Writing from my desk in Room 310, Centre for Environmental Policy (CEP), 3rd Floor, Imperial College London. Only now that I got the time to write in this blog as I’ve finished and passed my Mphil-Phd transfer last Friday, I reckon I will take a short break off my PhD works and I am not ashamed of doing so.
I consider me going home as a vacation as well, but as it will be a fasting month by then, so I reckon the holiday will be spent at home, mingle-ing around with my beloved ones and my cats.
I don’t have any plan exactly, but I think by just being with my loved ones will certainly heal me. I have to say, it seems too fast that the 10 months since I was here have flown away. I still remember my first day here in this office. I came here with all of my shortcomings, me not able to speak/understand English language fluently, my crap research writing skills and my very critical self-cautiousness. I still remember the time that I taped the early discussions of Nick and myself and I would listen to them while walking along Hyde Park from Paddington to South Kensington. I would say that even until now that I still need to tape our discussions. He talks too fast. I have been told that I was talking and presenting too fast, I am starting to follow his way when presenting my slides. I told him that, and he replied saying that I got that from him and quote that ‘People who think fast will talk fast too’.
This is a picture of me and Nick during our dinner with UTHM VIPs at D*i*a Restaurant last week. He was kind enough to come to the dinner and he’s the only person who came out of 8 persons that was invited. I told him that he will be the guest of honor for that night, and indeed he was.
One of the professors approached me and jokingly said, no wonder that I wanted to extend my stay here in IC, as I have such a good looking chap to supervise me. Yeah right Prof, as if I don’t have to do other things than to stare at his beautiful face all day long, year in, year out. Please, my relationship with my supervisor doesn’t -at all- goes ‘that’ way. BTW, our Vice Chancellor wasn’t able to join us due to his health condition.
owh, Nick was one of TMS2011 keynote speakers-the day before the dinner. He was given a token* of appreciation from UTHM, and a flower to be wore on his shirt during the day he delivered his speech. Eleni told me that he bragged about it and told Eleni off when she tried to touch the token…hahahha….he can be funny at times….
The night this picture was taken, our Special Envoy to the United States, the late Dato’ Sri Dr. Ir. Jamaluddin bin Mohd. Jarjis was there as well. I didn’t know that he was there and I didn’t know that he is THE JJ that everyone was talking about.
He disguised by wearing a cap and a white t-shirt. I thought that he was one of UTHM senior officers, thus in that knowledge, I approached him and 2 other professors with an intention to introduce Nick. They looked quite surprised by my guts, but they did said hello to Nick. But I felt awkward during that session. How’s that not awkward, right? The one who represents government of Malaysia in the US and the same person who represented Malaysians at NASA during the flight off of our first astronaut to the space, was approached without protocol by someone like : ME? I only knew when both of us (me and Nick) took off from the scene while saying our goodbyes, and from afar he told us that he’s Malaysia’s Ambassador to the US, and that was while LOOKING AT ME! Oh my, at that time, I felt my eyes were bolted off from their sockets down to the ground, but I need to maintain my composure in front of Nick. I did however, found the courage to went back to the restaurant and followed my Dean, who coincidentally was one of his schoolmate, to have a brief chat with him.
I don’t know why, but this is the second time I was as stupid as a buffalo when it comes to meeting with big shots. There was a time like years ago when I sat (coincidentally) beside the keynote speaker of a conference I attended, an emeritus professor of UMT, while waiting for my flight from Kuala Terengganu to KL. I just do not know what to say, what to ask nor what to do. Cats have caught my tongue and my brain as well, I guess. Gosh…hopeless Atun, hopeless! You should’ve said something, you should’ve!
This is one of the pictures that we took together at the end of the symposium. As usual, me, the giant among all, should’ve stand a step below. I didn’t have the time to take any pictures except videos of me and the committee members presenting our own papers. I got a chance to be the emcee (2nd day morning) when introducing Nick as the keynote speaker. I think Dr.Ros did recorded a video of nick’s speech that day, but I don’t know when he’ll post it up to us.
I didn’t get what I wanted from this symposium-an extension to stay longer here at IC (why did I brought up this case at this event, I don’t even have a clue, I really need to brush up my protocol knowledge), but I got better things than that. I learned a lot of things. I learned that I can do whatever that I wanted to do. I am capable of doing things I previously didn’t notice that I am capable of doing. For that, thank you for giving me this opportunity. I know there’s a person or two who do not have the same opinion on this, but who cares?
I haven’t mentioned the things that went wrong during this symposium, have I? Well, there are one or two incidents that I do not fancy of, including the incident when I tried to order for Nick his coffee after the dinner. The waiter refused because it wasn’t Nick who’s ordering but after a debate and a promise that I myself will drink the coffee if Nick didn’t want to (of course he did), and right before I call the manager, he ran off to do his job. Come on! For sure he is a Malay, haven’t he heard of ‘budi-bahasa tuan rumah’? Besides, it was not like the coffee paid out of his pocket that he needs to question my simple order. I am one of the committees and I know what is the deal that we entered with the owner of this restaurant for this dinner. The most irritating was, the waiter sent the coffee with an attitude. Was it logical then if I made a scene out of this?
I too had a quarrel with the person in charge of the food and room. I did mentioned from the start that I require halal food to be served during this event. They frequently change their person in charge during our encounter that lasted for 4 months. The consequence was, the specific order has been overlooked and they served sandwich which a quarter of them we cannot eat. I have too much to do other than to remind them that majority of us are Muslims, every single time they changed their people. For the fact that they are professionals, I thought I will not be bothered by this kind of mess, but I was wrong. They should make sure that they properly record client’s requests, especially the ones that involve sensitivity of a religion. I then sent an email to the manager and demand an action to be taken, and thankfully the manager did gave us back our money. In this case, the amount of money isn’t what counts, but the level of professionalism is. Again, was it logical if I made a scene out of this?
During my recent social gathering, one of my friends did mentioned that ‘Atun suka gaduh dengan orang’ or in English ‘Atun likes to quarrel with people’. Well, I was quite shocked with that statement but not to the level of anger. Because to think again, yeah maybe it was true, but I will not simply quarrel without a reason. Mad people do, I guess. But, like the above, I only confront or quarrel with a person IF there is a need to.
Like in my office here in London, as far as I know, I have never confronted anyone because there’s no need to. We do our own work and leave the others to do theirs. Besides, the journey of my PhD isn’t concerned anyone else, rather than me and my supervisors. Except if I ask for their opinions and I have to defend what I think was true, then in that case I may need to confront. Other than that, no, I am a peace lover, not a quarrel-maker like one of my friends said.
It really helps to think first before we said anything, especially if we want to make a statement about a friend, or else the friend (like myself) will question the intention of what have been said and might consider whether the friendship is worthwhile to be lengthen further.
27 July 2011
*Update on the token: He has it still in 2020 and it was nicely put on the shelf in his office
