27.1.24 Thoughts on teaching sdg for 2 semesters

 Interesting to see how this year's students understand a very general view of writing their personal assignment essays. Compared to last year, they all are very smart and creative in writing a very personal stories on their own experience in practicing SDG. 

Below is one sample from this year's assignment.

I have damaged skin barrier

3.1.2024

Started to feel gradual increase in itchiness on my face for the past few weeks. And it burns so bad even on sunscreen. And my sunscreen or anything applied will look super oily within few minutes. 

List of products used before:

The ordinary peeling solution 1x/week

Garnier vitamin C serum~1x/2 weeks

Garnier anti-acne serum 3x daily

Sunscreens with salicylic acid daily

Etude Facewash milk daily

Deriva (adapalene) daily

All these products are damaging and thinning my face. Decided to skincare-fast for few weeks. Today is week 2.

Products used to repair:

Centella light cleansing oil daily

Simple facewash 2x daily

CICAPLAST BAUME B5+ 2x daily

After 2 weeks, skin looks less oily,  and no burns. Tried using Etude Milk facewash every other day. Slowly incorporate few actives. 

*Inspired by Dr Shah on TikTok 😁

*Update*

25 Feb 2024

Bad breakouts. Just got off the cruise, been the worst had almost 10 new acne. 

Tried 🆕 skin care:

La roche posay Effaclar duo 2x daily

CICAPLAST BAUME B5+ 2x daily

Gladerma benzac 5% on spots

Acne looks dried quickly from the benzac. Effaclar made my skin tight, so i layered with cicaplast and sometimes COSRX oil free ultra moisturizing lotion. A bit oily but less than last month. 

22 July 2022

Was talking to a colleague yesterday and realized I wasn't one to actively seek for information. I would take what's presented to me as is. There may be time that I did google on people, but only when it intrigued me that much. I know people who google others constantly, they said to get ideas for conversations later on or just to know the person. And these 2 people I know are very successful and deemed to be smart, trusted people. 

Maybe I should start being inquisitive, seeing that in this branding aid book I'm currently on it is a good attribute if we know how to use it nicely. Inquisitive is equivalent of being nosy. People may think you are. But twist it around by explaining why you ask all those questions. Yep I think my colleagues did explained when I was looking weird at them when they were googling people casually. I was horrified inside, but play it cool. These people were definitely googling me when I wasn't around. Now that I am here, they'd lose interest and move on. 

15.5.2022

I am not the only one who felt wearing selipar jepun is ugly AF. Had a chat in pantry the other day with a very senior colleague whose been in government sector for over 20 years. She said when first came to this institution, she had keep up appearances with heels and nice clothes. Looking at the higher position people dressing down, wearing slippers in office made her change and being sloppy dressed is the choice now. It's easier and comfy. But ugly. But that's how everyone is anyway. 

I'm conforming to the culture too. Stupid but I'm trying to fit in! Haha. Wrong reason. 

Never thought I'd feel unattached. Distance from my family/home when I lost one parent. Don't feel like spending that much time time anymore, other than my own home. Maybe it just don't feel home anymore. When you lost a mother. I feel content just being by myself. Could be that I'm old enough to only want my own company. Could be I still long for one that I lost. 

14.5.2022

Home is where you office is (phd student strategies to complete writing)

When your home is your office. It's hard to differentiate the space. I had my study desk in my bedroom, since I did my master degree, and now in my phd years. Recently I moved to a bigger bedroom, and had my study desk and my TV in the same room. It was difficult. 

I almost had 0 time on my desk at one point. I can sit for hours watching TV, just beside my desk. I started googling strategies to focus doing work/study. 

I tried too many strategies. 

1. Sit for 3 to 4 hours at the desk, prepare all my meals and water on the desk. So I don't have to get up for coffee or snacks. Only up for bathroom breaks. It worked for a couple of days, then I got bored and being lazy again. 

2. Lazy because of anxiety. Refer to vlog: James Hayton Phd (youtube vlogs)

So I carefully rewired my brain to think of the success it brings if I do my phd work now. Think of all the fun things I can spend my time on if I actually finish my work early on. It doesn't work for long, infact this one lasted shorter than the 1st strategy. 

3. Spent 15 minutes only. Not more and not less. Do your work, whatever it is for only 15 minutes. Do as fast as you can. So I told myself, sit at your desk for 15 minutes, then you're free to go do whatever you want. And I ended up sitting there for hours, sometimes 4 hours staright. This one did actually worked for me! I competed my 1st thesis draft with this strategy. 

