HereWeMeet

Sincerity

2009-09-01T23:39:00.003+01:00

Ahaks! Again..it's been almost a year! since my last update..sorry blog for keeping u covered with spiderwebs! hahaha! I decided to continue blogging..and hope will continue..

Today, I've a story to tell..a simple event that has left me quite a deep mark that made me reflect on many things...to be aware and more thankful for things that happen in life.

7.45pm, I was still waiting at the bus stop for the bus to go home. Trying to control the shiver due to cold winds from the heavy rain, my mind got carried away thinking - flight tickets bought ok that's settled; hotels to book soon, which hotel?what price?; what's for menu?how many people are coming?; how to move on with the last bit of the program i finished earlier today? what to present for this week's discussion..zillion others came by and went off within split seconds..

7.47pm, the Brighton & Hove bus finally approach the bus stop, I felt relieved - that I didn't have to be in the cold longer than expected and that I'd reach home very soon to prepare food for tonite's dinner. Work early in the morning added with a good number of booked appointments due to the beginning of new student intake; complete focus on research work and further decision-based thinking left me almost drained for the day. Not allowing the mind to blame myself not returning home earlier, I quickly got on the bus. Normally seated upstairs, somehow..I decided to seat downstairs, got myself seated somewhere in the middle of the bus. As the bus moved, I gazed around looking at people around, there were not many and my gaze stopped at an elderly man(perhaps in his 60s) who was also looking directly at me, I nodded and exchange a smile.

Looking outside the window in the dusk, my mind continue to generate..2 things were in mind.."what's for breaking fast?"- it's only a few minutes away from Maghrib and the tummy's been grumbling seeking for attention!, but a more interesting question kept bugging me.."am i really lucky?" - a question pondered over the line I was told by a friend that "i have always been" a while before leaving school. A question that I have missed to pay careful attention long time ago that would definitely made me become a more thankful human being so long ago..

While making every mindful effort not to fall into deep thinking with more questions, my eyes catched the elderly man who was staring at me while occasionally looking out the window suddenly stood up and walked to his groceries bag located at the front part of the bus, ic..he just did his groceries..hmm..lots of food..at that instance, I thought..hmm..wouldn't it be nice if I were to have at least a bar of choc in my bag to break fast.. It was already the time for breaking fast, but had nothing to munch, it wouldn't be long to reach home..I thought. Out of sudden, the man approached me with a smile and handed me a bar of an unopened sainsbury's choc bar, apart from giving it away to two other girls who got in the bus at the same as I did. I was staggered! whut?! Never has it occured to me for 1 and half years ago to receive anything at such a spontaneous scenario in the Brighton and Hove bus! The other girls were confused and shocked too. That left me speechless that I was almost unable to say out a simple thank you, although a bit shaky..i did say it out and a smile in return once again left me disoriented..but somehow..I felt a gush of relieve that I had something to break fast as the clock was approaching 8pm. Blanky, I twist and turn the choc bar....unknowingly whether I should eat or leave it...I've never trusted, never dared to eat any form of food given by strangers but strangely..I felt this one is an exceptional..Somehow, a mutual trust/agreement exist between myself and the elderly man who handed me the choc. It's as if he knew that I was supposed to be breaking fast and didn't have anything to eat, thus gave me the bar. Whether or not it was correct, that was my final conclusion.

I then open the bar and ate almost all of them while not trying to look at the man but realized (from a brief glance) that he felt relieved too for doing a small favour which meant extremely huge to another human being(me!). From his expression, I could read that he was glad for handing over a piece of food to me. At that point of time, the question I was thinking about previous to that struck my mind again..this time with an answer .."yes, i have ALWAYS been very lucky"...from the day I first took my breath, I have always been very very lucky but have failed to realize to be very very thankful until today when a stranger did something common but left me to realize many things. He stopped 2 stations before me and I managed to whisper thank you before he left the bus, and saw him nodding happily with a big wave while looking at me through the window as the bus moved. Knowing the fact that a stanger actually offered me help(which I consider sincere), I was close to tears.

I couldnt hold it any longer as I got off the bus. Tears fell through my cheeks as how it rained earlier today. It wasn't because of being emotional, but because of being extremely thankful for god's creation..for the feeling of pity, humanity, sincerity and a whole lot of endless list. It marks me most to realize that I have always been lucky in many sense - to have a loving mother who never fails to pray for me, to be nagged so that I become a better human, to have a wonderful family whom without fail are always there for me, to have a constant good academic background that I never completely understand to value, to love and be loved, to be surrounded and always be supported by real friends and most of all to realize that being humble and sincere will guide u through to become a better person..all of which are my pillars of strength which I have ALWAYS taken for granted by not caring enough...

Today's experience wasn't a new one to me..I didn't learn new lessons, but it has tremendously strenghtened my views on a few things :

When helping others, help with a full since heart as that's what you'll get in return. You may get the same in a near future or it may be in many years to come. Perhaps not from the same person, perhaps a stranger..just as what has happened to me. It feels extraordinarily relieved when somebody offers help at the time u need the most. After all, you get what you give...
At times, trust and follow your instinct as you never know if it will bring you to the unexpected... (I wouldn't get this experience if I were to return home early or were to sit upstairs!)
It's actually more than luck when u feel that u've been lucky... It's actually effort that makes the luck to happen...I learn my lesson.

Thank you for coming to the end of this unintended essay!

A year has passed...

2008-12-29T00:10:00.000Z

29th December 2008, today..is exactly a year since I lay my foot in the Great Britain. Wow..can't believe I'm already 12months living in another part of the world. Felt like it was only yesterday that I was busy preparing myself for the (I thought) long stay I've to bear with until my studies finish. But hey, after a year..i now feel time is ticking way too fast! huhuu..

Today, but last year...I could still recall family,relatives and friends sending me off at the airport with so much hopes and good luck wishes; thinking bout the million possibilities awaiting me during the endless journey in flight with even more questions in mind as the plane touches the ground of the completely (somewhat) new place in my life...and the next episode of my life begins...

A year in the UK has passed(so quickly). It's of course so much to say about what I've faced, what I've learned, where I've been, what I've done - well..everyone does. Perhaps, no one really wants to read the tales of a normal person. But, what I'd like to share is..I'm glad that I got myself into all the things that's happened to me for the past one year, a point which directed me to the meaning of independent(apart from others) in (very much) many aspects of life which (I hope) would result to a better me. Well, at least for now..I'm happy with myself but always hope to be not perfect but better(in if possible everything - although I know it's technically quite impossible) tomorrow, subsequently the following years.

Just 12months back, on this same day..I was at my cousin's house after a long 12hours journey from my home country. And now, 12 months later at 12am, I'm back here at his house for a short break from my studies. It feels good to have relatives around for a new year celebration. ;) Perhaps, I should be back again next year even if they're no longer here. O yes, it's also a coincidence that the new year is approaching soon, the year is celebrating its birthday again, for the 2009th. I wonder what's awaiting me in the coming year, let the new diary opens its page..

Another shopping day

2008-12-27T22:42:00.006Z

This evening we went to Nottingham's shopping area, can't recall what it's called. But what I can clearly recall is that it has a great deal of interesting outlets..Next, Dunelm, TkMaxx, DP, Miss Selfridge, many more. It's a shame the daytime is shorter this time of the year, thanks to winter! Hence, back home early. But hey, our visit didn't end there..

We then went to Loughborough town. Could still recall, almost a year ago..I was so fascinated with High Street areas in England when I first visited the town's shopping area after arrival. Today, the memories were drawn together reminding me how fast time passes by. We went to a few shops, returned the clothings I didn't want back to Next, went to Primark, had hot drinks at Costa, continued our mission at Home Bargains for cheap home stuff before heading back home for a delicious Mee Hailam!

Boxing Day

2008-12-26T23:32:00.007Z

It's the sale of year! 26th December 2008, the day when shoppers go mad! It's Boxing Day, a well known day (after Christmas) where shops and outlets cut down prices up to 70- 90% purely for their beloved customers, taking me as an example..(blink,blink). Together with my cousin and his wife, all of us went to York Designer Outlet, my shopping haven. with my recent visit to York, I am now left with 2 more out of 7 McArthurGlen's outlets in the UK that I always look forward to visit in the future(hopefully soon!).

So, what's so nice abt shopping during boxing day? Simple, things can be cheap for most well known labels. Back at home, it's just a dream to own designer's clothings such as M&S, Timberland, Gap, Polo and many more. But here during boxing day, prices of these labels can be as low as 5pounds! Another reason shopping can be fun. ;)

We were there just before the shops open their doors and were among the last to leave when shops were about to close their doors. Perfect. Among the things I bought : many clothes, chocs, cosmetics and many more to come..

Meals on Christmas

2008-12-25T23:25:00.002Z

It's Christmas and shops are closed. Earlier this morning we had Sheperds Pie which I made. Tho it was a bit salty we finished it at one go. Better recipe has got to be considered in next attempt! A couple of my cousin's friends invited us for meals later in the evening. We went with empty tummies and had them filled with chicken meals - the first was 'Nasi Ayam' and the second was a Christmas meal - stuffed chicken served with crispy potatoes, honeyed carrots and it's related white vege cousin..parsnip, rice and chicken gravy..huhuuu! poor me! :/ But, all in all..it was a wonderful gathering. Can't wait for tomorrow's sale! hip hip hooray! ;)

Like A Princess..

2008-12-24T23:02:00.002Z

Hi! I'm already at my cousin's place in the Midlands. Heeheee..feeling like a princess today. Since I arrived this evening, I've been so welcomed by this couple. My cousin's wife cooked 'Maghluba rice' for me, the arabic meal I've craved for a while now..as usual, I had almost 5 plates of the rice and it was yummy! :)) ..After that we watched tv, a means of entertainment I missed to appreciate 25 years ago! geez..Not very long after, my cousin surprised me with a gift! It was a Davidoff Perfume set, the one I've been eyeing on for ages but never actually bought them myself all this while. When I was still blooming happily, they once again made me felt like the luckiest person on earth by bringing in a homemade chocolate cake and my favourite drink, bandung sirap! how sweet.. *blink2, blush, blush*.. only then, i asked what all those were for, and the given answer was..my belated birthday celebration...sweet..thank you very much and i love u guys! muuuaax!

Christmas Gift

2008-12-23T23:31:00.002Z

Today's the last day of of me at the university for this year! Tomorrow onwards, I'm off to my cousin's in the midlands (Loughborough) for a short break. heee..can't wait for the boxing day sale! wonder where's my cousin and wife are planning to bring me...the only hint i got was, "a special place"...hmm..it better be!

Speaking of special..I do feel special today..and why's that? Only one reason.. to my surprise..I got a Christmas present! nice..it's from my landlord's family. They're so thoughful and sweet! Didn't expect they'd surprise me with the pressie today as how they were went I sent up theirs yesterday. The gift nicely wrapped in a golden box were left on my dining table just before they went away for Christmas..anyhow, thanks very much to the family..To Gerard,Kirsten, Caitlin and Rowan, Have a wonderful Christmas and a great new year celebration! Love, Unaizah.

