OSIP

FOOD!

2007-11-20T00:08:00.000+01:00

FARINA!!!
I don't want JUST goreng pisang. Bring more food for me. Ask mama to pack a nasi lemak with telur and ayam goreng and banyak banyak sambal okay? i will go home and eat it!

But before that, i want to eat popeye. hmm, actually i rather go home cepat2 and makan nasi lemak. Cancel popeye's plan. Go home and eat nasi lemak.

Then can cepat cepat buka luggage and give away stuffs and i can rest and sleep early!

Okay, remind siti to stock her freezer with ayam.

On Saturday, 1 December:
Menu.....
1. Ayam Sambal with Rice (i'm gg to pack it for lunch as well!!)
2. Lunch & Dinner: i'm going out with my friends.

Sunday, 2 December:
Menu.....
1. Breakfast: Masala Thosai
2. Lunch: Kway Teow Goreng Pedas Pedas with Telur Goreng
3. Dinner: Indian Rojak

Monday, 3 December: ggggrrrrr, school starts. :(
Menu.......
1. Nasi goreng belacan (ask siti go and learn to cook!!)

Tuesday, 4 December
Menu......
Ok dah, i can eat anything already. All the food i want has been covered except.....
1. Pizza Hut Sweet and Spicy Drumlets
2. Canadian Pizza : Mexican, Tandoori, Hawaiian
3. Pizza Hut: the Cheezy Crust
4. Popeye
5. Mac's Spicy Double
6. LJS
7. Msia's Tandoori Chicken
8. Nasi Briyani at Bugis
9. .Tom Yam with chili padi and sayur
10. ....that's all i can think of now.

dah, 11.18pm. it's sleeping time and it's singapore's morning. good nights.

Wicklow Mountain and Glendalough!!

2007-11-19T23:27:00.000+01:00

10 days more to 30 November!!!!!

Last Saturday (17 November) I went for my last and final sight seeing trip in Ireland!!

WICKLOW MOUNTAIN and GLENDALOUGH!

It was so tiring that my legs/thighs are aching all over! I know i'm not fit...
I climbed over 600 wooden steps. If you think it was easy, it wasn't for me. And mind you, it was raining non stop. Umbrella was not strong enough for the STRONG wind that it is officially spoilt! The metal rims (or whatever you call it) are all out of place or crooked! So, for 3/4 of the trail I was walking and climbing in the rain. I was badly drenched....jacket, shirt, jeans, undergarments, socks and shoes! Ouh, walking in wet jeans is not easy. The jeans were so heavy and cold. Wet socks just made it worst!

I liked the walk by the lake and into the forest. I could hear the wind "coming" from the back. The trees will start swaying and "howling". The lake will start moving and making "gushing" sounds. It was such a perfect setting for any horror/thrilling movie. And i liked the trees. It was towering on the both sides that it made a perfect shade as well as nice arcs shadow. And since it is AUTUMN, the plants/leaves were all orange and the pathways were all covered with fallen "dried" leaves!

Ouh, and the water from the Wicklow Mountain is used to make Guinness and I managed to see the "Guinness Lake". Haha, i also liked the part where i had to climbed up and down huge stones to cross the lake in the rain. But, my "friction-less" shoe and slippery rock made it even challenging!

Let me side track abit, Can you imagine that there is a Slippery Rock University??? Isn't it funny? haha. I came across it while finalizing the US database at work.

And there was this once, which was quite long ago... I was the only one in the office and the phone rang and i picked it up. The guy on the other end was looking for my colleague which was out for break and i asked if wanted to leave any message... And finally, i asked for his name...
And it was... Tommy Horney. When i heard it at first, i thought he was fooling around and i swear i could had start bursting into laughter. I asked him to repeat it and he spelt it out for me instead... haha, i think that last name is hilarious.

Okay so back to the Wicklow trip...
Since i was all drenched and in the bus, i sat right at the front which was near the door, i was practically shivering for the good 3-4hours journey back to Athlone. I had to force myself to sleep to forget about the cold! And by the time we arrived back in Athlone, my legs were so cramped and numb due to the wet and cold jeans, and walking home was so COLD!

Took a hot shower and wore thermal wear and ate panadol before i slept. I was so afraid i would fall sick again after just recovering last 2 weeks... Alhamdulillah, this time round, even after being caught in the rain for such a long period, i did not fall sick!!

Information about WICKLOW MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
Wicklow Mountain National Park covers part of a mountain range that extends over most of County Wicklow on the east coast of Ireland. The upper slopes and rounded peaks are blanketed with heath and bog.

This is the trail/walk that i trekked....
Spinc and Glenealo Valley
Grade: Hillwalk
Distance: 9km
Time: 3hr 30min
Climb: 380m

This popular walk leads you through some of the most spectacular scenery in Co. Wicklow. The name Spinc comes from the Irish 'An Spinc' means 'pointed hill'. The trail ascends steeply up by the Poulanass Waterfall before joining a broadwalk. More than 600 wooden steps lead you to a viewing point overlooking the Upper Lake. The broadwalk skirts the top of the cliffs before descending through blanket bog and heath into the picturesque Glenealo Valley, home to a large herd of deer. A rough track then leads you back down into Glendalough Valley.

Did i mention, only 13 out of the 50 students who went for the trip finished the trek? And i was one of them... so i'm not that unfit after all. hahahahaha. and no pictures were taken or to be specific only 3 pictures were taken as it was raining and i did not want to spoil papa's camera. by the way, i'm so sorry hafiz for spoiling your umbrella. i'm going to replace it. it's the wind!!!

Dublin Excursion 2

2007-11-08T10:57:00.000+01:00

The Dublin excursion on the 8 NOVEMBER was once again impromptu.

Itinerary for the day:
1. Four Courts
2. City Bus Tour
3. National Art Gallery
4. National Musuem
5. Trinity College (Book of Kells)
6. FREE TIME
7. Play at Abbey Theater

The Four Courts was hmm, not too interesting. Apart from the judges and lawyers wore coats and wigs that distinguish their position... Junior, Senior, etc.

It was raining heavily and we were caught in the rain but thank god, it was only a passing rain. Throughout the whole trip it was a beautiful dry day.

The City Bus Tour was good as the lecturer was really knowledgeable. In Dublin, they have their own unique doors which i presume cant be found anywhere else.

Here's a picture of it...
See the uniqueness? Okay so practically all apartments and houses and some shops had that traditional Georgian doors.

National Art Gallery and National Museum was pretty okay. At least those paintings and artifacts makes much more sense with a guide explaining its relevance and origins and etc.

Trinity College... although i did went there before. This time round i paid 7 euros to see the book of kells exhibition and the old library.

Hmm...the old library is damn nice but too bad, no pictures were allowed. It was like something straight out from Harry Potter movie... Long bookshelves with ladder to climb. I think if anyone ever had to find a book, hahaha, it would take extremely long?

Book of Kells exhibition was good as they had video clips as to how the book was done from scratch. Everything was handwritten... the drawings, illustrations, words, everything. even the binding was done using strings!

Let me give some explanation about Book of Kells....

The Book of Kells is an ornately illustrated manuscript, produced by Celtic monks around AD 800 in the style known as Insular art.

The Book of Kells is an illuminated manuscript that has survived from the Middle Ages and has been described as the zenith of Western calligraphy and illumination. It contains the four gospels of the Bible in Latin, along with prefatory and explanatory matter decorated with numerous colourful illustrations and illuminations. Today it is on permanent display at the Trinity College Library in Dublin, Ireland.

You can read more about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Kells

Haha. FREE TIME is the best as it meant SHOPPING.
Although maybe i might have overspent, well, it was my last shopping spree in Dublin..

