Stay Alive & Healthy As Always In This Pandemic

Previous 5 months were literally full of challenges. I think all of you guys felt that way too. A lot of things happened during that time period. As we know, the world had been hit with an invisible enemy and can't be seen with naked eyes. We are facing a war which can't be seen. It is the Corona Virus or known as  Covid 19. This pandemic had caused hundred thousand of life been infected and died. It stills growing and can't be stopped till now. It's kinda sad to hear this most tragic phenomena or maybe i can call it as tragic disastrous. Like i said before, it hit my country in previously 5 months ago. I am quite shocked and felt unbelievable. It spreads so fasttt!! Numbers of people died everyday around the world. It just so weird guys. It was unbelievable! A lot of families had suffered for the lost of their family members because of this virus. All countries and governments announced lockdown in all areas that been infected with the pandemic. Total LOCKDOWN! You can't even go out from your house! Just stay inside in your house, eat and stay alive. The situation feels like an apocalypse gonna hit the earth. A lot of new rules, safety regulations and safety protocols had been launched immediately. All news in TV explains and updates about the Covid 19 pandemic's issue. Daily report regarding this issue is compulsory for every country around the world. Everyday i see the same news same updates and same cases about the pandemic. People get scared. Some of them started to worry about their food and daily supplies. The lockdown gave some bad feeling for certain people because they worry about their life supplies such as food, drinks, jobs, salaries and other survival stuffs. 

I write this issue because i would like to share my experience and feeling of what i've been through for the past 5 months during the lockdown and pandemic occurrence. Yah, i've seen and learned a lot. But i also thank to God for giving me a healthy life and healthy family to continue our daily routine and dreams. For your information, the total lockdown in my area started on March 17th 2020. I am still working during that day. Yah trust me i'm an engineer and working during the lockdown. But then, our company decided to close all departments on the same day after an announcement had been made by our managing director at night. So, i decided to go back to my hometown straight away at that night. I didn't plan or pack anything yet. I called my family spontaneously and told them that i will be back later. I went back home at 9.30pm and the highway was traffic jam crazily! I never thought that it's going to be a massive traffic jam at night. Everybody was rushing to go back to their hometown i guess because of the lockdown news. All R&R and pump stations were full of people and jammed. I didn't know that my toll card weren't enough so i wanted to top up the toll card at nearest pump station. I went to two pump stations along the highway but all services were unavailable at that moment. I felt so frustrated and didn't know what to do because i can't event top up at the toll booth due to pandemic safety regulation which is no cash payment allowed, which means all cashless and only cards accepted. Holy grail! i'm toast! I can't even think where to top up my toll card..Arrggghhhh!! AND guess what, i just proceed my journey on the highway which i didn't have single cent inside my toll card. I prayed along the route that God will help me to solve this problem. Then, i reached the exit route of the highway to my hometown. I've prayed and hoping that the toll booth cashier has a kind heart to accept my cash to top up my toll card, or else i'll be stucked. 

Finally, i managed to pass the toll booth and top up my toll card happily. Thanks to the kind hearted toll gate cashier for accepting my cash. It tooks almost 2 hours 30 minutes for me to reach my house because of the traffic jam. Usually i only need 1 hour 30 minutes to reach my hometown. Then, my life routine had changed for almost 3 months due to total lockdown and home quarantine thingy. Well, people used to think that the quarantine life is just chilling and relaxing at home with family. Maybe it can be the right time to some people for taking chances to hangout and spend time with family during quarantine. Yeah it's true. For me, the first 2 weeks were quite fun. I used to be a busy and work-a-holic kinda girl and suddenly need to be stucked at home and do nothing made me so bored and lost! Everyday is the same day for me. I wake up around 9.30am, freshen up, eat, watch TV or Netflix, lunch, eat, watch movies, take nap, teatime, freshen up, play games, dinner, Netflix at night, eat, sleep, sleep and sleepppp. I'm not happy with my new routine at all. It seems like i didn't get any input, useful, energetic and informative like before. I think i changed to be a lazy person with no purpose. I really hope that i have some work to do during quarantine. So guess what? What did i get from the laziness feeling in quarantine?? Let me tell you. I did several fruitful stuffs for the past 3 months of home quarantine. I did a list of things that i've planned to do and wanted to complete. It's like MY GOALS. This time i would like to point out the activities that i did in the pandemic season (quarantine life). 

