Absent Friends

My heart absorbs me more and more;
My world of friendship narrows in.
The new I hardly care to win;
The old are fewer than of yore.

For never one have I forgot;
Their voices in my heart I hear;
I am myself their souvenir

- Walter Wingate -

Lina Joy

2 - 1”. The Justices had decided; the Federal Court would uphold the position that Malaysian civil courts had no jurisdiction over the case of Lina Joy, a Christian who was born Azlina Jailani. The Syariah courts would have her, and apostasy is a punishable offence. "

I love my country but there are failures running it.

Back to Grind....

Ok, here we go again....assignments, exams, deadlines bla bla. Check out some of my coursemate's MSN Nicks....

"Quantifying quality is driving project management crazy!"

"Fed up fed up! - trabajando, ke terror!"

"Enjoying chilled sangria" (???)

We are a pretty fun bunch...considering some of our eccentricities (like assignment extensions and the occasional sleeping in class) . I guess we were lucky to have lived together on campus in Edinburgh. This bonded us somewhat which provided the support network for a bunch of foreigners living in a foreign land. There's also the lack of local interaction - which looking at the way the course was designed is somewhat a drawback but no one's complaining.

And so here we are again, deja-vu.....invasion of the assignments, exams and last minute working. Dai dai dai.....buh

Good and Bad Memories

Do you have a medicine for cuts? I cut my finger today.

" I got plaster...Or Tiger Balm but I don't think Tiger Balm can put on cuts"

No, no I don't think so. I want something for cuts. Stupid glass, I was washing it (makes movement) and the piece came out and I cut myself.

"Yeah, the glass is not good quality...The other day, Nga also broke the glass, she just touched it and then don't know how, the piece came off"

Stupid glass. Not good quality one.

Pause

I'm going to take a picture....

"Iyee.....Why?? it's not a good memory"

It looks weird. I want to remember this.

After all why not remember bad memories? All memories serve a purpose.

Life is a marathon

God bless, completed my 2nd marathon. After the 21st km this time in Prague, I felt my legs getting numb and I knew I was in trouble. Didn't feel like this while in the Rome marathon. But nevertheless I persisted...better go slow than to stop. And so goes life....

It was great to stand at the start with everyone cheering and raring to go - the gentleman next to me was enthusiastic and asked me if it was my first marathon. I said it was my second. Then someone patted me on the back. They were Italian 'golden' marathoners...aged in their 50s but with times of 4h and less! The lady next to me asked me where I was from, and I said 'Malaysia'. She was Czech returning from the US and running her 5th marathon. And like in life you never know when you'll meet nice accompaniments such as these who'll give you encouragement and good will.

Towards the 38th, I started walking, no amount of bananas or sugar cubes could make me run to the next station -couldn't feel my legs anymore. Felt a bit disappointed with myself but I wanted to finish it. Everyone else was walking too....At the 41st, someone behind me said 'Allez!', my favourite song started playing and the volunteers were so cheerful so I picked it up again and ran like nothing all the way to the finish line. And like in life, never give up! "The Pain is Temporary but the Pride is Forever"

Vaggio

Had a great time with Marianne and Pascal 3 weeks ago in Belgium (they just got married last Friday - congratulations my dears!) Last week was in Varese with Luca and his family (thank you Luca, you are a real sweetie) Today going off to Prague. Vaggio vaggio vaggio

Un Senso Di Tei

A un passo dal possibile

Just a pace from what's possible

A un passo da te

Just a pace from you

Paura di decidere

Fear to decide

Paura di me

Fear of myself

Di tutto quello che non so

Of everything I don't know

Di tutto quello che non ho

Of everything I don't have

Eppure sentire

Nevertheless, feeling

Nei fiori tra l'asfalto

In the flowers over the pave

Nei cieli di cobalto

In those cobalt blue skies

C'è...

There's...

Eppure sentire


Nevertheless, feeling

Nei sogni in fondo a un pianto

In those dreams at the end of a cry

Nei giorni di silenzio

In those days of silence

C'è... un senso di te

There's... a sense of you

C'è un senso di te

There's a sense of you

Un senso di te

A sense of you

C'è un senso di te...

