Goodbye 2015. You have been great!

Assalamualaikum,

Ehem ehem.. Lamanya tak menulis. I am not going to blame the time as what I normally do. Banyak je masa yang boleh curi-curi sebenarnya, cuma mood menulis tu yang tak sampai. However, as the year is approaching the end, I feel like writing something out sebagai kenangan untuk hari terakhir tahun ni. Well, to sum up everything, 2015 has been really beautiful to me. It was very very beautiful I couldn't really describe every single thing in words properly.

Tahun 2015 adalah tahun yang sangat bermakna sepanjang hidup I di muka bumi ni. Allah swt has granted me with so many beautiful things one after another, but the most significant two are my work as a young lecturer in USM and new experience as an expecting mother.

Yes, I am expecting my very first child in 4 weeks time. I have been keeping this to myself since forever. Hanya sedara mara terdekat atau kawan-kawan yang pernah terserempak je yang tau about the change in me, physically obviously. Tapi bila dah semakin dekat dengan delivery date, I think I will need extra doa from the others as well.

InsyaAllah kalau tak ada apa-apa aral, I dijadualkan bersalin penghujung bulan Januari 2016. What a nice way to start my new year, isn't it? And after almost 3 years of waiting very patiently, I dengan my husband kena betul-betul bersedia untuk menggalas tanggungjawab baru as a new parents. I know it's not going to be very smooth and easy, but I think we are ready. :)

This blog has been keeping my life journey since 6 years ago, and being pregnant is one of the most remarkable journey in my life. So I decided to commemorate a few photos that I would love to look at again and again when I get older later on. Sebenaqnya bila dah mula perubahan fizikal yang mendadak, memang takdak mood nak ambik gambaq pun with your bump showing off. Tapi ada a few yang I rasa patut simpan jadi kenangan, so I decided to keep them here. :)

My significant other.
Thank you for your patience and love in handling this cranky pregnant lady. :p

Almost 9-month pregnant. Looking hugeeeeee like a world globe.
T___T

Pregnant sisters. Our delivery dates are close to each other.

So, I think that's all from me for 2015. I don't expect myself to write more in 2016, but if I do, hopefully I boleh share banyak benda yang lebih bermanfaat untuk bacaan semua. Thank you for treating me well 2015, I am looking for more and more beautiful things next year. Till then people, see you next time. Bye bye! :*

Aussie Trip 2015 :: My Convocation at University of Wollongong

Assalamualaikum,

Hari ni I nak update gambar-gambar masa convocation yang lepas. Sebenarnya takde la beria ambik gambar sangat pun. Pagi-pagi dalam pukul 8am, sampai je uni I pegi ambik documents dekat student centre and terus diorang pakaikan jubah siap pin apa semua. Kalau bukak tu memang tak reti pakai balik la nampak gayanya. So, sementara tak ramai orang lagi, kitorang terus bergambar dekat kawasan sekitar je.

Terkilan sikit sebab ada a few tempat dalam kawasan uni yang I tak sempat nak pegi as time did not permit. But it's okay, asalkan ada gambar untuk kenangan pun dah ok dah. Ohh, bila tulis enrty ni, I teringat I ada update satu entry about my friends yang dah graduated a few years back. And to my surprise, Allah swt has granted me with almost EVERYTHING that I wished for back then. Sesungguhnya DIA Maha Pemurah dan Maha Pengasih. You can read HERE for the details if you like. :)

So, let's enjoy the photos, shall we? :)

UniBar. My frequent hang out place. Teringat chips dengan wedges kat sini sedap gila.

Stairways to the duck pond. Again, another nice place to chill out with friends.
Pekena coffee and sandwich sambil tengok orang memang best. :)

Laluan hari-hari untuk ke office. Rindu.

My husband. I couldn't thank him enough for being very supportive all this while.

My parents. Their prayers sustain me in everything I do.

They complete my life.

I hope I brought smiles to their faces.

Simple ceremony. But very meaningful to me. :)

What I conclude here, perjalanan PhD setiap orang memang takkan sama. Ada yang cepat, ada yang lambat, ada yang mudah, ada yang payah. For me a few pieces of paper that I received that day were only a symbol that my PhD journey has ended. What I treasure the most is the values I gained in the process of completing it. I didn't regret of doing it but if you ask me to do another one, thank you, but NO THANK YOU. :)

Aussie Trip 2015 :: Farmhouse and snow experience in Snowy Mountains

Assalamualaikum,

Hai semua! Sebelum jadi makin pemalas, and gambar-gambar semua terperap simpan dalam file sampai bila-bila, baik I update sikit pasal Australia ni ha. I will start with the arrival day and our trip to Snowy Mountains tu okay? Kitorang sampai kat Sydney Airport lebih kurang pukul 7am, 22 July 2015. Knowing Sydney yang super crowded tu, it took us almost one hour to go pass the immigration check. Lepas ambik beg, declare apa yang patut dekat kastam, dalam pukul 8.30am pagi baru siap semua. 

