Where will you be?

Speaking to students is always a pure happy experience.

Yesterday I had a chance to speak a group of lively students.

I talked about my career in the past decade or more. The changing paths, the ups and downs, the stories I did, the people I met, the lessons I learnt. I was inspired by their thoughtful and candid questions. As teenagers, they're open and real, which is nice. I hope they will stay this way when they grow up.

The last question I gave them was this: Imagine in five year's time, where do you see you will be? What are you wearing? What are you doing?

Visual images are powerful and intuitive. They've helped me reflect my inner thoughts, keep me going back to my path, no matter how many detours I've taken, and (hopefully) take me to my final destiny.

My first vivid image came when I was a child: I saw my father reading the newspaper in his study room and writing on his diary. The image has never left my mind. And I believe it could've been the very first time when I was inspired to become what I am now.

Some years later when I was working in an office, I would see myself going out instead of sitting there - I'd be travelling alone and standing in a crowd of people. In my causal clothes, I'd always carry a camera, and have my notebook and a pen in my pocket.

Now I'm in my job where I need to go from places to places. I won't leave the house without my camera, notebook and a pen. Every day, I feel tired running around and writing to deadlines, but I never get bored or feel I'm doing something meaningless.

And I'd still imagine myself doing something that's a little bit different sometimes.

I see myself living in another country, talking to the locals, buying food (bread and cheese) in their market, eating it while watching the sunset in an empty room.

And I see myself sitting in front of a small table, made of solid wood, typing something on the typewriter.

In five year's time, if I'm still alive, where will I be?

And where will you be?