Category: Random rambling

Anugerah Webometrics 2019: Should I?

How time flies!   Like what Norah said last year, I should try to participate in this competition this year.  Nay!  That is my initial thought.  But, I started to think otherwise.  What am I going to lose, right?  A senior also urges me to participate in this competition this year.   Not only that, there were others who also gave the same advice.  On top of that, we need candidates as representatives from the faculty.  At least, if I don’t win, the faculty has candidates for this year nomination and finalists.

Well, I guess, no harm in trying.

Black and pink Baby G?

We went to get this a week after I bought the mobile modem. Alhamdulillah we went a bit earlier. My sis wore it immediately as I went to pay at the cashier. No need fancy box. Just straight away she wore it on her wrist. Had we went a tad later, this watch might belong to someone else. As I was waiting my turn to pay, a customer went in and asked the sale person about a Baby G with pink interface. Yup. She was asking the same Baby G. But, the Baby G was already on my sis’s wrist.

I went to search for mobile modem with my sister yesterday.  Off we went to Giant Plentong, but unfortunately the U mobile kiosk inside Giant does not have mobile modem.  The sale person suggested us to go to Taman Molek i.e. the U mobile centre.

Before we went to Taman Molek, we had a quick shopping.  While going to the car park, my sister reminded me that it is May and her birthday is in May.  She wants a Baby G as her birthday gift.   So, we dropped by to browse some Baby G in a shop.  But it was so tedious to browse as both of us were not allowed to be in the same shop at the same time.

So, I went in first.  I did not find something “that” interesting.  I thought she would agree with me that there are not many attractive designs available.  How wrong I was?  Immediately she went in, she looked around the watches and looked at me while pointing at this watch and said “I want this.  I want this pink-black Baby G”.  I could not see it from afar.  I replied half-halfheartedly “Not nice”  trying to dissuade her.  Am I successful?  You bet.  I don’t.

But one thing for sure, I will use lowball technique to request for my birthday gift.

 

 

A laggard. Indeed.

The Telekom cable was stolen again. The 3rd time since MCO. It drives me (nearly) crazy. So, I went with my sister to search for mobile modem. We choose U Mobile. We picked GX68 which costs RM58 per month. Postpaid. But the device itself costs RM180.
 
Some of you might think that I am really slow when it comes to this thing. Yup. I admit that. But according to the Law of Diffusion of Innovations (Everett M. Rogers’ idea in his book Diffusion of Innovations, 1962), we can categorise people into five categories: Innovators (2.5%), Early adapters (13.5%), Early majority (34%), Late majority (34%) and Laggards (16%). I belong (self-claimed) to the laggards. Yup.
My thought is “Why should I use mobile modem when I can use the normal internet modem?”. But when I face with the difficulty of not having internet at my disposal due to the same reason i.e. stolen cable, I think that it is the right time for me to have a mobile modem. A laggard. Indeed.

Hand-stitched face mask, anyone? Not for sale.

I was without internet connection (literally) for few days because the TM cable was stolen. This is the second time since MCO.
So, as I was left with few assignments that I had reviewed (but cannot return to students), examples of case study activities and a half-written article (I feel stressful of doing this because I would think about the materials that I left in my office at UTM) which can be done without internet connection, I started to experience “certain symptoms” that indicate that I am stress. Not a good thing. I need to take a break.
So, in line with Labour Day holiday, I took a chance to re-purpose some materials. Yes. Another left-over fabrics material.  A cloth face mask. It is so hype and trendy nowadays to have one with the lack of supply of face mask on the market. I left a gap so that I can put non-woven material in between. To make it 3-layers face mask.
There is a gap in between two cloth so I can insert a non-woven material in between

Running out of left-over fabrics: What are the alternatives?

My left over fabrics are running out.  I left with many irregular, out of shape fabrics.  Too small for a pouch.  So, I made scrunchies.  I look at the eldest grandniece who uses whatever scrunchy that she could find around the house.  I will put the picture here later on.  For now, I need to divert myself to relieve stress.  Things can be stressful at times.  Indeed.

