An unexpected advantage

Hi,

It's Christmas break today, and I'm taking the kids back to their other hometown in Jasin. Whenever we have the chance, I will ensure they get to experience the true 'kampung' life that they don't get to enjoy in Penang."

The first thing I needed to do upon arriving here was to make fruit and vegetable juice for my daughter. She was diagnosed with severe constipation, and I needed to help alleviate it before our next doctor's appointment in early January.

We discovered this problem in January 2023. My daughter accidentally swallowed a plastic button from her toys. We went to see Dr. Hema, a pediatrician in Pantai Hospital Sungai Petani. An abdominal X-ray was performed, but the button wasn't found. However, the X-ray revealed that she had constipation.

3rd January 2023. Nearly two years ago. Omg, she's so small here.

Nearly two years later, one night, she woke me up complaining of leg pain in both legs. I tried to alleviate the discomfort with hot and cold compresses and warm oil massages, but the pain persisted. Worried, I took her to the doctor. Suspecting a recurrence of the constipation issue, the doctor ordered another abdominal X-ray, which confirmed her suspicions.

December 2024. Look how much she's grown in just two years! At this rate, she'll be taller than me in no time.

She was prescribed Forlax by the doctor, this time for a longer duration, to help her clear her colon. In addition, I need to ensure she's consuming a sufficient amount of fruits and vegetables three times a day. The easiest way to do this might be to make her a fruit and vegetable juice and encourage (sometimes forcing needed) her to drink it all.

Today's combination.

I've been doing this for almost two weeks now, and I'm determined to keep it up as long as I can. As moms say, 'You do what you gotta do.' Nothing brings me more joy than seeing my children free from pain.

Look at the colors! It tasted amazing, too.

I find it very therapeutic to experiment with different combinations of fruits and vegetables in my juices. I love playing with the colors and flavors, trying to find the perfect blend. At this rate, I might just open a small juice stall next to Boost! 😁

That's pretty much it. I'll be spending the next few days here, just a typical routine. I will still have lectures tomorrow and a few student meetings. I'm mostly focused on making sure the kids have a wonderful time with family before we head back to Penang.

Till then, see you next time! 

Dreaming of Escape

Hi!

It's already Sunday, and I've so far finished watching two movies this weekend! I watched 'The Maltese Holiday' while running, and then took the kids to see 'Mufasa: The Lion King' at the cinema.

I try to make it a point to run for 30 minutes indoors a few times a week as it helps me to stay in shape and to keep an eye on my heart rate. Finding the time can be a struggle, but I'll do my best to stick to my routine. To keep the motivation going, I always watch a movie while I'm at it. 

Almost the end of 2024. I am planning to do better in 2025.

So yesterday, I watched 'The Maltese Holiday' and I was glued to the screen for the whole time. This movie tells the story of Shea, facing a solo travel adventure to Malta. The storyline highlights the importance of embracing unexpected opportunities in life. I totally relate to Shea's character. I could easily imagine myself doing exactly what she does in the movie.

Beautiful landscape, isn't it?

And most importantly, through the movie I can see that Malta is truly amazing! Stunning beaches, serene vineyards, and captivating ancient history, creating a truly romantic atmosphere everywhere you turn. Now I feel like Malta is calling me! 😁 I'm seriously considering booking a flight and embarking on my own adventure there. ✈️ Err sorry, not yet for now. One day okay, one day.

And for the next movie, the kids absolutely loved 'Mufasa: The Lion King'! I enjoyed it too. It was fun imagining myself living peacefully with the animals in Melele, the mythical land Mufasa rules. And I also thought Mufasa was incredibly handsome as king. 🦁😄

It's officially the Christmas season around the world! The holiday spirit is definitely in the air. And it seems to be snowing everywhere too. I'm itching to travel right now! If you are having yours, hope you enjoy your holiday! 😄

Bye!

Rekindling Old Friendships Through Work

Hello!

Here I am again. Seems like I'm back to my blogging era! It feels great to be able to express myself here. As many of you know, I'm generally friendly, but I'm quite selective about sharing personal details. This blog is the perfect place for me to freely share my thoughts and feelings. :)

Okay, today I'd like to tell you about how my work has enabled me to reconnect with old friends. A few weeks ago, my department organized the latest series of MathTech conference. I was in the pioneering team for MathTech18 and MathTech20. Next, I was trusted to anchor MathTech22. And then, for MathTech24, I decided to take a step back but still contributed as part of the editorial team.

Through this event, I managed to reconnect with my room mate in Kolej Rahman Putra, UTM Skudai. She was invited as one of the workshop instructors. Meeting her brought back all the good memories we had when we stayed together for a few years in Skudai, Johor.

Meet my very best friend in UTM, Wan Nor Munirah.

