A Beautiful Tradition

Hi, 

I’m back! While the writing inspiration is hitting me, I figured I’d better strike while the iron is hot and commemorate one of those genuinely beautiful days that makes the chaotic academic life totally worth it.

This week, I had the absolute joy of treating my students. You remember my final-year project girls who are about to officially escape, err.. sorry, graduate from campus life? To celebrate the completion of their undergraduate studies and all their hard work, I asked them out for a lunch date. To double the fun, the student I had just finished examining also joined the crew. So, there were six of us in total.

Now, being the 'cool lecturer' that I think I am, I handed over the steering wheel and asked them to pick the restaurant. The response? Absolute, polite silence. They were so shy! Nobody wanted to make the first move. I totally get it! Been there, done that, wore the awkward student t-shirt.

To break the ice, I stepped in with a curated list of options ranging across various cuisines. You know, trying to cater to everyone’s tastebuds like a proper tour guide. Finally, they collectively voted for sushi, and internally, I was doing a victory dance. Beef Tori Paitan Soup is my ultimate comfort food, and it had been way too long. The moment they said Sushi Ya, I think I agreed faster than the speed of light. 😋

My ultimate comfort food: Beef Ramen in a rich Tori Paitan soup. 

One day, I will taste the authentic masterpiece right in Japan. Manifesting that trip now. 😇

Once we sat down, I gave them the ultimate golden rule: "Go crazy. Take whatever you want off the belt. Do not count the plates. Today, we eat like royalty." ♕

Before the table was completely covered in sushi plates.

Naturally, because they are polite, well-mannered girls, they started off taking one modest plate at a time, looking at me for approval. But give it fifteen minutes, and the initial awkwardness evaporated. Plates started stacking up, laughter started flowing, and they were enjoying the food exactly the way I hoped they would. Seeing them genuinely happy and relaxed made my heart incredibly full.

When they started to feel comfortable, the table quickly began filling up with sushi plates.

Happy faces, full tummies, and a very happy teacher. 😊

But honestly? Sitting there watching them eat also gave me a massive wave of nostalgia.

Back when I was an undergraduate student at UTM Skudai, my own Final Year Project supervisor, Prof Shah, had a beautiful tradition. At the end of every semester, he would treat us to a spectacular meal. He took us to places we could never have afforded on a student budget; like the Pulai Springs Resort and a luxury hotel in JB. To us, it felt like stepping into another dimension.

Back then, sitting at those fancy tables as a broke student, I made a silent promise to myself: “One day, if I ever manage to become a lecturer like Prof Shah, I’m going to do exact same thing for my students.”

Fast forward to today, and that dream has officially become my own little tradition.

It’s a humbling reminder of how life comes full circle. I used to be the shy student counting the expensive plates, and now I get to be the one telling the next generation to forget the price tag and just enjoy the moment. Seeing their happy faces, relieved from the stress of final presentations and completely powered by sushi made me so incredibly proud.

I always remind myself that our job isn't just about passing down equations and knowledge; it’s about passing down the same kindness that helped us survive when we were in their shoes. Honestly, seeing that cycle continue is the most satisfying part of this entire journey

Anyway, that’s the little highlight that made my week. I hope you all have a fantastic weekend ahead. Take care, and bye for now!💕

Equations for a Safer, Greener World

Hi,

I wrapped up this week with my final-year students' project presentations, and I couldn't be prouder. This semester, I am supervising three brilliant young women, each tackling completely different real-world challenges using the power of mathematics. It is always so rewarding to see abstract equations come to life to solve actual, human problems.

Here is a glimpse into the work they've been doing:

Sarah Batrisyia

Sarah kicked off our session on Tuesday with her project, A Mathematical Model of Bullying Dynamic Based on Student Interactions. Her work takes the exact same math model scientists use to track how a flu virus spreads through a city and applies it to stopping school bullying instead! By adapting a clever framework by researcher Nuno Crokidakis, Sarah's model takes everyday school dynamics like peer pressure and social exclusion and turns them into predictable patterns. To make sense of it all, the model groups students into four buckets: those completely out of the drama (susceptible), active bullies, targeted victims (exposed), and the victims who eventually snap and lash out due to intense stress.

