reality bites~

Who comes to the lab at 7 o'clock in the morning on a Saturday?

That's my reality.

"Haih... Back to reality..."

That was what Fera said whilst packing her bag for home yesterday, after spending 5 days in the Coast. She came to Oz to have her long-overdue-holiday and of course, to visit me! ;-) (Perasan! Heh..) It was really really nice having her around. I never had a Malaysian friend or family member visiting me at the Sunshine Coast before (except Mr. Hubby). And Fera flew all the way from Malaysia! I remembered she commented on one of my blogpost before, saying she'll definitely come and visit me anytime, anywhere if she has the money. She did, indeed.

We could be considered as besties but I think people don't really see it. (I don't really see it either sometimes. Haha!) We knew each other when we were 13, were in the same class throughout our secondary school years and back then we have our own life and interests; she has her own 'group' of friends whereby I'm friends with everyone (Huhuhu..), she's one of the school's dancer while I'm with the school marching band, she's a cadet while I'm with the school marching band (Yes, the school band was my life!) and people don't see us together that much. We did however studied together every morning at 4am for a few months before our PMR exams, have our heart to heart sessions on life whenever it's needed (at the corridor outside the class?!) and went on a backpacking-sort-off-trip for a week to Langkawi 2 years after school. I supposed we did got closer after school ended as we lived nearby each other then. After 10 years since our crazy backpacking-sort-off-trip (mandi kat surau malam2 buta before naik bas!!!), we still have that closeness feeling eventhough we don't talk on the phone every other day or meet up every other week. We just try to be there for each other and hope for the best.

Enough about our out-of-this-world-friendship, let's see how fun the Coast can be! Hikhik!

Fera arrived Sunday night. I was lucky enough to be able to pick Fera up personally and greet her as she enters the international arrival hall. BIG THANKS to Ana & Cindy and also the sister ;-), Nubia, for their help! Ana drove me to Brisbane airport and Cindy as the co-pilot, accompanied me to greet Fera at the arrivals, drove us back home to Maroochydore and even stopped for food eventhough it was kinda late.

After Fera settled in and had a shower, it was time for bed. We didn't sleep until about 3.30am. Talking about years of catching up, eh?! Huhuhu... 

I woke up around 8 the next morning (I was hungry!!!), made breakfast and had to have it first coz Fera wasn't up till about 9ish. We just chilled for a bit and I initially planned to have Fera visit the Uni, Mooloolaba, the Plaza, etc for the day until I received a phone call from the x-ray lab. Oh yes people, I'm 13 weeks pregnant. Woohooo!!! :-) The lab wanted to reschedule my 12-14 weeks scan from Tuesday (7/12), to Thursday (9/12) and to another lab in Caloundra instead of at the Chancellor Park (the later is easier for me to go as it's near Uni). After asking for other options, I can actually do it on the next day, Tuesday (30/11). Yeay! I won't be by myself for my first ever ultrasound scan as Fera's gonna be accompanying me (Lucky she'd loved to be with me for the scan! Pepandai jek assume Fera nak ikut kan.. Huhuhu..). The only thing was I needed to get my blood taken for some tests to be analysed together with the scan results and I had to do it before the scan. So, Fera's Monday afternoon was spent with me at Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology lab, a tour of USC campus and groceries shopping at Coles. We didn't stay up too late that night. Heh...
I couldn't really remember what we did Tuesday morning. Kite buat ape ek Fera??!!! I could only remember I had to drink 1 litre of water at 1.30pm and hold it in till the ultrasound scan appointment at 3. Oh and yes, I kinda threw up a bit before we went out (probably because I was swallowing 500 ml of water in 30 seconds!). After the scan, we went to the seafood shop. Chips ahoy!!! Hahaha! Fera had fish cutlets & heaps of hot chips. I had potato wedges. It's supposed to be a snack but it turned out to be our dinner. We think the bloke at the shop gave us too much chips. More than it's worth. Oh well, we're not complaining. Hehe... After all the food, we chat and chat and chat until we fell asleep.

All the pictures are with Fera. She'll probably post them in Facebook sometime soon.
For now, let me show you the tiny being in me! Hikhik!



When I'm lying on my back, I'm about 6.61 cm. :-)

Ahhhh.. This is the life...