Day Off

2008-12-21T00:36:00.007Z

today i had a completely day off from my normal routine - didnt cook and didnt think bout studies at all..felt like i had no responsibilities! light like a feather..heeheeee..it's sometimes a must to break the routine to stay in tune. pretty much like a warm reboot(restart) for a computer, albeit better than a crash, of course very much better than the blue screen of death!

so what did i do today? spent an entire day visiting friends. one of the important rules in life to keep one alive and sane! :) went to baizura and huda's palace in the middle of the town. did i tell u guys that u've a nice and cosy place to lepak2..these ppl are experts when it comes to cooking! we had soto daging and it was simply delicious! i ate like 7 or 8 times, gawd, unaizah! say a little prayer before eating..hmm..dont forget to share the recipe guys! the agenda was eating and chatting in alternate order..ideal one. it continued until nite when we decided to have pizza for dinner. we sent fahmi & shaiful to buy them fr a nearby all time favourite pizza restaurant for a buy 2 and get 1 free deal, but thanks to shaiful for the impressive pr that got us another free piece..heehee..all together we had 4 large pizzas for 6 stomachs- opps..i think including mine alone, i'd have to consider another 6! we had another ideal eating agenda..a totally makan2 day i call it.. ;) thanks to the host! muuuuaax!

Baked Fish for Dinner

2008-12-19T11:35:00.004Z

heheee..i've a new creation today..foodie talk! had an english dinner tonite. thought of wanting a change of meal and am glad to find that my lemon parsley baked fish turned out quite good, though they can be improved. i've to admit that the english way of cooking is less hassle than the malay style. something to opt for during the busy times..good idea!

*psst : would u believe the portion shown in the pic is for this one person to consume?

PhD Blues :\

2008-12-17T22:25:00.008Z

im so cranky!..right now im in a state where i'd call it phd blues..perhaps, only those who goes through this 'what have i got myself into' degree completely understand this situation..a state where regardless how much u're madly in love with ur work there comes a moment of uncertainty, unsatisfied, unexpected, unaware, unforeseen, unanticipated...an unfinished list of unss...UN!!! get out of thesee!! :p~ huhuuu..

apologies..this is the sort of feeling when u're stuck somewhere in the middle of doing research, when the data so much hoped for turned out to have low correlation! arrgh! no no! reality is real..yes my dear self..so..what shall i do? take a deep breath? already done so..eat? ate more than my normal consumption! sleep..hmm..wouldn't make much difference..i know..sit back and relax..and perhaps shopping would alleviate..yes..as much i'm into this, i believe motivation and support are the keys for almost any person in this state to stand and walk, possibly run further..time will heal.. ;) for now, indulge in this unwanted moment.. perhaps, just for now..a little music could help.

as i was browsing around, i came to finding this song..a specially dedicated one for all phd candidates in blues(jz like me) out there..enjoy!(unfortunately, u've to d/w to listen) here's the link : http://hcs.science.uva.nl/projects/il/blues/ credit goes to Frans Prins & Pascal Wilhelm!

Hari Raya Aidiladha 2008 @ Lewes

2008-12-10T23:26:00.006Z

Hi again! what's today's story? hari raya aidiladha..yep, it's my first hari raya haji in a foreign country..the feeling is somewhat different from that celebrated in own country.tho,it wouldnt really be a massively celebrated event even if i were at home, i somehow felt a little strange not really feeling the aura of eid celebration i normally do all this while..hmm..guess, that's normal when u're far away from home..anyway..the previous raya haji wasnt as bad as i would have probably described! huhuu..it was actully quite fun! honestly speaking, i didnt feel lonely at all being here.

so what happened? well..i organized a sort of a dual event at my new home..a house warming party and hari raya aidiladha makan2..it was great that yong & family and arif came along to celebrate together. well..we kinda celebrated on the hari raya eve. guess that's fine. a number of invited guests were ppl from the lab, they were rossano, grecia, alberto, chris and hector..thanks guys for filling in the invitation! they've been wanting to try authentic malaysian food..apart from others, poor chris had to cope with burning toungue, thanks to the hot food! yes, aunthentic malaysian dishes they were..glad that they enjoyed the food..am also happy that my first attempt of making beef rendang came to great success!yippie! special thanks goes to arif for all help! thanks to yong for the kuah kacang(peanut sauce) and nasi himpit(according to yong, compressed rice!), we also had kerabu rocket, meehoon goreng,fried wonton,sambal goreng, fried vege & white rice..it was a marvellous feast! yuummiee..we then played monopoly - the brighton & hove edition..nice one..

The Return of Un

2008-11-28T22:54:00.009Z

hello world! wahaha! gawd..it's been ages since my last update on this poor bloggie. i almost forgot that i had one! geez..blame the hectic life..well..ok, shouldnt be it as a reason. ok, enuf bout it..now, let's get to the updates..hmmm..so much actually. been hundreds of ups and downs since the last entry. all i can recall, my tenancy on campus accommodation ended, managed to get myself a job on campus - aah, loved it! had a marvellous hari raya..dearest tomet was actually around for the celebration!he's now back home,always busy with work..poor thing!nvm..work hard! started 2nd year of my phd which now reminds me that i've only 2 years left!arrrgh!..hmm, what else..yeah..something more recent, i turned 26years old 16 days ago..thank god for another year of happy and healthy life..may future years be more meaningful for myself and ppl around..huhuu, sounds philosophical!haha..

ok, more interesting story, i finally managed to get my own place to live to shelter me for the coming years during my stay here as a student..honestly speaking, i am so in love with this flat which i've now lived for 2 weeks! yippiiiee! considering for a one person place and speaking of houses in the great britain in addition to it being in brighton, i am so so lucky to find this place for a reasonable price of rent. a spacious, lovely, comfortable and many best things i can think of, this house surely, does give me peace of mind and soul! havent got the chance to snap photos, but promise will do so soon! o yes, i'd like to take this opportunity to thank the sussex clan for the moving...u guys are the best! to yong and family and also arif, yea fahmi too, thanks so much for the extended help! to afzan & k izzah, thank you for having me while i was homeless! heeehee..aight, gotta get back to the data analysis but will be back with more updates..ciow cincau!

A day at Brighton

2008-03-24T11:08:00.000Z

Hey hey! Another day is dedicated for relaxing..geez! Been having fun a great deal of time here! oh..not good..So what's happened today? Well, I had a day out with a couple of new friends at Brighton.

These people who are friends of my uni friend came from London. Most of them are Phd students studying at Imperial and King's College..very young and intelligent people! Most are doing biology related courses. When first met,I thought those peeps were undergrads! Awet muda! There were 9 one them. The uni friend of mine, Ghows and myself were the host and brought them to Brighton Marina, our uni, Bighton Pier. Eventhough I've been here for almost 3months now, it's only yesterday that I discovered new places(tho they're obvious) at Brighton! Yes, yes..I should be blamed for not knowing these places in advance, but hey..i've visited other places! (heee..in hope for a good excuse).

The weather was unpredictable..it was gloomy,windy,raining,snowing and the day ended with a great sunny evening! Were we consired lucky? Maybe, considering we had 4-season in a day! It's strange to get snow during spring when you should see flowers blooming.

We spent 7 hours walking around. They were most fascinated by the sea which reminded myself when I was small (until now!). Felt like I was the one visiting when snaping photos around..hehee..

Snow during Spring

2008-03-22T18:50:00.001Z

I can't believe it! No wonder it was really cold today! It is snowing!! Yippie! For the first time in my life, I'm looking at real snow falling out my windows..but it's already dark, cant snap lots of photos..I heard that it's not easy to get snow in Brighton as it's supposed to be the warmest region in the UK. Isn't it strange getting snow during spring when flowers should bloom? The weather in the UK is totally unpredictable..

Evening snack

2008-03-22T16:12:00.002Z

Uh..it's a totally boring day today...the heater isnt working, im shivering as a scared mouse! it's really cold right now..i wonder when the heater is gonna work back to normal..i hated the heat so much back in Mesia but right now, I'm begging and feel like paying for heat! hehee..

According to myself, as an alternative to prevent prolong shivering..the best thing to do is to eat without stop! Aah, i love eating. I been eating so much since morning..maybe I had a short pit stop. I had sweet potatoes, cereals, rice, fruits, juice, yogurt, crackers, chips and now I'm having tea (but without actually drinking tea). Thought of having something different and here I created something tempting but not so good for health. I call it Cheesy Nachos..But, hey..it's easy to prepare...the ingredients are - nachos, mozarella cheese, onions, ripe tomatoes, corriander and a sprinkle of herbs..mix them together and medium bake for 10mins and walla..here's the results..

Arundel Castle & Littlehampton

2008-03-21T23:42:00.004Z

It's a bright sunny day today! Yippie! A couple of friends and myself made a day's trip to a place in West Sussex called Arundle Castle and Littlehampton. The Arundel Castle is so huge and beautiful! We had so much fun discovering the castle itself, there were magnificent architecture, fine interior with fascinating furnitures, tapestries and rare collections of paintings, rich history of the Dukes of Norfork, well groomed gardens and so much more. We could see the beauitful download in the South England and out to the sea from the top of the Keep (like a tower). It's amazing to know that although the castle looks old, it is still a home to the ancestors of the Dukes of Norfork since the past 900years!

We had a picnic by the sea at a near by place called Littlehampton. It got really windy while having lunch. We were shivering! But, it's a nice place and great location for playing kites which makes a helicopter sound due to the strong wind.

Another happy year

2008-03-19T00:58:00.002Z

It's 19th March 2008! Yippie! Another year of hopefully stronger and closer relationship between me and Tomet! On this exact date, we've now been together for 4 years since knowing each other 8 years ago. =)

Can't believe how time got us this far,bless god! All ups and downs througout the friendship which then grew to a relationship that represents further commitment taught me abt sincerity, trust, forgiveness, gratitude, bond, support...a few examples of my endless list. My hope is to have brighter future together! All best wishes for us!

Worse and humiliating

2008-03-17T23:56:00.008Z

heyya..don't know why, as i surf i coincidently approach sites which directs me to the worse of stuff like fashion and names..but found these amusing (in a way). A good approach to release stress i thought!

1st site, I came across about weird runaway looks..like rubbish can lid on top of head, discoball hat, one eye brow which connects both left and right brow, a nest-like hair style, uhh..endless! check it out at http://www.stylelist.com/ Poor models! I doubt they like it very much, guess models can't choose to look nice all the time..heheheee! here's a snapshot taken from the website above..

2nd site is about weird names given to babies...even worse! They've to carry such embarrasment for life..gosh, i can't imagine..the names are adopted from

diseases(e.g: Hysteria Johnson , Cholera Priest, Kathryn E. Coli);
food(e.g: Lunch Magee, Bread White, Plum Sellers, Mayo Head);
sins(e.g: Wrath Gordon, Envy Burger, Pride Saint);
professions(e.g: Cook Cook, Doctor Love, Gamble Moore);
uncommon celebrities babies names are also listed (e.g :Apple, Kyd, Pilot Inspektor)

To parents...please have some mercy! There're more names listed at the website at http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/23631411/?GT1=43001&pg=1#TDY_Names_Bad . Check them out!

3rd site is..i dunno what to say..crazy maybe..it's about this lady who sits in her boyfriend's toilet for 2 years! without leaving the bathroom..unbelievable..yea..i couldnt as well, but after reading the story at http://news.aol.com/story/_a/woman-stuck-in-bathroom-for-how-long/20080313080209990001 , i guess it is really true..The woman has a phobia leaving the toilet, so she sits on it all the time. It's just recently(5days ago) that she's been transported to the hospital by the authority after the boyfriend finally calls the police after she acted groggy! Geez..I think both of them have got some judgement problems. At the end of the story found at link above says that everyday the bf would try to convince her to leave toilet, but her reply was "Maybe tomorrow.." ..heheheeee!

More weird stories can be found at http://news.aol.com/weird-news . Among them are Illinois shape cornflakes up for auction at eBay where the bid is currently $500! ; there's also a flying saucer shape house in Tenneessee(maybe the owner had a passion for aliens or ufos); 800 dogs in a mobile house (gawd, i cant imagine!)...uhuuu..i shall stop..otherwise, i might be contributing to these weird stories...