Complete New Tender Submission

Eventhough i've been stucked at home for many weeks, there still have chances for my boss to stay in touch with me regarding the office works. I've been working from home after the pandemic occured. Luckily we saved all documents in our Dropbox. Yeah, so functional right! Our department have our own Dropbox. So, any document related to our works can be found easily in the Dropbox which the limit is 1 TB. We use the same email and password so that it much easier to refer in future. I recommend to all of you who like to work from home to use Dropbox to save all documents systematically. I need to handle the new tender project for highrise buildings (1 hotel, 1 office tower, 1 residential tower and podium) which must be submitted as soon as possible. I focused to complete the tender submission for 1 week. Well, i guess this work filled up my daylife quarantine routine. And actually i found out that i don't have any problem to work from home..yeahh! Although i completed the submission, my boss is still contacting me for certain office works and some work requirement thingy~~   

Attend Various Webinars

There are many useful things we can do in quarantine. The thing is, we need to manage our freetime well and do the right thing. I had attended many webinar series that had been held by IEM, MBOT and universities. Those are the list of webinars that i've participated. Each of webinar was interesting and informative for my career and future goals. I appreciate enough to the people who succeeded to made those webinars a cool learning platform and shared knowlegde to community. Those are several webinars that i took part of:

• Creating, Monitoring and Tracking of Your Construction Project by Using Microsoft Project Software
• Managing Sustainable Engineering Development Project for The New Norm
• Project and Risk Management for The New Norm
• Design Recommendations for Post Installed Rebars in Concrete-to-Concrete Connection
• Traininf of IBS Professional from CIDB
• Professional Technologist Training by MBOT
• Lightweight Framing, Structural Decking and Industrialised Building System (IBS) Adoption
• Navigating the IEM Form of Contracts Contractual Clauses
• Research Techniques for Engineering-Based Problems
• Engineering Competency Development-Your Path to Becoming a Professional Engineer
• CIDB IBS Professional Certification Selected Topics
• Building & Construction Technology - BIM Technology
• Concrete Anchoring & Facade Fixing Systems

I'm happy with what i've joined. Its really worth it. I learned a lot and got so much input to upgrade myself. This quarantine really taught me to be great, beneficial and multitasking person. I think i feel more valueable than before..LOLL!

Involve in MBOT Interview Session for P.Tech (Ts.)

26th March 2020. Mark the date! I am officially succeed my Professional Technologist (P.Tech) interview with a (Ts.) title which is approved by MBOT. The interview had been done by video conference meeting together with 2 panels from MBOT team. I've been waiting for this interview for quite sometime more than 3 months to wait for my turn. Basically you need to have 3 years working experience related to the P.Tech division you wanted to choose. So, i've completed all the requirements and got in for the P.Tech interview. I'm in the Building & Construction Technology (BC) division. It was a smooth and easy interview with super supportive and friendly panels. It tooks 1 hour 30 minutes to explain and share about my working experiences and technology that been used. Last but not least, the Chairman or head of panel said that i'm doing well in that session so don't worry. AND now here i am, an official Professional Technologist (P.Tech) with (Ts.) title ahead!