I have one hand by my side;



The other hand on my face. Or forehead?? Huhuhu...

How's my profile? Hehehe.. ;-)

Wednesday was a  half-day trip to Eumundi Markets. It rained when we got there but it didn't stop us to go shopping!!! Hehehe.. The weather did got better anyways. I had a meeting at 3 in Uni, so Fera went home and she had the house all to her self. We made pizza for dinner and kinda had an early night coz we need to catch an early bus for Brisbane city the next day. We nearly missed the bus for Eumundi that morning so, lesson learned! Huhuhu...

More shopping for Fera in the city and Fera's first words after setting her foot out of the train station; It's truly a city! (City nyerrr!!!). Brisbane city is truly a big one when compared to Sunshine Coast, eh?! Heh... I was kinda tired by the time Fera finished her shopping and we had lunch. Fera was being so understanding as I told her I wanted to take her for a stroll along the Southbank, etc but I don't really have the energy even after so much food. Huhuhu... We ended heading home by 1 and was in Maroochydore by 3. I slept almost all through the train ride and I think it gave me some energy afterwards. We went to the cheesecake shop and Bloomhill's Op Shop in town. More shopping! Hahaha! As we were heading home, Fera reminded me that we had to make bookings for her airport transfer the next evening. I totally forgot about that! We can do it on the phone but I had to get access to my bank account to transfer money to my Visa debit card to be used for the booking. We had to have internet access on a PC. We went back out to the Plaza, sort everything out, had a walk around the Plaza (luckily it was Thursday and the shops were still open at 6pm) and had kebabs. Fera sure loves the kebabs! :-p

Fera had a bit of sleep in Friday morning while I went to the lab. When I came home around 11.30, lunch was ready!!! It was the best feeling ever!!! Best betol ade org masakkan nasik & lauk!!!Sambal ikan bilis, lettuce masak air & telur dadar. Sodapppp!!!! :-) Although we were tempted to just lie in bed (coz the weather was just perfect for that!), after Zuhur prayers, we went to Mooloolaba beach and walk along the Esplanade. We were home by 5.30 and Fera did her last minute packing and got ready. I managed to cook some fried rice noodles (bihun goreng) for Fera in case she gets hungry while waiting to board the plane at the airport.



Waiting for the shuttle.. She came with a suitcase & a box. Went home with an extra box. Hehehe.. :-p

No drama, no loud cries (eventhough I got teary walking back to the house after the shuttle picked Fera up and cried when Mr. Hubby called to see if I was okay!!!Ishhh!!Blame it on the hormones!!!Haha!).

I really hope Fera had a wonderful time. I know I wasn't the best host but I hope I've given Fera the holiday she needed. I know she's happy coz she was eating none-stop while she was with me. Sometimes we wondered who's the pregnant one?! Hikhik! :-p

Thank you so much for coming all the way from Malaysia, Fera!!! It was one of the most amazing & unforgettable week. You know I'm always here for you and praying the very best for you. Love you so much my dear friend. Miss you already!!! Take care, Fera!

xoxoxo

Cheers!

PS: Really hope the lil one will be healthy and strong. Pray for us y'all!!!

Mini Cuppies

I can't rotate the photo!! Oh well, these are the mini-cuppies I made for Bonnie's birthday... :-)

I was invited to a birthday party last Saturday afternoon at Mudjimba. It's near Peregian Springs and the Sunshine Coast Airport. Only 15 minutes drive from my place. It was one of my lab-friend's birthday. Happy birthday Bonnie! I had a wonderful time and thank you so much for having me. Hope all your wishes come true and many happy returns! Thanks a million to Nikki too for driving Aycan and me to Bonnie's. I can say my carrot-cake-mini-cuppies and vegie-curry-puffs was a success. Very tough competition from Aycan; very yummy Turkish cookies and cheese Turkish bread! I don't think I can beat that. And Nikki's Pavlova was just to die for! There was so much food and because Bonnie's vegetarian, I had no problem not being able to have the BBQ sausages and steaks. Although the smell was very tempting! Huhuhu...

Cheers!

