Fact or Fiction

Is it fact or fiction? We are always asked this question whether on the idiot box i.e. television or the newspaper or a book or the radio or anything that can bee seen and read. I’m sure all of you already know what I’m going to blog about now. Of course, it’s nothing but the ever more controversial fictional book and movie, The Da Vinci Code. Many have spoken out about it, so I think it’s time for me to voice out what I think about this matter.

First, why so much controversial about it? Can’t the critics differentiate the difference between fact and fiction. After all, The Da Vinci Code novel is classified under fiction. So what if others think that the arguments presented in the novel seems to be pretty believable. If one’s faith of God is strong, that person will never fall for anything like it. Because he has a strong foundation of teachings and belief. So this novel is just another fictional novel trying to get a good audience.

If one’s faith isn’t that built up yet, then of course he will stray off to other paths and even maybe form a new stream of protestants to add to the already mile long lists of protestant churches. So this proves that Catholic Christians all around the world don’t have rock solid foundations and beliefs of their faith and what they believe in.

With the Vatican over reacting to both the book and movie, this will make things worse and backfire. The more they want people to boycott it, the more people are curious about the fact why is it that the Vatican is making a hell lot of noise for just a movie and a book. So end up, even more people will flock to the cinemas and bookstores to read up about it and find out for themselves.

We humans have this programme planted deep inside our brains designed to explore and be curious about all everything and anything around us. We all want to know how it works or why does it appear that way. We want to know, we always want to expand our knowledge tot he horizons. So making the The Da Vinci Code novel and movie such a big controversy and making such big protests about it will just not help. Well, how often do we see the Vatican going on their toes protesting about something until asking people worldwide to boycott it. That’s just bizarre.

Back to the fact or fiction part. It is still a fictional book and movie! Why make so much noise about it. Fiction equals not true. Fact equals not fiction. Those critics definitely need some maths classes to brush up their elementary grade maths. But all in all, the book and movie has made people wanting to know more. Wanting to find out whether it is true or not. It has helped the tourism industry in both France and UK bloom. It has made people travel, it made us more open to new and bizarre ideas that’s just mind blogging but yet seems rational. It just makes us even more hyper to find out the truth out there.

You’ll never know one day, one person will discover an artifact or documents to prove or disprove this theory presented by the book and movie. Let’s just hope it’ll happen in our lifetime, so we can fulfill out lust for more information about this issue.

X-Men 3

A show worth watching again and again. The sad thing is I missed the first 5 minutes of the show due to some “delay” at the ticketing counter by someone totally selfish and annoying. But the rest of the 1 hour and 55 minutes of the show rocks! Of the effects too! Just makes you want to possess one of those powers and be a Class 5 mutant too!

Oh a small tip for those that hasn’t watched it yet. When the credits starts to roll, don’t just leave yet, wait there and there’s a short clip at the end of the credits. What is it? That’s for you to find out! ;o)

(Left to right, top to bottom)
Aaron Stanford - John Allerdyce/Pyro
James Marsden - Scott Summers/Cyclops
Vinnie Jones - Cain Marko/Juggernaut
Anna Paquin - Marie/Rogue
Shawn Ashmore - Bobby Drake/Iceman
Ellen Page - Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat
Halle Berry - Ororo Munroe/Storm
Kelsey Grammer - Dr. Henry “Hank” McCoy/Beast
Famke Janssen - Jean Grey/Phoenix
Dania Ramirez - Callisto
Ben Foster - Warren Worthington III/Angel
Hugh Jackman - James “Logan” Howlett/Wolverine
(Not pictured above)
Daniel Cudmore - Piotr Rasputin/Colossus
Ian McKellen - Eric Lensherr/Magneto
Patrick Stewart - Professor X/Charles Xavier
Rebecca Romijn - Mystique/Raven Darkholme

3 Down 2 To Go!

This is getting really frustrating. The suspense it creates it much more effective than the ones created through words in books and novels. All I do is just logging in everyday checking the status. Day by day, nothing. Silence fills the air as one day passes by with no replies and disappointment.

Now, today, the silence is broken! After 5 days of quietness, someone has finally made a squeak and I heard it. Very loud indeed. And what’s this fuss all about? It’s about my university application! I have just been offered a place in The University of Manchester! To my delight! I thought they wouldn’t even accept me at all!

The University of Manchester ranks third in the UK in the Times Higher Education Supplement for their Chemical Engineering department after Imperial College and The University of Cambridge! Getting into a university that ranks third is an accomplishment for me.

