old friends

met up with my council friends today cos one of us is flying to the states this saturday. wow, you can really sense people ageing together. 2 of them are looking for a hdb flat together, 1 of them is engaged, 2 are married, and many are going to the states over the next 2 years. they are all doing their GRE and GMAT now, except me. chun chia told me to stop daydreaming and join him in the states. aiyah.. i still think 6 years to get a phd is toooo long. i might as well stay there since I'll probably be so used to the life there after 6 years. my prof told me that the fall out rate is pretty high though to do phd in some unis, cos the the mental loneliness can be quite a killer, so it is very common to spend 6 years there without getting certified, plus you are living from hand to mouth everyday. sometimes i ask myself, what in the world am I in for in this academic business thingy? i should simplify and de-idealize things a bit. i'll probably be a happier person that way.