Happy Birthday to My Loving Hubby!

Salam. Selamat Berpuasa! Happy 33rd Birthday to my loving hubby! Getting older but must getting wiser ok! ;-) We plan to celebrate and break fast at my parents' in law's place this evening. What should I buy for the break fast? Hmmm... No idea yet.

This week is our mid term break week. But it seems that I have no break at all. I have meeting every day and datelines! (sigh) I'm still preparing questions for the mid term exam. And the final exam papers must be ready after Hari Raya Puasa. (sigh)

Welcome Ramadhan

Salam. Welcome Ramadhan!

Ramadhan is a very important part of every Muslim’s life. Ramadhan is the month of giving and mercy, and during this month Allah blesses the believers with forgiveness and great reward. This is a time to stop and contemplate, to look inwards and out, it is a time to set our goals. We should ask ourselves what we want to achieve this month - something we will carry into our futures.

Every Ramadhan, my hubby will spend the last 10 nights of Ramadhan to beriktikaf at the mosque. I'll be busy preparing his food for his sahur at the mosque and I'm very happy to do it. This year's Ramadhan will be great because I have Muhammad and Iman Najiha to join us for sahur and berbuka puasa (sungkei).

Sabda Rasulullah S.A.W.:

"Apabila datang bulan Ramadhan, dibukakan pintu langit dan ditutup pintu neraka serta dibelenggu segala syaitan."

Sabda Rasulullah S.A.W.:

"Barangsiapa yang mendirikan Ramadhan dengan penuh keimanan nescaya diampunkan segala dosa-dosanya yang lalu."

HARAPAN RAMADHAN (by Raihan)

Ku mengharapkan Ramadhan
Kali ini penuh makna
Agar dapat kulalui
Dengan sempurna

Selangkah demi selangkah
Setahun sudah pun berlalu
Masa yang pantas berlalu
Hingga tak terasa ku berada
Di bulan Ramadhan semula

Puasa satu amalan
Sebagaimana yang diperintahNya
Moga dapat ku lenturkan
Nafsu yang selalu membelenggu diri
Tiada henti-henti

Tak ingin ku biarkan Ramadhan berlalu saja
Tuhan pimpinlah daku yang lemah
Mengharungi segalanya dengan sabar
Kita memohon pada Tuhan diberikan kekuatan
Ku merayu pada Tuhan diterima amalan

Selangkah demi selangkah…
Dengan rahmatMu oh Tuhanku…
Ku tempuh jua...

Trip to Melaka and H1N1

My trip to Melaka is next week as I suppose to meet my PPT there. I spoke to him last Friday and he gave me two weeks to complete my portfolio (1st phase). I plan to use AirAsia from Kuching to KL, then maybe drive to Melaka with my hubby. My concern now is H1N1. Else, I opt to submit my portfolio using Pos Laju. It sounds better then. But I need to meet my PPT sooner or later. Maybe after Ramadhan.

It's my two precious little ones that I'm worry. As H1N1 can easily be contracted to children below 5 years old. (sigh) It's ok. Mommy won't go travelling for the time being.

http://h1n1.moh.gov.my/

Influenza A(H1N1) and Feeding your Baby: What Parents Should Know

What is this new influenza A(H1N1) virus?

This influenza A(H1N1) virus (previously known as “swine flu”) was first detected in people in April 2009 in the United States. This virus is spreading from person-to-person, probably in much the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread.

What can I do to protect my baby?

Take everyday precautions. In addition, take extra care to wash your hands often with soap and not to cough or sneeze in the baby’s face while feeding your baby, or any other time you and your baby are close. If you are ill, or coughing and sneezing, consider wearing a mask.

Does breastfeeding protect babies from this new flu virus?

There are many ways that breastfeeding and breast milk protect babies’ health. Since this is a new virus, we don’t know yet about specific protection against it. Mothers pass on protective antibodies to their baby during breastfeeding. Antibodies are a type of protein made by the immune system in the body. Antibodies help fight off infection.

Flu can be very serious in young babies. Babies who are not breastfed get sick from infections like the flu more often and more severely than babies who are breastfed.

Should I stop breastfeeding my baby if I think I have come in contact with the flu?

