:: Wednesdays with Dr Tan ::

I always looked forward to my Wednesday morning class.
D knows I'm a sucker for lecturers who make one ponders on stuffs that relate to practical aspects of life; lecturers who make you think beyond academic readings and writings; lecturers who share their experiences and educational/life philosophies.
And these type of lecturers often have a deceptive outer appearance.
They are the same people who hang out at coffee shops, same people who don in t-shirt, jeans and backpack. Simply put, people whom if you were to pass by in the streets, you would not have known they have a Dr. attached to their name.

She left us with meaningful quotes during our last lecture today.

'A good communicator...listens.'
'You can never change with time. You can only change if your thinking changes.'
'The power to define is the power to validate.'

So the whole three hours, she made us see beyond academic conventions and that the working world will remain a pleasant one if we hold on to our belief and not let what others say affect us.
I think this comes with experience.
Knowing does not make one any wiser (frankly, information-loaded can turn one into a cynic or one who keeps questioning the what ifs) and I truly appreciate the lessons I had with lecturers who not just mere teach facts, rather inspire and see that between grades and growth; growth plays a more important role in learning.
Oh well, we are in a way victims of the 'examinations bell curve' and work ranking system.
In another lecturers' words, it seems that everyone is competent enough and thus people now are targeting on weaknesses, rather than tapping potentials - its survival instinct.
Someone has to score the D. It's just a matter of who.

God is fair but the world is unjust.
As Ahmed (a character in V.S Naipaul's: Among the believers) put it, 'The world is mixed up now. People are confused. There is no longer any symmetry in many people's lives.'
I am a self-proclaimed confused self, by the way.

There are lecturers' who make a difference in your life.
And I have recognize a few throughout my learning who had really made an impact.

Even as adults, we do need role models, don't we?

I couldn't think of a good ending for my first novelette.
Though it was a satisfying 10,000 word of ramble. Lepaskan geram beb.

The epilogue (I think I am crazy).

Aku duduk bersamamu.
Berpijak di bumi yang sama.
Tetapi dunia kita berlainan.

Aku yang berjuang untuk kebahagiaan
Diandaikan gila.

Sedang engkau dalam kemelut seharian
Difikirkan waras.

Benarkah aku gila?

Aku suka menjadi gila.

Kerana manusia tidak akan menghukum
Kesalahan aku. Kesilapan aku.
Kerana mereka kata aku hanya buat kerja gila.

Tapi engkau.

Kerana warasmu itu,
Engkau terpaksa berhati-hati
Mengorak langkah kerana orang lain
Akan menuduh.

Mengecam tiap kekurangan yang engkau miliki.
Aku tahu.

Engkau mahu menjadi seperti aku.
Mencipta dunia sendiri.
Tetapi engkau takut bukan,
Membebaskan diri dari norma.

Engkau takut mereka akan kata
Engkau juga gila.

Warasmu dan gilaku.
Apakah itu yang membentuk manusia?