Through computer simulations, the model reveals a major "tipping point" for schools. It shows that if anti-bullying programs are strong and peer pressure is kept low, the bully group naturally shrinks to zero over time, creating a safe environment. But if the pressure to fit in is too high or school interventions are weak, bullying gets permanently trapped in the ecosystem. The coolest part about Sarah's project is that it acts like a virtual crystal ball. Instead of just guessing which school rules might work, principals and counselors can use these equations to test out different ideas like empathy programs or family support, to see what actually stops the behavior before trying it in real life.

Nur Aleya Maisara

Next up was Aleya, who presented her project on Predicting Future Crime Trends by Analyzing Crime Dynamics Using a Social Epidemic Approach. Much like Sarah, Aleya looked at a social crisis through a medical lens, treating criminal behavior like a "social epidemic" that catches on through peer pressure and neighborhood networks. Her math breaks a community down into three categories: everyday law-abiding citizens (susceptible), free criminals active on the streets, and offenders locked away in prison. By plugging real-world prison data from Spain and the United States into her computer simulations, she successfully mapped out how crime rises, peaks, and declines over a timeline. 

Her model delivered a fascinating result: criminal activity is currently on a slow downward trend in both countries, meaning current systems are slowly working. However, her project also delivered an indispensable warning for law enforcement and policymakers: the model proves you need at least a decade of historical data to accurately forecast these cycles. Short-term data leads to massive mathematical blind spots, making a decade of history mandatory if we want to accurately predict shifts and design truly effective, long-term community intervention strategies.

Nur Hidayati Batrisyia

Finally, Hidayati wrapped up the presentations by taking us into the heart of the jungle with her project, Investigating Reforestation-Delay Models' Limitations in Capturing Tropical Forest Biomass Trends. Her work took a critical, diagnostic look at existing environmental math, specifically tweaking a model by researcher A.K. Misra. Hidayati modeled the delicate balancing act between rising CO2 levels, human population growth, forest biomass, and the crucial time delay it takes for replanted trees to actually mature and trap carbon. Testing this against real-world data from 2000 to 2024, she uncovered a major limitation in global climate frameworks: while the generic math fits beautifully for Brazil's large-scale forest dynamics, it struggles significantly with Malaysia’s highly structured, stable forest management laws.

Even more alarming, her equations proved that if Malaysia delays its replanting efforts by more than 5.32 years, the entire local ecosystem mathematically breaks out into chaotic, uncontrollable feedback loops. Her work delivers an essential wake-up call to environmental groups: one-size-fits-all climate math is dangerously flawed. To design real, carbon-neutral policies, we must use localized, country-specific mathematical models that respect actual local logging and land laws.

Seeing these three open up new ways of looking at bullying, crime, and climate change completely made my week. It just goes to show that math isn't just numbers you write on the board. It is a powerful tool for building a safer, happier, and greener world! 🌍

Three weeks ago, they presented their posters, showcasing their work and answering questions from the public

And today, these young women are graduating and ready to take on the world.

And that's a little wrap-up of my week! It was so much fun working with the students, and I’m already looking forward to welcoming a new batch of final-year students next season. 

Till next time, bye!💕

The Comfort of Quiet Connections

Hi,

I’m still in the writing mood, so before the daily rush catches up with me, I want to hit pause and share a few things that have filled my heart with pure gratitude recently.

If you meet me at work or out and about, I come across as a pretty easy-going person. I get along with everyone easily, and on the surface, I’m very approachable. But beneath that friendly exterior, I’m actually someone who keeps her inner circle incredibly small. I don't easily open up about everything. Even those closest to me rarely see my daily struggles because I prefer to keep moving forward with a smile, appearing perfectly normal to the world.

When I first started working, lunch dates were the highlight of my week. My colleagues Maisarah and Amirah (yes, I share name with my good friend) quickly became my absolute favorites, and we looked forward to grabbing a bite and laughing together every single week.

Fast forward to today, our timetables are very chaotic. We are all so occupied with our own responsibilities that we barely see each other even in the corridors. My typical lunch date these days? A quick meal at my desk, staring at my computer screen because it’s the easiest and most convenient option.😂

But last week, the stars aligned. We were assigned to work together on a project in KL. It felt like a beautiful trip down memory lane, back to the days when life was just a little bit freer. Between the work sessions, we went hunting for good food, hunted down delicious snacks, and just enjoyed being us again.

And, as if the universe knew I needed a soul-filling week, I also got the chance to meet up with my ultimate girls, my best friends of 30 years.

