Children are to be seen, not heard. Ok, Uncle, aunties, I have an essay to show you...

Why would people generalize things from a little of what they see?

I'm a little bother recently with the older generations and relatives I meet with. And I can't see what they are thinking as I am trying to see from their point of view.

The uncles and aunties, whom some of them tell me:
"Aiyah, study in oversea also, what's the difference? When you come back to Malaysia and work, you'll be starting off with little wages just like any ordinary students that study in Malaysia. Somemore, when do you think you could earn back the few hundred thousands of ringgits you've spent on your education huh? Do you think you could earn back for your parents?"

I know this long before I even went overseas for education. The chances of working there, is not as easily as what you perceive, and the sacrifices you have to put int. This is due to the high currency rate between Pounds and Ringgits. The annual tuition fees are same in figure. That is why if I need to earn back my education fee I would need 7 times effort of an ordinary local graduate student. Even the local students need years to pay back their parents. Hence I couldn't guarantee more.
Yeah and if you want to know the truth, the education system in England is the same as Malaysia college, like Taylor's college. The difference? I think is the lifestyle and the exposure of your wild thoughts among different races and cultures. When you are a student, who go to a foreign country, you must go out of your Malaysia circle of friends and meet with different people. You will feel paranoid, you will feel alien, you will find yourself having a layer of thin ice when talking to a person from different place. you don't understand their jokes, and will find their jokes not funny, and they might not find your jokes funny. And let me tell you why you couldn't understand most of the jokes, because they have different aspects of knowledge in terms of history and politics, famost people. And some of the old terms in their language. They love sarcasm, and they don't particularly take it seriously. Mr.Bean type of jokes are not really famous over there, not obvious there, while in Malaysia we prefer Mr.Bean type of joke that seems more obvious to laugh at. This is a place you can see the different perception of working life, system, friends and relationship concept here. And like an uptight me who was first expose to this type of 'different concept' of mine 'traditional manners', there would be awkwardness. Give an example:

English take drinking as a social needs, that is place for them to meet with people. Is just like us going mamak with friends. They meet friends there and they could find possible candidates of dating there. Drinking is a leisure, like what we have karaoke here. Drinking is a need, because the locals would be destressing themselves, dressing up in any charater they want and everyone would have fun. The guys would look so smart and charming, the ladies would be so beautiful. Drinking IS INFACT an effective ice breaker, to court a handsome or beauty you've long spying, and no odd to speak to strangers in this place, because it is a place where everyone do that. Any English that reach the age of teens would have tried drinking, and you know youth are evil... they could try to sneak out something they want regardless it is a big NO NO. We? Not many Malaysian have drinking habits, probably because we have so many other choices of food and drinks here. It would also be too warming up to drink in a hot climate country,(and the price of alcohol here is freaking expensive for daily consumption) Also, our bumi-putra friends are not allow to drink if we need to hang out together.

Coming back to the difference, there are quite a lot of difference in terms of 'football is their live' way much more than a Malaysian could do. Some could even go insane and beat you up for insulting their team. And the workers are allow(somehow) to the pubs to cheer together during England match on world cup. How some of my friends there perceive that even woman would go ask confess to a guy without thinking that it is a problem, and that it is woman's responsibility to pay for food.
With things in your mind that they are so different from you, anyone wouldn't settle down too easily at the beginning. This is why when studying there and learn to mix around with different people would have give you so much wilder thoughts and perception and ideas. Even the English claim that it is not easy for them as well, until a development of friendship from stranger. We all admite we 'see the wall'. But that is beyond this wall is of infinity discovery. And doesn't mean that you need to accept everything, it is just what you see and how you can debate things better and think more critically.

In general? I think now I understand why my father sent me there. Because of the self-centered me that he would like to change in me. Because of the narrow mind he see in me. Because of the 'still doesn't know a lot about the reality in social where competence would not tolerate an "innocent soul". Because of the lack of independency in me. Because of the lack of speaking out of my mind and the constantly 'I don't know? You decide lah' he see in me. And the inability to differentiate a sarcasm and a sincere smile he see in me.
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"Why you didn't stay back in England to work? Why come back? Working there not good meh? If I am you ah, I won't come back so fast until I earn back a couple of hundred thousands back"

Well, it is not as easy as what you thought it would work out. It is because many companies wouldn't want to have workers without working permit, and the tedious procedure have to go through. And could you imagine the multinational-origin in England now? Where when you shout from the city center: "Which one of you origin from Zimbabwi? From Canada? From Ukraine? From Khazakhstan?" For every naming country, it is possible to see a raising hand(provided that they are honest enough to answer you). You want to see the stuck and packing in the tube? And the loneliness of missing family members back in Malaysia? It is bearable but it made obvious when you walk on a dark street with no one is around you. It made obvious during chinese new year celebration. When you know how much they miss you and would like you to be around them. The cold. Even with double glazing window(where there are 2 layers of glass fixed on window, leaving a small gap of air in between to prevent heat conduct from room towards surrounding), even with those hollow walls with air gap between bricks, all windows and door closing tightly, you could still feel your fingers freezing and your feet numb. Sometimes a glove is needed to grip a pen and write. I was defeated by the cold. And when I wanted to have hot plate of noodles and rice, it is not convinient. You have to travel miles to a chinese restaurant. English food? sandwiches? baguettes? chips? they are way too cold for cold winter. Hot food source? Saturated oil fry southern, open by mainly Turkish, Irans, Pakistans are very bad for everyday consumption. Again, I'm defeated by selection of food. And these, I could proudly lose to you and declare that I am not determine enough to stay back. But I could have proudly say that, I'm happy with my current choice. I have no much complain about this country regarding how some inconvinience could affect me(public transport). I am happy to live in this multiracial country and not being considerate as being discriminate.(You want to know the true discrimination? Try to go and ask your friends who used to study there, being in a fight by labeling, being thrown wine bottles, being literally and verbally insult, and the constantly 'Ni hao!' by some random teenage rascals, and the intensionally discriminating cold stare) Well, not a high chance you meet with one, but the racist there are quite violent.
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Then another 'kind hearted soul' who think he would like to defend me:
"Nevermind lah, since your parents are wealthy enough to send you there to study. Hoh?(looking at other friends)."

