INTER-STELLA (CHONG)

Countless consultations on Stella's thesis at Rozana's Batik in Lebuh Acheh, Penang.

Stella, after more than 3 years of persistence and perseverance, including having to encounter two deaths (your mother and then my father), plus so many other obstacles and hurdles that life can throw at you, you have prevailed. You have been amongst very few students who had to endure my 'angin', a privilege given to only few brave souls. At times, you had to face my 'wrath', including at our usual consultation site, Kak Ana's Rozana's Batik. Yet, you stayed, and trusted  me, a rock-pencen and long-haired lecturer with questionable emotional intelligence. In fact, I can't recall having many Masters' students (by research) to supervise, except maybe so few (mixed-mode), to a point that the numbers are an embarrassment, and will not able to support my KPIs or any personal job promotion agendas. But I believe in quality, not quantity, in living not just having. Supervising you has given me the opportunity to re-learn, re-new and re-fresh myself. It has also been a test. At one point, I remember checking, correcting and editing your thesis while I was caring for my father in hospital before he passed away. 

Yours has been a challenging journey, with a path 'less taken'. I believe that by now you have understood that the whole journey is not just about having to finish or complete a task, or to 'wear a jubah' and receive a scroll, but much deeper than that. The whole journey was meant to unveil the 'hero' in you, your 'inner-stellar' as well as 'inter-stellar'.

Congratulations for a successful Masters' thesis viva. Congratulation for being nominated as a potential recipient of  best thesis award. See, if you invest in the pursuit of quality, with a strong vision, a courage to take a path less taken, driven by so much humility, sincerity, passion and gratitude, until they become your second nature, what many people take as success will just fall into your lap, without any force, without you having to brag, to shout, to bark, to update status, to twit, to instagram...whatever, to the whole world.

As your humble servant, I am deeply proud and honored.