Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Today was a most unordinary day, as I wasn’t able to make it to my office/studio because of some domestic matters that had to be attended to in KL (on a very clear day, and nearly 100 degrees). After dropping Stella off at her bus stop, instead of keeping busy with the keyboard etc., Amy, Aleatory, & I got on the transit train in Putrajaya in order to make an 11:30 appointment in the Brickfields (a predominantly Indian section of the city). Our mission: to get some help for Amy in the form of a part-time nanny. We were – I’m very pleased to say – successful; Shantih will start tomorrow. After an intense lunch (mutton curry that made my nose run and eyes water), I had to go to the opposite side of the city to pay February’s installment of the lease on our car. This might have been hum-drum, but things are never so in KL. Walking back to the monorail, passing an ashram, a very serious looking guy with a satchel emblazoned with “Iraq.” An easy enough ride over to Jalan Ampang, above the old KL jail, high rise apartments, the National Mosque, etc. but after that total chaos. Malaysia’s version of the Tour de France, the “Tour de Langkawi” was passing through the city, so the roads were alternatively stone still and complete mayhem. That, added to the fact that I’d never been to the car agency before, made for an interesting, slow ride across town (though I never saw any cyclists). Getting back to the monorail was also interesting, as the cabbie was trying to avoid traffic and his route took me to some very ritzy sections of the city I hadn’t seen before, including embassy row (passing by the stylish Iraqi consulate). This adventure was a research trip in itself, as I’m beginning to get to know my way around little-by-little in this totally different world. I walked around Bukit Bintang a bit before heading back to the train station, got some water and gum, tuned in to the zoon of it all.
A most surprising and terrific thing happened during our meeting at the agency in Brickfields: I got a call on my handphone from a woman at the Institut Kajian Strategik dan Antwabangsa (Institute of Strategic and International Studies), who wanted to find out if I would be interested in participating in an event next week called the Malaysia International Visitor’s Program, which “aims to provide first-hand opportunities for leading personalities in community, business, media and politics in other countries to become acquainted with Malaysia’s political, economic and socio-cultural environment and policies” and “is designed to build bridges between the people of Malaysia and other countries, to promote mutual understanding between nations, and to engage important personalities in discussions on topics of global interest.” I said it sounded fascinating, and she said she would email me an invitation and other information. So, when I got home (about 4:30) it was waiting for me, and I was pretty blown away. Over the course of six days, a number of networking sessions are being held, including meetings with the Chairman of the Malaysian Human Rights Commission, high-ranking police officers for a briefing on Malaysia’s experience with terrorists, top officials in the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defense, Central Bank as well as corporate leaders, and senior media personalities. To top it off, the gathering includes a two-day trip to Langkawi, an island up near the Thai border. Needless to say, I immediately consulted my lecture schedule and figured out what needed to be done to free the time (essentially it means I will have to give 2 lectures the following week). While it will be a little weird to be removed from campus and regular work for a few days, it doesn’t seem like an opportunity that I could possibly turn down, especially since one of the sessions will apparently involve meeting the country’s Prime Minister. Whoa.
All this after I was in a bit of a swoon in the morning, mostly having to do with the precariousness of my professional situation in the states (where my application for tenure is under review). A good friend of mine was just overlooked for a position at the university has been teaching at for the past three years or, and—in simpatico, no doubt—I began to fret about my future, which will be institutionally directed within the next few weeks. Well, I can’t and won’t belabor the point, and just plan to enjoy what can be enjoyed while I can, like what’s going on here. I am only grateful that the good folks at NJIT pushed me hard into research, and I think a lot of other people will be too once the Prehistoric book is out. If it turns out that I have to become a farmer out in Warren County after all’s decided, well, that’s what I’ll do...
Still mulling over possible designs for my new home page and other interfaces, which I will be working on before the program begins next week. I’ll spend the rest of this week working on the first 2 or 3 lectures that I’m giving to MMU students. Never a dull moment!!
A most surprising and terrific thing happened during our meeting at the agency in Brickfields: I got a call on my handphone from a woman at the Institut Kajian Strategik dan Antwabangsa (Institute of Strategic and International Studies), who wanted to find out if I would be interested in participating in an event next week called the Malaysia International Visitor’s Program, which “aims to provide first-hand opportunities for leading personalities in community, business, media and politics in other countries to become acquainted with Malaysia’s political, economic and socio-cultural environment and policies” and “is designed to build bridges between the people of Malaysia and other countries, to promote mutual understanding between nations, and to engage important personalities in discussions on topics of global interest.” I said it sounded fascinating, and she said she would email me an invitation and other information. So, when I got home (about 4:30) it was waiting for me, and I was pretty blown away. Over the course of six days, a number of networking sessions are being held, including meetings with the Chairman of the Malaysian Human Rights Commission, high-ranking police officers for a briefing on Malaysia’s experience with terrorists, top officials in the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defense, Central Bank as well as corporate leaders, and senior media personalities. To top it off, the gathering includes a two-day trip to Langkawi, an island up near the Thai border. Needless to say, I immediately consulted my lecture schedule and figured out what needed to be done to free the time (essentially it means I will have to give 2 lectures the following week). While it will be a little weird to be removed from campus and regular work for a few days, it doesn’t seem like an opportunity that I could possibly turn down, especially since one of the sessions will apparently involve meeting the country’s Prime Minister. Whoa.
All this after I was in a bit of a swoon in the morning, mostly having to do with the precariousness of my professional situation in the states (where my application for tenure is under review). A good friend of mine was just overlooked for a position at the university has been teaching at for the past three years or, and—in simpatico, no doubt—I began to fret about my future, which will be institutionally directed within the next few weeks. Well, I can’t and won’t belabor the point, and just plan to enjoy what can be enjoyed while I can, like what’s going on here. I am only grateful that the good folks at NJIT pushed me hard into research, and I think a lot of other people will be too once the Prehistoric book is out. If it turns out that I have to become a farmer out in Warren County after all’s decided, well, that’s what I’ll do...
Still mulling over possible designs for my new home page and other interfaces, which I will be working on before the program begins next week. I’ll spend the rest of this week working on the first 2 or 3 lectures that I’m giving to MMU students. Never a dull moment!!
# posted by chris funkhouser @ 6:32 AM 
