Tummy ache (again)...

Hmm, it's almost 3 am now, as I start to write this entry. Got home from work at 7pm today (or should I say, Friday 15th, since it's already practically Saturday 16th morning??? Hahaha). I've been suffering from tummy ache since last night, so I was totally worn out from work. Just woke up about half hour ago (slept at 8pm just now).
Erm, don't think I'll be going to Uni tomorrow. I'm just gonna do my research work at home. Maybe I'll go next week and meet up with my supervisor.
However, will go to Clarks' Warehouse Sale later this morning. Need to get me a new pair of shoes for work (and play)! Hope I'll be able to get something, coz I have large feet. I think if in the UK, my shoe size is either 7 or 7 1/2 (here in Malaysia, I'm a size 9 or 10...depending on the shoe design).
Yikes...nature calling... :p

Bus ride...huhuhu

Work was OK today, but I was quite tired. The bus ride yesterday took about 7 1/2 hours! Usually, the bus from Kedah (Kulim, specifically) to KL took about 5 hrs, 6 hrs max. Yesterday, hoping to make life easier (and for my friend picking me up at the bus station), I tried taking the bus direct from Kulim to Shah Alam, since I leave nearby Shah Alam.

When I bought the ticket, the lady said the bus will go direct to Shah Alam. How wrong I was to think so... The bus stopped at several stops, for between 10 to 30 mins each stop, and it did not go direct to Shah Alam!!! Huhuhu... It dropped off passengers at Puduraya, KL first, then at Klang, before finally going to Shah Alam. Yikes! My body was aching by the time we finally reached Shah Alam's bus station. Huhuhu... Whatever it is, I'm glad the journey was a safe one. :)

I've actually spent the last few days at home, with my parents. It's been a very good weekend (Friday, 08/08/08 till today, 11/08/08). I definitely am a happy bunny! Hehehe... My parents came to Shah Alam last Thursday, to attend an event on Friday morning. The event was known as "Bumi Hijau something-something". ;) Can't remember the full event name. What I do know is that it was an NGO event, where representatives from all over Malaysia (and some from the US, Korea, Europe...) came and planted trees. Bumi Hijau = Green Earth. :)

Anyways, I got off work early on Friday and went back home with my parents. I used to live in Penang, but my parents moved to Kedah a few years back just before their retirement.

Ooops! Gotta end this entry soon. It's way past midnite... Hehehe... Ciao! :)

Master's???

My Master's program officially began on 28th June 2008, the day I registered at the University. It was a memorable day for me. When I started my degree program a few years back, my parents were there to see me off. But this time, I had to stand on my own, from application process up till registration. I was practically independent, although my supervisor helped me a lot during application process...hehe... Now, I definitely have to stand on my own doing research work and sorts. Of course my supervisor will help me out here and there, but I need to do things on my own too. Need to be independent. :)

I have to admit, with all the things that have been going on since registration day, I haven't done as much as I hoped for the Master's program. I've not gotten much done. Need to get a move on things a.s.a.p.! The semester's almost halfway through, but I've done very, very little - learnt very little about sea shells (structural properties, composition, availability in nearby places) and fabrication methods. Even worse, all the data/info that I've obtained have yet to be fully organized. Yikes! A lot needs to be done. Let's hope I'll get a better move on on things starting this week. ;)

Yikes!

It's been almost 2 months since my last entry... huhuhu...

So many things have happened during that period of time... Beginning of my Master's program (finally deciding, or should I say finalizing, on my research/thesis topic), my office's Family Day (which was more like, my family day...hehe), company's Technology Week, etc, etc, etc... Not to mention the movies I've watched throughout the past months. So many good movies came out (so-called "summer movies", which have more to come! Haha!), that I went to watch either with friends...or just by myself when I can't be bothered to wait for others. Hehe...

Anyways, I have something going on at the moment. Will be back with more soon (I hope! Hahaha!)... :)

Bowling!!

Hmm, a weekend without a single post... well, I have been a bit busy with this and that... not to be revealed in this blog... hehehe... ;)
Anyways, my department had a bowling tournament today at Summit Super Bowl at Summit USJ. There were 27 participants; 5 ladies and 22 men. Although it was hot (so called, "sauna bowling" due to air-conditioning breakdown!), the afternoon had been good. My scores were only so-so. Done better in the past (more like during my high school years. Yikes!). But overall, it had been a good game. :)
My interest in bowling spurred when I was in the UK, when I followed my dad to watch Malaysian students hold a bowling tournament at one of the bowling alleys in town. However, at that time, my allowance wasn't enough to allow me to spend on such things (saving money for other things...hehe).
I actually started bowling in 1998, just for fun with friends. It was so funny the 1st time I tried. I could hardly manage to get 50 points (the best "pencuci longkang" of the day!)! Hahaha... I've never really been that good. At times I can score big (over 160 points), but most of the time, scoring 100 points is luck enough. Hehehe...
Too bad I don't have any photos to upload here at the moment. Didn't bring my camera along to the tournament, and didn't manage to snap any photos with my mobile phone. Huhuhu...

