It is officially begins

Salam,

My first day of fieldwork officially began yesterday. Out of 24 measurements, I only managed to do 8. It was so hot outside, 42 celcius. Since the time frame that is allowed for me to do the measurements is around 11am to 1pm, and 3pm to 4pm (hottest time of the day!!), I began at 12pm (after helping my advisor's another student to assemble her weather station) and decided to stop at 3pm considering the heat that almost burned my head. 

When I got home, I immediately took a shower while I should have wait my body temperature to decrease. As a consequence, I could feel the burning in my head, especially that I showered my head first, (macam api menyala-nyala disiram air) and got headache afterwards! First day is always tiring, not only that I worn out, but I slept from 4.30pm to 6.30pm, and fell asleep before 12 am last night. Owh, and I drank at least 2 liter of water when I was out at the field (none was removed, so just imagine the hotness).

Starting from yesterday onwards, until the first or second week of September, I will spend at least 2 weeks/month collecting data for my research. My goal this year is to process and analyze my data when not taking any measurements, yet based upon my experience last year, it is not an easy thing to do. It took me a day or two to recover myself from the fieldwork, and by that time, I had to start the new cycle of measurement again. But, if I really want to graduate by next August, I just have to push myself :(

Well, last but not least, I started my fieldwork at 56.8kg. Last year, my weight went to 49.8kg by September. I really have to lose at least 5kg, considering that my flabby stomach starts to build up. * Fingers crossed*

Kisah statistik

Salam,

Sape suka statistic sila angkat tangannnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!!! (Saya angkat tangan tinggi-tinggi). Semenjak study agronomy nie, sekejap-sekejap statistic, sekejap-sekejap statistic, sampai tahap nak sorok tangan bawah meja huhu.

Bila time kena start test model, saya dah pening kepala. Model tu ialah linear regression line, so ada slope n intercept. SV kata, buat t-test asing-asing, mula-mula test slope dulu lepas tu kalau takde significant different, baru test intercept. Kalau intercept pon tak berbeza statistically, then model tu ok. Saya pon test-test, semua slopes and intercepts tak significantly different, mulalah excited, siap lompat-lompat.

Tiba-tiba pulak, committee member yang terer statistic kata, bukan macam tu. Kena test slope and intercept tu serentak guna F test. Saya pon susah hati, dah siap boleh bajet outcomenya, jadi selepas test ikut kata committee member, sah!! model tu significantly different!! Saya bertambah susah hati (Maknanya kena repeat modelling?? Tidak mahu!!!)

Bila cakap dengan SV, SV kata, saya tade masalah pon publish journal dengan cara saya test tu. Sudah, saya sudah pening, rasa mahu guling-guling. Kata Cody kawan saya, tulis saje value untuk dua-dua tests tu, suruh saje depa pilih mana yang depa mahu percaya. Statistic nie, banyak sangat 'trick'nya, kadang-kadang susah nak faham (ini bukan statisctic pasal mean, median). Kata Mark Twain (sape tak tahu Mark Twain sila google  ^_^);

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."

Siapa setuju, sila angkat tangan!! (Saya angkat tangan tinggi-tinggi sekali lagi) hehehe

Back to work

Salam,

After countless hours on roads, a cramped neck and legs, repeated meals of McD fillet-o-fish and off course, two months worth of rent and bills, I am finally back to work. The trip wasn't that amazing, considering the poor transportation arrangement by the tour company, and plus some shenanigans caused by the passengers that are mainly from the Tanah Besar. To make it worse, a vacation without my significant other. I wish to list all the things that turned me into an old grumpy lady throughout the trip, but why must I add salt to a wound. To the least, I am so happy to meet my sister (Husna a.k.a Una) who manage to tolerate my crankiness hahaha.

The tour covered a handful of places, including Las Vegas, West Rim of Grand Canyon, Solvang (in CA), San Francisco (including the crookedest street, Golden Gate, Chinatown (What could you expect when you join a Chinese-based tour company), Fisherman's Wharf, City Hall) and Yosemite National Park. The rush to be on time severely limited my exploration, who usually spend more hours on fewer places. After all, I did enjoy the National Park. Hopefully, I'll have enough of vitamin R to upload my pictures later.
  

 LA- SF- Yosemite route

 LA - LV - Grand Canyon route. The roads aren't highlighted because the Google Map cannot find the route to the Grand Canyon.

Today, I managed to finish some of the postponed work high-spiritedly (perhaps after spending so much money? hehehe). Few major works left, but I am done with some minor ones. Fieldwork are scheduled to begin on 1st June, so my fingers are crossed, hoping that weathers will favor me this year. I am praying to Allah that my fieldwork will sail smoothly and hopefully, nothing major will happen that can crush my spirit, which most of the time can easily crumble and fall apart hehehe. Doakan saya yea!!

