两年了，从那一个“12”开始。。。。

两年了。
两年前的今天，我开着车，花了整整三个小时，来到一所我从未去过，甚至从未想过自己有一天会来到这里的大学。

那时候的我，对这里的一切都很陌生，对接下来的博士旅程也充满了未知。没想到一转眼，两年就这样过去了。

这两年里，有忙碌，有压力，有迷茫，也有很多意想不到的收获。一路跌跌撞撞，却也一步一步走到了今天。

再次看到新生报到的画面，突然想起两年前的自己。

时间真的过得好快。两年前，我才刚刚出发；两年后，我已经走了很远。
************************************************************************ 

报到以后，Suresh 陪着我一起等我的导师。那也是我们第一次见面。

我发信息问他办公室在哪里、几点见面，他只回了一个：

“12”

我和 Suresh 两个人看着手机愣了一下——
“12”到底是什么意思？是 Blok 12，还是 12 点？😂

后来，这种极简风格的回复，竟然就这样陪伴了我整整两年。

这两年之间，也发生了很多当初的我完全没有预料到的事情。。。。。。

我不是不喜欢现在的导师。只是有时候会觉得，他和我曾经想象中的“导师”，似乎有一点距离。也许每一位老师都有自己的方式，只是有些时候，当我站在一个十字路口，不知道该怎么决定时，我脑海里第一个浮现的，反而还是我以前的导师 ——他已经离开大学很多年了，也快七十岁了，但他总是会很认真地听我的问题，然后站在我的角度帮我想解决方案。

原来，一个真正影响过你的老师，即使早已不在原来的位置上，那种影响也不会随着时间离开。

而博士这两年，也让我慢慢明白：
导师可以有很多种样子，而我们真正怀念的，往往不是某一个职位，而是曾经被认
真对待的感觉。

TOT GeoMETriA Completed!

Finally, I have completed all the TOT sessions.

It was not an easy journey. Some teachers said they had no time, some felt they already had enough certificates, and others were unhappy that the ICT room had to be used for research activities.

Despite these challenges, I was fortunate to meet many warm-hearted teachers and supportive senior assistants (GPKs) who generously gave their time to support my research. Some even prepared meals and served me food and drinks during my visits. Their kindness, encouragement, and hospitality meant far more than they probably realise.

Research is never a journey taken alone. I am truly grateful to everyone who believed in GeoMETriA and made this journey possible. ❤️

 

Penang Field Trip

 

A Ream of Paper and a Lifetime of Gratitude

One of the most touching things my first supervisor ever did is something I still remember until today. When I told him that I did not want to write too much because I had run out of paper to print my work, he simply gave me a ream of A4 paper. It may sound like a small gesture, but to me, it meant a lot. It reminded me that he believed in my writing and wanted me to keep going. This happened more than 20 years ago, when I was only 22, but I still remember it clearly. RIP En. Atan...I miss you so much....

Another touching memory was with my master’s degree supervisor. One day, I saw him bringing my proposal back to his room. He told me that there was something in my writing that he was not entirely sure about, so he went to discuss it with another lecturer, Dr. Rxxxx. Later, he told me that what I had written was correct.....

That moment stayed with me. It was only a final-year project, but he treated it with so much care and seriousness. He checked my work carefully and wanted to make sure everything was right. When I last saw him, he even mentioned that he had nominated me for the Best Thesis Award. Unfortunately, it was not successful, perhaps because I was doing a Master’s in Education rather than a full research master’s degree. Still, knowing that he believed my work was worthy of that recognition meant so much to me.
Thank you Dr Shaffe, Happy Teacher's Day.......

A Mentor Who Carried More Than Just My Proposal

Raining heavily outside... suddently thinking about someone who shaped my journey in a quiet but lasting way, Dr Shaffe.

He was never the kind of supervisor who impressed you with complex theories or cutting-edge research discussions. In fact, there were moments when he would honestly say, “I’m not sure about this part.” But what made him different was what came after that. Instead of leaving it there, he would go and discuss with colleagues, like Dr Ramli, just to make sure I received the guidance I needed. Looking back, that humility meant more than expertise.

I still remember one moment very clearly. I saw him walking on campus, holding my proposal in his hand, as if he had just come back from somewhere. That small scene stayed with me. It meant he had been reading it, carrying it with him, thinking about it, even outside of our meetings. When we spoke, his feedback was not rushed or general, but thoughtful and specific, as if he had truly spent time with my work.

Twelve years ago, things were very different. There was no AI, no instant tools, no easy shortcuts. Everything depended on time, patience, and human effort. And he gave that effort, consistently.

What I appreciate most is not how “great” he was in research, but how present he was as a mentor. He gave me motivation when I needed it, reassurance when I doubted myself, and support in ways that were simple but deeply meaningful.

He truly gave me something far more valuable than technical knowledge, he gave me confidence, direction, and the strength to keep going when things felt uncertain.

Even now, as I move further in my academic journey, I realize how rare that kind of supervision is. And how lucky I was to have experienced it.

Some mentors teach you knowledge.
Some mentors shape how you feel about the journey.
He is the latter.....
Thank you very much, Dr.

“Plastic Brain” and Why Early Language Matters

 Recently I came across an interesting idea called “plastic brain.”

The first time I heard about it was in an interview with Olympic freestyle skiing champion Eileen Gu. She explained that because she is still young, neuroplasticity is on her side—meaning her brain can still change and improve through the way she thinks, reflects, and trains her mind.

Later, while reading an academic article by Humphries et al., (2012) about deaf children and language development, I encountered the same concept again.

Humphries explains that the young brain is highly plastic, especially in the early years of life. During this period, children’s brains are naturally prepared to acquire language if they are exposed to an accessible human language regularly. However, this plasticity does not last forever. Around early childhood, the brain gradually becomes less flexible for first-language learning.

This is why early language exposure is so important. Humphries argues that if a child does not acquire a first language during the early years, it may become much harder to achieve full fluency later in life. Missing this critical period can affect many cognitive abilities that depend on language, such as literacy, memory organization, and even number manipulation.

In other words, the idea of a “plastic brain” reminds us that childhood is a crucial window for language development. When children have access to a language—spoken or signed—the brain can build the neural foundations needed for learning and communication.

Reading Humphries’ article made me realize that what sounded like a motivational idea in an interview actually reflects an important principle in neuroscience and education:

our brains are shaped by early experiences, and language is one of the most important experiences a child can have.

认真你就哭了。。。。

 

已经过了大半年，回看开题的presentation，
我花了近一年的心血。。。。。
心仍然无法原谅那些没有职业道德的人。。。。T.T
Proposal defence 这个名词原来被我错误定义了
心里一直回荡着这样一句话：认真你就输了。。。
原来

认真你就哭了

CNY 2026

 

2026 in Kluang (Chu yi)

Chu er