The Killer Garden

Saturday, 3rd March 2012. The Professor entered. Greeted. "Assalamualaikum. Welcome to the killer course of your life. Research Methods"

Hmmm... Don't worry ...

Misna's Rule of Thumb ...When in the jungle...

... Stand still - get your bearing
... Listen - to the familiar and unfamiliar sounds
... Look around - mark the knowns and the unknowns 
... Observe - details and outliers
... Explore - possibilities
... Identify - requirements
... Compare - and contrast
... Search - for meaning and applicability
... Clear - enough ground for comfort
... Set - tools and shelter
... Do - the reason why you are in the jungle in the first place
...
...
...
... And hopefully, at the end of the journey, we will have an in-depth understanding of KATAK and KUDA :-)

... One from Bashō who in early 1686 composed one of his best-remembered haiku:

furu ike ya / kawazu tobikomu / mizu no oto

an ancient pond / a frog jumps in / the splash of water [1686] See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matsuo_Bash%C5%8D

A New Garden

The garden gate was opened on the 16 February 2012. We entered the old garden at UPSI (Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris). Some in the PhD gardens, 4 of us; and some in the Masters gardens. This is no ordinary visitors' garden. It is a piece of land that we ourselves will have to clear, develop, and beautify and fence ... defend :) with thorough understanding of the requirements of the land. We will have to negotiate our way around this surely and bravely. Thick jungle, thorns, tigers and all...
 
The busload of us, referred to as UPSI Kohort1, were there by Allah's SWT grace. This UPSI-IPGRM collaboration was the results of various commitment and untiring effort of, particularly, the leading advisor, Dr Zailah of IPGRM, our team secretariat, Cikgu Miza and Cikgu Mustafa. May Allah SWT reward them all with His infinite blessings. And may Allah SWT ease our learning journey and that each of us complete the journey successfully and briliantly, insyaAllah. Ameen.