Have you ever had one? You look at something, or come across something that you don't understand..you think real hard, just to get more & more confused...when the answer is as simple as ABC, and after that you swear..ahaha...

Well me and my guy had one...Was breaking our fast at manhattan fish market, and right before our stomachs were about to explode...Puyeng took his napkin to wipe his mouth, I was still eating of course..

Then I noticed him staring at it...So i joined him, and this is what we looked at for almost 5 minutes:

We looked at each other, and asked each other "do you get it??'...both of us had no clue..

I was trying real hard to identify the animal on the float...a frog, or penguin perhaps?

Then Puyeng did a smart thing..he turned the napkin over and we finally got our answer...

Seriusly man...that did not look like a dolphin...sheesh...but the whole thing did give us a good laugh..=)

Hey people!!~ I had a sudden urge to read about how to maintain a Long Distance Relationship. I do worry if me and puyeng (thats his nickname, his real name is faisal) can handle the long distance, and the 12 hour time difference. We've been together for almost 8 years..and I've gotten use to seeing him whenever I want to. I sure hope we can handle the 15 months apart, so here's some tips that I find useful in surviving a LDR:

1. Create your own set of relationship rules that both of you have mutually agreed upon.  Your partner and you should set rules for each other, to make sure you are on the same page and to avoid future arguments. Puyeng & I have basically listed down what we want and what we don't want each other to do during our time apart, so hopefully we can both be clear of how we expect our partner to behave when we aren't with them.
2. Don’t Create Drama. I admit during our 8 years together there are some arguments that we (ok maybe only myself) created just because we were bored (8 years man!~). It was fun to resolve the argument and to make up after the fight, but I think if you are in a LDR this can be fatal to your relationship. So hopefully NO drama for us.
3. Be positive. Staying positive and not focusing on the negative aspects of a long-distance relationship is essential to keeping your relationship blooming and your partner content.  I hope that being apart we can both pursue what each other want with full focus (him being his career and me about my studies). 
4. Avoid the temptation to be controlling. This is really dangerous. People have free will and no one can or should control another person. Both of us aren't the controlling type, and we both appreciate our personal space. So hopefully the distance won't amplify our need to control each other's every move.
5. Consider using Skype video chat calls every day or as often as possible, text messaging, phone calls and email every day. It is important to maintain contact and to be in each others daily lives as much as possible. Throughout the years we've been together, we have never failed to keep in contact every single day (unless we are arguing of course!~). I guess the frequency is different for each couple, but we prefer daily contact. It's also something to look forward to after a long day at work.
6. Trust Each Other. I think this is the most crucial of all. It's natural for us to feel jealous if we know that our partner is going out with the opposite sex, even if its just for a casual drink or movie. But I think I've learned to suppress this feeling, and just trust that Puyeng won't do anything to hurt me. I trust that he loves me enough to know that once he breaks my heart, then it's over & there wont be any more 'we'. And of course this works both ways, I always think of him in everything I do.

So that's a compilation of what I think is important for us to be aware of if we are in a LDR. There are plenty more of course, but the above list is what gave impact on me when I read them.

And here's one tip that appears in almost all the websites of LDR advices that I googled, which is a big NO NO for me and Puyeng.

• Because time together is rare, when you do see each other, take as much advantage as possible of your ability to get intimate (yup its the 'S' word) with each other. You don't have that privilege during those stretches when you can’t be with each other physically. You’ve got to keep those feelings of excitement and attraction alive or they will wane in time.

Dad would kill both me and puyeng, and bury us somewhere unknown to mankind...Haha..

A lot of people are saying that a LDR is too much work, and that things won't work out between me and Puyeng. But they forget that they are not the people who are in the relationship. Its us..me and Puyeng..and insyaallah, with a lot of effort, doa and love...i really hope to get back to his arms next year to be his wife...=)

Piece y'all~

Hey guys...

So I decided to dedicate a post to Dartmouth..as I'll a student here starting this september..

Since this post is written before I've even been to Dartmouth, all the facts and images will be taken from the internet (tq mr.google!!). I'll try to summarize only the most interesting facts for you guys okay~

Warning: This will be a long post and it'll probably make you yawn. But I really hope this post will at least aid whoever is interested in pursuing their studies in an Ivy League.

So here it goes...

Dartmouth College is a private institution that was founded in 1769. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Geisel School of Medicine, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences.

Dartmouth College is a member of the Ivy Leagues. Dont know what that is? No worries...

The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The eight institutions are:

1) Brown University
2) Columbia University
3) Cornell University
4) Dartmouth College
5) Harvard University
6) Princeton University
7) University of Pennsylvania
8) Yale University

The term Ivy League also has connotations of academic excellence, selectivity in admissions, and social elitism. Ivy League schools are often viewed by the public as some of the most prestigious and are often ranked amongst the best universities in the United States and worldwide. (ok cukuplaa pasal ivy league ..don't want people thinking i want to show off).