3D??

Went to watch The Incredible Hulk last nite with a few friends. Hmm, how should I comment it? Erm, it wasn't really like "Whoa...awesome movie, man! Gotta watch this again!" kinda thing. It's more like "Hmm, not bad... at least the CGI this time isn't as bad as The Hulk (actor: Eric Bana)". Heheh...Edward Norton is buffed up for the part as Dr. Bruce Banner (Hulk), but still a little thin.

Lab Equipments & Consumables

I work in the testing department (testing lab, to be more specific) in an automotive company. As mentioned in the previous post, several of my colleagues and I attended the LAB 2008 Exhibition at KLCC this afternoon.

As expected, there were various lab-related equipments on display, with participation from international exhibitors, such as Singapore and Korea. The equipments displayed were from worldwide manufacturers and distributors, among them being National Instruments, PerkinElmer, Mettler Toledo, BioFocus, PLT Scientific, and many more. There were so much to see. Many were relevant to my lab, and many were not...but they were all still interesting. It sorts of give an insight to what others are doing in their labs, e.g. bio-related/medical labs (biofuels, animal-testing labs, etc).

Anyways, took quite a few brochures and product catalogs along the way. Will browse through them sometime with my lab members, see if any are of interest. Couldn't really remember all the explanations given by the various exhibitors just now. Another batch from my section will be going to the exhibition tomorrow. Hope they can get more info, because I'm pretty sure I must've missed some. ;)

LAB Exhibition

A quick one during morning break time. Hehehe...

I'll be going to the LAB 2008 Exhibition at KLCC (Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre) this afternoon. Two of my lab members will be going with me, and a couple more of my colleagues as well. Anticipating the exhibition, because my lab handles quite a number of testing equipments, so it'd be nice to look/survey at prospective equipments. :)

Break time's almost over. Gotta go! ;)

Biomaterials???

Feeling much better now, but still a little restless/tired. Doctor did warn me of fatigue due to my "bowel movements". Huhuhu...

Anyways, picked up my package at Pos Laju today, after going to the clinic. It's official, in black and white, that I've been accepted for Masters of Science in Materials Engineering. Yay! What I need to do now is get the money (fees!) ready... Hahah...

First thing first, I really need to seriously brush up on my knowledge. Need to find my past texbooks and notes, which I'm pretty sure are stashed in the boxes under my bed, under layers of accumulated dust (hahaha). At least I've found my Chemistry book. Like this book a lot, had it since my matriculation years and is still in very good condition. :) It's called "Chemistry - The Central Science", Eigth Edition by Brown, LeMay, and Bursten.

Since I'll be delving into biomaterials, I'll need to go back to my "Ceramics and Biomedical Materials" notes too. It was one of my fave subjects in Final Year. :)

Taken from my past lecture notes - Biomaterials are artificial non-drug substances suitable for inclusion in biological systems which augment, repair or replace the function of bodily tissues or organs. Biomaterials include:-
- Bioceramics
- Biomedical Polymers
- Surgical Alloys, and
- Biomedical Composites

From the above mentioned biomaterials, they can be categorized into four types:
- Biotoxic : tissue surrounding the material dies
- Bioinert : fibrous tissue forms around the material
- Bioactive : interfacial bonds are formed between material and surrounding tissue
- Bioresorbable : surrounding tissue replaces the dissolved material

Among the uses of bioceramics are for:
- Orthopedic load-bearing applications
- Coatings for chemical bondings (orthopedic, dental, maxillofacial prosthetics)
- Artificial tendon and ligaments, and
- Dental implants.

Several of the most common biomaterials used for orthopedic applications include titanium alloy, UHMWPE (ultra high molecular weight polyethylene), PMMA (poly(methyl metacrylate)), alumina, zirconia, and hydroxyapatite (HA), to name a few.

I think that should be enough for tonight's "class". Hehehe... Will be back with more another time. As I jot down these info in my post(s), it helps me to revise as well. (Kinda like the saying, "Two stones in one throw"). :)

ps: Any unfamiliar words that need more detail, just search in the Search bar on my site. :)

Diarrhea...