Participate in Certified IBS Professional Course by CIDB

Alright, this decision is pretty spontaneous and straight forward. Basically, i came across on certain website and found an advertisement regarding the IBS Course. As we know, nowadays government and industries are focusing more on sustainable development, waste management and generating design solution for fast working assemble without cost overflow. So, why not if i take the course to upgrade myself and my career due to the current demand of IBS Professionals. I contacted the person in charge to ask about the fee and programme tentative. It was 3 days course by using video conference as a medium platform. I agreed and joined the course. It has 4 modules to complete with some calculation test and quiz session. Usually there will be a workshop for IBS Course but due to Covid 19 they changed it to online course. I grab this opportunity to enhance my knowledge about IBS (Industrialized Building System). The speaker explained nicely and i understood well. I have a great time and experience during the IBS Course because all speakers were well experienced with IBS work and gave us very informative input from history of IBS to the current development of IBS. The IBS Course been supervised by CIDB team and all participants got the official IBS Professional certificate from CIDB by email and post to home address. YEAH, i'm officially a certified IBS Professional! 

Focus on My Research Work

I'm an engineer and at the same time i'm a full time student too. I pursue my doctorate study in civil engineering. It is my dream career to be an engineer with excellent knowledge and experience. Currently, i've done my semester one as a doctorate candidate. During the Covid 19 quarantine, i gather my guts, mind & strength to read, search and find some journals as references for my research work. Well, as you know, it's not easy to do research work at home because of many interference..HAHAA. But, don't give up on trying to focus okay! I managed to found and read 50 journals for my research. I also managed to compile and did summary for all the journals too. I guess 50 journals are quite a lot for 3 months quarantine. I plan to publish a review paper related to my research work in Q1 or Q2 journal and currently i'm organizing my review paper to be published. Currently, still seeking for guts and strength to complete it..arrghhh!! Oh ya, i also did a video conference meeting with a company from industry because my research is collaborating with industry which is Mapei team. Yes, i'm collaborating with MAPEI Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. for my doctorate project.  I wanted to share my project and current research progress with them. I also need their input, opinion and advice about my research area because they are the expert from industry. 

Baking and Cooking

Of course when we're in the mid of pandemic quarantine, we have to find some fun activity to create joy in our daily life. Me too! I did baking, cooking and tried new drinks which is Dalgano coffee. Yup, this drinks is viral during that time. I had so much fun in the kitchen with my family. Those are the menus that i've tried during MCO. 

Baked: Milk Bread, Chocolate Cakes, Marble Cakes, Kek Lapis Asam Manis, Delicacies for Eid (almond london, pineapple tart, famous amos) 

Drinks: Dalgona Coffee, Milgona (from Milo)

Cooked: Siput Sedut Masak Lemak, Grilled Chicken

Move In to New Crib

I bought my own house 2 years ago but it was still under construction during that time. The house is located nearby to my office. I can move in to my new house this year before Eid celebration but due to the MCO, unfortunately all been delayed. Well, i really couldn't wait too long because the due date of the house that i rented came to an end. So i need to move in to my new house as soon as possible. Although the government is strictly advice to stay at home and control the movement, i have to move out from my rented house ASAP. During that time, there were many police's road block on highway. Forsure they were asking me where i'm going and what's the purpose. Luckily, my new house is located on the same state of my hometown and work place. I managed to pass the road block smoothly. It took 2 days for me to move in and transferred all my stuffs to my new crib and answered questions from the police's road block. After all, as an independent woman, i feel grateful and happy to finally got my own property and stay at my own house! YeayyYYY!!!! *big grin + excited* Will talk more about my new house on the next post. SOON...~

I think that's all i can recalled regarding my activities during the quarantine life. Pretty much that's it. In overall, i enjoyed my life on the quarantine moment. But there are certain things that i would never forget. I saw empty road during the MCO, zero car or zero vehicles on the road. It's like a dead town or dead place. Yeah..all empty! Shops and restaurants all closed. Just a certain supermarkets were opened due to people's daily supplies. The best thing is, we could see clear sky, good weather and peaceful environment due to the lockdown. Lack of vehicles and smokes makes the area clean and tidy without any pollution. There are good and bad vibes of the pandemic occurrence. Only wise people can understand it wisely. 

Finally, don't forget to stay clean and healthy always. Put on mask, apply sanitizer, wash hands and take care of your body everyday. Be alert. Do not hang out too long at outside and get away from big group of people. Stay alive & healthy in this pandemic!