Amazing 2012

I was all for leaving to Australia in Jan 2012 to study MBBS. But then, I decided to wait another year. What ever my reasons were back then, I am glad I made the decision to stay. People might say I'm wasting my time in Fuvahmulah when I could have started MBBS, but I disagree. I am so totally NOT!! I DO NOT regret my decision to wait in Fuvahmulah one more year. Remember how people say "Everything happens for a reason"? This is one of those times when I can say, "Yeah, whoever said it was right on!"

So, Why?

Well, Firstly, if I hadn't stayed here, I wouldn't have met Raid, who is my Mr.Right! OK, maybe I might have met him, but I surely would be too busy to actually see that he is everything I want and more, and even if we did go into a relationship, we wouldn't have had all the awesome times we had together (like the fishing trip, the family picnics, the B'day surprises, the Hulhumale' trips, the dates, the Anniversary celebrations, the dinners, the walks, the rides!). None of that would have been possible if I were in Australia.

Just before the fishing trip

On my B'day

Next, I wouldn't have gotten to see my baby sister grow up, learn to walk and talk, hear her call me Shinau, teach her to say I miss you, teach her to sing, and feel proud every time she learns a new word. If I were in Australia, I would be just some one she saw on Skype, and she wouldn't know I was her Dhahthi who loves her more than my own life. But now that she is old enough to remember me, I feel sure that she would remember all the good times we had together when she sees me on Skype, or atleast recognise me as her sis!

Moving the sofa, like a boss!

Wearing dad's shoes! :D

Pushing the trolley at the airport.

Love her expression! Never fails to bring a smile to my face!

Also, I wouldn't have been able to work at the  Atoll Hospital and see how things worked there if I had left in January. Even if it was just as a volunteer, I did get to work at the hospital and see for myself the working environment to expect when I come back. I did get a feel of the enormity of the job to be done. 

Image credits to: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=104455882981798&set=pb.100002521602508.-2207520000.1356843624&type=3&src=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-f.ak.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ak-ash4%2F260553_104455882981798_7124179_n.jpg&size=490%2C290

Image credits: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=104398232987563&set=pb.100002521602508.-2207520000.1356843624&type=3&theater

Moreover, I got to go to London because I stayed!! That's right! London! Now how can you regret staying, when staying gave you that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? ;)  It was a chance given by Democracy House, and it was as wonderful as it sounds. I hope to blog about it under "travels" label, after I'm done with writing about Singapore.

In Leicester Square or Piccadilly Circus. Can;t remember exactly where!

That's right! The Diamond Jubilee Glass Window presented to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth  by the Houses of parliament.

From the far left corner you can see the London Eye and directly behind us is The Big Ben! :D
Oh yeah, this is all the people who went with me to the memorable trip!

And then they stood at the foot of the Big Ben! :3

At the Chinese "gate" kinda thingy

A hilarious attempt to imitate the statues. Love Shaha's expression!  :)

The awesome Us jumping near Big Ben in our very official suits ;)

And yes, I even got to go to Singapore because I stayed! I had to sit UMAT exam and therefore I went on an all-expense paid trip to Singapore and had an awesome time there as well. I write about it under the "travels" label, every Monday, so if you are interested in knowing more about it, go ahead and read my blog posts with the title YourSingapore (the promotion slogan of Singapore!).

Crappy quality I know. But these were the few pictures that I didn't lose because I took them from my  not -so-awesome phone I had back then.

Such a HUGE crown!

Shrek's House xD

Madagascar themed Merry-go-round

Madagascar themed restaurant kinda place

Map of Universal Studio, Singapore

In addition, I got to work at the Secretariat of the Fuvahmulah Atoll Council as an employee of Department of National Planning. I got awesome friends in Male', Addu, Thinadhoo and Kulhudhuhfushi and Fuvahmulah as my colleagues. I even started liking the statistics and things related to that. Now I play a major role in the preparation for 2014 Census of The Maldives, by being in charge of Census Map Updating, House listing for Economic Survey and Census and the information gathering regarding the key indicators of development.
All of this has given me new insights into the statistical condition of Maldives, broaden my horizon and opened my eyes to a whole lot of things I was blind to  before! In a nutshell, working at the Secretariat of the Fuvahmulah Atoll Council has been very character building ;)

Anys, Tina, Niyaf, Naani, Nabeeh and Vifsha; Colleagues (and my bosses) in Male'

Azu & Rafa; kinda like our supervisors in Male' ;)

Juu, Addu 

Shahyd in Male' DNP

Colleagues at The Secretariat of the Fuvahmulah Atoll Council (the best people to work with! <3)

And, I got the chance to attend the Prize Day ceremony of the school I attended for 12 whole years, and be there myself to collect the prizes for being the Best All Round student from A'level. That is the first time in the history of GNAEC that one person got Best All Round twice from the school (I got Best All Round even when I finished gr 10) (Oh yeah, I'm proud, mostly because others are proud of me! ;)), and that was one of the best nights of my life because I fulfilled the dream of my Dad twice that night, and I got to go to the school that I miss so much and meet some of my school mates and teachers!

Raid, My Dad, Raid's Dad, Mausooma Miss, Me, Sadhu, Mom, Shiakko, Riu, Afith and at the front, Shirukko

Me with my sash

Some highlights of the night

Further, because I stayed, I got the chance to visit and say goodbye to everyone that matters to me before I leave for one whole year (I've never been away from home for that long before, even though I do take off to Male' every now and then! ;) ) and leave a good impression of myself with them. I got the chance to give my parents some money before I left as well.

So, all in all, never for one moment did I regret waiting one more year before I went to study MBBS, because 2012 has been the best year of my life so far!