Malaysian dinner menu

2008-03-16T23:35:00.005Z

It's a wet day all day long..Felt really lazy fr morning until nite! Geez..not good! The laziness of me doing things included cooking. Only had tortillas earlier on and only managed to get myself moving around for dinner preparation around 9pm..late dinner, thanks to lazy me!

Luckily i didnt stop cooking halfway through! hehehe..yippie, food's cooked and I'm now having dinner. Somehow, I craved for 'ikan bakar'!(grill fish). Couldnt get the type of fishes in M'sia so i came with my own style of cooking and here i present my dinner menu for tonite - ikan bakar with air asam (tamarind sauce), fried mixed vege and white rice.

BarCamp Brighton2

2008-03-15T22:32:00.007Z

howdy! how's it going on? i had a full of informative day today..how and why? well, i went for this event called BarCamp Brighton2 . It's a free 2 days event where 'computing' people from different level(e.g : developers, designers, games geeks, programmers, researchers, etc) gather around to share ideas and experiences on techninal and non-technical computing stuff. The idea of barcamp is that, the organizer responsible for getting sponsors like yahoo, amazon, madgex, microsoft, cogapp, realtimewords wouldn't actually setup any program for the event..but the attendees will..so, only when u show up on that day that ppl start picking up slots for a half n hour presentation on practically any topic! So, there u'll get diverse discussions ranging from ease of mind to mind bloggings topics! These run simultaneously in several rooms over the entire day.

The one i attended today and tomorrow is organized on campus at Falmer House. They're so many technie ppl, some fr amazon, yahoo, cogapps and many other leading companies! Though i don't much abt these technical stuff, but it's great to know their existence and capabilities..I might consider using them when needed. I learnt quite a lot from today's event alone..lemme list a quick recap on what talks/workshop I found interesting :

Accessibile Javascript : a bit programming tips and tricks
Twitter : status sharing program, kinda cool -(check it out below)
How to express yourself clearly : did a workshop and a small scale practical exercises
Widgets : intros to widgets and a bit abt creative thinking (interesting presentation!)
Second life : virtual reality environment

So, what am i getting from this event...a great deal of networking with ppl. I managed to make new friends, of young and not so young but very successful ppl! I'm so impressed with what they do. It's interesting knowing what ppl from various levels and expertise are working on. This has, somehow set me a stronger focus and motivation on the type of work I'm currently doing. Yippie!

Before signing off, here are some pics and vids of the things I said earlier on..

Love physics, love science

2008-03-14T00:48:00.012Z

Hey there..it's Friday, 14th March 2008. Today's the last day of the spring term. The undergrads will be on break for a month! The Easter holiday! Enjoy enjoy..well, not so much for me tho', but that's alright. I had another productive day today, managed to submit all the review assignments for the ACT class, had a fruitful discussion with my supervisor which has opened up new ideas and yeap..my stomach is getting so much better(i had a terrible stomach upset 2days ago!), and that means..I can now resume to my craving for food! Food..i love food.. :)

I was jz browsing the net a while ago and found out about this link, http://potw.news.yahoo.com/s/potw/63302/high-wire-act. It's about the hillarious teaching methods a Physics professor at MIT teaches his students, so funny and crazy..a bit nutty! It's impressive that a passionate academician/scientist would go all out to make his/her student understand what the subject is all about. I never thought that learning Physcis would be fun all together. Guess, my views change after watching the clip of this cool, joyful, ecentric and commited lecturer. Prof Walter Lewin says that "by adhering to three principles; clarity, timing and suspense -- keep the focus tight, be precise and end with a big finish". Further, it's interesting knowing that he also has passion for contemporary arts which influences the creativeness for new inventions used during this lectures. He's even more impressive to have the momentum of teaching and inventions at the current age of 71! This line of his inspires me.."It took me a decade to come to the realization, that really what counts is not what you cover, but what counts is what you uncover." He's hope is that students love physcis, love science and see the beauty of the physcial world around them.. Inspirational isn't it?

Here's a clip of one of his lectures, the remaining is by the side bar..enjoy!

ATC - Blog 5

2008-03-12T20:09:00.003Z

The term is almost ending, and so does the ATC course. Time really flies, can't believe that I've been in the UK for almost 3 months now. But, I like it here. So, it doesn't matter, really. Hmm, today I’d like ponder a lil about what I've gained from the Advanced Technology Communication course. Honestly, enormous amount of information! A great deal of knowledge and helpful tips related to academia. ;)

Briefly, over the past few weeks, the course covered issues about explaining a research work within a few seconds; writing good publications which includes writing abstracts, understanding the general structure of a publication, peer reviewing academic paper, etc.; giving effective presentation for both posters and oral. I learnt the most from poster presentation discussions. Although I’ve had previous experiences publishing posters at conferences and exhibitions, the skills and guidelines shared within the class are the few ‘easy-to-follow’ and ‘why didn’t I think about..’ tips which could tremendously change the appearance of a poster to a more appealing and interesting presentation. We had to do a poster presentation as part of the assignment. There was a class where we had to bring our poster drafts for discussion before they’re finalized and printed for presentation. I find this session valuable and helpful as there’s room for improvements. So, here I present the enhancement made to the poster after a fruitful discussion with classmates and lecturer, thanks all!

Before :

After :

ATC - Blog4

2008-03-07T00:44:00.000Z

During the previous ATC class, (last week and today), each of the student had an opportunity to do a presentation. Most of the DPhil candidates presented a brief overview of something in relation to their current research while the Masters candidates presented topics they’re interested to work on in the future. The 2 presentation sessions were very informative and interesting. From my observation of my classmates’ presentation, I could pick up a few good and bad presentation skills, thanks to the session that we had discussed in the previous ATC class.

Good :

Use of proper PowerPoint slides that aren’t distracting to the audience. Instead, only important information is presented with mostly contrast colours between the background and foreground.
Most presenters manage to finish the presentation on time. Always keep up with the time given!
It’s good that almost everyone introduce themselves sufficiently before they begin with the talk.
Questions were mostly answered pretty well with examples given along the explanations.
The use of props such as leaflets makes the presentation interesting.
Demonstration that involves auditory and tactile focus also interests the audience.

Bad :

Good posture is important during a presentation; this affects those ‘visual’ audiences. Leaning on the wall or having hands in the pockets are a few examples that should be avoided.
Reading slides isn’t at all defined as a presentation! Never read slides while showing ur back to the audience!
Slideshows are not the presentation, the presenter is. Therefore, keep the presentation concise and include only relevant information. Don’t overload textual information on a single slide, do keep to 3-4 points with appropriate text size.
Sometimes, presenters are not aware that they mumble during the talk. Staying alert about the things you say out might help to overcome this.

I think I’ve used most of the tips shown by others during the presentation session, except the use of props. I intend to employ this method in future presentation. Apart from that, I should learn to answer questions by giving examples or analogy to make it easier for the audience to comprehend the intended message. Finally, practising a presentation improves your skill and boosts your confidence!

What's for dinner?

2008-02-28T21:01:00.007Z

beep beep! hello! hope u're doing well..im alright, getting busy with daily schedule. today's been a productive day, been really occupied..started early in the morning with slides preparation for the atc course i'm currently taking, got carried away up till noon that i actually forgot lunch! went for a talk by a labmate and rushed for the atc class for a poster presention..by the way, it was kinda fun..we exchanged loadza information and learned a bit abt the classmates work/research..it's until 4pm that i realized that i've not eaten, thank god the potato salad i brought were enuff to keep my tummy fr making noise...heeehee..

i went back at 6pm, rest a little and started to feel hungry..and i thought it would be a good idea to start cooking, but didnt want to spend too long in the kitchen..then i decided to make something simple of quick preparation, the lasagna. yummy..this is my 2nd attempt after a 1st sometime last week..though i thought the 1st was better(it's unfortunate that i forgot to snap photos!), this one isn't bad, but i leave it to u to judge and thought of sharing, so here's a portion for u.. :)

ATC - Blog 3

2008-02-25T01:17:00.000Z

I’m currently reading a paper publication related to the work that I’m doing. It’s a publication that I will most probably refer to a couple of times in this research, mainly because of the various possibilities of future works stated in their study. The title is called ‘Constraints on representational change : Evidence from children’s drawing’. I find this publication really interesting, in many ways. First of all, the title itself kinda explains the content of the paper. Secondly, simple English is used to convey the idea and what’s most interesting is that despite the complex ideas and discussions are made, there is a good flow of presentation where useful diagrams are depicted along with the given explanation.

The introduction starts with asking and answering why children’s drawing is found feasible for the study. There’s also a good list of literature review covered in the first part of the paper. The author makes the explanation clear by giving the underlying theoretical concepts relevant to the study before detailed descriptions are discussed , this includes an overview of the participants (which are of course children), the methods of experiment employed(children are asked to draw diagrams with many cycles of different types of changes made to the diagram; it’s interesting to look at the drawings the children produce such as a house with wings and a helicopter with legs!), results of the tasks performed and a comprehensive discussion on the findings are made with comparison of arguments from their work and previous researches . Examples or analogy are also widely used in order to make the context easy to comprehend.

It’s interesting that although this paper was published in 1989, the ideas and concept coordinates with my current research. During the time of writing, they did not mention anything about chunking. Probably because the theory of chunking wasn’t quite established at that time. However, their findings clearly focus on issues related to this particular subject. Somehow I’m amazed by the conjunction between my research and theirs which was done almost 20 years ago! It’s great to ponder abt how magnificent research evolves over time. Given the same information, probably I’d represent the findings in a more visually appealing approach, perhaps with the use of posters or power point slides. I believe this paper comes from a journal, therefore if I were to produce other publication for this, I see that the original publication can be divided into a few papers that could discuss on various aspects of the findings. Hehee..this has given me a motivation to start writing a publication of my own for this DPhil research..I’m motivated!

ATC - Blog 2

2008-02-18T01:41:00.001Z

Today, I’m giving my views on the conferences related to my field. I received an email from my supervisor earlier on stating that it might be worth considering this conference for publication sometime next year. Believe it or not, I was actually really excited to get my hands on writing so that I’ve a chance to submit them this year, but then, I guess it’s a little too ambitious as I currently don’t have anything to report! Geez.. :p ok, I’m still at the early stage of research, this is coz I started my DPhil program sometime early this year. It’s fair that I’m not getting much from the previous 2 months since I’ve started. Nevermind, aim for next year! Yes, I will. Furthermore, the venue is in Frace..uh! The place I’ve been wanting to visit all my life! Hehee.. Anyway, so..this conference is named ‘Fifth Eurographics Workshop on Sketch-Based Interfaces and Modeling’, which will take place in Annecy, France from July 11-13, 2008. Basically, the topics covered in conference are mostly related to diagrams.

The workshop gives focus on digital technology of pen-based computer hardware and digital sketched-based interfaces. Issues such as interface design, algorithms, models and technologies will be discussed. Among the categories are new techniques for classification and recognition of hand-drawn shapes; applications of sketch-based interfaces in various domains such as CAD, animation, 3D computer graphics and many more; and empirical studies for clarifying nature of sketch-based interfaces with comparison to other techniques. The latter is most related to my research.

Findings of these researches are essential to further understand the concepts of human perception, shape recognition and geometric modeling techniques. As the technology improves, the use of pen and paper are becoming less important. I see that there will be a constant migration to the use of drawing computer hardware such as graphical tablets. This isn’t only restricted to computer related tasks but also diverse fields such as architecture design, engineering, arts, games and animation. Therefore, I feel that researches related to diagrams are worth to put effort on in order to find out the advantage and disadvantages of these possibilities so as to improve our lives.