Since 1995. Over 30 beautiful years and beyond

We all lead incredibly hectic lives, juggling family, careers, and endless to-do lists. So when every single one of them cleared their schedule to show up for a lunchtime catch-up, I was deeply touched. We only had a brief two hours together, but it was among the best moments I've had in a long time. We talked, we laughed, and we packed three decades of love into a single afternoon.

People often say that no matter how fiercely independent you are, you still need good company to make your life truly meaningful. I’ve realized just how true that is. And lately, life has gently reminded me that being strong and independent doesn't mean you have to walk the path completely alone.

My friends don’t need to know every single struggle I am quietly carrying. They don’t need a detailed report of my stressful days. Just the simple, solid fact of knowing that they exist, and that they are always there, makes me feel incredibly supported. Their presence is like a quiet, warm safety net.

So here is my little piece of advice to anyone reading this today. Hold onto the people who make the world feel a little lighter. Life gets busy, schedules clash, and distances grow, but you will need them sooner or later. And when you do, you'll be so glad you kept the fire of relationship burning.

Until the next scribble, take care!💕

Moments Worth Remembering

Hi,

I’m back! And honestly, it feels like my writing skills have staging a minor strike lately. They’re currently swirling somewhere near the drain. Do you ever have so much to say that your brain just short-circuits and refuses to even type the first word?

That’s been me lately. So much has been happening around me, and I know if I don’t sit down and record it right now, these memories will be lost to the void forever. And honestly, last week’s adventures in KL are way too good to forget.

Last week, I traded my usual routine for a few chaotic, high-energy days in Kuala Lumpur for work. The main event? Getting up close and personal with 100 mathematics teachers under the Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri (JPN) Selangor, representing both primary and secondary schools. Now, if the idea of being trapped in a room with 100 math teachers sounds like a terrifying pop quiz nightmare to you, let me reassure you, it was amazing.

We actually ran a similar program for JPN Penang last year, which went beautifully. So when the invitation arrived to recreate that magic for Selangor, we thought, “Why not? Let’s do this.” (And because we clearly love a packed schedule, JPN KL and MARA are already next on our hit list. Stay tuned!)

Let me tell you, organizing something like this takes an immense amount of effort. It’s no walk in the park. These teachers are absolute rockstars when it comes to pedagogy, they know how to teach. But where they really look for a helping hand is bridging that teaching skill with modern mathematical technology.

That’s where we stepped in. We spent the days brainstorming, guiding, and troubleshooting. By the end of it, seeing the flood of positive feedback right after the event was the ultimate reward. It’s an exhausting exhaustion, but the good kind. It’s that heart-warming feeling of knowing you’ve actually contributed something tangible to the society (and to the future sanity of school students everywhere).

Such a sporting crowd! 

We welcomed them to our USM KL Campus, and they really appreciated the experience.

To wrap up the trip, we decided to play a little game of last-minute reunion. Since we were in the area, we threw out a sudden signal to some of our recent alumni working nearby. Honestly, we didn't expect much. Giving anyone especially busy working adults in the KL area just a few hours of notice is usually a recipe for a ghost town. But guess what? A few brave souls actually managed to escape their office desks to grab a quick coffee with us. Seeing our former students thriving in the working world is the ultimate proud-teacher moment. It made every bit of the KL traffic and the exhausting prep work entirely worth it.

Despite the generation gaps, they connected instantly and got along so well.

Came for the coffee. Stayed for the company.

So, see? My brain claimed it had forgotten how to write, but we managed to get this memory safely locked down into a blog post anyway. Take that, mental blocks. Now, if you excuse me, I need to go recover from social interactions, prep for JPN KL, and maybe hunt down something sweet to celebrate surviving the week.

Catch you again in the next post!💕

July, Already?

Hi,

Can you believe we’re already seven days into July? It feels wild to say, but happy official start to the second half of the year! (And no, it’s definitely not too late to welcome it).

Where did the time go? More importantly... where did I go?

Honestly, I was right here. Just buried under a mountain of life, trying to keep my head above water.

How has July been so far? To be completely truthful, I don't even know. The first week flew by in such a blur that I barely felt it happen. It’s strange, because July used to be one of my absolute favorite months of the year for so many beautiful reasons. I'm determined to find that magic again.

