The Reunion

My association with Facebook (FB) is best described as "neither dead nor alive". It is an on-again and off-again kind of thing. It often makes me wonder why people go crazy over FB. I have yet to uncover the pleasures that many find so irresistible. However, something happened recently which compelled me to scramble back to Facebook.

Things changed (for better or worse I have yet to ascertain) after I attended a UPM (Universiti Pertanian Malaysia) Reunion recently here in Alor Setar. Friends, some of whom I had never met since the day we parted ( more than 35 years ago) were there. Amidst all the hugs and kisses and shouts of excitement, there was no escaping the word "Facebook"  that kept on echoing throughout the excited conversation. Everybody was telling everybody else to download (or is it upload) the photos onto Facebook.

I was " well prepared" for the gathering like all the rest. I had the camera fully charged the night before and dumped safely into my handbag. One has to be well-equipped these days, especially when one is a blogger, albeit a very lazy one like yous truly. I was confident there was no necessity for me to rely on friends, much less on FB, to get the pictures for my blog.

So I set out for Sri Malaysia the next morning feeling extremely happy at the thought of seeing old friends again and the fact that I was sufficiently prepared to record our precious moments together made me feel doubly thrilled. But sometimes things don't always  turn out the way you want them to and that's exactly what happened to me that day.

After the initial excitement at seeing them all again had subsided, I dug into my handbag for the camera and started  taking pictures as planned. After about 10 shots, I was aghast to read "Battery Exhausted" on the tiny screen. I pressed all the buttons visible in the hope of reviving it but to no avail. Disappointed and  a little bit angry, I had no other alternatives but to meekly request these long-lost friends to post their pictures onto the walls of their FB!! I was not really certain at that point, how to put the request to good use but  that could be resolved later, I told myself. I suppose I could use the phone's camera but I didn't want to exhaust that battery, too.

There was nothing on my wall or my friends' the next day. and the day after. Then,they came. An avalanche of pictures accompanied by numerous comments from friends who were present at Sri Malaysia as well as those who were not able to make it that day. Needless to say I was glued to the laptop. My interest in FB was once again renewed. But, for how long, I just can't say.

The young and the old me paired by En. Ahmad Fuad Muhammad, a fellow graduate of UPM

That's Ahmad Fuad teasing me about the huge glasses I wore during my student days

From left, Dr. Meriam, Khamariah Khalid, Dr. Noor Aziah and me

Greeting an old friend, Rabiah Md Aris

Those present from the Class of 75, seated from left, Ahmad Fuad, Nafisah Hassan (Fuad's wife), Masitah Arshad, Dato Mastika Junaidah, Dr. Noor Aziah and me. Those guys standing, Sorry! You all look so different now. Don't blame me for forgetting your names!!!! Kolej Pertanian was upgraded to Universiti Pertanian the year I joined it.

Dr. Noor Aziah and me. We were very close back then. Still are now. Dr. Noor Aziah was the Freshie Queen.