Past
I celebrated last Syawal with mixed feelings. Hubby was sick since few months before Ramadhan. He started coughing which was not resolved with the usual cough meds. He was even admitted in one of the private hospitals for a few days. Doctor diagnosed his condition as maxillary sinusitis. He was eventually discharged. However, his coughing persisted despite the meds supplied by the hospital. He was sick throughout the month of Ramadhan and his condition worsened. However, he managed to gather strength to go to the market and shopped raw materials for Raya celebrations. Syawal came and I can see he was struggling through his illness and tried to enjoy Syawal as best as he could. He pushed his limits when we had to travel to Terengganu for my brother's engagement. It caused me as much pain as he was in pain coughing his lungs out. During that Syawal, his condition did not improved. Apart from conventional therapy, we also tried alternative therapy. Buatan orang/santau was also suspected. Despite being a pharmacology lecturer myself, I cannot dismiss those opinions considering there are sick people in this world who could go to extreme measures to get back to other people. Hubby's condition deteriorated each day, He could not go to work, he could not sleep, he had no appetite to eat, his coughing was bad and he suffered from laboured breathing. I could not sleep myself, worrying about him. He reached to the extent of talking nonsense in his half-awake state. Sometimes asking me weird questions or making weird statements. And that really freaked me out. Eventually, both his legs were swelling and his abdomen distended. However he refused to seek treatment from the hospital initially, until one day he decided to go to another private hospital. He was observed in the emergency room and doctor informed us that his heart was failing. At the time of admission, his heart was only functioning at 20% strength. He was admitted and treated accordingly (inotropic, diuretic etc). Angiogram was performed but no significant findings. To cut long story short, after being detained in the ward for a few days, his condition improved, his appetite improving and he could sleep better. He was eventually discharged. Alhamdulillah.
Present
This Syawal, I count my blessings. Alhamdulillah, after the struggle from the illness last year, hubby got better and better. Appetite much improved and he started to gain weight. And Syawal could not be any sweeter than this.
Future
Praying for Allah's blessings for future Syawal and may we become a better person than we are right now...
Pictures of past Syawal and present Syawal. Can really see the difference in hubby's appearance between these two pictures.
Sesungguhnya Allah menguji hambaNya dengan kesusahan dan kesenangan sebagai cubaan.... Dan sesungguhnya sakit itu ujian untuk yang sakit dan yang sihat.
For more than 10 working years in UKM, I am based in KL campus in Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz. In fact, my history with the campus goes beyond that. I did my undergraduate and postgraduate studies in the same place too. And I fall in love with the surrounding areas and its strategic location.
When HUKM was first set up, only the 3rd - 5th year students are stationed there while the preclinical years, year 1 and 2 remained in the KL campus. For many years, there have been plans for us to move to HUKM campus in Cheras. But being in the comfort of the KL campus, and not really looking forward to move, I have always thought that it won't be realized in the near future. But eventually the new preclinical building in HUKM was completed and we received directive from the faculty management that it was time to move. So, we moved.
Packing was tedious.Imagine, things accumulated from my student days. Have been in this campus longer than I have been married.
And throughout the years, I have accumulated as much garbage as important documents.
We were supplied with 10 boxes each and I managed to fill all boxes.
And of course, loads of other things to be thrown away.
After everything packed and fragile items wrapped...
..and all have been transported, this is what left of my room..
Really going to miss this place. And these are 10 top reasons why:
1. Chow Kit market. Easy to do grocery shopping. Even though I rarely go there because the market smell will stick to your clothes but it is comforting to know that the place is just walking distance away. (Note: the market has now been relocated to a cleaner site nearby. I have yet to explore but now that I have moved to Cheras, the exploring is not likely to happen.)
2. For a more cleaner, air-conditioned grocery shopping and others, there is UO supermarket. Also walking distance.
3. Food stalls!! From nasi campur, hot food, kuih-muih, fruits, etc. Semua ada... Yang paling femes mesti la Hassan Shah, betul-betul opposite the campus. And also kedai makan MZ. Kalau time lunch, memang penuh. Walking distance je...
