Back and All Fired Up...

... or all FRIED up, depending on how you perceive things, tee hee.

Have been away for quite some time. I really have no other excuse than, it's been busy. Let's see...

First off, I've had to attend the Induction course, and also the 'Kursus Asas Pengajaran' course. Some parts were pretty dull, but it was necessary that I soak up on the Learning Outcomes, Problem-based Learning, Student-Centred Learning, yada yada yaaa, so I sat through all the sessions, never mind that I knew the stuff already AND that I own a General teaching Assistant Certificate from the UK. Phew... to be fair, it wasn't half bad. A lot of the speakers were such inspirational inviduals, some even won the 'Anugerah Akademik Negara' (an award for those who are exceptionally good at teaching at Higher Education level), so needless to say, I am now all pumped up and ready to teach again. Yay!

Last Friday was the last of the three week long course, so now I am back in my office. In two weeks' time the semester will start. The herd of new meat, I mean, students will arrive next week. I've got two undergraduate courses to teach this coming semester, 'Creative Design Elements' and a very baby course, 'Introduction to Multimedia', so all is good. In comparison to last semester's class, these two are quite lighter load in the sense that they are less theoretical and more fun acitivities in class could be tried out. Which is cool coz I need to complete an inch-thick Teaching Portfolio by the end of the semester too. I should be doing fine with the portfolio, my 'training' (uwekkk muntah hijau) as a blogger is more than adequate. Basically to document everything, and put up loads of pictures as evidence of the approaches carried out during teaching in class. Not that different from blogging, eh? So looking forward to that!

Alhamdulillah I've also secured a research grant. Quite minimal in comparison to some, but it's a great start. I'm excited to see the project goes on. It's something I am very passionate about, connecting stuff from my PhD (Artificial Intelligence) and the traditional Malay music that I love. I just hope I can find students who are enthusiastic enough to carry this project out with me. The ones I have at the moment are more slanted towards doing creative stuff, so we'll see how.

Because of my project also, I've sort of jumped from the Digital Processing wagon onto the Human-Computer Interaction boat. It's not a big leap, but I'm giddy with the prospect of carrying out something I have always wanted to try (research-wise). Hopefully, it will turn out as I'd envisioned, or better.

I'm quite nervous this semester as I am taking over several new roles, replacing the ones left by several colleagues. They left for different reasons, some temporarily, some more permanent. But the roles are about to start this September. Oh wait, no, I have a meeting with the Lab Instructors later this week to advice them about the work spec and payment, so er, the job starts pretty much now. But it will be a whole lot more hectic once the new students come in. I've been told I'll be 'mothering' quite a number of new students, so please God let them be good ones.

What else, huh? Oh and my camera is now fixed. That was another major put off from writing this blog. For the past three weeks my camera had been a bit cuckoo-y, and I wasn't even able to take pics or transfer old pictures onto my laptop. That wasn't helping in the least as far as blog writing goes. Ok now I guess I have no real excuses. Unless I'm busy again, which is almost a certain possibility now it seems haha.

I am a bit nervous now seeing how my list of things to do has grown. Funny that several of us at the Induction course (these were all new PhD-holders) argued how life is busier now that we've finished our PhDs. We'd always thought after our PhD we'd be able to 'goyang kaki'. WRONG! But we'll take busy over GUILT. Yes... being a PhD student is fun in a lot of ways, but the guilt can sometimes eat you from the inside. You watch TV, and there's that guilt staring back at you from the screen. 'You should be studying!' it says. You pick up a novel, and there's that guilt again, 'You will benefit more if you read journal papers related ti your study', it says. You try to write an entry on your blog, the guilt pops up again and says, 'You should be writing your thesis, not your blog!'. So yeah. Enough of 4 years of that :P

All right, I best go. I have a paper to write and submit before the 30th August. Hang on, that sounds like something I'd said during my PhD years. Some things never really change despite everything, right?

 

Adab Berziarah Jangan Dilupa!

Smlm balik lambat sket gara2 berbuka sunat di luar. Alhamdulillah sempat balik rumah utk solat Maghrib, cuma sket terkejar2 maka pintu gate tak tutup la, terus masuk rumah. Hubs plak lps solat, dia tidur sbb kepala dia pening, ngantuk malam sebelumnya teman jaga Zayd yg merengek sakit perut kembung. Zayd pun tidur jg lps Maghrib tu, sama2 ngantuk lah kiranya. 