So don't be afraid to try several tricks before settling on one. And don't be too frustrated if it worked for a while, then you're drifted again. It's okay to be bored with one thing, and find another. There's no hard rule for a strategy to work. It all depends on your mood and motivation. 

Good luck to everyone and myself!

It's vaccination day for me. Wish me luck.

TGM

14 July 2021

Phd student's routine (vaccine appointment)

I have submitted my first thesis draft to my supervisors. This is my daily routine:

1) Checking emails every 2 to 3 hours, just in case my SVs replied after reviewing the draft (it's day-16 since I sent it to them!).

2) Checking mysejahtera vaccine appointment. I got my appointment today! 4 days to go.

Thankful for the vaccine appointment, I think it came unexpectedly early for me. I saw on Instagram that Klang Valley had started phase 3. I didn't know N. Sembilan speeds up. I had filled up vaccine forms 3 times for UM, 1 for IIUM. My colleagues had been called, replacing people in IIUM PPV. UM had been collecting names for astrazeneca. I was hopeful to be called. Set my phones on high volume during the day, so I wouldn't miss if any PPV call. 

It went viral about last week, that younger people had registered mysejahtera since Feb, but haven't been called for vaccination. I checked mine it was on the 23 Feb. They said to filled up helpdesk, write down that you've registered since Feb. So I did last week. I got automated email reply explaining unfortunate circumstances and I wasn't hopeful. Woke up today and saw a small mysejahtera icon. Mysejahtera never send notification, I knew it was either for vaccines or call for swab testing. I got my vaccine appointment on the 14th July.

Yeay!

TGM

10 JULY 2021

1st thesis draft

I'm still waiting for my 1st thesis draft to be reviewed by my supervisor. Its been 12 days since. A friend with the same supervisor said it took 1 to 2 months for my SV to review and return it back to us. 

In the meantime I scheduled my dental appointment for root canal and crown removal from a clinic near my house. I hope it heal fast before my next presentation- thesis seminar or viva. And hopefully the pain is not that horrible. 

I'm guessing everyone became super busy during this pandemic. While I'm here playing the waiting game. 

Senawang

6.7.2021

Phd survival during a pandemic

Endless problem with administrative work sets by who knows.. 

Theres title approval form to be filled. Examiners' nomination, intention to submit, ermm and what else? I'm navigating in the dark. I don't even know if I'm doing the right thing. 

Pandemic closes down all campuses. Emailed administrative people and it might take some time to get a reply, unless you cc your SV. But I'm not yet thinking of exploiting that chance when all I wanted to know now is the process and all the forms I should be filling in. Website doesn't help. Click on the link and not found. 

Luckily I had few friends to ask around. Had some ideas where to begin. Might contact another friend, he's submitting too, faced the same problem as mine. 

My SV was burning up this afternoon on Meet, when they said that SV had to fill up everything?? I said I haven't a clue. Glad they said it's not our fault. It's the system. 

And they said administrative people replied to emails. Of course they did. A friend already told me the secret sauce to cc your SV. Now they asked why don't you? I said I'm afraid they might be busy, she is handling everyone's submission. SV complaint I was too kind. I should cc them next time. I will Prof. 

They complaint about having to fill up Examiners nomination manually, and it take hours, and had to do it twice!. Poor them! I don't know how to response. And while talking on the phone, we were laughing. They said I'm glad that you're laughing, it's not funny, but yeah. 

They said how pitiful the students are. Waiting and clueless. Students are always left clueless. Because we're easy target. Young and powerless. In need of guidance. Our future's in the hands of these administrative and lecturers. That's all we have to survive. Be kind and nice to both parties, you'll likely thrive. If you're nasty to one, you'll still survive, but you won't thrive. Well, I may not even be looking to thrive now. I only want to survive honestly. Surviving phd in this pandemic could be equal to surviving covid. You either die on course or you survive catching your breath again.

TGM

28.6.2021

Doing phd is not all flowery. Small thing sucks bad. Hearing your friend is submitting sucks! Real bad. So it's good to have this monthly meeting for us phd suckers for reality check. Or else tenggelam in your own disaster you created. 

