Life in Malaysia, Brisbane in Memory, and Special Dedication to the Important Person in My Life

Well, I’m back for almost three months now. The feeling…. Well, I guess it is a mixed feeling. I’m very glad now that I’m close to my parents, my siblings and my family. But I feel sad too because I missed my previous life at Brisbane (and missed some of my friends there, not all of them)….Life at Brisbane was less stressful, I enjoyed my life as a postgraduate student there. I missed spending my weekend there too (window shopping, Gold Coast, cinema etc.)….However, life must go on….

Malaysia…. Traffic jam everywhere, tolls everywhere especially in KL and Selangor…. The most enjoyable part is just the food, because there are a lot of restaurants in Malaysia that we can go and enjoy the food compared to a very limited number back in Brisbane specifically or Australia in general. I can eat fresh rambutan here. I can enjoy my mum’s cooking; I can attend almost all of the wedding invitation that I got (except for if the wedding is clashed with my husband’s schedule – he is a wedding photographer so almost every weekend he is occupied); I can have “teh ais” everyday and many more (I have the list). Despite of KL is full of people especially during weekend; I still enjoy shopping with my mum at Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman (Jalan TAR) and SOGO when we have time to spend together.

However, I still miss large blueberry milk tea with pearls (EasyWay) in Brisbane and missed the CityCat very much…. 2 years in Brisbane, 3 different units we rented in 3 different suburbs…. Wooloongabba, Highgate Hill, West End…. I also missed QUT very much even though it was a sad ending for me as a student in BGSB, QUT. I missed DFO Brisbane, Harbour Town in Gold Coast, Kmart, Big W, Target, Myer, David Jones and the list goes on (did I mentioned above that I love shopping?). I missed South Bank Cinema, the place where I watched all my favorite movies with my husband & friends– PS I love You; Definitely, Maybe; No Reservations; Transformers; I Am Legend; MI3; and many more…. And till now, I still miss Brisbane so much….

I know that people around me is wondering if I’ve completed my study. And the answer is “not yet”. It is a very long story….The ending of my story? He knows best…. I’m praying for the best of me in everything. I’m glad that I managed to go through this “hard time” with the people that give never-ending support to me.

I would like to express my greatest appreciation to several people – the important persons in my life. First of all, thank you very much to my dearest husband for your love, support, and understanding in all these years including the hardest and toughest moment in my life. I love you very much.

Thank you very much to my parents….Mum and dad, you are my inspirations. Thanks for the love and support, thank you very much for your prayers that give me the strength to move on and work hard to achieve my dreams.

Thanks to my dearest friends….Sabrina, Kak Ita (Rossita), Ila UUM, Hidayah, Anisah, to name few….

Sabrina, you were the first friend who knew about my problem. Thanks for always being there when I need you, thanks for cheering me up….Babe, we really missed large blueberry milk tea with pearls….

Kak Ita, thanks for listening and giving me good advice and also for always belanja us makan-makan….

Ila, thanks for helping me out with my application (I still owe you RM50)….

Dayah, thanks for your support and for lending me your ears....

Nisah, thanks for always giving me good advice….Don’t forget to contact me when you are in Malaysia or Singapore….

The list goes on….

Kak Ana UQ, thanks for supporting me and give me a very good advice and reasons of why I should complete my study no matter what happened or where it will be….

Kak Lin, thanks for being my friend at QUT….

Abg Nas, thanks for listening….

Melly & Ade, thanks for cheering me up and for the nicest mukannak (colorful gitu)….

Yessi & Erni, ukhuwwah fillah….

Halida & Mahani, thanks for the motivational books that wakes me up from sadness and live to the fullest….

Kawther (China) & Erna (Bosnia), you are the best international friends that I’ve got....

Last but not least, thank you very much Prof. Evan Douglas and Dr. Jason Fitzsimmons for supervising me these 2 years at QUT. Both of you are wonderful academicians with millions of ideas and love writing and publishing very much. Thank you for sharing the experience, guiding me into the reality of academic world and for the passion in coaching me as an international student. I’d love to work with both of you in the future. Evan, thanks for accepting me to enroll as a research student in Faculty of Business, University of the Sunshine Coast but I’m very sorry…. I can’t make it…. Jason, Singapore and Malaysia is not too far now. You should come to KL and we can meet up here. Malaysia is as nice as Brunei (and the people too – maybe nicer)….

Thanks everyone…. Thanks for always be there....