Days with my mentor...amongst other things..

I was stirred by the movement of my mobile phone, vibrating away on the surface of my office table. It was an incoming message from someone stored as PAV.

“Received your message. Just came back from Australia. Please come, both of you. Have lunch here at the campus.”

“Yes Prof. Will do! And will call you when we arrive,” I replied.

I told my friend L of this good news.

“We will be at Ipoh first, right?” said L, grinning.

”Yes! We will visit our student who is undergoing his industrial training at the JKR Electric first. Then we will be off to visit the other student after our lunch with Prof,” said I.

A few days after that, we were on our way to Tronoh, with me behind the wheel. We turned into the UTP campus grounds off the main road to Lumut. Further in, we could catch a glimpse of the greenery at the students’ square, a place where plants could barely survive, about twenty years ago.

From afar, we could see hands waving to us, trying to show us a suitable place to park the car. Hands that belong to an old, familiar face.

Just as we stepped out of the car, an ever friendly voice rang in the air, “Hello! How are you both?”

“Happy!” said I.

“And fine!” said L.

“Come! Come right this way. To my office!” said our mentor, showing us the way.

We talked. Catching up, exchanging news, about family and everything else. He, asking about our respective children, now all grown up…how time flew. Then we had to leave after a scrumptious lunch at the café. And the next moment, we were on our way to visit our other student, in our line of duty. But not after having some pictures taken with our old professor.

Professor PAV reported for duty with USM Perak Branch at the temporary campus in Ipoh around 1988. L was fresh out from a university further down south while I had moved from the main campus in Penang, two years prior to that. Since then, PAV had taught us a lot of things. I, especially learnt a lot from him. Many valuable things. L and I helped him in tutorials, in the subjects that he taught. Also, during the lab sessions.

When we moved to the permanent site at Seri Iskandar, PAV encouraged us both to pursue our postgraduate studies. He became my supervisor during my pursuit of M.Sc through research mode. L opted to be under somebody else in an area of her own interest.

Under his tutelage, I learnt how to apply for research grants… short term and long term grants. Also, on how to manage the approved research grants that we successfully applied for. Usually, he was the project leader, while I was a co-researcher.

“Grants are vital to fuel our innovative venture and for the exploration of knowledge. From there, we can generate new knowledge. The money may be used for a multitude of purposes. One of it is, to be able to sponsor new postgraduate students in our field of research. In doing so, we may produce more knowledgeable people,” I remembered him telling me. The message still lingers in my mind to this day.

Those years under his guidance were really precious to me. My learning curve was at its highest. He dragged me into helping him with organizing an international conference, something which at first I was reluctant to do, because I thought I was incapable of doing. The international conference ROVPIA (Robotics, Vision, Parallel Processing and Automation) first came into being in 1994. Then, he pushed me into becoming the chairman of the publications committee, the editor-in-chief responsible for the proceedings, his right hand ‘man’ in organizing ROVPIA in the years to come (1996, 1999). L too was involved in another subcommittee. When we moved to the new campus at Nibong Tebal (Prof. PAV joined UTP then), the conference name was changed to ROVISP (Robotics, Vision and Signal Processing) beginning from the year 2003. And I shared the little knowledge and skills that I gathered during my past organizing tasks to new and fresh academic faces at the new place. Since then, for ROVISP 2005 and 2007, the heavy baton of organizing the international conference has been passed to other new breeds.

One great thing that I learnt to copy from PAV was his resilience. Giving up was definitely not in his dictionary. I have always detested campus politics. But I could see that these had not distracted nor affected him, much less, to deter him from his focus and pursuits.

“Do not worry yourself with whatever things that other people say. Just continue to do you own work. And do it with diligence and utmost sincerity,” these words of his, still ringing in my ears even after 16 years. Something that I have always held on to.

Wherever he went, PAV would never fail to bring fame to the place he was representing. During his days with USM, he has garnered many research awards. Likewise, when he joined UTP. He was also my supervisor during my early years, while embarking on my Ph.D before his term with USM came to an end. I have been trying to put down on paper all the little experiences and wisdom that I had gathered under his guidance; in a book to be published under the genre of ‘professional novel’. A book laden and laced with facts, but presented in a ‘novel like’ approach.

