Back to Aussie

Hai Encik Diari!!

I'm now back at Melbourne Airport. You won't like it when you have to wait for a few hours without having anything fun to do. For my case, with two big, heavy bags, I'd prefer to sit down at one silent corner and spend my time cruising the net. Cuba buang masa sebanyak mungkin sampai boleh check-in flight seterusnya. Choppp!! Jangan suruh study. Mood raya tak habis lagi ni.ehehe..:p

By the way, td semua stock makanan yang melambak lambak dalam beg ni lepas tanpa sebarang sekatan. Yahuuuu!! Baiknya encik encik yang check barang kat airport ni. Dia siap tanya, "You are travelling alone, but your foods are enough to feed a big family. Are you having a feast?". Okay, I malas nak explain lebih lebih pasal hari raya. So, I told him that I'm a big eater.hehehe..

You know what, segala mak nenek ada dalam beg tu, kicap kipas udang hijau, pure honey, kuih raya, bihun pama, popia kecik yang ada serunding tu, chipsmore, biskut tu, biskut ni, and banyak lagi la stok makanan. Rasanya sampai I balik bulan November nanti pun tak habis lagi.hehehe. Dalam beg 20kg tu, baju ada la dalam 2-3 helai, the rest are all foods. Sekarang baru you tau kenapa orang tu pelik kan.hehehe..

Okay, sekarang dah rasa bosan tahap gaban. Nak buat apa lagi 2jam ni. bagi idea pleaseeee.. Kang bukak tupperware kuih raya makan kat sini pelik pulak orang tengok.huhu. Jalan jalan cari makan jom. hehehe.. tata!!=))

Ijah, me, Hakim, Fatin

Me and Fatin

Abang, me, Huda

Ladies in the family..=))

p/s: I started to miss my family now. Help!!~~

1 Syawal 1431H

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!!

How was your celebration dear? Mine was awesome. I can't describe in words. The feeling is just so wonderful. Being with your beloved family on the first Syawal is the best moment ever. And this year's Eid is much more meaningful because the first Syawal falls on my father's birthday, 10th September, marking his 50th birthday. Nampaknya bapak I dah masuk kategori 5series.hehe.. Anak anak pun semua besar dah. Bapak, we all love you so much. Thanks for being such a great and wonderful father to all of us.

As usual, we started our day as early as possible. Getting ready for Eid prayers. Apparently, I missed that this year. Takpe, cuba lagi di tahun hadapan.hehe. Ingat lucky draw ke nak cuba cuba lagi. Pagi raya memang best sebab semua orang pakai baju yang cantik cantik, warna warni, wangi wangi. Lepas balik solat, tibalah masa untuk makan ramai ramai. Yeayy!! Bahagianya beraya di tanah air sendiri. I still remember the moment when I was in Australia celebrating last year's Eid. Pagi raya mata bengkak sebab menangis tak ingat punya.hehehe. Tapi raya kali ni muka ceria gila..=))

Eid 1430H, Wollonggong, Australia. Nampak tak muka sembab?hehe

Eid 1431H, Butterworth, Penang. Muka ceria gila.hehe.

Lepas breakfast ketupat palas dengan rendang mak yang super sedap, kitorang teruskan dengan sesi bersalam salaman. It is a routine that we never missed. I bet everybody did that. Tahun ni I dapat duit raya dari abang. Best2!!hehe. Lepas dah siap semua tu baru gerak balik rumah tok. Did I ever mentioned that both of my granmas's houses are just a few blocks away from each other? Yes, it's true. So, tiap tiap tahun tak penah ada masalah nak balik kampung mana dulu. Senang je hidup.hehe. Btw, I makan 2 mangkuk bihun sup kat umah Tok Yam..:p

Abang giving out duit raya. Thanks!!=))

Complete siblings with Tok Yam
From left: Fatin (sister), Syaza(cousin), me and Una (cousin). Ok, I sesat, tak geng purple.

Family I lepak rumah tok sampai lepas solat jumaat, lepas tu pegi rumah Tok Pora dekat Penaga pulak. Ni pun antara rumah wajib singgah tiap tiap kali hari raya. Kat umah ni pulak I makan laksa yang sedap gila!! Then, I went to a friend's house which was just next to Tok Pora's. Rumah ni lagi best, sebab I bantai makan nasik pulak.hehe. Taktau nasik nama apa, tapi lauk ada banyak, gulai daging power, ayam masak merah, acar, bla bla bla. Gosh, terliur lagi ni nak buat mcm mana ni.huhu. Kalau rumah sedara tu memang I dah tambah berkali kali dah. Selamat la rumah orang.hehehe. Buat malu kat orang ja kalo tambah banyak banyak. Comfirm tahun depan diorang black list I dari senarai tetamu..:p

Lepas dah beraya tu, I dengan adik adik balik rumah. Peningnya perut masa tu. Terkejut agaknya dia masuk makanan yang segala macam dalam perut ni. Taktau yang mana nak kena proses dulu.hehe. Kebetulan memang ada tetamu datang, so I dengan family stay dekat rumah je. Tapi bukan duduk saja, mestila sambil mengunyah apa apa yang patut. Kuih raya, kek dengan chocolates.hehehe.

Lepas semua tetamu dah balik, kitorang pun bersiap pi rumah Acu. I think it now becomes a routine for us to go to Acu's house on the 1st Syawal. Dapat tengok rumah baru Acu yang sangat cantik!! Alamak, lupa nak amik gamba. Takpe, next time.hehe. Okay, kat situ I makan mee kuah, bubur pulut hitam, ketupat dengan puding strawberry. Pembetulan, tu bukan makan, tapi melantak.huhu. Cincin pun dah ketat giving me a sign that my weight is approaching the red alert border. Tapi tetap melantak tak sedar diri. Takpe, bagi chance, balik Aussie nanti takde dah semua ni..=))

p/s: Ada kuiz di sini. Can you count how many times I eat altogether in total? Agaknya kalau monster pun tak mampu makan banyak camni kan.huhu.