I even ate a chicken kebab meal from this halal restaurant which was so expensive but good and huge. It cost me 8.70euro which is *2.1 = 18.27 sing. haha. for a tin of coke and small fries. Worth it? NOT. but ouh well. It was good. The kebab was wrapped in naan, serving of chicken was lots and it just tasted so good!

The play at night was freaking good and hilarious! The play: Playboy of the Western World.

Synopsis

On the west coast of County Mayo^[2]Christy Mahon stumbles into Flaherty's tavern. There he claims that he is on the run because he killed his own father by driving a spade into his father's head. Flaherty praises Christy for his boldness, and Flaherty's daughter (and the barmaid), Pegeen, falls in love with Christy, to the dismay of her betrothed, Shawn. Because of the novelty of Christy's exploits and the skill with which he tells his own story, he becomes something of a town hero. Many other women also become attracted to him, including the Widow Quin, who tries unsuccessfully to seduce Christy at Shawn's behest. Christy also impresses the village women by his victory at the race, using the slowest beast.

Eventually Christy's father, Mahon, who was only wounded, tracks him to the tavern. When the townsfolk realize that Christy's father is alive, everyone (including Pegeen) shuns him as a liar and a coward. In order to regain Pegeen's love and the respect of the town, Christy attacks his father a second time. This time it seems that Old Mahon really is dead, but instead of praising Christy, the townspeople, led by Pegeen, bind and prepare to hang him to avoid being implicated as accessories to his crime. Christy's life is saved when his father, beaten and bloodied, crawls back onto the scene, having improbably survived his son's second attack. As Christy and his father leave to wander the world, Shawn suggests he and Pegeen get married soon, but she spurns him. Pegeen then laments betraying and losing Christy, The Playboy of the Western World.

More Details here:
This is about the original play (bear in mind i watched the revised and probably better version)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Playboy_of_the_Western_World

http://www.abbeytheatre.ie/whatson/playboy.html
(pictures are available in the website)

SO...that was the day that i went home the LATEST! At.... 12++midnight.
Hahahaha...but it was all worth it dont you think so cause i think it is...

My Long Long Weekend!!

2007-11-01T19:26:00.000+01:00

I have a few recent update to tell you:

1. I am 29days closer to being back in Singapore, which means 29days closer to ayam sambal/hot weather/kway teow goreng/indian rojak/school/seeing family's face/etc. **start the countdown**

2. It has been almost a week since ive been sick. And im still coughing badly with flu but fever has ceased.

3. I had a very long weekend and break. I was off from 26Oct (the day i fell sick) till 31 Oct. I was back to work today!

So definitely, i will fill you in with the exciting/juicy details of my day offs.
I went to Galway on 26 Oct, rest at home on 27 Oct, Dublin on 28 Oct, Galway on 29 Oct, Stayed in Athlone on 30 Oct.

Was supposed to be in Dublin on 27 and 30 October but we missed the bus!! haha.

So it was really shopping spree in a row. Bought souvenirs and more items for myself. I bet farina is damn freaking happy about it. AND finally i found a shoe for ikmal but but, i hope it will still be there this saturday. if not, i am so sorry ikmal. that is what you get for wanting me to take picture and show it to you first.

Gifts/Souvenirs for friends and relatives has been settled. I'm sorry if it is just something small due to small budget restriction.

So yeah, i have finally updated the blog and now, it is up-to-date. Hoooorayyss!! i feel on track again. Oh, mama, i definitely need a bigger wardrobe NOW! Get it prepared by 30 November. =)

Connemara Trip

2007-11-01T19:10:00.000+01:00

Fizhah! How did you spent your birthday??

Well, i went for the Connemara trip which tired me.

I had to climb this hill which is so damn tiring. And honestly, that was not my imagination of a perfect holiday in Ireland. But thinking back, it was a great experience and not to mention, i indulged in PIZZA and CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE after getting home from that killing trip.

Believe me it was such a killer!

Places visited in Connemara in order:
1. Cliffden Town
It is a small town in Connemara which did not had many shops for shopping. It was a lunch stop. And oh, the journey took 3hrs from Athlone. So you can say that we did not spent much time in Connemara.

Clifden is a town on the coast of County Galway. It's Connemara's largest town, it is often referred to as "the capital of Connemara". It is located on the Owenglin River where it flows into Clifden Bay. The town is a popular tourist destination for those touring Connemara.

2. Connemara National Park
Yes, theres was the place that killed me. Haha, i was really not expecting to be climbing such a big hill!

Connemara is one of the most scenic regions in Ireland. From the rugged Twelve Bens mountain range in the north through lake-rich Roundstone Bog to the golden beaches reaching out into the Atlantic Ocean, you'll know you're in Connemara by the light that constantly changes the mood and tone of the landscape.

3. Kylemore Abbey
We only stayed a short while as we were behind schedule.

Kylemore Abbey is a Benedictine nunnery founded in 1920 on the grounds of Kylemore Castle, in Connemara. The abbey was founded when Benedictine Nuns fled Belgium in World War 1. The abbey houses a secondary girls' school. The house and gardens are open to the public.

**Note: ~~i will edit this post with the details of each location when i'm free. haha, which might take awhile. be patient.~~ it has been edited. =)

pictures can be found at Picasa album. hhmmm.., have i uploaded it yet? i'll check okay.

Dublin Excursion

2007-11-01T18:53:00.000+01:00

Let me wipe the dust off my laptop screen which gets collected everyday without fail as well as the "dust" that has been collected on this blog due to the inconsistent update by me.

After the Sligo trip,
I embarked on a Dublin trip on 17 October with the Foundation students and Yr 3 Tourism students.
Places that we visited in order:
Guinness House
Temple Bar
Tourist Office
National Museum
Trinity College
Kilkenny Shop

I had an insider view on how Guinness is made/brewed! and free samples were given and everyone was going ga-ga over it...except me. The smell itself is such a big turn off, dont you think so?

Question: what colour is Guinness? If you're thinking of answering black, haha, you're wrong. Its ruby. Put it towards the light and viola, you will see it. If you got that right, either you're an experienced drinker or plain observant.

Temple Bar is supposedly the happening street in Dublin. Simple reason, pubs are literally everywhere. To your right, to your left. Then again, there's plenty pubs in Ireland. Thats the distinguished culture of Ireland.

Nothing really interesting in the National Museum and Trinity College. Apart from the fact that Trinity College is considered quite famous and well known and that entry is tough. By the way, there were a big handful of Malaysian students though. So you might want to consider studying there with no worries. And Dublin is relatively easy to find halal food and there is even a Dublin Mosque, but i have yet to see it.

Kilkenny Shop is just out to rob you of every cent you've got. Basically, it sells Irish made items such as jewellery, hardware, gifts, painting, apparels. But, its so damn expensive.

So that was our last stop. Pictures had been uploaded on Picasa few weeks back so indulge.

SLIGO trip!!

2007-10-22T21:20:00.000+02:00

Here is the long awaited/promised post about the trip to SLIGO.

Our first stop was to Parkes Castle and Lough Gill.
Brief intro about the place: It is a restored castle of the early 17th century. It was home of Robert Parke whom i have no idea who he was.

The Castle was pretty much still preserved. There were those traditional wells. but to enter, there was an entrance fee so i didnt pay.

Our next stop was to the town of SLIGO. Did little shopping. Visited the cathedral and central library. I really think that the architecture is unique and erm, very prehistorical?
Sligo is the largest town in North West of Ireland.
Lastly to Strandhill, which i had already mentioned almost killed me but didnt.
Strandhill is a seaside resort village in County Sligo. Strandhill is facing the Atlantic. The area is a well known surfing destination and is amongst Ireland's premiere surfing resorts due to its strong beach break.

