KING OF CANNOT SPEAK MANDARIN

I recall a fellow Malaysian student at Nagoya University who took pride in saying that he is, well, the KOCSM...

I will not challenge him for the crown, but yesterday, I moved in lightning fast speed to organize a birthday lunch for my aging, ailing, and wheel-chaired bound mother…

As I walked into the restaurant, I was perplexed to see a handful of young kids, sitting at the table reserved for us…

I was like, hey, what’s this…

Then, it dawn upon me that they are the daughters and sons of my nieces…

Which makes me a, what… grand-uncle? No?

Minutes later, the familiar faces of my nieces and nephews surfaced…

Some of the unmarried but about to be married ones look really smart…

Chic… pretty… attractive…

I don’t get much opportunity to see them…

The obvious reasons being, communication problem…

I can’t speak Mandarin… poor me…

And they cannot really speak English…

Our dialects are different too…

So there I was, tongue tied and struggling as to what to say to them…

Which got me into thinking that I should really, really be picking up Mandarin…

BACK HOME AGAIN

Am now back in Alok Stak again…

The winds were really cool and pleasant this morning…

But by noon, the heat… oooohh…

Shall be spending about 16 days in Malaysia…

First week is reserved for family…

Then, on 29th December, am attending the reunion of my school mates…

Thirty years ago, we were but seventeen year olds…

And on 30th December, we shall head to Roach Reefs for a few days of scuba diving…

Yeeeeee…

Last night, went hunting for what else, but that thorny-thorny fruit…

Had a kampong fruit from Tapah, Perak…

Seven ringgit, and twenty five seeds…

Not too bad lah, considering that this is not the season…

GO FOR WHAT YOU ENJOY, THE REWARDS WILL FOLLOW

Ok folks; let us take a break from whining...

Well, many of us have heard of the above phrase in one form or another...

Yeap... do what you love and the honor, reward, money, etcetera will fall into place...

I am finding out that it is true...

I love what I am doing now, but this is not to say that I have had my plans all laid out well ahead in time...

A reader, shaffiq ahmad, said, 'i must say that u're having a very interesting career'...

I responded that 'it just happened... I see myself as a coconut floating on the ocean, and wherever the waves bring me, I sail along and try to have a good time'.

So, this post is a little about rewards that follow from doing what I love to do...

Last week, the local Lions Club which I had been collaborating with regards to 'international' events, invited me for dinner at a wonderful Korean restaurant...

Hmmm, the thought of the delicious kimchi and the spicy soups is making my mouth water...

Anyway, the function was to congratulate me for my promotion...

And woaaah... they are recommending me to be an honorary member of their club...

They acknowledge that I have the expertise they need for their club...

My name will be registered in the official Lions Club registrar...

Poooh...

And two days ago, the President of my university called me up personally to request me to interpret for the Ambassador of a certain nation who shall be making a little keynote speech here in January...

Although I am not sure if I can do a good job at this, I see it as an honor...

However when I conveyed this news to my missus, she didn't seem happy...

Reason is, she says, the President does not know how lousy my Japanese is...

And I am afraid she might just be right on... especially if the interpretation is from English to Japanese...

Got up at past 2 am that night to pee...

And my mind somehow wandered to what transpired a few hours ago...

I laid open-eyed for the rest of the night, thinking about what to do...

Next morning, weary eyed from lack of sleep, I found the answer...

I am going to scream for help with this interpretation thingy!!

'WORLD-CLASS' MALAYSIAN UNIVERSITY IN ACTION?

Had a ball of a time at Bangkok attending the conference...

Didn't expect to meet any people I know...

But, was surprised (really?) to see quite a few familiar faces...

Also made many new friends as well... friends from all over...

Among the new friends were a bunch of folks from Malaysia...

There were three guys (Let's call them A, C, and M) who are working in Australian universities... and a lady, Y, who is working in a Singaporean university...

Two of them, A and C, I know from my literature readings...

'Terror' scholars they are, I must say...

So, it was an honor to meet these well-known yet humble and down-to-earth guys...

A's presentation was a delight to hear... clear and pretty robust...

C's presentation and mine unfortunately ran parallel, so I could not attend his...

M's presentation was like a puzzle, titillating the senses with questions and more questions, and prodding the audience to think over the issues raised...

Then, there was a lady I know, J, who is working in a Malaysian university...

I could not recognize her even when she sat beside me during the opening keynote session... (How could you peep sideways when a lady sits beside you, eh?)

She calmly said: 'You are Lim, aren't you?'

My response: 'Woooaah'...

She too, is a 'terror' scholar, as I know from literature...

