Kursus Membina Mahligai

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim

Sejak di Matrikulasi, saya melihat bahawa kursus pra-perkahwinan dijalankan di mana-mana. Menjejaki UIAM, Gombak, semakin banyak poster promosi kursus tersebut dengan menawarkan harga yang murah dan sah laku sijil seumur hidup. Menghabiskan sisa menyiapkan tesis, saya masih tidak terbuka hati untuk mendaftarkan diri. Beberapa ajakan teman saya tolak sejak dulu lagi. Janji saya pada diri sendiri, kursus ini akan dihadiri ketika saya sudah ada calon yang pasti, dan dia harus dengar bersama agar menjadi peringatan antara satu sama lain untuk membina sebuah mahligai berpaksikan bahagia.

Alhamdulillah, saya hadiri juga. Dua hari adalah sekadar permulaan yang masih belum memulakan. Terima kasih buat dia yang sudi menemani dan menghadiri bersama. Doa saya agar dia sering mengingatkan kerana diri ini sering alpa.

Alhamdulillah, sesi kursus dan perkongsian membuahkan hasil yang positif kepada para peserta. Jika ada yang negatif, kita jadikan sempadan dan pengajaran. Saya membenarkan kata-kata seorang ustaz yang pernah menyebut bahawa kursus pra-perkahwinan sering tidak diambil serius dan menjadi medan ketawa dan mendengar ceramah berunsur lucah. Jika yang lucu dan lucah itu sahaja diambil kira, kenapa tidak mengambil usaha untuk mencari input dan peringatan yang lebih penting untuk kegunaan membina bahagia? Saya cuba membuang jauh unsur-unsurr negatif kerana tujuan saya hadir adalah sebagai persediaan untuk masuk ke alam baru yang barangkali penuh pancaroba walau secara mata kasarnya ia adalah keseronokan yang dinantikan semua..

Saya tertarik dengan satu soalan yang diajukan oleh seorang penceramah. Soal beliau, "sejak bermula tahun ini menuju ke hari pernikahan, berapa banyak buku yang anda telah dan akan baca?". Menurut pemahaman analisis saya, baca di sini membawa maksud sebagai persediaan dan mengambil langkah berjaga-jaga untuk mengahadapi setiap kemungkinan yang akan berlaku setelah bergelar seorang isteri atau suami, seterusnya menggalas tanggungjawab sebagai ibu atau pun ayah. Soalan tersebut saya ajukan berkali-kali kepada diri saya...

Saya juga merenung tentang kehebatan Allah yang menjadikan makhluk bernama lelaki dan perempuan yang kedua-duanya mempunyai keunikan tersendiri, dan kemudian mereka akan selami kehidupan bersama dengan pelbagai perbezaan. Apabila syari'atullah diambil kira, sunnatullah tidak boleh dilupakan sama sekali. Syari'atullah mengatur agar hubungan akan halal dengan menuruti rukun-rukun nikah, tapi sunnatullah juga perlu untuk memahami hikmah kejadian Tuhan yang menjadikan sikap dan kejadian seorang lelaki atau perempuan itu dengan kejadian yang khas dan istimewa.

Selamat memasuki dunia baru..

Selamat mengalami suka dan duka..

Selamat mengharungi ujian Tuhan..

Selamat mencari bahagia..

**Banyak yang mahu dikongsi, tapi masa amat terhad kini. Jumpa di lain hari.. :)

Kuala Mu Kuala Ku Jua

Nama Kuala Mu sudah didengari sejak dulu lagi, namun masa sering tidak mengizinkan. Dan kali ini, peluang yang ada pasti tidak akan dipersiakan untuk XPDC Ziarah Orang Asli di Pos Kuala Mu, Sg Siput, Perak pada 21-24 Januari. Ini program pertama saya untuk memulakan tahun 2012.

Tidak mahu mencoret panjang. Entri ini sekadar berkogsi beberapa gambar penting yang meceritakan aktiviti yang membentuk suka duka kami sepanjang perjalanan di Kuala Mu. Semua gambar dikreditkan kepada Azhar Mohamed dan Uncle Zul yang dikutip dari SINI.

Deretan kenderaan yang mengujakan. Lokasi: Sebuah Masjid di Sg Siput (Utara)

 Cabaran sepanjang perjalanan

 Kami ada sekolah. Kami tahu membaca dan mengira. Kami tak bodoh!