However, although they may have offered me a place, they don’t recognizes The University of Birmingham’s Chemical Engineering course syllabus. Oh by the way, Birmingham ranks fifth on the board. So the condition is I have to achieve at least a 2nd Upper Class or 1st Class for my finals for my first year and then only they will accept me into their first year Chemical Engineering course! So all this sweat of achieving at least 60% in my first year in Birmingham all just to repeat everything once again in Manchester. I guess this lavish offer, I’ll have to turn it down. I’m not going to waste one extra year just to get into a third ranking department in the UK.

So now, three down, two more to go. So far, The University of Sheffield, The University of Leeds and The University of Manchester has offered me a place. Now, two left. The University of Nottingham and University of Bath are the only ones to wait for. All five universities all are ranked the top 20 in the UK for their Chemical Engineering department. So getting an offer from any of them is already very good for me. The ranking for the top 20 universities in UK for their Chemical Engineering department are as follows:-

1. The University of Cambridge
2. Imperial College London
3. The University of Manchester
4. Loughborough University
5. The University of Birmingham
6. Swansea University
7. University of Newcastle upon Tyne
8. The Queen’s University
9. University College London
10. University of Bath
11. The University of Sheffield
12. The University of Nottingham
13. Heriot-Watt University
14. The University of Edinburgh
15. Aston University
16. The University of Strathclyde
17. University of Surrey
18. University of Leeds
19. London South Bank University
20. University of Teesside

Well, wish me luck that Nottingham and Bath accepts me so that my options will be wider. Basically, my focus now is Sheffield. So well, when the time comes, I’ll decide which is best… Wish me luck, I’ll need a lot of it!

An Offer Finally!

Finally, after a gruesome wait of almost 9 days, I finally had an email reply from the university of my dreams, The University of Sheffield! I have been offered a place in the Masters in Chemical Engineering course. Yay!

*throws confetti in air*

It reads

Dear Qi-Guang
Thank you for your application to the University of Sheffield.

I am pleased to be able to tell you that we have made you an offer of a place…..

That’s the most anticipated part of the letter. Others are just extra information of how to apply for accommodation, student visa etc.

Besides, I received an offer letter from the University of Leeds to join their Masters in Chemical Engineering course too! So 2 universities down, 3 more to go. The other three are The University of Bath, The University of Nottingham and University of Manchester. The head of department for the School of Engineering at Taylor’s College told me that he received a letter from the University of Manchester enquiring about me. Oh the exciting-ness! Now I have an aim. It is to get an offer from all 5 universities I applied to. Besides, I’m already a University of Birmingham student, so I still have a back-up plan if anything goes terribly wrong.

*throws confetti in air* again!

In other news, today is the head of department’s birthday! We have been preparing for this day for a long long time and the day finally came. We and the lecturers got together and came out with a master plan to give our beloved head a surprise party! We got 2 cakes, we bought marble cheesecake and the lecturers bought chocolate banana cake, both from Secret Recipe. The delicious-ness. Indulging in two cakes that are the best Secret Recipe has to offer for a very good price. Everyone from the department came, sang the “song” for him and party! The happiness! Was really a good day.

Oh oh, today I went to watch The Da Vinci Code. Not a bad movie. For those that read the book don’t expect too much cause you’ll know what’s coming up next, those that haven’t the big screen is yours, well overall, it’s a good show, they stated all the points made by Dan brown clearly and presented each point in layman’s language with no confusion. That’s pretty good considering that this movie is full of points that are contradicting and confusing. At the end, everything ended logically, unlike some movies when the patrons are left confused and blur. So I’ll give it a 8/10 for this movie. Go watch it!

End…

Experience Through Stress

Since I entered Taylor’s College, I’ve learnt that experience doesn’t just come like that without any effort. To gain experience one needs action, effort, stress and a whole load of will power. Lacking one of these and experience will just not come into grasp.

This year, I’ve held more positions of responsibility simutaneously than I ever had my entire life. First came the newsletter, I was and still am the sub-editor of the newsletter. Then came SET, the Society of Engineering and Technology, I was elected honourary secretary. And just today, a small group of friends and I just agreed with a lecturer of ours to join the International Chem-E-Car Competition organized by the Asian Pacific Confederation of Chemical Engineering Congress.

That’s 3 massive workloads to do not including my studies! Well, it’s all for the sake of a good, impressive and complete curriculum vitae for my future job application. I just don’t understand why many Malaysian students think that books are the only way to success. Without experience, books are no use. A book tells you how to conduct in scientific analysis but without hands on experience, the knowledge is just superficial. Besides, not knowing extra knowledge outside the book is also not enough. Companies want an all rounded person that knows a wide variety of things, know how to operate things hands on, know how to have good public relations etc.