Home sweet home

Hai! hai!

I'm finally at home now. Happy! Happy! Actually, I sampai KL hari Ahad pagi lebih kurang pukul 8 camtu. Am ambik I dekat airport then terus pegi rumah abang dekat Kota Damansara. Sampai je umah abang, I mandi tukar baju semua, kasi Am tido 2jam, then kitorang keluar shopping baju raya. Walaupun letih gila, tapi I tetap happy sebab dapat rasa perasaan nak sambut raya tu.hehe.

Mula mula kitorang pegi PKNS. MasyaAllah ramai gila orang. We were looking for a silver or black&white baju kurung for me and a turquoise baju melayu for Am. There were a few that caught our attention but still, we left the place empty handed. We bought nothing. Maybe pening sebab ramai sangat orang agaknya.

From there, we straight away went to Masjid India. Kali ni, orang 2kali ganda lagi ramai rasanya. Kepala I pun dah start pusing pusing masa tu. Maklumla I tak rehat langsung sejak landed dari pukul 8pagi. Luckily, we both got all the things that we were looking for. Actually, I dah ade satu kebaya yang mak tempah warna sebijik sama dengan warna baju melayu Am. If I'm not mistaken, this is our third Hari Raya wearing the same theme.Padahal bukan dapat raya sama sama pun. Tapi excited dapat baju warna sama je.hehehe.

Muka puas hati dapat shopping..:p

Lepas dah siap shopping semua, akhirnya masa untuk berbuka puasa. Yeay!! Am made a reservation for two at Sime Darby Convention Centre so we made our way there when time is getting late. Masa mula mula nampak makanan yang sangat banyak I rasa excited gila. Maklumla, tahun lepas kan I tak berpuasa&beraya di Malaysia, so dah lama sangat tak pegi buffet ramadhan yang best camni. Rasa macam nak makan semua. Padahal perut kecik je. Tapi Alhamdulillah, puas I makan malam tu. Takde kempunan kempunan lagi lepas ni.hehe.

Me and him at the lobby

Selama ni makan same same dalam skype je..:p

p/s: Dah lama rasanya I tak dating. Kali ni I dapat luangkan masa seharian dengan Am. Happy sangat!! Thanks sayang for making my day such a beautiful one. And thanks again for the baju kurung that you bought for me..=))

Journey back home

Hai En Diari!!!!

Update!! Update!!

I'm now at Melbourne Airport. Waiting for my next flight to KL. Owh, bosannya menunggu. Ade la lebih kurang sejam lagi before boarding. Nak makan, tp kenyang lagi. Nak online lama-lama battery laptop pulak dah bagi signal kelip kelip. Jangan mampus lagi tau. Tunggu kejap je. Teman I kejap sampai boarding.hehe.

Me and my bags

By the way, the flight is scheduled to reach KL at 7am tomorrow. Tak sabarnye!! You know what, demam ke batuk ke selsema ke semua hilang. Excited nak balik punya pasal.hehe. Tarik beg berat kiri kanan pun tak terasa. Tapi kalo sampai Malaysia tu nanti penat taktau la. Takpe, nak balik punya pasal, sanggup!

Esok pagi sampai Am ambik dekat airport, then pegi shopping ke ape dulu. Then tgh malam tu drive balik Penang dengan adik adik. Plan sampai pagi isnin tu jugak.hehe. Mood nak raya dah membuak-buak dah ni. Macam budak budak pulak..hehe.

p/s: I tak boleh online lama lama. Sebelum battery ni kiok, baik I benti dulu. Wait for more updates from home okay!!=))

Cheer me up

Dear diary,

I feel like my day is so gloomy today. Cheerless. Dull. Why? I have no idea why. I'm suppose to be very happy as the day that I have been waiting is coming in less than 48hours. Yes, I'm all excited but why am I feeling like this. I wonder. Because of the fever I bet. Hmm, a fever is actually a sign that my body is fighting an infection. Sighs.

There are plenty of things I need to do in my list before I leave. Malam ni kena re-pack beg. Dah overweight.hehe. Kalau tak sumbat beg penuh penuh memang tak sah kan. Kalau boleh segala benda nak angkut bawak balik. Tapi, sekarang I tak larat sgt nak buat apa pun. Get well soon okay Amirah. Demam demam ni macam mana nak tarik beg berat berat. Kuat semangat sikit. Makan ubat. Ikut cakap dokter walaupun awak tak suka dokter. Make sure by Saturday bole loncat loncat dengan gembiranya tau. Dear fever, you go away. Okay? :(

I felt so cold until I didn't even realize that my temperature is rising.

Tadi jumpa K.Fai beraya siap siap sebelum balik. Tiba tiba rasa sayu pulak. Tahun lepas kitorang beraya sama sama kat sini. Raya tahun ni pulak I balik. Ada kemungkinan raya tahun depan I tak balik. Ceh, cakap je. Nanti tiba tiba hilang.hehe. Tapi setakat ni plan tak balik dah la tahun depan. So, this might be my last hari raya at home. So, cheer up!!=))

p/s: I think the rainy and gloomy weather contributes to the unstability of my mood. Hmm, the best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain. True isn't it?

Musim bunga datang lagi

Dear diary,

I wasn't feeling very well since yesterday. Demam and selsema. Kenapa? Rindu kot?hehe. No lah, bila nak masuk Spring macam ni la keadaannya. People normally get bad hay fever during this season. Maybe because of the grass pollen. I also heard people who suffer from hay fever may develop allergic asthma as well, although the asthma attacks often occur later in the pollen season and continue after pollen counts have fallen. I hope mine won't get any worse.huhu. Aminn..