No. Because mothers make antibodies to fight diseases they come in contact with, their milk is custom-made to fight the diseases their babies are exposed to as well. This is really important in young babies when their immune system is still developing. Breastfeeding also helps the baby to develop his own ability to fight off diseases.

Is it ok to breastfeed my baby if I am sick?

Yes. This is really important.

• Do not stop breastfeeding if you are ill. Ideally babies less than about 6 months of age should get their feedings from breast milk. Breastfeed early and often. Limit formula feeds as much as possible. This will help protect your baby from infection.
• If you are too sick to breastfeed, pump and have someone give the expressed milk to your baby.

If my baby is sick, is it okay to breastfeed?

Yes. One of the best things you can do for your sick baby is keep breastfeeding.

• Do not stop breastfeeding if your baby is ill. Give your baby many chances to breastfeed throughout the illness. Babies who are sick need more fluids than when they are well. The fluid babies get from breast milk is better than anything else, even better than water or juice because it also helps protect your baby’s immune system.
• If your baby is too sick to breastfeed, he or she can drink your milk from a cup, bottle, syringe, or eye-dropper.

Is it okay to take medicine to treat or prevent influenza A(H1N1) while breastfeeding?

Yes. Mothers who are breastfeeding should continue to nurse their babies while being treated for the flu.

** Adapted from CDC Atlanta

Which groups at high risk for severe illness from Influenza A (H1N1) infection?

• Children younger than 5 years old
• Persons aged 65 years and older
• Children and adolescents (<>
• Pregnant women
• Adults and children with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, organ failure, cardiovascular disease , hepatic, heamatological, neurologic, neuromuscular or metabolic disorders such as Diabetes Mellitus
• Adults and children who have immunosuppression
• Residents of nursing homes and other chronic care facilities

My Students and Quiz Time

My first class this morning. They're supposed to have quiz today. Can see most of them reading the notes, chatting, laughing... Study life is fun. Enjoice!

Some are serious, some are not. But yet I can still tolerate with them as they respected me inside and outside class. I like them. They're really blunt and funny. Very young though. I'm still in the process of learning to understand them; their lives, their attitude, their thinking, their personalities... sometimes really challenge me and my patience. ;-)

I hope they succeed in their diploma and graduate next year. Fortunately we have DIT, DSE and CIT graduates this year. It's our GRAND year this year!

Truth in Life

What will you do if you suddenly know the truth about something that you thought is the best you have in life? Are you gonna cry? Are you gonna run away? Are you scared? Are you ready to face it?

I'm not gonna cry though I'm sad. I'm not running away because I want to face it. I'm not scared because I have my family to support me. But I'm disappointed because the truth appeared now and today. Why not before? Why now? Why I have to listen to all these today?

Someone taught me to recite this every time after prayer. Thank God. God listen to my pray.

"Bukakanlah pintu kebenaran antara aku dan orang-orang di sekelilingku".

Only my personal opinion; we're serious in life if we manage to achieve the following:
1. Excel in our career life as we have no time to enjoy outside.
2. Strong in religion practice. The more knowledge we have about our religion, the bigger challenge we would face. But it depends on our own attitude. Nobody is perfect in this world.
3. Caring with our own family.

A serious person will focus on career, family and GOD. Let me share with you the following:
"Kerjaya menjadikan kita seorang yang sibuk untuk mengejar matlamat, keluarga jadi sandaran untuk kita menjadi seorang penyayang dan bertanggungjawab. TUHAN pula menjadi pengharapan kita demi kehidupan yang lebih baik dan sempurna serta kekal abadi."

When a breastfeeding mommy is having her own personal problem...

Salam. I'm proud to say that I'm a breastfeeding mommy to my daughter, Iman Najiha. My precious little Iman Najiha delivered on Monday, 5 January 2009. She's exclusively breastfeeding from the first day of her life until now...

I have encountered some common problems in breastfeeding mothers. It's not easy at first but I managed to settle down. Especially when I have my own personal problems. Just like today! (sigh!)

