Saturday, October 10, 2009

in the wires that decide

Hello! Okay, so i cannot help blogging about this cool thing i experienced this week. (besides the movie surrogate, tgv popcorn, and a slightly slower paced maths lecture yay!)

A few of my uni friends and I decided to go to this research and invention exposition at Kuala Lumpur Convention Center last Thursday cause there wasn't any class in the afternoon yet. Of course on the way, we caved in to Bruce Willis' new movie Surrogate + TGV popcorn (always the best choice!). This exposition features booths of Malaysia's higher institutes of learning's new inventions and research. It was really cool to see some creative inventions and for an hour or so i felt this awesome-nerdish feeling.

Well, let's keep this as short as possible. The main part is, there was this booth where the invention seemed to be a wheelchair. It's called (from my very bad memory) Brain Interface System for Robotic Use or something like that. So what was it actually? It's like this. The person who sits on this chair is hooked onto some stuff like probes to read their brain waves. Then once the whole setting up process is done, how it works is this. The user cannot move any part of their body, even the eyes, and needs to focus hard. If the user imagines his/her hands to move forward, then the chair moves forward. To move right or left, just imagine your hand moving in that direction and the chair follows suit.

I heard the theory, and I tried it out cause it was SO COOL. Some more right after watching Surrogates, this sort of technology awed me. Okay, I know it doesn't sound so cool with no visual and just me and my words but I'm sorry that's the best I can give you. The expo ended today. There is a video but I have to get it from my friend.

So yeah, that's it. What an awkward way to end haha. Oh yeah, Wenshan said a woman asked him if i was paralysed while I was trying out the chair cause I wasn't supposed to move anything at all and had to focus very intently.

Have a good week everyone!

Saturday, October 03, 2009

lovingly He brought a new life that's free

Update! I'm actually feeling like crap right now cause my nose has been running non-stop all day, but on the bright side the sore throat is getting better! So while waiting for the medicine to kick in, I'll update this dusty blog.

I finally had my first week of class after 4 months. It's been great, I guess first weeks are always more relaxing cause lab hasn't started and it's usually introduction of topics so it's not so hardcore stuff. I say 'usually' because just when I thought first week couldn't get any more relaxing, friday morning came. And yes, it's friday and for this week only it's only going to be a 2 hour class so it couldn't get any better right?

Definitely right.

Let me tell you straight it was the craziest maths class I have ever attended, and that's saying something cause I've had my fair share of out-of-this-world maths class. That said, I still have this fondness for the lecturer, I don't know why. She's like a mum. A mum who loves maths la.

So why was it crazy? Well, the moment the clock struck 9am, she started which is great cause punctuality is the key right. Her speed was that of a bullet train I am so not kidding you, and after one hour of non-stop (I stress that it was non-stop talking and writing notes) we thought she would give us a break, cause that's usually the case. We get a 5-10 minutes break an hour into a 2 hour lecture. But no. She continued like no one's business, and so the thought of a break (and at that moment, a much needed toilet break) was gone with the wind. Usually, if a lecturer doesn't give us a break, they finish about 20-30 minutes earlier so that was a motivating thought. Guess what? She went NON-STOP until 11am.

If it were a 2 hours class of some theoretical module (which yes, i grant you, is scarce in an engineering course) then at least one's attention could wander and it wouldn't be so tiring trying to catch up. But it was maths. Not just any maths, it's called Mathematical Techniques for E&E Engineers. Which means no one else in other engineering courses share this same module. Since foundation, every student regardless of their engineering course, share the same maths module. So I've always had this one friend from mechanical engineering who had a burden to help me in maths (bless her), of which I am very thankful.

So when my attention threatens to wander in class, I tell myself I can't depend on her anymore, I've got to put in more effort! Trust me, even the world's best multi-tasker will find it hard to digest new maths equations, techniques, while trying their best to copy the notes which the lecturer (due to her huge handwriting- no complains there) erases very quickly, and at the same time try to figure out just what in the world they are copying.

Basically, to summarise, if you were to spend even 5 seconds thinking "Boy, am I hungry, I wonder what's for lunch" or "Man, I sure need to go to the toilet", you'll suffer and be lost for the rest of the class. Which explains why my notes are clean with no scribbling at the last page because i totally lost her at the last 15 minutes of the class.

Started Bible study again, had ConneXion House Opening, climbed Broga Hill, slept early, woke early, had a good week in general :) Yes, I know I used like 5 paragraphs talking bout that one maths class and one sentence to describe the rest of the week- it was that crazy!

I'm glad tomorrow is Sunday, I love how I learn a little more each week of how to worship Him from my heart, and lay my burdens down at His feet and leave them there. I love how He gives me a quiet strength to go through another week where my fears and discouragement sometimes overwhelm me. I love how He loves me, and I love how that is starting to be my ultimate motivating factor despite all that I've faced, and will face. I love how imperfect I can feel one moment, and comforted by His perfection the next moment. I love how I am nothing and yet I can do things through Him who gives me strength.

Most importantly, I really love Jesus, and that's an amazing feeling.

We love Him, because He first loved us.
1John 4:19

Haven't sang this hymn in ages, but it has been playing in my head. I hope it blesses you the way it blesses me in the worst of days.

Love Was When
    Love was when God became a man,
    Locked in time and space, without rank or place;
    Love was God born of Jewish kin;
    Just a carpenter with some fishermen;

    Love was when Jesus walked in history,
    Lovingly He brought a new life that's free,
    Love was God nailed to bleed and die
    To reach and love one such as I.

    Love was when God became a man,
    Down where I could see love that reached to me;
    Love was God dying for my sin
    And so trapped was I my whole world caved in.

    Love was when Jesus met me, now it's real;
    Lovingly He came, I can feel He's real!
    Love was God, only He would try
    To reach and love one such as I.