First class in Vics

Today marks the first day of my classes ...it is like so weird coz usually I am in the front talking nonsense ...hahaha but this morning I was one of the students attending my first lecture at Vics. Thought I was early by arriving 5 minutes early ...but by the time I arrived, the huge lecture theatre at Kirk Building was nearly full ...turns out that the stream that I enrolled in was full to its capacity ie. 400 students per stream ...and the afternoon stream also has full house ...

I never ever had this many students in this class before ...even when I was in Newcastle, the class was never this big ...and since it is a "calculating" subject, i dont know how it is gonna work ...but we will be having tutorials and drop in sessions as well throughout the week ...and the funny thing is that when the lecturer - who was highly recommended by my SV - told us that each tutorial group should be between 40-50 ppl ...but they only prepare rooms for 30 people in a group - coz attendance is not compulsory and many people will be skipping classes and tutorials ...ehehehehe sounds so much similar to the case back home in Malaysia :-)

was told that we will be needing graphic calculator ....and he said the brand new one costs about $135 ....bloody hell ...it is so expensive!!!! and there are cheaper version but not as good as that one ...i am going to go for a cheaper version tomorrow ...

and we were also told that we need to get the text book ...the new one costs $80-90 hahahaha that is equivalent to one nice pair of jeans here ...or a nice jacket (on sale price!) ...or a pair of boots!!! so what did I do??? I went to trademe - a website where we can buy or sell pre-loved items or even finding a roommates, car, etc etc. And guess what - a lot of copies of the textbook in question and the prices vary ..ranging from $30 - $80 for second hand books ...but, lucky me, I bought one book for ....wait for it .....jeng jeng jeng ...$20 (plus $5 delivery charges) ...cheap ehhhh ..hahaha i am so happy!!! at least i am saving approximately $60 there :-)

anyway, this class is a one hour class so, we are having 3 classes a week ...today was ok ...and I am hoping the rest will be ok as well ...i am not looking forwards to its 7 assignments, mid term test and final exam test. Was told that the final exam test is a 3-hour exam!!! Has been so long since I do tests of this nature ...wish me lucks guys ...

One month on ...

I have been here for a month!!! yeayyyyy!!!! after such a long process and delay to get here, i am finally here ..the first week was hard - as I was missing the boys so much ..but four weeks on, I felt like I have been here longer than these measly four weeks :-) 

once upon a time, when I first started, my study desk at the flat was like this ...now, you could barely see the surface as it is covered with lots of things ...papers, books, maps, photographs ..the occasional food wrappers (for survival, eating is a must!)

I have been rather preoccupied with works ...with readings and various tasks ..my SV have been piling up a lot of reading materials on my desk, and me being the perfectionist, always wanted to do those reading as soon as it was given to me. So far so good ..i managed to get things done the way i wanted to ..but as the weeks get on ..i find that it is harder to do so ..not that i don't know how to do it (i mean it is just reading) ..but the more i read, the more i discuss with my SV, the more complex the issues become ....and the more confused i become ....i thought i had everything nicely done before ..thought i know about what i wanted to do ...know the area of study ...hahaha what a joke ...within 4 weeks my SV and i had meet 5 times ...and we have managed to dissect my proposal  ... i am happy with it now, and so does Phil....but it is far from over ...i still need LOTS of work to make it presentable, logical, academically sound bla bla bla ....

I was confused a lot of time hahahaha but luckily i remember what Dr M taught me before ..he said that you will bound to be confused - dont know what to do - have to redo things a couple of time -but that is all good ...as it means that you are thinking ..if you are not confused, that means that there must be something seriously wrong hahahaha the wise words from my mentor! And when i was so stress out, i had a talk with him ..hahaha and guess what, he told me not to work so hard at the early stage :-) so, here i am updating my blog, doing some blogwalking, and relaxing in front of boring Kiwi telly programmes ..basically doing nothing at all hahaha ...and it feels good!

and next week marks another chapter to my road to PhD ...was advised to enroll in a statistics course ...coz it will be very beneficial to me later on when it comes to my data analysis stage... i am using mixed methods but i am not so familiar with quantitative methods - especially in constructing composite indices ..and my SV had managed to persuade me that composite indices are very significant in my research ...ergo, i have to attend proper statistics class ...and it is not just a "sit-in" exercise - Phil said that if it is just a sit-in exercise, I may not pay as much attention to it ...so I am enrolling as a "proper" students ...and there will be assignments and exams ...if i am not mistaken the final exams will either be 100% or 75% ...arghhhhhhh ....not something that I am looking forward to...but, like fendi said - aku kan suka cabaran - hahaha so I am giving it my best ....the classes is 3 hours a week but they split it into 3 one-hour classes ...and on top of that I will be sitting in another theory class ...it is a three-hour lecture and finishes at 7pm ....so definitely getting busier starting next week ...

and it will only be my second month of PhD ..still a longgggggggggg way to go ...