Makcik oo Makcik

Salam,

Kisah benar di pagi jumaat
Venue: Family room, University Medical Centre
Masa: 11.40 am
Makcik Hispanic tergesa-gesa masuk family room untuk fix lunch.

Saya (dengan penuh sopan santun) : Makcik, saya dah nak keluar nie. Saya ada kelas pukul 12 pm. Saya terpaksa tutup bilik nie kalau tade volunteer. Makcik boleh datang pukul 12 karang yea, ada volunteer lepas saya shiftnya pukul 12 - 3 pm.
Makcik: Oo saya nak panaskan pizza aje. lagipun kain saya belum siap basuh (tuding mulut kat mesin basuh)
Saya: Mesin tu takpe makcik, nanti kul 12 pm ada orang datang, makcik leh dry kan kain baju makcik. Saya stay lagi 5 minit ek, tapi lepas tu saya memang terpaksa tutup bilik nie.
Makcik: Ok, whatever saya sudah dalam masa 5 minit, saya keluarlah nnt.

Lepas 10 minit,

Saya: Makcik, saya dah kena tutup bilik nie, kelas saya lagi 5 minit saje. Kelas saya kat Texas Tech sana.
Makcik (muka bengang): Tapi, saya tak siap lagi (dalam hati, tadi aku dah kata, aku dah kena tutup bilik nie. takleh ke tunggu 10 minit sampai next volunteer datang? Aku pon bukan kerja bergaji). Kalau panggil volunteer lain boleh ke? Dia ada kat wad sana. (Makcik sibuk text)

Saya pon kebil-kebil tunggu dengan beg sekolah dah sangkut kat bahu.

Makcik: Hye Brittany, ko boleh datang tak kat family room? Budak yang jaga nie sibuk nak tutup bilik (tak bgtau pon dengan minah tu saya ada kelas. dasar makcik)

Tetiba sorang nurse datang, muka tak gembira. Marah-marah saya. (Tadi makcik kata volunteer, nurse tu bukan volunteer, makcik ooi).

Nurse:  Kenapa awak nak tutup bilik nie? Tak boleh buka ke saje? Patient saya tak makan lagi
Saya: Cik Nurse, saya terpaksa tutup bilik nie kalau tade volunteer. Ini peraturan, kalau jadi apa-apa saya yang kena tanggung. Saya ada kelas kat TTU pukul 12 pm (jam dah kul 12, tapi next volunteer tak sampai lagi). Saya dah dapat permission daripada coordinator untuk tutup bilik nie awal sebab saya ada kelas.
Nurse: Saya call director volunteer office sekarang, kalau dia boleh naik temankan patient saya (volunteer office tu tak sama dengan organization yang saya volunteer, so saya diam saje).

Saya kebil-kebil lagi. Lepas nurse tu kata director tu akan naik family room tu, saya pon cabut. Saya kayuh beskal laju-laju p kelas, sampai kelas 10 min lambat.

Untuk makcik Hispanic, saya nie hanyalah volunteer tak bergaji yang dok bersihkan family room tu, datang pagi-pagi bukak family room tu supaya orang macam makcik dapat basuh kain, makan-makan dan rilek tengok TV. Kalau tade orang macam saya, walaupun ada orang lain dok sumbangkan duit untuk beli TV, sofa, makanan, mesin basuh bagai, (bunyi macam riak, tapi saya bengang), makcik tak dapat semua tu ok. Isnin depan, saya nak letak jawatan (merajuk)

Meaningless Spring Break

Salam,

My university is currently on the Spring break for a week. Sounds like a nice treat, but for graduate students, Spring break is meaningless. It is synonymous to term papers, catching up with studies, endless research works, yadda yadda yadda. I have been working on the take home exam questions, and still got 2 full questions and 2 incomplete questions to answer. I got 11 pages written with 4500 words so far. Plus, a 12-pages term paper that I found a way to include a lot of pictures (ngelat not cheating :p). Right now, I feel that my brain is saturated and drained, simultaneously. Today's already Wednesday, I need to finish both of them before the school session starts again next Monday. In my schedule, 21 March is for poster competition (dah siap tapi belom print lagi poster!!), 24th is for SAS workshop (baru kedek-kedek yang belajar guna command based statistical software, takmo SPSS and Excel) and due date for the take home exam,  28th is for research seminar presentation (slide tak siap lagi). Haihhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Tu belom include April *_*

Rupa take home exam yang tak siap-siap. Minggu depan nak kena hantar.

Term paper yang 3/4 complete. Dah tak lalu nak baca journals!!