 Agihan pakaian yang membina senyuman :)

 Ya Tuhan, berkatilah rezeki kami...

 Panggung wayang istimewa

 Ummi yang mencurah nasihat dan kasih-sayang

Sebuah keluarga yang sangat mesra

 InsyaAllah kita pasti bertemu lagi, di lain hari..

Solat jemaah kami yang terakhir di tepian sungai

Salam Sayang

Wordless Wednesday #7

Destinasi: Perjalanan ke Kuala Mu, Perak.

Tarikh: 22 Jan 2012

**Edisi melepas rindu :)

Semangat Patriotik

Alhamdulillah

Kursus selama 5 hari 4 malam berakhir sudah (13-17 Januari 2012). Ini adalah program yang menjadi syarat wajib kepada mereka yang ingin melanjutkan pelajaran lebih tinggi di luar negara. Kali ini, seramai 53 peserta menyertai kursus yang diberi nama baru sempena tahun baru "Program Transformasi Luar Negara" yang diadakan di Akademi Kenegaraan, Jalan Bellamy, KL.

Tidak mahu bercerita panjang, cuma mahu kongsi beberapa input positif yang diperolehi daripada program tersebut. Jika ada yang negatif, kita jadikan sempadan dan simpan sahaja untuk menutup aib sesama saudara.

Jujur saya nyatakan, saya bukan penggemar sejarah, juga bukan melibatkan diri di dalam politik. Akan tetapi, pengalaman menulis tesis berkisar masyarakat Malaysia, dan juga pernah mengajar subjek Pengajian Malaysia (tempoh sementara) membuatkan saya tidak boleh lari dari sejarah Tanah Melayu. Tambahan lagi, saya adalah anak Malaysia!

Impian ke luar negara bukanlah sekadar suka-suka walaupun ada sekelumit perasaan sedemikian. Saya mahu gali ilmu Allah yang luas. Saya mahu lihat kegemilangan Islam di seluruh dunia. Saya mahu merasa tanggungjawab menyampaikan dakwah kepada mereka yang tidak mengenal Islam. Dan apabila saya ke luar kelak, saya membawa jati diri sebagai Muslimah dan juga anak Melayu. Salah satu tujuan kursus ini diadakan adalah supaya anak-anak Malaysia tidak lupa kepada identiti diri dan pulang untuk menuai bakti di Negara sendiri kelak..

Tidak salah cintakan negara. Tidak berdosa menanam semangat patriotik. Malah, setiap daripada kita pasti mempunyai tanggungjawab masing-masing, salah satunya adalah tanggungjawab kepada tanah air. Bukankah sudah ada pepatah Melayu mengatakan: "Hujan emas di Negara orang, lebih baik hujan batu di Negara sendiri". Pasti ada hikmah di sebalik kenyataan ini. 

Walaupun demikian, ada asbab mengapa timbul perasaan tidak senang kepada tanah air, barangkali perasaan sendiri. sombong dan sebagainya. Mungkin juga kerana aspek mempolitikkan tanah air, dan berbagai sebab yang lain. Lalu, timbullah perasaan negatif memudarkan cinta kepada ibu pertiwi. Jika kita perlu menerima baik buruk ibu sendiri, adakah susah menerima baik buruk ibu pertiwi?

Ada lirik lagu yang membuat saya berfikir panjang (terutama tulisan berwarna merah). Lagu ini kami dendangkan pada setiap permulaan program, wacana dan diskusi. Liriknya seperti berikut:

Inilah barisan kita
Yang ikhlas berjuang
Siap sedia berkorban,
Untuk ibu pertiwi!

Sebelum kita berjaya
Jangan harap kami pulang
Inilah sumpah pendekar kita
Menuju medan bakti!

Andai kata kami gugur semua
Taburlah bunga di atas pusara
Kami mohon doa, Malaysia berjaya!

Semboyan telah berbunyi
Menuju medan bakti!

Dan bersyukur juga kerana dapat membina jaringan dengan teman-teman baru pelbagai bidnag yang hebat2 belaka. Jutaan terima kasih kepada para penceramah, fasilitator dan ahli kumpulan kerana menyumbangkan pelbagai input dan perkongsian. Semoga kalian diberkati Tuhan!

Selamat Maju Jaya!