Spring --> Flower --> Pollen --> Hay Fever --> Sick Amirah!! :(

The symptoms to hay fever are runny nose, itchy eyes, and sore throat. And I got all that. Tersiksa jiwa raga malam tadi. So, sebelum tido, I makan vitamin C 3 bijik, lepas tu berbungkus dalam quilt sampai tutup kepala semua, then I pun tido dgn bahagianya, pukul 10pagi baru bangun. Tu pun sebab dengar ade orang buat construction jalan kat luar. Kalau tak mesti I sambung lagi. Ei, apa nak jadi anak dara bangun tengahari ni. ish3. But what to do, my body asked me for some more rest..:p Harapnye cepat2 la baik. Nak balik beraya ni. Takmau la sakit2 pulak.huhu.

Btw, in conjunction with our the 53rd Independence Day today, I would like to extend my warmest greetings and best wishes to my beloved country. Hopefully Malaysia could be a nation that will be stronger and prosperous for all citizens. After more than a year of being abroad, I found myself to be so proud to let people know that I'm from Malaysia. And I believe other Malaysians will feel the same way too. Saya sayang negara saya. Takmau dok sini lama lama. Cukup masa, saya mau cabuttt!!=))

p/s: Hari ni hari terakhir musim sejuk. Esok musim bunga dah nak mula. I love spring because this is the time when colourful flowers start blooming. Cantik!!=))

Dendang Perantau

Good afternoon!!

Finally, after 2 hectic days in a row, I'm now able to let my body rest. How I wish I could spend my whole Sunday lying on the bed, do nothing, but having somebody massaging me, easing all the sore muscles. Bahagia gila kalo camtu kan. Tapi jangan berangan lebih2 sangat boleh tak? Dok diam2 je nnt hilang la letih tu.huhu.

Why am I so tired? I mentioned that we were organizing Majlis Berbuka Puasa for two consecutive days rite. One was on Friday, and another one was last nite. The one on Friday was really tiring because all the preparation was done at the very last minute because of the short notice. I dengan Kak Emy berkampung dekat rumah Madoline St dari pukul 12tengahari sampai 12tengahmalam. Buat bihun sup dengan nasik ayam. Lepas tu ade kakak2 yang baik hati lain tolong supply kuih. Budak2 bujang lain dikerahkan untuk mengemas rumah. Kak Emy cakap perasaan dia macam nak sambut rombongan datang meminang. Btol ke kak?hahaha.

Bila rombongan Sydney tu sampai, ada sesi ucapan sikit, masuk je waktu terus berbuka dengan kurma, kuih, air, then solat maghrib berjemaah, lepas tu baru makan. Tak menang tangan rupanya bila jadi tuan rumah ni. Yang sudahnya, I dengan K.Emy tak sempat makan pun. Dapat la jamah kuih 2-3 ketul, the rest, entertaining the guests. However, Alhamdulillah the event was successfully organized. Lepas tetamu semua dah balik, K.Emy bancuh cucur udang sebesen, I pulak kena menggoreng sampai dekat 2jam sambil tengok diorang marinate ayam utk bbq esok. Ambik kau!! Bila menjamu budak2 bujang mcm ni la rupanya. Masing2 macam pirana. Lepas semua dah settle, balik malam tu, keletihan sampai sahur pun tak terjaga.huhu..

Then, untuk majlis hari Sabtu pulak, BBQ semua budak2 bujang uruskan. I buat 30ketul popia goreng dekat rumah then bawak pegi sana dalam pukul 4 petang. Kali ni tetamu semua Malaysian yang dekat Wollongong. Lebih kurang 60-70 orang yang datang. Plenty of foods!! Perasaan macam dekat Malaysia sangat. Sekali lagi I jadi tuan rumah, entertaint tetamu, make sure semua berjalan lancar. Tapi kali ni I selfish sikit, sebab sambil2 melayan tetamu tu, I makan jugak.hehe. Taknak jadi mcm semalam sampai tak sempat makan langsung.

Lepas semua orang dah balik, kitorang duduk berborak sambil mengunyah balance makanan yang ade. Sambil2 tu dengar budak2 ni menyanyi beramai-ramai. Dalam banyak2 lagu yang diorang melalak tu, satu lagu buat I tersentuh sikit sebenanye. Lagu raya, Dendang Perantau. Nah, I letak video kat bawah ni. Sila abaikan suara2 yang menyanyi atau yg menyemak kat belakang tu. Tapi ni lagu khas dari student di Wollongong..=))

p/s: I was there watching them singing. Kalau dilayan perasaan, boleh menitik jugak air mata rasanya. Ok, one more week to go. Relax kay Amirah. Nak balik dah ni. senyum..senyum..=))

International Day 2010

Assalamualaikum Encik Diari,

Penat, penat, penat! Fuhhh, satu event lagi dah berjaya dijalankan. Hari ni MAS_UOW telah melibatkan diri dalam program International Day (ayat macam penulisan UPSR kan?). As usual, when it comes to Southeast Asean countries, people love us for our famous foods. With this, Malaysia was listed among those five countries who received $200 funding for supplying international cuisine for the event.

Eventhough it was done in the middle of our Holy Ramadhan, it doesn't stop us from serving the best homemade delicacies for the students. We chose not to prepare all those heavy foods like nasik ayam or nasik lemak because other countries might had done that, but we prepared our traditional desserts instead. There were kuih bakar, kuih lapis, roti jala, kuih ketayap and a few more.