4. Shopping!! Nak pergi mana-mana pun senang. KLCC, Sogo, Ampang Park, Jalan TAR... And of course, last time there was the Mall which is currently under renovation. The Chow Kit itself is a shopping avenue too. Tudung and jubah and baju kurung pun banyak variety. Again walking distance.
5. The Chow Kit area has sidewalk businessmen who cater to my needs such as cobbler, locksmith and clothes alteration/repair shop. And what makes it even more awesome, walking distance.
6. My old office in the KL campus is situated on the 4th floor. Tolerable by stairs. My new office in HUKM is on the 17th floor. Have never tried the stairs and climb that high. Well, excuses la kan... Boleh je naik tangga 4-5 tingkat, then baru naik lif...:P
7. My old office room was spacious and it has a sink. Senang nak ambik wudhu and basuh muka after a short nap...;). The new office room is smaller and lack a sink... (But that doesn't mean I cannot take a nap...;))
8. I can see the Twin Tower and KL Tower from the window of my old office. So the view is postcard material. The new office has a view too. But of the clinical block and academic block of HUKM. Well, nice view too but not considered KL attractions.;)
9. So many places within walking distance, so I think I can reach my 10000 steps a day easily. (Errr... well... itu pun kalau keluar pergi Chow Kit setiap hari la... Which did not happen...:P)
10. And finally, the KL campus is close to Citibank, my hubby's office. Senang kalau nak lunch-date...:D Now, dah jauh la pulak...
Anyhow, this move is inevitable. I have finally unpacked and started to settle down in the new office.
I am sure this move brings more good than bad in terms of faculty management and students interaction. May Allah bless our hijrah that we made in the holy month of Ramadhan.:)
Recently, I gave a lecture to a group of students. After the lecture, I had this conversation with one of the students:
Student: Lepas ni Dr ada ajar lagi tak.
Me: Tak. Saya ada satu lecture je. Maybe ada tutorial nanti.
Kenapa?
Student: Kalau boleh nak Dr ajar lagi. Sebab Dr ajar, paham.
Me: Alhamdulillah.
My heart jumped of joy. Feels like I have struck gold.
Because no matter how much we earn, no matter what our title is, at the end of the day, what matters most is whether you have delivered your job or task well. And receiving feedback like that really made my day. And it means so much to me than all of the treasure in the world. I pray that in future, I will be able to do more in this line of work.
Thought of writing about my Hong Kong trip, but my recent gastronomic experience was just too good to delay. So Hong Kong has to wait.
My family and I have passed by Wangsa Grill by Chef Zubir several times. I have also heard excellent reviews from others. So, we went there the other night, to celebrate the 10th birthday of my 3rd daughter, Syahidah.
My family and I have passed by Wangsa Grill by Chef Zubir several times. I have also heard excellent reviews from others. So, we went there the other night, to celebrate the 10th birthday of my 3rd daughter, Syahidah.
Nice place and nice deco.
We were given this maruku chips as appetiser. I have had this maruku before and maruku ni memang sedap.
My husband had beef steak roulade. I had a taste. Love the creamy puree.
My daughters ordered:
Fish and chips.
Chicken schnitzel burger.
Beef burger.
And chicken chop.
Yummy!! Love the presentation too.
In addition, the kids also enjoyed their chocolate and vanilla milkshake.
I ate bits and pieces from the kids dishes. Memang sedap.
Berbaloi la dengan harga.
We spotted Chef Zubir who was busy in the kitchen putting his personal touch to the dishes. Hubbby asked a waiter whether it is possible to take a picture with the chef. The waiter communicated to Chef Zubir. And Chef Zubir sportingly went out to meet us after he finished his chores. He commented on our 5 daughters and said, 'Saya semua hero..' Nice guy.
I whatsapped the picture above to my close friends. One of them made a remark, 'Femes ke chef tu?' Ha ha... Ada jugak yang tak tengok Masterchef Malaysia rupanya... (nama close friend tu terpaksa dirahsiakan...:P)
Second chapter of my very short UK trip... Two nights in Sheffield and one night in London. In London, my colleagues and I stayed at Holiday Villa in Bayswater area. A small hotel with Malaysian hospitality.