I even learned quite a bit about the ropes of presentation during her session...

Don't prepare too many slides, that is...

A Malaysian guy L, runs his own company in Malaysia...

Although I didn't hear his presentation, he was a pleasant conversation partner...

My presentation was actually one of the first to be slated...

I thus had all the remaining time to cruise around, picking and choosing the sessions I wanted to hear...

Among them were two presentations, back to back, by the same author S, from a Malaysian university specifically designed for that one single 'superior' race...

Now, question... which Malaysian university could I possibly be referring to here?

No prizes for correct answers here... heheheee...

She started off lethargically, soft, and barely audible...

A mat salleh listener instantly cut in and asked the chairman to instruct her to use the microphone...

Her subject dealt with the perception of quality in that particular university, I would suppose...

Frankly speaking, I was not sure if I understood her presentation at all...

It is not for her lack of English skills, but rather the content and thrust of the presentation...

After the presentation, a few questions popped up which had me shaking my head... wondering why she was not answering the questions...

As she was preparing to present her next paper, a couple of people walked out...

Yours truly, tongue dangling, was one of them...

I was not prepared to risk my precious time on another dreary episode by that same languid, unenthusiastic presenter...

No way, Maria...

Outside, I chatted with the two mat salleh fellow 'fugitives' over coffee...

She didn't answer my question, said one...

He continued mentioning about some specifics and said, 'I was not planning to highlight to the lady about this and embarrass her in the session'...
My response: Adoooi...

Over the conference dinner, I talked with C, who was also at the session...

I said, 'this is not a question of quality in education per se... it is more a political question... until that question is solved in its rightful context, this quality perception stuff is all crap'...

And C: 'She criticized Australian universities for accepting students without bachelor degrees into the master programs'...

'She doesn't know much about Australian universities, lamented a head-shaking C, who is a professor there'...

My response: Woooooh... sakit....

I added that in fact, some Japanese universities do accept students without bachelor degrees into their master programs...

Ok, now back to the Malaysian university in question...

This is one Malaysian university that proudly proclaims to be 'A WORLD-CLASS SOCIO-ECONOMIC ACHIEVEMENT', in original capital letters, mind you...

I am just wondering why such a world-class university is not opening up her doors to Malaysian folks with a different color configuration...

(I know, I know... they are 'opening' up a few token seats to those wretched 'marginalized' folks...)

For one general outcome of that contentious, warped, over-bearing, you-know-what-I-am-talking-about policy is here... yes, another teeny-weeny case of that cliched brain drain phenomenon...

Of course, this is not to say that yours truly nor the other scholars have had dreams in their younger years to school at that university in the first place...

Anyway, there we were, Malaysians, or former Malaysians (?) if you wish... five 'overseas' academicians gathered in an international business conference, strutting their stuff not in the name of Malaysian but Australian, Singaporean, and Japanese universities...

And the world goes on...

Stay tuned for Part 2...

THE GREEN PADI FIELDS OF HOME

Am back in my home town, Alor Star, for the past two days...

Feels really great to be around this territory...

The skies are so blue and every where I gaze, green padi fields seem to greet me...

I am back here for some family business, something personal that I may decide to blog about later...

Meantime, I shall try my best to be a good son and leave things to fate...

Anyway, on another front, the local food is as irresistable as ever...

* Now we are talking... *

My Penangite buddies like to brag about their char koew teow and laksa while the Ipohan fellas, hor fun...

Kedahans may be lousy at PR-ing their local delights....

Nonetheless, we are certainly not short of equally deliciously local fare...

Was even lucky enough to come across a durian seller last night...

The season has yet to kick off, but the taste was not too bad either...

KANSAI INTERNATIONAL AT MIDNIGHT

Am presently at the Kansai International Airport...

It is just past midnight and my body feels like tofu...

'Normal' bedtime for me is about 9:30 to 10:00 pm...

So, what am I doing at this ungodly hour...

Anyway, the airport is so quiet and devoid of people...

And I am traveling with just one carry-on bag...

Nice...

Departure time is 1:25 am...

Oh god... I need to snore...

Right away!

BANGKOK BOUND

Am shooting off to Bangkok late tonight...

Flying Thai International after so may years...

Main intention is to present a conference paper at Bangkok...

Side-intention is not to crawl the pubs nor hunt for massage parlours...

But to return to the kampong to attend to family matters...

So, flying from Bangkok to Penang, then hop over to Alor Star, and then the reverse return route...

Shall be back in my cave here in Japan on 10th December...

Have a lot to blog about but, oh god, so little time...

Porgib me, my dear friends...