We booked our rental car from Europcar.au few weeks before departure. Tapi bila sampai tu diorang cakap kena tambah insurans itu la, ini la, in total jadi mahal yang amat dengan makcik kaunter yang gaya kerek gila sikit lagi nak kena hempuk je rasa. So, kitorang tukar plan, sewa kereta dari Avis/Budget yang bagi harga lagi reasonable dari Europcar bengong tu. Haihhh geram betoi dengan drama macam ni. Habis spoiled mood pagi-pagi. ;O

Nasib baik kereta yang dapat tu okay, alhamdulillah tak bawak masalah sampai la kitorang pulangkan balik the week after. So we started our journey from the airport to Snowy Mountains straight away after that. Walaupun agak lewat dari plan, tapi it's okay, pandai-pandai la adjust plan nanti. The moment we went into the highway, I was like, wowww, I am back in Australia. Rindu weh road trip tengok pemandangan seluas mata memandang yang pastinya tak sama dengan Malaysia. :)

Kitorang berhenti beberapa kali jugak la for coffee break, lunch, solat, toilet apa semua. Maklumla baru je lepas long haul flight dari Malaysia, sambung pulak dengan driving for 5 hours, memang tak boleh nak rush sangat. Relax-relax je kat mana rasa nak benti rehat singgah je. Ada la 4-5 kali jugak benti sepanjang perjalanan tu.

Pit stopped for lunch and energy recharged. Try sesuaikan diri dengan cuaca sejuk berangin tu.

Nasib baik bawak bekal ketupat dengan sambal ikan bilis dari Malaysia. Sedap gila makan sejuk-sejuk tu.

Group photo. Ada kambing biri-biri dengan kincir angin dekat belakang tu.
Breathtaking view but this picture didn't do justice to the real one. Herghhh. ;O

Nama rest area ni Badcove. In case if you pass by this road, please make it a point to stop here.

We attempted another group photo when the natural lighting was better.

Solat traveller's style. Hampir semua tempat kitorang solat camni je.
Memang susah la nak cari proper prayer room masa on the road.

Kitorang sampai Canberra lebih kurang pukul 5pm. Tapi time tu dah gelap sebab siang pendek masa winter. So takde la singgah mana-mana pun. We continued our journey to Cooma untuk sewa pakaian yang sesuai untuk pegi ski resort. Harga agak reasonable la, setakat sewa pants and walking boots dalam $27 seorang. Kalau nak main ski and snowboard semua tu harga lain la pulak ye. Konsep dia you choose your own gears according to what you want to do there.

The Ski Co. in Cooma for gears hire.

Lepas tu, kitorang singgah beli groceries dekat Woolworths area Cooma, pastu teruskan perjalanan untuk ke homestay di Berridale. Nama homestay ni The Range, seram weh masa mula-mula sampai sebab terlampau gelap, teramat lah sejuk the the temperature was almost 0 that time. Rumah tu jauh ke dalam hutan tak nampak apa pun kat situ. Owner dia pulak dah tua style cakap pun macam dalam cerita omputih dulu-dulu. Tapi bila dia dah tunjuk rumah, pheww lega jugak sebab agak selesa untuk fit all 9 of us (7 adults and 2 kids).

Sampai je terus gotong royong masak untuk dinner sambil-sambil arrange macam mana nak tido apa semua. Kitorang masak nasik, sambal ikan bilis dengan telur dadar, pastu masing-masing fokus makan tak berbunyi sebab lapar sangat plus makan nasik panas dalam cuaca sejuk tu heaven gila kot. Lepas siap makan, mandi, solat, semua pun tido kepenatan. Our trip to Snowy Mountains will resume the next morning.

Our farmhouse. Memang betol-betol kat dalam hutan, or they called it farm over here.

Large living hall. Pardon the mess. Sibuk packing bag masa nih.

View dari tangga rumah. 

View from the balcony. Dari sini boleh nampak llama & kangaroo liar berkeliaran.
Feeling macam dalam cerita koboi omputih. Jalan-jalan naik kuda. haha. :P

Keesokannya, kitorang checked out dalam pukul 10am, and teruskan perjalanan ke Perisher Valley, Snowy Mountains. Taktau nak cakap we were lucky on unlucky, it was snowing very heavily that time. Lucky sebab boleh rasa la macam mana snowing tu, but to us yang dah penah rasa, tak tahan kebas pipi weh bila kena snow tuh. huhuhu. Sudahnya, I dengan mak lepak minum hot chocolate dekat cafe sambil tunggu cuaca elok sikit. Bila matahari dah keluar sikit, haaa baru la seronok main snow! :)

Ribut salji masa mula-mula sampai. Surrender weh. Terus masuk lepak dalam cafe je. hihi.

Us and the ski range at the back. Nak main tu memang idok le. :p

Menatang apa tah orang panggil benda ni. Tapi untuk gembur-gembur salji kot.