Yup, there were sooo many surfers. and on that day, the waves were supposedly good thus the large number of surfers.

And i thought climbing the Strandhill was tough enough. i was wrong alryte. Connemara trip was the killer. Really damn tough or I am extremely unfit. haha, most probably it is both.

Connection sucks here and laptop keeps giving problem. Keeps hanging and lagging and just nothing good.

Week 6 Tasks Reflection

2007-10-21T19:48:00.000+02:00

I will sum up my week with 4 E: excitement, enjoyment, exploration and elation.

Yes, I enjoyed myself very much this week as it was filled with excitement and I explored Dublin and Connemara. How can I not be elated with 2 sight seeing trips packed in my birthday week and a nice birthday surprise from my room mate?

The trip to Dublin was impromptu but I benefited plenty from it. I never knew that there was a Guinness Storehouse in Dublin and even in Malaysia. That was so totally new information for me. That visit brought me further in exploring how Guinness was made. Complicated process has to be done before the final product. Now, I can proudly say, I know how Guinness is made.

Another main highlight of the Dublin trip was the visit to Kilkenny shop. Although the prices were beyond my budget, I was elated to see products, apparels, jewellery made from Ireland such as Newbridge Silverware.

I went to the Connemara trip with much anticipated excitement and enjoyment. Many told me that it was a beautiful and scenic location. Indeed it was true. Savage beauty was just the right word to describe it. Although the climb to the top of the Diamond Hill at the Connemara National Park was tough and almost drained my entire energy capacity, I enjoyed the view and it reminded me of a song: I’m on the top of the world, looking down on creation…”

Both sight seeing trips were truly delightful. But apart from those leisure times, work had to be done. I am still coping very fine with the assigned tasks. Regardless if new tasks are assigned, I will still be able to handle it well.

New tasks that I had to do were tending the International Society for an hour and assist an Irish student with her focus group questions.

I was to correct their questions and provide some suggestions. I am looking forward to meeting her on Monday where we would edit the questions together. Also, I will be sitting in their Focus Group as their note taker. It will definitely be a new experience for me. And yes, I am certainly excited about it.

Lastly, I had agreed to be an English buddy for a Spanish guy from the school. I have yet to meet him and set a date to meet but I am definitely eager about it. We have agreed to have a language exchange where he would teach me Spanish as well. This will definitely bring me into the Spanish culture and without any doubt, I am sure I will be learning a lot from this experience.

Overall, I feel that this week has been great and relaxing. However, time seems to fly so quickly and now, I am left with another 5 weeks in Athlone. I feel time is running out and there are still many places I have yet explored. As of now, I am in an exploration mood. Perhaps, I should explore more of Ireland in the next few weeks.

My card and small gift from Ireland in Singapore

2007-10-16T15:49:00.001+02:00

Yeah!! yesterday, my self made card and small gifts has safely arrived in Singapore!

Make sure you people use it OKAY?

hahaha. can serve drinks on the Cliffs of Moher coaster when people come to our house for raya!!

and and the magnet, go and letak at the not so new but new shiny silver 2 door refrigerator in the courtyard!

go go go go go

How i spent my Hari Raya in Ireland.

2007-10-16T15:28:00.001+02:00

Hey. since i have "free time" right now, i decided to blog.

Well, for now, i have another 30minutes to go. i was asked to tend the International Society booth from 2-3pm. And since it is in the canteen, i can use the internet access. Good right?

How did i spent my raya here?

Haha. Early in the morning, i woke up to get ready for the trip to SLIGO!
Pictures will be uploaded once i get it from Jialing's camera.

I will update in much more details when i have the information about the place. But let me tell you, it was so damn damn tiring/tough to climb the Strandhill. It was like climbing a hill of sand. it was harder climbing up than down. If anyone asked if i want to do it again, my answer would be a big NO.

Connemara would be next saturday!!

After the Sligo trip, i went to Marist College for the Idul Fitri gathering. Walking to the college wasnt that bad although, it was dark and quiet and it was only 8+pm! But at the college, it was worst! there were NO lights at all, literally surrounded by darkness. Scary? hmm.., yes abit. But managed to find the multi purpose hall. It wasnt really a big crowd. There were people/families from India, Pakistan, Nigeria/Jordan, Turkey and me, Singapore!

Briyani was served and the ayam was damn delicious. So soft and easy to eat and i just wanted more but didnt take another serving cause there were not enough to go around.

Going home. A man offered to send me,jialing and furkan(the turkey girl) home. So he dropped me and jialing home first, but as a precaution measure, i told him a different unit. hmm, doesnt hurt to walk abit more rather than have a stalker or whatever that might just happen although maybe it might not.

That was my Saturday.

*im left with another 15minutes before someone takes over me and i have to get back to my stuck-in-a-corner cubicle in the International Office.

Week 5 Tasks Reflection

2007-10-14T19:46:00.000+02:00

Every week just seems to get even more unpredictable. Tasks which that I would never expect to do would be assigned.

For this week, apart from the photocopying, faxing documents, good inwards collection and creating of database, I had 2 new types of task assigned.

I was given the opportunity to use my accounting proficiency in tabulating expenses for DUFE Girl who lost her baggage, taxi fares and Mid Autumn Festival expenditure.

From what I have learnt, it is indeed very important for the accounts to be accurate. While calculating both the taxi and Mid Autumn expenses, there were a few miscalculations of which I pointed it out to my supervisor for corrections.

The other new task was to create a poster for the Idul Fitri Celebration on Saturday. I feel glad that while doing this assignment, I was again given another opportunity to apply what I learnt from my Corporate Communication modules. It was challenging as I was given a short period of time of less than 2 hours to complete it. However, I still feel that I did a satisfactory job with the designing of poster.

Another proudest moment of the week was when I created a summary statistics report with line graphs of the International student records (2002 – 2007). Knowing that my supervisor needed the information urgently, I managed to complete it in less than 15 minutes.

During the weekends, I went to Sligo with the International Society for sight seeing trip. Sligo was indeed a beautiful county. Although we only stopped at a few destinations, it was still a fruitful trip. For me, the main highlight of the day would be at the Strandhill where I climbed the sandy hill. While climbing, I almost felt like giving up. It was a test of my perseverance and determination. In the end, I am glad that I climbed to the top as the view was extremely magnificent and beautiful.

On Saturday, I went to the Idul Fitri Celebration as well. It made me feel happy and “safe” knowing that there are a handful of other Muslims from all around the world who has been staying in Athlone for years and years and they are coping well. It certainly made me feel stronger and confident that I can “survive” my duration in Athlone with no worries.

On the whole, I definitely feel that this week has went great. There is a saying, “Never expect anything as when you don’t, things just get better.” – That’s something I will bear in mind.

October 11 (Thursday)

2007-10-11T12:04:00.001+02:00

hmm..to think of it. maybe i am busy cause now i have internet access at home. so i spend most of my time online chatting and just surfing the net. maybe maybe.

How i ate the burger patties?

Just yesterday, i grilled 2 patties and about 8 potato croquettes.

I microwaved tortilla wraps with cheese for about 40second and then i would cut 1 burger patty and 1 - 2 potato per wrap. After which i would put chili sauce over it.

So how was the outcome? yummy delicious.

AND yes, last friday i received the long awaited package.

it was full of so much good food which cant be found here. yes, even the rice here is so different and a big turn off.

Last 2 days, i ate rice with the curry beef.. and i tell you, it was so satisfying eating that.

Let me tell you a good news...
Yesterday, i was tasked to do this poster for this saturday. they will be having a gathering to celebrate eid ul-fitr. so, they think im the best person to do it since im a muslim as well...

let me post the final outcome...:

The good thing is that, i did that in less than 2 hr, to be more exact about 1hr 15min. So what do you think?