I'm at home sick today... huhuh... a mild case of diarrhea ("frequent loose or liquid bowel movements", quoted from Wikipedia). Just came back from the clinic. Doctor said it's nothing serious, just that something I ate yesterday may not have agreed with my tummy. Hmm, need to drink more water and avoid spicy/sour food.

The nice doctor gave me Hyomide for my tummy ache, to be taken 3 times daily after meals, two tablets each time. Another one is Biocarbon, which is 0.250 g of activated charcoal. It's supposed to help me overcome gas (perut masuk angin daa). :) The third and last medicine is small, round white tablets that I didn't catch the name of it. Really hope I'll be ok soon... Doctor warned me of tiredness and restlessness. Huhuhu... Gonna go and take a nap (didn't get to sleep too well last nite and this morning).

A brief look into Materials Engineering

As per mentioned in the previous post, my best friends and I all practically took different Engineering majors in IIUM. I'll start with my major.

Materials Engineering. What is it? Also known as Materials Science, Materials Engineering is practically an interdisciplinary engineering field that involves the properties of matter, solid and/or non-solid structures,and its applications in various industries.

In IIUM, other than metallurgy (which in brief is the study of metals/metallic compounds), materials students are also taught the processing and manufacturing of polymers, ceramics, and composite materials, materials process design, as well as the basics in optical and electronics properties of materials.
Approching final year (by 4th year in Uni), students are given several choices of elective subjects, that usually encompasses advanced materials. These electives include:
- Smart Materials
- Nanomaterials
- Fine Ceramics
- Electron Microscopy
- Sol-Gel Technology and Synthesis of Materials
- Polymer Physics
and a few more.

My personal interest is in Composites/Advanced Composites and Nanotechnology. I did my final year project on low-cost, light-weight composites for use in the automotive industry (no wonder now I work in the automotive industry, huh?? Hehehe). I actually wanted to do my Masters in the same topic, but too bad my previous supervisor is no longer attached to IIUM and there is currently no one to continue his work/supervise me. So, now I'm turning to biomaterials, which is also my interest. Truth be told, I'm interested in any field involving materials. :)

I've really got to go to bed now... Slept too much this afternoon (over an hour!! huhuhu), that's why I'm still awake at this time. But I've gotta sleep like right now, because gotta work in the morning.... Oops! ;)

Anyways, if there is any of the stuff mentioned above that isn't familiar to you e.g. sol-gel technology, just look it up in the Search above. You'll definitely be directed to quite a number of links. :)

Engineering Grads

It has been a full weekend! Whoa... Haha... One of my best friends came for a sleepover on Friday nite, and another came last nite. When us girls get together, well, definite late nite chats and activities (ehem...heheh).

Went to the office yesterday morning. Our company's having a Technology Day or Open Day this coming July, so the place has to be in tip top condition for our guests (the public). We had spring cleaning activities and sorts. :) Some of the pics of the guys hard at work:

Came back from office, got ready to go to another one of my best friend's engagement "party". She looked absolutely gorgeous (siap dgn bulu mata ala "Bella" tuh... hehe). We r a group of 5 best friends, since college. Here's a pic of us best friends, minus 1, since she became our photographer... huhu... and I'm the one in white tudung. ;)

Just an overview, all of us studied Engineering in IIUM. I'm a Materials Engineering graduate. Afifah (in grey) took Manufacturing, the pretty Naza took Communications, and Shazeela took Mechatronics. And not to forget, our dear photographer, Kak Ina took Manufacturing. Wait, here's a pic of Kak Ina :)



After spending time at Naza's, it was time to leave. Minus the pretty princess of the day, the four of us headed to the infamous Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman's Saturday nite market in KL. It's been so long since we went. It wasn't really to shop, just to waste time. Hahah! It was fun to get together after so long. Each of us work at different places. Two of us in Selangor (myself and Afifah) while Shazeela and Kak Ina in KL, and Naza in Johor. KL and Selangor may be close, but our schedules limit our meetings. That's why yesterday was such a good day, because we managed to get together. :)
Kak Ina's working today... Kak Ina, hwaiting!! :D

A quick one before I start work again this afternoon.

I was supposed to go pick up a courier waiting for me at SS13,s PosLaju office at 2.30pm, but due to my own laziness, the package (I think my offer letter to IIUM) is still there, awaiting my pick-up...hehehe... I definitely have to go on Monday.