Let's draw

2008-02-12T23:35:00.002Z

Today, I had the opportunity to play around with the device that I'll soon use a lot. It's something called graphical tablet. Pretty cool to play with. It's like those tablet pcs, where u've to use stylus to write on it, but nothing really appears on top of the tablet. Instead, the output will be shown on the monitor's screen. Been testing around with it and this is what I came out with..bear with me, I'm never good with drawings!

and here's a serious one, the actual research work...

Overwhelming news!

2008-02-11T01:45:00.000Z

Howdy! Good news..good news...im just overwhelmed with a news I received a couple of minutes ago..I still cant believe it myself! wow..it's a miracle..I recently got a paper publication presented by a representative to a conference in Japan..Through the feedback, it was unlikely that attendees were even interested in what the paper was all about..and it was presented by a lecturer from my department back in UM..and the news I received fr the lecturer just now, Dr Woo..made me jumped! The paper was awarded the Best Paper Award 2008..it's always a dream to get my very own publication awarded as the best paper, and it is finally answered..thank you god..I personally didn't feel it is the best of all the previous publications..i actually thought it's the worse as the paper was written due to short notice before the dateline..wow..i consider this as luck.. Anyhow, thank you Dr Woo for presenting the paper on my behalf and thank you committee for the honour..cheerios! =)

ATC - Blog1

2008-02-11T00:02:00.000Z

Today, I’ll talk a bit abt my research (previous and current). During masters, I was working on a subject area called image processing. Right now, I’m doing something completely different tho it’s also under the same umbrella of Artificial Intelligence. It’s an area called Cognitive Science, a topic i’ve been wanting to learn and perform research since I learn them during my undergrad years.

The cognitive science area has been vastly studied since possibly in the 50’s and what’s interesting is, it’s an area that’s applied to various fields that makes it an interdisciplinary study of mind and intelligence, embracing philosophy, psychology, artificial intelligence, neuroscience, linguistics, and anthropology. The idea of cognitive science began with development of theories of mind based on complex representations and computational procedures. My research, somewhat, is an extension of this particular study. To put in simple terms, my work is about understanding how people learn diagrams. I work in the Representation and Cognition Lab of the Dept of Informatics. There are a few other postgrad students who are also doing research related to diagrams, but each person has a different focus and interest. In relation to diagrams, they work on maps, mathematical/physics diagrams, specific computer notation diagrams, conceptual theories and many more. Although these colleagues of mine work individually, we often have discussion to brain storm ideas and help others by providing feedback to our progress. I find this very helpful as I tend to think outside the box and gain more knowledge from these intellectual discussions.

Apart from informal discussions, there’s a weekly group meeting. Supervisors will also attend the meeting. During this meeting, we will either discuss the problems one has with their research or listen to talk given by the group members. Before I joined, the group meeting used to be a session where everyone would read a paper publication and discuss their understanding on it with others. This group are also active in submitting papers for publications, either conference or journals. As I understood with my previous experiences writing publications, the process that applies to cognitive science conferences and journals are somewhat similar. Basically, there will be an abstract submission. On acceptance, a full paper must be submitted and the conference follows. In some conferences, the abstract submission isn’t required, instead acceptance is made solely with reviews of the full paper. It’s also best to submit a publication to the most related conference to the work one is doing, this would give a higher weighting to the value of paper submitted. I haven’t actually gone through any potential conference and journals, but I will find out more in the coming entry..until now..tata!

Making friends

2008-02-02T23:50:00.000Z

hello february! time flies..can't believe that i've already been here for a month..and with time, i learn, i understand and i adapt to situations better than before. I'm getting used to the environment i'm living here. Quite a number of ppl from home and here are concern abt how i'm coping with life..how nice of them, thank you for your concern..Honestly, i'm doing alright..I'm getting busy with courses, classes, workshops, discussions, daily chores..an endless list of things that occupies my everyday life. :)

today, i had the chance to meet a couple of new friends and new people...earlier in the morning, i decided to go to the town, got on the bus and on the way, a couple hopped in and one of them sat in front of me..we chatted and i was glad to find that they're from the indonesia, a country within the southeast asia region..somehow, i felt 'close' knowing these ppl as i could speak to them with my mother tongue, though it differs slightly with theirs. as the bus got us to our destinations, we exchange contacts and said our goobyes...it feels good to have new friends.

later at nite, i attended a friend's(whom i jz got to know during the recent wall climbing activity) dinner at her place in hove..tho it took me a while looking for the right flat within the house, i managed to find my way in after 20mins searching for the right flat number! The concept is, a house consist of a few rooms(called flats) complete with its own living room, kitchen, bathroom (like an apartment, really), and in front of it's door are a couple of doorbells for each flat..becoz it was at nite, i couldnt manage to find the right bell to my friend's coz there were only 7 bells but 9 flats, it also didnt ring the bell in my head to think that flat num 3 is actually the first bell..hence, made me walking around the house as if im a mak-guard! geez..and while i was finding my way, an elderly couple (they're perhaps in their 70s) passed by..it's really nice of them to 'help' me look for the right flat and later borrowed their mobile(thanks for mine being out of credit!) for me to call my friend after the attempt failed..hmmph, helpless me..anyway, yeah..i finally go in later after that..so glad that i did! there were already a couple of familiar ppl fr my lab and we chatted while waiting for the dinner. it surprises me that these peeps are into various activities in spite of being serious in the lab. the dinner was wonderful and thanks Beate for preparing the vegetarian dishes for me. :)

i made my way home after dinner and was surprised to find that another new friend whom i chatted a bit during one of my classes sat in front of me in the train. It's also a coincidence that both of us are living in the same building.

i felt tired as the day ended, but i'm happy to start having friends in this wonderful multicultural place.. ;)

Trip to Oxford

2008-01-26T01:57:00.003Z

Hey peeps..I had the opportunity to visit Oxford today. It was a 17pounds worth of tix, a trip organized by the international office fr my university, Uni of Sussex. What i can say is, it's a great place..for once, i envy those studying at this prestigious university..It's a university town, bz with people and daily activities. There're lots and lots of buildings similar to palaces and ancient buildings, churches, colleges..it's just a lovely place to visit. The architecture is marvellous..We had the opportunity to be on a guided tour and yeah, i learnt quite a bit from it..here's what i wanna share :

1) There are 2 main libraries in the Oxford University. In one of the libraries, students are only allowed to browse and refer to books but unallowed to borrow them (strange isnt it?), on the other hand the 2nd library allows books to be borrowed. Their libraries are huge. Some colleges own a library too. What's interesting is they have a massive amount of book collections, practically all books are kept in the libaries (and yes..according to the tor guide..this includes the Playboy mags) - for what reason? perhaps, for human studies..Apart from inside the library, books are also kept underneath the library..how's that and could that be possible? yes it is, books are stored under the library through a hidraulic system..basically, it's like there's a tunnel, and books will be laid on a compartment before a button is pressed b4 it dissapears fr sight to find it's way to be stored under the library..like the one scene in Harry Potter..smart isn't it..indeed..very smart..

But unfortunately, not everyone could enter the library, only Oxford students and their very own educators are allowed to have such access, even a Research Assistant could not be granted access. There's a kind of sticker obtainable from the counter just outside library to get into it, and this is permissible only with ..the oxford uni student card..Prestiguous..enuff said.

2) Becoz Oxford is a university town. It's has its own yeah..town in the area..buses are shops are around. They've colleges in between shopping lots. A great way to release the education stress..heheee!

3) Each college or student hostel has an adult who's not an academician who'd help around with tidying the rooms, preparing tea for the students and act as a friend to the students whenever they feel pressured with studies or simply feel like talking to others for advices. The reason the university is providing this facility is that, they want the students to give full 100% concentration on studies and not be disturbed by all these petty but necessary things..oh..how i wish i have a friendly and reliable housekeeper! looks like i have to be one for myself for now..

4) Speaking of a scene in the first Harry Potter movie, there was a particular scene where it was taken fr the uni of oxford..camera and video tricks amazed me when showed that the actual scene is way smaller than the one presented on screen! in the movie...so, which scene am i talking abt..ya know, there was one time where Harry and his friends took a boat after their trip to come to the magic school..yea..dya remember that the boat reached at night, they were all in the boat with lights lit heading to the school..and when they arrived, they met their teachers, Dumbledore and others on the stairs..yeah..those are the scenes taken at Oxford. The door opened to them on arrival is actually a very small one in comparison to the one seen in the play..

5) I managed to take a view of Oxford from the tallest buiding which is actually from a tower of the St Marie the Virgin Church. I would have definitely think twice to take up the opportunity if knew in advance that it would take me to climb 127steps up and another 127steps down...geez..it was an exercise for me! I was convinced enuff that there'd be an elevator, but i was wrong..well..fair enuff..the building was built ages ago..but it's worth the effort and entrance fee of 2pounds.. :)

All in all , I had a great time during this visit. It'll also be a great opportunity if you could have a visit or probably already had one..

Daily news

2008-01-23T23:29:00.000Z

Jz thought of distracting myself from readings..hello! am feeling a lil tired, perhaps due to the lack of sleep and yea, today's a lil hectic. I had my 3rd discussion with my supervisor, someone i regard as a calm/serene, intelligent and stress-less person..i'm so thankful to have Prof Peter as a supervisor. Glad that he has considerable positive feedback fr current and previous students and i'm very much impressed with the research the Representation and Cognition Group is working on..the general idea of the research is to make learning process easier...less stressful especially for topics on electrical diagrams, probability theories , etc and learning should be a fun activity. I'd perhaps score better on add maths during high school if i'd come across this technique of learning through diagrams..perhaps, the future kids would appreciate these findings..they better be!

Anyway, apart from discussion, i had an opportunity to join an intro workshop on matlab..yea..i finally had the courage and enuf confidence to learn the.. i thought..ever so difficult software..it was kinda interesting when there's an effort for learning. this uni offers countless free workshops and courses for research-oriented students..there are vast opportunity to be undertaken..and it all depends on indviduals whether to take up or back up these courses. ok..enuff abt academic..

Let's talk abt shopping.. :D an all-time topic of my interest..my hobby horse .. a term i learn from my supervisor today. well, i had my groceries shopping at asda (stores like giant/tesco)..a large mall on it's own..thought of spending 20pounds, but ended up paying for more than half! does anyone offer a course on budgeting? i desperately need one! been endlessly telling myself to restrict from buying things..but i can't resist! they seem cheap and necessary!..believe it or not, the most expensive thing i bought in the list costs 4pounds..the remaining were all below 1pound..but ya know..when there's a large quantity of things..the total price eventually mounts..drastically that is..my resolution of the month is to stick to the to-buy list..we will see next month..

Hmm..what else..yup..i finally got myself registered..uhuh..after 3weeks being here..im officially the uni of sussex student..on completion of registration, i received my student card..i find it kinda simple yet nice..it's green, my favourite color.. ;) check it out..

i've got a lot more to tell..but am gonna have to return to the reading..i promise to update..stay in tune yeah..