Snow man pinjam. Nak buat sendiri tak daya. hahaha.

Eh, panjang gila pulak rasanya entry kali ni. Penat lah nak tulis semua. Banyak je benda yang mengelat, I masukkan yang penting-penting je untuk kenangan. hahaha. Nanti kalau ada masa I update pasal my graduation day pulak okay. Saja simpan memory kat dalam ni senang nak refer bila tua nanti. hihi. Ok bye! 

Aussie Trip 2015 :: The highlights

Assalamualaikum,

Hai! Selamat Hari Raya semua! Eh dah nak hujung Syawal dah pun tapi tak berapa rasa macam raya sangat pun tahun ni. Ye la, I punya raya tahun ni 3 hari je. Hari ke-4 dah berangkat ke Australia. Tapi kan, masa dalam flight tu diorang pasang lagu-lagu raya instrumental cover. Wahhh seronok je feeling-feeling raya dalam kapatebang dengar lagu sedap-sedap sampai tertido. :p

Sampai je kat bumi Sydney, poofff habis hilang semua mood raya tu. Terlupa yang kita masih dalam bulan Syawal sampai la kitorang balik hari tu dengar lagu raya dalam radio masa on the way balik dari KLIA, laaaa raya lagi kita rupanya. hahaha. Terus semangat nak pi jalan-jalan raya balik. :)

Oklah, nak cerita panjang-panjang pasal trip ke sana mood belum datang lagi. I tunjuk gambar sikit-sikit je la dulu eh sepanjang kitorang dekat sana. Nanti bila-bila free I elaborate further details okay?

Our lovely farmhouse at Berridale. Somewhere near Snowy Mountains.

Perisher, Snowy Mountains, 2015. Nak sangat snow kan? Amekkaww ribut salji terus. T___T

Main reason untuk balik ke Australia tahun ni. Officially a UOW Alumni now :)

Wollongong harbour from the lighthouse. Tempat yang sesuai untuk bercinta. kehkehkeh. :p

Bald Hill, Stanwell Park. I never get bored of this view. Tak kisah kalau kena datang sini lagi next time.

Sydney Opera House. One of the remarkable iconic buildings in Australia.

Tu je highlight sikit-sikit untuk hari ni ye. Busy la baru masuk office banyak kerja nak kena buat. huhu. Nanti ada masa I cerita panjang sikit. So, that's all for now. May you have a productive week ahead. Tata. :)

Aussie Trip 2015 :: Going back to a place I called home

Assalamualaikum,

Hari ni bersiaran secara langsung dari office. Baru siap kemas-kemas sikit, esok rasa macam dah tak mai office dah kot sebab mood bercuti dah meresap masuk ke dalam badan. hehe. Ohh well, I will be on holiday mood at least until early August. Wahh kemain cuti raya sikit punya panjang macam kan busy sangat nak menguruskan anak ramai. hahaha.

No lah. I beraya 3 hari je. Selebihnya I akan ada dekat Australia sampai end of July. Serious excited gila rasa macam nak balik kampung pulak. It is indeed a place I called home. Maklumla, 4 tahun lebih duduk sana. Terlampau banyak kenangan yang I rasa dekat sangat dengan hati. I don't think I can simply forget all those beautiful memories.

Hari first sampai tu kitorang akan terus ke Snowy Mountains. I think the timing is almost perfect sebab minggu ni I tengok dalam news dah snow storms. Maksudnya by next week insyaAllah the weather will be perfect untuk kitorang main snow. Konon dulu serik dah mengadap snow hari-hari masa dekat Europe. Sekarang excited pulak. hahaha. Mestilah. Bukan selalu ada peluang untuk feeling-feeling snow white guling-guling dalam salji. Sekali sekala dapat mestila gumbira. :p

Snowy Mountains, 2011

Girlfriends. Aimy and Mala.

Then keesokannya tu balik ke homestay yang I dah booked dekat Stanwell Park. My graduation will be on Thursday morning, so I akan balik ke Wollongong for that occasion. I akan pusing area Wollongong sampai malam. Dengar cerita Wollongong dah makin happening sekarang sejak ada mall baru tu. Thursday night pulak memang city centre hidup sampai midnight. Wahh, I can't wait to explore!

On Friday, I akan bawak rombongan untuk shopping dekat Sydney. Plan nak pegi Homebush Direct Factory Outlet or Birkenhead Point, World Kitchen, and Victoria's Basement. Haaa, ni kalau tak puas jugak menyopping ni I taktau la nak kata apa. Semua ada kat situ. You can shop till you drop. I don't have anything in mind so far, maybe nak grab a few important items for baby je la. Yang lain-lain tu bergantung dengan keadaan. :)

Hari Sabtu pulak I don't have any specific plan yet. Maybe pusing-pusing area Wollongong or perhaps suburbs nearby Sydney. On Sunday I dah plan nak bawak diorang naik public transport ke Sydney. Sebab nak guna Family Funday Sunday ticket that will cost you only $2.50 per person. Boleh naik apa-apa saja transport termasuk train, tram, bus, ferry and so on. Seronok jugak sekali-sekala naik public transport. Jimat duit minyak and parking. :)

Family Funday Sunday 2012. Masa my family visited me in Wollongong. Day trip to Sydney.

