Saturday Morning Meet Up

Had a really early start to today's Saturday morning. The whole clan went out to have breakfast together at a very neat Kelantanese restaurant. The choice of food was superb, so needless to say, everyone had a really good time catching up. Good time, good company, good food, good health, what more can you ask for?

After everyone was done with breakfast, we all took the kids to the playground across the road. The kids loved it! What a way to burn off all that fried chicken (yes, we have fried chicken in the morning in Malaysia, with rice, and iced tea, and fish curry, and whatever else... anything goes, seriously!) 

Now that was some awesome time with family :)

 

Time to Talk

The time showed 4.45 pm. Time to get ready and pack it home.

Suddenly, there was a loud, almost rude knock at the door of my office. I got up and opened the door, only to find Tzeng, the exchange student from China at the door. 'Oh great,' I thought. 'He's probably in trouble now, exam week and all'.

Like I said, Tzeng was an exchange student from China, here at my Uni for 10 weeks of no credit study. He was free to enrol in any classes which stroke his fancy,and earlier in the semester, he had sat in my Audio Visual Digitisation class. Which he DROPPED out of the very next day. The reason: He had already learnt the material in his first semester in China. So I imagined he was now in trouble for dropping my class and now seeking a favour from me to either allow him to sit in the exam or worst, write a support later to allow him to complete the class as an audit course. Sigh. This was not going to be a speedy meeting, for sure. 

Now, I was actually glad he'd dropped the class, by the way. Tzeng spoke very little English and it took him forever to any point across which in turn took valuable class time away. It was hard enough trying to get my local students to understand the theories persenetd to them, so forget a language-challenged student. Plus, he'd joined in at week 7, a very awkward point in the semester. Test 1's result was actually given out on the day he entered my lecture, and he didn't see me at my best. I was furious with my students as almost a quarter of the class had failed the test, so I was going over each questions with them step-by-step. Angrily too, I might add. But Tzeng's departure delivered a punch that I had so wanted to give to my students - he said the stuff I thought was baby stuff he already did in China. So yes  dear students, I am not here to be mean and teach you stuff that can make your brains bleed, but the subject is a necessity and not only is it thought to first year undergraduate students in the UK, but in China too, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, TZENG.

Now, at my door, was Tzeng again. He'd said that he came to see me because his friends (my other students) had said that I had attended a top school in the US. 'The UK', I corrected him. He didn't mind which country it was as long as it was a developed country, he said (I am paraphrasing here. Again, English took forever to comprehend). 

He wanted me to talk about my experience of studying for my PhD there.

Oh God. I debated whether to answer him or not. There was no direct Yes or No answer to his question. Should I talk to him or should I shoo him away? It was almost 5 pm, man. This was the only week I get to go home a tad bit early, plus I was fasting. I'd really wanted to go home there and then. 

But I talked a bit. The more I talked, the more enthusiastic he talked (or asked questions, more like it). Turned out his English wasn't that bad, it must have been nerves that was making him tongue tied all these while. He asked about the style of supervision over there, and what was expected. So I share what I found was most different between Asian students and European students. I told him that they conducted their study more freely and flexible over there, that most of the research was driven by their own passion in the area instead of being shoveled a research title under your nose which you had no way to say no to (very common in Asia, Sifu is always right), etc... etc...

By the end of the fifteen minutes, he seemed satisfied. He then asked which Uni in Msia would I recommend for him to apply for a PhD in computer science. I named a few. Then he started talking about wanting to attend, but how much it was going to cost him. And how he already had a Master degree but it was no good in China as good job was scarce (he mentioned corruption and had no big strings to help secure him a job). Which was why he did his exchange program. The program alone costs him almost RM20000 he said, but he saw it as an investment that would hopefully give him an edge over the rest of the other job seekers in China. 

By the end of it all, I really felt bad for Tzeng. Since it was ten past 5 pm, I suggested that he come again tomorrow, so we could chat again, to which he replied, 'No, no. It's OK. Tomorrow I'm flying back to China. I just came back from Singapore yesterday (sightseeing, I imagine, but I don't blame the guy), which is why I came today. Today's my only chance to see you'.

I was surprised to hear this. Had ten weeks already passed since I first saw him in his tracksuit bottom clad self in my class? Wow. I wished him all the best and we exchanged email addresses, and he'd asked if it was ok if he emailed questions like these again. Sure, sure I said.

My Lord. Imagine if I had shut the door on this boy earlier. His last day and his only chance, and not a soul cared. 

I'm so glad I took the time to listen today.

 

Demotivate Not. Inspire

This past few days had been yet another episode of crazy busy-ness. It was Final Year Project Presentation Week for the undergraduate students at my faculty. So yeah, out with the classes, in with the projects.