A Girl Who Reads

This entry is purposely to share a quote that I found in Goodreads.
Inspiring! and make me smile by my own self. May this sharing will make others (girls-book-lovers-and-readers) smile too ^__^

“You should date a girl who reads.
Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes, who has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve.

Find a girl who reads. You’ll know that she does because she will always have an unread book in her bag. She’s the one lovingly looking over the shelves in the bookstore, the one who quietly cries out when she has found the book she wants. You see that weird chick sniffing the pages of an old book in a secondhand book shop? That’s the reader. They can never resist smelling the pages, especially when they are yellow and worn.

She’s the girl reading while waiting in that coffee shop down the street. If you take a peek at her mug, the non-dairy creamer is floating on top because she’s kind of engrossed already. Lost in a world of the author’s making. Sit down. She might give you a glare, as most girls who read do not like to be interrupted. Ask her if she likes the book.

Buy her another cup of coffee.

Let her know what you really think of Murakami. See if she got through the first chapter of Fellowship. Understand that if she says she understood James Joyce’s Ulysses she’s just saying that to sound intelligent. Ask her if she loves Alice or she would like to be Alice.

It’s easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas, for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry and in song. Give her Neruda, Pound, Sexton, Cummings. Let her know that you understand that words are love. Understand that she knows the difference between books and reality but by god, she’s going to try to make her life a little like her favorite book. It will never be your fault if she does.

She has to give it a shot somehow.

Lie to her. If she understands syntax, she will understand your need to lie. Behind words are other things: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world.

Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who read understand that all things must come to end, but that you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two.

Why be frightened of everything that you are not? Girls who read understand that people, like characters, develop. Except in the Twilight series.

If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her. You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She’ll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are.

You will propose on a hot air balloon. Or during a rock concert. Or very casually next time she’s sick. Over Skype.

You will smile so hard you will wonder why your heart hasn’t burst and bled out all over your chest yet. You will write the story of your lives, have kids with strange names and even stranger tastes. She will introduce your children to the Cat in the Hat and Aslan, maybe in the same day. You will walk the winters of your old age together and she will recite Keats under her breath while you shake the snow off your boots.

Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads.

Or better yet, date a girl who writes.”
― Rosemarie Urquico

May i add something?

Or it's much more better to say like this:

Marry a girl who reads, writes and appreciates knowledge!

Resepi: MixSo

Jujur! Tak tahu bagaimana mahu menamakannya.. hehe

Ini resepi cuba-cuba, kali pertama mencuba sudah menunjukkan keenakkannya.. :)

Mix bermaksud campuran, manakala So pula adalah singkatan kepada sosej..
Oleh yang demikian, ia membawa erti sosej yang dicampur dengan pelabagi campuran (ok kot?)

Perkara pertama yang perlu dibuat ialah potong sosej mengikut saiz cita rasa masing-masing. Jangan terlalu kecil kerana ditakuti akan hancur, jangan besar sangat kerana susah nak pastikan dah masak ke belum. Yang sedang-sedang aja ya... :)

Sediakan sayur kacang buncis atau kacang panjang yang dipotong bulat-bulat, kecil-kecil. Makanlah sayur untuk diet yang seimbang.. :)

Letak minyak dalam kuali dengan kuantiti yang sedikit, jangan banyak sangat, tak bagus untuk kesihatan. Lebih baik gunakan minyak sayur atau marjerin..

Kalau minyak dah panas, masukkan semua sosej yang telah dipotong, tunggu sehinga masak sedikit, dan masukkan kacang buncis yang dipotong kecil tadi. goreng sehingga rata..

Kemudian, pastikan sosej dan sayur dah masuk, barulah goreng telur bersama sosej tadi. Gaul sampai telur tu hancur, kalau da hancur, letak lah sos cili atau sos black pepper atau sos tomato (mengikut kegemaran masing-masing). Gaul sehingga rata. Tak perlu menambah garam atau perisa MSG, tak bagus untuk kesihatan. Rasa sos yang dicampur sudah cukup untuk selera anda.. Kalau nak pedas, letak cili ya..

Oh ye! Pastikan jangan hangus!

Boleh dihidang dan makan dengan roti gardenia atau roti arab atau lempeng.. :)

Oh lagi satu... Disebabkan namanya MIX, jadi anda berhak untuk mencampur apa saja yang dirasakan enak dan boleh dimakan mengikut selera masing-masing. Boleh letak ayam atau daging yang dipotong kecil, atau udang dan sotong.. Emm, sedap!

