Raya Beruntung.

Raya is the only time where we get invitations and visitationns from your closest friends. As usual the session is a complete joy made of conversations. This time is special, when you got to know your close pals recovered and kick cancer unto the ground.

Raya Yang Beruntung

So catching time with Hasnul and my former dean turned to creative collaborator, we never fail to compare notes. Few times, ideas can kena curi too. Three of us are known to be involved in so many cross collaborative projects that is hard to categorized. 

What is laughable is knowing that your former school is organizing a "memory lane" crap. 

Im one of those who cant be bothered with reliving these. We keep moving on, proceeding from one adventure into the next. 

from left - Hasnul, Dato Najib Dawa

I simply got no time to step back nor take a breather to see where and how far we had arrived. 

What is important is NOW. 

The power of now. We focus entirely unto the present moment. 

Anything associated with the past and what is going to happen tomorrow depends on NOW. 

Perhaps i no longer have any sentiments to associate myself with the school which i left 25 years ago. The old guards naturally now replaced by new ones. Perhaps the institution is no longer relevant as we seek new pastures, traveling to seek new monsters in unknown destinations. 

But what i carried deep in my heart are those countless intangible lingering marks and shadows from projects that form your talents, capabilities, relationships, friendship camaraderie formed among your peers. 

Mind you, a legacy is not made out from those trophies, titles or your research rankings. Education is not about scoring all those perfect 4.0 CGPA scores, for me its all those live projects that put you in an uncomfortable zone, requires all sorts of problem solving and communication skills. 

It shaped me to be a better person.

You found out that your project reach and require to communicate to a bigger crowd, not to serve an individual. That is where Drama and Theatre offers me. Yes, Mass Comm does offer better options and prettier classmates too, but Drama and Theatre seduced me by offering an open active learning language to understand the power of narrative, didactic directions, delivery of context, trust, teamwork and most notably exploring the abstract powers that the visual language can offer. 

Once we smuggled out the furniture from the very hotel we stayed in to the stage. We called it strategic resourcefulness. We ended up arguing for hours due to lighting and the placement of the projector. Finding and distilling the essence of form and space. From opening up real bottles of beer on the legendary Panggung Sasaran, which yours truly transforming it into a pub, this legendary space hugged me tight and close in my heart. 

Panggung sasaran is simply a wide open canvas of possibilities. 

Plus I joined the drama and theater as we really really dont like our boring classes and lectures.Imagine attending LKM 400 BM class at 8am!!! It doesnt help when Mizi brought over his PS2 from AU Keramat as we spend the night away unlocking characters from RAW is WAR.

Best part is we didnt know our production ended up winning lots of award and required to travel all over until we menyampah seeing each other due to the tour schedule. But its still 200% better than attending those 2 hour theory lecture class.

 

 

Anyway we somehow we survived as our Dean Najib Ahmad Dawa understands our artistic process, not to forget the lecturers who bonded with us by being a close confidante, who entertains our inner rebellious streak against those idiotic rigid formalities. 

 

We are punished with deep misunderstanding and alienated by the insecure ones. That is the price for us to pay as the seekers and the wanderers of life. 

 

Dont get me wrong, im not against reliving memories. In our short life - we are free to invent, create better multiple memories instead of harking back old episodes. So lets spend our short time creating good ones without dressing in smart casual attires forking out 150 ringgit for a seat in the table. 

Just invite us to share with your current students, we are willing more to share with them. 

To all the ones who shaped us today, we are about to rock, we salute you. 

Al Fatihah to Sam, Abang Bob, dearest Nana, Pak Mail ( Hashim ) and ones who left us.