Head Above Water

Hey there ! Sorry for not updating this for too long. Been some time since the last update in 2017.
I missed out the whole 2018 in updating anything. Not sure if you have this similar feeling as mine, but as you grow older, you tend to keep everything more privately. Looking back at those memories flashback reminder featured by Facebook, I used to kinda update a lot and expressed a lot about my feelings and thoughts, but these days, I tend to keep a lot of things around myself.

Maybe that's the reason why I don't post stuff so often anymore.

Here I am, sitting in a cafe at the 2nd Floor in a 6-Storeys Bookstore. Books that I can't read or understand, language that I don't speak or understand but that's the most amazing thing about being in a foreign place that you can't understand because we will then use the heart to feel, eyes to observe, ears to listen and Google Image / Google Translate to express what we want to the Japanese haha

Looking out the window, there stood the ever busy Tokyo Station. Tokyo Station is indeed one of the busiest stations in Japan. Everyone in the station seems to be rushing for something and they never stop moving. Ya, and it seems like, up to now, this the only place I know that start classes or events at odd timing like 4.20pm ? 7.10am ? Seriously, an OCD human like me to type out 4.20pm of the 20-minutes seems to be kinda uncomfortable. Haha. Like, why can't we just decide on 4.15pm or 4.30pm? Haha. Excuse my OCD but Japanese take punctuality at whole other level, so, I do understand their concern on the odd timing. To them, every minute counts. Fast paced lifestyle, no one strolls but everyone seems to be rushing for something or to somewhere.

Okay, let's come back to our topic. So, it all started in 2018. Well, technically, it all started since 2016, the year when I graduated from MMU for my degree programme, I always wanted to pursue MBA but, eventually, I didn't. Back then, I spoke to different fields of people to seek for advices about my thoughts to pursue MBA and considering my young age as a fresh graduate, I should first gain more experience and put more focus in picking up my role as a project engineer. So, I put all my focus to learn as much as possible in my current job and somehow subconsciously, 2 years had just passed like that. It actually scared me a little bit when I realised that 2 years had just passed ! Literally in the blink of an eye. So, I told myself that I can't be too comfortable with my daily life routines and forgotten to dream and to live. Where's that young, little girl who always have all kind of ambitions ?

Let's see, I started to work as a Project Engineer since 15th July 2016 and got the chance to do an oversea training program early March 2017 and bonded to the company for 2 years till March 2019. During the bond, I put all my focus and attention for my job and I feel so contented, blessed and grateful for all my humble milestones. I am blessed with my fellow colleagues who are always ready to give helping hands and support in any way.

A lot had happened in 2017. Things that I had always wanted to do but I didn't have enough of courage or freedom to achieve them, I finally took the leap of courage in 2018.
Letting go 2017 behind, I decided to move forward in 2018.
The first thing I did in 2018 was to enroll into the Master Programme.

Master of Science in Engineering Business Management (MEBM) by
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) under
Razak Faculty of Technology and Informatics (RFTI).
You can find our more about the program in the link here.

This was written during the instant moment when I had decided to do my MEBM.
Honestly, I was afraid to make the decision but I guess the heart and the mind need to stay aligned ?

Long story short, what are the implications of joining the MEBM programme?
Personally from my own humble opinion, I have no regrets of taking up this course. It is not only about gaining knowledge and skills in people management, organizational psychology, lean operation, quality management and techniques, strategy management and etc.., but it is also about observing the reality work environment and make implementation as per knowledge and skills gained. MBA or MEBM is not the same as engineering. It is not all about fulfilling Technical Specifications or Engineering Calculation but to seek for continuous improvement in work environment, optimization in operations, improving quality and time because all these summed up as money value. Well, it's indeed an interesting programme from my opinion because I learn to see things from different perspective and try to understand things from overall picture.