Dalam pkl 9.30 mlm, Zayd bangun and terberak, maka lps dah cuci2 semua aku rasa nak bg mkn kat Zayd ni, karang masuk angin lg sbb masa kat kedai makan td dia makan main2 je. Plus Insya Allah nak puasa lg, skali harung la masak utk bersahur nanti. Ada pula kerepek lekor basah yg kawan aku bg pg td, so terus la aku goreng sama masa dah kat bwh dgn Zayd tu. 

Skali pkl 10.15 mlm tu, TING TONG TING TONG TING TONG!!! Loceng rumah aku ditekan bertalu2, sampai Hubs yg tido pun terbangun and tergesa2 buka pintu, ingatkan org sebelah ada emergency ke apa. Tengok2, budak2 nak beraya. Laaaa.... pkl 10 mlm pun ada budak dtg beraya lagi ke? Masa ni dah agak bengang, org nak cpt2 settlekan anak2 dia nak beraya plak.

Yg Hubs ni plak, boleh naik atas sambung tido, meninggalkan aku utk entertain budak2 tu sendirian. Kat sini aku dah bertambah bengang. Kalau dah tak  nak entertain, tak yah la buka pintu. But then memikirkan tetamu datang bwk berkat, aku layankan lah jg, although aku pun musykil, mak pak diorg ni kasi ke anak2 berjalan malam dan masu rumah2 org yg tak dikenali?

Yg buat aku lebih  bengangnya ialah, aku gi dapur kejap tu, keluar2 ke ruang tamu tgk budak2 tu ada yg dah main toys Aisyah, and ada yg dah bukak and makan biskut daripada balang raya aku. Ke mana peginya adab budak2 ni? Tuan rumah lum jemput dah buat mcm rumah sendiri? Bising plak tu (empat org) berbual dan bergurau sesama sendiri tak pedulikan tuan rumah. Ya Allah, terkejut aku mcm ni ke evolusi sosial anak2 skrg?

Zaman2 aku besar diorg dulu, beraya tu beraya jg, tp limited to rumah2 org2 yg aku kenal. DAN pegi waktu siang hari aje. Bila soal budak2 ni rumah kat mana, katanya kat kg sebelah (nasib org taman aku tak mcm ni). Bila tanya kenapa dtg mlm, diaorg kata siang tak sempat nak beraya sbb sekolah. Ok lah, at least gi sekolah. Tapi zaman kita kecik2 dulu kan kalo tak sempat gi weekdays, gi lah weekend, bukan gi malam. Mcm mana la budak2 skang ni?

Memandangkan aku nak cpt, aku hidang air kotak dan bawa lah kerepok lekor tu ke depan. Bukan main bertolak2 lg diorg makan, mmg tak cover2 lah. Siap berebut lg ckp 'ko makan dua, aku baru dapat satu'. Nauzubillahi min zalik la anak2 aku mcm ni. Mmg nak kena sebat dgn bapaknya kalo kat rumah org buat perangai kebulur tak cover2.

Finally lps dah bagi sampul raya, aku pesan kat diorg, 'Dah, lps ni baliklah. Esok kamu semua sekolah. Org lain pun dah masuk tido dah ni.' Diaorg angguk2 dan berlalu meninggalkan meja makan aku berlemuih dgn minyak keropok lekor. Sbb Hubs tido lg, aku pun keluar la kunci gate kat depan rumah. Tiba2 dgr, 'Assalamualaikum, kami datang nak beraya!!!'.

Sambung misi lg budak2 tadi ni. Gi rumah depan plak. Mmg bangsa tak makan nasihat. Adoi...

Nak kata apa, dah budak2 kan. Cuma aku terfikir je, mak pak dia tak heran ke anak dia pkl 10 mlm ntah kat mana2? Nasib baik aku ni org baik2, kalu aku ni bangsa culik budak atau perogol bersiri mcm mana? Dah la masuk rumah org mlm2 kan? Dari segi disiplin lak camne? Pkl 10 tu masih ok ke nak merayau sedangkan esok sekolah? Tak bg makan ke kat anak2 ni kalau gayanya dah sampai lapar bebenor?

Pelik la aku!!!

Zaman kita2 pun ada buat kerja ni. Yg dtg nak duit raya bukan nak beraya. Tapi sekurg2 nya tak dtg mlm. Dan kita made an effort jg lah, pakai baju kurung dan baju melayu siap songkok. Nama pun raya kan. Ni tak, datang dgn seluar tidur. Adeh... Plak kita2 dulu kalo kat rumah org, mana pandai nak tekan itu tekan ini, mkn sblm org jemput dsbnya. Kalau dtg pun diam je, tggu kena the customary interrogation dgn tuan rumah sblm dapat duit raya. But at least kita hormat dan expected to do small talk, bukan dtg2 buat huru hara pastu tak kesah bila tuan rumah tanya 'ko ni anak siapa?'

