Farewell Part 2

With Novi, HJ, Diana, ans ShashiniWith HJ, Balan, Diana and Shashini

More pictures from old days....hehehe

My 'cozy' space

Me and Alec

With Steeve

Fellow officemates

Farewell gathering at Syahira's place

With Kim and Chuan- Just came back from Yum Char ;-D

With Linda-my Teddy bear :-)

Some pictures in Gold Coast

Killer lecturer..hehehe

This semester I have to teach the semicon fab subject which I never touch for the past 10 years (am I that old??) :-))...Student feedback after second week is the most interesting hehehe

-Of course not directly to my face. A friend of mine had discussion with a few final yr students about final year project. They asked permission fr their supervisor to leave early to attend a class or else the lecturer will close the door. Of course the supervisor asked who was the lecturer, and she did list down all the 'nightmare' lecturers e.g. Prof Z, Dr A, etc..hehehe...she was surprised when they mentioned my name hahaha-I wasn't surprised though!

In the beginning of the class I already told them what are my expectations. Why should I tolerate 10 minutes late when I can make 10 minutes early? Why can't I bombarded them with quizzes, exercises, assignments and group discussion when I know those were the right things to do to make them study ?..hehehe...If I have to award them even 5% marks, I'll make sure they deserve it. There's no such thing as 'FREE marks' in my class...hahahha...up to now, I have heaps of things to mark from my weekly quiz, group exercise and group project hahaha...Now, I guess most of them pay attention in class because the question may come out anytime. That's life....

My Romeo

Ahaks...my Romeo's air conditioned was sicked few days ago..After changed its condenser, it works well. I just realised, I forgot to change the gear oil which was overdue nearly 3000 km hehehe...really need to find time to do so..

Next on my wish list: change front shock absorber, find paint for touch up..My Romeo has pimples from sand truck...really annoying....

Ikan bilis vs Dewa

Well...characters in my office..First, let me introduce the character..

DEWA
- A group of 'untouchable' seniors aka old folks hehehe..
- Main interests:

1. how to stay on top without doing work
2. how to manipulate ikan bilis
3. How to make sure ikan bilis do everything
   
4. how to make sure ikan bilis do not act against their will

- Module: sort of provoke the ikan bilis to voice out their concern/ thoughts, and immediately slash them..Must look professional hahahaha
- Advantage: Well-known name

Ikan bilis
- Young generation (mostly less than 5 years service, can be up to 10 yrs service)
- Main Interest:

1. How to finish all works
2. How to involve in school, uni, community activities
3. How to obtain more research grants, publish more papers
4. How to do their work without interference from DEWA
   

- Module: keep quiet in the meeting and let the DEWAs think they are the best. Once of the limit, ikan bilis will start form a group and work together to ensure they are not bombarded by DEWA alone.
-Advantage: have connection with outsiders

If I write a plot of these two groups it will be exciting. Just don't understand why DEWA feels insecure with ikan bilis?

Academic life

Some people keep ask me:

* How's my academic life
* What I've been doing almost 3 months now
* Why I seem don't have much time to socialise
* Why I don't contact them and lots of why..why...and why...

First and foremost, I would like to apologise to those that I keep their emails for ages, never write an email, hardly reply their txt messages, hardly call, etc..etc...I'm just a human being and I still need time to adjust my life.

Since I came back, I've been busy mainly with my academic life. If you think academician life like 10-15 years back, you are completely wrong..:-D Nowadays, there are so many things that we need to do although I have to admit some of them are 'unnecessary' BUT I still have to do hahahaha...

Classes- Back to the topic, on paper I only teach 1 subject, but I have 2 labs for 1st yr and 3rd yr to take care of. Each lab is about 4 hours, which up to the lecturer to just brief the students and leave them alone, or stay with them and help them to understand what are they doing. I would say, it's very hard for them to relate the theory that they learn in class, with practical and real life...

Unnecessary subject- In the next couple of weeks, I'll have to do tutorial on "thinking technique". Don't ask me what's the subject about hahahha...I wonder if I use the right thinking technique throughout my life...well, heaps of reading to do...Last few weeks I was asked to attend Entrepreneurship Course. I still against the idea of teaching 1st students Entrepreneurship Course...I wonder what MOHE guys were thinking? Normally 1st year students need time to adjust their campus life. If we dumped the Entrepreneurship Course, how bad their academic result will be? If we look closely into the course outline, we can predict that their academic performance will slump...hahahaha...wait and see...2 unit course, but require so much time...what a moron...

OBE-Last 2 month I attended a course on Outcome-based Education (OBE)..The new requirement from Board of Engineer and Engineering Accreditation Committee to all engineering course. Technically, we have gone through OBE for ages without proper documentation. Now it's time to adapt OBE in our coursework-well planned and documented...

Research University- who says it is good to be a research university? In reality more work to do. The bad thing is it RU is not well-planned e.g. 50 million allocation is still in the newspaper and of course the way they are going to distribute the money is unclear. Everybody is trying to get a piece of cake, but who's going to cook the cake? And the war begin DEWA vs ANAK BILIS...hahaha...If anak bilis win, I guess anak bilis already become piranha hahahaha...will write about "untouchable DEWA" later...

Publications- another story....keep forcing...Before I came back, I vowed that I will hibernate the first 6 months..hahaha..that's what I'm trying to do...HOWEVER, seems like almost impossible to do so. To date, I manage to write a paper for bulletin (paksa-rela), send abstracts for conferences end of this year.

Research grant- hmm I managed to get the incentive grant already. To date, I'm still preparing for a short term grant.. Another story with DEWA...Sciencefund next on the list..hahaha...

Final year projects- I was given 5 students to supervise. As usual, I have to think about the projects...My Partial Head Damage (PhD) becomes more obvious hahahaha

Master student- I'll supervise a master student from Indonesia next semester under AUN-SEED net program. New challenge...

Short course- We are going to have nano short course next week. Hmmm spend lots of time to prepare...

will continue later...

Home sweet home...and yet soooo busy...

I'm home for more than a month now..home sweet home....:-) my blog nearly 'die' since last month..well, I need sometime to adjust my life with new environment. I was out of my parents house since I was 13. Well, need to cope well with my mum's nagging (not at me though), visit family and relatives during weekend, and also my social life (although I'm a bit anti-social) hehehehe..

About my work, I start work in USM for a month. Unlike 10 years back, academic life becomes busier. There's no such things as go to university after 10am, and go back at 3pm like my lecturers hahahaha...I still wonder if only at USM or all universities??

ok, I will continue later...need to prepare myself for 'weekend ronggeng' with my fellow friends hahahaha...

"things happened, and you can't change..why bother??"