 

 

 

 

I was feeling a bit tired from reading 100+ pages of a proposal yesterday. I need to take a break. As I put aside my notes, I noticed some of the left-over fabrics lying around nearby my laptop (I was too lazy to put it inside a container again after my little face mask project last week). I looked closely on the fabrics. It is too small to make a pouch but it is a bit long and I can make a belt. But who is wearing belt made out of cloth this day? So, while stroking my head to get some ideas, I got a light bulb moment. Aha… a scrunchy. The eldest grandniece likes to tie her hair but due to MCO, she does not have much choice rather than to use whatever hairband, scrunchies that she can find around the house.

Hand-sewn face mask

I still have the normal face mask.  But I am feeling a bit stress out off lately.  There are many things contribute to that.  Alhamdulillah I can still recognise some symptoms and thus, I know that I need to slow down a bit.  So, I divert myself from my work for few hours to do this little project.  I googled and found some tips and instructions that I can follow.

Here are some of the materials: – Left over fabric – Scissor – Ruler – Needle – Stretchable thing (I don’t know what it is called)
In the making
Finally, it finished. The final product

It is a pandemic, for goodness sake!

Majority of us are struggling to learn a new thing.  It is a fact.  But, the question is “How willing are we to experience “disequilibrium”?”   Most of the time, we are not willing to learn new things, to do something new because it disrupts our mental equilibrium.

But, what a heck!  Just do it!  With Wifi connection like Chipsmore in my room, I lugged my laptop and stuff to search for other possible places with strong internet connection.  Yesterday, I found the perfect place which happened to be empty (no class at that time).  So, I knocked on the door of the technician in charge and asked his permission to use the room.  I had a blast!  The internet connection is so fast but my excitement did not last long.  Yeah.  Congestion = Traffic problem with the server when everybody wants to use BigBlueButton.  Panicky messages kept on coming in (I also sent a message to add to the panicky mode)

But the thing is, we are in this moment together.  We do our best and don’t give up.

When I heard that one of my colleagues who is under the category of PUI (Person Under Investigation) still conducted the class using face to face means, I feel shocked, angry, bewildered, confused, numb (the list can go on).

How can a person be so _______________ (fill in the blank)?  What was this person thinking?  Have you gone ______________ (fill in the blank)?

Astaghfirullah.  I rest my case.

Work balance?

After Latihan Ikhtisas, I aim to have a more manageable work-life balance life style.  Indeed.  In an article that I found, the author describes how as academicians we might fall into the trap of having ideal work-life balance life style, without actually having one when all what we have is in a form of IDEA.  This is not good.  So, I decide to stay firm when I receive ad hoc things that can jeopardise my work-life balance stance.

I got an email to inform that I was selected to be one of the facilitators for this modular course.  The thing is, I have classes every single day.  So, being me who never recycle old notes without making any tweaking or change of the old notes on every single semester, I need time to prepare for my classes.

A senior colleague lamented that she needs me to be one of the facilitators because I am one of the best.  Back in my mind “Whatever” because I know that in our school. we have never lack of any expert in anything.  You name it.  We’ve got it all, y’all.  Some even jack of all trades, but _____________ (fill in the blank).

The thing is, when I used to get a session for this modular course (long time ago), I normally will prepare my own notes.  But at that time, at least I have one day without any class so I can prepare notes for any modular course.  Now, things are different.  But somehow this senior does not get it.   Since I came back from my Latihan Ikhtisas, I have tuition classes almost every weekend.  How about those weekends without tuition class?  I will revise notes/worksheet that I want to use for my tuition class.  So weekends basically is a me time for the things not related to my official work.  Gone are the days when I would prepare modular courses notes on weekend.   It was something that I used to do.  Now, it is different.

Well, it is kind of weird because when I was not around, she could find others to replace me for the sessions.  I just don’t understand why out of nowhere I have become someone “indispensable”.  I must be stupid to be so gullible to believe what she said, right?

I took an action right away.  I never regret with what I did.  Attaboy!

 

UTM Open Day