Selamat mencuba dan selamat menjamu selera ^___^

**Sering ditegur rakan serumah kerana sejak kebelakangan ini rajin masuk dapur. Ehh, ada apa yang tak kena ke? ^^

Monday's Motivation #1

"To be a great champion, you must believe you are the best. 
If you're not, pretend you are"

-Muhammad Ali-

 Photo: A Robot during Robotic Exhibition 2011 at KL National Science Centre.

Preparation of PhD Proposal

In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful..

Entry for this time is a sharing from a lecturer who generously shared 8 series of How to prepare an excellent PhD Proposal in which his sharing received through email to all academician in USIM. May Allah rewards him with a thousands of God's blessing. So, my purpose in this entry is sharing what I got from him for anyone who intends to further their higher education. May this entry might helps those who always searching the wealth of knowledge..

[SERIES 1] What is a PhD Proposal? 

Proposal is a solid and convincing framework of a PhD thesis that must underline the originality of a research. It also must delineate a significant contribution to the existing intellectual knowledge. The proposal must either challenge or supports the existing literature on the proposed problem. Proposal must also explain that why this particular PhD candidate is the right person to do the proposed research. Proposal must elucidate the originality of the problem and must illustrate what critical thinking and skills used to prove or disprove the problem .

Proposal must explain how the problem going to be solved and how it going to bridge the gap in the existing knowledge.  A well articulated proposal explains the right methodology used to conduct the study and gives logical reasons why this particular methodology is chosen. Inadequately designed research proposal leads to a scantily finished PhD research. As evident from the above discussion, a proposal must answer these questions:  What I am going to do? Who has done similar research? What he/she found? How I am going to do this study? Why this study is so unique? Last but not least, carefully selected academic papers that converse the same problem must be referenced at the end.

[SERIES 2] How to evaluate Problem Statement in a PhD Research Proposal?

A problem statement is a specific condition that needs urgent attention and a possible solution. Problem statement attempts to fill a gap in the existing knowledge that requires serious attention. An excellent problem statement is just a line or two. The rest of the paragraph(s) is its elaboration; possible solution and most importantly who says that it is a problem (cite scholarly references). The problem must generate questions for the research to answer. A PhD proposal problem statement must challenge to answer the following questions:

1. What is the problem? What?
2. Where is the problem? Where?
3. How to solve the problem? How?
4. Why you want to solve the problem? Why?
5. Is the problem current?
6. Will the problem continue in the future if it is not solved?
7. Who is suffering by that problem?
8. Will this problem prove or disprove the existing knowledge?

[SERIES 3] How To Evaluate Literature Review In PhD Proposal Defense?

Review of the literature is the life cycle of every proposal. Literature review connotes a systematic account of documented literature by qualified and accredited scholars and researchers. When writing review of the literature you must show to your examiners and readers that what knowledge has been documented about your problem statement and what knowledge has not been documented yet so that you are about to document it. Your piece of literature must speak loud and clear about your research objectives, questions and your problem statement. As thus, your literature review should define and strengthen your research. It should not be a long list of bibliographic references or a summary of rearticulated materials to persuade your readers.

When evaluating literature review in PhD proposal defense, you must ask yourself:

1. Does the literature review discuss about authenticity of his problem statement?
2. Does the literature review significantly support the severity of his problem statement?
3. Does the researcher agree or disagree with existing knowledge, and why?
4. Is his/her final judgment or conclusion is sound, logical and persuasive?
5. Does the researcher find literature that prove or disprove his problem statement?    

[SERIES 5] How to Write Research Questions for a Proposal? 

As we discussed earlier in the series, there are few significant phases of proposal writing process. To restate, proposal includes title, abstract, introduction, problem statement, research questions, literature review, methodology, result, conclusion and discussion. When choosing your title don’t worry, you can adjust it later. At this stage only configure your title in a way that it designates what type of study you are conducting. Concentrate to the most imperative parts of your proposal such as research questions. Your research question must be brief, relevant, focused and arguable. Good research questions create a corridor to your research. Good research questions are the spine of your proposal and later, in your thesis. The following few tips may help you to write your research questions:

1. Choose a topic that interests you and your readers.
2. Make an investigation on your topic by going through scholarly journals and see what questions are raised by your peers. Take note of what questions are not raised so that you elevate it.
3.  Your research questions should not be answered by simple facts; it must require critical analysis and field tested research. It must be provoking and requires significant examination.
4. Your research questions should be neither very broad nor very narrow. If too narrow, you will have difficulty in finding relevant information.
5. Do not forget to show your research questions to your supervisors before going into details of it.