~a journey to the big city~

My idea of starting my celebration of Eid usually involves an express bus from Kuala Lumpur to Johor Bahru, driving for 3 to 4 hours, or catching a ride with my sister or brother to go back to my hometown. Ever since I was 18, I've  traveled a fair bit interstate; mainly KL to JB and back. This year the traveling is a bit different though; particularly for Eid ul-Adha that was celebrated on the 27th November. I'm not exactly going back to a small, quiet hometown-like-place, rather going to the big city; Brisbane. Well, not that big, big, but bigger than Maroochydore; the nearest big town/city from USC. =) A bus ride and an express train ride which took 2 hours altogether takes me from USC to Brisbane city. I stopped by Fortitude Valley to buy some food from the Asian foodstore and wanted to have a retail therapy at the city but was too tired and went straight to St Lucia to the comfort of 243 Carmody Road... =) I've not been spending time with the St Lucia clan and a 'Taringan" (she's renting at Taringa..Hehe..), kinda miss them, so, Eid ul-Adha is a perfect reason for me to bug their lives...hehehe... Once there, I immediately learned how to make an Apple crumble, courtesy of Aina who despite fasting, had a craving for it. Well, I didn't exactly learned how to make it, I basically watched and amused her while she got down to work. Haha! ;-) 

For dinner, we had fried rice, garlic bread and Domino's pizza (specially from Taringa!Heh...) and complete with dessert; apple crumble! Yum! After dinner, our chef, Intan, along with Su and chief chef, Aina (:p), cooked 'lontong' for the next day's feast.  Everyone then just enjoy each others company while watching a string of reality shows on TV. Heh...

Yummy Lontong!!! 

Alhamdulillah, we carried out our Eid ul-Adha prayers at Mt. Gravatt showgrounds Friday morning and there was a mini carnival going on. Courtesy buses took us to the showgrounds and back to UQ.

Eid ul-Adha prayers...

As always, a visit to their homely place always makes me too lazy to go back to the Sunny Coast. The hot weather doesn't help as well. Oh so lazy to go out of the house! Huhuhu...  Initially, I only planned to stay a night in Brissy but instead it turned out to be a 3-nights stay. Heh...

We went for a night out in the city Friday night. Dinner at Satay Club Noodle House followed by endless picture snaps of ourselves and the solar-powered Christmas tree at King's Cross.

My dinner... (Kalau kat Mesia tak pandang nih! Haha! Eksyen!)

 Solar-powered Christmas tree at King's Cross

I went shopping on Saturday. I just bought a shirt and bananas. (Bananas? Haha!) We watched movies on DVD that night and we just talk and laugh and talk and laugh and talk... You get the idea. Six girls under one roof wouldn't be so quiet. Hehehe... And yes, I made a new friend as well. Emi, who came to Brissy from Melbourne for a conference. I've only realized that I don't have a decent picture of her and with her. I guess that won't be a problem thanks to Facebook and we'd probably meet again someday soon. Ahaks... ;)

I always forget how much fun I could have and how happy I am when I'm with my friends in Brissy. I just wish we weren't that far apart, or at least it'll be more convenient if I have a car. I guess for now, it makes me appreciate the time spent with them more.

Thanks so much for everything. You girls are the best!

 After the Eid ul-Adha prayers. Going home to 'Lontong'! hehe.. :p


Cheers!

♫ ♪ Music and Dance ♪ ♫

Music has always been a part of my growing up days. I couldn’t really remember when it all started but I do remember taking electric organ classes when I was around 7 – 12 years old. I think. I remembered going to Yamaha Centre in Taman Pelangi and then I had private classes with an organ teacher in Stulang. What’s her name eh, Yan? My sister, Yan was also taking classes and she’s way better than me.