Tiring but exciting

2008-01-20T23:45:00.001Z

hi! i had my last day of the course today..it ended pretty well tho everyone seems a lil tired due to the comprehensive 3days activities..i've gained so much from the course and yea..it is a good start with an fantastic boast of motivation. Thanks Gill for picking me among many others who were in the waiting list. The issue of networking really counts when u've a vast contact with others around, a key element i learnt from today's session. Just like i do, i hope the rest learns and appreciates this course as a whole. To me, this is one of the best course i've ever attended. Glad that the team members worked well with each other to make up every activity and task given throughout the given 3days..bravo bravo...thank you tutors for the wonderful guidance..last but not least, all the best everyone for ur DPhils...cheers! ;)

Personal development skills course

2008-01-19T21:39:00.001Z

hello hello..9:39pm, local time..i'm just finishing off my dinner..today's been a second day of the course i was telling abt yesterday..the course called personal development skills really highlight a couple of things worth looking at through out a mature student's education, tho i never actually consider myself 'mature'..so what's this course abt? well..i would say that it's a run through and a reminder of issues related to the usual things such as communication, team building, time management etc..it's a 3-day course where participants are scheduled with various activities that runs from socializing, constant time management, lots and lots of meetings and discussions, negotiation, games and a whole lot more..some are pretty exciting activities while others gives a dose pain in all parts of the body!

i find this course kinda interesting, some participants don't. the activities put up for us are unique in everyway..what happened was, there were abt 50 of participants which were all divided into 5 smaller groups called syndicate..the initial introduction was interesting by itself..instead of the normal approach of into ourselves, we had to intro the person next to us..ok..perhaps, that's not really new..well, there was an activity where we happened to be a factory producing booklets..we were intially given the materials such as papers, pens, paper clips, sample money, stapler and so on to produce our booklet products in various sized of orders that kept on coming more frequently and we had to deliver them on time in order to survive the company..it was more on time management..another activity called 'desert survival' was on communication among team members and coming to a point where everyone agrees on picking the necessary things given the scenario that a plane crash in a desert and having to select upon the listed stuffs crucial for survival..today's initial activity was on negotiation..it was a business thing where the syndicate were divided into 2 smaller groups and act as groups of representative for management and staff for an airline company that goes under a restructuring process for which they're supposed to negotiate and agree upon a win-win situation..i didn't participate much coz im never(ever will i be) good in such effort! but an activity called belbin test kinda regenerate the interest and the game that follows put all the members on strong bond of team building which surprisingly made us the winner and got ourselves awarded a box of chocolate at the end of the game worth an hour of almost 20tasks! well done all! :)

yea..today ended quite as interesting to yesterday's. what i like abt this course is that it is moduled in such a way that the participant could relate, reflex and act upon the most important issues to their area of interest. yea..though it's a lil tiring, hope that these would help in coming days..tomorrow will be the last day for this course before research re-dominates. ;)

UM to US in the UK

2008-01-19T00:43:00.000Z

wow...it's been almost a month since i last posted an entry..so many..so many things flew since then..from my comfortable room at home in Malaysia, i'm now in another part of the world..surviving myself for the next couple of years..there's definitely a lot to tell about..but..it'll be a while for me to get everything told..bear with me!

well..basically..im now in the United Kingdom.yeah..im finally here..a country that i never thought i would lay my foot on..i can't believe myself that i finally made it here, after the endless(it seems) reasons that does promise me a place here..from where i used to be attached to that is the University of malaya(UM), i'm glad to be here in the University of Sussex for my hopefully highest degree of education, a phd for short, hopefully 3years..

i've been here almost 3 weeks since my arrival on 29th dec 07..yeah..i had my new year here..my first new year in another country...everything now comes as a new experience to me..the weather, food, culture, clothings, social interaction, practically all..varies very much from the usual..i've really got to say alot, but i cant seem to do it pretty well at the moment..it's becoz i'm on a course which requires my attention and early attendance fr 9am-6pm including this weekend..it'll really late now..better off to bed for a good start tomorrow..i'll make sure that i catch up with more stories..my promise! nite nite...muuaax!

Hari Raya Aidiladha & Farewell dinner

2007-12-21T18:39:00.000Z

Time really flies..It’s been a week since I last updated this blog. Not that I didn’t want to, but I had been really busy catching up with things. Time didn’t permit!

The family and I went back to our hometown for the previous Hari Raya Haji on 17th December 07. We were in Kelantan for 4 days, which passed by extremely fast. Staying at my grandmother’s house had never been boring for me, every single moment would pass with new experiences. The way my grandma lives life (the traditional way that is) inspires and teaches me that life takes a full effort in all matters to make it meaningful. I’m really close to my grandmother, she was the one who took care of me for almost a year when I was left by my parents who had to study abroad 25 years ago. At that time, I was known as the kampong baby! :) How sweet of my grandma to cook my favourite dishes during my stay at kampung and I enjoyed them to the fullest. I should be gaining 3 kgs since my stay, but am wondering why the physical appearance doesn’t expand that much. This wonder is always an unsolved mystery! and yes..it is creepy…

Anyway, we had the raya haji celebration on 20th December, Thursday.. my parents and siblings including myself took part in the qurban (cow sacrifice) ceremony. My fear for blood that would usually result to fainting excused myself from witnessing the ceremony, but I managed to get through with the niat after the slauthering. My grandmother also had a kenduri doa selamat for my coming studies. I’m so touched by her kindness for such effort though she should be resting from these having her age in the 70’s. She even spent an entire day preparing serunding daging (meat floss) for me to bring with for the studies. My gosh, the preparation was extremely tedious! It took 5 continuous hours to cook the meat floss on campfire! Thank you grandma for all of these not forgetting the few hundreds that u gave me as well as the useful advices and reminders given..I will never be able to repay your kindness and love for me. and yes, the answer to your question is, I love u so so much! It was a touching moment when both of us were in tears before I left kampung for home lastnite. I pray for your health and hope to meet, hug, kiss and do the things we always do together on my return to kampung. Insya Allah..

As the usual weekends, I had the chance to meet Tomet today. We went to ou. After so long, we actually watched a movie called ‘I’m a legend’ acted by will smith and a dog. A bit horrifying I find it, but it’s not that bad after all. We then had lunch which follows by stationeries shopping spree before having a break at the kopitiam. Thanks tomet for the wonderful day!

Later at nite, once again I went to ou to meet my closest high school friends. Thanks peeps for making it for dinner. There were Alyna, Pui San and Elsa. We had dinner at the delicious, the food were mostly good but for tonite my selection wasn’t the best. But it doesn’t really matter coz I almost had everyone’s portion! I even finished half of Pui San’s quiche..heeee..I’m a total food monster! These people were really kind to get me a gift..After a quest and a firm insist of getting me a pressie, they finally present me with the lonely planet Great Britain travel guide..Guess I won’t be lonely in the flight. Thanks so much people, for this great gift! I shall make full use of it during my stay at the new coming home. Do keep in touch ya..gonna miss u guys very much! :(

Busy and busier

2007-12-15T15:42:00.000Z

Pheeeeeww..lots and lots of things have been settled these past few days..Been really busy for preparation that I didn't have permissible time to touch my pc.

Just a quick run through on what's happened. I got my licensed renewed and applied myself an international driving license...hope that I could at least 'test drive' a car if I can't own one once im stable in the uk. Who knows..I might be lucky to put the latest 5 series bmw on a test drive..i wish! Alhamdulillah, after a one week of anxious wait but almost a month of documents preparation for the submission, I finally had my visa approved..it's worth of all the hard work, worries and swearing for the visa application. I also had my final teeth check yesterday which was my last dental appointment with Dr Hazmyr and Nurse Min, both were really busy when I arrived but were kind enough to attend my check up and teeth scaling. Thank you once again for the many help and kind attention given throughout the appointments!

My parents were very concern about my coming departure. How sweet of them to have a kenduri doa selamat for me. Thank you very much for the thoughtful attention! We had the kenduri last night. It was really thoughtful of my aunt, Makcik Sah to come early in the morning to do the cooking. The food was superbly delicious. Thank you also to my family members and Din's wife, Siti for the hard work of cleaning up for this event. Special thanks goes to Zati. Although having an eye infection which prohibited her to join, this close friend of mine actually came in the evening before the event starts just to see me and brought 2 boxes of my favourite egg tarts as well as a cash note! How very sweet..Thank you Zati for the endless support all this while. I really appreciate it! They were around 50-60 guests who attended, mostly families and relatives. I'm touched by the people who came for the support. Three friends, Hajar, Ajlaa, Elsa and of course my other half, Mr Tomet were also here. Thank you all for attending! Thanks also to the many ppl who were very kind to leave me with presents, apart from a few hundred of cash, I was given a sweater, a backpack, a set of bodyshop gift, a box of cute cupcakes, a homemade cheesecake and very useful advices and wishes.

I had half of my day spent with Tomet today. Poor dear who had to work tho it's saturday today. I understand that u're tired due to a hectic week of work, but thank you for spending the time with me yeah. I finally made myself spectacles, with the price of one..I managed to get another for free. Guess it's a good buy for the cost of rm168, thanks to the many cheap things u can get at Sg Wang. I've been relying on contact lenses all this while, so I consider myself facing a new experience stabilizing with wearing glasses. It's a little giddy wearing in for the first time, but I think I'm getting used to it. I also got a few other stuffs, LAN cables, a photo album and 3 cd casings for the price of 2. After having dinner of tomet's favourite dish, Kueh Teow both of us dropped by the MAS office at KL Sentral to reserve a seating for my coming flight. Thank god there were still suitable seatings and reservation were made without much problem.

It's a week full of experiences. After all formalities settled, I'm now left with packing. I'd better start soon as I'm only left with 2 weeks before departure..

Gadgets Shopping

2007-12-09T15:43:00.000Z

Many things were accomplished these past few days. I’ve been quite busy running errands to get the important matters for the coming studies resolved. I finally managed to get all formalities such as submissions of the agreement documentations to the kpt and visa done within a couple of days. Thank god everything went on as planned and within time left.

As for yesterday and today, I allowed myself for two more shopping sprees, this time..it’s fully dedicated for electronic gadgets. In line with the pc fair at klcc which runs for 3 days, I initially thought of only going for a survey, but ended up shopping! I went to pc fair with my good friend, Alyna yesterday evening. Unfortunately, I started to develop fever and cough once we parked our car. But as we were already there, I didn’t bother thinking much about the developing sickness. We went for a 3-hour survey on the notebooks when both of us finally decided to each get ourselves a notebook. We had a quick dinner just before we got our stuffs and by then I was like a walking zombie! I felt really tired and started to loose my voice as it became out of tune! Got myself panadol and lozenges and had them after meals. After that, we took separate ways to the notebook booths.

I finally got myself a notebook – a model from hp – though it’s not the one I had been eyeing on, but I’m fully satisfied with the specs, after all what more can u get when there’s a RAM upgrade to 4Gb. The price is rm500 less than the one I wanted. I came to a decision where it’s not worth spending that much just for ‘looks’- thank god I made the right decision! :) And Alyna got herself the red & sexy Sony VIOR, quite tempting I find them. We were the last customers served at yesterday’s fair. Yeap, we were..that means, both of us went home quite late at nite. Glad that both of us went home feeling satisfied with our selections. : ) Thanks to Alyna for accompanying me.

I was voiceless when woke up today! I completely loose my voice! That was what I realized when Tomet called me in the morning. Geee..the line when there’s a happy moment, slight misery happens as what tomet told me happens to me quite frequently – perhaps the happiness of getting a new laptop yesterday is sort of ‘paid of’ with losing my voice today! Coincidence..Heheee! Anyway, that didn’t stop me to see my dear Tomet though I had to switch to the mute mode due to slight sore in the throat. I bit awkward I find it when we were quiet most of the time as I’m always the chatty one with endless stories to tell. I accompanied Tomet to his office for a while before we headed to klcc, yeap – to pc fair again! Parking was so difficult to get, it took both of us 40minutes or maybe more to get the car parked. Sorry Tomet for suggesting an open air car park as it rained in the evening when u had the car washed in the morning.

