong, opposing views on this. Those who are for manual cars say that it’s not as difficult to get used to; most cars in France are manual anyway, and of course manual cars are cheaper to rent. “Don’t worry”, they tell me!
Those against manual cars have a common reaction: “You siao ah??” (are you crazy?). Reasons cited for my madness include not having driven manual cars since I passed my driving test 9-10 years ago; arriving in a strange land without having ever driven on the OTHER side of the road; arriving at 6am at Paris CDG and probably being fuzzy-headed, driving 82km to Fonty/our little cottage in Samoreau. Then there are also disaster stories with the moral being that an auto car should have been rented. I’ve experienced it once myself, travelling with a group of girl friends struggling to drive a manual car in another foreign land.
I will see if our dear car agent can upgrade me to auto. But it is gonna be pricey!
3) Should I return to work for the Government or shall I return to the private sector?
I really don’t know. My expectations and priorities before INSEAD and now, during INSEAD, have changed. I want to do something engaging that will allow me to sleep well at night, to work with people with mutual respect and trust, to regain the sense of ‘flow’ during my most productive period, to position myself for further career progression, and now, to have work-life balance.
People say I would make a good brand manager or similar. However I am starting to wonder if I can be marketing-oriented in my job without needing to be in marketing. Likewise, I can be media-savvy without needing to serve in PR. I wonder if it is weird to do my MBA and then step back into a client-serving role, when I can do more meaningful work strategising and changing the lives of people in the long term. However, will staying in the Government for too long count against me? Why am I doing my MBA if I’m going back to the same place? But what if I want to settle down soon - wouldn’t I want a company that respects my personal time?
So many questions I am trying to resolve and rank in my head. Which are more important than others?
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