I stopped taking the classes when I started highschool. I was in a boarding school, which eventhough was 15 minutes drive to my home; I wasn’t allowed to go home except on certain weekends – 10 weekend-outings each year. Or maybe 12. Hhmmm... I couldn’t really remember. Anyways, apart from the school’s education excellence, the school’s marching band had a great reputation. It was the most talked about and respected school band in the state of Johor; and probably Malaysia! Hehe... Ahhh.. Those were the days... Yeah, I was a member of the school band. My whole highschool years were literally so much fun and memorable because of the school band. I was at first a bit scared and not really sure if I should join. I even asked Yan if she thinks it’s a good idea for me to try out. She was a band member herself after all. She didn’t really say anything. I ended up deciding for myself. I guess back then, she was like a super senior (she was in her final year of highschool) while I’ve just started highschool; I don’t know if she really wants to be seen talking to me?! You know, probably it’s not cool or something. Haha! Seniority was like a very big thing then. At least in my school it was. I used to be terrified of the seniors; even those a year older than me. Huhuhu... Nowadays, the school band is not as what it was then. Sad, but I guess there’s not much I can do about it. I wish I could. *Sigh*

Great moments!!!

After highschool, I wanted to join the Uni’s orchestra but it was not open to students who are not doing a music course. I was a bit sad; disappointed mostly. It was not until I was finishing my MSc that an orchestra club was formed and opened to all students. But by then, I was too lazy to care. Even so, I was always a sucker for band competitions, battle of the drums, cheer!, orchestras, dance shows, musicals and anything that can make me move... Hehehe... I was also into theatres and plays. However, being a student, it was always a free one or at a minimum cost. Heh... It was always fun nonetheless. =)

Along the years and until now, music was one of my best buddies. An escape to a world of no worries, a shoulder to cry on, my dance partner ;), a splash of hope, romantic dreams, a bright smile, a wish come true, a lullaby of restless nights, a lab-work friend, an inspiration, and my loyal study mate in the early mornings, late nights or any time of day. It was also what breaks the ice between me and my dearest on our first meeting... Ahaksss!! ;)

Ah yes... I was also very lucky to have been invited by my friends in Brisbane to join them for the Multicultural Festival. It was a while ago – 18^th October. Thanks Aina for remembering me! It was last minute but I’m glad I’ve decided to go. Su was torn between her cosy room and the fest. She opts for the former but K. Maz was happy to come with us. Well, it was going to be the two of them if I decided not to go. As usual, it was a great day out! Of course there were great musical performances and guess what?! Yummy food!!! Hehehe... 

Irish music....

Great company!!!

Yummy!!!

Cheers! =)

~the best of both worlds~

Why I chose to do my PhD in USC? Most people back home never heard of it. Most people in Oz don't really know about the Uni. And I can only say I'm here by the act of God. ;-) I guess I have my own reasons and one was that I was looking for research projects that I'm interested in and can be of benefit to the industry; locally and when I go home one day. I didn't want to be doing a research that is too focused and too fundamental. And I just have a feeling that I'll do great here with the help of my wonderful supervisor. Insha'Allah. :-)

It's not all a bed of roses, though. I suppose that's what you get when you're doing a research and to have people calling you 'Doctor' after you're done; there's gotta be more than just experiments and reports. You've gotta be creative, innovative, sweat a lot and cry bloody tears! Haha! Now that's over-exaggerating! I guess most people know its hard work. Nonetheless, it's very possible. I'll take it as a challenge. ;-)

Anyways, I'm starting to feel that USC is my now home. Well, nothing beats my home sweet home but.. you know what I mean..heh.. Em... I'm not yet as comfortable as I can be in UPM, but I'm getting there. It's a really small Uni but I learn new things about USC almost everyday. I attended USC Research Conference yesterday and it was really an eye-opener. This Uni has big potentials. It's starting to make its mark and is growing really fast. There's a lot to say about the Uni. But what better ways to get to know the Uni than browsing the website; University of the Sunshine Coast ;-)

On a lighter note, I spent a Sunday out with my lab friends. It was awesome! The weather was really nice, the food was good, the beach was beautiful, the dessert was heaven (ice-cream!!!hehe..) and most importantly the company was great. I really had fun. I was a little bit tired when I got home. Probably it was due to being under the sun for quite a long period of time. Well, I'm always indoors and rarely out in the sun. Huhuhu... We did also stopped by at an Asian grocery store at 157 Brisbane Road. I didn't buy anything coz I couldn't really make up my mind. I wanted almost everything they have in the store! Heh...

At the end of the day, I think, it's all about being happy and counting our blessings. And for me, it's also about satisfaction. I thanked God for everything, always and to everyone who's kind enough to be a part of my life.

Kudos to us! Heh... ;-)

Cheers!