Wordless Wednesday : My Day to Night

Time Capsule : Auni & Adam’s Chapter

Hi,

It’s a full Saturday over here. Normally, after five days of hectic schedules and trying to keep up with school routines, weekends mean one glorious thing, sleeping in. But not today! The kids had morning school activities, so duty called, and this mom traded extra sleep for chauffeur duty. Happily, of course! 😇

Every now and then, I like reading back through my old posts. They always bring a silly grin to my face and remind me of the little, joyful moments that are so easy to forget in the daily rush. So, consider this a quick time capsule post dedicated to my two favorite people: Auni and Adam.

A little sushi lunch date.

Fine line between besties and enemies.

This year, Auni is 10 and Adam is 7. While I naturally hope they do well in their studies, I’m even more passionate about making sure they actually get to enjoy being kids. Right now, that joy comes in the form of pure, unlimited energy on the track and the martial arts mat.

Auni has been absolutely loving running and taekwondo. She works so hard, gives every event her all, and bless her competitive spirit, she has managed to bring home quite a few gold medals to add to her growing collection. As long as her schoolwork stays on track, I’ll happily remain her biggest cheerleader from the sidelines.

The 200m & 4x100m are her main events

Another two events, and two gold medals! She crushed both pattern and free sparring.

Then there’s Adam. Having a big sister to look up to means his determination is through the roof! He wants to achieve just as much as Auni does, so he’s jumped right into running and taekwondo too. Watching him push himself and win a few championships of his own has been such a treat.

Making his track debut in the 100m.

Champion in both pattern and free sparring. He truly stole the show and shone so brightly.

At the end of the day, I know academics will take center stage as they grow up. But letting them shine in things they genuinely love right now feels just as important. It builds their confidence, sure, but more than that, I hope it teaches them a simple life lesson, when you put heart and real effort into what you do, good things usually follow.

And that’s a little snapshot of the two gems keeping my life wonderfully chaotic right now. I know one day, when the house is quiet and they're all grown up, I'll read this back with a super full heart, so grateful for these crazy, beautiful days. 💕

Some things never change

Hi, I’m back.

It’s pretty rare for me to write here on a school night, but today was just one of those heavy days. You know when you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, and from that moment on, the whole day just feels completely off? That was definitely me today. To cope, I put my favorite MLTR playlist on repeat and just let the music carry me through.

All I wanted was to be alone, stay quiet, and not talk to a single soul. But of course, life had other plans! My schedule happened to be completely packed from morning to evening. So, even though I was exhausted, I had no choice but to force a smile, step up, and interact with people all day long. By the time I finally finished work, my social battery was at absolute zero.

I desperately needed a moment to reset and fix my mood. And my remedy wasn't anything complicated. It was just a simple piece of chocolate Cornetto ice cream.

From my teenage years until now

This little treat has been my ultimate comfort food since I was 15 years old. Back in high school, I used to carefully save my pocket money all week just so I could buy one RM1.90 Cornetto every Friday after class. It was the best feeling in the world back then.

Fast forward to today, and even though life is much busier now, some things never change. I don’t need fancy, expensive ice cream to feel better. Just a classic chocolate Cornetto, and suddenly the day doesn't feel so bad anymore.

Here’s to surviving the hard days, accepting when our battery is empty, and letting the simplest things bring us back to life. 💕

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. 💕