Let me explain the details...
Green: Islam colour
I included in the different terms for Eid ul-fitr in different language so that it can relate to all/most international students here.

Ramazan Bayrami - Turkish
Fete du Sucre - French
Sheker Bayram - Belgian (i think)
Zuckerfest - German
Shemai Eid - Bangladesh

THIS saturday as well, early in the morning at 8.15 i will be going on my 2nd sight seeing trip to Sligo. I bought the tickets @ 7 euros. It will be with the school students but the bad thing is that it would not be a guided tour. so free to explore by self.

And greats, 1 day closer to Raya and 1 week closer to birthday and another 6-7 weeks before im back in sg. fast kan. i'll see u very soon.

6 & 7 Oct weekend update

2007-10-11T11:15:00.000+02:00

It will be weird if i were to say that i have been busy that now i do not have the free time to update as often as i did. But, it is true.

Time seems to pass quickly now with breaking fast as early as 6.40pm. I'll reach home from work at 5.30++. and pray. i will be done at about 6++, and rest for awhile and its time to start cooking. After cooking, pray maghrib, rest for awhile. and then, its time for ishyak and time for me to "sahur". and after that, time to sleep.

but other than that, everything is great.

Last week, the dinner with turks was alright. however, the food they served wasnt really up to my liking. they had.., i think it is tomato & veggie soup which was totally disgusting for me. it was such a drag to finish it. We only headed back home at about 10.30++, so reached home at 11pm.

Ouh ya...did mention before that there has been cases of serial attacks on women in town. The 3 incidents took place within about 2 months and it is at the Bonavalley Bridge. This is sort of the bridge that connects to town. To get to town, without fail, will have to walk on it. So, it was a big hiastu in school, home, work place. Posters of the man has been placed everywhere in school and town.

Alryte, so let me story my past weekends.
On Saturday, i woke up early at 11am just to hand wash my undergarments and socks. And it was my turn to wash the bathroom so it would be better if i washed in the morning before anyone used it. So i was all ready before 1pm. Did machine washing, waited for Jialing to hand wash her stuff. and everything was done by 3pm.

I was planning to drop by LIDL as i wanted to get milk and just shop around and get whatever i want. After everything, JL was lazy/tired so i ended up going by myself after asar. Dont be worried cause I'm still here in 1 piece. Ooo.., and the Pet World is now officially open and i stopped by for awhile. But nothing was that attractive. It looks so ordinary but the advertisements were so over exaggerating.

On Sunday... My mind was set, i will be going to town. I was ready by 1++, pray zohor and left house at 2++pm. JL did not followed as she was lazy... "cmon, who would want to leave the house after having 24hr internet access". But being the usual fizhah who has itchy legs which wants to walk, she walked to town while listening to ipod. Music just makes the journey seems shorter. It was quite a long walk and i liked it cause i was able to take my own sweet time and not rush and walk on my own pace.

So, i went to Texas and walked around. And nothing was nice there, the things are just too expensive. Continued walking to Dunnes Store and there wasnt anything nice to be bought there. So headed to Golden Island Shopping Centre..., Pennys.
Bought a few things from Pennys and went for grocery shopping at Tesco.

I bought this vegetarian burger patties. I will tell u how i ate it in the next post.
Walked home and reached home at about 6.15++.

Honestly, i dont mind going alone. as i said before, music is my companion and i do like it that way.

So that was how i spent my weekends. =)

Week 4 Tasks Reflection

2007-10-08T12:13:00.000+02:00

Unexpectedly, this week, I find myself exchanging culture values, practices and even language with many of the International students in AIT.

Early of the week, I went to a party which had a live Irish musical band playing at Scribes. From that visit, I immersed in an Irish pub atmosphere as well as enjoyed the tunes of Irish folk music. I even learned Irish dancing. Some of the students were dancing and personally, I feel that the dance steps are unique and it gives others the feeling of dancing along. However, I did not stay too late as it was a working day the next day. But nevertheless, it was an enjoyable short stay which was worthwhile.

Also, one of the nights, Sun Kun (the Chinese professor who is living in the same apartment) brought her 2 students from China over. I had a privilege opportunity to communicate with them. At that moment, I felt very happy as I was able to help them improve their English. At the same time, we would share information about our different culture and religion.

My last cultural experience was when I made friends with 4 Turkey girls while working at the International Office. Being from the same religion (Islam), they invited me over to their place to break fast. When I arrived here last 4 weeks, I was quite worried that I would not find any other Muslims but my worries are ceased now. From the dinner, I came to know that Turkish uses different terms to address the festival after the month of Ramadhan. Throughout the 3 hour stay at their place, I learnt much about the Turkish culture. They showed me some belly dancing which is common in Turkey and taught me some moves. They even offered Turkish delights as desserts. It was a totally new experience for me. Honestly, I do not regret knowing them and I am looking forward for my next visit to their place.

Work has been relatively manageable. My main task for this week was to research and create a database on all the polytechnics and universities in both Singapore and Malaysia. However, I have not finished with the database as I only managed to get started on it on Thursday.

While getting started on the Malaysia section, I found it easy as I could understand the Malay language used in the website of the schools. However, not all the information needed are readily available and as a result, it slowed down my progress. Hence to reach my aim of efficiency, for next week, I will try my best to finalize the database latest by Wednesday.

Apart from that, workload has increased and much challenging this week. I am glad that I managed to carry all the tasks the best I could and not disappoint my colleagues and supervisor.

I am extremely excited about next week as it would both mean the end of the fasting month and start of the celebration of Idulfitri as well as, it would mean that I am 1 week closer to my birthday. So, I am hoping to have a good week ahead.

2007-10-07T07:52:00.000+02:00

Good news. I have finally found a good photo album which is easy to manage and upload. And as for now, everything is uploaded. And i take more pictures of myself.

Here's the link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/hafizhahbegum

29 Sep (Sat)

2007-10-06T15:39:00.000+02:00

Work was pretty much the same on Friday. And we have plans to visit Galway on Saturday. So let me share the experience with you… =)

Initially, we wanted to take a train to Galway. But we missed it and ended up taking the bus instead. To me, it wasn’t much of a difference as the price differs only 1 euros.

Let me go straight to the trip itself alright.

For me, I think the main highlight of the bus tour was Cliffs of Moher which was our longest and one of the last few stops.

Before that we did stop by Poulnabrone Dolmen, which is an ancient Irish burial mound.

Alright, before I forget. Let me give u brief background on the place itself.

Why is it called The Burren. Basically, Burren means rock and that location was formed 350 million years ago. And the limestone rock formations are home to many plants and some are in fact rare. The reason why these limestone rocks are able to rear rare plants is because the rocks traps heat so in return these plants can grow even though the actual climate is cold. That’s the specialty of the limestone rocks.

As we drove by, there were quite a handful of thatched cottages. And the residents has to pay a higher fire insurance cause there is higher risk of the house catching fire. So, would u want to stay in such a house and pay higher?

At the Burren Centre, I watched this video about The Burrens. And there’s big big rock which can be found. And they believed that it used to be giant’s football. Haha, that was funny.

We stopped at Dunguaire Castle and…hmm, that castle is open to visitors and during summer, they would have Medieval Banquets. Seems interesting.

At cliffs of moher, the camera battery died. Haha. But pictures were still taken. I will try to upload it. Just can’t seem to find a good online photo album…

On Saturdays, the shops here closes at 6pm. And their late night shopping is on Thursday and Friday. Totally the opposite.

The bus ride was very long, it took us about 1 and half hour to reach Athlone. And walked home..so ended up reaching home at 9++…

SO that was my first ever sight seeing trip here in Ireland.

