Pudar

Semangat yang pudar

Pagi ini saya bangun tidur dengan rasa gelisah dan serba tak kena. Tiba-tiba terfikir adakah berbaloi perjuangan ini? Perjuangan yang mengambil masa sekurang-kurangnya 3 tahun ini. Perjuangan yang belum pasti penghujungnya. Perjuangan yang penuh dengan ranjau. Perjuangan yang rumit dan mencabar. Perjuangan bergelumang dengan emosi pada setiap ketika. Perjuangan yang menuntut pengorbanan bukan hanya dari diri sendiri tapi melibatkan orang-orang tersayang yang terpaksa ditinggalkan ditanah air--suami, emak dan ayah, emak dan ayah mertua, adik beradik dan keluarga.

Ya Allah, aku serahkan kepadaMu. Semoga Kau mudahkan urusan PHD ini. Semoga hasilnya nanti menggembirakan dan dapat dimanafaatkan khususnya oleh mereka yang telah berkorban untuk perjuangan ini. Lindungilah dan berkatilah mereka!!

Terima kasih abang, emak dan ayah, mertua dan keluarga - atas doa yang tak pernah putus.

Nak kongsi tips ini (dari seorang sahabat yang sedang buat PHD juga);

" Ya Muqallibal Quluub, Thabbit Qulubana 'ala Diinika Wa 'ala Tho'atika" (Wahai Tuhan yang membolak balikkan hati, tetapkanlah hati kami di atas jalan agamaMu dan jalan mentaatiMu).

Selalukan baca insyaAllah Allah akan bantu. saya suka baca setiap kali lepas solat. sebab hati kita Allah yg pegang, kalo nak berubah pun Allah yang tentukan, nak senang hati, susah hati, sedih ke dsbg semua Allah tentukan. mudah2an Allah bantu dan ada manfaat utk akak.

Panicky

I am panic, worried and nervous!!

The clock is ticking and I realised that today is the 25th of November 2009 (month 9 of my PHD). According to my timeline which I have prepared months ago (with my supervisor's approval), I am supposed to have at least a draft of my confirmation document. Unfortunately, I am far from it. My literature is not complete and my research method is still vague. Hmm... my supervisor is away until middle of January 2010 and suddenly I feel like I am loosing my guru as I will be all by myself. What a stressful moment. I can communicate with him via email though.

During the first 3 months of my reearch, I used to have a weekly meeting with my supervisor. I find it really helpful to have such weekly meetings as I can report directly to him on my progress. Probably that is the best platform for me to resolve all teething problems related to the research. More importantly, I really appreciate the pressure that he puts on me to get me really going. Being a laid-back person, with "procrastination" being my middle name, I really need those kind of adrenalin rush or otherwise I will be forever in my comfort zone.

As I progress, the meetings are normally held on monthly basis. I only need to report to him on the results of my exploration.

But as for now- I really need my panic button!!!

Mudah-mudahan Allah sentiasa bersama kita semua, merahmati dan memudahkan urusan kita.

In the middle of every difficulty, lies opportunity - einstein!

Knowledge on computers

Research student and knowledge on computers.

As a research student, I realise that I must have some advance knowledge on computers (and its equipment). This is very important as data and information management is the most crucial aspect of the whole process. Here in QUT, all postgraduate research students have to attend a course called AIRS (Advance Information Retrieval Skill). It is complusory and I must score at least a minimum of band 5 to pass the coursework (maximum score bad 7). [I am not used to Australian marking system - guess band 7 is an A].

Well, in AIRS, I was exposed to some search techniques (using Boolean operators), tips and tricks on using the web search engines, evaluating information (on the validity and reliability) and everything about academic data searching and I find AIRS was really useful. I was also briefed on the EndNote (bibliographic software) which I find it very handy to organise my reference.

Alhamdulillah, this is another side of my PHD journey. Otherwise, I may not gather this skill (or worse have a clue) if I am not embark on this journey.

More to life than PHD

More to life than a PHD.


Being away from parents, families and our closed ones is another challenge of doing a PHD in overseas. Most of us have to be apart from our beloved parents and siblings but more sadly, some have to be apart from their spouses and children. Although they maybe just a phone call or a video conference away, not having them physically with us is really an ordeal.

As everybody falls to the same boat, the overseas students tend to have a strong and tightly knit community. We would normally organise some weekend gatherings, trips or picnics to compare notes and boosting our sense of togetherness. The potluck get together seems to be the most popular activity and everyone is looking forward to it. Why? Because this is the best time to stop the longing and craving for some homemade Malaysian foods. We would have all range of traditional food from nasi kerabu, laksam, nasi lemak, bihun sup and some traditional cakes too like karipap and kuih bakar.

We had one gathering last weekend - and this time it wasn't really a pot luck. The main dish of the day was prepared and sponsored by our friends of Mr and Mrs Zam who have generously served us with their scrumptious (and complete) nasi kerabu. And we had other delicious food as well to complement ie. bihun soup utara form Rodzi/Beena, kuih bakar from kak Azlina, teh tarik from Juhazren/Mas, bihun goreng from Intan ..and others which I have forgotten. May Allah shower all of us with His love and blessings. Ameen.

But some might think that, being away in overseas is probably the best time to escape from some family routine like kenduri, wedding and all--hmmmm, I am just thinking from the other side of the coin.

Hari Jadi Ayah

Selamat Hari Jadi Ayah,
Sengaja saya tuliskan post ini dalam Bahasa Melayu. Ini adalah coretan saya tentang ayah saya sempena hari jadinya dan juga kerana ayah saya adalah seorang pencinta bahasa Melayu tulin. Dalam gambar ini - ayah berbaju batik kuning.

Hari ini adalah merupakan hari jadi ayah saya yang ke-71. Ayah dilahirkan pada 9/11/1938 di kampung yang sama dengan kampung di mana keluarga saya menetap sekarang. Bezanya - rumah nenek di darat dan rumah kami pula di beteng. Saya tidak dapat membayangkan suasana ketika itu, tapi pastinya ayah yang merupakan anak sulung adalah kegembiraan dan hadiah yang tak ternilai untuk pasangan atuk dan nenek.

Tidak banyak yang saya ketahui tentang ayah pada masa kecilnya. Ayah adalah anak sulung kepada 10 orang adik beradik. Apa yang diceritakan oleh nenek, ayah bersekolah sehingga peringkat MCE, dan liku-liku hidup ayah dalam mengejar cita-citanya bukanlah sentiasa indah. Banyak pengorbanan yang ayah lakukan. Ayah kemudian bekerja sebagai cikgu di beberapa buah sekolah rendah di sekitar daerah Pontian dan bersara awal ketika usia beliau 50 tahun. Ketika ayah bersara, saya sebagai anak sulung kepada 5 orang adik-adik yang masih bersekolah, baru sahaja menamatkan peperiksaan SPM. Tapi ayah yakin dengan keputusannya dan punya perancangan masa depan yang paling bijak untuk kami semua.

Karakter ayah agak serius. Beliau pendiam, amat bertanggungjawab, berpendirian tegas dan mempunyai tahap disiplin yang tinggi. Namun beliau tidak pernah berkompromi dalam mencurahkan kasih sayangnya pada kami adik beradik. Dengan sifatnya itulah, beliau telah berjaya membesarkan dan memberikan didikan yang sempurna kepada kami adik beradik. Dalam banyak hal, paling ayah tidak pernah berkira ialah tentang pelajaran dan pendidikan. Sekalipun tinggal dikampung, saya masih ingat lagi yang ayah sanggup menghantar dan menjemput saya dengan motosikal untuk ke kelas tuisyen ketika saya berada di dalam darjah 5 di Pekan Benut. Kelas tersebut hanya mengambil masa 2 jam- dan ayah sanggup menunggu saya untuk sepanjang tempoh waktu itu. Beliau jugak tidak pernah lokek membelikan kami dengan bahan-bahan bacaan tambahan seperti majalah bulanan-Dewan Pelajar, Bujal dll, dan juga dengan vidoe game untuk mengasah minda. Ketika itu, barangan seperti itu adalah merupakan barangan mewah bagi kami. Itu tidak termasuk dengan buku-buku ensiklopedia tambahan seperti buku "kenapa mengapa", buku-buku ujikaji sains dan sebagainya. Bukan dengan anak-anaknya, malah menurut kata adik-adik ayah yang lain, ayah juga dulu sanggup melanggan majalah "mastika","dewan siswa", "dewan masyarakat", "reader's digest" untuk bacaan adik-adiknya sekitar awal tahun 1980-an. Bayangkan ketika itu, kami tinggal dikampung kecil, bahan bacaan sedemikian adalah merupakan perkara yang amat berharga.

Ayah mempunyai hobi yang pelbagai tetapi beliau sentiasa bersungguh-sungguh dengan apa yang beliau lakukan. Beliau sangat cintakan pada tanah dan aktiviti yang berkaitan dengan teknologi pertanian. Ideanya tentang pertanian sangat kreatif dan beliau suka untuk mencuba pelbagai teknologi pertanian yang tentunya memberikan pulangan yang lebih. Ketika tanaman kelapa sawit mula popular di Malaysia, ayah telah melaburkan masa,tenaga, wang ringgit dan beberapa bidang tanahnya untuk tanaman kelapa sawit. Ternyata usaha dan komitmen ayah tidak sia-sia. Kini, hasil daripada kelapa sawit lah merupakan pendapatan utama keluarga kami. Ayah juga berminat dengan pelbagai jenis baja, racun semburan, sistem perparitan ladang dan sebagainya. Pokok buah-buahan juga menjadi sebahagian daripada bahan ujikaji ayah- hasilnya ayah mempunyai kebun yang ada pelbagai gred durian, buah duku/dokong, rambutan pelbagai jenis hasil tut, berjenis-jenis buah mangga dan sebagainya. Ayah juga mahir dalam bab-bab "wiring" dan barang-barang elektrik. Kami sekeluarga dan arwah nenek khususnya selalu hairan dengan kebolehan ayah yang begitu arif tentang hal-hal "wiring" sekalipun ayah tidak pernah mengikuti sebarang kursus berkaitan perkara-perkara elektrik dan elektronik. Kini, ayah selalu menjadi pakar rujuk orang-orang kampung sekiranya mereka ada masalah dengan wiring. Apa yang saya simpulkan - ayah memang BIJAK!

Ayah juga rajin membaca. Setiap hari beliau akan memperuntukkan masa untuk membaca surat khabar kegemarannya -BERITA HARIAN. Ayah akan membaca setiap berita dan artikel yang terdapat didalamnya. Ayah juga suka menonton bola sepak dan dokumentari. Ayah juga suka menonton Berita Dunia RTM1 - dan mungkin itu lah cara ayah berhubung dengan dunia luar.

Banyak lagi yang saya ingin kongsikan tentang ayah. Mungkin di post yang lain.


SELAMAT HARI JADI AYAH. Terima kasih di atas segala pengorbanan, didikan dan tunjuk ajar ayah membesarkan kami semua. Semoga Allah sentiasa melindungi ayah dan mengurniakan ayah dengan kesihatan yang berpanjangan. Ameen.

Rambling -Part 1

I don't know how shall I start this post. Today is exactly a month I did not see my husband since he left me for Malaysia (he was here for the Eid celebration). I have never expected that this separation is so painful especially at this point of my life where I am really in need of an emotional support. Being away from him is the biggest challenge that I need to face in this lonely journey and I have to admit, it is really hard and sometimes unbearable.

Being separated was not in our plans in the beginning when I first decided to further my study in Australia. Initially, he was supposed to resign from his present job and be with me in Brisbane. Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen matters and the hiccups in the Australian economy, we changed our plans. He will still continue working in Malaysia - at least for another year and we will only meet occasionally (either I go back to Malaysia or he flies to Brisbane).

We have been married for about 7 years now. Since day one of our marriage, he has been my greatest company and my best(est)buddy ever. What's more important--he will always be there whenever I need a shoulder to cry on and he never let me down. He taught me to always see things in a positive way and never ever underestimate the power of others. He is a kind hearted person and maybe due to that he is always loved by many especially his family and friends. We have never been separated for this long. Although he maybe just a phone call away - I really miss him. His voice does not able to stop the pain. I miss his presence, his face, his jokes, his voice, his smell, his warmth, his huggs .. basically his everything. I miss HIM dearly!!!!

To Abang- your absence has made my heart grew fonder. Love you always.

Oh Allah, please forgive me and please give me strength to face the challenges of this lonely journey.

I wrote the following poem about 3 months ago (and I am still coping living without him)

Baru 3 bulan kulalui
Tiap detik menghitung hari
Namun perjalanan ini masih jauh lagi
Allah saja yang Maha mengetahui
Betapa sunyi dan sepi
Kadang-kadang kosongnya hati
Jiwa merana tak terperi

Takut, bimbang, keluh, kesah perlu diharungi -sendiri
Sakit, pening, lenguh, penat perlu ubati- sendiri
Tak faham? Tak jumpa? Stuck?Confuse?Blur? -kena settle –sendiri
Gerun nak meeting supervisor – rasa sendiri
Lampu rosak, mentol terbakar, sinki tersumbat, urusan bil - sendiri
Balik sekolah malam- lari2 -sendiri
Lapar?Dahaga - pandai2 lah masak sendiri

Bila kanda tiada disisi
Semangat adinda sang isteri
Seperti roda tak bertali
Kadang digunung kadang dikali

Oh suami..
Rindu, kasih tidak bertepi
Cinta, sayang menggunung tinggi
Terbayang kenangan indah hanya dalam mimpi
Airmata yang jadi saksi
Terlalu banyak yang mengalir dipipi
Ibarat kata orang “berbaldi-baldi”
Kalaulaaa boleh digambarkan macam dalam movie
Memang sungguh tragis bunyi

Tapi aku tabahkan hati
Demi cita-cita diri
Agama dan family
Harapan menggunung dari suami
Kerajaan dan universiti
Pelajar, rakan pensyarah dan dekan fakulti
Aku akan berlari, berlari dan terus kencang berlari
Selagi nafas belum berhenti
Bersama doa tak putus-putus dipanjatkan kepada Ilahi
Semoga halangan dapat direntasi
Semoga gunung dapat didaki
Semoga lautan dapat direnangi
Semoga kejayaan yang menanti
Dimanafaatkan dan menggembirakan semua hati
Ohhhhhhh...... PHD!!!!!!

MoonQUT, BRISBANE,
MAY 2009

THE OCTIES CLAN

October celebrates birthdays of many people close to me especially my cium mulut buddies -Elid, Cha and Fizzie. I will never forget their birthdays as the dates are near to mine. I would like to take this opportunity to wish them a very Happy Birthday - my dear friends - Elida (20th), Fizzie (26th) and Cha (28th). And I dedicate this song (Hero by Mariah Carey) to them- (with a hope that the "hero" spirit will always remain in their hearts). I remember singing this song as a duet with Cha on our 23rd birthday - way back in 1996 when we did our undergraduate degree in Cardiff. It was one of the autumn nights in October - when we had a birthday bash in our rented double storey house at 53, Lower Cathedral Road, Riverside, Cardiff CF18LW. It was an all-gals party and we had a lot of fun all nite long. We prepared the so called dinner by ourselves (my mee sembarang?) and baked the birthday cakes (kudos to fizzie and yus). All of us were dressed up for the dinner and we had a karaoke session and video watching in the end. Thanks to Anim for her mini karaoke Aiwa HiFi. And as usual- Anim's favourite song will be one of Awie's ballad slow rock collection.... and she will sing them to her fullest voice with her unique hand gestures. We would end up at Yus/Fizzie's bedroom watching some Malay dramas (thanks to Yus' family for sending some of the popular Malay drama vidoe tapes). Arrgghhh- those were the days. Here I am boring all of you with my reminiscences.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVhrIfaPKxw

And "Happy Birthday" too to Dr Hafazah, Faeez, Ana, Rodzi, Kak Azlina, Aslam, Ejin, La, Riza, Bee, Azizul <-- thanks to Facebook for the reminder, and please excuse me if I forgot to include your names.

Fear Free Presentation

A workshop on Fear- Free Presentation

I attended a workshop on Fear-Free presentation organised jointly by the BEE Faculty and IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) on Tuesday-20/20/09. It was held at 5.30pm at S Block, Level 12. It was a bit dull and boring in the beginning and I had a thought of leaving the room halfway through the workshop. I find it most of the contents of the presentation were just some common sense. Fortunately, the introduction did not last long before the refreshment. We were served with some sandwiches and drinks -coffee/juices/soft drinks but I just had the latter. After after some refreshment, the speaker managed to get us connected to his presentation somehow. We were all asked to stand up for some speech therapy, vocal training and facial muscle practice and that was when I suddenly feel enthusiastic about the workshop. (and maybe it could due to some caffeine recharge as well).

Basically - what I want to share is that, there is a recipe for a fear free presentation.

And here is the ingridients;

The script

The warmup
The arrival scene
The presentation scene
The question and answer scene
The leaving scene

And some vocal traning too;

Vocal range Many marvellous men make much money from my motorbike
Painful Patrick pushed purposefully past Peter and the paranoid parishioners
Father’s famous
Bastard Barry
The yahoo yabbies
Willy woefully washed
Valerie values
Randy Roger Ramjet

And some projection exercise;

Those old boats don’t float

And some facial exercise;

Neck isolations : Look up, look down, look right, look left, look diagonal
Neck stretch: Look right 20 secs, Look left 20 secs., Up and over and right 20 secs, ditto left, Out and down and right, Out and down and left, Up and back and right, ditto left. Jaw release. Palms at side of jaw and pull down; open jaw, drop bottom jaw even further down then release
Face massage: All over

(thanks to Mr Barry O'sullivan for a very fruitful session).

TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY

18 OCTOBER

Today is my birthday. While some would prefer to have a bash and celebration on their birthdays, I would like to remember this date as a day of me being another year older (and supposedly, wiser). It is probably the best time for introspection and evaluation to what I have achieved and yet to achieve in my life. I am so grateful to Him as He has showered me with His loves and blessings. I am also thankful to my beloved hubby, family and friends for their duas and well wishes. I am overwhelmed.

More importantly, this is also the day which tells that the "day" is nearing. Every second counts and later I will be questioned on how well did I spent my time. I should always remind and ask myself- "how prepared am I?" or maybe "how much have I prepared?".

Happy birthday to me!!

note: This is the first time I prepared my birthday cake. It was not bad at all. A choc and walnut brownie.

The PHD Journey-Part 1

The moment I feel like writing about a PHD, I simply know that there will be no end. The interpretation of "what is a PHD" is too vast, depending on which angle one looks at. One could look at it as a process, a journey, an odyssey or maybe as a product. The real acronym for PHD is Doctor of Philosophy but some create an acronym out of their own perspective and (maybe experience) -PHD as Permanent Head Damage, Piled Higher and Deeper, Pakar Hal Dapur (domestic kitchen expert), Planning, Dua and Hardwork and etc.

To me the journey of getting a PHD is just another stage of my life. PHD is just another process of knowledge exploration in this world which there is no end. Also, I see my commitment in this PHD journey as another responsibility given by Allah the Almighty as His servant in this world. And I (must) and am exceptionally grateful for this as I have been chosen among the many.

I took this from my friend's blog which is worth to relate to my present situation.

Embarking a research. ...

TEN POINTS FOR US TO PONDER …………...Why we do Phd?
To ponder…to ponder… (and always ponder)


POINT ONE
•IF... Our aim to get promotion later, we may be frustrated IF we don’t get it.

POINT TWO
•IF…To get the title "Dr", we might feel SAD IF people don’t call us Dr.


POINT THREE
•IF ...To get extra self-esteem… we may not be happy IF people don’t respect our opinions.

POINT FOUR
• IF... To be a learned person….NOBLE AIM but it may be a waste IF we don’t practice what we found in the research.


POINT FIVE
•IF... To be an expert.. maybe a wise move BUT become redundant IF people NEVER refer to US.

POINT SIX
•IF.. To find proof, truth and rationale only…BUT WE CAN’T FIND …... may be “Pertinent headaches” set in.

POINT SEVEN
•IF ..doing PHD ..so that we can do our quantitative analysis THEN, IF TYPE I error could not be rectified… may be we could get a real ‘Phd’(Permanent Head Damage)

POINT EIGHT
•IF WE want to be RICH or SUPER RICH might as well learn from BILL GATES

POINT NINE
•IF we want TO be FAMOUS…wrong industry..may be Hollywood or Bollywood would be the right industry

POINT TEN
•BUT IF FOR ALLAH”S SAKE…ALL THE WAY TO PHD’s SCROL WITH LOTS OF GOOD REWARDS(PAHALA) FROM ALLAH S.W.T . InsyaAllah.

(Time to reflect and correct OUR INTENTION... )

source : http://www.puziahmad.blogspot.com/

Menuntut Ilmu

I love this so much... and would like to share this with all of you especially my friends who are doing their PHD research in overseas!! I know the journey is not always easy.



Bukanlah tinggal tetap itu rehat bagi orang yang berakal dan berbudi,
Maka tinggalkanlah kampung halamanmu dan pergilah mengembara,
Merantaulah!
Pasti akan kau temui pengganti mereka yang kau tinggalkan dan berusaha keraslah,
Sesungguhnya kemanisan hidup hanya ada dalam usaha yang bersungguh-sungguh,
Sesungguhnya aku melihat air menjadi cemar kerana tidak mengalir,
Andai ia mengalir, pasti elok keadaannya dan andai ia bertakung, nescaya cemar jadinya..


Imam Shafie..
(source: http://www.afidalina.blogspot.com/)

LDP 2 - The English Class

English Language Class

I attended a Language Development Programme (LDP) class this morning. Each session, held on every Tuesday morning, would normally last for almost 3 hours. We were taught by an English speaking Italian lady - Mrs Karyn Gonano who is very enthusiastic about writing succinctly in the academic world. Karyn's lectures focus on the right methods and techniques to successfully write our confirmation document.

Having been born in Malaysia, in a small kampung (with some Javanese blood), and in a low middle class family, I have to admit that my grasp of English language is at a minimum. I know a few friends whose English are excellent but their family background are far different from mine. (Or maybe some who are in the same boat with me, they would have read tonnes and tonnes of novels, watched hours of English TV series or maybe listened to thousands of English songs to be able to be at where they are now). I maybe fortunate enough since I have lived in the UK for about four years and did both my degree and postgraduate degree there. But I still need to improve a lot especially with my writing. English is indeed a peculiar language with so many grammatical rules, but irritatingly, so many exceptions to these rules. I think one can only master the language with a consistent persistence, dedication or otherwise, reaching a such flawlessness in English is almost impossible.

I used to write in a passive voice. And maybe that was the way I was taught many many years ago when I was in school. Maybe I was also influenced by my British lecturers as well during my undergraduate days. I love to read a well written and beautiful text with a flamboyant language and that may also contribute to my writing style . Also I was taught that, writing with a passive voice will make your text sounds more formal. But maybe that is no longer relevant today! The 21st century demands things to move quickly. The world is running and everything need to be quick. And in the present academic world - you need to write in an active voice so that you as the author will sound more authoritative and your writing will sound stronger. I also remember my supervisor reminds me during one of our meetings, writing is like music and mathematics - it has to be composed.

To end the session, Karyn asked everyone of us to make a short presentation related to our research in front of the class. It was a wonderful experience to see people from all sorts of cultures, from different corners of the globe, with different disciplines and backgrounds are committed with their research. As Karyn always remind us in her class "how are you going to save the planet?"
(hmm.. how am going to save the planet?).


note; a new vocab - Chilax = Chill + Relax.

ABOUT ME

MY SELF

I am not-a-so-young-gal who was born in a small kampung in a district of Pontian, Johor about 35 years ago. I was schooling at SK Seri Jaya, Benut for my primary and later to MRSM Muar for my secondary. After my SPM, I went to PPP/ITM Shah Alam for my A-Levels. I did both my degree in city and regional planning and my postgraduate degree in Cardiff University, Wales.

I was an adventuress when I was young but my interest changes as I aged. Now my interest is directed towards a more relaxed activities like reading, travelling--(sightseing mostly), all kitchen-related activities (cooking, baking, BBQ-ing), and more importantly, making myself closer to Allah -the Almighty.

MY RESEARCH

I am presently in my 7th month of my PHD research in a School of Urban Development, Faculty of Built Environment and Engineering, QUT, Brisbane, Australia. My research investigates the relationship between urban planning and global economic changes. The shift in global economy towards a Knowledge Based Economy (K-economy) has brought a significant impact(s) towards our socio-spatial order. The K-economy demands a new set of urban management policies since (it has been proven) that the normative urban planning has failed to provide. As our society becomes increasingly knowledge based, the nature of city development also changes because activities in the knowledge sector are becoming more important and they require conditions and environments which are very different from those required by the community-based activities which are declining.

The research looks at a new paradigm in urban planning ie. Knowledge Based Urban Development (KBUD) which is seen as a potentially beneficial set of instruments in order to improve the quality, welfare and competitiveness of cities. This research develops a framework within the sphere of urban planning to foster KBUD in order to equip cities to be more competitive in facing the challenges of the global era.

MY FAMILY

I am the eldest in the family. I have 2 younger sisters and 3 younger brothers. My father was a teacher (now retired) while my mom is a fulltime housewife. All of my sibilings have grown up and are making their own careers [medical practitioner-engineers-agricultural officer and land surveyor in the making].

I am married to a very understanding and charming man for almost 8 years now. And I am so grateful for having him as my husband. He is such a hubby and all I can say is that - he really completes me! We have no children yet (will not give up) and we adore kids very much. Our three little nieces - (Sara, Safiyah and Zara) and two little nephews (Hadif and Hilman) are our little angles.


MY CAREER

I was a town planner for almost 4 years afer I graduated. I have joined 2 reputable private planning consultancy firms which both had offered me a totally different experience related to urban planning which range from plan making to policy formulation. 4 years of working experience may not be long enough to be a fully fledged town planner but I seriously think that it is divine and worth sharing the knowledge and experience with others. So, I have changed my career to be a lecturer in urban planning, and since then there is no regret. I love every seconds of my new career and after all being a lecturer is my childhood dream.

MY 1st POST

Salam and greeting to all!!

Today marks the day of my first engagement to blogging. It is the month of October and it is the month which I was born. I wish to record my emotions, observations and experiences in a diary but since it is the era of a digital world - a blog seems to be the best platform for this. At the same time, I think it is also worth to share some of my ideas with others.