With Admiration ..

I was in two minds whether to attend the NTUMS' 21st Anniversary Dinner tonight, for several reasons, including the much needed preparation for the Amsterdam trip tomorrow. And somehow I felt awkward to attend as a distinguished guest and to be seated at the VIP table. But at the same time, I do not wish to disappoint the President and EXCO members of NTUMS who had invited me, to join the celebration and the launch of NTUMS Gang.

Alhamdulillah, I am glad I attended the dinner. It was an opportunity to reunite with old friends and meet new ones too. Above all, it taught me an important lesson on the value of friendship and a reflection on da'wah fardhiyah.

After the formal segment of the dinner (and after the GOH has left) there were only 4 of us left at the VIP table. And the "informal" segment sparked interesting conversations between us. A fine gentleman, Mr ASCT (his initials) moved over to the vacant seat next to me and started small-talk, which later became global, insightful and fun. He holds a very senior position at NTU (at the President's office, no less), a graduate of Cambridge and Harvard, and is an active member (ps: I am not surprise if he is the Chairman) of the Singapore Harvard Club.

He started our conversation by sharing his meeting with our Mufti and then went on to ask me where did I obtain my PhD and my specialisation. After I told him that my PhD is in cybernetics from Liverpool, he asked me what is a PhD in cybernetics doing in Muis?

I told him its a long story, but primarily because our universities operate in compartmentalised faculties - and I am a victim because of my transdisciplinary field of research: information theory, neuroscience, management, mathematics, human dynamics within a metadiscipline called cybernetics. The School of Computer Science said that I am not a computer scientist, the Faculty of Engineering did not consider me an engineer, and the Business School did not recognise me as a management theorist.

He laughed aloud and shared his observation and experience at Harvard on the Mars Project, as as well as NASA's transdisciplinary project to put man on the moon. He clearly understood my predicament, and told me that it may be a blessing in disguise for I may develop a pigeon-hole mindset if I had joined the university, to fit into the compartmentalised faculty and be moulded by it.

Our conversation went around the world - from US, to Essex, Aberystwyth (in Wales), Liverpool, Cambridge, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Korea and back to Singapore. It was truly delightful. We ended this joyful conversation almost abruptly when the dinner came to an end, with the recitation of the Quran followed by the do'a. Interestingly, he ran his hands over his face, just like we did, when Br Nu'man ended his do'a rabitah, perhaps as a gesture of respect. We continued, as we stood for handshakes and bid goodbye, to finish off with our admiration for Liverpool's Ian Rush.

When I arrived home, I saw an e-mail from him, sent through his Blackberry, timed 11:14 pm. It read:

Dear Dr Albakri,

It was my good fortune to break bread with you at NTUMS' 21st Anniversary.

As all noble callings are, they have unique circumstances lie cybernatiques!

We must get together and also celebrate to Goal Rush during Ian's golden years!

With admiration,
Anthony.

I was moved when I saw and read the mail. This gentleman, many years my senior, very accomplished, highly-connected with the Who's Who in Singapore, wrote an e-mail almost immediately after the dinner to me, to express such delight. He signed-off his short, but most elegant note, with admiration. Indeed, he is the one to be admired.

This very act of e-mailing or sms-ing, a note of thanks or an expression of gratitude soon after a meeting or an interaction, is very significant and effective for relationship and goodwill building.
It creates a positive impact and a lasting impression on the receiver - definitely a best practice for da'wah fardhiyah.

As I replied to his mail, I wondered how many of us, at this present time, value relationship, friendship and goodwill for a harmonious existence and a joyful life !

The Orion Express had brought me to places I have never been to ... but more importantly introduced me to Mr ASCT who have reminded me what li ta'arafu and being human mean.

With much admiration,
B