Student life

It is a huge change for me ..usually I am the lecturer and giving advice or guidance to students doing their final year projects ..but now the table is turned..I am on the other side of that table now ...it is a bit weird ...and now, I am on my 3rd week as postgraduate student here in Wellington ...so many changes ..so many things I have to learn ..and life as I know it is basically gone ....

gone were the days where I go to work, and had lunches at Pinang Bistro with my friends ..gone were the days where I just work and then come back home to yummy home cook meals ...gone were the days that I spend time with the kiddos ...it is now such a lonely existence ...I study ...go to my office ....go to the library ...discuss with my sv ..go back to my flat ...and looking forward to video talk with my family ...and at the back of my mind - I want to finish early (well, who doesnt?) so that I can be home soon ....

well there is a saying that says "If life give you lemons, make lemonade.." ...so, I am making a promise to myself that I will enjoy my NZ experience ...whilst at the same time study like mad (afterall, this is the main reason I am here...)..i am not focusing all 24 hours of my day 7 days a week on my study ...I want to know more about Wellington - its tourist attractions ..its best kebab shops ..or best fish and chip places ...just to name a few ....i did that last weekend - exploring the city on my own ....next weekend, I will go to different place ....and the weekend after that .....i dont want to be holed up in my office or my flat ...I want some me time ....

view from VUW

I was given an office space - sharing with 3 guys ...I dont really like my office coz at first glance, they are not so friendly ...but my sv persuaded me to try the room when i told him that i prefer to do my work either in the library or my own flat ...my sv said, it should try the office (even though he know that I was hinting for a change of space) ..and I did give it a try ...and a week on, I find that I can work well in the office ...there is no noise as everyone is busy with their own thing ...but now the guys are talking to me, so I dont feel like I am an outsider anymore ...plus, I got to know where things are - like the pantry, the toilet (hahaha this is important!), the vending machine and so on ...it starts to feel familiar ...

I suppose what I am trying to say is that, I miss my "old routines" and I have become very complacent and comfortable in that environment ...but coming here and becoming a student is a new challenge for me ...I cant be complacent anymore ...been struggling hard to fight the black dragon in order to come here, so I know I have to work hard ...but, i am a postive person...will be working smart instead and spend some time for myself ....so if life gives you lemons, make lemonade people ....and that will mke us enjoy our life ..and be stress-free :-)

Week 1 in Wellington

I am in Wellington now ...finally! I have been here for over a week, and during that time have already met my SV twice :-) but as i said in my shared blog with my friends, so far so good ..and I am hoping things will go smoothly for me....

Anyway, left Kuching on Monday, 29th Jan for a morning flight to Singapore, and after an 8 hour transit in Singapore, I left for Sydney using a British Airways flight ..the long 8 hour journey was comfy as I was given a business class seat (woot woot!!!) and managed to sleep for almost 7 hours! Arrived early morning to a wet and cold Sydney, and after a two and half hour transit, got into the connecting flight to Wellinton. A flight that took about 3 hours landed on a hot sunny Wellington at 2.30 pm Welly time ...and by then I was so tired I could barely think straight ...it was about 28 hours since my flight left Kuching ..and the journey was long and dragging!

I had requested for a pick-up at the airport before that, so I was not worried about how to get to my flat ....so, to see this lass holding a placard with my name on it was a great relief ....and an hour later I was sent to my flat at Wai-te-ata ...found out i am sharing a flat with an Iranian PhD student and n Indonesian Master students ...both are nice and welcoming ...when Maryam knew I had just arrived after a long journey, she even made me some tea ..and gave me a plate of fruits! How nice of her  ..and she is the one in the room opposite me :-) ..then Anita came home from her class ..and she cooked extra noodles for me ..coz she said  should eat something and not bothered about going out to find food that day ..as I was so tired ..so, after a quick dinner with Anita, I slept like a log and woke up late the next day ....