The initial reason to pc fair earlier today was to collect a pen drive for which the salesman at the counter promised me yesterday, and to buy a hardware my brother asked for. The salesperson was busy and asked if I could wait, so while waiting, Tomet and I went around looking at the things they have at the fair. Along our way out, I ended up buying myself a laptop casing, 50 pieces of dvds worth rm38 and a digital camera that I’ve been eyeing on – it’s cheaper by almost rm300 than the actual price. Although the camera isn’t the best of the available, I’m happy and satisfied with the functions it has..and the best part is, I managed to persuade the salesmen with lesser price for these items, thanks for being partial voiceless. I assume they felt sorry seeing me struggling to talk..so, bargaining wasn’t really tough! ;)

I am now still without voice..i sound like a squeaking kitten whenever I talk! How buruk..been laughed at by almost everyone who hears my voice..i lost count on the numbers of people..almost all salesmen at least grin when they heard me talking. It ^*@$& not to have ur normal voice. So, please appreciate the ability to be able to speak normally..regardless of how bad u think ur voice might sound…hearing ur own voice when u’ve lost ur voice is the worse of all..

The friends whom I admire

2007-12-01T15:55:00.001Z

I had a few meet ups with a number of old & new friends today. Tomet & I spent almost an entire day at the Midvalley Megamall. We met Shah (one of my good & close friends during undergraduate & postgraduate studies) and Sam (my new friend who is Shah’s best friend). Shah had been my study mate during our university lives. I still remember the times during undergraduate when both of us would revise together whenever there’s a paper to sit for and would share the joy or sadness when the results appear. One thing that I really admire about Shah is that he’s an intelligent person who picks up on matters really quickly without much effort to put on. We were also lab mates during Masters. During this period, together with a few other friends we would have our lunch at the faculty’s balcony almost everyday. I can still recall our ‘marathon’ from one block to another, moving around to settle our work which at times got distracted when the faculty’s lift goes on a disturbed ‘mood’. It’s been so long since I met Shah, perhaps a year or so since Shah moved to another place to start his new job. But I’m glad to have a good contact with him; we keep each other updated with latest news once in a while.

These special friends of mine are very special in their own ways. They are indeed, unique than my other friends. I am most touched to witness the close & friendly relationship between Shah, who’s on wheelchair & Sam, who’s blind. Although disable in their own ways, that does not hinder their appreciation of each other towards friendship. I respect them even more as they’re both successful in their respective fields. Shah is now working as a researcher with the national space agency(Angkasa), the type of work which(to me) definitely demands a great degree of intellectual powers. Sam on the other hand is currently pursuing his Master’s degree at UM in the field of Counselling. I find these inspiring.

All 4 of us had lunch at Dominos and chatted all the way. It’s an enjoyable experience to share and exchange stories with these folks. Helping them shopping is also a new experience for Tomet and I, from presents to clothing to computer stuffs, we hope you guys like all the things bought today. :) The day went by quickly; we said our good byes in the evening. To Shah & Sam, keep up the enthusiasm for a greater success that awaits ahead. U guys are the best role models.

Later in the evening, Tomet and I met another friend, whom I think is also gifted with special talents for which not many people are born with. It’s is udeyismail, a humble (at times chatty but most of the time quite) yet very passionate, skilful and talented photographer. I first met Udey when he came to shoot during my previous Master’s convocation. I was really lucky as being a professional photographer, Udey’s schedules are daily fully occupied. Thanks again Udey, for the wonderful shots! I promise to one day tell this story to my future kids. :)

Udey came with a friend. The four of us had dinner at Secret Recipe. Udey’s stories reminded me of the saying that “success comes through hard work” and I’m proud this young and highly motivated friend of mine has successfully proven this right, but I believe you will someday reach the skies higher than where you have reached now. In my views, Udey has revolutionized the saying of “where there’s a will, there’s a way” to “where there’s a will, there’re many ways” to achieve the aspiration. To Udey, keep up the desire of achievements for I’m sure that better accomplishments will soon be awarded in the future.

To these peeps, thanks for coming to spend a few hours with Tomet and I. We appreciate your time & both of us look forward to meet u guys again.

The long call ceremony

2007-11-29T06:49:00.000Z

This morning, together with Alyna, I attended a ceremony similar to graduation of my friend’s, Elsa at the Jalan Duta Court Complex. As for today’s ceremony, Elsa is now an official lawyer who’s been approved to practice in the court. The ceremony is called long call where Elsa finally gets admitted to the Malaysian Bar as an Advocate & Solicitor of Malaya. What differs long call from a usual convocation is that during this ceremony, the graduand for they are called competitive will individually stand in the court’s front row facing the Judge where their biodatas will be read out by other senior lawyers to the public before the Judge admits them to the Bar, and they are officially admitted when a robe is put on them by their respective teacher. It’s a new experience for me to witness this very protocol ceremony, but I’m delighted to share the happy moment with this high school friend of mine. Glad that your dream(since high school) of becoming an advocate, the lawyer who speaks, argues and pleads for cases in the court has finally come true. To Elsa, be the best out of all & keep it up! :)

Truth about lying

2007-11-28T07:49:00.000Z

I just lied to someone. It isn’t my intention to do so, but I had to. Why lie? People lie for many reasons: to deny mistakes, to protect others, to enhance egos, to avoid punishments, to get a reward, to save time, to protect information, to get an attention, to preserve sanity, an endless list where various infinite reasons lie, but all stands on the desire to maximize benefit or minimize harm. In my case, to minimize harm that is to avoid an argument. So, in situations similar to this, are lies considered immoral? I quite agree that lies are at all times immoral as it affects the power and freedom of making a rational decision, but to what extend should one remain honest when being dishonest would be of better option?

The saying, “honesty is the best policy” doesn’t quite apply to all situations where at times; “dishonesty is the best policy”. How ironic it is for us to teach the young that in whatever situation, honesty is all that matters..but we ourselves ended up lying either big or small in almost everyday, perhaps every hour if not between minutes. Religion, culture and society deliberately teach us to abide with or to devote ourselves with theory of honesty throughout lives. Unfortunately, regardless of age, gender, religion, ethnicity and profession the conflicting messages about honesty are very well practised. Earlier today, I was caught in a deceitful situation where it involves someone with a highly professional occupation, but in a difficult situation perfect honesty may seem second best next to values like compassion, respect, and justice.

There are many reasons and many ways to lie. Fortunately, through training and practices there are ways to learn to cut through these deceptions…

http://www.forbes.com/technology/2006/11/03/detecting-lies-trust-tech_06trust_cx_ee_1103lies.html

http://www.blifaloo.com/info/lies.php

http://www.wikihow.com/Detect-Lies

Frequently, choosing to lie is a serious gamble with integrity. Behind every lie, there is a big cost to pay for. The consequences of being caught isn’t a pleasing achievement after all, winning the trust again isn’t an easy task than what it takes for a simple lie…

Final dental surgery!

2007-11-26T15:38:00.000Z

Finally, I had my third and hopefully final dental surgery early in the morning today. Guess, I’m the dental surgery champ for wisdom tooth removal in the past 3 weeks for which I had either willingly or unwillingly gone through 3 different surgeries almost every week. By now, all 4 wisdom teeth have been removed. Perhaps, becoming a frequent patient for the past few weeks made my appearance aware among receptionist, a few nurses and dentists. For once, I felt like a vip but not for a quite flattering situation. But whatever it is, thanks all for the friendly assistance.

The procedure today was relatively simple but could sound horrifying to some people. The removal of upper left wisdom tooth with a plier took exactly 5-minutes after 1 dose of anaesthetic was given on the gums around the corresponding tooth. Yep, unlike the previous experience, this time the tooth was removed by using only a plier..really, nothing else. Was this to put me on test? I was speechlessly terrified with the tool during the first dental surgery. Somehow, looking at the tooth removal plier today didn’t set me anxious feelings apart from wanting to get over with the surgery as I had other chores to settle. Alhamdulillah, I was pretty calm and it all went on well. Though it was a fast and painless process, I unconsciously slept for 7 continuous hours after coming home from the surgery. Wonder what made me felt tremendously tired as no medication was taken before/after the procedure, well apart from the anaesthetic - which I believe did not cause me the sleepy effect. At the moment, consumption of antibiotics must carry on although the gum has stopped bleeding. Again, I have to rely on nasi bubur but this didn’t kill my appetite on other cravings…can’t wait for a serving of ice cream when I’m fully recovered. Yum yum..

Thanks again to Dr Hazmyr and Nurse Min for the friendly and supportive treatment.

Feeling of gratitude

2007-11-21T12:21:00.001Z

“Alhamdulillah, praise to god..it’s the only word I remembered and said out when I was told by Ayu that my appeal for the slot swapping with another candidate is finally approved…I was close to tears…”

Early in the morning, I started my day meeting the um hr officer who’s been in charge of my application for the coming studies. The offered scholarship that was initially approved for me to study in the uk suddenly turned disapproved for which I had to choose another study place, anywhere in the world except the uk. This is because the slot for um candidates for the year 2007/08 have been fully utilized for students wishing to study in the uk. For many possible reasons, these were not informed by the faculty that approved my application. After the dreadful news, I believe I did all out looking for other places, but wasn’t fortunate enough to find a replacement. It puzzled me when rejection came one after another with various strange reasons. It was even tougher when support from the faculty degraded which I later stood on my own for all obstacles faced. Those few uncertain months were depressing until one day I was informed by the hr officer that there’s a possibility of swapping the scholarship slot with another candidate(who was granted a slot to uk, but ended up choosing a university in the States). That gave me hope for then I was told to start with preparation in terms of initiating contact with the university, got myself an accommodation during my studies, bought the necessary things, settled documentation formalities with um, prepared documents for visa and an endless list of other tasks..all went on as planned except that I did not receive an offer letter from the kpt, the most important document as it is the only ticket as a proof of sponsorship to gain admission at the university.

I was left with 2 weeks before the scheduled departure, when there was still no news on the approval of the funding. The hr officer did her part by sending an appeal for the swapping to kpt where I expected to receive a likely answer from the kpt within a short period of time. But, my expectations failed when I was informed about an unexpected news..out of the blue, another candidate who was confirmed to study in Australia wanted to make a very last minute change to another university in the uk and made a direct appeal to kpt in order to be granted the uk slot. While definitely not following the correct swapping procedures, all these were done without the knowledge of the hr officer..how unethical! Matters went more unexpected when the officer from kpt disapproved my appeal thinking that I was the culprit! It was a total rejection. At that time, it seemed that I had no hope for a scholarship for which uk was the only choice in hands. And at that time also, I really felt like giving up..after so much of trials I had faced just for an honest intention to further my studies. But, a strong sense of motivation bloomed in me after listening to an advice from my other half which left a remarkable effect that echoes in my mind until now.

In determination to explain the actual situation, a lot was done to reach the kpt officer who had verbally rejected my appeal. Telephone calls were of no use as they were never answered, but thank god the officer responded to emails once in a while. Nevertheless, the matter was never resolved while time was running out. Today, I decided to make a visit to kpt in the hope to get a definite answer to my case. The kpt officer in charge was away for a course but managed to speak to the assistant, Ayu. Although we had not met before, Ayu knew me through my case from the very beginning, felt sorry for what had happened and was indeed very cooperative in helping me to settle the matter. After I made a concise explanation, Ayu made a call to the particular officer and once again I was lucky enough that he answered as according to Ayu, he rarely accepts calls from the office whenever away on course. After a while, Ayu came by with the news… Alhamdulillah, praise to god..it’s the only word I remembered and said out when I was told by Ayu that my appeal for the slot swapping with another candidate is finally approved…I was close to tears to know that at long last, the battle and worries have ended with a bright hope for the future. Ayu also told me that I am considered very very lucky to get this opportunity. I was requested to wait and less than 15 minutes, all the necessary documents were already in my hands with a comprehensive explanation of what needs to be done. I was further told that kpt approved my request to register in the coming semester that will commence early next year. And that means I could delay the current scheduled departure date to settle these matters. I just don’t know how to thank everyone who helped..I would have honoured each person the status of a king or queen to these peeps, if I’d ever have the power….but I will never have such authority.

