By trying new things, going to new places, reading books of different genres, etc., I get to learnnew exciting things. Many times, what I learn is of great benefit to my personal and professional lives.

Example: In December 1996, my colleague wanted me to drive him to his travel agent’s office at The Concourseat Beach Road. He wanted to pick up his air ticket for a trip to New Zealand. I could have simply dropped him along Beach Rd, outside The Concourse and waited in the car while he ran up to get his ticket and return. But I chose to park my car at the building to accompany my colleague to the travel agent’s office. (I did’t mind paying the parking fee.) Why did I want to go to the travel agent’s office when I had no need to? I wanted to see if I could learn anything at the travel agent’s office. While my colleague spoke to the travel agent, a nice professional lady, I listened intently. I discovered from their conversation that my colleague had had difficulties booking flights for his return trip to New Zealand. However the travel agent was able to use her contacts to get him seats even though most flights were fully booked.

A few days later, just before Christmas, my younger sister confirmed her decision to go ahead with her plans to study for her bachelor’s degree in USA. However, it being the peak season for international travel, she was unable to book any flights. She had already written to the university accepting their offer of a place and quit her job at a local bank. She was in desparate. I told her not to worry and that I would help.

My trip to my colleague’s travel agency a few days earlier was still fresh in my memory. I called the travel agency and spoke to the same lady who had helped my colleague and told her of my sister’s situation. She said she will try but no promises.

That same afternoon, she had a confirmed booking for my sister! I asked her how she managed it and all she said was she had contacts.

LESSON:
I did not have to accompany my colleague to his travel agent’s office but I did. And I learnt something (that the travel agent was very capable). I don’t brush aside anything as not relevant. Observer things happening around you. Yes, be a busybody. You will defintiely learnt something.

After my BMT (Basic Military Training) in Pulau Tekong ended in March 1983, I was posted to the SAF Provost Unit at Ulu Pandan Road to undergo 3 months of training as an MP. After just one week of training, one evening, all trainees were ordered to fall in a single line – from the tallest man on one end to the shortest on the other. After a certain height, all shorter men were told to fall out, leaving only the tall guys behind. I was still in the line towards the end of the truncated line. A sergeant told us that because of our height we were selected as Istana Guards. We would be trained as Istana Guards after we completed our MP training. (Istana Guards were mostly MPs).

My selection as an Istana guard was a terrible blow to me. Istana Guards perform guard duty at the Istana for about 2 hours a week. Just like the British Grenadier Guards, Istana Guards are ceremonial guards. While on duty, they are like stone statues. Training to be Istana guards is very rigorous. In those days, it started with a 2-hour stand under the hot sun in the Provost Unit parade square. Istana guards’ uniform must be very white, crisp and shining. I have seen Istana Guards polishing their boots with lint free orange cloth.

Am I fit to be an Istana guard? Certainly not. Before I could complete my full time NS,the Precision Drill Squad was formed. This is the elite group which enthralls spectators at National Day parades. The first squad was trained by Taiwanese soldiers. I am definitely not the type that could throw a heavy bayonet-tipped rifle into the air and catch it with one hand!

Well, back to the story.

The next 7weeks, I went through MP training lamenting my selection as an Istana guard but I could do nothing about it.

On the last day of MP training, a sergeant ordered all MPs (we were now full MPs) who had been selected as Istana guards to fall in. The S3, some major, then asked the MPs, one by one, if he was selected as an Istana guard. Everybody said yes. I observed the major and how he was asking the MPs if the MP was selected. I wondered why the major wanted to ask each MP if he was indeed selected to be a future Istana guard. I realized that the major just wanted to be sure of the selection. When the major came to me he asked his standard question that he had asked the MPs before me “You selected for Istana?”. I blurted out loudly “No sir!”. The others in the formation were shocked. In response to my negative answer, the major started hurling vulgarities at me for falling in when I had not been selected as an Istana guard. He told me to fall off. I quickly fell off and ran far away from the place. I was later posted to a detention barrack where life was very different – no polishing of boots till I could see my face in it, no standing under the sun for hours at a stretch…..

This incident was one of the most important lessons I have learnt.

Lesson:
Always be observant, watch everything carefully, listen to everything and everyone around you.

Madurai House

After I came back from work, the first thing I did was to turn on my DVD recorder and watch the inauguration of the great man, Barack Obama. My wife and 5-year old daughter joined me. At about the time Aretha Franklin was singing, my wife received a call from her friend on her mobile phone. When my wife told her friend that she was watching the ceremony on DVD, the friend asked what is so great about Obama. I was mildly annoyed. What is NOT great about Obama? He overcame many odds stacked against him to win the presidency. Coming from an ordinary family, he beat big guns like Hilary Clinton (who was immensely popular and widely expected to be the next president) and John McCain (with his stellar background and years of service in the Senate). I have great admiration for this man Barack Obama  with whom I feel I have many similarities. He is rational, practical, diligent, magnanimous, kind, forgiving. He buried differences against his rivals and even appointed some of them in his cabinet. Something unimaginable in third world countries, even in many advanced countries. Obama has become my role model.