Tapi yang paling bestnya, kitorang goreng cucur udang dekat situ jugak. We brought our own portable stove and the prawn dumpling (we have no idea what is the correct word to describe cucur udang, so we came out with this term instead) was served right from the frying pan. Best gila makan cucur udang panas-panas kan. Lagi lagi kalau dapat udang yang gemok gemok.hehehe. Tapi yang tak bestnya, kitorang yang puasa ni tengok je la orang orang ni makan. Anyhow, I sempat tapau satu tupperware bekalan kunyah kunyah lepas berbuka nanti..:p

I didn't make any of the desserts because my job was to prepare our famous teh tarik. Tak sia-sia tiap-tiap pagi masa duduk dekat rumah dulu praktis bancuh teh tarik dekat bapak. Rupa-rupanya sampai Wollongong pun kena buat teh tarik jugak.hehe. 5 thermos besar gedabak pun tak cukup. Malaysian booth were among the first to end our operation since the foods were all gone, extremely fast!! Letak habis, letak habis. I siap identify sorang mamat Aussie ni datang 3 kali sambil buat buat tanya pasal Malaysia. Padahal bukan I taktau niat asalnya nak tunggu cucur udang panas dengan mintak one-full-cup of milk tea. Ingat orang tak perasan agaknya. Takpe, layankan aje la. Dah dia suka agaknya.hehehe.

Me and my teh tarik..=))

Sesi bertenang lepas tutup gerai

Okay, lakonan semata-mata. Tugas saya bukan menggoreng..:p

I was very glad because all my officemates also came showing their support. Diane really really loves our kuih bakar. She even asked me to translate a kuih bakar's recipe from the net. Pearl loves my teh tarik so much and she even asked for it for 3 times.hehe. And I packed some kuih for Bothaina because she's fasting too and I knew she is really interested in tasting all those kuih. Owh, seems like all the tiredness simply gone the moment you hear people talking about how delicious our foods are..=))

My supportive office mates. From left: Diane, Pearl, Bothaina, and me..=))

p/s: Jumaat ni semua committees nak kena organize majlis berbuka puasa untuk wakil MSD dan MyPsa. Sabtu pulak Majlis Berbuka Puasa dan Welcoming Gathering untuk semua Malaysian kat Wollongong. Aduhh, ingat kat Malaysia ja ada budaya majlis berbuka puasa ni. Sampai ke sini pun berjangkit jugak rupanya.huhu..

Say no to distractions

Dear diary,

At this point of life, I do research for a living. And most of my time is spent in front of the computer. Sometimes I even sleep or eat in front of my lappy. Time wasting wasn't it? When I plan to read a journal, I need to find a list of articles to make my referencing easy, but before the articles finish downloading, I end up surfing facebook, youtube or some other social site. Freaking useless, am I right? Hours go by with me on these sites. And I surely know that I don't have that kind of time to be wasting.

Seems like I'm the type of person who easily got distracted. People say that distractions have to be controlled. It is easy to say. But tough to implement most of the things. I personally find the internet to be the biggest distractions of all. So, what should I do? Literally pull the plug? hehe.. Well, one of the things that I have been practising lately is to spend a few hours concentrating on my reading at the library. Dapat 2 jam solid focus membaca pun dah cukup bersyukur. Yang selebihnya, termenung tengok orang lalu lalang.hehehe..:p

Internet is the biggest time waster ever invented (which is why I love it)

p/s: Distractions are something that I struggle with daily. I'm trying to set up some new habits so I can get my writing done. This is a nice reminder of what I need to do. But there are times when I could spend hours and hours cruising through the net, without having intention to do anything related to work..=))

Gembirakan hatiku

Hye dear!!

What a laid-back weekend I had this week. I filled my Saturday settling the house-chores, washing everything in my bedroom. Things that you normally do when Eid is peeking through the corner of the other month. Nasib baik ada hari raya, kalau tak, berzaman la nak tunggu langsir, cadar, sarung kusyen nak pegi masuk dalam mesin basuh sendiri kan.hehe.. Selagi mak tak bising, selagi tu la takde sape nak ambik peduli. Tapi tu la yang bestnya bila raya dah dekat, masing-masing ada tugas sendiri. The feeling is very beautiful indeed, seeing all your siblings cooperating, transforming the house into the most comforting ambiance, to welcome Aidil Fitri. I missed that last year, but not this time around.

You know what, I made my very own tiramisu cake last night. Yeah, yeah, I know it sounds simple, but to someone who is really not into cooking very lately, it is such a great achievement.. Ni semua sebab makan tiramisu yang K.Aishah kasi, lepas tu terus google cara nak buat. I dengan tamaknya siap buat dua bancuhan.hehehe..:p Yeay!! Tak sabar nak balik buat kat rumah raya ni. Owh, two more weeks to go before I could be in my hometown Penang. Can't hardly wait!!=))

Homemade tiramisu
(photo courtesy http://chefkoch.shanghai-scout.com/)

Then today, I spend the whole day reading, Slightly Settled by Wendy Markham. Hmm, I could say that it is a book to curl up with on the bed on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Okay, I got it, I should have been finishing the article that Tim gave me three days ago. But I just can't help it. Hey, it is Sunday, give me a break! Well, I know this is just another way of self-sabotaging (from becoming a successful research student). But I do believe this is how a normal person lives their life, don't you? Wait, hold it right there Amirah, what the hell are you thinking? Ooops!! Okay, I promise I will continue reading the article tomorrow.. Peringatan, bila tertekan baca academic writings, macam ni la jadinya. Jangan risau, tekanan ni bersifat sementara.

p/s: Apa kaitan tajuk dengan entry kali ni? Sebab salah satu maksud tiramisu dalam bahasa venetian (Itali) adalah gembirakan hatiku. And the tiramisu cake really made my day.. Suddenly I remember the one that Mr Bf asked Wan (my bestie) to buy on our 5th anniversary.. I started to fall in love with it since then.. Thanks to him and her for such beautiful surprise..=))

Jatuh cinta lagi

Hai dear,

I presented myself a little bit earlier than usual at my workplace today. Konon-kononnya rajin sikit la.hehe. Apparently, there actually a reason for that. Guess what? Tim came looking for me at my office. I was a little but surprised, no, real surprised upon seeing him at the door. We are not scheduled for a meeting only until tomorrow. But earlier today, he came to see me bringing a bombshell with him.