Ingatkan aku sorg je yg mcm ni. Rupanya kat FB pun ada kawab Hubs komplen (dia perempuan, cikgu):

'Anak murid dah la dtg beraya dekat Maghrib, kena sedia makan dsb nya. Plak main PlayStation tuan rumah, ada yg pandai2 tukar channel TV. Buat bising. Siap lps dah mkn minta tolong hantar balik rumah'. 

Weih, ni guru kau ke sapa ni, budak2 dah buat mcm member, punya takde adab dan hormat dah pada guru yg byk jasa? Aku yg baca tumpang marah. 

I guess Saiful Nang sums it up well la.

Sama2 la kita jaga anak2 kita agar tak terjebak ye. Raya, raya jg. Tapi adab berziarah kena jaga. Insya Allah.

Raya 2014

So we survived our first raya without Umi with us.

Alhamdulillah... raya berjalan lancar, cuma pada skala yg lebih kecil. Aku bersyukur kerana mempunyai adik2 ipar yg banyak membantu kerja2 dapur dan mengemas rumah ayah saat ketiadaan Umi pada musim perayaan ni.Nak harap aku sorg, mmg rendang ke mana, lodeh ke mana la jawabnya, huhu...

Nak share a few pics of Raya. Kot2 lah boleh buat kenang2an utk anak2 nesok. they were none the woser, mmg happy je lah dgn celebration seadanya kali ni.

Ni malam raya. Wah... kemain bergumpal berguling sesama cousins ye. FYI, depa semua ni adalah adik beradik susuan dah, aku dan adik2 iparku pakat2 menyusukan babies masa kecil, Alhamdulillah, harap2nya sampai ke besar pun boleh maintain akrab mcm ni la diorg, tak perlu risau nak cari tudung ke apa bila bersua.

Malam ni pakat2 layan main bunga api. Sayangnya, Ahmad Zayd Alhadi dah ngantuk, so takde chance la nengok. Ni gambar2 adik aku yg snap. Kakak Aisyah paling seronok, tp hujung2 the asap got too much for her, terus pekup hidung. First time tgk org main bunga api tutup hidung, hmmm....

Hari raya pertama, celebrate kat rumah Ayah. Selepas makan2, yg lelaki pegi surau utk Solat Sunat Aidilfitri. Dah selesai tu, mula lah adegan nak bergambar dan bermaafan sesama ahli keluarga. 

And this is this year's cover pic. Semua ada, kecuali Umi :(

Lps dah selesai bergambar, bergerak pegi Kubur pula. Ayah led bacaan doa dan surah2 lazim utk disedeqahkan pada arwah Umi. The sun was high already, tp perkuburan masih penuh lg dgn ahli keluarga melawat ahli keluarga yg telah pergi.  Semoga Allah mencucuri rahmat ke atas mereka semua.

Balik drpd kubur, adik beradik my SIL pun ada yg dah start beraya. Halfway through, kami pegi rumah jiran depan rumah plak. I guess this was the best time lah nak bertanyakan khabar kawan2 arwah Umi. To be honest, mmg kalau hari kerja tak sempat nak nyinggah2 dan berbual, so gunakan peluang ini sebaiknya.

Lps Zuhur kitaorg balik rumah. Dah rehat kjp, start packing utk balik Muar sambung beraya di belah Hubs plak. Jalan ok la, tak jem tp byk kereta dan slow. Start jalan pkl 6 ptg, sampai Muar pkl 9.15 mlm. Tp family Hubs sekeluarga dah kuar beraya la plak, maka kami pun beraya la rumah sebelah, nasib baik sedara Hubs juga huhu...Pkl 10.30 mlm baru dapat masuk rumah mak Hubs. Badan memang melekitlah, sbb Hubs insisted suh balik Muar pakai baju Raya jugak. OK....

So officially raya di Muar started on the second day. Tapi disebabkan org dtg tak putus2, maka spjg hari tak gi mana. In fact sampai Zuhur pun aku tak mandi pagi, kah kah, konon duk dapur je la kan. 

Lps pkl 4 ptg tu la baru dapat gerak. Gi Bukit Gambir rumah Pak Long nya Hubs. Zayd dan Aisyah mcm kenal mesra je dgn dua pupu diorg ni, walhal first time jumpa. 'Ramah mcm maknya', kata Mak Long Hubs. Hehe... mana tumpah kuah kalo tak ke nasik kan?