Now it has been over a week ...Anita has taken me shopping for groceries at Pak & Save at Kilbirnie ...had shown me Asian Market behind Pak & Save ...and how to use the bus  ..and Maryam had taken me to Sunday Market at Willis Street ..and the New World Supermarket nearby ...I explored the uni and the surrounding a couple of times ...and so far everything is ok ...so, this is going to be my home for the next 3 years ...

leaving them was hard ...and they miss me too apparently ..and Thank God for skype, viber and Talk!

 on a nice sunny day

 did I mention that Wellington is such a hilly area?

but with awesome view of the sea and the harbour :-)

counting the days

Last Friday was my last official day at work ...I didnt even know it till lunchtime that day ...was so busy with marking and keying in the marks that I had forgotten about checking my leave. Once the marks were endorsed, and when I wanted to apply for leave, I realised that I had 6 days leave to take ..and I can only take 4 days since there is a public holiday next week hahaha and guess what, i had mixed feelings about all this ..one the one hand, I am excited but I am somehow feeling something is not right ..like I am leaving a place that is so comfortable and familiar ..and somehow it is difficult for me to let go ...but  i know i have to go ..coz it is my dream. I have been fighting so hard for this chance ...

and since yesterday I have been trying to be realistic ...I have started to pack some of my stuffs ..much to the displeasure of Al - who kept on pulling things out from my luggage ...and I also started to spend more time (as much as I can) with the kids ...I am so gonna miss them!

And being realistic means I am finally making a list of what I should do, bring or buy ...amongst other I have to:

(i)   get all my documents copied and certified,
(ii)  settling all my standing orders so that all my payments are on time;
(iii) clearing personal items from my office; and
(iv) making time to meet my close friends for farewell hahaha and that usually involve food!

But one thing that I am so happy to have done before I go was to spend the weekend with my besties ...had a really fun weekend in KL last week ...just chilling and relaxing with friends ...an awesome weekend!

Medical Check Up for the purpose of student visa (NZ) application

ooolaalaaa ..i had a double date a few weeks ago, had a date with a GP in the morning and another date with a dentist in the afternoon ..not the pleasure-kind of day, but more to the "have-to-see-them" kind of dates ....and those who  know me, knows that I hate doctors and dentists ..as I equate them with sickness and pain! but that day, it was the dates that I could not avoid

the first date was with Dr Robert from Asia Clinic ..his clinic is listed as panel clinic under the NZ Immigration Dept - so, I have to get my medical clearance from him in order to apply for my student visa ..as time was running out, i had no choice but to go that day (as I was leaving for my Kapit field trip the very next day)..the forms by the NZ Immigration was more comprehensive than those required by KPT (for sponsorship purposes). I actually thought that I can re-use my medical result from my previos medical check-up (done a month earlier for KPT) ..but NOOOOOO it was not to be ...as NZ Immigration only wants the medical check up to be done by their list of panel doctors ...hence, my visit to Asia Clinic

had my weight, height, abdomen, eye etc tested ...also had to do blood test, urine test - the whole works ....but the great thing about this clinic is that it is very efficient... the whole process took less than 25 minutes ...and there was only two other people in the queue in front of me that morning ....the only scary thing for me was when the doctor was about to draw my blood! I absolutely hate it ...but the doctor was so serious (reminded me of my dad's stern face) that I was afraid of making a sound, so i just clenched my hands and tightly squeezed my eyes shut! till he said it is all done ...the nurse was smiling when I finally opened my eyes (bet she knew how scared I was) ....that was that ..and I was told to come again at the clinic to pick up the result in two days ..and for me to go to Normah Specialist Hosp to get my x-ray done ...

after the dreaded blood test!

I drove straight to Normah Hosp after that ..I had not had anything to eat since midnight and by the time I was on the way to Normah, I was shaking with hunger ..stopped by a cafe for some kueh and to eat whilst driving ...and when I reached Normah, it was after 11am ...the car park was full and the queue at the Radiology Dept was long ...was finally done by 1.00pm ....

was still eating inside the car while this photo was taken #famished

The result was great ...am pronounced medically fit (except that my cholestrol level is a bit on the high side)....and got the reports back upon my return from ny Kapit trip.