"Hi Amirah, I think I haven't seen you for quite a while". (baru je jumpa Jumaat lepas dia dah cakap lama tak jumpa T__T ). "Well, I have something interesting for you. I want you to read this article about the interaction of the nanoparticles with the Carnahan-Staring formula. It seems to be the latest research field considering a spatial solitary waves. I believe you can learn a lot from here and we could figure out something that would be interesting for you".

Aduhhh!!! Terus rasa macam nak pitam lepas dengar dia cakap. Topik baru? He also mentioned to put things that I'm currently working on aside, and concentrate on the new topic. Okay, I hope he is not kidding me on this. After halfway through the current research, I started to fall in love with it and understand it, and now he's asking me to change into something more 'interesting'. Gosh, seems like I have to start everything all over again. Reading, finding analytical solution, configuring the numerical solution and see whether both solutions match. It is a really tough job, you know.

So, later in the day, I sat down, skimming through the new article, thinking on what to do next. Hmm, maybe Tim is right. This research is something fresh and the application is also very wide. Actually, this is not something TOTALLY new for me. No! I still have to work on nonlinear waves. The only different now is I need to concentrate on optical waves rather that water waves that I have been working on before this. So, with new courage, I started looking for suitable references that are related to this paper. Alhamdulillah, I got everything listed in the bibliograpy to make my reading easier. Permulaan yang baik..=)

p/s: You have to prepare your mind on any possibility that might arise all the way through your candidature period. Hmm, nampaknya kena pujuk diri supaya jatuh cinta kepada topik baru ni..Semoga berjaya Amirah!! =))

Panic Attacked

Assalamualaikum,

Do you realize that I'll be going back to Malaysia in 3 weeks time? So, I went to Sydney to buy a few things for my family yesterday. Nothing much. Just some things for their keepsake. Tapi tak bole la cerita kat sini. Tak surprise nanti.hehe..:p Tapi yang wajib beli mestila coklat. I think one third of my luggage will be filled with chocolates later on. Hmm, nak kata coklat kat Aussie ni murah sangat tu tidak la. But the fact that all Australian dairy products are undeniably delicious is very very true.

Half of the chocolates!! Yummy yummy..=))

Chocolate, fresh milk, cheese, yogurt, ice creams or anything to do with dairy, you just name it, you won't say no to any of them. Kalau la boleh bawak balik semua ni memang I angkut nak bagi my family rasa. Tapi melampau la kalau sampai nak bawak balik ice cream or cream cheese kan. Comfirm orang imigresen yang scan bag I tu ingat I manusia jakun. So, adik-adik kat rumah, kakak bawak balik coklat pun ok la ye..=))

Btw, let me tell you a secret, I lost my debit card yesterday. What is a debit card? Hmm, the concept is almost similar to credit card. But you can only use the card provided that you have certain amount of money in your savings account. I love the system because I don't have to bring cash with me all the time. Kadang kadang kan, dalam purse I tinggal 5dollar je tapi ada hati melangkah masuk ke butik Guess. Sungguh berani kan? But no worries mate, I have my debit card with me. Ececeh, berlagak gila bunyi nya.hehe..:p However, the usage of debit card is still not widely applied in Malaysia, whereas here you may find people using it even only to buy fishes and veges at groceries market.

Okay, back to the above title, the moment I realized my debit card is not in my purse, I became panic. I was about to pay something at the counter when I noticed that the card is not there. Masa tu dah gelabah tak ingat la kan. Standard la Amirah, pantang kena situasi macam ni, memang cepat menggelabah. After 30 minutes of failed searching, I decided to call NAB Bank to block the application of the card and at the same time apply for card replacement. Everything was succesfully processed within 15minutes of conversation. One thing I like about their system, the person in charge asked me, "Do you still have enough cash with you at least until you receive your new card? If you don't, we could send our ranger to get you some money".

Look at how their service treats someone who has jut lost her card. Cool huh? Siap boleh hantar orang nak kasi duit kot2 kalau takde duit untuk seminggu. Kalau kat Malaysia, siap kena charge lagi kalau nak buat card baru. Mungkin ni salah satu perbezaan servis negara yang dah maju dengan yang sedang menuju ke arah negara maju. Harap kualiti servis di Malaysia akan mencapai tahap yang macam ni satu hari nanti.

TETAPI!!! Nak tau apa yang lawaknya? Lepas semua proses siap, kad tu muncul semula. Haihhhh!! Rasa macam nak gigit gigit je kad tu lepas tu telan. Puas hati.huhu. Saja nak buat orang panik la tu. Nak tau kat mana dia menyorok?? kad belakang gambar kat dalam purse. Dia tak pegi mana mana pun. I yang salah letak. So people out there, whenever you overcome situation like this;

Rule #1: Do not panic

Give yourself some time to think about the best thing to do at such situation. In my case, I was very panic until I didn't even realize that the card was actually there. Hiding!! I surely learn something from you, naughty card!!

Rule #2: Focus

Do not change the location of your card. Ever! Focus while taking out/slipping in the card from/into your purse.

p/s: This is not my first time encountering panic situation like this. Tiap-tiap kali pun mesti menggelabah. Dah tak larat kena marah dah rasanya.hehe. Sila berubah ye Amirah. Awak tu makin besar, bukan budak-budak lagi..:p

ORIGINALITY

Dear diary,

I started my day by attending a 2-hour seminar organized by the Learning Development Centre from 10.30am-12.30pm today. It is a free course listed in the Higher Degree Research (HDR) Student Seminar Series for Spring Session 2010. The seminar is mainly about thesis writing process and the idea is to provide further details on what a thesis is all about? Sounds boring huh?? Tapi seminar ni sangat-sangat la berguna untuk student yang sedang buat PhD atau Master (by research) or sape2 je yang tengah tulis thesis.

