Iman

Assalamualaikum

This word that carries a lot of meaning came across my mind today. Iman. Faith. How do we check our Iman? How can we increase our Iman? How can we polish it so that it can brings us closer to the Al-Mighty Allah? 

Iman. 

A word sounds so simple yet gives a heavy meaning.

Iman.

Can't be acquired, can't be inherited. 

Need to be developed. Need to be earned. 

Iman.

Will be the stance in our life.

Look for Iman. Deepened it. 

Wallahua'lam

Ramadhan Bits & Bites 1

Assalamulaikum

So far, Ramadhan has been great. I'm loving it! Apart from trying to level up my Iman and Taqwa with religious activities, the second thing I love about Ramadhan in food. Not particularly eating food. But food as a general subject matter. It is during this month, I can see people talking so much about food. Food they cooked, food the ate, food the bought even the food they wished to eat. So do I! *grin^^

Today I just want to share some of the food that I've prepared for Iftar this year. I don't really like to do food blogging cause I am not an expert, but I certainly want to blog a little about what I've done so that I can look back in the future. 

Let's see what I've done so far...

 This is Ayam Masak Merah served with Nasi Tomato. For small housewarming with close friends.

 This is Kari Sardin with potatoes and carrots, served with white rice. For Iftar potluck at a friend's house

 This is Tiramisu. For Iftar potluck at a friend's house.

This is Kuey Teow ladna. For today's iftar. 

I'll keep updating if I have more. 

Sleepy

Assalamualaikum

Today is the second day of Ramadhan falls exactly on the second day of August. Howaaa... I feel really sleepy today. So not in energy. Not because of fasting, but because of I did not get enough sleep maybe. When I feel sleepy, really really sleepy, I always fall asleep even for few second and worst when I started to snore. I can't help it! My head gets heavy and I need to sleep. T__T

Insha Allah I will try to find some remedy or food or supplement that can help me boost my energy. Oh ya, we don't have kurma (dates) for our Iftar. I will get that. I will insha Allah. 

That's all.

Malaysian Hall

Assalamualaikum

Finally I am no longer known as the Malaysian Hall resident. I've moved out from the place. I am supposed to go straight away to my new home. But because of certain problem, I am staying in a friend's house tonight.

It feels different thinking that I am no longer known as the Malaysian Hall resident. Alhamdulillah, living there was not a problem at all. I love living at that place. it reminds me of my student life in UIA, KUSTEM and Taj. I met a lot of new faces and made a few friends. I love the laundry, love the food, and finally love the people.

So now a episode of the series of my life in this PhD Chapter begins. Remember, no more drama, no more issues, no more problems. Focus, focus, focus!!!

Insha Allah I will be fine. :)

New Nest

Assalamualaikum

After filling up forms, visiting realestate.com.au, countless house inspections, and exhausted phone calls, my friend and I finally made it to a place call home. This cute little house of ours will hopefully be our comfy nest to accommodate us for our PhD journey. I really hope that she and I can live together in harmony and may Allah will always be with us. 

I'm using my phone blogging this, I will update the picture and stories later..But we can't possibly do this by ourselves. So a big Heartfelt THANKS to all friends that were there to give a hand!!

Quali vs Quanty

Assalamualaikum

Today we had a sharing session with Prof Ramayah on the Quantitative Analysis. This sharing session was organized by the VMPGA, the Victoria Malaysian Postgraduates Association particularly for the PhD and research students. I was at the session today not as the participants but I was asked to join the committee members organizing the session. I wan invited to be the Asst. Secretary of the association. Well of course I said YES. My passion in getting involve with societies and clubs is always there. And whenever possible I'll make sure I will get myself involved. 

My research will not use any of the tools discussed today since my work is all about Lab Lab Lab! But I give my eyes and ears to the session at least for few minutes to get the basic understanding of it for my sister. As least I have something to discuss with her about her research topic. 

Qualitative data VS Quantitative data. Which one is better? Well, I don't know. haahaha.. Don't ask me. Ask something about DNA band on gel electrophoresis or protein band on SDS PAGE I can answer that. There have been debates going around of which method is better. It doesn't matter which method we choose to use as long as the data is enough to answer the research question, research topic and doubts. If all of these questions answered, walla there you go, EXCELLENT! No doubt you can be awarded the honorary Degree and get yourself to be called a Dr. 

SMILE. heh.

Orientation Day

Assalamualaikum

Believe it or not, PhD students also have their own Orientation Day. And today is for the Uni Melb Research Grad students Orientation Day. Well, out of all orientation days that I have to attend in the past, I found that I am eager to attend to this particular one. Maybe it is because this will be the last orientation day for my academic life as a student. I escaped my Master orientation day at La Trobe last time and I don't want to miss out this one. Why? Well I realized that I missed a lot when I did not go the LTU orientation day especially in making new friends. And I redeemed that today! Yeah.

Although I did not exchange contact details with them, it is good to get to know few new people in the campus. To learn from people around you is something that I believe in. There are lots of things that need to be learned in life and I can't possibly learn all of that myself. Thus I have to learn it through people around me.

I learned a lot today. Especially on how to become a good, matured, graduate research student. It takes a lot of thinking and planning of what you want to do rather than waiting for your supervisor(s) to give orders to you. It is your research! You have to take it seriously. Something that need to be learned by yourself during this 3-4 years journey. No classes, no exams, no assignments! Unlike the undergraduate studies where you just need to do things that you were told. Nothing else. Just put a little bit of thinking on the thing you were asked to do (i.e:assignments), that's it! 

But being a research student, you have to think from the beginning till the end. Supervisors are there just to guide and get you trough it. They use their expertise and capabilities to help us. But it is up to us to ensure that we learned what we are supposed to learn during this journey. There were two talks given by the students and the one particularly stuck in my mind was given by Lilian. When she talked, I can see her passion in her research area. I want to have that passion too. Insha Allah, one day I will be like her. Confident and in love with my research.

Well basically nobody says that being on this road is going to be easy but it will be an interesting one of you steer your wheel properly. There will surely be lots of bumpy roads ahead but insha Allah with guidance and perseverance the journey will be fine. Just remember I am the 'driver' not the passenger and my SVs are my co-pilots. Insha Allah I can!!