27 Sep (thurs)

2007-10-06T15:14:00.000+02:00

Haha. It’s like a wish come true…

Today, I was tasked to come up with a proposed itinerary of places to visit in Galway for the American visitors that would be coming tomorrow. And I researched on The Burren & Cliff of Moher. OK, I know I should have came up with a few more but honestly, I don’t really know about the other places and by far, that’s the only place in Galway that I heard was worth visiting.

So I researched on the various ways to get there. But somehow, I don’t think my research quality was really good. I think if I had a bit more time, I would have done a better job. I was given about less than 4hours to complete it. So overall, I think it was satisfactory?

I ate wedges again tonight. Why I keep eating it? Cause it is so easy to cook and I don’t have to do any washing up; and that’s the best part of all.

I have been eating a lot this week and so, most probably I might want to cut down next week. And not to mention, I’ve been stuffing myself with junk food such potato chips and chocolate.

By the way, after researching on Galway, I might be going to Galway this weekend. The city is much bigger than Athlone and heard there’s more shopping to be done there. So let’s see if there are more bargains there. Haha…

Hmm…, and thus far, after buying that brown jacket, I have not complained about the outdoor weather. It seems quite alright for now. But I think when autumn sets in and especially after the bank holiday which is actually when the day light saving ends and thus, the time will be change back to an extra hour hence, the time difference would then be 8 hours. AND, the date of that bank holiday is….28 October.

And even though, it is about another month, we have made plans to stay a couple of days at Dublin. =)

So, most probably, the next item on my shopping list on the items I would need to get for the cold weather would be: a thin thermal wear? **maybe, let me consider first. And check the price out.

Will be updating about my weekend at Galway when I am not feeling tired. =)

25 Sep (Wed)

2007-09-26T23:31:00.000+02:00

Be brave cause it is right and only be afraid if you do wrong.

OK, so the day went well. Yes, we went to Shack but no, I didn’t eat. And somehow, I think I might have offended my colleagues but…be brave cause it is right.

How was my work without Weronika?

It was okay. I feel that…, hey, I can actually do the stuffs.

I’ve been doing Bank Letters for students, Certificate of Attendance, Fax letters for International students, photocopy letters in bulk, Giro Forms for students and oh ya, stamping AIT’s logo on letters.

It was manageable and for now, I find it fun and exciting. Maybe cause I am doing something new, but most probably it might get a bit boring soon. I need something challenging. Like maybe ask me design something or come up with something or plan holiday tours or… I don’t know, something different than doing data entry and collating statistics. Yes, it is easy but I hope after this, I get a much exciting task. Insya’allah.

By the way, today, Jialing brought home a “loan present” from her office. And it is the heater and it is my night saver from the cold weather AND, laundry saver. It can be use to dry our clothes if the weather is not on our side on our laundry day.

But, after the upcoming 8 weeks, we’ve got to return it. So meanwhile, we’ll enjoy the warm comfort in our room.

**will upload the pics of the heater....haha.**

And today’s wedges were well cooked but no, I did not cook the cheese sauce cause I was lazy to do dish washing. I am currently full that I skipped cereals for sahur.

I just ate the medicine, Clarinets. Been having runny nose, I need to take care of my health. Amin.

Just to add on the list of what I wish I could have:

7. Thermal Wear (Lyrca Top) *yes, the expensive but thin one. =)

8. You *things would be different with you (whoever the reader is) here…

E-Journal (25 Sep)

2007-09-25T14:30:00.000+02:00

**this is for school purposes, but i decided to upload it anyway**

Embarking on this 10 weeks of internship in Athlone, Ireland has been great and I consider it as a once in a lifetime experience. Being my first ever overseas trip away from family for a long period of time and in fact my first experience on a plane, it has provided me with a new outlook to my life and the world.

First and foremost, these 2 weeks has taught me independence in terms of my weekly financial budgeting as well as taking care of my own well being. Back in Singapore, my parents would be the ones handling it. But still, I am managing well regardless if I am fasting. Fasting condition in Athlone seems to be less challenging than in Singapore. Probably it is due to the climate which makes me perspire less.

Although it may be a hassle to find Halal food, I have been coping fine. My survival strategy is to “play around” with what I have and “never say die”.

The weather in Athlone is definitely much colder than Singapore’s. However, it rains erratically similarly like Singapore. Initially, getting use to the temperature difference was a bit of a problem for me. In order to keep myself warm, I bought myself a thicker jacket and now, after 2 weeks has past, I am better adjusting to the cold rainy weather.

Secondly, for work, I am currently attached to the International Office of Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT). Tasks assigned have been manageable. Tasks ranges from creating an updated database of their students and universities arrangements records, attending to students’ enquiries, collecting post, fax overseas letters as well as bringing new students on a school tour.

Overall, these 2 weeks has taught me many valuable lessons. In fact, I have learnt more than I expected I would. I have learnt to be more confident, especially since I was interacting with the International students more often and being independent is essential as most of the time. Example: once tasks are assigned, I would be left alone to complete them without much guidance.

Another learning point is that, I have learnt to be more patient particularly since some of the International students had difficulties in speaking and understanding English.

I even discover that the working culture in AIT is different than in Singapore. The staffs are much more friendly and people-centered. They would go-all-out to attend to each student. My supervisor and colleagues would have a one-to-one meeting with the students to address their problems or concerns. Most importantly, the working environment is much informal and relaxed unlike Singapore where the lower position staff would rarely communicate or even lunch with their supervisors. In the office, I would address both my colleagues and supervisor by their first name and this has definitely ease in my adjusting to the foreign environment and feeling welcomed in AIT.

The terms, “perseverance and determination” are the best words to describe my experience in Athlone. I believe as long I have a strong determination and perseverance, I can get through these 10 weeks of internship regardless of any obstacles that I may face and so far, 2 weeks has past. Without doubt, I am looking forward for my next 8 – 9 weeks as I am enthusiastic in discovering more of Ireland during the weekends by visiting Dublin and Galway. Also, I am keen in joining the school tours to the other county in Ireland where aplenty opportunities of interacting with International students lies ahead. In all, I personally do not regret choosing Ireland as my OSIP choice as I am certainly enjoying my internship experience here in Athlone.

Weronika's last day at Work

2007-09-25T14:29:00.000+02:00

Today was Weronika’s last day.

I have a problem which I can’t get my mind off.

Here goes…

Tomorrow the office wants to lunch at either Shack or Sean which is a pub in Athlone. For your information, if I’m not wrong Sean is the oldest pub in Ireland (I think).

So the problem is, it is a pub and I’m fasting. I can’t say that I won’t go cause it is Weronika’s farewell “party” and she has helped me a lot for the past 2 weeks. And I’m fasting so I don’t want to end up hurting anyone’s feeling. But I guess they should understand…

The other problem is that, now that Weronika is leaving, I’m on my own. Not that it is a bad thing but she did not have the time to “pass down” her stuffs. So, now, I am a bit clueless on what or how I should continue and go about with the work.

Insya’allah everything will go well.

By the way, today I ate Macaroni with cheese and I grilled, yes grilled, potato wedges and made cheese sauce to dip it in.

How was it? Hmm, nice…? However, I think the cheese sauce needs improvements and the potato wedges needs to be grilled a bit longer.

For the sahur meal, I ate a little of the red bean soup that Jialing cooked on Sunday. I ate a little cereal and had about ¼ of the Mars bar. Hehs, I bought the Mars bundle pack which had 5 bars.

Somehow, I feel I have been eating a lot ever since Sunday.

On Sunday, I ate 2 egg tortillas and 1 tomato & cheese pizza.