Ferry ride to Manly using the $2.50 ticket. Value for money! :)

So far, tu je plan I untuk plan balik kampung kali ni. haha. I rasa trip kali ni lagi meaningful sebab I dapat jalan-jalan dengan my husband, my parents and my in-laws. Isn't that awesome? Hopefully balik nanti I rajin untuk tulis kenangan bercuti kali ni. :)

Till then, I hope you have a great Aidilfitri with your loved ones!

Forgive me for any of my wrongdoings okay!

Selamat Hari Raya! :)

Ramadhan yang ke-19

Assalamualaikum,

Hari ni dah masuk berapa Ramadhan eh? 19 ke? Maksudnya malam ni dah masuk 10 malam terakhir Ramadhan la kan? Semoga kita semua diberi peluang untuk grab pahala sebanyak mungkin di malam-malam terakhir ni. 

Puasa tahun sangat-sangat mencabar untuk I. Seriously, I never experienced such tiredness and fatigue in my whole life. Letih yang tak boleh nak describe macam mana. You know what it's like to have that grumpy situation? Very awful. And to be able to explain that to other people is almost impossible.

This. Is. Exactly. How. I. Feel. Everyday.

I hope this phase won't take long. I want to enjoy celebrating Syawal. You know, makan unlimited supply of ketupat and rendang semua tu. Lepas tu raya ke-4 I and my family (immediate and extended) will go to Australia for my graduation ceremony. Tak best la kalau tak dapat nak enjoy the trip kan. huhu.

Hari ni nak berbuka makan apa pun taktau. I just don't have the appetite to eat. Padahal I ni jenis yang sangatlah appreciate good foods. Sekarang ni letak apa benda depan mata pun takdak selera nak makan. Setakat jamah sikit untuk alas perut, that's it.

Persiapan untuk raya pulak, hmm, almost none. Kuih raya sebijik pun tak order. Buat sendiri apatah lagi. Memang takkan la tahun ni. Baju raya tak tempah atau beli pun. haha. Nasib baik hari tu ada tempah baju untuk pakai masa grad, pakai tu je la gamaknya pagi raya nanti. Tapi masalahnya belom ambik pun baju tu dari tailor. Acane? hahaha.

Ok lah, tu je nak membebel hari ni. Mood ke laut sebenarnya. I don't feel like talking to anybody. Tapi tetap nak luahkan perasaan. Jadiknya, terhasil la entry ni. hahaha. I do miss blogging I guess. But time does not permit. It's okay, till I see you again next time.

Have a blessed remaining Ramadhan everyone!

Tata!

Living a full, rich and meaningful life

Assalamualaikum,

Hi semua! How are you doing? Amboi, dua bulan lebih menghilang, tetiba muncul balik mood gembira. hihihi. My life was very occupied in the past two months. I am so happy that the academic year for this semester has just ended, so boleh la tarik nafas lega sikit sebab tak payah buat preparation untuk lectures, tutorials, assignments, tests and so on.

Unfortunately, my work commitment does not stop there. Now is the time to focus on other things not related to teaching. I have three FYPs and one Master's dissertation to read on. This will definitely keep me busy at least for the next two or three weeks. Following this is the final exam week, of course lepas tu seminggu kena marking. Maybe lepas dah siap marking baru boleh hip hip hooray!! :)

Did I tell you that my husband is back already? Yes, he has been home for nearly one month taking over all the responsibilities that he asked me to take care of while he was away. Seronok weh bila husband dah balik. Bergaduh manja tu standard la kan, but when he is around, the house feels so full. And I am back as happy Amirah now. :)

Our latest picture together. Taken last weekend at my cousins' wedding.

So anyway, we are moving into our new house this week. Rumah sekarang tunggang langgang macam hapa je. Kotak and beg di mana-mana. Jangan la datang jenguk rumah sekarang memang aku halau tak bagi masuk. Segan kat orang weh. Takpe sikit lagi, insyaAllah by next week you guys are welcome to our new heaven on earth. :)

Well, to summarize everything in short, my life has been so meaningful lately. Banyak berita gembira yang datang one after another. And for this, I have to express my ultimate thank you to Allah the Almighty. Verily, He is the best of planners. :)

That's what family is all about

Assalamualaikum,

Happy Monday everybody! I baru je sampai office, tapi nak ambik mood dulu sebelum mula buat kerja. Biasanya I akan check email dulu, then write down apa nak buat hari ni, pastu I akan jenguk dashboard blogger tengok sesapa yang update. Seronok kalau ramai yang menulis because I always feel like blog walking is such a nice way to start my day. 