  

[SERIES 6] How to write your methodology for a PhD Proposal?

Methodology refers to the theoretical analysis of your research while method refers to a systematic and orderly arrangement and measuring of your research. The method of a research designates that how you going to demeanor your research. It also leads you on how to advance with your research.  Method is just like a tool utilized by a researcher to measure the activities of the study. Different methodologies are used with different studies. Thus, methodology indicates rational and idealistic postulation of your study while method refers to the how to do of it. For example: Research on human feelings:

Methodology: Triangulation (Qualitative, Quantitative and Descriptive) mixed.

Method:           Research design, population, sample, instrument, validity, reliability and result and so on.

Some useful points when formulating your research methodology:

1. Choose your methodology based on the type of research you are conducting.
2. Institute a clear and concise affiliation between your study and your methodology.
3. Ask yourself whether this methodology answers your research questions?
4. Provide meaningful reason for choosing your methodology such as literature review.
5. Divide your method into research design, population, sample, instrument, validity, reliability, results and implementation phases.
6. Most importantly are you comfortable with it?  

[SERIES 7] How to Write Results of your PhD Proposal?

Your PhD proposal does not need elaborative results at this point of time. At this stage of PhD proposal writing you have not proved or disproved your problem statement and research questions yet. At this juncture you only hypothesis or anticipate your results in the future. For example let say your topic is about magnesium chloride, you may state hypothetically that this experimental research will prove that magnesium chloride regulates the activities of insulin the hormone that helps control blood glucose levels in diabetic patients. Our discussion about result is still relevant when you come to the result chapter in your PhD thesis, hopefully.

Let us presume that you are in result chapter of your thesis:

Congratulations! Now the time has come to reap what you have sown. You have to declare your findings with text as well as with illustrations. You have to illustrate your findings with evidence so that your problem statement and questions are answered clearly. Your results might be negative or positive. Even though it is a negative finding, still is a significant contribution to the existing knowledge. When you are declaring your results never mention the words such as I, We, or I found that …, we found that…, because it is unprofessional for a scholar to boost. Instead you may state, this research has investigated….., this study has found that…. and so on. Consider the following when reporting your results:

1. Make an introduction (Few lines) at the beginning and a summary (Few lines) at the end of your result chapter. It is nice to inform your readers that what you are about to do and what you have done so far.  Make a habit of doing the same to all of your chapters.
2. Analyze your qualitative data (interviews, survey responses, emails, your own notes, observations, feedback, questionnaires)and quantitative data (statistics, percentages and numbers).Use Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) to analyze (means, S-D, Frequencies, percentages) your data. If you are not expert in SPSS, hire an expert to do the calculation for you.
3. Use deductive (from general to specific) and inductive (from specific to general) to organize collected data. Organize your data based on your research questions and hypothesis.
4. Display your data based on relationships among the collected data and look for supporting evidence.
5. Cross check your data few times for reliability and validity.   
6. So, what did you find from your experimentation? Report without adding any comments of your own.
7. What were the differences? If you are making a comparison. Use T-Test to compare.
8. Analyze your findings to see if it answers your research questions and finds a solution to your problem statement. Again avoid making any comments of your own. 

Save your energy for the conclusion and discussion chapter. Do not forget to report your results in the present form because it sounds soothing and original. Example: The interviews indicate that…….result shows that..

[SERIES 8] How to Write Your Conclusion and Discussion?

Writing a conclusion is as difficult as writing your introduction. One big difference between your introduction and conclusion is that in introduction you pose questions to your audience while in conclusion you answer those questions. However one must remember that a conclusion is not a summary of your introduction even though a paragraph may be the summary of the whole proposal. In discussion you interpret your results and bridge the gap that you promised to do when formulating your Hypothesis.