Despite of being just a room mate, we were incredibly close to each other. We shared the same FYP Supervisor, Prof. Dr. Shaharuddin Salleh, and also MSc. Supervisor, AP. Dr. Ong Chee Tiong. We even competed for the Best Presenter award, and both of us won! I still couldn't believe the kind of competition we had back then. 😅 But we really did it by empowering each other. 🎉 We both attended a few job interviews together and received multiple offers. However, I ultimately accepted USM's ASTS offer, while Wan chose to pursue an opportunity at UNIMAP and then to UTHM as she currently is now. That's when we went our separate ways, but MathTech 24 brought us together! 

Glad to see you in Penang, Wan!

And then earlier today, I had the pleasure of being involved in a viva session for a Masters by Research student from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu. It was wonderful reconnecting with an old friend also from UTM, Anne. I fondly remember her as the ‘pretty girl next door.’ I admired her not only for her intelligence but also for her politeness and charm. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to be the external examiner for her student.

Panels for today's viva. Completed my task as the external examiner for the candidate. Another panel is Kak Fatimah Noor, senior from UOW, and USM alumni. What a small world.

I still remember traveling all the way from Australia to the UK in 2012, specifically to Loughborough University, to attend a conference and stay with Anne. Luckily, I shared a post on my visit to Lboro HERE. Back then, solo travel was my forte. Crossing half the globe alone was no biggie. I wonder if I could still pull that off today. I’d probably be a mess! 😂

So, that's about it. I'm really happy to have had the chance to reconnect with my best buddies from our UTM days through work. I believe that as I continue on this path, more doors will open, and I'll have even more opportunities to reconnect with people who are important to me.

Till then. 

See you again next time. 

Bye for now!

A long, draining day

Hi,

I just got back home. It's 9.00 pm while I'm writing this. I am now sitting down with the kids while waiting for their bedtime. Drained and sleepy.

Today was somewhat a gruelling day for me. I started my morning rush at 5 AM, only to encounter a major traffic delay due to an accident. It took me nearly two hours to reach USM, just in time for a departmental board meeting. I managed to join the meeting while simultaneously finalizing a viva report. 😁

At 2:30 PM, I was involved in a PhD viva session as an internal examiner. Before the session began, the Chairman jokingly said that he thought it would finish before 7:30 PM. It seems he wasn't joking! 😂 The session concluded at 7 PM, after a solid 4 hours and 30 minutes. 

We survived the 270 minutes of discussion. Good job everyone! 😄

As soon as the session ended, I hurried home, drenched and exhausted, after navigating through another chaotic traffic and heavy rain. Arriving at 8:30 PM, I quickly grabbed a bite to eat. Now, as I rest, I'm reflecting on the incredibly long and challenging day I've had.

I have yet to make preparations for my role as an external examiner for tomorrow's viva session. Yes, panelling two viva sessions for two days in a row is no joke. 😵‍💫

But I figured I needed a breather to clear my head before diving back in. So, I decided to take a break to rest and recharge while reflecting at these simple moments, these quiet nights, that make life feel truly worthwhile.

Keep being strong dear self. 

You can do it. 💪

What I have been busying myself with?

Hi there, I'm back. :)

I've been struggling to adjust to a sudden change recently. :( A very tough one. To cope, I've found that maintaining a very structured and busy schedule helps me. It helps, even if only slightly. And I hope to be better each day.

My days are now incredibly full. I squeeze in as many things as possible, especially meetings with my students. I'm closely monitoring their research and hoping for their timely graduation. I am currently supervising nine PhD students in diverse areas as their primary supervisor, along with five undergraduate projects. Reading their work has taken a considerable toll on my daily schedule. It's no wonder my life has become quite hectic. But I am embracing it.

Among all of my academic responsibilities, supervision remains my most fulfilling role. Having studied abroad independently, I deeply understand the unique challenges and anxieties students face. I consistently strive to empathize with their perspectives and motivations, always treating them with respect to foster a mutually respectful and productive working relationship.

But at the same time, I also encourage them to take ownership of their research and make independent decisions. For their growth, I will push them to step outside their comfort zones and tackle challenging research questions.

I would like to introduce some of my current students whom I meet regularly. Many others are based in their home countries, so our interactions primarily occur through virtual platforms like Webex.

Tariq Azzam from Jordan. Young and energetic chap. Finishing soon. Hoping for GOT.

Li and Zhou from China. Hubby and wifey doing PhD together. So cute! This journey is going to be a memorable one for both of them.

Azhar and Hanis. Also husband and wife. Finished. Considering them as my co-researchers in upcoming projects.

And not forgetting my undergraduate students Aiman, Elya and Hafiz. Selalu kena berletiaq. Sorry kids, I promise you it's for your best.

Hmm, I'm now feeling the need for some new experiences and a change of pace. After years of complacency, it's time to identify and improve my aptitudes. Wish me luck!