There's a sense of you...

Blessed are the forgetful

How happy is the blameless vestal's lot

The World forgetting, by the World forgot

Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!

Each prayer accepted, and each wish resign'd.

Alexander Pope

Tiba tiba aje

Entah tiba-tiba terasa nak tulis dalam Bahasa...

Kini flat-mates sekalian dah cabut meronda-ronda Eropah angkara cuti panjang April 25 (Cuti nasional untuk Itali) dan May 1. Meninggalkan aku tunggal membersihkan habuk dan cebisan makanan di dapur yang gian membusuk....menyampah.

Okey, sedang bosan sekarang....dah membersihkan apartment, melompat-lompat di Sportsmanclub gym, membeli barang kat Lidl, membaca 2 buku (Satanic Verses, White Fang), menonton 2 movie (In the name of the rose, Run Lola Run)....

Yang Benar

Best of recent travels

1. The Leaning Tower of Pisa

2. Florentian Museums: Botticelli's "Birth of Venus" and Michaelangelo's "David"

3. The View of Florence from Piazza San Michaelangelo

4. Walking through the streets of Venice (without the tourists!)

5. Venice Vaporetto rides

6. Running through the streets of Rome with people shouting "dai dai dai"

7. Eating a 1.60EU Gelato in Rome

8. Leonardo DV's "Last Supper" in the Santa Maria Delle Grazie - amazing!

9. Easter Mass in Milan (it's different i.e. Ambrosian Rites)

10. Milan Aperitivos...(too much is bad for you aaargh!)

Exams exams exams

Beleaguered by exams, leg cramping, fat on ass, ringing sound in my ears....What? I'm 28 already and still swotting it?? Papers strewn all over narrow table, light bulb busted-overheated...wind blowing outside...I'd believe it when they say Edinburgh's one of the most haunted cities in the U.K. Time:2.22am

First Christmas in Edinburgh

Spent a really nice Christmas dinner with a few of the MSPME course people - we had a pot luck on the eve with all of us cooking something from our native lands. There was salad, baked potatoes with cheese, a really delicious eggplant thing from Prasad's wife (called "vankaya"), beriyani rice, 'kheer', lentil soup, a biscuit cake, pickled rice, omelette, 'aloo ghobi' . The 8 of us really stuffed ourselves but it was really nice with the candle light and all.

On Christmas day itself, there was another feast prepared by American Phd student Robert Lamar and some friends at the chaplaincy. About 20 students left behind in campus for Christmas showed up. We played pictionary and I borrowed some books from the chaplaincy to fill in the long weeks before term reopens in January.

England Road Trip

For the hols, 7 of us packed it in a Vauxhall Zafira on a road trip to the south in a land called England. After leaving wee bonnie Scotland on December 17th, we got lost along the way, argued a lot, ate too much Pizza hut, saw a lot of cathedrals and old buildings, played cards, ran a lot, had a flat tyre 22 miles from Edinburgh and did some ASDA shopping at the end. Total time taken: 6 days, money spent: 270 pounds, miles travelled: 1200, memories made: priceless.

Dublin!

Went to Dublin with Amy and her friend KC last week.

I've always been curious about the Irish and now I've the chance to satisfy that curiousity. Do they really drink as much as they say they do? Do they speak with the brogue? Will I turn green?

Dublin was a real surprise - unlike what I expected. It's a mix of the old and the new - The night life is livelier than Edinburgh's with friendlier approachable people. KC mostly led the excursion with his tastebuds as the main navigator. We had indian food at 1am in the morning (arrived there at 1pm), kebab for lunch, irish coffee, bailey's coffee, irish stew and lots of Guiness!

Ireland's sons and daughters are big - Oscar Wilde, U2, George Bernard Shaw, Yeats, Frank McCourt, The Corrs , etc...they were all from Dublin.

The Guiness Factory and Trinity College are the best attractions. I'm addicted to Guiness now - Isaac and Vanessa think I've gone alcoholic.

