Namira's Notes

Smores the Kitten Have you ever wondered what your pet sees when they look in the mirror? My housemate's kitten, Smores, might have the answer—or at least, she’s trying to figure it out. My housemate recently adopted a Siamese kitten she named Smores. With her dark-tipped ears and tail, the kitten supposedly looks "burnt", but to me, she resembles a cotton bud. One of Smores's favorite activities in our house is staring at her reflection in the mirror.  I’ve never seen a cat do this before. Most cats glance at their reflection and quickly lose interest, but Smores locked eyes with her mirrored self for a solid two minutes, occasionally sneaking curious glances at me. Then, she seemed to realize the mirror wasn’t just showing her but reflecting the space around her. Smores took a tentative step toward the “other cat,” only to bonk her head against the glass. Startled, she spun around to find me standing behind her, not in the mirror where she expected. This might seem ...

Flowers from KYUEM's Bubble Picnic Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), or more commonly known as aspirin, is a household staple often used to reduce fevers and relieve pain. But did you know it can also help your flowers live longer? In my case, I wanted my flower bouquet from my school's bubble picnic to last more than just a few days.  Does it really work? Let's dive into the science and investigate!

SPM 2022 Results Day at my previous school If I could go back in time, I'd tell my younger self to pray for scholarships—not just straight A's in SPM. A week after the SPM 2022 results were revealed, I found myself catapulted into a whirlwind of scholarship applications, scrambling to gather my achievements and pour them into essays. With 9A+, 1A, and 1B+ (later rechecked to an A-), I was confident I’d have my pick of scholarships. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Now, as a student at KYUEM, I’ve learned that the scholarship application process isn’t just about grades—it’s a journey that demands preparation, confidence, and persistence. In this post, I’m sharing three lessons I wish I’d known earlier to help other Malaysian students navigate this challenging but rewarding path.

The monsoon season in Peninsular Malaysia starts in early November and lasts until late January. During this period, the Northeast monsoon brings heavy rainfall, cause inland flooding, while powerful waves from the South China sea relentlessly erode the shores of Terengganu. In my hometown, Kuala Terengganu, this has led to concerning changes along the coastline, such as shortened beaches and steepened shores. Residents living near the shore face dire consequences as their homes and livelihoods are increasingly threatened by ongoing erosion. Alarmingly, the coastline is shrinking by one to two meters annually, jeopardizing both the safety of the local population and the sustainability of the coastal environment. To combat this crisis, authorities in Terengganu have taken proactive measures, including the construction of wave breakers—structures engineered to reduce wave intensity and mitigate coastal erosion.