Music and Mathematics

Hello,

Happy December! It's the last month of the year, and for most people, it's holiday time! And whenever December comes, I always imagine myself to be somewhere in the Northern Hemisphere for winter solstice. Perfect for a romantic getaway, isn't it? :)

But sadly no, I'm currently living in the realm of being a dedicated mother and a passionate educator. Juggling the demands of motherhood with my academic responsibilities, I need to be that multi-tasking marvel. 🦸‍♀️ High five fellow mothers who's reading this. We're all in this together, and we're going to rock it! 💪

Anyway, just a short sharing today. Some people find that listening to music while doing math can be helpful, I am included. During my high school years, a small red radio was my constant companion. When I started boarding school, my father generously gifted me a Walkman player. And throughout my university years, I always curated various playlists on my YouTube account to accompany me through different phases of my studies. That's how much I rely on good music while studying.

Until now, I’ve always found it helpful to listen to music while doing math and to seek out calming background noise that blocks out distractions. The first time I encountered the idea that music could enhance my mathematical solving abilities, I was intrigued.

Music and mathematics are two seemingly disparate worlds. How do they intersect?  Curious me would wonder, imagining music as a secret elixir that could transform my math skills from average to outstanding. 😁

And from there, I am now interested to look for the answer of the following questions:

• Does music truly have the power to improve math performance? 
• If so, what specific brain regions are responsible for this connection? 
• And how does music stimulate the brain to foster mathematical thinking?

Okay that's it for now. I might come back to share more about the answers to the above questions later. When? One day when all my questions are answered. Anyway, here's a newly found magic potion that has been on repeat for days. Thought of keeping it here for memories. Enjoy! 😊

Blessed at 39

Hi!

Today marks the final day of November and my birthday month will officially be over. 

At 39 years old, I discover so many things about myself that I never thought I would in the past. Life has taught me so well I begin to realize certain things are destined to happen not the way we planned. No matter how careful we have planned our steps, sometimes life has a different plan. Right?

Anyway, November 2024 has been great. I love and cherish every single bit of it. I need to make sure that I am all ready to manage my emotions well, make sensible decisions, resolve conflicts and stress and adapt to change, which helps me grow and learn.

I will continue to enjoy my thirties before the big 4-0 says hello next year. 

Happy birth month dear self! 😊

Bye! 

Manifesting What You Really Want in Your Life

Assalamualaikum,

It feels nice to be here again :)

Looks like the momentum is still going strong, hence, another post after the long pause. I am so proud of myself. :)

So hari ni, my main intention is to share an inspirational story based on my own experience. Many of us would think that to share your personal tale, you need to live extraordinary lifestyle, or at least you need to be famous. But to me, if your story can make a difference to at least one person who's reading it, that could be an important inspiration someone might need at his/her inauspicious time. They could be your friends, your own family members or if you are lucky, many others.

I am going to start by sharing a very simple life story today and show you how manifesting something that you really really want will turn thoughts into reality.  Before that, let me introduce myself just in case if you don't know me yet. Maklumlah kan, dah 7 tahun hilang dari radar.😄 I am Amirah, a mathematics lecturer at a public university in Penang, Malaysia, the well renowned Universiti Sains Malaysia. Perkataan lecturer and Universiti Sains Malaysia I sengaja bold kan ada sebab dia. Wait for it. hehe.

Part 1: Lecturer

When I was in primary school, I always wanted to become a lecturer WALAUPUN I didn't have the slightest idea yang kerja jadi pensyarah tu sebenarnya dia buat apa. The only thing that I knew, it sounds so cool sebab boleh kerja dalam universiti dekat tempat orang yang dah besar. So, tiap-tiap kali tulis buku biodata masa kecik-kecik dulu, mesti dengan yakinnya I akan letak cita-cita sebagai lecturer/pensyarah. I letak bukti dekat sini walaupun terpaksa cover parts lain sebab rasa nak lempang diri sendiri. hahahaha.

Once upon a time in 1997 (27 years ago), when I was in standard 6.

Bukti cita-cita dari kecik memang nak jadi pensyarah.

Wajib isi dalam semua buku biodata kawan-kawan sebelum habis sekolah.

Cute/colourful handwriting. Signature siap ada star 🌟. 

Omg, I cringed looking at this. What was I thinking that time? 😂

But, it's okay. This is a treasure I would want to keep forever. 😊

So, that time, everyone close to me knew very well about me wanting to be a Pensyarah. My parents, siblings, teachers, friends, semua lah. Cuma masa tu, I couldn't really tell more details like where would my work place be, when I am going to start becoming a lecturer, and what subjects I am going to be interested in. Everything was still very vague that time. Come on, you were only 12 years old, Amirah. Give yourself time. 