On Monday, I ate fried rice which tastes awful. The rice here is so different and definitely not as tasty. It tastes so weird that it spoils my appetite. And I finished my first cereal pack which I couldn’t finish and ended up throwing some.

Tomorrow, most probably I’m going to finish the can of Macaroni & Cheese and grill more potato wedges and this time I’m going to eat it with Chili and not cheese.

And let’s pray that tomorrow will go on fine and also, let’s pray for the 59 more days at work will go on fine. And yeah, I’m left with 68 days before I’m back to Singapore.

It seems fast right.

It’s sleeping time now, its 10.07pm here, which is 5.07am. I presume those at home are either eating or…. I don’t know.

24 Sep (Monday)

2007-09-24T14:26:00.000+02:00

Carmel’s back. And now, I don’t have a desk cause we have an extra manpower and that is ME.

I don’t have much to do right now and I feel awkward not doing anything.

Monday, Monday, Monday…

Weekend Update

2007-09-24T12:24:00.000+02:00

Presenting my new brown jacket with a furry hood that is too big for my head...

I have not got the chance to update about my weekends.

So I decided before I sleep, I shall…

Btw, it is 10.18pm now and I’m all gear up for sleep but waiting for the heater to warm up the room.

For my first weekend which was 15 and 16 Sep, what I did was to mainly explore the town of Athlone and streets. On that Sunday, it was our laundry day.

So for the recent weekend (last 2 days), it was OK. Somehow, the shopping mood just dies off. I’ve not been buying much. Anyway, I have finally bought a jacket for myself. It’s just better if I got it since eventually London would be colder than Ireland and also, the season will be changing to be colder.

As I mentioned earlier, Saturday was laundry day and all the clothes were dry by Sunday afternoon cause the weather has been GOOD and warm and not rainy.

On Sunday, I went to the Smyth’s Toy Superstore, Arro Home & Garden alone. I wanted to enter the Pets World but it seems to be close and the shop looked really messy. It was said to be opening in September so probably not yet open?

By the way, I went alone ‘cause Jialing was not feeling too good and she had work to do.

The toy superstore was really gigantic, it’s like a GIANT Toys R Us. There’s this Ireland puzzle which I plan to buy and probably frame it up at home?

The Arro Home & Garden, it’s like IKEA but much better. The fire place looks really nice and there’s this antique mirror which caught my eyes. The lamp covers were made of glass; something which I have not seen in Singapore. Post Mails stand were also sold, and to me, it looks really unique. There’s this one which is called Dublin Post Master (or something like that).

I took some photos but it is in my HP, and I did not bring my cable. Hmm, so it is either transfer when I am back in Singapore or IF mama/papa send food and I want to kirim that as well.

ITEMS I WISH I COULD HAVE:

2 – 3 compressor bags
HP Cable
Kuih raya
Milo
Food
Nicer Rice
………….

Week 2 Reflection

2007-09-22T12:29:00.000+02:00

This week has been a new chapter for both my osip and as my life experience. It has given me more confidence and tests my capabilities.

My main task for this week would be data entry for the University Arrangements by country which I managed to complete within the 5 working days. To me, it has been an accomplishment and again, I feel I have been an efficient worker.

In total, there were 10 countries files of which I had to create an up-to-date database using Access and also rearrange the documents in accordance to the Universities.

I had the opportunity to apply my Access skills which was taught in TP during my first year. It really came in handy when there was a need to filter for a particular University.

In addition, I was required to send a mass email to both Non-European and European students about the first meeting if International Society. Through that, I learnt how to use the International Staff’s email and now I know the “behind-the-scenes” of sending mass email to students. Personally, it was not an easy task as I had to individually “copy and paste” the students’ emails. Hence, I began to appreciate the emails sent by TP.

I attended the International Society meeting and I discover that AIT has a diverse range of nationality students ranging from Chinese to Spanish and even Nigerians. I am definitely looking forward to participate in the activities organized by the Society. It will give me an opportunity to communicate and learn more about their various cultures.

During this week, I understood the meaning of, “Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow”.

I had to be stationed at the front desk when Weronika was sick. Initially, I was quite worried as there were many procedures that I have not fully mastered and not yet taught. However, my supervisor explained the few basics that was required of me such as attending to students’ enquiries (garda’s letter of appointment).

The main problem that I faced during that day was when a new student from France arrived. I did not know the letters that was to be given to him. But after consulting Celine, I knew exactly what to be done. On top of that, I even showed him around the school premises and his classrooms.

In my opinion, that day was really a test of my capabilities and it was an accomplishment as I stepped out from my shell and yet still managed to handle the difficulties faced confidently. I definitely feel that I have grown and am ready to face any challenges that may come my way for the next 9 weeks or rather, in my future.

Apart from all those, I observed the working environment in the office. The main difference from Singapore is that they are really people-centered which eased in my adjusting to the foreign environment. Furthermore, they would go-all-out while attending to students regardless of the language barriers, especially the Chinese students. Hence, I learnt the real definition of good service and I certainly feel welcome working in AIT and it has been such a great life experience. Without doubt, I am enjoying every second spent in Athlone.

21 September (Friday)

2007-09-21T12:28:00.000+02:00

Today after work at about 4++, we went home first and I prayed. After that we headed to Town. The main purpose was to print our passport photo for our student ID card. And once, we get that card, I am planning to make a trip down to Dublin!

At town, I FINALLY decided to buy a thicker jacket. I was considering either buying a short or the long jacket. But I came to a decision to buy the shorter one although the long one is really tempting to buy ‘cause its equally beautiful. Yeah, and the jacket has this furry hood which is really, erm..long, that it covers my entire face. So, I’m just going to use it as wrap around my neck or…I will figure out something with that.

I bought this black top which I plan to give to Mama, but if she doesn’t want it, I can always wear it instead. I bought another 2 long sleeves for myself and there’s a pair of sneakers for sale at 2 euros. Wanted to buy for Ikmal, but don’t know if he would like it. The design is exactly like converse, just plain and the colour is beige. Couldn’t buy it for Farina, ‘cause there isn’t any size for her. Jemal, I don’t think he wears sneakers or rather, I have never seen him wear it before. Irfan, hmm…, not too sure, although he appears to be not cerewit, in fact, he is so 100% cerewit.

I am left with about another 20++euros to spend for the week.

By the way, the jacket costs €13, which I would consider cheap and certainly cheaper than Singapore.

Weekends are here again. To town again! But it gets tiring to walk. It takes about 40++ min walk. Oh yeah, and today, we reached home at night, about close to 9pm. It was the first time we went home after the sun sets. The town gets quite empty after 7 ‘cause most shop closes at 6 except the shopping centre and Dunnes Stores.

Tomorrow will be laundry day. Last Sunday’s laundry was a successful disaster but it took about 2 – 3 days before our clothes, pants, towels, socks, undergarments could dry. The weather is just not humid. Yep.., I will be updating about my week 2 work reflections once I’m done with it which would most probably be Saturday morning…if I wake up early thou’.

20 September

2007-09-20T12:26:00.000+02:00

Something terrible happened today. Well, not too terrible but it was for me. But still, there’s something good out of it.

Today, we had to head to town and settle our PPS number. It is something like an ID number which almost everyone needs it. And for us, it is required in order for us to get our pay. We went to town during our working hours and was to be away from 10 – 11.30am. BUT, upon arriving at the Garda station, the place was closed for staff training and would only be open at 12noon.

So, we tried calling Mary Simpson (our overall supervisor), but she was out for coffee break. We waited till about 11 before she called back and we were allowed to stay in town till 12.

