2 Hours Chat With Muta

Muta called on Thursday night – had a very long chat. This is the biggest Jejak Kasih of any batch mate I had ever had; and Muta would go down as the only person who had had the horrible experience of sharing a house with me – for 2 years!

A friend pointed out that kawanku.com and kawanaku.com are completely 2 different sites – the latter is for alumni networking where I traced Muta whilst the former is described as "situs cerita seks no 1 di Indonesia"
(Nope, I do not frequent the site – it was pointed out to me

Anyway, we had a lot to catch up – from my radical student days (whether I am still a hot headed radical) to what we have been up to. The last time I was in contact with Muta was the last UK reunion at Jita's apartment before we kissed the place goodbye for good in spring 2000. After that, I really thought Muta had left UK for good and came back to Malaysia.

But the house – 87 Bayswater Road – had its own curse on us. Both Muta and I changed course and made a complete U-Turn in our career. Even worse, the history repeated itself in almost the same manner. Half way in my final year, I went to see my Head of School to apply for a change of degree – from Electronic and Electrical Engineering to History. I must have looked really stupid then, with graduation in 4 month's time. In the end, I abandoned engineering for accountancy, with little to recall from my Electronic and Electrical Engineering days.

Likewise, after I had left for London, Muta went through the same thing – mid into his third year, went to see the Head of School to change course, and changed he did. My lack of interest in engineering must have inspired him so much that he enrolled into the course I wanted to abandon a year before – Electronics and Electrical Engineering! Ha ha what a world – in the end, Muta graduated with flying colours – got the First Class degree and numerous awards from the university. It all turned out OK for us – I am enjoying my life as a bean counter and Muta would have enjoyed his current profession so much more than what he was doing previously.

The house was unique and nostalgic to both of us – situated in front of a brothel and a pick up point for hookers, so a lot to recall from our stay there. There was even one shooting incident which I only realised an hour later when the place was surrounded by policemen.

A lot of reminiscing of the lecturers and tutors we now shared – my having the vaguest memory of them since I was hardly in school during my degree years, Muta still miss them miserably. Both of us spent almost 8-9 years in the UK, so the withdrawal syndrome upon leaving the country was quite severe.

After I had left school (koleq and Morrison), I never actually shared a house with anyone else – Muta being the unfortunate person to tolerate my tantrums and moodiness. For him to be able to stand me for 2 long years is a mark of his patience and kindness (let alone that we were never in the same circles back in koleq) – am so glad that things turned out so well for him and he now gets to pursue his passion.

Welcome back, old housemate!