Consider this a little 'I'm still breathing update'. See you again real soon. 💕

Beyond the Comfort Zone

Hi,

It is past midnight, and here I am, completely wide awake. Sleep has officially ghosted me tonight. Instead of staring at the ceiling, I decided to ride my midnight energy and actually got some work done. The coursework for my Introduction to Modelling course is officially finalized, and I’ve just finished reviewing a thesis scheduled for a viva this coming Monday. Relieved. 😊

So, why am I still awake? Well, it’s a classic case of daytime choices meeting night time consequences. Earlier today, I was battling a stubborn headache and desperately needed a short nap. But the kids had other plans, they wanted to go rollerblading at the park. So, I bargained with myself: Let's do an outdoor run instead. I was hoping the fresh air would cure the headache, while secretly checking off my daily goal of 10,000 steps and 30 minutes of exercise. It worked a little too well, and now my body thinks it's midday! 😂

My dynamic duo, through thick and thin.

Looking back, this week has been incredibly surreal. I was hit with one piece of good work-related news after another. The kind of milestones that probably deserve their own separate post. But reflecting on it all tonight made me realize something I wanted to share. You will never truly know your full potential until you decide to push past your comfort zone.

For nearly a decade, from 2015 to 2024, I was working very comfortably in my position. In my mind, I was doing great, especially when I compared myself to standard benchmarks. But then I had a moment of hard truth. I realized I hadn't really evolved. I was teaching the same courses year after year, publishing mostly locally, and staying exactly where I was. I was reminded of what being a true academic really means, and it hit me that I was still so far from that standard, despite being so proud of the title.

So, I decided to change.

I shifted my focus and began working much more closely with my PhD students. Their success and graduation became my absolute priority. I set a big, scary target. Every single one of my PhD students would graduate with at least two Q1 journal publications. Nothing less. But I couldn't just leave them to figure it out alone. I had to roll up my sleeves and dive deep into the research with them to ensure we were producing top-tier work.

Was it easy? Absolutely not. Our very first paper went through a brutal cycle of eight rejections at the revision stage. (Yes, eight!) But instead of giving up, we chose to look at rejections as free, expert masterclasses. We used every single reviewer's critique to polish, rewrite, and perfect the manuscript. After a year of being perfectly "cooked," that paper was finally accepted into a fantastic journal.

Today, we use that exact same formula learned from our failures. Because we didn't back down, my students and I have now published at least five papers in Q1 journals, and we are just getting started. If there is one thing I’ve learned from this journey, it’s that great things happen when you refuse to stay comfortable. This doesn't just apply to academia, it applies to every part of life.

I hope this sparks a little reminder for anyone reading this. Don't settle for being comfortable. Challenge yourself, embrace the rejections as lessons, and keep pushing. You might just surprise yourself with what you are truly capable of achieving.

That’s all for my late-night brain dump. Time to try and finally catch some sleep. See you again soon! Goodnight! 💕                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

The Saturday Night Shift

Hello again!

I am officially back after spending way too much time staring at stacks of paper.

My weekend companions.

A stack of test scripts and my trusty red pen. ✍️

I’ve been diving into the latest Test scripts, but to be completely honest, my marking momentum is refusing to join the chat. Usually, after a few quick glances at a batch of papers, I can spot the general answering pattern and instantly gauge how the class did. But this time? The performance graph is an absolute wild. The results are varying so wildly from student to student that my brain cannot compute a general verdict yet.

From what I’ve managed to decode so far, the classroom currently looks like two completely different groups:

• Overachiever: A solid group of students has absolutely gripped the concepts. Their logic is beautiful, their steps are clean, and honestly, they just need to maintain this energy in the final exam to secure a well-deserved A. (Proud teacher moment!)
• Confusion: On the flip side, there is a group that seems completely stuck at step zero. They are looking at the initial step like it’s written in an ancient, undiscovered language, entirely clueless on how to proceed.

With finals looming just around the corner, these guys definitely need some rescue operations, and I’ll be figuring out how to get them back on track soon.

But enough about math anxiety. How is your weekend going so far?

Mine has been great, weekend routine strictly enforced. Today was grocery day, which means it was time to restock the kitchen kingdom. My fridge is currently overflowing with a massive colourful mountain of fruits and vegetables. As some of you know, I am still diligently keeping up with making fresh juices for the our daily intake, so running out of fresh produce is simply not an option.