The bad thing was that it started pouring heavily and although the raindrops here are thinner such that you can’t really feel the raindrops, we were drenched even though we had an umbrella. Reason was because the wind is extremely strong so much that my jeans were damn wet as if it just came out from the washing machine. And yeah, my shoes were beyond hope and I think it would take about 2 days to dry?

My fingers were really cold and I was afraid it would get numb ‘cause I had to hold on to the umbrella and even the umbrella’s holder was too cold to be hold.

At the place where we had to settle our PPS number, it was really inefficient unlike Singapore. There were no queue numbers or any form of order. Everyone thinks that their turn is next. But their “kan-chiong-ness” is so typically Singaporeans. So, instead everyone ended up queuing at the door instead and so we follow suit.

We had to call for cab after we were done. The funny thing that happened was we got into a wrong cab that was not meant for us, so we had to get out.

Work was as per normal after that. So the good thing was I only had to work from 2 – 5pm. Haha.

Yeah, and I finally found a gift shop at town and the gifts are good but a bit expensive. About €4+ for a small key ring.

Have I ever mentioned that their keyboard here is different? The @ and “, are switched, that’s the only difference I have so far found ‘cause I use the symbol @ very often so it is really hard to adjust but I am getting use to it.

19 Sep (Wed)

2007-09-19T12:17:00.000+02:00

WOW! Today has been such a tiring day. Carmel has been sick since Monday and Weronika just checked in as sick today. SO, I was sort of in-charge for the day. And boy, I did not know much of the things and procedures around the office so there were a bit of awkwardness and concern on my side.

So let me just highlight the main things that I think was the best part of the day?

Sitting at the front desk instead of in the office room, I had to entertain many many many students and their enquiries of which, majority I did not know about.

So there was this one a guy from France but origins from Laos. He was a student who just arrived and so I had to give him some forms to fill in (*something which I did not know about but managed to find and figure out the necessary forms and his student ID card). After that, I was tasked to bring him on a tour around the school (and that’s something I know!) It was quite fun actually cause I know the way around school..haha.

**no joyner, not this french.

The next fun thing I did was when I had to call students up for them to collect their parcels. Yeah, and there was this Indian guy who came to ask for his parcel. And later found out, he was the receiver of the mysterious hp.

Before I end, today’s weather was warmer than yesterday.

So for now, I’m reconsidering… should I or shouldn’t I buy a thicker jacket.

I just can’t make up my mind.

I rather spend that about €20 on other worthwhile things/clothes that I can wear in Singapore. I can’t decide, I can’t. Should I or shouldn’t I?

And I ate Bihun again. And yeah, I bought the milk already. So definitely, I will be eating cereals again. Hopefully the milk will taste nicer than the previous one. Haha, somehow, I’m happy that that milk expired early. =)

2007-09-19T00:14:00.000+02:00

Okay, I definitely feel better now cause the heating panel is on!! And I feel warmer now.

Shopping during the weekend has been such a pleasure.

Items I bought….well, it’s just too much that I can’t think it off my mind right now.

Alright, so what did I do yesterday (18 Sep)?

Work was as per normal. I continued doing data entry but it was the University arrangement with other countries. And I have about 10 BIG files to do, and I have only done Spain/Portugal, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Holland/Lithuania/Hungary/Poland/Turkey/Italy.

Today morning, the temperature was at the coldest so far, 6 degrees. It was such a cold morning. My hands were cold and a bit trembling. And yes, there was the “vapour breath”, I still can’t figure out what it is called.

About work, I will update based on weekly? It’s like killing two birds with one stone since it is required for the log book, so I shall do it at the same time.

OK, so today after work at 5. I rushed back home shivering, prayed and wore my pull-over sweater and the Baleno Jacket, and went back to school. Hmm, must be wondering why I would go back to school even after my work ended. There was the First International Society meeting, so we decided to sit in. It was said that the meeting would end at 8, so I packed my own “buka meal” of toasted bread and peanut butter. BUT instead, the meeting didn’t even last an hour. Haha.

So, we went to the Pakistani shop and I bought the vermicelli noodle to cook my Bihun Goreng. I also bought soy sauce which I plan to cook with rice or just eat with rice & egg.

AND today, my milk expired. So, I did not have any cereals for sahur so instead I just ate 2 slices of bread with peanut butter.

I really think I need more thick clothing. I need a padded winter jacket which most probably I might be buying on weekends or this Thursday at LIDL.

Did I mention that I just withdrew €500? Yeah, I did. And €440 will go to paying of a month’s rent and deposit. Hmm…, I have this feeling that I would need to withdraw more cash as currently, I have about €200 to last 3 weeks.

Let’s just see how things go first. By the way, the Bihun mixed with egg I cooked tasted nice alright.

17 September 2007 (Monday)

2007-09-18T14:51:00.002+02:00

Today the weather is really really cold. My hand is losing its colour and it is getting numb. And I can’t type properly. My hands are wrinkling and im getting dry skin, and that is bad.

Work today was alright. I did mainly data entry. And I totally don’t mind doing it. Rather I enjoy doing it cause time seem to pass so quickly especially since I am on something that I like most, the COMPUTER.

But today, I did new stuffs…like collecting the post, attending to students collecting their post. And even, learnt how to use the fax machine. Farina, using home phone… dial this: 000 353 ……. (replace the + with 3 zeros).

Alhamdullilah, so far, I have not missed 1 prayer. Even if I did, I would qadak it.

I will update about my weekend shopping trips after buka when my hands feels better or whenever I can (hopefully).

Week 1 Work Reflection

2007-09-16T14:51:00.000+02:00

Although the first week may be short, I have learnt more than I expected I would.

I was assigned to tasks where I had to work independently.

The first task I was assigned was being stationed at the registration booth of International Society during AIT’s Club and Society Day. Initially I had problems as I did not know much about the IS. But after hearing the information my supervisor, Mary Simpson explained to other students, I was in a better light in answering curious students’ questions regarding the particular society. On the whole, I feel that the task, being my first in a foreign country where I had to interact with students from countries all around the world such as Italy, China and Spain, it was not entirely bad. In fact, I was quite contented with the overall outcome since I managed to gather about 60 students to register despite the language difficulties.

My second task was mainly entering data for the Non – European students 2007 / 2008. I was required to complete 5 files and there are, Foundation Certificate, Undergraduate Year 1 to 4 and Post Graduates in Excel.

I managed to complete it within 2 days as Excel was not new for me since I had learnt in school. Personally I feel satisfied with my progress as I aim to be as efficient as possible. However, although it may seem as an easy task, there were definitely difficulties faced. There was a handful of students’ folder which had missing Registration Forms. This is extremely crucial as it is one the most important documents for AIT student records.

After my completion of data entry, I was tasked to find the missing Registration Forms. After a thorough search, I managed to find 2 Registration Forms of which I photocopied and filed accordingly.
I learnt how to operate the basics of the photocopier machine. Surprisingly, the functions differ from Singapore and I have yet to fully understand the specific operations.

Also, I had stick Post-it note pad on the students’ folders which had missing Registration. This will be extremely useful for future identification and reference as it will save time of searching again.

Apart from those, I tagged along with Weronika, an intern from Poland. Since she would be leaving in 2 weeks, I had to learn much from her about the various procedures and regular tasks that need to be done daily.

I learnt how to conduct a school tour for the new international students. Through this, I ended up knowing the Institute better. However, I am still unsure about the various schools, blocks and classrooms locations.

I also learnt that I would be required to collect post from the post centre in the Institute every morning. After the collection, the Chinese newspaper should be placed at the sofa area in the International Office.

Finally, I was taught on how to send DHL letters to other country such as Shanghai. There were many small details that I would have to take note of or else, the delivery would not be successful. Hence, I learnt that I am required to be extremely meticulous while preparing the DHL letters.

