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.😂

Weatherproof Souls

Hi,

When I looked back at what I wrote last June about the changing seasons, I had to laugh. It was all very poetic, elegant descriptions of meteorological shifts, the chills of winter down south, and the warmth of summer up north. It sounds like the kind of serene reflection written by someone sitting in their favourite corner of the beach, getting lost in a good book.

Living out my imaginary life where June 1st brings winter, but the sunshine makes it perfect. 
Just crisp air, warm sun, and absolute bliss.

In reality? Navigating life's shifting seasons usually involves a lot more practical physics and daily geometry.

For instance, nobody tells you that a shift in the season on a bustling university campus mostly translates to trying to keep your favourite square scarf perfectly pinned and immaculate while rushing against the afternoon heat, all while maintaining the posture of someone who definitely knows where they are going. Or the fact that tracking your daily steps to hit that glorious 10,000 mark means strategically calculating your routes across campus to avoid the absolute peak of the midday sun. 😅

Life shifts, routines get heavy, and sometimes our personal weather forecast predicts a 100% chance of a hectic schedule. Between coordinating major projects, managing family logistics with the kids, and trying to keep a hundred different spinning plates from shattering, the scenery changes so fast it can make your head spin. When the mid-year madness rolls around and the climate of the heart gets a little overwhelmed, I’ve learned that survival boils down to a very simple, two-step strategy.

First, never underestimate the power of a micro-pause. When the world is loud, the most therapeutic thing you can do is to be in absolute silence. For me, that means the pure bliss of dining completely alone at a quiet restaurant table, no conversation required, no mental multitasking, just me, my thoughts, and a peaceful meal.

And if that quiet hour isn't available? There is always the emergency fallback, a hidden stash of almond chocolates. Some people meditate while some of us just need a solid dose of sweetness to recalibrate our internal compass. Self-care doesn't always have to be a grand gesture. Sometimes it's just a ten-minute boundary lines drawn around your own peace of mind.

But the real value of watching another year turn isn't just about learning how to manage our own stress or checking off boxes on a professional bucket list. The real magic is looking around and realizing who your weatherproof people are.

We all have people who are great to hang out with when the sun is shining and everything is smooth sailing. But the true gems are the original squad who has known you for decades, the family who anchors you, the colleagues who share a knowing look across a chaotic meeting room. They are the ones who don't care if you're a bit frazzled, who celebrate your small victories, and who remind you of who you are when you're too busy to notice.

And speaking of the people who make the journey worthwhile, the arrival of June means it’s time to shout out the ultimate VIPs of the month. The ones who lead the charge and set the tone for the rest of us. Last year, I mentioned how they bring a unique light into the world. While the rest of us are running around trying to adjust to the mid-year rush, they stand right at the starting line of the month, bringing their effortless warmth, creativity, and steady leadership to the table. They are the kind of people who don't just weather the shifting seasons. They make the climate around them better just by being in it. To anyone celebrating right as the calendar flips, thank you for being the bright spot in our schedules.

As we stand on the threshold of June once again, I'm content to let the month do whatever it wants. Let the deadlines loom, let the weather be unpredictable, and let the schedule be packed. As long as we have a bit of sweetness to sustain us and those rock-solid, brilliant people who kick off this journey with us, we're doing just fine. After all, some people carry the warmth of summer with them, no matter the weather. Cheers to them, and to the beautiful month ahead. 💕