From the Land of Mata Ayer

I'm pretty amused that this week I have been working and 'nudged' to configure the theory selection for my thesis. I had practically left it at the back of my mind as I thought perhaps a conceptual framework is succinct. However, during the latest meeting with my supervisor, he probed the matter. I understand that choosing a theory is like applying lenses, you change the way you see things/ object/ ideas. What I have yet to understand is the part where we need to shift from macro view, to micro, and so on so forth. Perhaps I've been burrowing in the rabbit hole for some time already. Digging through the materials, reading, annotating, and sometimes questioning myself 'why on earth are you doing this?'..haha. But my supervisor has an important point: I need to be able to view things using helicopter view. Second, this week I attended an online workshop on Atlas ti. The global pandemic had saved me hundreds in terms of transportation costs, may reach thousands eve...

Bismillah, It has been 77 days since the Malaysian government first imposed the Movement Control Order (MCO) and followed by a less restricted version of CMCO which is anticipated to end soon insyaAllah. Our lives has also changed tremendously. Who expects that this is the way we will spend our 2020? By staying put in our houses. I have been lamenting to routinely write here, for long, but distraction took charge. I did things other than blogging instead. However, yesterday I watched a Youtube video from my lecturer back in UTP and one of his tips to make PhD journey more meaningful is to write reflectively. So here I am, facing my fear of having inadequate thoughts to share. The last two and a half months had been eventful. I never expected myself to stay in one place for so long. It made me notice the smaller things, like how my parents have been aging well, or that the ambience of the house is more cheerful when all three siblings are home. Having food on our table, a roof on our he...

Bismillah, Alhamdulillah, last week I had a chance to attend 'Seminar Akhlak' organized by Gabungan Belia Institut Ibnu Al-Qayyim in UIA. I can say that the 6-hour trip from Dungun to KL was worth it as the content of the program were superb!  As their first time organizing this inaugural seminar, the programme secretariat did a great job.  Really wish that I could do the same in UTP, hopefully Biiznillah :) Well, moving on to the content of the seminar, we were intrigued to listen to the 5 speakers, each of them specialized in their own field.  I have my own stand in seeking for 'ilm, that knowledge is knowledge, haq is haq, bathil is bathil.  We need to appreciate more in order to learn.  I'm not saying that our system of tarbiyah/education is inadequate,  it lined up everything that is essential.  Yet, as a Muslim progressing towards betterment,  we should put effort in closing the gaps, as the boundaries of knowledge reaches no ho...