The blogger reproduces the email exchanges with his most-learned e-buddy Dr JB Lim further to the previous posting on “Extra curricular studies for our students” as follows:
On Sun, Jul 28, 2013 at 12:42 PM, Tai Onn Lau wrote:
Dear Great Sifu Dr. JB Lim,
Thanks for your compliments about my blogging again (you have already done that so many times before). I’m truly flattered. Despite that your ‘Scientific Logic’ blog is slightly plainer than my blog (e.g. http://taionn.blogspot.com/2013/07/extra-curricular-studies-for-our.html), when it comes to writing and speaking, I’m light years behind you!
I believe it really depends on the individual for his/her love of any science and/or arts subjects whether the subjects are taught or not in the university. In my case, I was equally good in Mathematics as well as Chinese Language/Chinese Literature and English Grammar during my school time because I had interest in these subjects. There were some new acquaintances after knowing that I am both a professional engineer as well as an amateur writer/columnist flattered me for being “文武双全” (wén wǔ shuāng quán), literally meaning ‘adept with both the pen and the sword’ or versed in both literature and military affairs. I would humbly reply that one is a hobby and the other to ‘cari makan’. In fact, you and many other e-buddies are all the same “wén wǔ shuāng quán”. Emails of strictly technical nature would be very very boring to read and not very welcome by us e-buddies.
Thank you.
Regards,
Lau
(a practicing engineer still struggling to make ends meet in contrast with you happy retirees)
P/s: May I reiterate that I am not a ‘Sifu’, let alone a ‘Great Sifu’ like you, a truly versatile and knowledgeable ‘Great Grand Master (borrowing OGS’s word) of all trades‘ and please don’t address me as such in the future, will you? Thank you very much.
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From: lim juboo
Sent: Monday, 29 July 2013 7:19 PM
Okay, okay, I will not call you Great Grand Sifu in so many fields, but I shall just call you an Engineering Sifu who built great walls and structures that even horrendous earthquakes cannot even vibrate.
The reason why I write is because you put a smile into my face this afternoon reading your blog containing the exchange of e-mails on the extracurricular subjects studied at universities. You literally painted the exchange of info and experiences, including university logo and emblems and posted them into your blog. I least expected this.
This Internet is very queer! All kinds of things and personal exchange of ideas and experiences are put there. Hopefully your visitors read them just for entertainment.
jb
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Mo, 29 Jul 2013 at 8:23 PM
FROM: Tai Onn Lau
Dear Great Sifu Dr. JB Lim,
What a great relief now that you finally agreed not to continue to embarrass me by addressing me a ‘Sifu’! Please also don’t call me ‘Engineering Sifu’ lah…. Just ‘Lau’ or ‘TO’ will do, like what the Chief High Priest of Evolution Temple does and I always find this simple address intimate and nice (because you guys are more senior in age than me mah).
Besides, I am not very sure if ‘the great walls and structures’ I designed that you said ‘even horrendous earthquakes cannot even vibrate’ CAN STAND your powerful ‘milo-tin violin’ because if your violin sound accidentally excite the natural frequencies of my walls and structures, they would crumble in no time.
On a more serious note, I find all the personal ideas and experiences written by you all this while, mostly earnest and sometime light-hearted, are very informative, interesting and of course also entertaining to readers because you really SPEAK THE TRUTH (that reminds me of the motto of the Chief High Priest of ET who maintains that he ‘always speaks the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth’, and when he slips up, he would argue ‘to err is human’).
Thank you for all your contributions that make my blog worthy of visiting by my readers.
Warmest regards,
Lau