So, a note for those who are applying for a student visa to NZ, you will need to provide a completed medical form and chest x-ray form - which can only be filled by their recognised panel doctors. In Kuching, there are only two clinics listed in the NZ Immigration, and one of them is Asia Clinic (Padungan - located on the row in front of Country Kitchen). The total cost for medical check-up (inc the x-ray at Normah is RM350) and must allow 2-3 working days before you get your results. Both the medical forms and x-ray form can be downloaded from NZ Immigration website :-) You also need to include in the forms 3 passport-sized photographs as well ...

and another important reminder is that you must bring your passport with you when you are doing these medical check up ...and the doctor and radiologist have to see the passport for verification of identity :-)

passport renewed! Hassle free @ Simpang Tiga

Renewed my passport 2 weeks ago. Glad to have it finally settled. Have been procastinating actually, coz my passport expires in June 2013, but as I need to get my visa sorted, I have to renew it earlier ....i thought i would loose the 7 months left from that passport ....but, it was not the case...i only loose a month! As the remaining 6 months was added to the new passport ...yipeee!!!!

one of the reasons I procastinated with my passport renewal is because I just hate to queue up ...i mean, all these while (hahahaha every 3 to 5 years lah )we have to queue up in order to renew the passport right ...and there are sometime the case of "over-efficiency" (NOT) of the staffs manning Malaysian public service counters ....tak semua, tapi banyak lah kes kes yang dilalui macam tu ....plus the office at Simpang Tiga is notorious for its limited parking spaces. But, as the dateline is drawing near, I had no choice but to get it done ...so, took the day off to get it done .....

Went there on Thursday afternoon, and found the queue was up to the door and it was a double queue! Went to the information desk to get the forms, and was told I have 3 options (i) renew it using the KIPPAS kiosk on the ground floor; and I can get the passport within 2-3 hours; (ii) renew using online application - so that I dont have to queue; and (iii) wait patiently and that could take hours ...so, I choose option 1 ...beat the queue to the door ...found the kiosk on the ground floor, and there was only 3 person in front of me! The whole process took less that 10 minutes - provided you have all the required documents ready ....very fast and efficient!  I never knew this KIPPAS kiosk existed, but now gladly recommended to Malaysians who want to renew their passport to use them - very quick, and hassle free ...but you must bring these items with you at the kiosk:

(i) the passport that you want to renew;
(ii) a photocopy of your Identity Card;
(iii) your original Identity Card;
(iv) a passport sized photograph - must be a recent one, and should not be the same one as used in your old (or to be renewed) passport;
(v) cash - it was RM300 for a 5 year renewal or RM100 for two year renewal

then after you are through with the renewal, the staff will take your documents and he/she will tell you when your passport can be collected. Mine was ready in 2 hours but I dont want to wait - so i collected mine the following day .....again, it was hassle free (very pleasant surprise!) and took me less than 5 minutes ....it took me longer to find a parking spot there!

so, there you go ....now we have options when it comes to avoiding queues when renewing passport - a good thing indeed! 

 so, have passport - will travel ...hehehehehe

accommodation sorted

yeayyyyy finally got my accommodation in NZ sorted. And I have exactly 3 months to go before I uproot myself from home, from my comfort zone, from all things familiar .....so, having my accommodation sorted is a relief - not just to me, but to my family. Mum and dad, in particular, are worried (though they don't say it out loud) about me leaving home again. I guess they are so used to having me round after my last (long) stint abroad the last time ....so, knowing that I have already secure a place is somewhat a relief to them ....as Dad said, despite my age, I am still his little girl - hehehe and being the eldest has its previleges!

I opted to stay at uni accommodation - at least for this first year. It is a bit pricey compared to renting a room or flatting outside of campus. But, I just want something which is convenient for me - a roof over my head, a place that is within walking distance to the office and library, that has all the basic facilities - heating, laundry facilities and internet included in the rent!Saw a map of the area, and apparently my flat will be very near to my office and library ...and library is facing the harbour! So the views will be awesome!!!

on the down side, it is a flat shared by 4-5 people ... sharing with strangers can be tough if you cannot get along. But, am thinking positive ...plus the uni asked us to fill in a preference form - to gauge our compatibility with future flatmates ...so should be ok kot! It is not like I have never been in that situation before ...all my uni days in Newcastle before were spent in uni accommodation ....so, it is going back to similar environment ...goes with the territory I suppose ....

whatever it is, i know I will be missing my bed, my room, my house ......and mom's cooking! but hey, it is my choice to go to NZ, so just have to toughen it out for the next 3-4 years ...

"When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it."