In summarizing your conclusion and discussion the following may be of help:

1. Explain in plain English what we understand now that we did not understand before. Write for your readers not for yourself. Never mention the words I, We or I found that and so on.
2. Interpret your problem statement and show with evidence from your literature review section that you have indeed bridged a major gap in knowledge.
3. Interpret your hypothesis and problem statement with evidence from your literature review section and give logical reasoning that what you have claimed is in fact true ( Don’t worry; if it is negative or positive still significant). For example a study claimed that Magnesium chloride is not the solution for depression. However, your experimental results show that magnesium chloride is in fact the solution for fighting severe depression. Here you are! Start reasoning and give evidence from scholarly publications that support your hypothesis. Those supportive references should be in your literature review chapter.
4. Discuss and reason about the significant contribution of your experimental research and argue that you have solved a major problem if not it would have continued in the future.
5. Make sure that you reconnect your claims with lots of documented evidence from your literature review to interpret your findings. Lastly do not forget to be concise and to the point, no more no less.

All copyrights are authorized by Dr. Qais Faryadi, FST, USIM.

PhD is not Pizza Hut Delivery, neither Permanent Head Damage, nor Piled Higher and Deeper, nor Post Hole Digger, nor Portable Hard Drive.. (see more HERE)

BUT it is an acronym for Doctor of Philosophy. It is a Present, Hope and Dream. It is also Patiently Hoping for Degree and a Pleasant of Higher Destination.

**All the best Saadah~!

Valuable Memories of 2011

2011 had left us with a lots of memories, happy and sad, angry and cheer, with thousands of thought which only left as a memory for future is waiting us with thousands of hope and love.

I owned my own planner every year. The Diary requires more energy and time compare to the planner. As far as my concern, 2011's planner is fulfilled with various stories and colourful memories. It's written there all my schedules, my simple thoughts, my bad drawing, my tears as well as my wishes..

January 2011 was a beginning to a matured life. I need changes and I changed by remaining what should be same and remained. A wish to submit the dissertation was accomplished, and as a result, a reward of Experia was given to myself with my own money and sweat..

February 2011 made me fly up to the sky. It was a family time to explore the blood kinship in Indonesia. It was also a month of knowledge to increase the level of thinking and discussing the creations of Allah.

March 2011 was running smoothly. Enjoying of working as educator yet tired of thousands styles of students' attitudes. It was also a month when my little brother going back to his beloved-country to further his study. I only have one loving younger brother who will be loved for the rest of my life, wish you all the best dear~!

April 2011 had not much of important dates except enjoying shopping a lots of books during KL International Bookfair at PWTC, as well attended many talks and lectures in IIUM.

May 2011 is the sweetest time with my colleagues at IIC when we enjoyed hiking the Broga Hill which was fantastic~! Attended several wedding invitations of friends, completed all appointments with supervisors and tried hard to participate more to conferences and seminar.

June 2011 fulfilled with sadness of losing a family member of mine. Although he is my brother-in-law, it was the first experience that our family faced with death and tears. May Allah bless his soul and gives strength and smile to my sister and nephews..

July 2011was my first experience to be a presenter in the International Conference. Special thanks to my former supervisor for entrusting me with such believe to present a paper in front of international audiences in UM. It was a great experience and I believe that this is just a beginning of becoming an academician..

August 2011 came again to remind that my age is increasing in number but decreasing to get nearer to the death. It was celebrated in the mood of Ramadan, month of blessing in Islam. A happy news arrived with a good smile..

September 2011 lived in a new place, new career, new environment, new challenges.. Alhamdulillah that I got new job at USIM and left my previous job at IIC.

October 2011 was ended with a new status. I'm engaged~! It was none in my planning of life to get engaged before married because my preference to go directly to the gate of wedding. Anyway, Alhamdulillah because the engagement day was a beginning step to know both sides of family members. May Allah bless all of us! This month also my successful moment of completion of dissertation after enter the senate meeting. I'm free with one thing and will begin with a more challenging dissertation..

November 2011 ran ordinarily with the busy-ness of life. Too many works, too little time. This month also my step to be an independent researcher and feel the importance of network from various universities and colleges. I presented my second conference paper at KUIS with a great pleasure because the topic relates to my MA dissertation. It was a great feeling to share with different background of people.

December 2011 surrounded with too many stories. An accident (elder brother). A clearance (IIUM Alumni). A different numbers of wedding invitations. A third conference presentation in USIM. I enjoyed the last days of 2011 with family in JB. Hoped that 2012 rises and shines happily ever after..

**Mix Feeling of 2012.. -_____-

Buku: Life Through My Eyes

Tajuk: Life Through My Eyes: A Teacher's Little Steps Towards Perfection

Penulis: Muhamad Hafiz bin Ismail

Menarik dan tertarik!