Ohh, Jumaat lepas I balik Melaka jumpa parents in law sebab rasa macam dah lama sangat tak balik kampung. The very last time was in early December I think. Dah nak masuk 4 bulan rupanya tak balik. huhu. Mula-mula ingat nak tunggu Am balik Malaysia baru kitorang balik kampung sama-sama. Tapi sampai hari ni belom nampak lagi tarikh bila dia akan balik, so I decided to go back to Melaka on my own. Ye la, tak semestinya kena tunggu suami ada baru boleh balik rumah mertua kan? :)

Minggu lepas bila I cakap nak balik Melaka, yang mana tau Am takde mesti tanya, "Betol ke balik kampung suami sorang?". I was like, "Errr, yes. Why? Tak boleh ke?". Korang rasa pelik ke? I yang rasa pelik kalau I tak balik. huhu.

I think bila kawen dengan Am, I am automatically married to his family as well right? There is a saying stated that "When you married your Prince Charming, you also inherited the King, Queen, and the whole court." So I must treat his parents just like how I treated mine. Kalau Melaka tu dekat rasanya tiap-tiap minggu I nak balik. huhu. Seronok tau sebab rasa macam balik kampung sendiri. 

Kebetulan last weekend tinggal mak dengan abah je kat Jasin. Yang lain semua balik minggu lain. So I jadi anak tungal diorang la minggu tu. hihihi. Mana diorang pegi semua I ikut. Seronok jugak sekali sekala spend quality time dengan parents in law. Bukan selalu dapat chance macam tu I better grab the opportunity.

Masih dalam anniversay mood.
Our parents. Allah's gift from heaven.

Second Wedding Anniversary :: Two years of love and trust

Assalamualaikum,

Here's a special entry dedicated to my husband and myself in celebrating our second anniversary together. 

It has been exactly two years today and 

I am so grateful looking at how marriage has changed our life dramatically. 

Somehow, this sacred relation has made us commit to one another and we will never look back.

I wouldn't say that our marriage is so perfect. 

No no, far beyond perfect I could say.

We had so many downfalls along the way and we also had many flaws here and there. 

We always have petty arguments towards the largest decision to the littlest resolution. 

We even fight on colours, foods, clothes, cars and whatnots. 

Yet, all in all, I have to say that I love my husband and our marriage has never lost the steam or passion it had to begin with.

My husband works really hard to provide a living for us. 

He and his determination about work always make me feel secure. 

I promise myself that I will forever appreciate his effort and what he does for the family. 

I always believe in his potential in what he can do and what he needs, for which I am very grateful. 

He always wants me to be by his side. 

I really love it when he asks me to go somewhere with him. 

And of course I will go most of the time because I myself want to always be by his side. 

Even if I don't care so much about the place (you know, workshops, hard ware stores and so on) but I just feel glad if he likes to be with me.

One more thing that I appreciate the most is, he eats whatever I cook without any single complaint. 

Never! I know that I have never been a great cook. 

Well I am trying to be one of course. 

But he always make me feel like I am the greatest cook in the world. 

I guess I better learn harder on the tricks and trade on how to keep winning his heart through his stomach. :)

I think that's a little bit something to recall about how grateful I am to be in this marriage.

Hopefully these feelings last forever for many more years to come.

Well, anniversaries are special, aren't they? 

They make you remember how long you actually have been together and just how much you have done and sacrificed for each other. 

Renovation progress :: Kitchen Cabinet

Assalamualaikum,

Tadi balik kerja I singgah tengok renovation progress rumah Bertam Lakeside. Extension master bedroom dengan dapur dah siap. Tinggal nak pasang floor tiles je lepas ni. Sekarang diorang tengah buat kitchen cabinet dekat wet kitchen. Hopefully it turns out well as what I always imagine.

I have discussed with the contractor about the concept that I want to have in both dry and wet kitchens. Untuk wet kitchen, minggu lepas I dah pegi pilih tiles for countertop and kitchen wall. Untuk dry kitchen pulak, they are going to use stone countertop and I have chosen to use mirror for the wall untuk bagi effect yang lebih luas. Let's see how does it looks like later on yea?

I want to have something like this for the wall. Love at the first sight. :)
Ehhh helloooo baju hijau. Bukan main serious lagi ambik gambaq. :D

Rumah ni nanti I takde guna kitchen hob and hood semua tu. I want to keep my dry kitchen spacious and roomy. Taknak ada apa-apa kat atas countertop. Segala periuk nasik, kettle, toaster apa semua letak kat belakang. Dapur pun guna yang biasa je. And you know what, Am dah suruh pasang exhaust fan 12" dah kat wet kitchen and 10" kat dry kitchen.

Dry kitchen. Tak senonoh lagi rupa sekarang ni. 

Wet kitchen. My little kitchen heaven.

