Today is my first class of Comparative
Politics. I was quite nervous about it because I haven’t learned about it in my
degree times. I was an International Relations student back then. I was nervous
about my friends too, are they going to be very smart? Am I going to be left
behind and get lost in the lectures? Things are running in my mind while I’m
walking to my faculty until I saw this familiar face when I entered the building.
This
man? He’s here? He should be my senior then? But, probably he’s from the other
department. Or.... not? He kept walking with his African friend towards the
class and I kept walking behind him. Then I realize that I need to look for my
class. So I went here and there and I couldn’t find my class. I asked to some
student who looked like familiar to the faculty.
“Excuse me, do you know where this class
is?”
“It’s right there sister, right behind you,
hehe”
God, I think my face turned red. It was so
close and I couldn’t find it. I looked like a lazy person who only takes
shortcuts by asking people without struggling in first place. I thanked them
and entered the class. There were no single female there, and guess who was across
the female seat? That man I met in the bus for the first time, my bus
coordinator in the PostGraduate (PG) KL Tour. The man who walked in front of me
on my way to class. He’s MY CLASSMATE?
In short, the new PG student were given a
complimentary “Know Kuala Lumpur” tour before the classes start. It was the
initiative from the advanced PG students organization called the Post Graduate
Student Society (PGSS). This brother, I think he’s either from India or Bangladesh,
was the bus No. 2 coordinator, in which I was in there. Me and my friend used
to make fun of him in the bus, copying the way he talks. And there was one
embarrasing moment when I was talking to my friend. We were talking about the
situation of when a beginner
photographer takes pictures,
“It is pity for the model when a beginner
photographer tried to take picture, the photographer would set the camera for
some while and the model has to keep smiling until their teeth dries. Hahaha. Or,
until their beards grow and the photographer didn’t even finish setting. Hahaha.”
Then suddenly that brother looked towards
us and touching his beard. Maybe I was too loud, I was so embarrassed and clarified
to him. “No no no brother, we were not talking about you, really. It was
something else.” He turned back and we burst to laugh behind the front chair
avoiding him to notice us laughing.
So that was it about that brother. Back to
the class. One by one my classmates entered the room. It was dominated by men,
out of fifteen there were only six females. We all waited for the Professor to
come. He was 30 minutes late. Then he entered. “Assalamu’alaikum”
He’s a Tanzanian who happened to Marry a
Malaysian. The way he explain things was so clear. I understand each and every
word he said. But I have this habit of losing my focus after some time. He asked
“Is there any student here who comes from other department?” I confidently
raised my hand. He asked
“You
are from?”
“International
Relations”
“Which means?”
“Means?”
“You
didn’t learn anything about political science? That’s impossible”
“No
Sir, I have, I just haven’t learned comparative politics”
“International Relations is under political
science, you should be a political science student. It’s the same thing, never
mind”
I would like to explain further but he
continued his introduction of the subject and I was confused. After a while I
realized, what he meant was not “what was your bachelor degree?” but “are you
all from political science department?” I just realized that this is not
Indonesia where only the students from same department could enter. This is
International standard university, where student from other department could
also join the class. I was so much embarrased and kept thinking that he would
point me and notice me the whole semester. Very much! but anyway, I was
thankful that he was a very democratic lecturer. I’d probably have a less
nervewrecking class with this type of lecturer.
The other embarrasing moment was when we
finished the class. One Malaysian girl asked me. “You are Marwah right? Do you
know Agus?” “No I don’t. Male? Female?” “Female, she said she has a friend
joining this class” “I’m not sure, maybe she knows me and I don’t know her. It used
to happen, they know me and I don’t know them. I don’t know where they know me
from.” Then suddenly they make faces like “Oh my, she’s over confident. Is she
someone famous or what?” I was confused why they make such faces. Just after
they left the class I realized Aaaah! I shouldn’t say that. This is not my
previous university where people knows me because I was quite well known for my
activities in campus. This is a new campus where no one knows you and that you
need to watch every single word that comes out from your mouth! You should have
said “I’m not sure, I’m bad at memorizing names, maybe if I see her face I will
know” now, not only I’m well known for not paying attention to the class, but
also full of herself. Uuurgh. I messed my first impression with my classmates!
