#28 Do not follow where the path may lead
Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail — Ralph Waldo Emerson
Welcome back to our readers! It felt great to finally have another weekend after setting our well-being at full power and speed this week. Hoping when you have received your salary already, you don’t forget to reward and entertain yourself! Spend them wisely ;-)
On previous newsletter, Meiska invited her former colleague Tito as #SalMonday guest. We were reflecting our experiences on online dating apps! In case you missed it, click here!
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Meiska
Today, my life paused and wrapped me in complete darkness. The world lost another hero that resonated the rise of dreams from so many (black) people. Our King T’Challa, Chadwick Boseman (43) died from colon cancer. It was four years ago when he was first diagnosed from the cancer, but managed to work on the Marvel franchise (and others), and chose to hide it from the media.
This time I would like to honor him with writing how Black Panther movie inspired me and what it left me with:
Leadership
Captain America: Civil War (2016) became the debut of Black Panther or T’Challa in the franchise. He lost his father that made him the only next King of Wakanda. Without knowing the truth, he thought the Winter Soldier was the one behind the attack, hence took Iron-Man’s side. When he accepted the death of his father, he offered the Winter Soldier to rest at Wakanda instead for protection and avoid future conflicts. Later on the spinoff, when Erik Killmonger took over the throne and T’challa reunited with his father in his dream, he doubted himself that he wouldn’t be as great as his father. He took a leap of faith, protected Wakanda once again and his family at all cost. He realized he could keep Wakanda safe as well as introducing Wakanda potency to the world.
Science and Technology
Wakanda with its rich vibranium resources, feared to be misused as weapons, hence isolated from the world. That makes Wakanda sells off minutes amount of vibranium, and focuses to process and maintain it themselves. Even though it is a fictional African country in Marvel universe, Black Panther (2018) as a spinoff introduced how advanced and resourceful Wakanda to us. Until today it promotes how impactful if black community is not treated differently and given the same opportunities as much as others. A very strong value, and long term dream for the world, that can be achieved only when led by great leaders.
Fighter
After diagnosed with the cancer for as long as four years. Chadwick kept playing his roles on ten movies. Four of them are from Marvel Cinematic Universe: Captain America: Civil War (2016), Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019). All are action movies with high risk and complicated choreography. He played Black Panther and fighting the cancer altogether, also attending all the promotional and charity events. It wouldn’t all happened without his strong-willed and professionalism to deliver the impacts! Such a great loss for the world.
Rest in power, King.
#WakandaForever
Elsa
Hej hej!
It has been two weeks for me living in Lund, a student city in Sweden. I have not started my courses yet. My two weeks were full of.. having fun.
Remember that I wrote my tipsy essay last Saturday? It was my first experience (finally) to go to bar again after the pandemic. You can read it back here. For this edition, I would like to share you the orientation weeks I got in my campus! The photos credit to Eva, my partner in crime from Romania in the trolley game.
Welcome to the most Scandinavian things: wearing an ouvve
The ouvve is an overall that all the students usually wear for events and parties. The different colors of overall show the different departments of the students. They usually put patches they bought from different activities, put the lights on it, or have a bottle opener within! Here they even cut their overall, swapped with students from different department, then seamed it back. That is the meaning of the different colors on their right leg side in the photo.
You can’t break the rules and say you don’t know about that.
Before being able to register for the course, the students need to read the academic conduct guideline provided by the university and pass a test. The guideline gives a clear expectation from the university to the students, from assignments to attendance.
By being equipped with the guideline, the students do aware about the rules and agree with the system (that might be different to their home university). The guideline discloses everything literally. For example, the guideline justifies about the assignments:
“You must carry out your assignments by yourself, without the help of others, unless your teacher tells you that it is necessary or allowed to work in groups.”
There is no loophole for the classic students’ tricks.
Never ever be a part of the committee to provide the food if you do not have the patience of a saint
If you are a committee responsible to provide lunch for the students in Indonesia, you may leave in peace. You can just provide a lunch box with rice, sautéed veggies, chicken or meat for protein, and apple or banana for the fruit option.
Yet, do not expect the same thing to happen here. All the students are just too diverse with their food restrictions, allergies, and intolerances that you cannot even think about. I went to a student activity with vegetarian students, in the end the committee was just provide us vegetarian lasagna and that’s it. They even provided a gummy sweet with gelatin for the omnivores and without gelatin for the vegetarians in the team building game session.
But there were also more unfamiliar food restrictions that could bring you a mind-blowing experience if you were the committee. From the vegan diet, lactose-free, gluten-free, nut-free, a restriction to onion, even a restriction to coriander because it was like a rubbish smell— everything was there for you to fulfill. I feel like I will resign before applying as a committee!
A pig without 3.14 is 9.8. Challenge us some nerds joke by leaving a comment below!
Let today be one of those days you look back on and say: “I am so glad I chose to keep going.” —MHN