Since I'll be taking engineering management..I'll be going to classes at the Thayer School of Engineering and the Tuck School of Business. Here are some pics of tuck and thayer:

Tuck

Thayer (I'm from an engineering backgorund so please excuse me for being biased by having more pics of thayer):

Ranking Information of Dartmouth College:

• No 11 in the United States (2012)
• Rated No 1 in Best Undergraduate Teaching (2012)
• No 90 in Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2011-2012 (takde laa terre sgt antara uni2 dalam dunia ni kan, saje je nk selective lebih2..ahaha..but honestly i think one of the main concern of Dartmouth's selectivity is because of it's small campus..rasenya ade dalam 5000 org student shj)

Some fun facts about Dartmouth:

• Howie Archibald (Nate Archibald's father from Gossip Girl) and Meredith Grey from Grey's Anatomy choose Dartmouth College as their alma mater.
• The creater of Grey's Anatomy, Shonda Rhimes is an alumni of Dartmouth
• Dartmouth alumni serving as CEOs or company presidents include John Donahoe (eBay), Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. (IBM),Donald J. Hall,Sr. (Hallmark Cards),Jeffrey R. Immelt (General Electric), Grant Tinker (NBC),and Brian Goldner (Hasbro).
• Its a veeeeery selective school..only 11.7 % out of all applicants recieve admission. I had to slap myself when I was told I got in. Even my dad cried~
•  Students enrolled are 50% men, & 50% women (talk about gender equality~)
• Dartmouth was originally an all men's institution, & began admitting women as full-time students and undergraduate degree candidates in 1972 amid much controversy

I had to go through a very long application process, with more than 10 pages to fill in the online application form, plus 2 essays (usually you only have to submit one essay, which is your personal statement if you apply to a university in the US). I think I took a week to complete all my essays and the online application. I also had to go through a very nerve wracking interview (through skype) with the associate directer of the program I'm taking.

And Alhamdulillah, I got admitted. And I cant wait to start my journey at Dartmouth.

Owh yeah , the header of my blog is actually a picture of Dartmouth's campus, I have to walk through that park to reach Thayer School.

Believe me, I read all the student's review about Dartmouth College (DC) through & through. DC got a grade of A- by the students, with 88% of the students stating that they'd come back to this college if they had the chance. I think the major turn-off is the surrounding city, as DC is located in a rural area in New Hamsphire (NH), USA. (refer to the pink color on the map below). From DC, it takes two hours to reach Boston & 5 hours to reach New York City.

Hrmm, maybe I'm destined to study in rural areas. (I did my undergraduate studies in University Technology Petronas, which was 45 minutes away from the closest town).

So I think thats enough for now. I'm sorry if I've said too much, and I'm sorry if this entry is so boring. I hope I've inspired at least one person to further their studies overseas. It wasnt easy to get where I am today, and I was so close to giving up. I'm glad I didn't.

Take care everyone. Taaa~ Here's some more pics for those who are interested.

 

So with some free time + a pinch of vanity..here's how i decided to spend 15 minutes of waiting for my colleagues to pick me up:

what a waste of 15 precious minutes of life.....

Hi there people!!~

I really hope that some of you will contact me; whether it's to get to know me better, or if you'd like to comment on any of my posts..Do drop me an email at:

nur.izzati.idris.th@dartmouth.edu

And please, if you youngsters out there need any advice on studying in the US, I would be more than glad to help you out.

For haters, pretty please give constructive criticism instead of blindly attacking me on things that you do not agree with..thanks in advance...=)

Piece y'all~

Owh dear..so i can either make this entry really short or disastrously long...

Let's opt for the short one, for your sake....

Used to go to boarding school, did my degree in electrical & electronics engineering, and now pursuing my masters in Dartmouth College, USA.

My first job was a sales engineer, but then I realized that the work was not technical enough for me. I found myself doing costing sheets in excel everyday, which is fine if you're into it..but this was something that I definitely would not like to be stuck doing...so I switched to being a design engineer in a multinational company...I LOVED every second of it..the work, the people, even all the mistakes I made during my employment...Every moment shaped me into who I am now, and I am forever grateful for the experience I gained here.

Now, I'll be starting a new journey in Dartmouth..It has been my dream to be where I am now..so I'm so grateful to God for this opportunity...

 

As for myself, I think you readers can judge by reading my posts..I'm really driven, I don't think 24 hours are enough for one day, and I usually find myself juggling a lot of things at once...it used to be my daily job as an engineer & a part tuition teacher....than it switched to being an engineer, clothes designer and online entrepreneur all at once..but hey, can't complain because I loved every second...=)..i really don't understand how people can be bored in this world when there are tons of things to explore and experience...

I would like to say stuff like...I love reading, meeting new people, and tell you all the good and bad things about me...but I'll let you be the judge of that..don't think revealing too much about myself is a good thing, and you are probably yawning anyways so...thats it for now...cheers everyone~=)

Let me start with bismillahirrahmanirrahim...

Hey there~  So if you are on this page it means that you'd like to know more about me and this blog..so thanks~=)

I had no idea that I would ever start my own blog, so let me start with the purpose.

LOVED ONES....yup, not because I want to be a popular blogger, and not because I'm passionate about writing. In fact the idea that the whole world has access to my personal thoughts scares the hell out of me. So this blog is primarily because I don't want my loved ones to worry about me, so that they'll know what I'm doing far away from home. I think staying connected with friends and family is what makes life so precious...

KNOWLEDGE & A STRANGER'S HELPING HAND...People who know me knows that I love learning, so I'd really like to share the experience of living in new hamsphire, USA. I'd like to expose & share our beautiful culture to people..baju kurung, nasi lemak, songket, batik, our high respect to older people...every bits and pieces...and I'd like to share and bring back what I think can improve our society..so this blog is also for people who want to learn~

Since I've had so many failures in applying for scholarships and applying to top notch universities, I'd really like to help any other fellow Malaysian's that need any type of guidance in wanting to pursue their postgraduate studies overseas..so please let me know if you need anything...so that's where a stranger's helping hand comes in..I have numerously been offered help by people that I hardly know, so this is my time to give back...

Owh ya, lg satu..since i'll be on my own, if you guys think i'm doing anything yang tak sepatutnya, i'll be more than willing to listen to all your advises..my friends know that i love asking for their opinion in anything that i'm not sure about...after all, i know i have many flaws and that i am far from perfect...

So thats probably it...

Owh yeah, in case you're wondering what 'Le Lierre' means..it means 'the ivy'..it's because i'll be studying at Dartmouth,which is an Ivy League...

Yeah i'm lame, I know...cheers~=)