I just want to watch Rango!!!! I love animation and Johnny Depp!!

Nota kaki: Poster Rango saya cilok dari Wikipedia.

Dasar Serbia

Salam,

Yea, saya memang tengah marah sampai saya menangis. Saya sangat marah pada budak Serbia kat lab saya nie. Ini bukan kali pertama dia secara kurang ajar membuat statements yang bukan-bukan. Sebelum nie, dia pernah cakap pada saya, yang saya nie half Chinese and Muslim, so that dia ada enough reason untuk benci saya. Dia memang rajin kutuk orang Cina, dengan bagi gelaran macam-macam. Sekali lepas tu, waktu banjir teruk di Malaysia (baru-baru nie) dia boleh cakap, you guys deserve it. God sends the flood to you. Pada kawan saya budak India, dia cakap, suami kawan saya tu lari ke New York sebab bangsa India nie kaki pukul. Padahal suami kawan tu kerja kat sana. Dah tu, bukan sekali dua dia komplen pasal gf dia. Dia kata gf dia tak pandai masak, pandai cakap saje, perangai macam budak-budak, suka cling kat dia etc. Bila kami suggest break off saje, dia kata, dia bukan nak kawen pon dengan gf dia tu. Cukup masa (gf dia currently duduk dengan dia) nanti dia akan dump juga gf dia tu. Mulut mamat nie memang tade insurans, sekali dua kami boleh terima as joke, lama-lama saya jadi menyampah. Bukan saya aje yang komplen, tapi dah 3-4 orang saya dengar komplen menda yang sama.

Ada sekali tu, saya jumpa selipar jepun saya ada atas meja , mestilah saya bengang (saya ada tinggalkan satu selipar jepun saya kat bawah meja, so senang saya nak amek wudhu).  Saya tanya budak pompuan tu (mustahil la dia sebab dia sangat kamceng dengan saya). Budak pompuan nie tanya pada mamat Serbia nie, memang dia yang letak selipar jepun saya tu atas meja, dia kata nak gurau-gurau. Gurau boleh ok, tu pon kalau anda dah kamceng giler sampai anda nak kutuk apa pon kawan anda tu tak kisah.


Kat grad lab saya nie, ada satu public microwave. Saya jarang juga guna microwave nie, n kalau guna pon saya make sure yang saya tutup container saya (dah jadi routine sebab saya tak suka makanan percik-percik). Kat grad lab nie hanya saya, dia n sorg lagi budak pompuan. Kami memang selalu saje nampak mamat Serbia nie panaskan pasta, etc yang tak bertutup (sebab dia beli instant dalam box tu ok) so terpercik-percik la sos-sos makanan tu kat dinding microwave. Saya pernah bersihkan microwave tu dulu, dan saya ada put note mintak sesiapa bersihkan lepas guna. Honestly, saya tak pernah nampak mamat nie bersihkan microwave tu lepas guna untuk reheat sos-sos dia tu. Hari nie, bila saya nak guna, Subhanallah, microwave tu sangat kotor, disgusting dengan food build up yang mainly nya merah-merah dan minyak-minyak. Sape lagi yang saya nak suspect? Budak pompuan tu selalu makan megi saje, saya panaskan air n jarang-jarang sekali letak makanan. So saya cakaplah dengan mamat Serbia nie, politely,  request dia bersihkan microwave tu semula. Dia mengamuk sakan, dia kata DIA TAK PERNAH GUNA MICROWAVE tu. Saya rasa nak hempuk dia. Saya mengaruk sekejap dengan dia, lama-lama dia dah keluar cursing word dia tu, saya diam n saya menangis. Ikut hati memang nak bergaduh lagi, tapi memikirkan dia tu memang dah dasar Serbia, saya benti dan saya spend 1 jam bersihkan microwave tu (Bayangkan betapa kotornya microwave tu kalau dah sejam nak membersihkannya).  Akhirnya saya put note lagi, kalau tak ingin nak bersihkan microwave nie, PLEASE jangan guna!!!

Bunyinya macam bodoh gaduh pasal microwave. Tapi saya tak rasa bodoh kalau dia tu bukan Serbia!!!

Cari Penyakit

Salam,


Seminggu nie, saya asek sakit-sakit. Lepas gastric muntah-susu-jadi-taufu-fah, saya dan Imran serentak dua-dua demam. Saya sangat tak suka bila sakit kat US nie. Alasan saya:

1) Kat sini nak recieve treatment mesti ada kad insurance. Bukan sekali dua saya dengar orang lain kata kad insurance yang MOHE kasi kami tu tak berapa nak laku. Kiranya kalau tunjuk kat spital / klinik mau juga depa belek 3-4x sebelum accept reject. Saya tak pernah p spital / klinik selain dari klinik sekolah yang mana charge rawatan akan terus dibilkan ke tuition fees (terus MOHE bayar, saya tak payah pening kepala). Saya dengar macam-macam hal bila nak guna kad insurance tu.