After a short chat with Ayu, I excused myself and walked to the car which had been parked illegally(but there were many cars parked in that area). I was rushing my way to a nearby restaurant to meet tomet for lunch when I realized on the windscreen that my car had been summoned by the police. It was the first I told my other half when we met and this was his response… “for every happy moment, life balances itself with slight misery”..another remarkable advice I received ..and when I ponder about it, the exact opposite applies more often in reality…

Thank you Pn Ermiza for the struggle to ensure the consent of this scholarship.
Thank you En Husin for the considerate approval.
Thank you Ayu for being the middle person to relay the message & for the preparation of the documents.
Thank you Tomet for the noteworthy advices that made me think.
Thank you Policeman for leaving a summon as I have now learned to be extra-cautious when parking a vehicle.

Congratulations!

2007-11-20T15:02:00.000Z

Today, for the 3rd time in my life, I had another graduation ceremony where it was held at Wisma Tun Sambathan, my 5-months school during the recent Java programming course which ended just before Raya. The graduation ceremony was organized by Buzznet and MDec. How thoughtful of them to celebrate us..I’m glad to see at least half of my cheeky classmates, most of them are already working while the remaining few are starting work soon.

The ceremony was attended by Buzznet and MDec management, students from 3 classes and a few peeps from the press. Although, it was held in a smaller scale compared to other graduation ceremonies, today’s event was a cheerful one. It started off with an introductory speech by Buzznet and MDec, certificate granting to each graduand for all 3 classes and ended with a Q&A before tea. I believe, coming from a slightly distinctive work experience or academic background from the rest, I was bolt from the blue when suddenly became the first called up by Mr Zain to give up opinion..well, to answer a question actually (which I missed due to woolgathering!)..thus ended up giving my own thought about the entire programme. For once, I’m relieved to be given the ability to always stay calm and pretend confident for an impromptu speech. Heheee!

Anyway, right after that, we had a few photo sessions with friends and the management . There was a part where after the photo shoot with the management, I hand shook with one of the top management MDec people..well, he was standing next to me. While shaking hands, instead of saying “thank you”, without thinking much, I wrongly but extra confidently said “congratulations!”, perhaps my ears expected to hear the word of rejoice so much..gosh..what a huge embarrassment! The Datuk was puzzled but a friend next to me laughed his head off and thank god all of us ended up laughing out loud..and there I had the pain on the jaw due to yesterday’s surgery! At least I didn’t feel that embarrassed.. and right after another funny joke follows..I was talking to another friend who works in Johor, asking about how he’s new job is like?..and this is how I asked…“So, how’s working in Japan?” – I swear that my head tells me to say johor, but somehow the word which came out was japan! How could that?! Another token of embarrassment ..geez..i was a total clown! A female friend who was listening gave me this remark …“iskh..iskh..bila dia dah takde gigi..entah apa la yang dia ckp!"—and I had an illusion of me being really old, without teeth of course..trying to speak with great effort....we really laughed our heads off for which I was served with a bonus pain on the jaw due to the muscle strengthening..thanks to laughing! :)

We had a memorable graduation day, although Mr Govind, our mentor throughout the course could not be with us..All in all, thank you Mr Govind for the aspiration, motivation, and precious knowledge patiently yet enthusiastically delivered to all of us for the duration of 5 months. To the rest, Congratulations!(yes..this time im saying this right!) and all the best for your future endeavours!

Second surgery

2007-11-19T11:47:00.000Z

I had my second dental surgery this morning. This time, it’s at the UM dental clinic. I went there last Friday and had an appointment booked for today’s surgery. The process taken up for this surgery went on quiet smoothly and quickly, from registration to teeth check to x-ray followed by today’s appointment. Thanks to Dr Zamri whom I met on my arrival at the clinic the other day. He was the one who assigned me to the dentist in charge which I was later attended by Dr Hazmyr, another postgrad dentist who saw me last puasa month for information on my previous masters research related to dentistry…what a coincidence and how easy it is dealing with matters when there’s a good network of contact…and the best about this is that the surgery was completely free of charge. I could have saved RM300 from the previous surgery if I were fully convinced that the process of tooth removal at a university clinic isn’t an endless wait.

The appointment was at 10pm. Nurse Min who attended me last Friday directed me to the operation theatre where the dentist came in a few minutes later. After a short review by Dr Hazmyr, I understood that both lower and upper wisdom teeth of the right side of my jaw will have to be removed. Somehow or rather, I was not as terrified as I was during the previous dental surgery. Perhaps, it’s becoz these two were friendly and very concern about the patient’s feeling thus made me comfortable throughout the procedure. They even had a conversation with me forgetting that there were utensils in my mouth, which of course prevented me from talking.

During the surgery this time, I was given 3 doses of local anaesthetic, 2 for lower and 1 for upper jaw. The removal of both wisdom teeth took exactly half and hour, a shorter time than the previous and honestly, it wasn’t as painful compared to the first perhaps due to the advanced tools used during the surgical procedures. Again, I received the same remark as Dr Louise who removed my tooth during the first dental surgery, a comment by Dr Hazmyr was that I have strong teeth which require extra force for removal and for once, a vague illusion of an unlucky female dentist struggling to remove my teeth appeared briefly in my head if I had been attended by one. When the upper tooth was finally detached, I was told that it had 4 roots while it should only have 2. Was it good or bad? I didn't know how to react. The fact that I had to wear the green operation gown and had my eyes closed with a cloth throughout the surgery assured me that the process will be professionally performed and certainly, I was right. Glad that I didn’t have to encounter the fright of the tooth extracting forceps. On completion of the procedures, I was given antibiotics and painkillers to be taken every 6 hours.

It is now, 8 hours after surgery and my left cheek is starting to swell but I’m so thankful that my gums isn’t bleeding terribly and the pain is still bearable though I had to rely on nasi bubur for the next couple of days. Depending on my condition, I may have to remove the last upper left wisdom tooth sometime next week …Guess I’m getting used to this tooth removing procedures but it better be the last! Last but not least, thanks to Dr Hazmyr and Nurse Min for the kind attention throughout the entire process.

Quest for a laptop

2007-11-17T19:26:00.000Z

Well..i’m a little undecided right now..Today, I had an entire evening spent on laptops survey at Lowyat. Endless list of products and brands available on market have left me confused on making the best decision. Each sales person at every visited booth will have his own say on the definition of an optimal choice although the specs are more and less the same. It is up to the buyer to make the selection and this shouldn’t really be a difficult choice for there are leaflets and extensive lecture of explanations willingly given by these ‘persuaders’. Unfortunately, I am yet to be able to decide upon the product which is most satisfying…well, ok..there is one..but it’s way too expensive than the estimated budget…it would costs me an entire year of starvation to invest on such a beautifooool and powerful laptop..aint talking abt apple’s macbook here, the precious one is still a darling at heart for I will(at least hope that) one day get it when I’m completely & financially stable..I’m referring to the hp’s latest stylish babe, the special edition hp pavilion dv2616tx..check out the pix..pretty right? Im so in love with the design and high-end specs, but the price is such a killer for someone jobless like me -- poor un..it’s more than RM5k, yeah..aint kidding..the truth is as written on leaftlets and websites in addition to spoken salesmen..aaawww, don’t remind me.. :( The attention seeker has winningly caught my concentration and has successfully guarded my thoughts with its appearance every time another potential product/brand appears..geez…I feel as if I’m on a witch’s spell! Ahahaa! Another part of my brain is transmitting information that I could perhaps gain better specs with other selections..and there comes the dell inspiron 1420..the best abt dell is that it allows customization, so it is definitely reconfigurable to the heart’s delight, plus a given selection of lid color (although the hp is still attractively award-winning!)- oh, the appealing cloud again…we’ll see which product wins when juries in the head make a decision…pray for the best, not to be fooled!

Happy 25th Birthday!

2007-11-12T13:55:00.000Z

On this day 25 years ago, 12 November 1982, I was born on Friday at 7.28pm. The same date today, it's my birthday again! yep..it’s the day of the year where life is stepping my age ahead..alhamdulillah, god has given me a good life for the past quarter-century.. praise god for the good health and prosperous living throughout these years.

Tomet has always been the first person who sings and wishes me ‘happy birthday’ almost every year(without fail) for the last couple of years. It feels really good having someone as special as you are and I’m so thankful to have been taken care in a meaningful and wonderful way. You are, really, a sweet person as a friend and even more adoring as a partner. :)

This year’s birthday is significant in a special way..I finally had the chance to celebrate with my dearest tomet on the exact day after 7 years of knowing each other..long wait doncha think? Previously, we never really had the chance as we were in a long distance relationship for 4 years which resulted to a constraint to such celebration, but wishes, birthday songs and cards were never missed. Although tired due to long day of work(more tiring as it is on Monday)-poor tomet, as always..was cheerful and happy spending a few hours with me. I was surprised to receive a gift and a very lovely plus precious card. Opened the pressie at home and I’m very happy to find that I’ve been given a cute nemo mug. I promise to bring this mug with me to uk! We had dinner at Secret Recipe, the food was delicious. Even though it felt like an ordinary day going out together, I am so delighted to have the chance for a birthday dinner with you. :) Thanks too for the treat!

Many others wished and present me with great gifts. I’m not the kind who expects to receive gifts on birthdays, never have I requested for anything expensive. I think, this year achieves its record when unexpectedly, I receive the most birthday gifts than the past years, for as long as I can recall. Thanks to my parents for the thoughtful individual gifts and wishes. Mama gave me a necklace while I received a black jade bangle from papa. My brother ,taufiq, present me yesterday’s luggage bag, a big hug from my sister, nini and a sweet birthday message from my younger brother, taqi. Good luck for ur exams! My cousin & wife, ezzeddin & siti also gave me something special..I received a motivation book called don’t be sad and a cute birthday card with a badge attached. I appreciate all the effort for all of these.

To others who have wished me, thank u very much for the kind wishes! :)

Shahrizal Fadlie, Alyna, Che Nor, Abg Nua, Syameer, Khalidah, Osman, Brindha, Ayunie, Salhana, Elsa & Ruhil

Shopping spree

2007-11-11T15:49:00.000Z

I had a half day shopping spree at ou with my parents and elder brother this evening. To my family, thanks for the concern and support for the preparation and needs for the coming studies. I was surprised to find that my brother actually present me a luggage bag which costs RM489…I know it’s a big amount of money and thanks thanks for the thoughtful gift! I appreciate it very much. My parents too spent a big deal of portion, they bought me a few pairs of new clothing and a very cute rice cooker. It’s a Philips product called Mini Fuzzy. Knowing the name of the rice cooker has enlightened my interest on it.

I’m glad to find out that without further research, I managed to understand the concept and functionalities of the fuzzy rice cooker. Thanks to the knowledge comprehended during the fuzzy logic subject taken during my undergraduate years. I’m even more contented to learn that my fascination on the idea of artificial intelligence, an area of computer science studies which I majored all this while, has been theoretically and practically applied to appliances for reasons of better living. A little bit of knowledge sharing, the idea of the fuzzy rice cooker is to cook rice at a correct time and temperature depending on the amount of rice and water placed in the pot..the more rice it holds, longer time is taken for it to cook. On the other hand, lesser timing is used for a smaller rice portion thus preserves the nutrients for fresh and nourishing meals...cool huh? This is what we call intelligent technology.. :)

A wonderful day for all..