Anyways, will be going to the storage yard at 3.30pm. My section is having a big warehouse-like cleaning / spring cleaning for the upcoming Technology Day. Till later, ciao! :)

Instead of editing my previous post, just wanted to mention here that I went to the UK (specifically lived in Glasgow, Scotland) with my parents. My father landed a job as the Malaysian Students Advisor / Warden for Scotland and Eire from late 1995 till mid 1998. Does anyone who stumbled across this blog knew me or my dad then?? Although the chances are a gazillion to one, still, it's just a thought... :)
Me?? I was about 12 yrs old when I went, and came back after just turning 15 yrs old, and right in time to sit for my PMR in Nov. 1998!! Haha... OK, bedtime for me just right about now! :D

A blog before I run off to bed?? Hehehe...

Well, I was suddenly reminded. Just a few days ago, 31st May 2008 marked my 10-years-after-return-from-the-UK anniversary. :) I can still remember the exact date. I touched-down on the then newly opened KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia) on a hot afternoon on 31st May 1998, after the long flight from Heathrow Airport, London. Prior to Heathrow Airport, it was a short (less than an hour) flight from Glasgow International Airport, Scotland. I lived in the beautiful city of Glasgow, Scotland for a memorable 2 and a half years.

It was so hard to say goodbye to my life there, especially my friends, who actually came to bombard my house right after school the day before I left. I was in the process of last minute packing when the door bell rang and about a dozen of my closest friends from school gave me a surprise visit. Greenday's "Time of Your Life" will always have a special meaning to me; my friends sang the song to me, acoustic style... Missing u n ur guitar, Joanne. :)

Erm, out of the blue, I just remembered something else. I need to do a short write-up about heat cycle test for my company's upcoming Technology Day. I'd better get a move on that. FYI, heat cycle test is an integral test that automakers conduct for interior and exterior automotive parts, to verify the part's performance and reliability. :)

Well, another time for more "Dalila's UK / European Memoirs"...and oh, when I do manage to complete my write-up on heat cycle test, I'd definitely blog about it here. Wish me luck! ;)

It's almost 8pm...I've just got home, totally worn out! Not so much because of work, but of playing tennis after work! Haha...

I've not played for soooooo many years. Even when I played last time, can I really call it tennis?? It was actually try-ur-best-to-hit-the-ball kinda game, where most of the time I just ended up chasing after the ball, instead of hitting it. More so, I don't know the rules of the game! Well, it was still good exercise. Hehehe... Erm, body's starting to ache now... Aiyaks!! ;)

Hmm, what else interesting today?? Oh yeah, we had free lunch at the office today. Yay! A few of my kind colleagues at the office treated everyone to lunch, which was of course scrumptious. Good food, good companions = good lunch. :) Thanks, people!

Another nice event at the office today was our Family Day meeting. I was suddenly appointed as the chairperson for the meeting. Huhuhu... But I have to admit, it was a rather fun experience, because not too much (if any) formalities. :) Our section is planning to have a Family Day this coming July, at Pangkor Island, Perak. Yay! Sincerely hope things will go as planned. I really wanna have this break, somewhere not in the city. Sort of a change in panorama. ;)

Ok, gotta go have a quick shower... Who knows...maybe I'll be back with more post(s) later this evening. Hehehe... :D

Anyeonghasaeyo! Ohaiyo gozaimasu! Just got in the office less than 10 mins ago. I think I'm really starting to get the hang of blogging! Haha..

It's like sharing about me and my interests with the world, without getting too personal; an online not-too-detailed-diary sort of thing. ;) Few of my friends have been asking me to start a blog, but I've always had excuses to procrastinate...but now, here I am...typing away. :)

Oh, currently listening to Maroon 5's "Wake Up Call". It's quite upbeat and has a catchy tune, which is good to listen to in the morning to get me hyped up. That reminds me, a friend just returned to me my Rain's "It's Raining" CD and I just found where I left my FTTS 4th album CD last nite, somewhere deep down in my storage box under my bed. Both Rain & FTTS (Fly To The Sky) r Korean artists - solo artist & R&B Duo, respectively.

Ok, the bell's coming on in a couple of mins... Gotta get going for the morning Taisho. :)

Oooopss! Before I go to bed, I love Korean boy band Dong Bang Shin Ki (DBSK) / Tohoshinki (THSK) - also shortly known as TVfXQ or TVXQ!!! Yay!!! ;) Just remembered to mention it at the moment coz I'm listening to their Japanese song "Love In The Ice" right now. Such a lovely ballad...