2) Kat sini treatment bil sangatlah mahal. Jumpa doctor lain, beli ubat lain. Ada tempat, buat appointment pon dah kena bayar. Saya tak berapa nak nampak klinik-klinik kecik macam kat Malaysia, yang mana kalau demam, paling mahal charge pon hanya rm30. Tu pon dah campur ubat . Dulu saya cabut wisdom teeth, usd200++ sebatang! Owh ubat cold sore saya, sebiji usd15. Doctor hanya kasi 4 biji, tu pon telan air liur nak bayar usd60! (Nasib baik boleh claim, selalunya 3 bulan, dah 4-5x tanya baru dapat!)

3) Bila sakit-sakit macam demam, saya terpaksa beli ubat kat pharmacy luar macam Walgreen saje. Kiranya saya dah qualifykan diri saya menjadi MD hehehe. Kalau nak p klinik sekolah amek prescription, kena BUAT APPOINTMENT!! Kalau hari tu dah fully booked, tunggulah sampai ada vacancy. Kadang-kadang, demam dah baik pon nak tunggu dapat appointment tu. Kat tempat saya nie, bukan cikai sangat, siap ada research hospital, tapi takkan demam nak p sana?

4) Saya masih tak tahu nak guna kad insurance tu macam mana. Ok, orang insurance kata, kalau orang spital tak percaya authenticity of our insurance card tu, soh orang spital call depa. Tapi masalahnya, hari tu, saya gastrik sampai berguling-guling, muntah hijau dah tengah-tengah malam. Macamana pulak saya nak soh spital tepon agent insurance tu tengah-tengah malam, sedangkan saya pernah call pukul 9 pagi pon tak berangkat lagi. Dan saya tak rasa agent insurance tu servicenya 24/7. Buatnya saya p emergency, insurance takmo bayar, sape nk tanggung usd6k itu?

5) Bila p pharmacy pilih ubat, saya pening kepala. Ada ubat tu, functionnya untuk macam-macam. Untuk batuk, untuk chest, untuk mucus, untuk sakit badan, untuk demam, semua boleh. Tapi, ada ubat batuk yang hanya untuk batuk saja, tak campur sore throat. Kalau saya batuk, makan 3-4 botol pon tak tentu elok lagi, padahal dah pilih strength yang maximum (konon-konon hanya boleh makan sekali tiap 12 jam). Kat Malaysia, makan 2 sudu ubat batuk cap ibu dan anak, sapu vicks kat dada, selubung selimut, tido, bangun nanti terus elok. Tak payah pon kena makan abes sebotol ubat.

6) Tade mama nak layan-layankan waktu sakit, tak boleh order makan sedap-sedap. Tade orang nak picitkan badan yang sakit-sakit hehehehe tu alasan nombor satu sebenarnya hehehe

Till then..

Salam,

I may have to abandon this blog for a while. New semester officially starts today. Initially I only registered for 3 classes,  2 of them did not make (insufficient number of enrollment) that I was supposed to find for replacements. One of those classes, I was so excited about it that I already bought the textbook a week ago. But then, since the class was canceled, I decided to meet the professor and literally begged him to consider teaching that class as a special topic. He hardly got any chance to say no or even think. Not only that he agreed, but he is willing to file a paperwork to keep the course name instead of the special topic. Hooray!! *Apologize to readers from other countries than US. You guys may find this confuses : class, special topic?*

I am also auditing 3 other classes, and one of them I only knew 5 minutes before the class started. When the professor asked the students for their reason(s) to join that class, I stupidly answered that I was informed 5 minutes ago by my friend that he's taking a good statistic class and I eager to join as well. Everyone burst into laughing. *Well, saya rasa tak kelakar pon. Maybe jawapan itu jujur amat?*

So here goes the list, Geostatistic, Seminar, Soil Pedology, (auditing) Introduction to Soil Science, Experimental Design (second time auditing) and Advanced Statistical Method.  Those will definitely keep me extremely busy for the whole semester. That doesn't count in the research hours yet, and I already signed up for 3 workshops!!

Kiasu betul saya semester nie? Kata plan nak register for climbing wall class kat recreational center? Boleh ke khatam buku soil 900 pages tu before Qualifying Exam? Tapi, saya nak quote kata-kata President of the Graduate Council Students, selagi boleh timba ilmu (especially when they are free) banyak2, sila ambil peluang!! Tiba-tiba aje semangat saya membara!!