And so to answer my questions; yes, the Irish drink as much as they say they do - our taxi driver from the airport has the brogue, everyone else was understandable and I turned green with all the guiness in me.

Long live the paddy's!

Anstruther, Pittenweem and St Andrew's

Last Saturday the Chaplaincy brought us on a trip to the fishing villages of Anstruther, Pittenweem and St. Andrew's. Quaint little cottages by the sea, fresh fish and chips, old ruined cathedrals, ancient universities and a round of golf....a very interesting Saturday indeed

November Days

On Thursday everyone was late to class. Normally it starts at 10.15am but this time it was 9.15am. The funny thing was, the lecturer was late herself. So Jasmine and I took pictures on this nice November autumn day. I just love the colours

Paris!

Made a trip to France on October 27th ...I know I'm so lazy that I'm only updating it now. These are photos of my most memorable places in Paris.


1) The Bookshop
I remember blogging about Shakespeare and Co and its like the Twilight Zone coming here. I saw the beds and all in the bookshop. There was a title on the wall "Be not Inhospitable to Angels Lest They be Angel's in Disguise"...how apt. The shop sells old and new books stacked wall to wall on the 2 floors. Exactly how I'd picture it.





2) Montmartre
Another little place that I like was Montmartre - its on top of the hill just a short stroll from Moulin Rouge. You have a fantastic view of the city from the top. And a little hidden away is a market for artists - you can see painters at work here and also buy a few paintings for your own. Really quaint....you could imagine all the old masters doing the same some 100 years back









3) The Eiffel Tower
Who doesn't love the Eiffel Tower? It's much shorter than I expected it to be but nevertheless just as majestic as the picture in my mind. The line was so long, it snaked both ways under the tower- didn't feel like going up then. The tower is even better by night - at one point it starts flashing little blue lights as if it were showering stars - really lovely.

The customaries...

Everyone I know when going overseas will take the customary pics i.e. of their rooms, toilets, etc.
Here is mine complete with laundry room and all

Room 158 bedroom

Robin Smith Hall

View of my corridor

Amy at the laundry room

My kitchen (for rooms 158-162)

Thoughts while Plodding

Feeling sleepy now....Why do we do the things we do? Are we the things that we do? Went for a jog and did some laundry in between. We took the new route in the forest next circling the campus - lots of leaves on the ground as autumn approaches. (goodness its autumn!) The weather was lovely , slightly chilly with promise of clear blue skies in the day time. Feet squishing on black mud (eek!), I run on, plod, plod, plod, see a rabbit run along the path, plod, plod,plod, see a squirrel scampering in the corner of my eye. I'm lost in thought while running. What is -30 degrees like? I can't imagine running like this in Umea - first of all, what is 0 degrees like? Green shadows of the trees, run past trying to see the path.(will I see a scottish ghost in the mist) Run on, no sweat, annoyed...Finally I see the path, like one would see when you're just going on with life trying to get by day by day.

MSPME

The Masters of Science in Strategic Project Management is a 16 months course which focuses on the interconnected themes in project management: strategy, control, integration. The best thing about it is that the award will be done by all 3 institutions of learning:


Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh (United Kingdom): Master of Science in Strategic Project Management (European).

Politecnico di Milano, Milano (Italy): Master Universitario di I livello in Strategic Project Management. Umeå University,

Umeå (Sweden): Magister in Management (Master of Science in Management).

In study period one, Heriot-Watt University provides level strategic underpinning to project planning, strategy formulation and implementation in organisations.

In study period two at MIP School of Management - Politecnico di Milano, the focus is on the function, purpose, creation and management of appropriate control mechanisms in strategic projects.

In study period three at USBE, Umeå School of Business, students embed their learning using an integrated and research-based approach to strategic thinking and project management, through two integrated modules and a Master level Thesis.

As it seems, the best things comes in 3's.

The key-people in my reflections of this experience is as follows:


Dr.Paul Gardiner, Course Director







The 27 MSPME students (not all here)