Today, my milk production drop again! Why? Because I'm on emotional-state-being right now (sounds like learning state diagram). I quoted what my dad used to tell me, "Of all your siblings, you're the most sensitive and emotional". Am I? Yes. I'm a very sensitive person. And a hot-tempered person too. Only my hubby knows this because I blurted my anger and temper only to him. I tried to control my temper but there are times I failed to do so.

Let me think of the contributing factors; tired, my mischievous little Muhammad, middle of the month (out of budget), my Toyota Ipsum is in bad condition, stubborn and uncontrollable students, piles of work waiting for me, bla, bla, bla... But I think the most contributing factor is my own sensitive feelings.

Being with me, people need to tolerate with my sensitive feelings as I able to tolerate with others. But some people do not understand. How can I tolerate with you if you can't tolerate with me? Just be honest with ourselves. I can't tolerate with a person who's hypocrite and not being honest. Don't judge a book by it's cover. Don't simply put trust on a person just because you thought this person can be trusted. (sigh!)

"I do this because I don't want to hurt your feelings." If we're not honest, God will open the way and show our dishonesty to all. It's just being honest...

DIT/DSE Semester 4 and 5 ~ July 2009

Salam. This is me. And these are my dear students. They belong to DIT and DSE semester 4 and 5. I'm currently teaching Web Programming and Human Computer Interaction for their group. Very young indeed! And very naughty as well! In order to capture their attention in class, I need to be very patient. It really challenge me as they're very talkative and stubborn. However, I enjoyed my time with them.

My Children, My Life

My children, my life
Revolving around and around
Spinning and turning
Looking
Lost and found
Mommy, mommy, mommy
Unbearable and bound

One, two, three
Four, five rebelling
Crying and fighting
Screaming and yelling
My children. My life

Silence!
Peace of mind
Ears stunned
Quiet
Oh so kind
Stillness unwind
Misplaced
My children, my life

Mom, mom, mom
Joy and laughter
Running and playing
Singing and dancing
Swinging and swaying
Parading and prancing
My children, my life

Inspiring me, Teaching me
Accepting me, cherishing me
Loving me
Unconditionally
My children, my life

My World is dear
Waking in this atmosphere
Sunny skies
Three hundred and sixty five days
Winner of the prize
Smiling and grinning
Top of the inning
Shouting and screaming
I love
My children, my life


By, Ebony L Rhinehart

Introduction to Human Computer Interaction

Dear students, please take note of the following summary:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human%E2%80%93computer_interaction

Human Computer Interaction

Human–computer interaction (HCI) is the study of interaction between people (users) and computers. It is often regarded as the intersection of computer science, behavioral sciences, design and several other fields of study. Interaction between users and computers occurs at the user interface (or simply interface), which includes both software and hardware, for example, general-purpose computer peripherals and large-scale mechanical systems, such as aircraft and power plants.

The Association for Computing Machinery defines human-computer interaction as "a discipline concerned with the design, evaluation and implementation of interactive computing systems for human use and with the study of major phenomena surrounding them."

Because human-computer interaction studies a human and a machine in conjunction, it draws from supporting knowledge on both the machine and the human side. On the machine side, techniques in computer graphics, operating systems, programming languages, and development environments are relevant. On the human side, communication theory, graphic and industrial design disciplines, linguistics, social sciences, cognitive psychology, and human performance are relevant. Engineering and design methods are also relevant. HCI is also sometimes referred to as man–machine interaction (MMI) or computer–human interaction (CHI).

Goals

A basic goal of HCI is to improve the interactions between users and computers by making computers more usable and receptive to the user's needs. Specifically, HCI is concerned with:

• methodologies and processes for designing interfaces (i.e., given a task and a class of users, design the best possible interface within given constraints, optimizing for a desired property such as learning ability or efficiency of use)
• methods for implementing interfaces (e.g. software toolkits and libraries; efficient algorithms)
• techniques for evaluating and comparing interfaces
• developing new interfaces and interaction techniques
• developing descriptive and predictive models and theories of interaction

A long term goal of HCI is to design systems that minimize the barrier between the human's cognitive model of what they want to accomplish and the computer's understanding of the user's task.

Professional practitioners in HCI are usually designers concerned with the practical application of design methodologies to real-world problems. Their work often revolves around designing graphical user interfaces and web interfaces.