Reminiscing the good old days? Aye

Someone asked me about my SPM results.  Well, it was more than 20 years ago when I had the SPM exam.  I still remember what my results were.  I got C4 for Malay language and A2 for English and A1 for Arabic.  Yup.  Don’t ask my how I got such results.  I tried my best.  Indeed.

Thinking back, even though I like reading yet I was more inclined to listen to English songs.  That might explain why I got a better grade for English as compared to Malay.  But if you ask me if I can still converse in Arabic, the answer is No.  But I can roughly understand if someone converse in Arabic.  Especially when it comes to numbers.  I still remember numbers in Arabic.  So, it does help to use it when I performed hajj.  There was this incident when I wanted to buy a jubah which the sales person tried to sell it for “150 riyal”, but when he was asked by a Tunisian couple how much the jubah cost, he replied “80 riyal”.  To his surprise, I replied in my broken Arabic that he was trying to cheat in which he told two different prices to different customers.  Of course I got the jubah for 80 riyal in the end.

Learning language is not easy.  Yet, using it for different context such as for academic writing, magazine and such requires one to be proficient in selecting the wording and whatsnot.  Clearly, I don’t think I am that proficient.  Well, apparently, writing in this webometrics in English makes some people think that I am proficient.  I feel like a fake.  Indeed.

 

COVID-19: More workload?

Off lately, I notice that there are so many task forces that I involve in.  There are times when I feel suffocated.  Not in a physical sense.  Emotionally, I feel suffocated.  I try to change my routine.  I come to work as early as I could.  I find that I am able to get more things done when I come early.  But I find it difficult to stay focused after Zuhr, as if my “battery” needs to be recharged.  I try to sleep a bit before Zuhr but often than not, without noticing the time, it is already Zuhr and I miss the chance to have a quick nap.

Since the leaking pipe incident, I admit that it takes me quite a long time to settle down.  Being a nomad for a while certainly gives me a different perspective on certain things but I realise that to get myself adjusted to new routines are not as fluid as before.  Am I getting older?

Sometimes, when I feel too overwhelmed with things, what I would do is to have a priority list of what I should do urgently.  Most of the times even though it is not easy to put certain things under “not urgent” category, I know that I have to be firm in this.  There are times when I say “NO” and can’t hardly remain patient due to indecisiveness of certain people.  Yup.  My patience is running thin.

Yet, I would ask myself “If others are indecisive, what I should do?”  There are times when I ask some seniors what they want from me or what is the direction of a certain task because I just cannot tolerate with indecisiveness any more.

I might be appeared as rude but in this case, I hate the culture of lots-of-talking-yet-doing-less or what I called as “Pung pang, pung pang”.  How I wish I have one solid uninterrupted week!

COVID-19 cases are increasing today (Tuesday, 8 September 2020).  100 cases.   Do I have to work from home again?  Why do I secretly wish that ………. (fill in the blank).

Thank you, Prof. Datuk Ir. Dr. Wahid bin Omar

How time flies!  He was elected as the VC of UTM in 2013 – a year after I finished my PhD.  He was the third VC that I had since I started working at UTM.  Even though I never get the chance to know him personally, when the leaking pipe incident happened, he made a point to make sure that all units/department including my faculty would do something about the safety measure and management of the buildings at UTM.  Of course, there is certain lost that was incurred due to the incident and I have to bear with it but having a VC who cares really matters.

Thank you, Prof.  When I received the email from your officer, it really made my day.

COVID-19: Another spring clean project

I find it hard to find face mask connector at shops or malls.  Perhaps I don’t go out that much and find any that I fancy.  One of my seniors gave me the face mask connector that she made using an elastic and buttons.  But it is too big for me.  I cannot use it for myself.  I keep it in my bag with extra unused face mask just in case somebody might need it.

It has been a while since my last upcycling project.  As I look at left-over fabrics that I have from my last projects, I find some that I can use to make as a  face mask connector.

Here are some of the face mask connectors.

I don’t have enough button. So, I use brooch instead. The buttons that I used here were taken from my old PJs. I cannot use the old PJs fabric, so I just take the buttons.

COVID-19: Spring clean and upcycling project

This fabric was from the orientation week baju kurung of UUM circa 1994.  Yup.  Not mine though.  It was from my sister’s baju kurung.  She upcycled it long time ago into a pillow case.  But some parts of the fabric were torn.

When I was “cleaning” my late mom’s cupboard, I found this old pillow case.  She kept the torn pillow case and here I am turning it into another product: a pouch that can fit a passport.

It is a pouch
The batik fabric is Noor Arfah Batik. It is fully cotton. Unfortunately, there is no any left-over that I can use to make a face mask though.

Program Kerohanian FSSH bagi Siri 20: Surah Al-Mulk Ayat 1-5

     Tarikh / Hari     :      27 Ogos 2020 (Khamis)
      Masa                   :      11.00 pagi
      Pembimbing   :      Dr. Aminudin bin Hehsan
      Tajuk                   :      Keagungan Kerajaan Allah – Surah Al–Mulk, Ayat 1-5
  • Surah Al-Mulk akan menjadi syafaat kepada orang yang membacanya

Intipati ayat 1-5:

  • Ayat 1:
    • Surah Al-Mulk dimulai dengan perkataan di mana Allah Membesarkan Dirinya dari sudut pemberian keberkatan dan nikmat yang tidak dapat terkira meskipun nikmat dan keberkatan diberikan kepada semua individu adalah berbeza
    • Berkaitan dengan Surah Al Tahrim: Ayat 10-11.  Hati manusia itu di tangan Allah.  Kehebatan dan keagungan di bawah kuasa Allah SWT.  Dua ayat tersebut menunjukkan 2 contoh isteri kepada 2 orang Nabi.  Ia menunjukkan bahawa nikmat hidayah Allah dikurniakan kepada siapa yang diinginiNya, bukan yang diingini oleh manusia.  Manusia mempunyai had kekuasaan dalam merealisasikan keinginan.
    • Pandemik COVID-19 digeruni oleh semua orang.  Ia menunjukkan kekuatan dan kekuasaan Allah SWT yang tidak dapat ditentang dan dihalang oleh manusia atau ciptaanNya yang lain.
  • Ayat 2: 
    • Surah Al-Mulk banyak nilai-nilai berbentuk ancaman dan juga amaran tentang balasan terhadap dosa.  A wake up call surah.  Ayat kedua ini menekankan tentang aspek kematian (sebab itu kematian – al maut – didahului oleh kehidupan – al hayat).
    • Kehidupan merupakan ujian yang diberikan kepada individu.  Ujian yang diberikan berbeza mengikut kategori manusia.  Contoh: Ujian seorang Nabi berbeza dengan individu yang bukan Nabi.  Setiap daripada manusia akan diuji, dan tidak terlepas dari ujian besar mahupun kecil yang berbeza antara satu sama lain (Rujuk Surah Al Fajr: Ayat 15-16).  Allah SWT memberikan ujian berdasarkan perkadaran yang diketahui oleh Allah SWT.  Kekayaan merupakan ujian seperti kemiskinan.  Dengan ujian kekayaan, seorang insan boleh sama ada menjadi lebih jauh dari Allah SWT atau istidraj atau menjadi lebih dekat kepada Allah SWT.  Dengan ujian kemiskinan juga, seorang boleh menjadi mulia di sisi Allah dan sebaliknya.
  • Ayat 3: 
    • Allah SWT mencipta 7 lapisan langit.  Allah SWT melontarkan soalan (mencabar) untuk manusia fikirkan: Adakah ketidakseimbangan, ketidaksempurnaan, kekurangan dan kecacatan pada ciptaanNya?
    • Allah SWT mencabar untuk manusia lihat kembali (berkali-kali) tentang ciptaanNya.
  • Ayat 4: 
    • Allah SWT mencabar untuk manusia lihat kembali (berkali-kali) tentang ciptaanNya.  Ayat ini mengulang kembali cabaran Allah SWT untuk manusia untuk mencari ketidakseimbangan, ketidaksempurnaan, kekurangan dan kecacatan pada ciptaanNya.
    • Allah SWT menegaskan meskipun berkali-kali kita mencuba mencari ketidakseimbangan, ketidaksempurnaan, kekurangan dan kecacatan pada ciptaanNya, kita tidak akan berhasil dan malahan berasa hampa.
  • Ayat 5: 
    • Allah SWT mencipta alam lain yang sangat banyak (dikiaskan sebagai bintang-bintang di langit – yang kita sebagai manusia mampu lihat sebagai bintang yang kita lihat sebagai perhiasan langit, panduan kepada pelayar, alat merejam syaitan – Rujuk Surah Al Saffat: Ayat 6-10).
    • Alam yang dicipta Allah SWT amat banyak dan manusia tidak mampu untuk mengetahui kesemuanya.  Oleh yang demikian, patutkah sebagai manusia, kita berasa sombong dan berasa kita berkuasa?  Kita patut sentiasa muhasabah tentang diri kita.  Tiada jaminan tentang kehidupan kita kecuali ianya bergantung kepada Allah SWT.
Perkara yang patut dilazimi
  • Baca surah Al Sajadah dan Al-Mulk sebelum tidur (amalan Rasullullah SAW)

COVID-19: Youtube creator? Youtube Training? Me?

I got this email from Youtube (I never thought that they will send you email and stuff).  In the email, it gives me a summary of my channel and some tips on improving the visibility, interactivity and attractiveness of my future video(s).

These are the 5 tips I can do to shake up my channel that Team Youtube gives me.

  1. Know your Analytics tools. Notice any patterns? Find out what’s working and what isn’t.
  2. Quality over quantity. Create a release schedule that works for you and your fans.
  3. Get inspired. Keep your finger on the pulse–watch what other creators are doing, take cues from current events, and stay in tune with pop culture.
  4. Program with purpose. Set goals, build out a content outline, and remember, do what you love.
  5. Test, learn, repeat. If it’s working, awesome. If not, try something new!

Youtube also has trainings on various things: Gaming, Collaboration with other Youtubers and such.  Collaborating with other Youtubers?  I have few names that came across my mind immediately but it has been a while since I see any new stuff from them (they are getting busier I guess off lately to create new videos).

As I browse further on the whatever links that Youtube gives me, I realise that there are serious stuff going on.  The training has assessment ok! Man, I should take this thing seriously.  I know some of my colleagues might say that I am wasting my time learning this new thing whereas I already bog down with so many other stuff: research, publication, teaching yada yada yada…. the list goes on.  But, I should keep myself updated with new ICT skills, right?

Being someone who hold on to the belief of “slow professor“, I need to give myself a chance to learn new thing at my own pace.  Some of my colleagues also notice that I am a bit slow in learning ICT.  Hey, at least I am trying my best here!

So, should I participate in the Youtube training provided by Youtube Creator Academy?  Should I give it a go?