The room that I got was very small and has a funny layout. There are a few steps going down from the door to the bed area.
And everything are squeezed in the small space.
Well, I am not complaining, but just amused. We were on a budget trip anyway. Plus, it was only for one night and it was more than enough for one person actually.
Well, I am not complaining, but just amused. We were on a budget trip anyway. Plus, it was only for one night and it was more than enough for one person actually.
That night, we headed to a Chinese Halal restaurant called Noodle Oodle for dinner.
We ordered the set menu which consist of this appetiser
that came with this garlicky but delicious soy sauce.
This noodle dish. Could not remember the name.
This noodle dish. Could not remember the name.
And dessert.
I could barely finish the dessert. I was so full. After that we took a stroll along the road where there are numerous souvenir shops. I shed some of my pounds there.
The next morning, we had our breakfast in the hotel. We were given a choice between nasi lemak or roti canai as the main dish. Of course, I chose nasi lemak. Starting to miss the rice... ha ha... Exaggerating.. Baru berapa hari tak jumpa nasi..
And we helped ourselves to the buffet spread.
Then we checked out and left our luggage at the front desk and went out to catch the Hop-on Hop-off bus. It was very cold despite all the clothing that I wore. After waiting for some freezing minutes at the bus stop, we finally board the bus. We opted for the upper deck (for better view) and managed to secure seats which are sheltered under the roof. Or else, the cold would be intolerable. We were provided with earphones that we can plug into the seat. And as we travel, we can listen to the recorded commentary on the sights and buildings seen along the road.
There are several companies operating the hop-on hop-off bus tours. We took the Big Bus Tours.
Each tour bus would have their own routes. And along the routes, there are several stops and attractions that you can get off and have tour on your own. We don't have much time since we need to leave for airport latest by 5 pm. So we skipped many stops and just passed by most of them.
We intended to reach Buckingham Palace in time to observe the change of guards. But we did not manage to do that. Reason to visit London again in future...? InshaAllah.
We managed to take the boat cruise though.
It was very cold on the bus. And as we walked to the jetty, I thought I would freeze. Luckily, the pics we took had no sound. If not, can hear my teeth chattering. The view is nice though. Blue sky, yes...but freezing..
It was very cold on the bus. And as we walked to the jetty, I thought I would freeze. Luckily, the pics we took had no sound. If not, can hear my teeth chattering. The view is nice though. Blue sky, yes...but freezing..
It was a relief to be in the boat and get away from the cold. I bought hot tea, and it was heaven after the freezing weather.
It was a short boat trip and we got off at one of the piers, close to Big Ben. And of course, a pic is a must.
It was a short boat trip and we got off at one of the piers, close to Big Ben. And of course, a pic is a must.
And the Eye of London.
It was quite impossible to find a spot or moment that you can snap a photo without any pedestrians at the background or other people with the same intention as you, so belasah je la... Busy betul background dgn orang ramai...
Then we hopped on to the bus again, and thought of heading to Oxford Street, a must stop for shopping. Unfortunately, traffic in London was quite bad and getting from one stop to another stop, took ages. I took a lot of scenery pics. And even though the recorded voice mention every building, statue and scenery that we passed by, I have forgotten most of them.
It was quite impossible to find a spot or moment that you can snap a photo without any pedestrians at the background or other people with the same intention as you, so belasah je la... Busy betul background dgn orang ramai...
Then we hopped on to the bus again, and thought of heading to Oxford Street, a must stop for shopping. Unfortunately, traffic in London was quite bad and getting from one stop to another stop, took ages. I took a lot of scenery pics. And even though the recorded voice mention every building, statue and scenery that we passed by, I have forgotten most of them.
Here are some of the pics.
We passed by the Malaysian Embassy. Can see the flag outside.
We also passed by this eating place named Jom Makan. Malaysian owned I assumed.
This blue cock statue at the Trafalgar Square is very prominent against the grey, bleak weather of London.
View from the bus as we travelled along a bridge.
Anyhow, not able to reach Oxford Street, we stopped by Harrods. And I bought nothing. Ha ha.... Others would have shopped like crazy kann... One evidence that I am not a shopaholic..? :P
After Harrods, we took a taxi back to the hotel. And managed to rest a while at the lobby before our taxi to airport arrived.
