She also headed the Translation
and Interpretation department in the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics. She studied English at MU and developed an appreciation for the language that was both nuanced and subtle, so I really enjoy talking to her. When she was pursuing her PhD in linguistics in London in the 80s, I reconnected with her as I was sorting out Jennifer’s fi rst year at Benenden. T ese days, Datin Halimah has, like all of us, retired; but she keeps herself busy as a member of the Anti-Corruption Advisory Board and the President of the Association of Voices of Peace, Conscience and Reason. She continues to have strong views on many issues and champions her opinions on paper with clarity and eloquence. She regularly writes opinion pieces on contemporary issues for all
three
of our local newspapers, the SUN, the STAR and the NEW STRAITS TIMES. Her letters commenting on important pronouncements made by Government leaders are often carried by the SUN, but also by all three papers, which is something of an achievement. She is not afraid to put her points
across without being partisan or pedestrian. Hers is a class act. I really respect what she has to say and admire her integrity. T ose of you who live in Malaysia reading this can look out for her byline when reading your morning papers. We successfully roped in four other ladies, and six being a great reunion number, we all got together at the T ai Hot Pot restaurant in the neighborhood mall down the road from where many of us live. Our lunch date comprised
also Zainab Majid who heads the Linguistics faculty at the University. She is a pioneer of sorts and for many years spearheaded ties with French Universities to open the way for Malaysians keen on connecting with this fashionable country. T en there is Jeannie Lim one of my dearest friends, with whom I double-dated loads of guys during my sixth form years. Jeannie was a great beauty then; she is still great looking, but believe me, in those days she was so stunning
www.fswmag.com
“It was tough
uprooting once more, but you gotta do what you gotta do,” said Foong Kwan with a smile shrugging her shoulders. I think it is simply magnificent that as a mother, she sacrificed for her sons, and as a wife, she sacrifices now for her mother-in- law. So back home in Malaysia, she passes her time playing golf and playing bridge. It is not a bad life at all!
that many of us who were her friends were hopelessly jealous of her looks! Jeannie’s husband, noted anesthetist and one of the Founders of Pantai Hospital, passed away some years ago, and with her sons grown, one married and living abroad and only one living in Malaysia with her, Jeannie passes her time doing social work. She is an active Committee Member of the Royal Lake Club’s Wine Panel in which capacity she tastes and test wines on a monthly basis to select wines for club members at the various F&B outlets. She also participates actively on her neighborhood’s private security management team, helps out with her church’s website and more importantly, looks after her bed- ridden mother. We also had Shahreen
Kamaluddin, a very old and dear pal who was my roommate for two years. I watched her date her husband Kamal (who looked like Omar Sharif in those days very handsome!) Like my husband, Kamal was working at Tenaga Nasional then. We used to exchange notes on how handsome our then-boyfriends were haha! Shahreen was my fi rst encounter with a mixed marriage, and living with her, I learned fi rst-hand all the
challenges and discoveries that come with falling in love with someone from another race, embracing their differences in the most wonderful ways. In Malaysia of course, it is easy to fall in love with someone from another race, as we are a country comprising three major
races –
Malays, Chinese and Indians – who all practise very diff erent religions. We also have small minorities of Eurasians and other mixtures besides. I love this diversity of ours. It is what makes our country rather special. Shahreen lectured at the MARA institute of Technology – now a University, for many years, before setting up her own highly successful Public Relations fi rm consulting for various government and non-government organizations for their corporate PR. She is also a self empowerment author trainer and coach. Later, there were to be others amongst our College mates who would fall in love then marry outside their race. For us, it was very natural, and I remember fi nding it all very romantic indeed. Sadly, not a few had to elope before having their families accept their choices. We were a young country then, fi nding our feet as an adolescent nation with a diversifi ed population hungry for new opportunities, yet also youthful and open-minded, wanting to savour life’s many pleasures. Happily, I can report that ALL
the mixed marriages of my friends have lasted and thrived all these years, and many of our women friends have become grandmothers to exceptionally beautiful children. Kids of mixed parentage always seem to inherit the best of both parents! I think this
is something worth
rejoicing, and I recall in those days how truly spontaneous we were in our acceptance of each other. I guess this is what makes Malaysia such a great country.
Another lady who joined us for
our lunch was Foong Kwan. My husband and I used to hang out quite a lot with her and her dentist husband Tze Yin. But when their boys came, they decided to “migrate to Australia to take advantage of the Australian
NOVEMBER 2015 | FENGSHUIWORLD 41
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