Let me tell you, prepping, chopping, and juicing this mountain every single day requires a monumental amount of effort. Sometimes it feels like a second full-time job! But hey, whatever keeps the kids healthy, happy, and thriving is worth it. I will happily find the time to do it religiously, day in and day out.

Today's liquid goodness courtesy of whatever fruits and veggies were in stock. 

The kids have no choice but to drink up. Mom’s rules, after all 😄

And that is my short update for tonight.

As for the remaining test scripts staring at me from across the desk? I am officially closing the folders. My brain cells have left the building, so it's much safer to continue tomorrow when I am actually mentally present. For now, my only mission is to find a way to get a solid, peaceful night's sleep.

Enjoy the remaining hours of your weekend, everyone. Recharge your batteries, and see you all again soon!💕

Schrödinger’s Love Letter

Hi,

Guess what? I’ve spent years looking at differential equations as tools to solve academic problems. But recently, I saw the Time-Dependent Schrödinger Equation recast as a love letter, and it made me look at my own life through a completely different lens.

It starts with this equation:

In physics,  represents the state of a system. It's the mathematical identity of a particle at any given moment in time. This equation describes how that state changes over the course of its journey. But when applied to two systems that cross paths, it whispers a poetic truth that Erwin Schrödinger himself noted back in 1935. His words read like a love letter to the universe:

"If two systems interact with each other for a certain period of time and then separate, we can describe them as two different systems but in a subtle way they become a single system. What happens to one continues to affect the other, even at a distance of miles or light years."

In simple terms: when two particles meet and spend time interacting, they become a team. From that moment on, they share a single, inseparable story. Even if you take one particle, put it on a plane, and fly it halfway across the world, it remains completely connected to the one left behind. You can no longer describe one without mentioning the other. They are a package deal.

As a mathematician, I found this perspective incredibly comforting because it is exactly how human connection works.

We often worry that time, busy schedules, or moving away will fade our closest bonds. We look at friendships that started over thirty years ago in primary school back when our biggest worry was who had the coolest pencil box. And we wonder how we can still feel so close when we now live such separate lives. (Hi EIJEY's!😘)

But physics tells us that true interaction leaves a permanent footprint. Once your life intersects with someone, you are no longer operating in isolation. Distance doesn't dissolve the connection, it just stretches the bond.

That is why you can go months, or even years, without talking to your favourite people, but the moment you reunite, it’s like no time has passed at all. You can sit in a restaurant, enjoy a meal in total, comfortable silence, and it doesn't feel awkward. You just get each other. Your paths might look different now, but your core stories are still beautifully entangled.

So, to my original squad, my long-lost university peers, and everyone who has shared a chapter of my time-evolution, according to the laws of quantum mechanics, you’re stuck in my wavefunction. 😉

The Thursday Relief

Hi,

Is it just me, or did someone hit the fast-forward button on this week?

I woke up today, realized it was Thursday, and let out the biggest sigh of relief. Why? Because a major milestone has officially been conquered: Test 2 is done and dusted! To say this week has been a back-to-back marathon would be an understatement. We’re talking a high-stakes viva-voce, a major test, project meetings, documents preparation and, just to make sure my calendar was completely colorful, Academic Advisory Week.

Here is a quick look at how I survived the madness:

I started the week as an internal examiner for a PhD viva voce. Now, if you know anything about vivas, you know they can sometimes stretch into the horizon, testing the endurance of everyone in the room. I always secretly dread the marathon sessions.

But Monday? Monday was a miracle. We wrapped up everything in less than three hours! It was the perfect alignment of the stars, the right candidate, the right panel, and impeccable timing. A speedy, smooth viva is rare, so you bet I cherished every single minute of it.

Behind every tough panel is the same intention: to elevate the work

The middle of my week was taken over by my advisory students popping in to figure out their class schedules for next semester. Academic advising is a lot like being a GPS for a student's life. The standard route is exactly 8 semesters. But every now and then, you get someone who manages to cross the finish line in 7 semesters or the other one who needs a comfortable 9 semesters to get everything done.

Some of students who have met me

Every student's journey is different, which means I have to pay hyper-attention to the details. One wrong course recommendation and boom, delayed graduation! No pressure, right?

Which brings us to today. Test 2 is officially over.

