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| Leaving for London from Subang International Airport. Check out our platform shoes! (1974) |
The one-year stint as a student in London was something I had really looked forward to, having missed my chance to go overseas for my first degree. And indeed it was a very hectic year, juggling between being a student and a tourist (?). In the beginning, the foreign students had to undergo an orientation programme, at the end of which we sat for an examination to be gauged on our IQ and our grasp of the English language. Apart from me, there were three other Malaysians (RJ, WM and Ruby), a Sudanese Fatma, a Syrian Hana M, a Singaporean SY, a Rhodesian Usha, Paul from an African nation I can't remember which (Kenya?), and a couple others whose names/countries I can't recall. Tsk! Tsk! I thought my long term memory should be better than this.
Anyway I do remember that on arrival in London we (the Malaysian students) did not receive our measly monthly stipend of 80 pounds sterling for about two months or was it three? Some of us ran out of the money we came with and so had to live quite frugally! Lucky for me I had an uncle and his family in London to scrounge off, when really necessary (i.e. should I be dying of hunger!)
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| With RJ on the doorstep of the PNL (1974) |
Our accomodation was at 44 Duncan Terrace, a short bus ride from the Poly. I shared a room there with a succesion of girls from Nigeria, South Africa and also Malaysia. The place was managed by nuns and these Sisters provided board (breakfast only) and lodging. Breakfasts were very early in the day and if late, there was none for you. The Sisters were also strict about what you had. There was coffee & tea, cereal with milk, and toast daily, but you had to choose between an egg or a fruit! Some girls who insisted on having both would do all sorts of tricks to get them. But they had to get past Sister Margaret and it was never easy.
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| Christmas at 44 Duncan Terrace (1974) |
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| My room at 44 DT (1974) |
Of the lecturers I remember Ms Claire Jessop, very prim and proper; Mr Shaughnessy (not sure of the spelling, but I remember him as most good looking with his jambang/sideburns!); Mr John Strickland, also my supervisor, though I sat as far as possible from him, especially if sessions were scheduled after lunch (remember this is London and pubs abound!). There was also Mr Weber whose lectures were delivered to the ceiling above instead of to us students below. The Poly's small library on librarianship was great because you just walk in and take whatever book/serial you needed and do a self checkout, or not, if you are in a hurry. Just bring them back, it was all based on trust.
Other than lectures and tutorials, we had practical stints at libraries in London. I did a stint at a public library in Charing Cross and another at a college library at Elephant & Castle. At the end of our course at the Poly we sat for the exams and having passed, earned our University of London postgraduate diploma in Library and Information Studies. (PNL was affiliated with this Uni.)
As indicated earlier it was not all study, study, study. The British Council was most helpful to foreign students who wanted to discover the UK. They often organised trips around the British Isles and I took every opportunity to join these, sometimes missing some classes/tutorials (oops! did I really say that I missed classes/tutorials to go gallivanting like a tourist?)
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| At Hampstead Heath, with library course mates, Fatma, Ruby, RJ and Hana. Photo taken by another course mate WM (1975) |
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