Life after Eid holidays in Malaysia

MI CASA...love it!!!

Assalamualaikum and hello everyone..!!
My, my it has been a really long while since I put pen to paper on this blog. So many things have happened since my last entry in June..but the biggest would have to be my holidays back home for Eid for a bit. I had such a fantastic time seeing and being with my family especially Baba, Arian and Gagi..here are some photos :

Gagi and Arian tired after collecting 'duit raya'

Tutti-Frutti time with kids and Uncle B while Baba goes for golf practice at the driving range

Mama and my gorgeous Arian yang dah 'big'

Glorious food for me when I arrived home from the airport..thanks Mak Long..!

I suppose I must say how very lucky and thankful I am, firstly to Allah for having afforded me this opportunity in monetary terms as well as opportunity. HE knows of all how much these past six months I have been struggling with my challenges being without my family who have been my solid rock support for the past 12 years.. for the very first time. And boy was it hard..so hard that I could not actually describe it and do not ever wish it to anyone -friends family that I love even my enemies. I know now that all that has happened- the tears I have shed is all Tarbiyyah for me..a process of learning and preparation for bigger things to come.. I hope I have not and will never ever let Him down..Thank you Allah .. for being there for me when my times were so dark I could hardly see..being my friend to speak to in the dead of the night with tears streaming down my face every time I did Tahajjud to speak to you. I owe YOU everything :-)

Then there's my family who in my most trying of times was always there no matter how hard it was also for them. My ever-loving and understanding husband  Baba Dr. Sazmal Arshad who listened to all my sorrows and sadness and pouring of stress, worries and homesickness all the time even when he was neck-deep in work and stress as the Asasi  'IT' guy  :-) as well as sorting out all the stuff required for home and kids as a dad and a mom at the very same time..his lectures, life, me, everything.

Thank you so much Baba .. This is for you : May our love always be Abadi like this song :-)

Then there are my kids who were always strong for me and tried to cheer me up : Arian and Gagi you guys don't know how much you have strengthened Mama in ways I never thought possible. Love you both with all my heart and soul..

Also..there were my sisters who were constantly there including all those who were friends in name but truly sisters in heart..you know who you are..thank you so much.

Lastly..my lab mates who are most understanding and nice to me..and my grand supervisors Claudia and James..brilliant folks..

Well well what do I know its the 12th October today and before I know it I am already due for my Major Review for my one year candidature..

Life has been great so far syukur alhamdulillah.. even more now that I have had my holidays in Malaysia and been with my family. Such a recharging much needed boost to my future life in Adelaide. I suppose the first few months when I was here I did not only miss the kids but also worried to death about how they were all faring without me. But when I went home I saw it for myself that they were allright. Baba their dad has done such an excellent job making sure of that.

Thank you Baba :-)

Now that I am back into the lab from the holidays and oh-the conference  ..! haha..in Miami..I am now all charged up and raring to go. Before I left I had loads of uncertainties whether I could do this.

Now insyaAllah I think I can ...!!

Although I miss my family loads still I now feel a lot lot better being away from them..its still hard especially at times when work sucked but unlike before I know now I can manage it. I am out of the darkest pits I hope, of missing my family to the point of insanity :-)

The conference was educational and the trip was good. Will post some photos later ok..

Yesterday James and I caught up on my progress and I am so thankful and happy to have such a brilliant supervisor like him and Claudia.. When I came back my project was still questionable in many areas but in one meeting he ironed all that out for me..

After I came out of his room..I wanted to write something like this in my FB :

" How can a person remove the sick-to-the stomach feeling of a student's dread of project methodologies going wrong all the time and change it to that of a rainbow ? "

"I'd say that will have to be a damn good supervisor and I have one...Thank God for that !"

Its true. Thats exactly how I feel about James. Claudia and the rest of my wonderful friends in the lab. Every single one of them brilliant.. Charlie, Mel, Layla, David, Richard, Lauren, Hui, Adrienne, Austen, Adam, Brock and everyone else..!

Syukur alhamdulillah..

Now I am looking forward to going home to my unit in Kent Town and lepak with Nani and Zira..another two people in my life here that has helped me weather through these trying times.. I also made some nice new friends - Umi, Niza, etc....

This evening I will be doing some lit review that I have not done in ages since James said yesterday he will try to hold off the review until I could get a better hold on my methodologies and the results will be consistent :-)

InsyaAllah things for me..from where I am standing at the moment is defintely looking much brighter than when I saw it here a few months ago. I know things will get tough in my studies and work plus everything else but with what I know now and everyone's support I think, really think it will be allright ;-)

Thank you Allah , everyone..!

Ciao-ciao..!