At least i feel bad when others are far ahead of me. And when i know I'm nowhere near or able to catch-up. Ni semua permainan dunia

7 May 2020

It's not that I'm overly passionate about what i do. This is real. You may have children and soon they will leave the nest. Or migrate overseas. All you can see of them is during raya or Christmas. Lepas tu spend all year waiting and dreading for the next raya. Seriously build your own circle of social life outside of your nuclear family. Make life-long friends with your office colleagues. Your school/uni friends. They're likely to be living closer to you. Go for lepak and kopi and sembang kari. Those sembang kari will likely make your brain stay active and reduce risk of dementia (nyanyuk lah). Some people said do cross word and puzzles, but few really like doing that. I don't.
Sekian pesanan khidmat masyarakat.

10 May 2020

Manuscript Writing

Let's start writing papers like how we want to read others'. I like it when the papers detailed every steps clearly, each difficulties plus how they handle it. I'm glad I learned all these early on. 

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it's really calming when you can have it all in one paper instead of having to find different papers for each section. 

#justsaying

Bebelan student kertu yang belom publish seketul paper pun.

28 Nov 2020

Writing Phd Paper

Let's start writing papers like how we want to read others'. I like it when the papers detailed every steps clearly, each difficulties plus how they handle it. I'm glad I learned all these early on. 

.

it's really calming when you can have it all in one paper instead of having to find different papers for each section. 

#justsaying

Bebelan student kertu yang belom publish seketul paper pun.

21 Dec 2020

Feels like writing but I always woke up with fuzzy brain. Is this me or all writers should go through this fuzzed phase before they go full on writers block!? Lol thats even worse kan. Let's hope we finish what we started and not lose focus. What's  the focus fatin? That freaking red book! Oh ye.. i remember that.

30 Dec 2020

Dumping phd experience here!

Since I'm in my final year of Phd, let's keep a journal and dump everything here for future reading. 

It will be so funny to read back and relive everything. Being full on old people - last time ah... During my time... Long time we ago... That's how old people always starts a conversation.

18/11/2016

I felt numb. After reading the text from the supposed FIL saying the son complaint xda pilihan ke? After my boss gave my pic and said i am berangin. Was it you who wanted to know me. Then you ask xda pilihan? Girls are like chickens in packs you think? 

Luckily i dont put my hope high. Havent told my parents anything yet. I wouldnt want to have someone tak ikhlas like that ever in my life. You can sod off and find others who dont mind being chose by you. 

It hurts. If tak ikhlas then dont ask. Dont ask your sister to ask a person if she wanted to know someone who wants to marry you. I hope my doa will be answered. Allah knows best whats in it for me. 

27/7/2016

I wonder about the mystery of qualitative research that a lot of us researchers are still in the cloud and we do not have a clue. When i heard science people talking about their research i always thought of how easy and simple theirs are since all they have to do is take a bug and grow it and put some meds on it and let it dieor surprisingly   if it grows bigger then it is a success! 

What about those people who studies human's emotions and brain-supposedly not the physical part of the brain- that needs a lot mysterious interpretation not by some simple numbers to determined? Now they dont usually get praised by their finding when they suddenly discovered that human does have brains. Or when human react to something it is because of a trigger that cause them to react that way. And then we can anticipate that reaction. That needs a lot of mindful observation and mysterious brain calculation. 

27/6/2016 Ramadhan

I have come to term with Allah swt that it must be very delighted and the best thing ever to meet Him. He must be the greatest of all. It is like i am super awed being in Disneyland, which is man made, man which was made by Him, it must be super duper awesome to meet the creator of all creators! 

9/5/2016

When facebook becomes my uno numero source of information. How pathetic i am. I do not want to admit to that but i am convinced 95% of my generation looks up facebook for sharing information. Which is good. All the useful sleep information and career advice, lol to that, were from facebook. I openly tell my students to go look for youtube and watch videos there, and unabashedly quoting facebook for information. It is useful because all the links leads to legit websites. Duh. 

21/4/2016

Everything i do seems to be of learning benefit. Watching youtube videos is learning. On culture, language from native speaker, attitude and motivation of people in first world country. How efficient they are. How motivated they are and most importantly they are very authentic. They created things themselves. If we look at Blooms taxonomy had the highest order of conitive function is synthesizing. You create something with a prior knowledge of the specific things. And that is where we should be heading. Creating. Being the creator. 

My mood and motivation to stay in this job is up and down. When i have a lot of pressure from work and people i felt like not doing this. But when i feel a little relax, as today was, i want to stay in this profession. 

Now the biggest problem for me is scholarship since i really want to go study abroad i have to apply for outside scholarship. Hopefully i will. I have an interview with Nottingham people next week. I will answer whatever i have in my mind and throw a few questions to them. Lol! Don't judge.