Submission day..

My submission day was made very special, not so much because it was the day of the submission of the thesis, but because what I actually did the whole day. It was a full day and Alhamdulillah, with the grace of Allah, I managed to spend it with friends instead of rushing through everything till the very end. Looking back, I know for sure that the whole day would not run as smooth as it had without Him and in actual fact, a whole lot can be done in a day if we planned them well. 

So it started with me taking an early morning bus and train to the city. First stop was Flinders Street. 

Flinders Street Station

I met up with Rozi at the station around 10 am and we were both off to meet Aunty (Datin Paduka) Anismah and her daughter’s family at no 555 Flinders Street. I got to know Aunty Anismas here in Melbourne during my parents visit last January. We have also met sometime in KL last February during a workshop. She brought me to her place and all. Despite her position as an active NGO’s activist nowadays, she was very nice and humble.  At her daughter’s place she treated us with nasi beriani for breakfast! :-D ( Ini dipanggil langkah kanan!) She really loves to cook when she has the time and during her short stay in Melbourne, she cooked all the main Malaysian signature dish almost every day for her daughter’s family.

Rozi with Alana Hesa :-) (Aunty's granddaughter)

Next, after saying our farewell, both of us were off to University of Melbourne to have coffee with Noreen. (Imran – you are supposed to be there too! Hehe) I also get to know Noreen and her family here in Melbourne.  Both Noreen and husband Imran are still striving to finalise their PhD thesis at the Uni. Throughout these 4 years, although we studied at different universities, we have actually grown very close – considering, especially Imran you are from UiTM too, with all the bureaucratic issues that we need to deal with and gossiped about :-P!! (cepatlah habis kan! Boleh buat lawak2 bodoh kat whatsapp pulak haha)

Rozi with Noreen

On the way to have coffee at the Melbourne Uni’s Union House, I received a call from La Trobe Uni’s Campus Graphic stating that the thesis that I sent to them late yesterday have been bound and are ready for collection, Alhamdulillah. We chat for awhile with Noreen and after coffee we took some short snaps here and there, wished Noreen all the best and we were off to one last City stop – Australia on Collins.  Hehe, no shopping involved.

I merely wanted to see the hanging umbrellas. I first saw them on Adli’s (another Melbourne Uni’s student) Facebook’s, and I thought – that’s not only creative but in my view beautiful (Thanks Adli for having ‘an eye’ for such things).

Soon, with mixed feelings, it’s time to go our separate ways. Thank you Rozi for spending the day with me! I took a bus to La Trobe Uni and reached there by 3.30 pm and dropped by the Campus Graphic to collect the thesis. I brought all 4 copies back to Simon’s office for his signature. While I went up to my office to get all the forms, he had managed to play one last joke on me – he had hid one copy of the thesis somewhere in his office. By the time I reached back downstairs, he said – so only 3 copies, right? I checked the box and found only 3 copies in it. Then, I said something like – I’m sure I took 4 copies just now. Then, he laughed and took out the one he had hidden from me – saying, Oh, I am only testing you (haha sabar jerlah!)

I'm so sure they were 4 copies - cause I got pic of them :-)

I also need the Head of School signature on the form. Again, Alhamdulillah, not only that her office was next to Simon's, but we actually managed to catch her in her office, on her last day before a long leave. She asked me to make a summary of my findings, which I did (hesitantly, I might add – a bit rusty after 4 years hehe) and signed the form. Then, I head to the Research office, meeting up with Kak Sham and Kak Nani (both PhD students at LTU) on the way as they've asked to accompany me – nak dpt aura kata mereka haha. So we went to the office together and submitted the thesis, Alhamdulillah.

With Kak Nani

With Kak Sham and Dr Jay from the Research Office :-)

Later, I went around the library and the Agora one last time. Will surely missed the library and the Agora! 

In the library with the Agora in the background 

Kak Sham followed me back to my office, meeting up Simon one last time, where he gave me some advice on the future :-P and saying our final goodbyes. I will surely miss him and his jokes :-(

With Simon :-)

Kak Sham stayed with me helping me clearing the office till almost 11 pm.  Thank you Kak Sham! You are a gem!! Then, she sent me home, and another round of cleaning up needed to be done at home too. Yes it was tiring, a very long day but, not stressful as I thought it would be and it was definitely one of the most memorable days of my life. Ya Allah, I am ever so grateful. Let your grace and mercy fall on all of us, Insya Allah.