This blog has been inactive for the past one-and-a-half year because I was heavily involved with setting up GoodTimes.my and keeping it running. Things have eased up and I will be starting a new blog from April.

I'll announce the new blog here and leave a link so that you can get into my new blog.

Looking forward to a long and cherished relationship with all of you!

GoodTimes is Live! Stay Connected!

Dear All,

The website is finally live! It is called GoodTimes and you can access it at www.goodtimes.my

Some of you can write. And I want young writers at GoodTimes. So, if you are interested and want to try your hand at writing, send me a note at gertrude@goodtimes.my and attach 2 of the latest pieces you wrote.

Also, stay with this blog for a while more because I will be starting a new blog and I will announce it here, probably by the end of Nov.

So, stay connected!

GoodTimes is Live! Stay Connected!

Dear All,

The website is finally live! It is called GoodTimes and you can access it at www.goodtimes.my

Some of you can write. And I want young writers at GoodTimes. So, if you are interested and want to try your hand at writing, send me a note at gertrude@goodtimes.my and attach 2 of the latest pieces you wrote.

Also, stay with this blog for a while more because I will be starting a new blog and I will announce it here, probably by the end of Nov.

So, stay connected!

Hello, Bernard

Hi, Bernard. Tried to go on to your blog but couldn't. Anyway, could you send me an email? Couldn't get your email address either!

Entering a New Phase

Today I start work as editor of a new news website. Yes, I am back practising journalism. I left it 10 years ago and went into teaching. I enjoyed teaching, especially when I taught journalism and journalism-related subjects. But, UTAR wanted to transfer me to the Kampar campus and for some reason I just couldn't get up and go even though, rationally, it was a good move. So, I had no choice but to resign.

Looking back, it apparently was a good move. I got this job which is just what I have always wanted to do! There might be a conflict of interests if I kept this blog. I will write one more blog announcing the new website and then it is sayonara to Warriorrose! But you can still read my articles at the new website. Look out for the announcement by the middle of next month!

Goodbye, UTAR!

It was good while it lasted!

When I joined UTAR in May, 2006, I thought it was going to be a short, uninvolved stint. But, I stayed on for three years, made good friends and now leave without regrets!

After the previous job, I became wary of staff. And, there is one very important physical space in my life where, unfortunately, I never made good friends. These two factors combined made me lose faith in people's ability to accept me as I am. Consequently, I became detached from the people around me because I lost confidence that they would reciprocate.

But, UTAR, unexpectedly, changed that! Well, not UTAR, but the students I got to know and grew to love, and the lecturers in the PD block staffroom where I had my office! That's me at my cubicle!

The students who got close to me I will never forget. Their idealism and openness to get to know me really softened my heart. They seemed able to see through me and because they reached forward, I eventually dropped my guard and discovered wonderful young people who I know will be a pleasure to be with where ever they go!

The lecturers ... they were such great company! I remember Dr Lim. I got to know his head of straight black hair before I got to know him! Being an owl, I keep late hours and often, rushing to get materials prepared, I would look over my cubicle walls and see no one around except for this bobbing tuft of black hair over his cubicle walls! And, I would feel relieved that I wasn't alone! It was only later that I knew that that was Dr Lim who also stayed back late to get work done, and we became friends.

When he left, I was wondering how I was going to stay up late working alone in the staffroom. That was when another lecturer, Sugu, also began to keep late hours working while waiting for his wife. Relief! I had company while working late! And, Sugu, being an IT lecturer, could be depended on everytime I faced a computer glitch!

But, nobody helped me with the computer like See, another IT lecturer! When I first joined UTAR, I used to stay up as late as 11pm. At that time, See occupied the cubicle next to me, and seeing me scrambling to get work done before classes, gallantly uploaded a compatible Microsoft software on my PC at home so that I could work at home! He used to discourage me from working late in the staffroom by saying: "There are ghosts in the staffroom! Some people heard voices!"

See was never too busy to help me with my computer problems! When he was busy, he would tell me to wait and come over when he was free to unravel the conundrum in my computer! I learnt a lot about how to make the computer work for me! Still clumsy with it but more literate now than before! Thanks to all the IT lecturers I hung around with! They were mostly located at the PD block staffroom.

That's See pausing from fiddling with my computer! And Sugu, Swaggy, See and Yen Li on the rare occasion they were seen together at my cubicle. They obliged from their busy schedule for a parting picture for me!

Then, there were Dr Roy -- Swagy -- and Mariam, my sharing buddies and drinking khakis (partners)! I am always talking a mile a minute with them about all my ups and downs! And we found a number of pleasant tea places where we could have a nice cup of tea or teh tarik (Indian tea) and some sweets and/or savouries and chat until it was time to go home. I am going to miss that!

And, all the others, like Priya who found it a bit hard to handle my bluntness but persevered nevertheless! And, Kim Peng with whom I had many interesting chats along the isles between cubicles and who is now my new movie watching khaki! And Michelle who taught me how to use Excel! And, the newest friend, Yen Li (officially, Dr Lee!) who showed me how to enjoy Korean food!

All of you - students and lecturers - touched my life in some deep way. You broke my reserve and restored my faith in the goodness of humanity and in my abilities to make friends again. I will never forget. May God's blessings be on you!

Keep in touch, my friends. Those of us who must go in separate ways, farewell -- till we meet again, someday, somewhere, sometime!

Short Sweet Singapore Trip

I made a quick trip to Singapore last weekend to see my bedridden aunt. I got a good offer from Air Asia and everything fell into place and so flew down and back. It was sad to see my aunt in such a helpless state, slipping in and out of consciousness. Life is such, I guess. There are some things which are out of our control and it is best to accept the circumstances, make the best of it and go on.

But, I was glad that my aunt recognised me! And, she asked in blurred speech if I had had a drink. I enthusiastically said "yes!" It was also good to see that she is well taken care of with my cousins there for her.

It was a short trip, but I managed to see some things that I wanted to see in Singapore. I took in the night safari and that was a real treat! I don't know if the animals saw us because they looked very sleepy except for the biggest elephant who kept swinging its trunk and the energetic otters! The animal pens were located along a weaving walkway. It was cool and enjoyable going on the walking trails. Flashes are not allowed, so I didn't get many good pictures except for the few I have uploaded here. This is a picture of the Malaysian porcupine.

I also took in the Underwater Marine Park, which was also worth visiting, especially the part where you stand on the travellator and it takes you through the aquarium and you are able to see the fishes swim around and above you. You get to see their gills and fins, too! Some of them are truly quite ugly! But, here's a sweaty picture of me with one of the bigger fishes. The fish looks good, though!

Then, I walked about The Sands Singapore! That is an amazing pieces of architecture. It has three hotel towers of 50 floors on top of which is a rooftop restaurant. I wanted to get to the top to get a good view of the sea and the nearby islands but couldn't because the rooftop restaurant opens only in mid-July!

Time was running short, otherwise, I would have got into the casino -- free to foreigners but Singaporeans have to pay S$100 to enter! -- and tried my hand at the one-arm bandit! I just wanted to see what it is like in a casino. I am not a gambler and don't support the activity but I just like to know what is its attraction to people who don't mind risking so much for a shot at a win. I like to know about other lifestyles. Sorry! No pictures! The building was too big for me to get pictures to capture its size and character!

What was best about the trip was catching up with my cousins after so long. I have here a picture of three of them and myself having dinner at the Intercontinental Hotel. People always make the difference!