I'm not gonna elaborate more on the whole contents of the seminar. But I found one part of it to be very very useful so it triggers me to share this with anybody who's currently doing research or has future plan in conducting a research. Senang cerita, sape2 yang sedang buat atau ade plan nak buat PhD or Master(by research), this might be an important information for you..

We were given a list of criterion and we need to state whether all the items in the list represent originality or not. Maybe you can try your own answer while reading through these.

IS THIS "ORIGINALITY"??

1. Presenting a major piece of new information in writing for the first time
2. Extending, qualifying or elaborating on existing piece of work
3. Undertaking an original piece of work designed by someone else
4. Developing a new product or improving an existing one
5. Reinterprating an existing theory, maybe in different context
6. Demonstrating originality by testing someone else's idea
7. Carrying out empirical work that has not been done before
8. Using a different methodological approach to address a problem
9. Synthesising information in a new different way
10. Providing a new interpretation using existing/ known information
11. Repeating research in other contexts, for example in a different country
12. Applying existing ideas to new areas of study
13. Taking a particular technique and applying it in a new area
14. Developing a new research tool or technique
15. Taking a different approach, for example a cross-disciplinary perspective
16. Developing a portfolio of work based on research
17. Adding to knowledge in a way that has not been done before
18. Conducting a study on a previously unresearched area or topic
19. Producing a critical analysis of something not previously examined
    

Much to my surprise that all the answers are YES. They are all representing originality in their own way. So, look at your topic, if it fits any of the above criterion, meaning that you are doing well. Owh, just another little information for me to share, doing a PhD is not necessarily to come out with something TOTALLY NEW. That is not the whole idea. What we are doing is, find a topic, give a little bit of extension to it, solve the problem in our own context, get the result, compare it with others or previous works, if everything comes in good agreement, tadaaaaa!! the PhD is all yours!! =))

p/s: Ha, cakap memang senang kan, cuba buat dulu, baru tau langit tinggi ke rendah. It looks simple in here, but the process normally takes you years of entangle commitment. Remember, you are not doing something that is gonna change the whole world!! It is just one little tiny original and significant contribution to knowledge". Hmm, sedap sikit hati bila fikir macam tu.. So, goodluck in cruising through all your hard times yea..=))

Heart Theraphy

Hello sweetheart!!

Just to let you know that I feel better at this moment. I went out for retail therapy just now. Right after zohor, I went out to the mall and straight away made my way to Angus & Robertson Bookstore. I grabbed three books but they are all not for me. I bought a biography book; LIVING LARGE: The world of Harold Mitchell, From a sawmiller's son to multi-million dollar man for my big brother. I know he is really interested in reading this kind of book. Then, Wife in the Fast Lane by Karen Quinn for my future sister in law. A funny story about a superwoman carrying a few tough responsibilities on her shoulder. And another book, Easy Cupcakes for Nadiah. I could feel the way she's really fond of owning this book, that's why without hesitation, I bought this 160 pages guidebook for her..=))

I didn't stop just there. I kept wandering around the mall until my legs brought me to girls favourite shop that sells trendy and colourful accessories. At first, I have no intention of buying anything there. But then, my eyes stuck at a silver pendulum pendant necklace hanging at the end corner of the shop. Omg, I have been looking for a pendulum pendant since last year but I never found anything so close to what I wanted. But this time, though it is slightly different to what I have been imagining, it somehow caught my attention and I straight away decided to buy it for myself. Finally, after more than a year of carefull searching, I now own a long necklace with pendulum pendant.. Happy..=))

With 3 books and a necklace in my handbag, I continued looking for something else. And I ended up buying 2 new turtle neck t-shirts for me.hehehe. White and jasper green to complete my collection. Owh, sungguh puas hati rasanya. Tak kira la berapa banyak baju yang dah ada, I beli jugak. Yang penting I puas hati. Mind you, baju murah murah je okay, I tak reti pakai baju mahal mahal. Nanti gatal gatal. Tapi kalau orang bagi free comfirm tak gatal.ahaks..:p

Hasil tangkapan hari ini.hehehe..:p

After 2 hours at the mall, I still didn't feel like going back home. So I took the shuttle bus to the beach. Is walking alone at the beach sounds strange to you? No rite? However, when I was sitting alone at one silent spot at the beach, reading my novel, appreciating the chilling ocean breeze, there was a couple (at their golden age) stopped by asking me whether I'm alrite. "Why are you sitting here alone, love? Don't you have somebody to accompany you?" the lady asked me. "I do have somebody but he is not here with me. That's why I'm sitting here alone appreciating our long distance relationship". I answered with a smile on my face. And suddenly the lady hugged me close to her, asking me to take care of myself before she left. Perasaan masa tu?? Terkesima. Sungguh!! After one hour at the beach, I went back home, feeling A LOT better. Tapi sempat singgah beli Fish n Chips kat Lavendi dulu. Well, you know me. Makan haruslah diutamakan.hehehe..:p

p/s: Masa that old lady tu peluk I, rasa terharu sangat. Nak nangis pun ada jugak tapi berjaya tahan. Senyum tu wajib la kan. Nama pun Amirah.hehe. Okay, honestly, RINDU~~ Fullstop.

The calm and happy heart

Dear diary,

I told you I was not feeling very well before this rite. But now my heart felt the same way. I have no idea why this is happening. I keep on thinking too much. Far beyond the reach of a normal person could ever think. You know that our life is too short, don't you? So, you have to go after what you wanted as soon as you can. There are certain things I wanted in life and yet, everything seems to dwell as my beautiful dreams.

The combination of beach-sand-water-heart is ultimately perfect isn't it?