I've included the translated lyrics to my post here (credit goes to dbskarchives). I was tearful when I watched their performance of this song at Japan's Soul Power Concert last year (watched online at Veoh.com). Just an opinion, I have to admit that I prefer their Japanese ballads compared to their Korean ballads. Hmm...


"LOVE IN THE ICE" by Tohoshinki

It’s not your fault those hands are freezing
Borne from those childish days, you carry the scars
Are you afraid to love someone?
You pretend not to see the other side of the words

Like ice, the embraced heart slowly starts to thaw

* For anyone to be loved by someone,
Makes life in this world shine
If it was me, I’d make your heart warm once more
With eternal tenderness

Even if fate’s mischief pains the heart
On the other side of those tears,
A single ray of light will swoop down into the darkness
We know

As strong as the feeling of suffering, we can feel people’s warmth

Everyone is searching for a place
That can heal their sadness and loneliness
So… for you, that place is here
Don’t be afraid, don’t hesitate anymore, because I’ll protect you

My heart is pained
Because this love is so beautiful, don’t be afraid
Even if it’s just momentarily, I’ll let you know my love
This time is beautiful, you know… let you know my love

* Repeat

Credits: dbskarchives and lunatunalover @ lJ

This year, their lovely ballad "Kiss Shita Mama Sayonara" (As We Kissed Goodbye) definitely tugs at my heart... Aaaaahhhh...

Ok, definitely have to go to bed now. Gotta work tomorrow. ;)

Annyongee choomoo seyo! Oyasuminasai! (Good nite in Korean and Japanese, respectively)

Another post for today...hehehe...
Anyways, just got my admissions letter, or should I say, offer letter to IIUM (International Islamic University Malaysia) the other day. If all fares well, I'll be furthering my studies there this July. :)

It'll be solely by research (and very little coursework) Masters of Science in Materials Engineering. Unless my supervisor thinks of another idea (hehehe), the research project will be known as "Development of Dense Hydroxyapatite-Carbon Nanotube Composites for Load Bearing Bone Implants, via Chemical Vapor Deposition Process". Fuh! That was a lot to mention in a single breath... heheh...

Just a little info. Hydroxyapatite (known in short as HA) is an inorganic mineral that makes up our bones. If I'm not mistaken, 70% of our bone composition comprises or is made up of HA. It can also be found in out teeth. Meanwhile, chemical vapor deposition is briefly a method for producing high-purity solid materials that are also high in performance. This method is widely used in the semiconductor industry, and now growing in biomedical/biotechnology areas. Now, I need to get back to my books and more literature reviews so that I can better remember all that I've studied whilst in Uni...and not convey the wrong ideas/concepts here. Hahaha...

Anyways, let's hope I do well for my Masters. Work will be getting more hectic soon, right about the time I start my research work. But it's OK. I'll balance things out. (we'll see, once I do start my research! Haha!)

Whatever it is, work is still priority. Undertaking Masters is my dream, sort of like a quest to quench my thirst for knowledge. It's not for satisfying other people, but to satisfy myself...sort of an achievement target for me. Although it's going to take quite some time to complete (at least 4 yrs! yikes!), but like I said, it's for my own personal satisfaction...and hopefully, with the findings from my research, I can somehow contribute to the world.


Dalila, hwaiting!! ;)

Oh, I learned something new today... I never knew what "dtex" meant when it comes to fabric. Someone just informed me earlier this afternoon. :)

It's actually a short term for "decitex" and has the same meaning as "Denier".
Decitex or dtex = the unit of measurement of linear density of a continuous filament or yarn.

In the past, I only knew that ladies stockings (skin socks) were classified according to their Denier, i.e. 50 Denier, 80 Denier, etc... All I knew was that the higher the Denier value, the thicker was the socks (less transparent)... Hehehe...
Come to think of it, I've actually come across "Denier" during my college days, but never heard of "dtex"...or did I not pay proper attention??? Hahaha... something for me to ponder on. :D

OMG! Fuel price increase effective 12 midnight, tonight!! Yikes!! It's RM2.70 per liter, compared to the current RM1.92 per liter. Mak oiii... mahalnyer harga minyak skrg...

Yay! Going to eat satay for lunch today... hahaha... time tak busy ni lah nak bleh kluar lunch outside... ;)

1st time starting my own blog... :)

In general, my interests are in:

(1) Materials (Engineering) - I took Materials Engineering in college (soon pursuing Masters relating to Biomaterials)
(2) Technology - More into Nanotechnology
(3) Entertainment - I am very much into K-Pop and J-Pop.
(4) Travelling, although I do not get to travel much. Hehehe...