Reminiscence

I've been quite the busy beaver the last two days. Nothing really serious, just regular work things. Except that during these two days, these work things have been coming at me faster and harder than usual. I hardly have any time to sit. And tomorrow evening, I have to attend a meeting. I don't like meetings. A least I don't have to take minutes this around.
 
My colleague just bought himself a camera. It's the immensely cool Nikon Coolpix 4100. An itty bitty little thing. Despite that, it takes 4MPx pics and has more features than you can shake a dead cat at. I'm thoroughly impressed. I'm probably get the lighter one, the Coolpix 3900. Exactly the same except it's 3+MPx instead. To aid my cause in acquiring this handy little gadget, I've also applied for a Mastercard today. About time I got one. I'll probably buy the cam in August or September. Then we'll have yet another person taking pictures during our blog meets.
 
Despite the day's hecticness, I did manage to have one pleasing experience today. During lunch, I had to stay in and troubleshoot a tape drive. So while doing that I decided to google names of friends. But first, some back story.
 
Back in college, I knew this Dusun Sabahan girl (for those not familiar with Malaysian ethicology, Dusun - her race, Sabah - state of origin ). Her name is Mimy Connie Indra. Now in the college student stereotype line-up you have them gorgeous but otherwise vacuous tramps who are also not very adept at academica, and you also have your brilliant brainiacs who also have severe wallflower tendencies.
 
Mimy had the best of both worlds. She's been in beauty contests where one time she finished second. She had a string of admirers, enamoured by her dynamic charm and personality. She was always the centre of attention, with her exotic looks, hair and the way she walked. But she was also an accomplished student, a real academic powerhouse who scored 3 plus pointers semester after semester without batting an eye-lid and despite severe personal problems. Despite all these things, she was never stuck up and never forgot who she was and who her real friends were. She's not perfect (who is these days ?) but to most people she was the complete package. But to me she was more than that.
 
She was my friend. We were in the same class together and I remember the times when we would reserve seats for the other if the other was late. Those were good times.
 
Before I met Mimy, beauty & brains did not exist together. Up til then I thought these two traits were mutually exclusive and I thought I had the evidence to prove it. She took care of that theory within the first 30 minutes of me knowing her (by the way, we met at 5.30am on July 14th 1991 during orientation week).
 
To cut a really really long story short, she was one highlight in my maddeningly depressing college life. We weren't always close especially in the middle of my 3rd year in college. But we started hanging again in the final year when she was preparing her thesis (if I'm not wrong I think it was "Protocol for voice transfer over network". No big deal nowadays but in 1995-96, this technology DID NOT even exist) while I was struggling to wrap up my diploma, which was delayed due to ill health and worse results.
 
We went our separate ways after graduation but hooked up again a few months later while I was in KL for a training stint. She graciously invited me to stay with her at her apartment. I was flattered even though when I think of it now it was probably because her housemate was away and she didn't want to be alone. We caught up on old times and when I got back to Kuching, we called each other quite a lot.
 
And then not long after that she got involved with this Italian guy. We talked about this a lot. Later she told me that she was thinking about going to Italy and working in Europe. I told her to go (I think, I don't remember). She went and I've not heard from her since. That was 1998 if I'm not mistaken.
 
Right now I'm suddenly recalling one conversation we had. She was talking about her friends and some guy that one of her friends were interested in. Turns out that that guy was interested in Mimy instead. So her friend (who in fact I also know) got really upset and said some spiteful things. So we were talking and she said (and I'll never, ever forget this),"What am I supposed to do Mac ? What can I do if (some guy's name) likes me and not (friend's name) ? She keeps saying that,"Mimy is so much prettier than me, that's why all the guys like her ? She's my friend. Do you know how bad all this makes me feel ? What am I supposed to do ?".
 
Dear God how I miss her.
 
Well, anyway back to the Google story. U googled her name and it came up top of the list.
 
It was an old (2002) newsletter from some American software company.  And one article mentioned a product demo by a Mimy Connie Indra, an expert network engineer. It could've been anybody right ? I read the story again and I'm 99.988% certain that it was talking about the Mimy I knew in college. The Mimy I used to hang out with. The Mimy who once passed me her completed programming assignment, source codes, hard copy, lock, stock & two smoking barrels so that I could "refer" to it to finish mine (which was overdue, naturally).
 
I did some more digging and found that she may be working at a company called BMC Software, a multinational with world wide offices. The Net trail went as far as there.
 
Now, I'm quite pragmatic. She may have forgotten about me. She may be impossible to trace and she may not want to be traced. Perhaps I'll never, ever see her again. I get that.
 
It's just so good to see that name again and re-awaken all those memories (she once told me that she thought my memory and attention to detail was amazing *heeheehee*). I always say that my college years was a dark, damp & depressing time of my life.
 
But I knew Mimy and we were buds and we trusted and helped each other. If it weren't for her, college would have been so much worse. I think back and I knew guys who'd KILL to be that close to her. In retrospect, college wasn't so bad after all...
 
And for that and so many things, Mimy I'm eternally grateful. I hope one day I get a chance to say that to your face.
 
And in the off chance (or rather infinitesimally small chance) that you've stumbled on this blog, leave a note and I'll call you.