I was very happy when my daughter watched it as intently as my wife and I did. She knows Obama very well. The New York Times said about a million people attended. Many were seen weeping – both blacks and whites. I read in news websites that many blacks did not expect to see an African American taking office during their lifetime and that they were lucky to be alive to watch this.

During the election last November, I promised my wife and daughter that I will buy them lunch at a fairly expensive restaurant if Obama wins. I have yet to fulfill my promise.

I think I will keep the inauguration DVD for a few years. If we can keep movie DVDs for many years why not keep something educational/documentary?

Used to get it at least once every 2-3 months no matter how hard I try to be clean and hygienic.  My family doctor Dr Tan (probably the best family medicine practitioner in S’pore, his clinic is in West Coast) was 100% sure that my recurrent sore throat problem is not serious and that it is due to stress. I refused to beleive him and I insisted that he refer me to an ENT specialist. Dr Tan deferred to my wish and hesitantly arranged for me to see an ENT specialist in Gleneagles the next day. Well, if you are willing to pay, you can see any doctor in S’pore at short notice. The next day, the specialist examined me, found nothing wrong with my throat  and prescribed some allergy medicine and charged me $330 – the biggest outpatient medical bill in my life! I was cursing myself for not trusting Dr Tan. That was in early 2006.

Since last August (2008), I have been taking Vitamin C 500 mg everyday. The Vitamin C tablet was prescribed to me by another doctor for another unrelated problem. To my surprise, I did not contract any throat ailments since then – that is till last Sunday. I had gone without a sore throat for 5 months,a personal record. Even 3 months ago, when there was a flu epidemic in Singapore and may students were suffering from it, I was resolute – thanks to Vitamin C.

I thought I could get through this current bout of throat infection but I was wrong. I could not talk properly during my  network security lecture yesterday. So, I saw a neighborhood doctor last night and got antibiotics (my throat was bad enough to warrant antibiotics). Dr advised me to rest but I had to decline the MC. I do not want to inconvenience my students by canceling my lecture. After a single dose of the antibiotics, I am feeling much better now.

Well, the sore throat has been a big hindrance to my job. Since I have to lecture 4 hours a week and have 7 labs, I have to rely on my throat. I do not smoke (used to smoke casually while in NS),  I am a teetotaler and have no other vices. I read in Obama’s book (The Audacity of Hope) that when he met President Bush at the White Housein 2004, after shaking hands with Obama, Bush’s assistant gave him a squirt of hand sanitizer to clean his hands with. Bush then offered some to Obama saying it would help prevent catching colds. I am trying to buy hand sanitizer in S’pore but I did not see any pharmacies selling this. This is a cream which you rub on your hands, don’t need water to rinse.

I cannot forget some of the funniest movies I have seen:

• Airplane    (1981)
• Airplane 2 (1982)
• Caveman (1981)
• Top Secret (1984)
• Naked gun (1989)
• Naked Gun 2½
• Naked Gun 33 1/3
• Hot Shots
• Hot Shots Part deux

Except for Caveman all of these movies were directed/produced by the Zucker brothers who also gave us the wonderful romantic story Ghost starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore.

I am endeavoring to own the entire collection of movies above. After extensive searching, I managed to buy only Hot Shots Part Deux from Mustafa. If you know where I can buy DVDs of old movies in Singapore, please let me know.

No, I am not a typical engineer. In fact, I enjoy literature very much. Besides books on Internet security, I also read novels, books on arts, business, politics, history, health and fitness and many other areas.

The book I am now reading is Ken Follett’s “World Without End“, the sequel to the bestselling “Pillars Of the Earth” historical novel set in 12th century England.

The book is 1,200 pages long but every word can be savored. I have been reading this for a month but I do NOT look forward to finishing it anytime soon.

If you think historical novels are boring, then these two books will change your mind forever. Just like many people, I had a dislike for historical stories, let alone one that is several hundred pages long. A friend told me in 1990 that he picked up Pillars Of the Earth in Los Angles to read on his long flight from USA to Malaysia. It was so interesting and compelling that he had finished it by the time he landed in Kuala Lumpur.

I read the Pillars Of the Earth in 1994. This is one of two best novels I have ever read. The other is “The Far Pavilions” by M M Kaye and set in British India.

The first novel (Pillars Of the Earth) was so popular that the author, Mr Follett, gave in to demands by readers and wrote a  sequel (“World Without End“).

I suggest you pick up a copy from any bookstore or borrow it from the National Library. It is exciting right from the first page.

My name is L Somasundaram. People call me simply “Soma”.

I am a polytechnic lecturer and teach electronics and IT security.

This is my first blogging effort. I hope to share my experiences and thoughts with whomever cares.

Please feel free to give me your own thoughts and feedback. I am very open minded and welcome

all feedback – both positive and negative.