The Weeks That Were

We are in the last ten days of Ramadhan 1443 (today is 23 Ramadhan). Most Muslims will now tend to enhance their religious deeds during this time. Particularly, many hope to find the night of Lailatul-Qadr. Like everyone else, my simple wish is to be granted forgiveness and that I can maintain what I have been practising for this Ramadhan thereafter. Additional prayer is that my family will have a good life when I am gone. In this phase, I try my best to avoid negativities, difficult people though this is difficult.

An academic's work is never finished and goes beyond office hours. There will always be something to do (lectures, tests, seminars etc.) with research gaseous expansion. I'm not complaining but merely trying to say that we are not sitting idle. The fact that I'm almost retiring, there does not seem to be letting off and lightening up the burden. Indeed I am really desperate trying to graduate my present students. But on top of this, I have still to worry about the assets that were purchased under my name (as either Head of Laboratory or the Deputy Director). With the help of my younger colleagues, we have been trying to trace assets bought while I was at ITMA (this was around twenty years ago). Around two weeks ago, I was given a new list with relatively recent assets purchased while I was at INSPEM. I told my colleagues, if there is really a threat for us to replace lost assets (and they are not necessarily used by the person named), nobody would like to take up the positions of the Head or Deputy Director/Director in this case. I sincerely hope the manner that these things are handled will change, if so. As long as these matters are not settled, it would continue to trouble me. Right now, I'm very much dependent on others to help me because I do not personally have the whereabout details of the assets as they are normally used by others.

With the Ramadhan fatigue setting in, I was contemplating my post-retirement future. With age, I easily get tired though I have not let this deter my scientific passion. I do need to find a (paid) job after retiring to help me pay bills. Just two weeks ago, my youngest son informed me that his college bills has yet to be paid; the one that has been paid before was only his semester fees. So, with my recent dental treatment, car services and now the college fees on top of the regular expenses, this month's budget seems to be a bit tight. Currently, I do still have my third and youngest sons' education to cover. On a happier note, my youngest son seems to be settling well in the college. The only slight problem recently, was his bank card got blocked and we had to send him cash last Saturday. Hopefully when he is back for Eid holidays, the bank card matters can be settled. Here is a photo of my youngest with his room mates after Tarawih prayers.

Yesterday was also my second son's birthday. We bought him a cake for iftar the day before to have a simple celebration. (Note: to the Muslims, the day started with Maghrib - see here). Here are some pics.