Small World

I was up surfing the net last night when SY whom I got to know in New York IMed me asking whether my father is a lawyer of this and this name from this and this part of Malaysia. Yes, that's my father, I said. Conversation ended prematurely there as she had to leave for somewhere.

So I asked dad for details and yes, he does know this and this lady who, with another fellow air stewardess, was dating his friends when they were bachelors in the roaring 70s. In fact, dad claims that both him and SY's mom had gone out on several dates but those dances and dinners never evolved into a relationship. Dad was constantly out of town for work and was already dating another girl. She later became an item with dad's good friend who had just passed away recently. Her fellow air stewardess friend went out with another of dad's friend too.

We always claim how small the world is. I'd say there are several levels on which such social phenomenon happens. The more common one is that we know of a friend who knows a mutual/common friend. Not too much hype here as the odds of people of similar age and similar educational background to know another's friend is pretty high. The more amazing one is how you get to befriend someone who is the child of your parent's long lost friend.

Lost Photos

I had a laptop for four years which broke down within a few months after graduation. The only part that I could salvage was its hard drive.

All along I thought had that I have an extensive collection of photos in this hard drive. So I bought a casing yesterday to cloth this little piece of device. I am particularly interested in the pre-uni photos taken mainly by my first digital camera. D reminded me of the Bundu Tuhan photos when we met last week.

But the photos aren't there. The disk is only littered with programming assignments and assignments of first year students I tutored. I might have burned them into CDs but could have thrown them away. Now, I am left checking every pile of CDs in the house in the hope of bringing back some sweet, old memories.

HSS

It was a splendid weekend. I was the driver for the female members of the family for a weekend trip to Miri. Naughty sister had to be returned to her rightful place in Curtin Miri while mom was attending a women-only church conference centered on the development of holiness. The men's version will follow suit in about two weeks. Dad decided to hear Anwar Ibrahim speak so he stayed back.

I must admit it was a date regardless whatever the situation. In my opinion, it was one because:
- the meeting was only between a guy and a girl
- the guy was a nerve wreck throughout the day
- the guy spent the morning at a car wash (the female equivalent is to spent the day at a spa or a hair saloon, no?)

I like how we got lost trying to find our way to the Miri-Lutong highway. I love the way she warns me not to knock down the mat motor who was trying to merge into my lane. The music at the stone-bowl restaurant where we ate were of the late 1990s and early 2000s (i.e. music that dominated the airwaves of our secondary school days). There was no John Mayer, Kanye West or Justin Timberlake but hits from MLTR, N Sync, Boyzone and BSB.

Glad to know all is not lost.

Steelers Did It Again

Photo by NY Times

With this win, the Steelers is the best team in NFL history. Six Superbowl titles in 7 appearances. Last night's last two minutes is epic with the lead changing hands twice.

How did I become a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers? Four years at CMU in Pittsburgh. Anyone who had spent time in Pittsburgh, even as a foreign student, would in one way or another be a Steelers fan. Steelers Nation is not bounded within the city of Pittsburgh but across America and throughout the world. The fans travel well too.

I argued with my dad who does not think American Football is not a real sport with all the technicalities and safety gear. He prefers rugby.

In its defence:

- AF is very much about team work. There is little opportunity to show off one's skill unlike dribbling in soccer.
- Like other American sports such as basketball, baseball and hockey, American football is filled with technicalities. The commentaries are heavy with statistics.
- AF players do not live the celebrity lives of the soccer players in Europe. There is no TV show on AF players' wives.

I was in my junior year when we won the Superbowl in 2006. I remembered as soon as the game ended everybody poured into the streets which in turn developed into what I call mini-riots in different parts of the city. I am sure last night was similar, if not worse.

LSE

Just got an offer to do an MSc. in Operational Research (a.k.a. management science with concentration on applied maths) at the London School of Economics.

Stay tuned.

Children Books to Donate

My family minus my brother are in major spring cleaning mode right now. Tonnes of belongings have to be moved temporarily to allow some kind of experimental, partial DIY renovation to be performed on the house. Yes, we are extending the height of the house by 200 ft by building a minaret.

There are painfully so many things to move - from books to glasswares that were my parents wedding gifts 25 years ago. Among the books is this little paperback titled "Your Child and Sex". Not sure which of my parents bought it and had the balls to shelve it among Enid Blyton's books.

Anyway, there are tonnes of children books including an encylopedia set that I want to get rid of. Thinking of donating them to some primary school libraries. I wonder if you had done this before. I would appreciate any sharing of experiences.

-C

Reset

I am back home and I felt like I had just pressed a reset button. The past 5 years passed like a flash. I do enjoy it here currently with the little stress. Alternatively, I could have been in NY worrying whether the software release that I made would generate phone calls from London and India in the wee hours.

Attended mass on New Year's Eve. I felt like I had just left secondary school yesterday with the memories suddenly as vivid as last night's dream.