I especially hate this sarcasm. Very much.
If a parent want to, if a family want to, they would have try their best and start out with family planning since that child of their's is born. THIS IS DUE TO DETERMINATION OF EACH INDIVIDUAL, NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE WEALTHY ENOUGH TO. How a child would be raise, where he should be educated, what skills should he learn, would have been plan since young. And this is the part where the parents would earn money, with all their heart, send their off springs to various dancing classes, piano class, art, teakwando, judo, tuition, motivation camp whatever you name. A lot of parent could be poor, the whole family never go out for a big feast or regular shopping.

The child might ask: "mama, papa, why wouldn't we go to the fancy restaurant to eat? I love the food there, they are nice and delicious and I got to eat speghetti and pasta, pizza and McDonalds."
And papa mama would say:"because dear, we are saving for your future. When you grow up, we want you to study what you like. We want you to be a useful person."

And the child might next ask: "papa mama, why send me to so many different tuitions? I don't like them, I don't like ballet class, I don't like art class, the teacher very fierce."
Papa mama would say: "because by this you learn something, you got to find out what you are good at, what you like. So you are a person bounded with education and skills."

The child might also ask: "Mama, I wanted to buy this toy, it is very cool oh, you see? This optimus prime is super cool. And this thunder cats sword can blink one!"
Mama would say: "But you have enough toys already, next time, when your birthday comes only I can buy you one."
Child: "But I want! All my classmates also have. The next door Johnny also got. He say he won't play with me if I don't have one."
Mama: "But mama don't have money oh. Then we cannot take bus home. Not enough for the fare dear. See my wallet? If I buy you this toy, we don't have enough to buy food for this next few days, to pay bills."
Child: "ok lah. Then I'm going to put this back to shelve."

This is it. The parents are saving for everything in order to send their child for better education. For a better futher. They don't want their children to work in labour jobs, they don't want their children to go through what they went through.
And all these? Are nothing to do with wealth. Of course it is important to have money for the education fees, however, where do they come from? They come from every small savings these parents try to save in many ways. Their intension since this child was born. They plan it well and good and meet with their targets. They work hard because their children are their motivation to work under the sun, under the sleepless nights, under the millions of pressure and penalty for the delay of work on construction sites, sleeping in the same bedroom and stay in a Kampong where there are snakes always comes into our house, from cobra snakes to big 'ular sawa' and random weapons to kill them like boiling water and sticks, sack bags and the neighbours.

This is just like, how would you like to cut a cake. How big of portion for certain purpose, on what you perceive as 'more of worthy'. Of course, the money for education doesn't come in one night. It requires long patient and planning.
People who perceive Education is only for the Wealthy ones, is just an excuse for themselves. The boosting around what expensive delicacies they had for dinner, what expensive beautiful car they have bought. When your money is spent, how could you think you are not wealthy enough to spend on your kids' education? If you perceive education as your priority, you won't have spend on others until you are sure enough of yourself you could spend on them. Don't take Wealth as an Excuse.

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And one of this that I've overheard from a random neighbours:
"Eh, and ah I heard from XXX told me, people who go oversea study ah, no matter what result you get also you can enter the university one. Only the students that could enter UM, the local universities are the real smart 'ada isi'. Who knows? Nowadays if you got money, can buy a certificate easily what? Like my nephew, I see him cannot really study one. But ah also can get a cert."

I gave a loud laugh with concern about the above conversation. Shaking head in disbelief. I don't blame her is she's a aunty selling nasi lemak her whole life, or farming, but this is one of the blue collar in some company that would be so 'innocent'

Yes, I know, there might be fraud. Everything in this world ranging from plastic surgery to 'kopi o license', from possibility of your bank account being credited through e-bay auction and your item would never be send to you, I never deny that there are possibility of fake cert from some random 'overnight colleges and universities'. However, how could you conclude that every graduates from overseas must be a Fraud? Which Idiot spread rumours like that? Do you think a company would be stupid enough to employ an oversea graduates with 'fraud certificate and non-related field knowledge' and keep them ah? And mind you, if there wasn't really qualify knowledge in that field, even the person holding the cert won't be having enough guts to enter a company and being mentallly and physically shoot down. Let alone the embarassment this individual could face when he could only be goofing around there without any contribution? And no company certainly would be kind enough to charity employee with non-contribution.

I know students from local universities are of the ones from great results and hard work, and they are sure of what they study. However, I am not smart enough to enter the local Uni. I might not be able to study for the subject I like. I might not see myself clearly and think from my own stand. I would say 'yes' to every requirements from people, because I didn't know how to reject people, and to see of their real intension. I might cry over small little stupid thing someone could say to me in a company without really think am I really of what he insult me?

Well... that's all I wanted to say. My purpose here is not to win over any arguments. However I just hope that you could please try to be more analytic, and think from a wider perspects. Stop being a 'messenger from a random assumption'. Are you even convince by what they said? Or you are just randomly saying something to show that you know something?