I hope that this up and coming book of mine would serve as a guide for those in pursuit of their postgraduate studies. Our country aspires that 60% of its academics would be Ph.D holders as opposed to only 30% at the present moment in time. Therefore, this book is written with the intention of making a small contribution towards that aspiration…to shed some light, to spur the spirits of others…in his or her journey of a lifetime…a piece of writing that would be called “Mendaki Liku, Meraih Mercu”…( which may be translated as ‘With Grit, Let Us Conquer the Summit’, more or less.)

Tronoh...quaint, yet ecstatic....

Having completed my task as an external examiner for four solid hours, I stopped for a while at the peaceful lake right across the main gate of Universiti Teknologi Petronas. There was a café then. But there were only ruins now, pieces of wood and a glimpse of its past glory, lay scattered in the sands…

My heart was mesmerized, at the familiar sight of the desolate town of ‘Toronto’ (Tronoh). The ancient post office still stands as it was. So was the quaint, little police station. These evoked me of my birthplace, Sungai Nibong Police Station, Penang. This might have been how it looked like when my parents ventured our of their kampung to a place in Johor when my father was posted there on his first assignment in the 1950s. The scenes of which were captured and presented to readers of my book, “Seungu Lavendar”. I wish that this place is left untouched for years to come. The surroundings are so enthralling and intriguing! For those who intend to relive scenes of Malaya/Malaysia in the 50’s and 60’s especially for the filming industry, this is the place. I just love it!

But my real intention of getting to Tronoh, which was meeting my mentor was not meant to be…He, who had played a great part in shaping my mindset as an academic, always kindling my ongoing interest in the quest for knowledge and lifelong learning, who was one of those responsible for and made a great impact in letting me become what I am today is Professor Paruvachi Ammasai Venkatachalam (his contract with Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) for the past 8 years was coming to an end). For he was with USM Engineering Campus for 12 years before serving UTP. I was told, he and his wife were away in Australia, visiting their children and family for 10 days. Alas!

I really hope to get to see him before he leaves for India, his homeland for good, God willing…There are so many things that I would like to say to him....

Sleepy Hollow....

USM Perak Branch Campus (Engineering) was formerly situated at the Ipoh Padang, near the Main Hall, (Dewan Bandaran), just across the Ipoh Railway Station. When we first started to move from Penang to there in 1986, most of USM’s staff from Perak were overjoyed at the prospect of getting back to where we could get closer to our hometowns.

When the permanent site of the campus at Seri Iskandar (near the town of Tronoh) was ready in the year 1990, we began our next exodus. The place was deserted and so remote, akin to the images in cowboy films of yester years…

My husband, who at that time, happened to be the project manager (we moved because he was appointed as the Deputy Director of the Department of Development, USM) was responsible for the setting up of the temporary campus in Ipoh and then the permanent one at Seri Iskandar. We were on our way back to Ipoh from my parent’s place at Kampung Gajah and decided to just drop by at the site. We had to get into a four wheel (quite unlike the comfortable SUVs of today, it was a Mahindra a tough seater!) to really venture in. My daughter, aged eight then was really shaken. Her face ashened and then, threw up profusely. My small son (aged 3) had a question to ask, “Mum! The thing we rode just now, was that a horse?” That goes to show how rough the ride was!

The soil, much barren and arid, was a bit harsh. The gleaming white sands of the ex- mining land under the glaring sun, was an excuse for most of us to put on our stylish dark glasses. Absence of cafes inside as well as out of the campus walls forced most of us to bring our own food. I, in particular, cooked and brought my own food in a tiffin carrier (which reminded me of my childhood days when my mum would prepare food in the same sort of containers for my dad, a policeman, while on duty from 6 in the evening right through 10 at night).

Days on end, we would have one or two cars stranded as a result of punctured tyres. The campus was not quite ready and there were nails astray, here and there. Most of us deferred possession of new cars. The main road from Ipoh to Lumut was constantly being upgraded. Driving on layers of rocks the size of your rolled up palms was never easy. I imagined the rides were much like the ones you get while riding ‘Boneshakers’ in the 1860’s. Your body ached all over! Imagine this kind of journey twice a day, tens of kilometers a day! Some of us opt to take rides on the local bus network – the Perak Roadways (owned by the family of one of our ex-graduates while studying at the temporary campus in Ipoh), the owner was kind enough to allow the bus to get right into the campus until the roundabout just after the masjid.