Now, a normal person might say, "But Mam, don't you have a mountain of test scripts waiting to be graded over the weekend?" Shhh. Let’s not think about that right now. Future Me can handle the red ink. Present Me is just incredibly happy that the logistics are done, the papers are collected, and another milestone is in the bag.

Final meeting with the class: done.

And that, my friends, was my hectic week in a nutshell. Time to grab a sweet treat, put my feet up for a quick second, and prepare for the weekend.

How has your week been? Hopefully less chaotic than mine! Now, all I want to do is fully enjoy a beautifully calm Friday and coast straight into a peaceful weekend. No rush, no hectic meetings, just some well-deserved breathing room.

See you next time! 💕

Surviving the Whirlwind

Hi, 

Hello from the other side of a wild week! I finally have a quiet moment to sit down, type, and breathe. If you’ve been wondering where I disappeared to, the short answer is: life happened. All of it. At the exact same time. Looking back at the last seven days, I realized that life has a funny way of balancing itself out, or at least trying to.😅

Let’s start with the home front, where I was fully braced for impact. I expected tears. I expected negotiations. I expected full-blown, award-winning theatrical drama.

Instead? Smooth sailing. My kids apparently held a secret meeting and decided to be absolute angels this week. Watching them navigate the days so beautifully didn't just save my sanity, it genuinely touched my heart. Time is flying by so fast, and seeing them grow into these independent, kind little humans is a beautiful reminder of why we do this. Motherhood is a wild roller coaster of highs and lows, but honestly? I wouldn’t trade this chaotic ticket for anything else in the world.

So, if the kids weren't the source of the madness, where did the hectic energy come from?

Cue the dramatic work music.😂I don’t know what kind of atmospheric pressure hit my desk this week, but my workload shifted into a state of severe, highly turbulent flow. There was absolutely zero laminar, calm stream insight. Every single task was labelled URGENT, and they didn't wait in a neat little line either. They showed up in groups of three, demanding my attention all at once.

I’ve been tackling my tasks religiously, but I swear my to-do list is a living organism. The moment I cross one item off, three more spawn in its place. It’s breeding like there’s no tomorrow!

But enough rambling about the work, because the best part of my week happened in the classroom. I have officially wrapped up my lectures for the semester! It’s true what they say, time flies when you’re doing what you love.

This batch of students has been an absolute joy, though to be fair, the subject matter itself is pretty fantastic. My favourite part of the job is taking a concept that looks like terrifying gibberish at first, breaking it down, and watching the exact moment the lightbulb goes off over their heads. That Aha! look on a student's face is pure magic.

MSG328: Introduction to Modelling (aka my favourite course)

I’ve never been a fan of the traditional, snooze-fest lecture style, so my classroom is always a get up and move zone. We blend standard lectures with hands-on, individual, and group activities. The students actually look forward to what exercise I’m going to throw at them next, which makes all the prep work entirely worth it.

What a 2-hour lecture always looks like. Kudos to the students for filling the board! Time to wipe it clean

Naturally, my brain is already scheming for the future. One of these days, I’m going to move the entire classroom outdoors to see how they connect our theories with the real world.

In fact, next semester I’m taking on a brand-new challenge: MAT323. It’s the continuation of the Differential Equations 1 course that I’ve been teaching for over a decade. Since MAT323 dives deep into epidemiological and ecological models, I think an outdoor setting is going to be the perfect laboratory. Imagine modelling population dynamics and real-world outbreaks while actually sitting in nature! Stay tuned for how that experiment goes.

For now, the whiteboard is erased, the laptop is closed (mostly), and the weekend is finally here. I hope you all have a wonderful, restful weekend ahead.

Bye for now!💕

The Will to Recover

Hi,

Welcome back to my little corner of the world. Sunday is winding down, and my weekend was the exact definition of low-key. I spent most of it at my parents’ house doing a whole lot of absolutely nothing. Just chilling. And honestly? It was exactly what I needed, because my brain had decided to go on strike.

For the past few days, I’ve been battling a headache that felt like a tiny construction crew was drilling inside my skull. I tried treating it with a healthy dose of PCM, but apparently, my body has developed a tolerance, and the PCM just refused to do its magic anymore. Plan B was to sleep it off. I had high hopes. I thought a solid, uninterrupted session of counting sheep would dissolve the pain. Spoiler alert: it didn’t. 💆

When modern medicine and sleep fail you, you call in the heavy enforcement. For me, that’s my favourite massage therapist. I booked an appointment, walked into her room, and gave her the ultimate brief, "I just want to rest. Do whatever you think is necessary."