I have to cheer myself up. Shopping spree could help isn't it? So Amirah, breathe deeply into your heart, remember the feeling of love, appreciation and gratitude. Even if you are not emotionally stable , you have to completely love and appreciate yourself. Now put a smile on your face, get dress, and go out on this sweet serene afternoon. You will definitely feel way better..=)

This is the real me. Who knows how to hide her sadness behind her smiles..=))

p/s: Stay calm dearest heart. Spare some strength inside you so that you will be able to rise on your own once you fall.

Meals VS Work Out

Good morning dear!!

How are you? Hope you're doing good. I was not feeling very well yesterday. Stayed awake till 4am last night. Semua sebab mimpi tak best yang kacau. jahat! jahat! Bangun pagi tu pulak sakit perut yang teramat sangat. So, I continue sleeping until 2.30pm. Bangun tu pun sebab teringat belom solat zohor. Pukul 3 dah masuk asar. Bila dah siap mandi, makan semua, tiba tiba rasa fresh pulak. Nak pegi uni memang tak la kan. So, I decided to go to the gym. At first I wanted to do cardio workout for about one hour and then continue with BAT session for the next hour. Tapi sebab dah sampai lambat, I pun pegi BAT je.

Speaking of this, whenever I mentioned about BAT, people will keep asking me what does it means. Okay, let me explain. I'm a member of URAC Health Club. So, I can join any of the fitness classes that they offer. Dalam banyak banyak fitness classes yang ada tu, I suka BodyBurn dengan BAT ni la. (BAT stands for Butt, Thighs, & Abs). It is a high intensity aerobic component which is followed by an intense toning & straightening work out. The idea is to concentrate on shaping your buttocks, abdominals and thighs. It involves A LOT of jumpings and runnings. Tiap tiap kali I masuk kelas ni, sentiasa rasa tak cukup nafas semua tau tak. Belom sempat nak pusing, instructor dah buat movement lain. Haihhh.. Tapi I suka sangat. Memang rasa longgar semua urat, sendi, semua semua lah, lepas dah balik mandi tu, rasa fresh sangat. Konon konon dah ade shape dekat B, A and T la.hehehe..:p

You know what, I'm a real big eater. I memang makan banyak gila. Orang tengok pun cancel buat gf agaknya. Habis duit nak layan I makan je nanti.hehe.. So, to balance my big eating habits, I need to do some regular excersises. Sebab tu tiap2 minggu I akan pegi gym 3 kali. 2 kali untuk fitness classes normally on Tuesdays and Fridays at 4.30pm. And I will spend one day for cardio work out on Monday or Wednesday. Cukup la tu. Pegi tiap2 hari mampus la I nanti. Kene ada orang kutip kat tengah jalan pulak nanti. Ceh, alasan pulak kan. Bagitau je la malas kan senang.hehe..:p

Now let me tell you about my daily meals. I will start my day with a BIG bowl of cereals and fresh milk. I suka cereal Milo@koko crunch yang sedap tu je. Yang lain lain I kurang makan sikit. When I say BIG bowl, I really mean it. Mesti nak tuang penuh2 dalam mangkuk tu. Kalau tak, tak kenyang.hehe. Lepas tu I bawak 3 bijik buah pegi ofis. Apples, bananas, oranges, pears. Ape ape je la buah yang senang nak makan as my lunch. Mesti kene 3 bijik baru I bole kenyang. Kalau tak, mula la I turun jalan2 cari makan kat Picasso nanti, chips or muffins.hehe. Then, balik mesti I akan makan nasik. mesti mesti mesti! Kalau tak makan nasik sehari, tak lengkap hidup ni rasanya. ececeh!! Sebelum tido, biasanya I akan minum milo cicah ape ape biskut. My favourite is Scotch Fingers.

See how much I eat everyday. Mana la tak sihat walafiat. With the height of 165cm, I need to maintain my weight at 52-54kg. Kalau lebih 54kg baru nak menggelabah loncat loncat buang kalori. But if it is still within the range, I akan makan dengan bahagianya tanpa rasa bersalah.ngehngeh.. But I'm thinking of getting rid another few kilos of my weight. Should I? Ni la namanya perempuan, tak penah nak puas hati dengan apa yang ada. Pegi la tanya sape2 pun, isu ni memang sensitif. But that's the real nature. Kalau tak, bukan perempuan la namanya.hehehe..

Latest me. At Canberra Parliament House

p/s: Nampak tak gloves tu?? I lost my favourite black leather gloves at the Parliament House. Sedey.. Gotta get a new one later on. Tapi tetap takkan sama macam yang hilang tu..=((

Snowy Mt Trip:: Day 2

Dear diary,

On 31st July 2010, we went up to Mount Perisher as early as 7.30am. We were very lucky because that is the time when Perisher received it's great snow falls during the week. Perisher is Australia's largest skiing resort. Masa sampai tu belom ramai orang sgt lagi, so kitorang main la sepuas hati. From skiing to snowboarding, we tried them all. Jatuh tergolek-golek jangan cerita la kan. Nasib la snow tu lembut, kalau tidak memang tak nampak rupa dah agaknya semua orang. Lebam sini sana. hehehe.

Muka excited saye.hehehe..:p

Snow started to fall

Mula-mula I ingat taknak naik snowboard tu. Tapi bila fikir balik, tak datang dah rasanya tempat ni next year, so belasah je la naik. It was fun indeed!! Give me a couple more times, I think I will be able to ride on it gracefully. chewahhh!!hehehe.. Bukan takat I jatuh tergolek, siap langgar orang lagi tau. Nasib la kan. But snowboarding is much more harder then skiing. If you have chance, try both of them okay. You are not gonna regret. Trust me!! Now look at how I learn riding on a snowboard and ended up crashing somebody who was skiing.hehehe..:p

Mula mula memang orang kene papah. Sumpah I tak reti nak jalan sendiri.

Mula nak balance kan badan sendiri

Balancing sudah lari.

