KRENMAUT: Last week's activities

Last week was intense.

The first week of lecture has just started. We were barely gasping for air after finishing the previous semester and then suddenly it is already a new one!

In UTP we adopted 3 semesters per year. Meaning that, 14 weeks of lectures, a week break, 3-4 days of study week and 2 weeks of exam. That's about 17 weeks. So basically there is no rest. Fortunately, every academics are given a semester off (no teaching). Mine will be in September, yea!

So last week, the lecture started. I am teaching two full courses in three sessions. On Tuesday, the Ijtimak at Masjid Seri Iskandar also started. I cannot miss this opportunity of course so I attended a night in the masjid listening and taking points of the lectures given by the ulamas. Spent the night doing iktikaf with thousand others in the field (there were "camps").

The arrival of Raja Muda Perak as guest of honour during the ijtima.

The next morning after listening the final advices from the ulamas and short nap, I took my family to Batu Pahat because in the next day, I will be having a meeting with some colleagues in UTHM. It was about 6 hours drive. A lot of stops of course since there were 7 of us in the MPV.

The meeting was a success. We actually made a pack. Nothing sinister. It was basically a research group that were formed between old friends who are now academics in their respective institutions; UTP, UTM and UTHM. We are going to apply for a research grant soon for one project that we think have the potential to be implemented in the construction industry.

Strong wall and floor yest to be equipped at UTHM that will be the centre point of the PACK's research initiative.

Another night stay in Batu Pahat, then I took my family to KL. We went to Pusat Sains Negara because the kids want to go to the Dinasour Show. We went to the same event 2 years before. I thought that this time, the show was dull. The dinasour were less than before. It was not worth it (at least to me) to spend close to RM100 for it. But the kids still love it and that was what matters.