He even asked me if it is possible to put exhaust fan dekat hall. And of course I said no! Tak penah dibuat orang pasang exhaust fan dekat ruang tamu sayang oiii. Dia sangat la allergic dengan bau masakan dalam rumah. Boleh bikin amukan kalau bau macam ikan masin ke, tumis sambal ke, hatta bau telur goreng pun boleh buat dia stressed out. Tapi time makan takpe. Bau-bau je yang dia tak suka. Dah faham sangat dia memang tak boleh bau-bau tu semua, so I agree untuk pasang exhaust fan dekat kedua-dua dapur.

I rasa dalam sebulan lagi (or slightly longer) baru siap kot renovation ni. Bila fikir pasal nak pindah je terus lemah semangat. Bukan sikit-sikit punya kerja oiii. Packing and unpacking are soooo not my forte. Huwarghhhh. How I wish I could move everything in just a blink of an eye. T___T

Confession of a junior lecturer

Assalamualaikum,

Hai semua! How are you doing? As for me, I had a very hectic day today. Kelas I petang hari ni, so penat dia lain macam sikit kalau nak compare dengan kelas pagi. Tapi hari ni macam laju pulak I mengajar so kelas habis slightly earlier than expected. Kalau lambat sikit tadi confirm sangkut dalam jem punya. huhu.

Kadang-kadang I risau jugak kalau bebudak tu tak paham apa yang I dok terang kat depan. Tapi dah tanya banyak kali paham ke tak, semua cakap paham. Entah paham betol ke tidak I pun tak sure, tapi muka confident je semua bila jawab paham tu. I paling takut kalau syok sendiri mengajar. Hopefully they really enjoy learning in my class.

You know what, it is kind of satisfaction bila dengar student cakap "Ooooo macam tu rupanya. Senang je". Tiap-tiap kali kalau tengok muka masing-masing blur dalam lecture I mesti rasa tak puas hati. I will keep explaining sampai diorang cakap betol-betol paham. Biar la lambat sikit pun, asalkan diorang paham. Slowly but surely lah omputih kata. :)

On the way balik tadi I singgah tapau bihun gorang dekat Kiosk Bertam. Pastu terserempak pulak dengan sorang lecturer yang mengajar dekat school of maths jugak. Orang first yang I pergi jumpa masa lapor diri tahun lepas. Sebab dia penyelaras akademik so dia yang akan uruskan pasal pembahagian kelas apa semua.

She helped me a lot and banyak guide I masa mula-mula masuk dulu. Maklumla staff baru, terumbang-ambing sikit la banyak sangat benda yang nak kena belajar. Sekarang ni I la lecturer yang paling junior dekat situ. Kadang-kadang nak lalu depan main office pun segan gila tau. I can't help but to feel a little bit awkward in blending myself with all the experts. Rasa macam kecik gilaaa bila duduk dengan all the senior lecturers and professors. huhu.

Now I feel like going back to the student life. Tapi takmau ada exam apa semua. Nak belajar je without being evaluated. Can ah like that? Kadang-kadang orang tanya susah tak buat phd? I takmau komen banyak, but I'm pretty sure that I will never do it again. Serik wehhh. Sekali seumur hidup cukup la. :)

Major throwback to my first year in Australia. Floriade Festival in Canberra.
Nak balik sana, tapi taknak buat phd lagi dah. Sekali cukup. Dua kali nanti bole jadi gila.
T__T

Mathematics, Music and the Guitar

Assalamualaikum,

Hai semua! Pagi tadi I kena jadi panel untuk pre-viva presentation for masters student dekat school of maths ni. So konon keluar awal la nak make sure sampai before the presentation starts. I keluar rumah around pukul 8am, tapi pukul 9.30am baru sampai school sebab jem menggila dari Seberang Jaya sampai Penang Bridge. Nasib baik sempat sampai on time, Phew!! 

So untuk pre-viva ni I kena observe tiga pembentangan student yang buat area linear and nonlinear waves. Dalam tiga orang tu, I tertarik dengan pembentangan sorang student yang buat dissertation bertajuk Mathematics Behind A Traditional Acoustic Guitar (or something like that). Interesting, right?

Mathematics plays a reaaaaallyyy big role in producing a nice set of sound from a guitar.
Cuma mungkin pemain tu tak sedar je that he is actually using a sophisticated maths technique. :)

"Music is the pleasure the human mind experiences from counting without being aware that it is counting" - Gottfried Leibniz

I think I am not going to elaborate more on the mathematical theory behind this because that my dear, will make you hate me forever. hahaha. But we all know that the guitar is one of the most incredible instruments constructed by mankind. It can produce some of the most complex, intricate music imaginable, and yet it is also accessible to even the youngest of learners.

So student ni buat kajian the relationship between plucking one string and the resonance effect on the sound. Maksudnya, by playing around with some variables in the equation, a more harmonic sound will be produced. From this basic, we could now, using some deceptively simple mathematics, know how and where to place frets on a bare guitar, as well as how to tune this guitar given any set of strings. Ok this sounds too technical I think. I better stop.