Alamak, tergolek jugak akhirnya. Sorry la bro.huhu..:p

Bila dah main snow, acara wajib yg tak bole tinggal mestila buat snowman kan. Eh, memandangkan dia pakai my scarf dgn my sunglasses, kita panggil snowgirl la ye.hehe. Lepas dah puas main dekat ski area tu, kitorang pegi main taboggan pulak. It was snowing very very heavily that time. I was trembling but still have the courage to ride on the taboggan going down the hill.hehe. We spent about 6hours playing snow at Perisher. I couldn't have more, otherwise I will die in coldness. Memang tak best langsung bila snow turun dengan lebat. Pedih mata, muka semua cukup. I ended up sitting in our car, in front of the heater, trembling.

My snowgirl..=))

Video I naik taboggan..:p

Lepas semua dah puas main, we left Perisher at about 2pm. We stopped at a beautiful rest area along the way down the mountain to have our lunch. We stopped once again at Jindabyne for a coffee break before went back to our farmstay. It was still early when we arrived. So we decided to go for a walk at the farm. I mentioned that I had no idea how does a farmstay looks like before this rite? There were horses, bulls, cows, donkeys, alpacas, goose, chickens, ducks, turkeys, rabbits, dogs, etc. Macam dekat zoo pun ada tau. Living there will give you such a memorable value that you will never forget. Have fun looking at the farm pictures okay..

Lunch at a beautiful creek at Mount Perisher

Lepas dah puas jalan2 dekat ladang, malam tu kitorang ade bbq session. Kashfi buat spaghetti bolognaise, Krol buat mushroom soup, Farizal dgn Abg Sham handle bbq chicken and frankfurters, I dengan Kak Emy pusing-pusing tengok diorang masak.hehehe. Best gila bila diorang volunteer nak buat semua tu. We had dinner at 8pm. Lepas tu tgk movie lagi. Tepat pukul 10pm, semua orang pengsan!!! Awal gila kan!! Memang penat gila lepas seharian main snow dengan jalan2 melawat ladang.

Kash and Krol memasak

Farizal and Abg Sham buat bbq

Our dinner; bbq chicken, frankfurters, mushroom soup, spaghetti bolognaise, garlic bread. Yummiee!!!

p/s: Memang best sebenarnya bila dapat experience main snow ni. But for me, I still love Malaysian weather to the max. Somehow, looking at the pure white snow sometimes makes me wonder, where does the white go when the snow melts? Hmmm~~ I don't expect a scientific answer here. It is just fun to let the question lingers..=))

Snowy Mt Trip:: Day 1

Assalamualaikum,

How is it going for you dear?? Waiting for updates from me huh? Okay, now let me tell you about my holiday trip to Snowy Mountains last week. On Friday, 30th July, we gathered at Kak Emy's house as early as 8.00am for breakfast. Kak Emy buat mee goreng dgn telur mata nak jamu anak angkat dia yg 5 orang ni. Lepas semua dah isi perut kenyang kenyang baru boleh bawak jalan.hehe. We started our journey at 9.30am, exactly like what we planned.

Before the journey

Along the way from Wollongong to Canberra, we stopped by at a few rest areas for photo session. Honestly, highway kat Aussie ni memang membosankan. Tak cantik mcm kat Malaysia. Tapi pemandangan sepanjang perjalanan nak ke Canberra tu memang sangat menarik. The view that we will never get at other places. We straight away went to Cockington Green Garden. Mula-mula ingat nak masuk, tapi sebab kesuntukan masa, we decided not to do so. Maybe we could come again next time.

Somewhere at one of the rest area..ade zebra kat belakang tu.hehe..:p

Cockington Green Garden

Then, we went to War Memorial Museum. Tempat yg bosan ni pun jadi happening dengan adanya budak2 yg suka meloncat 4 orang tu. Haihhh.. Memang tak reti penat agaknya. When it comes to photo session, leave it to them. They always know how to form a nice pose. I dengan Kak Emy tumpang sengih and gelak aje lah tengok telatah diorang. hehehe.

Bila dah penat meloncat, comfirm la perut pun dah lapar kan. Masa tu dah tak sempat cari rest area dah. We stopped at a petrol station, and had our lunch there. Makan tepi van pun sedap rupanya bila perut dah lapar.hehehe. We had nasi putih, ayam paprik, sayur campur, and kuih bakar for desert. Memang terbaik!! From there, we straight away went to Cooma for gears renting. It took us almost 2 hours to get there. I rented a pants and a pair of walking shoes. Diorang yang lain siap sewa set ski dengan snowboard.

Lunch tepi van. Freezing cold!!

We arrived at our accommodation around 6.30pm. It was freezing there. Luckily the whole house is equipped with a central heater to keep us warm. I dengan Kak Emy terus prepare dinner, orang lain pulak unpack barang yang banyak gila tu.hehe. Malam tu makan sambal tumis udang, masak lemak kobis, telur dadar, dengan marble kek sebagai desert. Rasa mcm makan kat rumah pulak kan.hehe.

Dinner at our farmstay

Lepas makan tu, semua orang dah flat, rehat2 sambil tengok movie. Abg Sham, Kash dgn Krol dah pengsan awal2. penat sangat agaknya. Kak Emy pulak ajar Farizal dgn Syaril buat begedil untuk breakfast esok pagi. Me?? Tengok diorang masak.hehehe..:p Lepas begedil semua dah siap, Syaril and Farizal decided to play card. Dengan Kak Emy sekali pun kene main jugak.hehehe.. At 12midnight, everybody was exhausted enough and we went to bed straight away after that.

Budak2 yg volunteer nak buat begedil.

Play session

p/s: This is exactly like a family trip. Having Kak Emy around, you will never get starved. Siap boleh mati kekenyangan lagi rasanya. Makanan yg sgt best!! Lepas tu dapat pulak adik beradik yg happening memang best sgt!! Tak bosan langsung..=))