2007-11-10T15:51:00.000Z

Beep..we meet again! today’s been a memorable day for a number of people close to me..first, it’s zati’s wedding, secondly, it’s sara’s birthday, last but not least..my dearest tomet’s car has finally arrived and i have been given the honour to be the first passenger to sort of a launch the car..heeehee..i’m am very very honoured..thank you tomet!

It has been ages since I woke up really early in the morning, but today, zati should also be honoured as I actually woke up at 6:30am to get ready for a journey to taiping, zati’s hometown. 6 of us…haris and clans, sara, sal and myself met up as early as 8:30am and off we drove to taiping, perak. All of us carpooled with haris. The journey took approximately 4 hours where sara was dedicated with a birthday song along the trip there. We reached zati’s house at almost 12pm, they just settled the akad nikah at that time, we snapped some photos and waited for zati to get ready for the following event…although it rained for a while, the kenduri attended by families and friends was happening..it was full-house during the bersanding session..for the second time, I was assigned to be the video-camera-gal..it was cool tho’..followed them all around to capture the happy moment of their lives..and to interview a number of friends for wedding wishes specially dedicated for both of them..after lepak-ing a while, we finally made a move back to kl at about 4:30pm. Thank you very much to zati’s family for the thoughtful hospitality during our visit to the kenduri.. each of us actually went back with set of tapau food..

We reached kl at 7:30pm and sent sara home before haris dropped sal and I at the asia jaya lrt station. On reaching the station just before taking lrt, tomet called up and told that he was near-by and would like to pick and send both of us home. Having to see tomet’s car, I had my first opportunity to be driven in a myvi, a local car which caught my eye when it was first introduced, but never had the chance to possess one...it’s a black myvi and named wan qisreena by tomet after its plate number..how sweet and sure it is a sweet name! And then we thought, hey…that’s a nice name..and for the very first time, we were actually serious thinking of having qisreena as our kid’s name (if one day, we're fated to have a family together—by god’s will..insya Allah!).. Before signing off…congratulations to zati & majin! I hope u guys like the special pressie..hehee.., happy birthday to sara and as for tomet…take good care of wan qisreena..

Attitude of dealing

2007-11-07T18:22:00.000Z

My face is still swelling with inner mouth feeling sore as a result of the previous dental surgery. How I wish I could just put this pain aside, but it’s ok lah! After all..when else would I experience(a.k.a. suffer!) the after surgery effects. (the best line I could think to make myself feel better..)

What did I do today? Wasn’t really a productive day for me..thought that waking up early would somehow lead me to a number of chores settled, but ended up not(exactly) doing anything..I was supposed to submit the visa application today, a critical task needed to be done as I’m left approximately 3 weeks before departure. However, it couldn’t be settled due to a delay on receiving the amended sponsorship letter from the human resource office.The person in charge could have the letter ready by yesterday and if so, the process wouldn’t come to a delay. But this is life..things sometimes don’t normally flow as planned. Dealing with ppl can also, at times be very challenging, even more taxing when it comes to support staffs. I’m not highlighting all support staffs can’t work well..that isn’t my point on this view. In fact, I have lost count on the numbers of easy-to-deal-with support staffs within various organizations and these ppl are tremendously helpful with any request made. Keep it up the excellent group!

Back to my story, I was supposed to be given a sponsorship letter by the university’s HR for the submission with visa. The first was written with lack of information, so I requested for another from the officer I used to deal with. My request and urgency was fully understood and granted. Being a very busy officer and having to attend an entire day meeting, I was told to directly deal with the support staff just to make a few amendments to get it ready and signed by other officer on behalf of the one I dealt. However, the staff’s lack of sensitivity to even reach the slightest tolerance made the simple task a huge matter to be solved. The staff whom I have met infinitely(in other words, knows me), acted cold on my request though fully aware of the urgency. Perhaps this is a norm due to my status of a student and being young, a sign to show who’s the boss? – when the actual boss(officer) isn’t around…sad case.. It was no use of me arguing as the staff was the only person who could settle my asking. Thing’s would have been unsettled if I were to ‘participate in the play’. Although, initially, completely reluctant, my diplomacy worked moderately when I somehow managed to persuade that staff but was left waiting for 5 hours to finally get the letter ready…by then, the visa centre was already closed where I had to once again postpone the submission.

It would have made things so much easier and faster to settle if there was sufficient sense of awareness on certain matters, registered in their minds. How do we change this mindset/attitude? Well, my answer would be, we can’t… the person will have to realize and change the way of thinking themselves. It wouldn’t involve a single cent nor would it be required payment by others for such effort, but it pays more than what money can buy for the appreciation of the other person served in whatever scenario it may be. I feel it is worth for all of us to ponder about this as we meet people to satisfy constant needs everyday.

First surgery

2007-11-06T14:01:00.000Z

Yesterday, 5th November 2007, was an unforgettable day in my life..I had my first ever surgery since I lived in the past 24 years. Ok..im not trying to make this too dramatic..but the entire procedure was really horrifying! It was only a minor dental surgery for which my left wisdom tooth was removed. The appointment with the dental surgeon was at 11:00am, someone was having a dental check when I arrived. Initially, the feeling was not like going for a surgery although I was fully aware that something had to be done to my teeth. My turn came and after a brief discussion with the doctor, he decided upon removing 2 of my lower wisdom teeth, having to operate one at a time, which means I have another visit to the clinic.. I started to feel the chill even though it wasn’t really cold...Nurses around started to lay all the surgical dental instruments on the tray beside where I was sitting..there were huge drillers, tweezers, tooth removal pliers and many other disturbing tools..my eyes enlarged! I have never felt scared going to a dentist but now I fully understand why kids are terrified to see a dentist. I now get the message of the typical joke I normally see on cartoons when it involves kids and dentists..

He then asked if I’ve had my meals, I did not and said “not yet”..and then the explanation comes..”If I proceed, u’ll feel tired and might faint”, hearing that, I was adviced and excused myself for a lunch. After lunch of a full plate of nasi kandar, I went to the clinic again and was called in after a while. Then the horrifying episode started, I was asked on which tooth to remove and decided upon the left..then, I was given 3 painkiller pills and 2 doses of local anaesthetic at the tongue, on the cheeks and around the wisdom tooth. The doctore told me that usually, he’d give 1 dose of anaesthetic to patients and I thought about myself.."Am I that strong?" .After abt 5 minutes, I started to feel numb around the areas…and there on..the operation follows. The doctor did what he was supposed to do..the noises of tooth drilling with all sorts of tooth extracting forcepts going in and coming out from my mouth left my entire body shivering! I was terrified..really..it wasn’t a pleasant experience at all..at that time, I regret not having someone close to hold my hands beside me. The 2 doses anaesthetic didn’t work quite well on me, although feeling numb, I could still feel the pain of removing the tooth. I heard the doctor saying “u have strong bone”..He was struggling to detach the left wisdom tooth and when it finally came out, he concluded that my wisdom tooth had 3 roots when others would usually have 2, which made it very difficult to remove..my o my…the surgery which started at 1:15pm went on for 45 minutes. I was advised to take medication every 6 hours, was told to come again the following week and did my payment..it costs me RM300(which I initially thought would only be RM30), a very big value that I had to sacrifice.

I started walking back at 2:05pm having to bear with my gums bleeding terribly. On my way back, I stopped by at the Visa center for a number of enquiries regarding my application form and went to Amcorp mall to buy a bottle of Listerine mouthwash before heading home. I reached home at 7pm. My gums had not stopped bleeding since the surgery..this made me feel even more tired and soon after I discovered that I was having fever..After shower I took a short rest before having a mug of milo and the painkiller pills..bcoz my mom didn’t cook, dad went out for dinner and bought me nasi bubur.. I was resting on my bed trying not to think much on the pain and bleeding gums when told to eat..I thought of eating later. At that time, I could feel my body aching due to the antibody combating the fever virus. An hour passed by and I started to doze off..thinking of removing my lense and taking wudhuk for Isya’ prayers, I rushed to the toilet..after a while looking at my swollen cheeks in the mirror, I felt a gush of dizziness..trying to keep balance, I hold on tight to the sink..but loose control and in a less than a minute..i was helplessly lying on the bathroom toilet..my brother and mom heard the sound of the sudden fall and started banging the bathroom doors calling for me..a few minutes later, i could finally move my hand and reached for the knobs..they came for my rescue..Thank god! Thanks to my family..I fully regained consciousness in about 10 minutes and took a short shower.Apart from a minor bruise on the elbow, I was ok..By the time I came out from the bathroom, I had my heated nasi bubur on my computer desk in my room..My brother can be really helpful at times..Thank you for heating me the nasi bubur..I had them finished in less than 10 minutes and continued my rest for the entire night..

Yesterday’s experience taught me 2 lessons :

Never go to a dentist alone! The psychological feeling is worse if gone by yourself.
Never starve yourself. I should never neglect the feeling of hunger or I shall experience the fainting episode again..this is the 4th time I fainted because of starvation..ain’t gonna go though it again..

Today, my left cheek is swollen more than an extra bloated ikan buntal. I look terrible! But I’m so thankful that my gums had stopped bleeding and am feeling less painful than yesterday..My next appointment will be sometime next week..this time, the doctor will remove the lower right wisdom tooth..thinking abt going through another dental surgery is enough to make me shiver! Hope that I’ll be better than the previous..

Education : Local vs Abroad

2007-11-02T16:03:00.000Z

time really flies..it's less than a month before my scheduled departure to a country i've been long wanting to step my foot on, the united kingdom..a place where i'm expected to carry on life with presumably (precisely, definitely!) even more hectic academic calendar struggling with various possible obstacles, a place that will test my ability to be independent in all aspects a foreign student is required to have…In those days, I used to be extremely excited with the idea of going to study abroad, but these days…my perspectives somewhat changed in a way or two.. having obtained and been fully educated in home country, Malaysia for the past 24 years isn’t a bad experience after all…I highly feel what’s more important is the individual’s aspiration to become academically successful in whatever course taken, regardless of education delivery, environment, institution’s fame and endless reasons one may list.. I admit that I’m proud being a Malaysian education ‘product’…thought that by having to complete another level of education, I would be the ‘pure product’, but request from the local institution responsible to fund my coming studies leaves me limited choice to carry on with the title...also, many motives were directed towards this(where fame was never in the definition)..after all, I’m also admitting that there are more than a lot to learn from well-developed countries around the world..so, why should we leave the opportunity unoccupied? As for me, I hope to bring home and educate the coming generations with better knowledge transfer for a better Malaysian education product, within the next 3 years.. insya Allah..

So, why did I choose UK? An eternal question asked from my surroundings, an even more significant question starting from the point I’ve been tested with stumbling blocks until the final say.. a simple answer is, I’d like to take up the uk challenge in the hope to prove that age is not a gauge for academic excellence..it is way of out my intention to be supercilious with the statement, but certain things, sometimes need to be proven to gain reasonable respect. This might be vague, but enough to explain my many unsaid reasons.

Ok, enuff abt academic talk…hmm..what’s happened today? After weeks, I finally had the chance to see Zati for I was given 4 wedding invitation cards for distribution to a number of ppl..thanks so much for the invitation, Zati! yep, Zati’s getting married..from someone who’s been listening(not so much of helping tho’ :p) the previous ups and downs, I’m very happy for u on this approval..now that part of ur dream has come through, don’t’ forget on another dream of coming back within 3 years…and by then, I hope to pass you my invitation card… :p (if it’s not earlier)... to zati, congratulations! :)

My first entry..

2007-10-30T09:46:00.000Z

hehee..i'm pretty excited to finally put enuff effort to start up a blog..been wanting, been attempting and beeen looong trying to create one, but the degree of laziness has been way leading the rest..what more can i say..well...welcome to myself and of course welcome and thank to you for putting the effort of wanting to read and share my experiences..cheers! (",)