In conclusion, my first week at work has been an eye-opener for me. I have applied some of the knowledge I had learnt from school. However, I am pretty sure that there would be more opportunity for me to apply more knowledge that I had acquired from my course in Temasek Polytechnic. And I am definitely looking forward for my 2^nd week in AIT.

First Week at Athlone

2007-09-16T14:50:00.000+02:00

So what happened after I touched down at Dublin Airport?

The cab driver that picked us up sent us from Dublin to Athlone. And seriously, it was a very long trip. It took us about close to 2 hours. And can you believe that the cab fare was €180++, and that’s about almost SGD$400. It was that expensive.

The ride was quite boring but the view was different. You don’t see cows, sheeps and even horses outside of your car window. The traffic was in fact much smoother and not as pack as Singapore’s but surprisingly, the taxi driver said “Sorry girls, heavy traffic”.

I slept for almost ¾ of the ride.

When we arrived to our supposedly accommodation, I was both shocked and surprised. I had thought and expected to be staying at the Inish House but instead, we were staying at Cypress Gardens. That unit belonged to staff in AIT. Together with us, there was the land lady and also another Chinese Proffessor.

The rent was €50 plus another €10 for lights and electricity. And that is the cost without Broadband. With Broadband, the price is expected to increase by at least €10. hmm, and that is indeed really expensive. But, at least, it is really close to the school, about 5-10 min walk.

The weather has been very cold. Definitely much colder than Singapore. During the day, the temperature is about 17 degree Celsius. It gets even colder at night.

I’ve started fasting from my 2^nd day in Athlone. And it was quite alright for me. Maybe because, there isn’t much food for me to eat, so I don’t crave for food. Water-wise, I am pretty alright with it.

So, I’ve been eating at about 10pm every night as sahur. And waking up about 6 – 7 to pray subuh and shower for work.

So, for sahur, I will eat cereals with milk and korma. And drink about 1 – 2 bottle of water.

Breaking of fast, i’ve been eating either instant noodle or fried rice. Hmm, I might need abit more variety of food…

Work has been alright but I guess, its just for now…will update on my first week of work soon…

Airplane Experience

2007-09-16T14:49:00.000+02:00

How was my first ever airplane experience?

Haha. It was initially scary, definitely.
I was sitting alone, in the middle of 2 strangers; man on my left, woman on my right.

The man on the left was nice and helpful.

He helped me carry my heavy hand luggage up.
“Alhamdullillah, dapat duduk tepi orang sebaik ni” – that was what that went through my mind at that point of time.

During the take-off, I remembered all that Jemal said. Doa for safety and anything that you want. And so, I prayed and prayed as hard as I could.

I prayed for safety.

I prayed for well being.

I prayed that the whole trip for almost 3 months will go smooth.

I prayed that I would be well taken care of.

I prayed that I would be protected from ALL misfortunes.

Insya’allah all will dikabulkan. Insya’allah. Amin.

I remembered Jialing said, the pressure will cause “noises” in your ears so it is best to suck on sweets. And damn, I didn’t have any. Another alternative was to keep swallowing saliva. And that was what I did. But alhamdullillah I didn’t have any problems with the pressure.

I was actually quite worried and scared. And visions of those movie scenes appeared where the airplane would burst into flames or maybe the door broke and results in suction. All those came but alhamdullillah, nothing of such happen.

The whole trip was filled with silence. I couldn’t sleep at first, so I watched some video and listened to their radio programme. Their food, hmm…, I don’t know.. it was all so new to me and their British accent was so hard to understand. But ouh well, a totally new experience.

My first flight all alone. Towards the end of the flight about 20min before the plane start landing, I needed to pee BADLY. And the queue was long. Actually, I didn’t know where was the toilet so I was afraid to go but at that point of time, I couldn’t control any further. So I controlled and controlled while waiting for 4 people and finally managed to pee. In the lavatory (that’s what it is called), I had a hard time balancing cause the plane kept moving (I guess? Or was it due to the almost 14hours of sitting without moving).

Upon arrival at London, it was chaotic. I went down the plane first. A bus was to pick the passengers to the Terminal. But, I had to wait for my friend. So, there was this steward who looks Chinese…”hmm, I should approach him and ask if I could wait here for my friend.” And that was what I did.

Guess what.., he is a Singaporean and he stays opposite Temasek Polytechnic. Big coincidence? Definitely!

It was really cold. No kidding. There was the “vapour breath” – according to Jialing, it occurs when the weather is cold and your breath is warm. So yeah, it was that cold.

Did I mention that I was extremely thirsty in the plane? Yeap, I was. I wanted water badly but didn’t know how to get about in getting it. So I sat there, obediently and quietly and force myself to sleep. I took the opportunity of meal time to drink water and the maximum I could get per meal is 2.

And also, did I mention that the man on my left was AGAIN kind to help me bring my bag down. NICE right. =)

OK, back to London. We had to practically QUEUE for almost everything. Firstly, we had to queue to get a bus to Terminal 1 from Terminal 4. It was really long (about 10min) but at that point of time, I was still alright with it. At Terminal 1, we had to queue AGAIN for the baggage check. It was really long, took about 15-20min.

Similar to Singapore, laptop has to be taken out. Liquid, only 100ml allowed. The funny thing is that, even shoes have to be taken out!! It was a bit chaotic as the lady behind me was rushing so it made me “panic” a bit.

This is the only thing that we did not have to wait and queue for long. And that was, getting our boarding pass. We missed our first flight so we were placed on the next earliest flight and the gate closes at 8.45am. At that point of time, we were left with only about 30 – 40 min.

After the long queue, where many were unhappy. There were people cutting queue, a lady shouted “he is cutting. Don’t let him through!!” he replied “he has been waiting for long.” After a while, she replied “I hope you are embarrassed”.

At the “counter”, I got “scolded”. And honestly, that almost make me want to cry.
He said this to me, “It is because of people like you that is why there is a delay.” How on earth do I know about the procedures of the airport or whatever that he needs. Can’t he at least ask nicely? Hmph. But still everything went alright. Oh wait, not so alright.

We had to rush to catch our flight. The gate was closing. We rushed and walked as fast as we could. My pants were practically slipping. It is not good as my butt crack was visible, very! My hands and legs felt like giving up but I knew I couldn’t. When we reached the gate, the flight attendants said, “I am sorry but you are too late.” BUT, when another white man came, they said they would try their best. So, they called and did whatever necessary and yes, we managed to get on the flight BUT, that man was being served first. Fair? Not at all. Ouh well.

To make things even worst, our seat was the 3^rd last so it was really a long walk down with our big bags. If you think the whole thing was bad enough, you are wrong. There were no spaces for our hand-carry luggage. And we had to search and search and FINALLY, the space for seats 17 and 16 had space. Imagine how far it was from our seats. But better than nothing. EVERYONE was looking at us when we board the plane with my fluttered piping red and sweating face.

At Dublin, everything was better. The checkpoint was pretty much smooth, but we had to take a photo for record purposes thou it was pretty awkward and weird. After that was getting the luggage, it wasn’t that hard. It was quite easy to spot. OMEGA? Who would have it other than Papa.. Haha.

Finding the “pick-up” person was hard. We walked and scanned around but couldn’t find the person. We stood at Vodafone and finally, a guy came up with a paper with our names. And off we went in his cab to Athlone…

So that was my first ever ever flight experience ALONE and INDEPENDENTLY.

There were hiccups but still managed to get through it quite ok-ly. For a first-timer, it is not entirely that bad right…

14 hours from Singapore to London. 2 hours from London to Dublin. Include the waiting and queuing time (about 2 – 3 hours), a total of 18 – 19 hours. What a long journey it was. But it did not end there……to be continued.