[The] I-almost-missed-my-eBirthday-eBirthday article

Day 1,897, 22:47 • Published in Canada Canada • by Mary Chan

I almost missed my 4th eBirthday. I thought that it was tomorrow... y'know the 29th of January, but I got my dates mixed up. Whoops! ;P
Good thing eRep time allows me a couple more hours of "January 29th".

I think it's mandatory for me to release an article on my eBirthday, especially since I never wrote much anyway. Well... in the past at least, i.e. in my previous years. I could and would go months without writing an article. Funny how many things can change over a year, how one can grow.

A lot has changed. I've changed.

A few months ago, I went to the last (some-what annual) reunion for my Saturday school math teacher. (It's an Asian thing to take extra classes on Saturday.) Yeah, it's weird meeting up with a former teacher in an informal setting, but with a bunch of his other students and our approx. 10 year age difference, he's still cool. In particular, that night we wanted to wish him well since he was relocating permanently to St. Louis for work and this might be the last time we'll ever see him.

Teaching/tutoring Saturday school is a part-time gig, usually to make some extra bucks, but for this guy, he already had sufficient income and is currently (and realistically) aiming to get a six-figure salary within the next 5-7 years. He enjoyed teaching us, not for the money nor to do something on weekends nor to share his "love" of math, but most of all he enjoyed sharing his experiences, and I enjoyed listening to them. To us, his students that met up with him for his last few days in Canada, he wasn't just a former Math teacher, but a mentor. He taught us beyond the curriculum in the subject of mathematics and into everyday life.

When we were in his class, most of us were in Grade 12, struggling to pick the "right" path of post-secondary school, our potential careers, and the rest of our lives. Now we are all in university still figuring out the rest of our lives, with our former teacher an email away, willing to advise us.

During that reunion we had cheesecake (from The Cheesecake Factory), drank bubble tea, sang Happy Birthday, and talked about many things including our postsecondary programs/choices, relationships, goals, hopes and dreams. Even then, he was still teaching us and answering our questions.

In particular, there was one answer he gave that struck me: one of his students asked him who he thought grew the most and he pointed at me. We didn't stay on this topic for long, so I didn't get a chance to ask that night, but I went home and thought about it. He was right, as he normally was. I did grow. I did change, in both rl and eRep.

In eRepublik, I've gotten a lot more involved politically and in the media.
From my first year of playing my political record was practically nonexistent minus voting for ATOs or for whoever I trusted the most. The next year, Rylde managed to recruit me in MDP and never left since. Though I didn't do much more, aside from a couple forum posts and participating in SVTs. And now, my third year brings me to 6 congress terms and 5 consecutive terms as eCanada's VP. At this rate, it looks like I'll either burn out or become SC of an alliance.
As for my media involvement, 1 article within my first 2 years and 1 month (three if you count Chucky Norris printing my articles in his paper), to four articles in my third year, and now a good four pages for this past year.

Huh.


So, what's to come for Mary Chan this year?


I have no idea.


Except for one thing.


I'm eMarrying Rylde on Saturday February 2nd, 2013.
Ceremony begins at 8:00 PM EST, 15:00 eRep time.
(Location: IRC Channel(s) are TBD // Minister: Goran Thrax, Space Pope)
(Speeches may be made after the ceremony or in our reception article following the ceremony. eWedding gifts are not necessary.)
All are welcome until we choose to ban you from the channel.


For yet another year,
I love you all,
~Mary