Rasanya ini kali pertama saya bertemu dengan catatan pengalaman peribadi seorang penulis bersama penduduk Orang Asli di dalam Bahasa Inggeris. Idea asal buku ini diterbitkan adalah berpandukan tulisan blog peribadi penulis dan kemudian dibukukan supaya kisahnya mudah diulang baca oleh pembaca.

Membaca buku ini mengimbau kembali pengalaman saya ke dalam dunia perkampungan orang asli. Jika penulis berkecimpung di dunia ini kerana kerjaya, tapi saya hanya mahu berbakti sebagai seorang sukarelawan. Dan kerana kerjaya lain, dunia indah ini semakin pudar oleh kerana kesibukan yang melampau..  T__T

Ketika saya pernah mempelajari afective skill untuk mengkaji sikap keperihatinan seseorang terhadap sesuatu, tahap tertinggi adalah apabila seseorang itu mahu merasai apa yang dirasai oleh orang lain, bukan sekadar melepaskan batuk di tangga, atau meluahkan rasa kasihan semata-mata. Bahasa mudahnya ialah: "Put yourself in other shoes". Ini dapat dilihat dari kisah penulis walaupun pada asalnya, saya memahami bahawa sekolah yang terpilih adalah bukan pilihan sendiri, tapi diberi oleh pihak kementerian. Tapi saya pasti, jika ada niat yang betul, keikhlasan, minat dan juga nilai kasih sayang, segalanya akan dipermudahkan insyaallah...


Kerjaya sebagai seorang pendidik boleh dikatakan adalah profesion tercorot yang menjadi pilihan di kalangan anak muda, dan mereka yang memilih profesion ini memerlukan kesabaran yang mendalam dan daya kreativiti yang tinggi. Daripada dulu, saya amat mengagumi kaum Adam yang menjadi guru kerana bukan mudah mereka mahu sabar dengan pelbagai kerenah, apatah lagi anak-anak kecil yang sedang bersemangat mengenal erti dunia! Oleh itu, penulis buku ini berani memilih kerjaya pendidik bagi membangunkan sektor pendidikan di kalangan orang asli. Malahan, saya juga tertarik apabila beliau mengalu-alukan kehadiran warga asing berbangsa British menziarahi sekolah dan perkampungan orang asli, bagi mendalami kesusahan yang mereka alami bukan menjadi alasan untuk mereka tidak mengenal A B C.. Satu pendedahan yang memberi kesan positif terutama di kalangan pelajar untuk mempelajari Bahasa Inggeris.

Pujian juga harus diberikan kepada penulis di atas daya kreativiti beliau dalam mengajar subjek matematik. Saya juga kagum kerana ia bukan sesuatu yang mudah untuk mencuba sesuatu yang baru. Malah, beliau sangat komited dengan kerjaya beliau walaupun hanyalah di sebuah kampung yang jauh dari ibu kota. Saya dapat melihat keikhlasan dari setiap bait tulisan. Saya juga dapat merasa kegembiran dalam setiap gambar yang beliau lampirkan di dalam buku ini. Semoga Allah membalas jasa beliau dalam mendidik anak bangsa! Semoga ilmu yang dicurahkan itu menjadi enyelamat di Hari Akhirat kelak.. Semoga setiap nilai baik yang beliau pamerkan menjadi medan dakwah secara tidka langsung kepada masyarakat minoriti tersebut..

Saya terbaca di SINI yang beliau pernah menerima Anugerah Perdana Menteri (Terbaik Di Kalangan Terbaik) pada majlis penyampaian `MSC Malaysia Asia-Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA) Awards’ yang berjaya menewaskan kira-kira 250 pencalonan lain. Tahniah!

Buku ini hanyalah sebahagian kecil dari pengalaman peribadi penulis, catatan seterusnya boleh dirujuk di dalam blog beliau. Klik SINI.

**Bila pula saya akan menulis buku? Hmm

Lupa ?

Melayu mudah lupa?

Ah! Bukan Melayu sahaja yang lupa. Memang fitrah seorang insan itu adalah pelupa. Kalimah insan di dalam Bahasa Arab juga membawa pengertian 'lupa', dan kerana itulah Ibn Abbas menyatakan: "sesungguhnya manusia dipanggil insan kerana sifat lupanya".

