It is Friday!

It is Friday! Yeah Yeah Yeah!
This Friday is even more precious that any of the previous ones as this week I have been busy running summer schools: 3 Forensic materials and 1 Material Selection in design. I have always enjoyed running these activities, although I moan about it. Heh... the other down side is also that I look like a walking zombie at the end of the day. The cure for this is hot bubble bath, a good dinner and lots of TLC from hubby. How many more to go? 3 more Materials in Medicine, 1 Materials in Dentistry and 1 Space Materials. Oh.. and also 1 evening of IOMMM & RSC Teachers ice breaking activity.

I will certainly miss organising, coordinating and running these events. Most of all, I will miss the very efficient team!

I have joined Facebook

Ha ha ha, I have just joined Facebook. Actually, I am also in Tag and Frienster... for different groups of friends.

West End LIVE

Leicester Square, Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th June 2007; 12noon to 18.30pm.



"Westnubuster City Council works with its partners, among them the New West End Company and the heart of London Business Alliance, to develop the West End experience. West End LIVE is the weekend to showcase the very best of what the West End has to offer."




My hubby and I went to experience a variety of West End musicals live at Leicester Square. On Saturday we wanted to catch the new musical "Lord of the Rings". However we were LATE!!! Due to the closure of District Line and Circle line. So we had to take the Hammersmith and City line and change at King's Cross station to Piccadilly line to Leicester Square. Hence we didn't arrive in time for the 20minutes musical. Well, actually even if we arrived in time, I don't think we will be able to see anything anyway, as the crowd was HUGE!!!!!!!!! Actually on Sunday we went down to Leicester Square again, this time to meet up with Jim and Paula. They recently got married. We had Dim Sum lunch, chatted a lot and it was really good to see them again. It has been 5 years since we last met each other! Well, too bad we actually FORGOT to take pictures of each other. Hmm, well, they are planning to visit us when we settle home in Malaysia, hence I am sure there is next time.

Oh! I got this VERY yummy and nice chocolates from Jim. The chocolate has different percentage of cocoa: 37%, 46%, 56%, 60%, 70% and 75%. My favourite is 60% and 70%.

Other than musicals, they even have other exhibition and display... my favourites are all the famous cars! See whether you can guess what all these are from...

Farewell meal ... number one

This... I have to say, was surprisingly enjoyable. My first farewell meal was with my ex-PhD supervisor. We went to this expensive Chinese restaurant in Westferry Circus named "Royal China". Unfortunately we didn't book a table so we sat outside. Well, on a normal sunny day, it was really good, especially the restaurant is situated at the river side. It can be romantic... but that evening was cold... we ordered our food, although it took a long time to decide what we want. It was a wonderful meal even though the food turned cold very quickly, but we still did enjoyed it.

We had coffee later at another place (indoors), to keep warm, named... AHH.. I forgot! Ha.. but it is at the Four Season's Hotel.

We ordered coffee, roasted almond and some small biscuits. Everything was good, but too bad I was too full. It was actually nice to have a meal and chat about everything but nothing at all. We have gotten busy in our separate ways that we hardly talk to each other for the passed 3 years.

The journey ... of marking exam papers

IT IS GREAT!!! When I received them from the admin staff I would really love to go straight home, hide myself for a week to mark them! I really can't wait to dig in and see how well the students have done. However, on that day I still have preparation to do in Uni and hence I didn't get home until late in the evening. Nevetheless, after dinner, I jumped into marking. My happiness was not long lived. When I marked the first few scripts I was mortifyingly depressed!!! Well, as you can guess, they didn't do too well... but then suddenly, I encountered one script that I awarded an A.. the feeling was superb! I thought:" Finally! Someone paid attention in my lectures!". Well, this one script gave me enough will power to continue. When I get to the number 15th script, I start to count how many were left. I began to fidget.. impatient to get it done. I noticed that I started to count down how many I still yet to mark. For some bizzare reasons, I kept hoping that after each script I marked, it will reduce by 2 folds. Ha.. obviously it doesn't work that way, but it didn't stop me from counting the remaining scripts everytime I finished one. Pathetic! However, I also observed that once I got to the half way mark, I got a dose of "feel good" marking spirit. On the last 3.. I laughed out loud! Well, I definately like the experience and love to do it again. You must think that I am crazy.. perhaps I am! HA HA HA HA HA HA

The journey home...the beginning

Let me tell you a story... a story of my journey HOME...


Long long time ago... in the land far far away...


I have been in London for nearly 11 years, in other words, I have left my home country (Malaysia) for a long time. Recently, my hubby and I have decided to go home for good. A lot of people congratulate me for the decision, a lot of people are shocked, and my boss (also my mentor) is very sad. Nevertheless, the most unusual greeting I received is from my ex-PhD supervisor. He said: "Brave action!". It is a strange remark... would you say this when someone you know told you that he/she has decided to leave a country for good? I would think not. As my last day is drawing near, I begin to understand the true meaning of this remark. These 2 words can only be understood if you have experience being away from family for such a long time and have made the decision to go back. It is brave.. as I am embarking on this journey, I have to first abandon 11 years of my life in UK (or what I cannot afford to ship home).. it has dawn on me that I have to embrace all the uncertainties. I don't even have my own bank account at home!

Am I sad? Yes, very very... as the days go by, I am starting to miss my friends (I haven't even left yet). But... the journey home is just the beginning. With all the uncertainties, all the unknown...one thing is very clear to me and this one thing that I know for certain... is that I will always have my family as my pillar of support ... and also sometimes my source of annoyance, well as they say you have to take the good and bad together, but luckily there are more good than bad.. I can always count on The Baker to cheer me up.

Death by White Chocolate

It took me 2 days after I have created my blog to decide on what I shall write... then I thought the first article must be titled "Death by White Chocolate" since that is my blog name. You must be wondering why such name? Am I a choco-holic? HA.. well, I don't think so.. Why death? Why white chocolate and not milk? or plain (also known as dark) chocolate? Why chocolate at all? Well, I actually don't have answers to all these questions, my first encounter with this phrase is on the menu of a pub. Hee.. actually not in person. It was my hubby on a business lunch at a pub named Brewer Fayre, near Cranfield University, Milton Keynes. It is basically a cake swimming in seriously creamy white chocolate sauce. Or the other version, "Death by dark chocolate". Can you die? Almost... you can drown in the chocolate sauce.. and up till this day, I still haven't forgiven my hubby for not bring back a piece of this dessert as take away!!!!


Anyway, in addition to that, my signature cake (to this day) is "White chocolate raspberry cheesecake". Used to be White chocolate chilled cheesecake. Ha.. so you see my connection with White chocolate? so I guess I am a choco-cake-aholic (if there is such word). Mwah ha ha ha