Then it comes to the BIG question which everybody has been asking me of how I ended up in Japan, Meiji University..
This MEBM Programme offered by UTM can do credit transfer into Double Masters Programme (DMP) and so students who successfully enrolled into DMP will be awarded with 2 Masters for MEBM from UTM and MBA from Meiji University, Japan. *Provided if you complete the 2 manuscripts of Master Projects respectively*
Find out more about DMP here !
DMP Students will only be spending 3 weeks time here to complete a class in Meiji University and in my case here is Organizational Psychology class. After this programme, I will head back to my workplace in Malaysia as usual and you will see me struggling between my full time work and 2 Master Projects.

This was written at the instant moment after I filled up my application form for the DMP.

By means of successful applicants, you have to register for subjects that eligible for credit transfer in Meiji MBA during the MEBM Programme, to be shortlisted for the DMP Application and lastly, to attend 2 session of interviews; one interview is conducted by UTM and another one is conducted by Meiji through Skype. As quoted from UTM RFTI website,
"Meiji University reserves the right to limit the number of EBM participants enrolling in its MBA program for administrative reasons." 
Therefore, limited number of students will be participating DMP in Meiji University, Japan, approximately 6 students.

Personally, I completed MEBM as Part Timer. I attended classes on weekends from 9am to 6pm for every Saturday and Sunday. Therefore, you can imagine me going to work on Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.30pm (we never finish work on time) and weekend MEBM classes from 9am to 6pm.
Hahaha thinking about it again, it was pretty insane ! I remember on somedays, I will wake at 7am and lost track of time, confused of what day and where to head to ? UTM or Work ?

I am grateful to have taken this opportunity to fulfill my lifetime dream since MMU Days which is to experience studying at overseas.
With this, I promise to do my best for the programme and hopefully to be fortunate enough to make the best out of it.

So, if you have the intention to do any Part Time Study Programme, first is to embrace yourself with the commitment you are about to engage to. Best if you can do it at your younger age when you have no commitments yet towards children or holding high managerial position because time management will be pretty challenging, I think. I honestly salute to my fellow coursemates who have to travel far from Penang or Johor to attend classes or even to miss out family time on weekends.

Nevertheless, anything is possible ! Humans possess unlimited amount of strength and potential in ourselves ! If anyone can do it, You can do it too !
Or If no one has done it before, then be the FIRST to break it !
No one is too old for ambitions.

Written this when I was at my First Year of working to keep reminding myself. 

I always feel very blessed and grateful that God has always been very very very very nice to me and has always been treating me so well. I know that, as long as I don't give and as long as I always take things positively, even at all closed doors, God will open up a window for me. Thank you.

I am also tremendously blessed with people around me especially my family, my mom, my special one and my fellow colleagues who continuously give me encouragement and being understanding for my time management between study, work, family and dating. Thank You !

Appreciation note to my Superhero Mom because she's always so understanding and supportive for my dreams and ambitions. Never once that she will discourage me or pulling me back from doing anything. There's always the, "好啊", "可以啊" that pushes me to go further.

and thank you to my special one for always being so understanding. He always give me the kind of feeling like I am the little chicken that I can spread my wings and try to fly (I know theoretically chickens can't fly but little chicks are cute okay, so, just let me be the cute chick okay haha) but whenever I feel exhausted or hurt, he will be the bigger chicken to put me under his wings haha and just like the little chick, sometimes I can be wicked too haha

Okay, gotta go ! The bookstore and the cafe is closing soon. If you have read until the end here, Thank You so much for your Time and Attention here ! I hope this post will help you to understand better on how I ended up studying in Meji University, Japan. If you have the intention to do so, Go For It ! To you who are reading this, if you have the goal or plan that haven't been achieved or pursue, GO FOR IT ! No one is too old or too late for ambition and I wish you the best ! We never know what will happen in future, therefore, make the best out of the current availability !
If you are young and energetic, don't waste your youth.
If your children are still young and by your side, don't waste their  quality childhood time !
If you have the power to influence or inspire someone, don't hold your capability !

I will update again at soonest time because I am yet to share with you on my another unlocked achievement in my Bucket List for this Japan Trip ! Wish me Luckkk !

Once again, thank you for reading and till the next update, take care and keep the positive mindset in life ! :)