Fly

A Malaysian, a Colombian, a Spanish, a French and an American talking about aeroplanes over a couple of beers. What a good example of what brought us all here.

Tonight, I saw a lot of good things and heard a lot of stories from people who came from different parts of the globe and it really opened my eyes as to why they have the level of understanding and knowledge that they do. They commit to dollars and man hours to build their own aircraft from scratch during ages where most of us would be concerned about what clothes to wear or who is more popular. And whats more fascinating is to undertand that these are not just the efforts of a few teenagers but a collective effort between them, teachers from their school, and even their family. And to see how involved they are in helping each other achieve that goal is a beauty on its own.

Back home, the mentality is very different. The attitude is, if it is not going to help you in your grades, don't bother wasting your time. And, to even think about building a plane or even something half as technical would definitely be met with stares and resistance. And even to suggest that you want to read Aero Engineering as a degree would be met with a whole lot of talking down, scolding and a whole lecture about how it is not very good for your future. I know, I was there before and I have heard and witnessed many sad stories about how parents have stopped their kids from achieving their dreams. And that is something I really do not understand.

But to be here in the company of so many talented young individuals and to be able to talk for hours is really an experience on its own.