During the early years, foliage was such a rare commodity. The trees just could not survive. Until the staff of my husband’s office engaged help from MARDI (Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute) whose officers suggested digging holes around the new trees and placing gunny sacks (made from jute) around the roots. Through the years, greenery then started to sprout and prosper. The view around became more picturesque. Shades of green were everywhere.

But then! The bomb was dropped! We had to move. Yet again. This time, back up north, Seberang Perai Selatan. Imagine the frustration and anger. I had just acquired a new home, amongst lush green hills near the Jelapang highway. For a few years, two universities were sharing the same premise. Never before in history and in the world. USM Perak Branch Campus and Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP). Days of ‘fighting’ – for lecture halls, tutorial rooms, food at the cafes were never enough. So, we had to go out – the one cafe across the road from the main entrance, beside a small lake became our favourite haunt.

Unhappy faces were everwhere. Most of which belonged to those who have decided not to be relocated. Yet again….these were but some of the happy times and the sad moments while becoming pioneers at ‘Toronto’. Yes! The name we coined to refer to Tronoh. While presenting papers or attending conferences, I was often asked where USM Perak Branch Campus was. When I answered Tronoh, this was the response I used to get, “Tronoh? Where in the world is that?” I used to be very irritated but after a while, I would ask the question for them before I was even asked! So, ‘Toronto’ was a symbolic name (so was ‘Paris’ for Parit), to make ourselves feel good about a place which most people do not even realize it existed. That was very necessary to boost up our morale, since our location constantly became the subject of ridicule by certain quarters; referred to as – ‘no man’s land’, ‘Sleepy Hollow’ amongst other things….(…continued…)

Note: Pictures were taken in 1991

Down memory lane..'Toronto' Perak (2)

A week after that, I hit the new road towards Lumut from Ipoh. All along, I could see there were lots of changes. The elevated ‘highway’ at the Siputeh junction replaced what was once a very low lying road prone to flooding, (even after a slight downpour) sometimes as high as your waistline!

I could still recall vividly during those early years (beginning the1990’s) when the Perak Branch Campus of Universiti Sains Malaysia was there. Days of misery…laughter too!

I was on my way to the campus and then discovered that the waters were too high after heavy rain. My car was one of those stranded by the roadside. A few of us were desperate to be at the campus…semester examinations were in full swing.

Then suddenly, “Honk! Honk!”

The sound of lorry laden with timber stopped in its tracks, just at the rim of the brown murky waters.

“Where are you going?” the driver high up on his vehicle asked.

“To the campus!” shrieked my colleague, Dr. F (School of Civil Engineering) and another, Dr. KA (School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering) spontaneously and synchronously. They had to be the invigilators for the examinations that day.

“Come right up! But there is only enough room for two!” said the driver.

“Wah! Thank you!”

Both their panicky faces turned cheerful. The driver’s assistant jumped to the back of the lorry while both my colleagues hoisted themselves up to the seat beside the lorry driver amid cheers and sounds of laughter from the rest of us. It was a delightful sight, watching the lorry braving past the high waters. A dull and miserable morning had turned into something so heartwarming…

“Good thing your friends did not get themselves stuck up there, near the door of the lorry. What with their slim-fit sarongs and high heels too!” a male staff member quipped mischieviously from behind me.

“You and your big mouth!” I said, frowning.

“What next then?” he asked, a hopeless look on his face.

“A round about ride for me! Back to Siputeh junction, to ‘Paris’ (Parit) and from there out to the campus through the town of Bota! ” I said.

“That far?” he frowned.

“Well! It is much better than sitting here, waiting and doing nothing!”

“You know, you are right!”

This was one of the few instances that I quoted in my entry entitled “My Days with USM”, a piece which garnered the third prize for an essay competition in conjunction with USM’s 35th anniversary celebrations in 2005. (..continued..)