Then moving on to the next chapter of my life, I went to a lower secondary school near my house, somewhere in Butterworth, with the same ambition, still to become a pensyarah. There, I became one of the top students in Maths subject, competing over a bunch of highly intelligent Chinese guys and managed to put myself as part of the Maths enthusiasts team. It was there and then that I realized on my passion over numbers and solving Maths problems was really my thing. 

Part 2: Universiti Sains Malaysia

Subsequently, in Year 2000 when I was 15 years old, I attended a motivation camp by Dr. Shukri Abdullah (anyway, he is my parents' good friend 😁) dekat Dewan Tuanku Syed Putra (DTSP), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) as a preparation for Peperiksaan Menengah Rendah (PMR). I even had pictures of me and my best friends taken at the beautiful and shady area nearby the hall and also the iconic red stairs beside DTSP.

Who would have thought at that particular time yang my current workplace is situated far at the back of this photo? Not me.

One of our favourite photos together taken at the iconic red stairs. 

Still exists until today. :)

Taken in December 2022 when one of my best friends in the above pictures visited me at work.

We re-created the red stairs photo minus two members.

My girlfriends over 30 years. They knew almost everything about me. In and out. From the innocent 12-year old little girl, to the 15-year old highly energetic teen, and to the 39 years old full grown lady. They witness everything.

In the old pictures I shared above, it was actually not my first time visiting USM. Walaupun dah pernah masuk beberapa kali dah sebelum-sebelum tu, tapi tak pernah rasa apa-apa pun, apatah lagi terfikir untuk kerja dekat USM. But my visit in Year 2000 was the beginning of everything. I instantly fell in love with USM and started to manifest it as my future work place without knowing anything what this place has to offer.  Yes, at 15yo, I knew exactly where I am going to spend almost half of my life already. Isn't that ironic?😊

From then on, I visualized it very clearly in my mind that one day I will become a mathematics lecturer at Universiti Sains Malaysia. And I worked really hard to achieve the thing I wanted so much. I can tell very confidently now that, manifesting for a thing that you really longed for is not as easy as wishing that thing to happen smooth sailing. It's more about setting your goals very clearly and align with your actions towards achieving it. Not easy, but the journey is going to be beautiful. Trust me. 😊

So, if you have a certain thing that you really want it to happen in your life, put it in your highest dream, manifest it, and work towards it. Who knows, by strongly believing it, one day you can achieve your desired dream. All the best! 

Back after a long hiatus

Hi,

And hi again. :)

It has been a while right? A really really long while since I last wrote something here. No doubt, I missed writing.

A few days ago, I came back to check on my older posts, and I was like, mann, I don't even remember some of the things I shared here especially all my experiences during UOW days. I laughed hard upon reading something very ridiculous or embarassing, and I did shed some tears when I read anything that triggered my emotions. 😢Then I realize that even though the moments may have ended, the memories commemorated here still remain and are not bound by time. They certainly become a precious treasure.

At that point in time, I feel like there's this sudden urge of 'let's do something' and improving my life through what I'm genuinely passionate about. I have so many things in mind already. I am planning to write more on anything that will inspire people based on my own experiences and perhaps talents. 

As a start, let me tell you something. I am now writing while waiting for my KTM ride. Long story short, I'm having a time-off from a set of hectic schedule, and I decided to wind myself down by doing something that I've been wanting to do for a very long time. Ha, apa tu? Train ride to nowhere. Yes, nowhere. 😂 Bunyi tak berapa menarik kan?  Kalau shopping best la jugak. Haha. Yang tu lain kali pun boleh. But in train ride, you can take on the scenery, listen to your favourite music and paling best, observing people. I finally get the chance to do it today. So, so happy! 😁

To do this (especially if you are a female and alone), first, you need to be confident. Yes, ni yang paling penting sebab you need to handle many ad-hoc situations with grace and maturity. Then, you need to know where to go and what to do. Therefore, planning ahead would really help. If you have company tak apa, random outing without proper planning is usually the best one. But I am telling you about going out alone now, so please plan properly like checking on the train schedule, identifying the line that you are heading to, confirming correct platforms, ticketings and macam-macam lagi lah. Jangan la nampak macam taktau apa sangat, tu bahaya. 

After 1-hour of observing people, I reached here :)

Then finally, the most important one is don't talk to strangers. Tak payah ramah sangat nak sembang dengan orang sebelah pun tak apa. You can do that next time when you are not alone. Kali ni, just focus on yourself, minimize interactions, and just enjoy the things that you really want to do, alone. There are many more sebenarnya. Tapi yang kat atas ni yang paling penting. If you can at least do all the above, you are likely ready to travel and conquer the world. 🦸‍♀️

Okay, I think that's too much already for a quick hi and ice breaking after a long long hiatus. I really want to write longer, but let's keep that for next time. Bye!