This is our 2nd week in Tinsley. We still haven’t got any car of our own. We went to see Hazeeq’s school on Tuesday and then went to ASDA. The school environment was friendly and encouraging. We decided to send Hazeeq to school on the very next day. We have been to the City few times now and to ASDA(macam Carrefour) by bus. So many things we bought for the house and that night, we arrived at home 10.30 pm! Here in UK it’s really late. Most of the shops here close at 6pm. Only ASDA and Tesco open 24 hours Mon-Fri.
Starting Wednesday, Hazeeq and I walked together to City Centre using tram. After taking my bath and perform Subuh, I will wake Mizi and Hazeeq up. Mizi will go down and make breakfast and I will prepare Hazeeq and myself for school (yes, both of us are students now). Both of us take our lunch pack to school. We have to go out at 7.30am(end of Subuh here) and take the tram to City Centre. At West Street, we would wait for a bus to go to Broomhill where the school situated. We went in and say hi to the Head teacher and she showed me around to his classroom. All the children were warm and friendly. Hazeeq at an instance loves the school. The school is quite far from my U but it’s the best nearest. Another school which is only walking distance from my dept is less encouraging, since their performance in Science and Math is below National average. And we have to bear in mind that syllabus in Malaysia is said to be tougher compared to here. Anyway, his school starts at 8.50am. We are always earlier 5 mins or 10 which gives us more time to chill and read books together before the class start. Then I would walk down the hill (since Hazeeq is not with me), all the way to my dept for another 20-30 mins.
Mizi will pick him up at 3pm everyday. Sometimes we will have lunch together and sometimes I would go back with them (or at later time alone). They usually arrive at the U at 4pm and I would stay till 5.30 to go back after Maghrib.
Arrive at home, I usually cook dinner and eat together. Then, we went to sleep.
Hazeeq really loves the school. Today (Friday) they were taught of number ‘4’ but Hazeeq boasted to 100! The parents are friendly to us and so as the teacher. On the first day, we left him until 12pm. Then, 2nd day we took him at 1. And full day till 3 on the 3rd day. His teacher said he’s doing fine. Everyday it’s not difficult to wake him up in the morning, knowing he’s going to the school. But I can sense that it makes him tired – we went out at 7.30am and walked for 2km to the station. Then, take another bus up the hill. And take the same journey home. Pity him. He always fell asleep on the tram on the way back. Usually he will arrive at home at 6pm. No appropriate sleeping hour in between. And he works as hard as an adult. Anyway, he doesn’t complain much.
Me and my research? I have a second supervisor – Dr John Holliday. He’s an Irish and very good in technical part. He’s nice too and have helped me a lot sorting things out for my RTP(Research Training Programme). Ohh.. I read chapter 2 now on “Introduction to Chemoinformatics”. I meet Prof Willet once every week to discuss about my reading. He’s such a nice person. At first, I was a bit down because so many things that I have to catch up on Chemistry – being a one who just got 7 in last SPM! But he put everything simpler. He showed me how much similar is this field to text retrieval. But the thing is – I’m not even an expert in text retrieval! Oh my.. but I’m progressing. I just have to do it constantly and pray to Allah to make things easier for me.. I might get lucky enough to finish my PhD in three years time.
Next week, I would start the RTP classes. I would have Chemoinformatics II class on Monday at 2 – 4pm and the lab will be on Tuesday at 9-11am. Apart from that, they need me to do some project involving Java (haven’t learnt this) and make a presentation due in April 2007. Erkk.. I should be presenting a paper and 1 chapter of my theses should be finished by then. That is so soon, huh? But this is how it works.. should I want to finish in time.. I have to follow the schedule. Beside Chemoinformatics II, I also take a Research Seminar class, which means that I need to turn in for some seminar whenever available.