It was very interesting because this student keluar dari kelompok yang buat kajian benda-benda yang serious. Well who doesn't like music right? Bila dia buat research macam ni kitorang jadi bersemangat nak dengar, and we even requested him to play the guitar using his own chord developed from the equation later in the final viva. I can't wait! :)

Bila tengok student dok nervous nak present tadi, teringat masa zaman buat presentation untuk Final Year Project dengan Master's Dissertation dekat UTM dulu. Entah hapa-hapa je yang aku bentangkan time tu. Tapi dapat jugak Best Presenter Awards. hahaha. Ishh, bila compare dengan pengetahuan sekarang, rasa macam sampah gila apa yang aku buat dulu, Malu aihhh kalau orang baca. huhu. Tapi takpa, that's what we call learning process kan? Mana ada orang yang lahir je kat dunia terus pandai kan? :p

Heavenly breakfast in Penang : : Astaka Taman Tun Sardon.

Assalamualaikum,

Salam hari Jumaat penghulu segala hari! Hari ni produktif sikit, banyak kerja dapat buat. Pagi-pagi datang ofis settle kan a few things, pastu dalam pukul 10 camtu keluar breakfast dengan my officemate dekat Astaka Taman Tun Sardon. I ni nama je kerja dekat USM, tapi tempat makan yang best kat sini jarang pun pegi. Biasanya bawak bekal pape je makan kat office. Kadang-kadang kalau rajin je baru I keluar makan. 

Tapi baru-baru ni terasa macam nak makan moi sup dekat Astaka. So I ajak la Dila pegi breakfast hari ni. Heaven gila tau tak makan pagi dekat situ. Cakap ja nak apa semua ada. Sedap and murah pulak tu. Tapi korang jangan la expect tempat makan cantik. Food court biasa je ada banyak stalls yang jual macam-macam jenis makanan.

Antara yang famous, longtong, serabai, capati, nasik lemuni, roti canai, roti bakar, mee sup, wantan mee, hokkien mee, kuih-kuih pun banyak gila. Ish banyak sangat tak ingat dah kalau nak buat senarai. Korang cakap je nak makan apa, semua ada. Well, nama pun Penang kan, people don't call Penang as food heaven for nothing right?

I pulak tiap-tiap kali pegi asyik makan moi sup je. Kadang-kadang sebelum sampai sana I plan nak makan benda lain, tapi bila sampai, tetapppp jugak order moi sup. hahaha. Sedap sangat setakat bubur McD tu memang jauh ketinggalan la. :p Pastu minum pulak dengan teh tarik special, perghhh terus balik office sambil senyum-senyum sebab puas hati dapat makan sedap. :p

Moi sup yang I tak penah jemu makan. Sedap gila.
Cukup semua rasa. 

Sekali lepas dah minum teh tarik yang lemak berkrim tu, terus rasa bersalah kat diri sendiri. hahaha Masa minum memang la sedap, lepas tu gigih la habiskan 2 liter air konon nak cairkan segala lemak-lemak yang dah masuk perut tu dengan harapan tak sempat jadi lemak. hahaha. Ala sekali sekala takpe kan. I jarang sangat minum air manis. Hari ni kira cheat day la. Cehh, banyak la kau punya cheat day. :p

So korang kalau datang jalan-jalan Penang tu boleh la cari Astaka Taman Tun Sardon kalau nak breakfast yang best. Rasanya sampai pukul 11am pun still ada lagi makanan. Peak time biasanya dalam pukul 10am. Time tu nampak banyak la orang yang pakai uniform gomen makan kat situ. Kata gomen ada break untuk minum pagi kan? Haruslah ramai yang keluar. hahaha. :p

Okay, weekend ni ada banyak benda yang nak kena buat. Takde istilah weekend duduk rehat goyang kaki dah sekarang ni. huhu. I hope you have a great one yea! Till I see you again. Tata!

Cinderella 2015. Have courage and be kind.

Assalamualaikum,

Hai everybody! Hari ni kejap je dah Khamis, esok Jumaat pastu dah masuk weekend yahuuu! Tapi tak perasan pun dah habis minggu ke-4 lecture. Assignment tak bagi lagi, test pun tak buat soalan lagi. Tak boleh kalau tak buat sebab semua ni kena masuk dalam course marks 40%. huhu. Soalan final pulak nak kena make sure ready sebab nanti nak kena submit dekat school. Tu tak termasuk dengan lecture notes untuk tiap-tiap minggu, soalan tutorials lagi. Uiiii banyaknya kerja tak siap lagi. huhuhu. T____T

I baru first time mengajar subject ni. So memang semua benda kena start fresh. Tu pun nasib baik sebelum semester start I dah mintak course outline dari lecturer yang ajar subject ni tahun lepas. Kalau lecture notes pun mintak jugak memang melampau la. So nak taknak, I kena study betol-betol subject ni and prepare lecture notes sendiri. Next year kalau kena mengajar lagi senang la sikit sebab semua dah ada. huhu.