And that ended my London trip. I am happy to report that, London bridge is (not) falling down while we were there... :D
Next: a tale of Hong Kong (maybe)
When I was a child, I was taught this poem:
"Pussy-cat, pussy-cat,
Where have you been?
I've been to London
To visit the Queen.
Pussy-cat, pussy-cat,
What did you there?
I frightened a little mouse
Under the chair."
London was like a dream then. And now at this age, I had the opportunity to visit London myself. Since I am not a pussy-cat, I did not get to see the queen... ;P
Where have you been?
I've been to London
To visit the Queen.
Pussy-cat, pussy-cat,
What did you there?
I frightened a little mouse
Under the chair."
London was like a dream then. And now at this age, I had the opportunity to visit London myself. Since I am not a pussy-cat, I did not get to see the queen... ;P
Actually, it was a business trip to Sheffield, with two other colleagues. We represented the UKM Bone Metabolism Research Group to visit the Mellanby Bone Centre in University of Sheffield. I was excited since it was my first time experiencing London. I have been to Heathrow airport though, for transit, many years ago. Besides excitement, I was apprehensive too. Since the temperature would be very low during the visit. And I had to ensure I have everything to keep me warm.
So we made the trip. Thirteen hours of flight. My legs are very stiff after the long journey. I managed to sleep for a few hours but I ended up watching 3 movies: The Conjuring, Casino Royale and Jobs. How's that for a variety of genre? :) We finally arrived at LHR, very early in the morning, 5.30 am.
From the airport, we had to go to St Pancras International train station to catch a train to Sheffield scheduled at 11.55 am. We took the underground tube and it was an hour journey to the train station. The ticket costs us 5.50 pounds.
We arrived at the St Pancras train station and sat on one of the benches.
It was beginning to get very cold. We have been sitting there for quite a while before we found out that there's a lounge for first class ticket holders. Luckily, when we bought our train tickets, we paid for the first class. It was very cozy in the lounge. With sofas and tables and newspapers. They also provide free drinks and snacks. Alhamdulillah.
The train ride to Sheffield was about two hours. The train is very comfy. When we bought the tickets, we can actually choose our seats by stating our preference. Like near the toilet or window seat or near the plug point. I chose near the plug point and yes, my seat was just beside the plug point. In case I need to charge my phone. The train station also provides free wifi. They even have free wifi on board the train. Bliss... And what's more wonderful, they offer drinks and snacks for free! Berbaloi jugak la bayar mahal for first class.
Finally, we arrived in Sheffield. Took a cab to our hotel, Mercure St Paul's Hotel. The hotel have quite a number of Pakistani staff. We also observed that there are quite a number of them making a living in Sheffield. In one of our cab rides, the taxi driver who is a Pakistani made a joke: VIP stands for Very Important Pakistani.:D
The room is nice and comfy. For a single occupant, this is spacious.
After we have freshened up, we went out for a stroll and looked for a place to have dinner. The hotel was just beside the Town Hall.
And the streets were nicely lit-up with Christmas deco.
There are a few halal kebab stores and stalls. And we settled for one of the stalls: Zing.
The next day (still feeling jet-lagged and the body clock still following Malaysian time), we spent the whole day in Mellanby Bone Center and the Medical School in University of Sheffield. Discussion, meeting new people, visiting their lab and 'secretly' drooling over their equipments. How we wish we have the means to acquire all those lab equipments...
The day is very short. Pukul 4 ptg dah Maghrib. Kalau puasa time ni, memang best. That night we were treated to dinner where we had the fish dish. And finished off with one of the desserts.
The next day, again we went to Sheffield university to meet some more people and we concluded our discussion around noon with the promise of future research collaborations or attachments or visits. We enjoyed our visit and we met nice people who have the same passion.
Ok la... I have to admit, I am the shortest of all. Tak perlu tanya mirror, mirror on the wall...:P
Then we left for our hotel and checked-out. Boarded train for London at about 2 pm, which ended our Sheffield adventure and begin our London adventure. (to be continued) :)
