Proposal defense

Alhamdulillah :)

I went to my viva presentation, eh silap.. proposal defense today with two main objectives:

1) To impress the examiners.
2) To be impressed by the examiners.


Bring it on! I'm half way there!

And i have achieved both :)

I am at the best of my mood today!! And even more excited to do my PhD, I have faith in my project, I'm just plain happy!!!!~

Happy to receive such brilliant suggestions from my examiners.

Happy to have two official supervisors that push me to the edge and pull me back the time I needed that.

And happy to have one unofficial supervisor who spent the night to go through my slides and my way of presentation in ways a teacher could have never done so.

I looked up to these 3 people equivalently much, though the unofficial ones has not yet hold a PhD or a Master degree, but the skills he taught me is beyond repayment.

Thank YOU..

simply for telling me that I have flaws. :)

Seoul Garden @ OU

Break fast at Seoul Garden, OU yesterday.

I tried Seoul Garden before, I didn't quite fancy the food there. I so much prefer Yuen's Steamboat, cheaper, yummier and better options.

But the company was superb and ok la, got grill also kan.. so RM47 per person was worth it.



I honestly think it's funny to name the restaurant Seoul Garden, makes you think it's a Korean dish kan. Haha! IT'S NOT!! Tak rasa Korean dish at all.

You wanna see the real Korean dish, I will update the pics next week since this Saturday MIL made Korean dish for break fast, wheeeee!!!! I can't wait!

Anyway, some pics with my dearest from yesterday's event..

With Myra, Nadrah and Iza Lyana.


Love with Hashir, AG, Hisham and Shariz.
My only one.
Hope this will be our tradition from now on. As compared to last year's break fast at Lala Chong, we missed Nonee this year :( but I hope we won't missed anyone else next year. Because I just heart each and everyone of ya! ;)

Have you tried talking to her?

This was part of my conversation with my BFF after what seemed like the longest time since we talked to each other.

Me: So, how's your relationship with your gf?
Him: Macam biaselaaa.. Not looking good.
Me: Ahh.. Don't think about it much, things are gonna get better.
Him: I don't think so. See.. (The conversation went on about some general issues with the gf whom I never even met, so tak dapat nak judge).
Me: So, you're gonna give up just like that?
Him: It's happening too many times already, Ikeen!
Me: Have you tried talking to her?
Him: Urm.. Not really..

ADOI!

I'm not saying that I'm an expert in a relationship or I'm a Dr. Love like that, but I just wanna talk about what everybody knows already by now - how important communication is in the relationship. To remind my own self as well.

I don't believe that when you meet your better half, you can click just like that.

Relationship needs effort.. and time.

You have to make a mistake to know that it is a mistake. And for you to know that it is a mistake, you need a mirror a.k.a your better half. The task of a partner is to honestly tell you, this is something wrong with you, I don't like it, do something about it.

And you might not follow 100% what your partner said (else you'll be losing yourself), but somehow with A LOT of effort, and of course time, you guys will meet half way.

Love needs a lot of toleration.

And love is a life-long learning process altogether.

I've been together with my husband for almost a decade now and still discovering new things about him every now and then.

Still merajuk and memujuk every now and then, and have gazillions fun along the way.

For you to have your partner communicates with you, you must be ready to listen.. and of course understand.

One thing I've learned in the relationship is that if you cannot handle the harsh truth, don't ask! Accepting what your partner tells you would be sufficient at the moment.

Walking away without communicating is simply harsh..

But then again, if your better half walks away from you it just means one thing..

The partner doesn't love you that much to work it out.

And love is one thing that we could never force.

For that, I am thankful for the people I loved and the people that love me :) Alhamdulillah.

Thank God It's Friday!

The first time I tried TGI Friday's was on Valentine's 2005, with my soulmate back then.

I remember everything so vividly since it was a perfect date. I guess it was our first fancy date together, and he got me a rose afterwards and before we got back, we strolled along the road staring at the wonderful lights that shower the night.

I was in love.

We were in love.

I remember how I was pampered and loved and I used to say to myself, it would be nice to be married to someone that was as intellectually stimulating as him.

At TGI Friday's in 2005

6 years plus down the road, I visited TGI Friday's for the second time.

With the same soulmate.

And it was a perfect date. The food, the service, and most of all the company :)

I was in love.

We were in love.

And I am still being pampered and loved more and more each day. I feel like saying to the world, "Hey peeps, we're married.. finally".


Love with BBQ beef sandwich, oh so yummy!

Me with my Chicken Fajitas Nachos, pon sedap!!

Mini desserts; 3 for RM10.50. We chose Snickers, Oreo and Mocha Latte. The best has got to be Mocha Latte!!

Preparing for the birth of my baby :)

11 more weeks to my EDD, can you believe it??

Finally you're coming to us, Little Precious!!! Insya Allah.

I'm about to have the biggest battle of my life so far, the best achievement, and yes.. I'm more than excited to prepare for the birthing of you, Little Precious!!

To do list for the third trimester (Insya Allah, I can do these)!

1) Routine pregnancy exercise.. (Paused for a while due to Ramadhan, insya Allah akan berdisiplin after Ramadhan!)


Love's favourite exercise, Angry Cat a.k.a Gelimat (as what he called it)

2) Do a lot of walking, my aim is to walk the whole Taman TAR every weekends. 2 km a day!! After Ramadhan, ok!
(Note: Walking is good for toning your muscles and improve your posture)

3) Sit on my gym ball for better posture. Bought it last weekend and used it everyday now!
(Note: Sitting on gym ball will give the most optimum position for your baby!)


