This morning I woke up and feel a strong sore throat coming on the way. Not long after my client SMS me and mentioned that today I don't have to come. (I have not even woken up yet when the SMS came in)

Oh well, I guess it is a blessing from Him in order for me to take a rest. I just feel thankful on this and ... I can continue my server installation. It has been ignored for more than a week since arrival.

The weird part is: I don't even start the full swing of my lab practices at all!!! There you go, knocked down!!!

I think this is a sign that once I fully recovered, I will be unstoppable like usual then.

I recall the saying from my former colleage back in Malaysia: "If your body is sick once in a while, that is a good sign. It means your body is doing a proper anti-virus update before it gots worse."

End of October will be my first trial for CCIE Lab. Will this be also the last for my CCIE R&S? We'll see ...

Meanwhile, I have no lab equipment at home. The only source for lab equipments is in my workplace and the only time to access it is after hours.

I have arranged that Mondays to Fridays after hours, if there is no class using the lab, then I will be the 'occupier' in there doing my lab practices.

YES!

YES!

Pass written today (finally!!!)

yep ... wish me luck so I can start my journey to CCIE

Oh well, another attempt and I will be fully CCIE R&S candidate :)

QoS and wireless is still weak but I have resources to study about it :)

One more attempt ... one more attempt ...

Books -> check!

Exam practice -> check!

Blue print -> ummm ... mostly check!

Confidence -> check!

Time per question less than 50 seconds -> check!

Ready???

Well, starting this week, I have schedule more time away from home in order to have my own time and environment to study.

It will happen until I manage to built home lab completely. While the home lab is slowly building, the time away would still apply :(

It is quite sad, because this is one of the sacrifices that I make in order to be a CCIE. Away from my lovely wife, away from my enjoyable home and away from comforts.

Where am I going to while I am away? To the place where I called 'lab' in my workplace.

Read the books, cover to cover!!!

Purchased Internetwork Expert cookbook, tried one lab and felt addicted already!!!

Written exam is just in the corner, wish me luck on this. I believe I will pass this time :)

Funds allocated for buying home lab router. Bigger lab: do it in the office outside my teaching schedule.

Gotta go hit the books again, see you after the qualification exam then :)

As the title stated, it is the power of the dreams that makes me walk the journey to start as a CCIE

I highlighted the encouraging words from this song :)

Enjoy the lyrics, with the song if you have it.

Deep within each heart
There lies a magic spark
That lights the fire of our imagination
And since the dawn of man
The strenght of just "I can"
Has brought together people of all nations

There's nothing ordinary
In the living of each day
There's a special part
Every one of us will play

Feel the flame forever burn
Teaching lessons we must learn
To bring us closer to the power of the dream
As the world gives us its best
To stand apart from all the rest
It is the power of the dream that brings us here

Your mind will take you far
The rest is just pure heart
You'll find your fate is all your own creation
Every boy and girl
As they come into this world
They bring the gift of hope and inspiration

Feel the flame forever burn
Teaching lessons we must learn
To bring us closer to the power of the dream
The world unites in hope and peace
We pray that it will always be
It is the power of the dream that brings us here

There's so much strength in all of us
Every woman child and man
It's the moment that you think you can't
You'll discover that you can

Feel the flame forever burn
Teaching lessons we must learn
To bring us closer to the power of the dream
The world unites in hope and peace
We pray that it will always be
It is the power of the dream that brings us here

Feel the flame forever burn
Teaching lessons we must learn
To bring us closer to the power of the dream
The world unites in hope and peace
We pray that it will always be
It is the power of the dream that brings us here

The power of the dream
The faith in things unseen
The courage to embrace your fear
No matter where you are
To reach for your own star
To realize the power of the dream

Well, well, it has been too long for preparing a written exam for my ccie since last attempt.

Guess what??? It's been almost 6 months since my last attempt!!!

Wish me luck for the next attempt which is planned within the next 1 week :)

Here are what happens in preparation wise:

Up to now, most of easy to moderate questions only take me up to 2 minutes to answer. I still need improvements on this, a lot of improvements.

My target is 45 seconds per question. I counted based on average time to compelte total 100 questions within 120 minutes exam time frame. Therfore, if I could do 45 seconds per question, I would have only taken 75 minutes. The remaining time ~45 minutes will be available to return to quesitons that I decided to skip, mark, pass and even return to it 2nd time if time permits

The objective in the written for me have been very clear: pass it with above passing score (last time was 70%). Even though it is 71%, I don't care anymore.

I am just longing to taste the lab already, not the exam but the preparation. I have tested one lab trial using scenarios provided by Internetwork Expert and it feels very gooooodddd

The feeling of doing it in rush with high accuracy is the pleasure for me. Don't worry, I'm not carried away to be obsessed with CCIE exam. I just would like to be 5 CCIE before 40 years old.

Isn't that too much??? That means in the next 10 years, I will do 1 CCIE exam every 2 years: first purpose is to extend the current CCIE, the next purpose is to expand my knowledge in CCIE area.

Will I be able to do it? I am sure I could :)

Last piece of my mind: why I think I am sure I could do it?

It happened with me in the past that whatever I decided, whatever I do/ did, whatever I go for will always doable no matter how impossible it look/ feels/ thought like.

It is official: my race to CCIE is on again!!!

This time the preparation and path to me CCIE is well set. Except ... financial. But I don't see this as a burden :)

I am taking the next written attempt next week. We'll see how it goes this time.

After the written is settled, I plan to have the lab along with my wife;s business trip to Sydney. It is not a holiday, but -hopefully- it is along the way with my closing (beginning???) to be THE CCIE