I wish I could say that my students flew through the entire viva session with flying colours, but it wasn't really the case, which of course, bruised my supervisory ego a bit considering these students of mine were really dilligent and worked so, so hard throughout the semester and they weren't the MIA type. They started dataset collection and training from the word 'go' and started coding from Week 3, met me weekly to update their progress, but in the end their 'ASSessor' had thought that their scope was too small, so... (the scope had been bigger initially, but they'd had to reduce it significantly to accommodate their end product by the end of Week 14). Their work was by no means worthy of Noble prize, but there was no error, it was complete, they even managed to do some validation tests on top of it (AND plenty of other projects were downright awful in comparison), so it shook me a bit. Kind of taking me back to my very own MSc viva experience, now that's a horror story, I tell you. 

Oh well... it was a good experience for all, I guess. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. The girls regained their composure after a brief pep-talk where I told them it's going to be alright and that they should enjoy some time off and not think of their thesis until Monday. And that it doesn't matter how many times they get knocked out, it's how they bounce back that matters.

But I'm a bit troubled to see what a MEGA blow it was to the students. One had spoke to me before of wanting to pursue an MSc degree right after her degree (and she'd fare well I believe), but because of today's event, she's told me she's changed her mind, believing she's not good enough, (one of the assessor said something along the line of, 'Ukur baju di badan sendiri'). and this is from a student who hasn't yet graduated, but has been offered a job at MDeC.Something is amist, isn't it? Anyway, I feel bad that she believes this to be true, and even worst that the 'seed' that so carefuly I sow (potential postgraduate students) might just never blossom into a flower now.

SIGH...

I seriously need a break. Which is why I'm up a 2 a.m still. I'm planning a short getawat from work. Getting pretty tired of the drama. Even doing a PhD isn't this exhausting.

Then if I still feel the blues, perhaps I'll take a longer break. Postdoc seems like a VERY good option now :)

Coincidentally, a friend of mine write this on her wall today. How true!

A good educator will not only call her or his students or children when they do something bad, but call them when they do something right. Start inspiring, stop demotivating.

Nine Years On...

Today, 3 June 2014 we celebrated our 9th year of being husband and wife. I have never failed to be the one who reminded Hubs of this day, but this year, in the car on our way to work, he slipped a quick,'Happy Anniversary' wish to me. OMG, how had I forgotten?!!

We decided there and then that we'd have dinner out with the kids after work. Only problem, I had on my tattiest of Baju Kurung, and the kids, well, I'd packed them clothes that really only best suited for sleeping in.

Oh well. That's how we are. 

It was just a quickstop at Nando's. Like I said, the tattiest of clothes, the lot of us. What's important, we are together. And we had the time of our lives. Just check out this video of Zayd gobbling down his chicken wing. If that's not bliss, I don't know what is :P

But Hubs really made it extra special tonight. As I was finishing my meal, he took Zayd for a walk with him so that I could eat in peace with Aisyah. And they came back with roses. ROSES!!! This coming from a man who had once said he'd rather use the same amount of money to buy me Kebabs than roses (so that at least I'd feel full than waste it on dead flowers). I married the guy long enough to know that he's never been very much of romantic romeo (more of a straight to the point, no nonsense type) and I kinda accepted it (after nine years, why fight over it). So imagine how much this has totally surprised me! Nine years on and roses! I guess there's always hope, ladies :)

Happy Anniversary, Hubs. May Allah bless our family always, in wealth and in health, happily together forever.

Taylor Swift's sums it up pretty nicely, 

' Well you drive me crazy half the time;

the other half I'm only trying to let you know that what I feel is true.

And I'm only me when I'm with you....'   *rips out massive fart*

Okay, so we're not really a romantic bunch, us lot LOL!!!

The Last of Last

Okay so I've been tardy again at updating, but what a SUPER BUSY week it was. Now I'm typing this at 5 am, so I really do mean busy that I have to squeeze some early morning time to update things. 

Right, the past week has seen the Multimedia Week (a four-day event consisting of many actitivies at my office for the undergraduate students where I was the Director) commenced and ended successfully. In between those hectic four days event, we had a farewell 'do to one of colleague whose moving to another research institution. Also, I had to fit somewhere meetings with three of my final year project students (we met every week since Week 1, but seeing that they'll need to present their project next week, the meetings have grown longer now, around 1 hour per student, yikes! But at least it has paid off, their project is near completion, it is more on discussing their strategies to defend their work and showcase their development and share their findings). On the very last day, that Friday, was also HCI Day (Human-Computer Interface Day), where I am an associate research member and also the judge appointed to assess the students' work. The very same Friday, from 3-5 pm, I had what was the very last class on the very last day of the semester, with the very last semester students (they are final sem students) --- what a priviledge knowing that the last official knowledge they'll take with them came from me!

Okay, tell me you're exhausted just from reading that last paragraph or what???!!! hehe...

Pics of thse wonderful e big events will have to wait, I have a mount of laundry to tackle right now before it's time to get ready for work. I'll leave you guys with a pic of me and my students on the last lesson on the last day of the semester. Spot me?

Busy as I was, I think investing in them leaving myself feeling oddly satisfied. I hope I have imparted them with some useful knowledge to equip them for their phase in life. You know what, as much as I complain about work, I think I'm in love with what I do. Alhamdulillah it's probably the right path for me (and worth all the pains and obstacles of obtaining the PhD -- so far!)