Malah Rasulullah SAW juga pernah lupa. Baginda telah berkata: "Sesungguhnya aku adalah manusia seperti kamu, aku lupa sepertimana kamu lupa. Apabila aku lupa maka peringatilah aku". Akan tetapi, apabila Rasulullah lupa, pasti ada wahyu Tuhan yang mengingatkannya. Kesempurnaan baginda tiada tolak bandingnya.

Apatah Nabi juga lupa, lagikan kita manusia biasa.. Lupa adalah fitrah. Tapi lupa juga boleh diubah. 

Menurut pengalaman peribadi, saya agak pelupa dengan soal yang sering otak saya klasifikasikan sebagai remeh. Tapi kebelakangan ini, perkara yang agak penting juga mudah benar terlupa dek ruang minda yang penuh diisi dengan berbagai perkara. Antara perkara yang mudah saya lupa ialah arah jalan, kunci (rumah atau kereta), nama orang (terutama pelajar) dan kadangkala cermin mata yang diletakkan merata-rata.

Sejujurnya, saya cuba untuk mengatasi masalah yang saya hadapi. Antara solusi yang saya lakukan dan amalkan sehingga kini ialah mempunyai planner peribadi untuk meletakkan nota atau temujanji penting yang berkaitan dengan kajian penyelidikan atau urusan kerja. Planner tersebut menjadi rujukan utama sebelum membuat sebarang temujanji dengan orang lain, terutama para pelajar. Alhamdulillah planner sangat membantu bagi mengelakkan saya terlupa.

Solusi bagi mengingati arah jalan pula ialah melalui jalan tersebut berulang kali dan cuba mengingati bangunan penting yang ada di kawasan tersebut. Tapi sehingga kini saya masih sukar mengingat kawasan yang hanya pernah dilalui sekali atau dua kali. Sangat cemburu kepada adik lelaki saya yang mempunyai daya ingatan yang sangat kuat terutama arah jalan walau ke mana-mana sekalipun. Walaupun demikian, saya berani diri untuk mencuba sahaja kawasan yang saya tidka pernah lalui dan berfikirlah secara positif kerana akhirnya jalan yang dituju pasti akan ditemui juga, walaupun akan mengambil masa yang agak lama.. :)

Bagaimana pula solusi untuk mengingat nama pelajar? Ini agak sukar kerana setiap semester, saya akan mendapat pelajar yang berbeza, di dalam kelas yang juga berbeza, daripada tahun yang berbeza. Pelajar yang lemah selalunya menjadi perhatian saya, tidak lupa juga pelajar yang aktif di dalam kelas. Kasihan pula kepada pelajar yang sederhana-sederhana, yang selalu dipandang biasa oleh para pensyarah.. Oleh itu, hargai setiap pelajar kerana setiap daripada mereka ada kelebihan dan kekurangan yang tersendiri. Sehingga kini, saya masih mencari formula bagaimana mengingat nama pelajar, ada sesiapa mahu berkongsi cara?

Sering kali saya berfikir, kenapa kita mudah lupa? Lucu bila pepatah orang tua mengatakan lupa adalah kesan kerana banyaknya makan kepala ikan, atau semut. Tidak tahu pula sejauh mana kebenaran kenyataan tersebut. Akan tetapi, telah disebut oleh Ibnu Masu’ud RA: “Aku beranggapan bahawa sesorang itu melupai ilmu yang dipelajarinya disebabkan oleh dosa-dosa yang dilakukannya”. Diriwayatkan daripada Imam Abu Hanifah RA apabila beliau buntu dengan satu-satu masalah beliau berkata kepada muridnya: "Ini adalah datangnya daripada dosa yang telah aku lakukan”.

Sesungguhnya lupa merupakan muhasabah terbaik seorang Hamba kepada Tuhannya. Dia yang memiliki segala ingatan dan mengawal segala pergerakan. Dia yang memberi setiap nikmat dan mampu menariknya kembali pada bila-bila masa sahaja..

Ya Allah, jauhkanlah aku dari lupa kepada Mu.. dari lupa kepada setiap NikmatMu..
Ya Tuhan, jadikanlah aku seorang yang sentiasa bersyukur walaupun sering ditarik nikmat ingatan..

Kadangkala lupa juga adalah nikmat yang tidak disedari manusia...

Sumber doa diambil dari SINI