 - Henry Ford 

busy mode - PhD preparation

i have been very busy lately that i dont have time to update anything here ...the good news is that, I will be officially on study leave effective 1st Feb next year ...i was supposed to start last September but due to short notice from the sponsor, and a request from my supervisor, I defer my start date to feb ..so, still have another 4 months - give or take - to enjoy life at home ...


the not so good news is that I am swamped with documents ...that need to be signed, initialed etc etc and the dateline given was very short ....i have to sign 2 different agreement with two different sponsors, have to find two guarantors (luckily I roped in my siblings!) but since my sister lives in KL, i have to courier documents to and fro for that purpose ...and my brother is now in Singapore for a conference, and he forgot to give me his IC! and my documents are due this coming friday ...so stressful ....

then the medical check up ...had to do it last week...i have been delaying it for a while ..coz of the haze, I have been coughing non-stop, and i was asked to wait till my cough is better ...and I am one of those person who hates hospital and anything related to a syringe! but, i had to do it, so cekalkan ati jer lah! Went to Kuching Specialist for that .... Done everything within one day ...and was proclaimed as medically fit! so happy ....syukur sangat2 for that :-)

other than that, I have to sign a lease with the University for my accommodation ...the good thing is that i already have a place at a uni hall there ...and my office space has already been sorted by my supervisor as well ...but there are still a few things that i have yet to do; namely (i) renewing my passport; (ii) visa; (iii) tickets; (iv) allowances and other financial related matters; and last but not least (v) shopping! i need a luggage; a new laptop, a new phone, a new camera ...hehehe i really have to distinguish between my wants and my needs!

so, i will still be busy in the next couple of months ...but after waiting since last Feb for this, another 4 months should be more bearable, as the light at the end of the tunnel is much clearer and more welcoming now!

wish me luck, k.

awaiting decisions - and it is killing me!

I have been having these flashbacks the lats few weeks ...flashbacks to my university days ...i was triggered by my applications to do PhD ..well, the uncertainties surrounding the applications and its lengthy process and all that ...i am still not sure where I will be by Jan next year ...this is hard coz I cannot plan any holiday, plan my work schedule etc etc ...life is still hanging on the air ...awaiting decisions from above ...

the Monument - my fav meeting place with friends!

i am telling myself over and over again that I can do it ..i have survived before and am sure, Gods willing, will survive again ..it is a matter of will ..so, bring it on ...Penang or Wellington, both places have their own pros and cons ..and I am sure both will be great for me ...but nothing can take Newcastle from my heart  ..it is like a second home to me ...a place where i grew up so to speak ...spent all my 20s there and part of my 30s ....it has a very special place in my heart, always has and always will be ...

if I go to Wellington, it would be a whole new experience ...am so used to winder in dec but down south the winter is in June! and I have never been to that part of the  world - and spending 4 years there would be great ...on the other hand, Penang is a great place to live and study ....the food is awesome and the beach is aplenty ..and the deciding factor is that it is less than 2 hours flight to Kuching ...and direct flights are available daily ...so, come on .....give me a decision so that I can move on with this!!!!

mastering the arts of procrastination

I just had a busy week ..so busy that I was the last person to leave our wing at the office in the last week and a half ...i had a lot of things to finish, and this was in addition to my teaching and preparing for class ..who would have thought that 7 simple forms could take nearly a month to complete ... As of today, i have manage to complete all 6 forms completely ..with spell check, and have been amended numerous times in this last 3 days ..they are now complete, just waiting for me to attach my passport-size photographs and to make 4 copies of each forms ...

I only had to revise, refine and re-write one more form ..i.e. The one dealing with the proposal ..that was where I got stuck ..it seems that, the more I read, the more confuse I become ...coz new issues emerge, new thinking and then new possibilities ... And that really frustrates me...and how do i deal with that? Well, i sort of procrastinate ..in fact, I mastered th arts of procrastination, to the point that i completely ignored the proposal part ...i came to my senses two days ago ..i realised that if my proposal is equivalent to a rubbish scrible and rambling of a mad woman, then my reputation would be affected ..and the whole sponsorship will be affected ..and my future, may to some extend, be compromised ...

So, with a clear head, i decided to seek help ...make an attempt to crack the bains of my friends and mentors ..they were really helpful, i think i know what i am suppose to do now ...i need a clear conceptual framework ..and i must stay on the path at all time, other issues may crop up but the path will remain ...hahaha in other words, don't change the goalpost!!!

one thing I will remember most about my conversation with Dr M is that he said, and i quote "being confused is good coz it means you are thinking ...you will be very confused for the first one and a half year of your study ...and if you are not confused, there must be something wrong somewhere ..and that is dangeous coz you may have missed some important aspects that you should be looking for..." ...and he just laughed at me coz i felt my jaw dropped when i heard that!