As if she totally understood the unspoken memo, she went to work in complete, beautiful silence. No awkward small talk, no chatting about the weather, just pure, professional healing. For three whole hours, she worked her magic, knowing exactly where the tension was hiding. By the time I stood up, I felt completely recharged. The headache isn't 100% gone, but it is finally bearable.

While my weekend was quiet, today marked an incredibly emotional and important milestone for my Dad. If you’ve been reading for a while, you might remember me mentioning that Dad had to stop his absolute favourite job as a barber due to health issues. Exactly five months ago, our world was turned upside down. He was in the Penang General Hospital, literally fighting for his life due to severe complications in his brain. Back then, facing a bed full of tubes and monitors, we knew life would never be the exact same.

But humans are resilient, and my Dad is a fighter. We did everything we could as a family to support his recovery. Fast forward to today, and he finally did something he has loved doing for over 50 years: styling hair. Of course, a barber needs a canvas, and the honor of being the first experiment went to my own boy. He has been waiting so patiently for his Tokwan to gain enough confidence to hold the clippers again. Today was the day.

From newborn to now, this monthly routine is when they talk about everything.

Watching my Dad manoeuvre his hands, especially his left hand and smoothly glide through the hair was a moment I will never forget. To go from a critical hospital bed to controlling his balance well enough to do something that requires such precise, fine motor skills? I am such a proud daughter. He had the fierce will to recover, and we are just so blessed to be here to hold his hand through it.

So, that’s a little glimpse into my calm weekend.

Tomorrow, the school bells ring again, the kids go back, and the beautiful chaos of my daily routine resumes. I have a feeling my headache won't even dare to pop up tomorrow. Why? Because my schedule is going to be so packed that I’ll need to use every single segment of my brain just to survive the daily cycle! There simply won't be any room left for pain.

Thank you for stopping by to read. Take care of yourselves, appreciate the quiet moments with your loved ones, and I’ll see you in the next post.

Bye for now! 💕

The Last Day of Peace

Hi,

It is the final moments before the workday rush, and I am enjoying the contrast of the heavy rain outside with the absolute calm inside. Tomorrow, the long pause ends, and reality resumes. Waiting for me is the classic, merry weekly calendar filled with lectures, work discussions, student supervision, and a mountain of other things screaming for my attention. I’ve taken a sneak peek at the schedule, and let’s just say… my calendar is looking very popular right now.😸

But how did I spend the absolute final days of freedom? Pretty much the same thing every single day. Playing full-time entertainment manager to my kids and their never-ending requests for, well, everything.

Outing days are their absolute favourite. Me? I am aggressively not a fan of crowded shopping malls. My solution? We storm the mall at precisely 10:00 AM. There is a beautiful, serene window of time when the malls are empty, the air conditioning is fresh, and the crowd hasn't arrived yet. By the time the masses descend, we are already heading to the exit.

I also had a "bring the parents out" day made possible because my youngest sister was in town. At this age, I absolutely refuse to queue just to put food in my mouth. I will happily skip a trending restaurant to avoid a line. But my sister possesses the legendary patience required to stand in line.

She volunteered for the hard labor. I told her, "Excellent. You go jump in the line, and when the table is ready, call us." Meanwhile, I waited in comfort and then rolled up with the entire squad just in time to sit down. Perfect execution. 😆

Eldest and youngest daughters on duty with the parents today.

As for keeping the kids on their best behaviour? The formula is simple: new books, new toys, and good food. Do that, and they suddenly become the most angelic, happiest kids on earth. Right now, they are obsessed with Pop Mart. I personally don't understand the hype of buying a mystery box where you don’t even know what’s inside, but hey, whatever floats their ship.

I applied a very strict Mom Policy:

• You have a budget limit.

• You can pick what you want, but you must present it to the Judge (me) for approval first.

• No approval, no payment counter.

They wanted to wheel their cute little trolleys around with their tiny paper bags in tow.

Whatever keeps the peace while Mom gets her things! 🛒

Seeing their massive grins while holding their new toys makes it worth it. Plus, it activates the ultimate Mom Hack: once they have their loot, they will happily follow me anywhere without a single complaint. We wrapped up the outing with full stomachs, full hearts, and not forgetting, a bag full of mystery toys.😂