Tapi kannn, dalam dok busy-busy tu malam tadi sempat jugak pi tengok movie dengan adik-adik. Ala tengok dekat cinema kat Bertam je, lagi 10 menet nak start baru I klua rumah. hahaha. Kitorang tengok cerita Cinderella. Bestttt!! Walaupun dah tak terkira berapa kali dah I tengok Cinderella dari zaman kecik-kecik dulu, and jalan cerita semua dah hafal, tapi tetap jugak rasa best bila tengok cerita ni.

Mula-mula I ingat Cinderella 2015 ni dalam version kartun, sekali bila dah start ohhhh orang rupanya. Terus makin bersemangat nak tengok. Anddd everything about the film is visually stunning, from the sets to the costumes to the actors, I love everything about it especially the main cast, Lily James @ Ella @ Cinderella. Cate Blanchette pulak bawak watak the evil stepmother. And she is divine!! Tak payah nak komen la pasal lakonan sebab semua best.

Ohh one more thing, I suka gila tengok dresses yang diorang pakai dalam cerita ni. Semuaaa lawa kecuali baju stepsisters la yang memang dibuat untuk nampak funny la. Setiap watak yang keluar mesti I excited tengok baju depa. Walaupun duration of the film is almost 2-hours, surprisingly I tak rasa boring and mengantuk sikit pun walaupun dah dekat midnight.

Part yang paling I suka. Walaupun cerita dongeng tapi tetap senyum sorang-sorang sebab happy. :)

Well, cerita ni sesuai untuk family viewing, and sesapa yang memang minat Disney's Princesses. Kalau Am jangan harap la dia akan layan cerita macam ni. hahaha. Sebab tu dia bagi permission I pi tengok dengan my sisters sebab dia tau kalau dengan dia memang takkan la kitorang tengok cerita fairytales. Kalau dia tengok jugak cerita camni tandanya something must have gone wrong. You better check! :p

To those yang memang minat cerita dongeng macam ni I would recommend you to go. Basically jalan cerita sebijik yang macam kartun tu, but I love it when they really highlight Cinderella's mother's dying words, Have Courage and Be Kind, from the start till the end of the film. Kalau budak-budak tengok mesti senang faham and hopefully diorang boleh apply dalam hidup. Well, fairytales make certain life lessons easier to understand, am I right? :)

The little things that make me happy :)

Assalamualaikum,

Hai! Lately ni I kerap sangat rasa down. Kadang-kadang benda kecik pun boleh buat rasa nak marah. Orang potong queue dalam traffic jammed pun rasa macam nak langgar je belakang kereta dia. Kalau aku bawak bulldozer memang dah lama dah kena sodok. Tapi memandangkan sedar diri kereta semut api je, jadiknya simpan je la marah dalam hati. Kesian. haha.

Being emotionally disturbed is totally not fun you know. Hormon imbalance je kan semua ni? Dah gedik pi melayan sapa suruh. Cuba jangan layan perasaan sangat, mesti tak gaduh nak down ke apa. haha. Time-time macam ni rasa macam nak space out kejap dari dunia ni. Bila dah balance balik nanti sambung balik hal kat dunia macam biasa. Aci tak camtu? :p

Hmm, I need some little things to make me happy again. Eh, so many things are on the list but I would love to have only three now. Now as in right NOW. Good food, good company and good live music. Ahhh, bestnye kalau dapat. Nanti Am balik nak ajak dia pegi mana-mana yang boleh fulfill those three wishes. :)

For good food, I love anything with chocolate, preferably 70% dark chocolate. Milk chocolate tak berapa suka sangat. Tapi kalau ada aku bedal aje. :p One slice of moist chocolate brownies and a cup of vanilla latte sound like a perfect combo, aren't they? Give me one, I will love you forever!! haha.

THIS. IS. LOVE. FROM. HEAVEN.

How about good company? Hmm, there is no perfect candidate except my husband. Nak masuk 3 bulan dah ni in LDR, and we still survive Alhamdulillah. Tapi tiap-tiap hari dating dalam skype la for at least one hour. Kalau weekend dapat la dating lama sikit for a good few hours. I'm looking forward for him to be home. Soon, very soon I know. :)

Rindu. This was two years ago, I think.

I love music, but not all kind of music. Yang serabut and lirik tak ketahuan tu memang tak la. I paling suka sekali slow rock especially the ones from MLTR. I boleh dengar lagu diorang on replay sehari suntuk tak rasa jemu sikit pun. Selalu berangan nak pi tengok concert depa walaupun dah tahap pakcik-pakcik dah depa tu. hahaha. But I still love their music. Sekarang ni I tengah suka gila lagu I'm Not the Only One and Stay With Me by Sam Smith. Kalau dapat pi live performance mesti best gila. 

Okay cukup berangan malam ni. Dapat tulis je pun lega dah. 

Terubat sikit rasa down tu. hehe. 

Kalau dapat betol mau melompat sampai ceiling ni. 

Okay, I hope you have a good week ahead. 

See you next time. Tata. :)