leaving

The feeling when leaving a place where I've been for sometime is always indifferent.
Especially this time. I can say, I am s-a-d.

I really met wonderful people at Howard Florey. The people who are fun to work with. Who make the work really enjoyable. Who make me feel very well welcomed as a part of the group. Who make me feel that my work is appreciated.

Particularly my supervisor, she's awesome. She's a real expert, and a good supervisor. I always enjoyed the meeting with her, it kept my spirit up. It was always very comfortable to discuss things with her. She was also very helpful, willing to come to my desk to help me solving problems. Apart from the work-related matter, I also felt touched by what she did to me. She's so warm-hearted. She's just, lovely.

And ah ya, a post-doc who just started a month after me. His coming to the group was such a help too. I was then like having another "daily supervisor", as well as a team mate, to whom I could yell for help when I found problems. He was enthusiastic and professional. I worked a lot with him, and he'd helped me to understand my work much better.

I had a very nice project these 3 months. A project that also let me involved in a bigger project. A project that made me have my own role, a project that other people put their interest in. I'm so grateful that my supervisors let me involved in every meeting with people from other groups who collaborate with us, and let me collaborate with them, too. It was such an invaluable experience.

I woke up this morning, and I just couldn't imagine that today was my last day! 3 months happened in just a blink. Though I have weird feeling too, it was just 3 months but I feel like I have been there for more than 3 months. Everything has been so familiar. It has become a part of my life for these months.

Leaving from one place to other place is not always bad, said a friend this afternoon. Especially when you are going to a better place. ---I know, I'll have another nice project ahead. And on top of that, living with my husband (finally!) will make my life just perfect.

Anyway. Let me feel sad now. Because I am.
But thank you Allah, for such a blessing that you've given me. The ups-and-down for my stay was so fruitful, and that made me grow up.

***

I never expect that Leigh and Nathan, two of the people I mentioned above, will ever read this. I am no good at expressing feeling,... but if you happen to come to this page, let me say big thanks one more time. Really, what you've done meant A LOT to me.

Picture: sunset in Brighton Beach, Victoria

On loving your life

My supervisor from the Netherlands visited me at the Howard Florey Insitute (HFI) today. He came to Australia for a series of lectures and conferences, and this afternoon at Neuro Imaging Group, HFI was one of them.

Talking about my supervisor, I think I learned a lot of things from him. Since the first time I met him last year, when I visited his lab during my first visit to the Netherlands. The very first thing I learned from him is being a good listener. I remember him asking me, at that time, about what I expected to have in my master degree. I was impressed that he was really willing to listen to everything I said, very carefully, and gave very supportive comments. Another surprise came by the fact that he learned about myself before meeting me; he said several things that no way he could say it unless he has gone through my application thoroughly.

Few months later I started my master, officially under his supervision. He was the one to whom I could talk when deciding what subjects to take, etc. I had more contact with him when I took a short internship project under his supervision. He was really a great supervisor; he made me work independently while also gave something to hold on. Every meeting we had was so motivating; his questions were always intriguing. I walked out his office, always, with more enthusiasm in digging the project much more.

What I admire most from him, is how he spreads his passion in his expertise to other people. I can always feel that he loves what he is doing. He adores the science --the field-- he is working on; he tells people that he found it amazing. He taught people interesting concepts and not making them bored, because I can feel that he himself thinks that it is interesting.

Do what you really love. That's what he advised me this afternoon when I said that I was still floating of what I want to be in the future. I had a chance to talked to him privately on my desk this afternoon during his visit. I also told him what I have decided for my master thesis, which would unfortunately not be under his supervision --I have decided to have broader view in the field also to really find out what I enjoy most. I am very happy that he was on my side, and that he also looked happy with my choice. I should have told him that I appreciated it a lot.

He told me that he was never stressed. That he always enjoyed his work. "I never work, I do my hobby every day," said he, "never I said: 5 o'clock already, time to start my other life." "For me, this work is part of my life."


***


Dedicated to Prof. Bart ter Haar Romenij.
For the life lessons I always learn everytime we talked

Friends stay

It's always fun (and worthwhile) to catch up with old friends. We might stop hanging out with them for one reason or two. We might have different path of life that forces us not to have contact as much as we used to have.
But true friends stay. In our heart.

***

These days have been wonderful. My dear best friend came to Melbourne for a training. We didn't plan that to happen, it just happened. It's been a year that we didn't see each other and we ended up meeting in Melbourne. I am very happy to see how she has grown up. I do hope she will be having more successful years ahead.

Tonight, I was pretty anxious meeting my Australian old friends back in my YSEP year. We did have something in common; we spent sometime being aliens in a faraway country. But I was worried that 3 years are just far too long for us to even recognize each other. But again, true friends stay. To me, they are still the same person I used to know. They are STILL my friends. They've crossed my path. Catching up and being updated to what each other has been up over the last couple years we didn't have chance to meet time are always great.

***

Being reminded to catch up with other friends who have been a little bit "invisible". We never know if a word of hello might mean a lot at the time being.

Blessed Eid

Celebrating Eid this year with family was wonderful. It was an invaluable thing I could have begged for. At least for the last couple years, when family-get-together was not something that I could take for granted.

So, very thankful for this wonderful moment.
I wouldn't ask for more.
*Or if I could, I would have prayed that my husband has also been there.*

with my family! (OK, minus one!)
@ Southbank, Yarra River, Melbourne

with Sita, my best friend, and kangoroos
@ Healesville sanctuary, Victoria

Alhamdulillah...