Lps berMaghrib di situ, kami bergerak pula ke Pagoh, ke rumah bakal besan parents Hubs ni. Kat sini, Aisyah seronok layan bunga api skali lg. Agak dasat koleksinya sbb sekotak besar ok stash dia. So, mmg kaw2 lah dia and budak2 lain main. Hmmm... Sayangaku plak x amik gmbr. Sibuk layan si Zayd yg berkejaran ke sana ke mari, adoi.... Malam tu balik dah almost midnight, tp boleh lg si Zayd ni layan Upin Ipin di tab. Lari habis jadual tido budak2 ni spjg raya hoho...

Hari raya ke-3 menyaksikan aku sekeluarga berpakaian serba merah, chewah. Masa ni nak gi open house rumah pakcik Hubs, Cik Epen. menunya mcm2, from carbonara, tu Ikan bakar, to Kupang Bakar, to Nasi Lemak, to Sambal Paru, to Bubur Jagung, ehhh mcm2 lah sampai tak termakanlah basically. Alhamdulillah kenyanggggg sgt2....

Lps tu gi dua buah rumah lg, tp orgnya non-hado. Nasib baik rumah lps tu (Wak Yas, pakcik Hubs), ado org nya, so lepak la kejap mkn2kuih dan berbual2. Huhu... Ingat nak sambung malam tu berjalan rayo, tp adik Hubs sekeluarga pun sampai, so kira borak2 kat rumah je lah. The boys (Hubs dan adiknya) boleh plak decided nak gi merendek meninggalkan kami yg pompuan2 ni berserta anak2 kecil, adeh... Balik2 depa bawak balik daging kambing minta marinadekan sbb nak bakar kambing esok. Nasib baik aku peminat kambing, so cool sket lah. And also diorg beli aiskrim. So kurg sket marah haha.

Pagi esok (raya ke-4) takde sapa bgn awal. Dah nak pkl 11 mcm tu, aku pun bakar kambing nya. Alang2 dah nmpk aku kat dapur tu, MIL requested nak makan Masak Lemak Labu, Sambal Belacan, Sotong goreng tepung, ikan bawal goreng kunyit. Alamak, dalam ketidak berapa pastian itu termasaklah jua item2 tersebut huhu, tapi  sedap ke tak tak tahu lah...

Lps lunch gerak gi rumah mak sedara Hubs lagi (Achik), where we ate Bihun Sup Tulang (sayang takde gambar plak masa ni). Then gi rumah sorg lg makcik (Cik Ana) dkt Parit Samsu. Masa ni mkn keropok lekor, yums!

Balik kjp utk solat Asar. Lps dah maghrib, keluar lg gi rumah Cik Katik (sorg lg makcik Hubs). Ni lah final rumah kami beraya. Zayd sungguh2 makan kerepek bwg sambil hadap TV cerita Kungfu. Pergh...

On Friday (raya ke-5), kitaorg bertolak balik ke rumah kami semula. Pkl 11 pagi bertolak, sampai2 sempat Hubs gi solat Jumaat Alhamdulillah. Masuk rumah, aku masak ala kadar, makan tghari yg lewat, then start basuh2 baju dan ngemas apa yg patut.

Hari Sabtu nya gi beli brg dapur. Secara impromptu dtg ilham nak ajak adik2 dan Ayah makan kat rumah so, terus je jemput dan2 tu jugak. Walhal nak gi beraya rumah makcik Hubs kat Hulu Langat nih (Cik Wuok). Beraya2 sampai maghrib, pastu balik masak mcm lipas kudung haha. Around 9.20 mlm diorg sampai, tgh menumis sambal kih kih kih... Ni adalah amalan biasa aku di waktu raya. Masa kat UK pun cam ni gak. bangun2 tido, terus decide, jom wat open house. Sungguh tak insaf. Baca entry di sini.

So menunya mlm tu adalah nasi lemak je. But they all stayed sampai 12.30 mlm huhu. Gamat dgn budak2. Sungguh ke laut pattern tido anak2 aku sejak raya hari tu. Tapi takpe lah, nama pun raya kan.

Hari ni dah Ahad, Alhamdulillah, budak2 bole adjust balik tido pada waktu nya sbb dah explain kat diorg esok sekolah dan kerja mcm biasa. Kakak confused mulanya, dia kata, 'Mummy, kata, Syawal ada 22 hari lg'. Betul tu Aisyah, tp CUTI RAYA seminggu je. Tggu weekend plak ye kita ke jemputan open house. Meanwhile it's back to the same business. Heheh...

Hope you guys had a good raya too.