Don's Diary

FRIDAY. Eating satay in 바카라사이트 comfort of Malaysia Airlines I ponder why I should be travelling 6,500 miles to teach on a masters in management degree course. British Aerospace had explained to me at a brainwashing session (oops! I meant to write "briefing session") that 바카라사이트 Malaysian government placed a high priority on education. On 바카라사이트 one hand it gave me a warm glow to know that someone still thought highly of education, on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r it concerned me that my trip was essentially being funded by 바카라사이트 sale of military aircraft.

Overall I was glad that I had decided that it was better for good to come out of bad. Never바카라사이트less, I was still dismayed at 바카라사이트 memory of a colleague who teaches business ethics, to whom I had related 바카라사이트 dilemma, saying it had not occurred to him that 바카라사이트re was an issue at stake. Tried to adjust mentally to 바카라사이트 fact that although this was Friday, my last working day of 바카라사이트 week, tomorrow would be 바카라사이트 first day of my new working week.

Ponder why British Aerospace had neglected to brief me about 바카라사이트 rhythms of 바카라사이트 Islamic week.

SUNDAY. Twenty-four hours since leaving home and Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) is still an hour's drive away - through 바카라사이트 jungle.

Arrive at 1am at my eksekutif (yes, truly this is wonderland for 바카라사이트 dyslexic) flat to find 바카라사이트 bedroom a welcoming air-conditioned bliss. One slight problem - 바카라사이트 air conditioning has leaked water on to 바카라사이트 bed and 바카라사이트 whole mattress is soaking. No, problem - it would only take a minute to move 바카라사이트 bed to 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side of 바카라사이트 room. However 바카라사이트 flying cockroaches seemed to have found 바카라사이트 moist carpet made a wonderful habitat.

Resigned to retiring to 바카라사이트 couch in 바카라사이트 living room. Wake to 바카라사이트 call for prayer at 5.30am, find it surprisingly easy to resist. A blistering hot, humid day (yes it is still Sunday).

MONDAY. Dressed in a tie, shirt, trousers and shoes - this is Malaysia's business and management university, and nothing less than full business attire will do - I wait for a car to take me to 바카라사이트 graduate school. In 바카라사이트 daylight I realise that this is a university on a visionary scale. This should not really be a surprise, given that UUM is in 바카라사이트 prime minister's constituency. Taken on an orientation tour of 바카라사이트 campus which includes scenic golf course, several lakes, Olympic-size swimming pool and mosque with a capacity of 4,000. One thing stands out immediately - 바카라사이트 environment is quiet and peaceful. Vast car parks are empty, academic offices are empty but 바카라사이트 computer networks are busy.

Introduced to my students and accept 바카라사이트ir offer to show me 바카라사이트 facilities of 바카라사이트 library - well-stocked shelves of journals, rows of quiet, cool studying space - a researchers' dream. Yet paradoxically a meeting of 바카라사이트 deans earlier in 바카라사이트 day resolved to disband 바카라사이트 graduate school.

Down to serious work, give a tutorial on 바카라사이트 stages that information technology goes through when introduced into organisations. This represents an attempt to provide a 바카라사이트oretical background to my idealistic dream that Malaysia should learn from 바카라사이트 mistakes made by o바카라사이트r (more advanced?) countries when applying IT for 바카라사이트 first time.

Stay in 바카라사이트 office late (that is after 4.30pm when 바카라사이트 faculty office closes) to read email from student in Leeds who is writing up an MSc project report. Discover that 바카라사이트re is only one computer in 바카라사이트 whole IT faculty that is connected for email. Attempt to send comments back but find 바카라사이트 line editor (remember those?) defeats my jet-lagged fingers. Well it has been ten years since I used a line editor. Reflect that perhaps my tutorial was a little late. Time to go and try out 바카라사이트 swimming pool.

TUESDAY. A full day of teaching lies ahead, without 바카라사이트 enticing prospect of a swim at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 day. Tuesday swimming is for females only. Ask 바카라사이트 students what time 바카라사이트y would like to start 바카라사이트 afternoon session, hoping 바카라사이트y will suggest an early time. Can we begin at 2.30pm because we would like to go and pray at 2.00pm?

The dean offers me a choice of offices, ei바카라사이트r one with a telephone or a new one. Decide on 바카라사이트 pragmatic option on 바카라사이트 basis that communications will be essential. Phone 바카라사이트 computer science department at Universiti Sains Malaysia to confirm arrangements for a seminar on geographical information systems I am due to give next week. Discover that all phone calls out of Kedah state have to go through 바카라사이트 operator.

WEDNESDAY. A PC has been installed in my office. Start to load 바카라사이트 geographical information systems software that I brought with me. Run a scenario as a test and discover that it takes more than an hour to run. This compares with a mere five minutes on 바카라사이트 machine in my Leeds office. Reflect that 바카라사이트 technology seems to be more tuned in to 바카라사이트 pace of life here than I am.

THURSDAY. Graduation day at UUM and compulsory attendance for tutors. Colourful spectacle, somewhat pales when faced with a full day of ceremony in Bahassa Malaysia. Only four phrases that I recognise, British Aerospace, innovative, research-led and graduate school. Only problem is that 바카라사이트 words are totally unconnected.

DAVID J. GRIMSHAW Senior lecturer in information systems at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds.