Teacher's Day

Just a few days ago the nation celebrated Teacher's Day. This is my 2nd year not having the chance to celebrate Teacher's Day in school. I could still remember those days when my table would be filled with cards, flowers and gifts from my dearly students. Well..that's how most of the students in school show appreciation to their teachers. Nowadays, I could still feel the excitement of Teacher's Day accompanying my kids to Hinode Shop to get those cute and fancy gifts for their teachers.

Thanks to FB that now I am still connected to some of my students even though they have left school and leaving me with the memories of their schooling days. I still get oodles of wishes plus gifts, hugs and kisses virtually posted to my FB walls.

The fact is, being a teacher I can plant a seed for it to become a flower, share a bit of knowledge and it becomes another's, smile at someone and receive a smile in return. These are to me continual spiritual exercises. You feel good when students telling you how much they thanked you, how much you have changed them and how much you have inspired them. I don't need rewards nor praises but what I ask for is just blessings in life.

Good teachers motivate. Great teachers INSPIRE!! How true...

My PhD Journey

Many times in my life, out of despair there will be a rewarding gift. Well, don't I deserve all the good things life can offer? Yessss...definitely!

I started off my PhD journey pretty well, feeling motivated in following my plan of study, consistently meeting my supervisors and trying to maintain enthusiasm. After all, I was at the proposal stage and the eagerness kept pushing me ahead.

In the first semester I took the Educational Research Methodology II paper and Statistics II the following semester. Both were challenging enough to make me ponder upon my on-going study. I was lucky that I didn't have to do the other 3 papers as I could just transfer the credits from my Master Degree. It was a good start as I had the chance to meet friends during & after the class talking about each others' progress.

Time passed by...weeks after weeks, months after months, semesters after semesters. Refine! Refine! Refine! I discovered that the whole process of writing a thesis is the act of refining your thinking and positioning your thoughts. And that's not easy...

Arghhh I missed the EDUPRESS (Education Postgraduate Research Seminar) 2009 due to my ignorance. I actually missed the abstract submission date, but to make it up I registered myself as a participant. EDUPRESS is a platform for postgraduate students in the Faculty of Education to share and to get feedback on their research. It was a stimulating and fruitful seminar for me and it did enlighten me with some insights of my proposal.

Very true indeed that PhD is a 'lonely journey'. You are all by yourself and you're lucky if you have friends who bother to take the hassle of updating you with the current events around the campus! I will definitely make sure that I won't be missing the boat again this year!

"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step." - Martin Luther King Jr (1929-1968)

a year ago...

It has been a while since my last post in the blog. 2009 was a demanding year as everything was a new life experience to me and I had to learn to compartmentalize myself to meet the demands of my daily routines.

I have worked into exhaustion trying to adjust myself to the life as a wife, a mother and a full time student that I couldn't sustain my newly developed interest in blogging. I've been buried in my routines of attending classes and doing assignments, and most of all preparing for my PROPOSAL.

This is just the beginning and I reckon the next 2 years will be intellectually, physically and emotionally challenging. May Allah grant me His mercy & blessings throughout my PhD journey. Amin...