RM 17.90 at Tesco for 55cms diameter, for petite like me!

4) Drink young coconut water everyday - no ice, no sugar. Alhamdulillah, progressing good these past three weeks.
(Note: Young coconut water can replace your membrane)

5) Eat virgin coconut oil (VCO) capsule everyday.
(Note: VCO helps to ease the labour process.)


RM32 for 60 capsules at HPA.

6) Recite Surah At-Taubah, Surah Yusuf, Surah Luqman, Surah Maryam and Surah Yasin as much as I can. Tips from a friend that had a really easy birth ->; Recite Yasin everyday starting from the 9th month :)

Watch this youtube video ->; Man Natural Submission. Very inspiring!

7) Drink air selusuh. This can be done by hubby dearest and is best done on Air Zam-zam. Boleh beli kat PKNS Bangi for RM10 per bottle.

8) Drink air akar fatimah. (Got this from my uncle whom recently got back from Umrah).



9) Practice my breathing and relaxation technique.

10) Listen to HypnoBirthing CD everyday.

11) Minta maaf kat semua orang esp. student2 yang selalu kena marah. Hehehe..

12) Recite doa for an easy birth. Ehem.. ehem.. Dr. Sumayyy...

13) Rub organic olive oil to the whole body - at east twice a day after bath. (So far my skin stays the way it was before pregnancy, I personally think olive oil is waaayyy better than Bio Oil or Cocoa Butter. I tried them both, btw. Kalau nak cantik, haruslah istiqamah dan berdisiplin. Hee..).

Gambatte ne!

Hypnobirthing - Our birth plan.

Last Sunday, Love and I managed to prepare our birth plan!! Alhamdulillah.

Now to find the right doctor to acommodate all these. Insya Allah. Ameen. Doakan we get the best doctor, midwife and nurses.

Sharing our birth plan as a reference..

During 1st Stage Labor

ENVIRONMENT
• Quiet room, dimmed lights
• Drawn drapes/closed door at all times
• Allow to take photos and videos of birth

HOSPITAL ADMISSION
• Return home if less than 4 centimeters dilated and other factors do not warrant admission
• Decline routine IV prep upon admission.
• Decline discussion on pain tolerance & levels

MOBILITY
• Change positions for comfort & progress in labor
• Freedom to walk & move
• Fluids & light food if labor is prolonged

FETAL MONITORING
• No continuous EFM unless medically necessary

PAIN RELIEF OPTIONS
• No suggestion of anesthetic/analgesics unless requested

INDUCTION/AUGMENTATION
• Natural oxytocin stimulation – nipple/clitoral stimulation – and to be accorded with uninterrupted privacy to do so
• No Pitocin/amniotomy without discussion
• To be fully apprised & consulted before introduction of any medical procedure

VAGINAL EXAMINATION
• Minimal – with permission – to avoid premature release of membranes

During 2nd Stage Labor

PUSHING TECHNIQUES
• Allow natural birthing instincts with HypnoBirthing breathing down until crowning takes place.
• Gentle encouragement during final pushing stage without loud “pushing” prompts
• Assume a birthing position of choice that will least likely require an episiotomy.

PERINEUM
• Episiotomy only if necessary and only after consultation.
• Local anesthesia for repair of tears/episiotomy.

BIRTH
• Use of suction device rather than forceps if medically necessary
• Father will announce sex of baby to mother.
• Wait until cord stops pulsating. Father will cut the cord.
• Immediate skin-to-skin contact, with baby on mother’s stomach. No wrapping of baby.

PLACENTA DELIVERY
• Spontaneous or encouraged with breast stimulation and nursing baby
• No cord traction, Pitocin or manual removal of placenta unless there is evidence of excessive postpartum bleeding (45 minutes allowance of natural placenta delivery)

FOR BABY
• Bright lights temporarily removed during birth & until baby is moved to mother’s chest
• Allow vernix to be absorbed into baby’s skin; delay cleaning/rubbing
• Baby to remain with mother & father for the 1st hour after birth.
• Breastfeeding only. No bottle, formula, pacifier.
• Delay use of Erythromycin or other salve for baby’s eyes to allow optimal sight for bonding.
• Father will stay with mother and baby throughout the hospital stay.

The human manuals

Sometimes I wish there are specific subjects about human beings during my undergraduate/postgraduate.

Or, sometimes I wish each and every individuals I met came with a manual so that I know how to deal with them without cracking my brain.

Teaching engineering is a challenge, yup. But dealing with different kind of students from different part of the world is even more challenging for me.

You always need to check back with your expectations and boundaries.

But rather than obsessing about your own expactations or boundaries, I've learned that other people have their own expectations and boundaries themselves.

What some people might consider as unusual might just be a mundane to another people.

So I've learned that we cannot be too rigid with the expectations.

Then, the BIG question appeared, how much to give in before you start to lose yourself?

What is the fuzzy percentage (gile, i'm sounding geek) grey area between ok and not ok?

How I sometimes wish there is an answer for that question.

But life has no shortcut.

You have to learn the theory, then practice it in actual life to validate your theory and do a post mortem afterwards. You might need to fine tune here and there along the way. Macam buat research..

And I guess that is the reason why life just seems more and more interesting each passing day. Hhmmm..