I was in Dryandra, one among classes in the Australian Matriculation I took sponsored by the government in Uitm Shah Alam. Then one of my English teacher who's in law was the Indian Malaysian runner asked me why did you choose to take up Australia as a preferred choice for university studies to me. Then I said, I wanted to see dolphins. I love dolphins, they're so intelligent. And that's when I come to know that dolphins are social creatures. It's like how I would be saying studying orangutans. Knowing that they are solitary, but think it in a big picture, they live in a large social organisation. Well they were here, she said to me. I didn't know that there are dolphins in our coastal waters. But anyway, as later on I progressed, the government stopped from sending students to overseas because of the depreciation ringgit and I ended up studying in UMS. A choice who I solemnly took and never regretted. After having finished another matriculation which I had to take for a year, I again negotiated to go into Conservation Biology a task that was so miraculous as it was new.
It was my first time coming to the Peninsular. And I remembered having my first Kenny Rogers.. The corn muffin was soo good. I could still remember when they had the stuffed kernels. My time occupied there was not spent wasteful and I had gained lots of knowledge which I could've not if it wasn't because of this place. We took several English classes, and in them how to do research. I also took a computer class in which I got an A for that one. There were oh, so many books if only I could eat them all up. ITM is marvelous, it's very rich with literature. I get lots of my source of knowledge from here as a beginner. And there were many references.
So I was in the library of our little ground hostel when I stumbled upon a book. That was my inspiration. It was about biodiversity. And it was yes thick, but also colourful. The memory I had of that book was the Amazon. Nature has always had a place in my heart. I didn't read much about dolphins hey, I didn't even know a think about them. My sensation was inspired by what I saw on them in the documentaries. I now have a diving license in case I ever wanted to go into this biology. But I knew the forests well from where I lived.
So, I ended up reading about yes, all the basic science subjects now they are in English as we are accustomed to the Malay language before in our youths. And I remember this time, our teachers called us, young adults. And if I could in my time, about nature. As an assignment, I discussed about pollution and sulphuric particulates in our atmosphere. I hate pollution. It's something that was really popular before, but as now we've forgotten the impacts of society that we dwell in more to the effects of social disturbance and the protection of forests. A scheme, that no one else knew which led to deeper contemplation as that to the meaning of life.
My second assignment, I remembered was discovering more about the death rituals about the Kadazan-Dusun. I took up this assignment wanting to know more about where I belonged. About my roots. Hey there was also a Literature Review to catch up on my activities. And in there I add on about the interviews I had, when have I gone to the library to make it up for the time spent systematically. I wrote my research several times and there were many corrected drafts. That's because my teacher said I was too flowery. She wanted me to be more determined and more scientific. This was the start of a beginning on the road to writing. As surely this was the course I under-take.
Again I have to applaud on the books I've discovered. They made real sense to me at covering many aspects as having to the expansion of mind. I looked at the effects of religion on society, what are the means that describe culture, and then to have a backdrop on this science. So this was the systematics that she was looking for.
I also learnt about systematics during my degree. And the way the science was used in describing things. I took a course on science writing. I didn't know it was very different than the literature. I took several English literature for that matter. But don't tell me what MacBeth is about, I couldn't still remember.. Lol.
There were oh, so many memories. And sometimes I wished that I was still in the university. The teachers are really clever at enticing. I think it comes with passion. Allure..