All these can’t be harnessed through books. Of course there are some that will disagree with me to the extent of committing suicide. Well, it’s up to you and what you think is your philosophy, not mine. You decide your future not me. Think about it…

First Class Services, Third World Mentality

Once again, I have been a victim of one my own country’s uncivilized behaviors. When you listen to the word Malaysia, what kind of impression does it give you. First, Malaysia is a third world, a developing country, a country with sakais living up in the tree. This is especially true when you talk to an American, whom are so proud of their country being the super power of the world and everyone else in the world are still way down there. You tell them, I’m from Malaysia and they’ll ask you, don’t you guys still live in trees? I’m afraid I’ll have to agree to that question because many Malaysians are still metaphorically “living on trees”.

Malaysia, a country blessed with an ocean of petroleum and natural gas. Rolling estates of rubber and oil palm. Protected from nature’s harshest elements by Indonesia and the Philippines. Having an extremely prosperous neighbour where we can some leech some of their prosperity. We have the tallest twin towers in the world. The world’s first smart city, Putrajaya. We constantly break records for the world’s longest/largest/tallest/biggest food set up. First in the world to come out with the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) concept where many other countries are adapting the concept. First this, first that. We are truly blessed.

It may seem our country has really developed many miles into developed status. However, there’s one thing that will refrain our beloved country from achieving developed status. One of our country’s criteria to fulfill Vision 2020 is having a population that has a rational and civilized way of thinking. That is one tough criteria isn’t it? Just look around you now (not your house, dong, but the population all around you), compare Malaysian to the supposedly more kiasu Singaporeans. There’s a whole dimension of difference between us Malaysians and them Singaporeans.

Malaysia’s streets are the people’s rubbish bin. The ground we step on are people’s spit bowl. The walls that protect us from the weather are canvases for young emerging artists. The services provided to us are just a mere way to make our life better but an excellent way to make tons of money where 70% of it flowing into pockets of the abyss. Public services provided to us are celebrated when “newly” launched but never maintained there after. Public transport provided for us are not used in a civilized manner but everyone doesn’t favour the other’s interests and pushes and squeezes their way in to get a good seat regardless of the queue. These examples are just the tip of an iceberg. There are many other departments Malaysia don’t look so good in.

I just can’t understand it. Why litter when you don’t litter in your own house? Why spit everywhere when you don’t spit on your own house floor? Why draw on the walls when you don’t do it on your own wall? It’s just such a sad case. Malaysia has got everything, first class services, first class everything but not first class thinking. This is the fact why Malaysia is still stuck as a third world whereas Singapore has progressed onto a first world country.

So that’s why Americans still regard us as “living on trees” people…

Another Week

Yet again, another week has flashed past both my eyes and I didn’t noticed it pass by. Although time may seem to fly so fast for me, inside I feel like I’ve been in university for a long time but actual fact, this is only the 2nd week of my 2nd semester after a long 3 week break of nothingness.

Maybe it’s because I’ve done so much in this two weeks. It’s was really 2 very progressive and fruitful weeks. The newsletter business is really getting the juices out of me. As sub-editor, leading a group of engineers-to-be to come out with a monthly newsletter together with the editor-in-chief is no easy job. Everything must run smoothly. Work must be delegated and distributed evenly. Contributors of the newsletter must be taught the way to write articles that demands the readers’ attention. Every department must be synchronized. And finally hard work and experiences has paid off. We now have a working and efficient editorial board comprising of all 3 engineering departments viz. Chemical, Electrical and Electronic, and Mechanical Engineering departments. Everyone working in perfect harmony.

The deadline for submission of articles is tonight and everything seems running smoothly. Section editors all ready to start some editing and processing of articles to make become even more interesting and informative. And when they’re done, it all comes to Karen and me, to put everything together into one newsletter, apply a layout and adding a little salt to taste, to come out with the First The Engineering Newsletter (T.E.N) issue by the School of Engineering of Taylor’s College.

I’m so eager for the day of publication to arrive. The day when everyone will know more about the School of Engineering and more about engineering related information. Currently, our sole competitor is the Nucleus newsletter by the School of Biomedical Sciences. However, in contrast to the “creative” title, the meat of it isn’t that very interesting at all. The titles aren’t that catchy either. Filled with grammatical errors here and there, I’m sure T.E.N. will easily top them and be the newsletter everyone reads. As each day draws to an end, the date of publication comes nearer and closer. Wish me luck cause I will definitely need a lot of them. I’m just desperate to make it a success and to leave a mark where everyone can remember the School of Engineering ’s Cohort 2 January 2006 intake group of engineers-to-be. Till then, I bid you adieu!

One Hell of a Week

It’s only the first week of semester 2 and my work load has piled up to the ceiling! The week started of like normal. Just like any other first semester days. It all started on day 2, it was suddenly when I asked Karen about the newsletter and it just reminded her and suddenly it all started. I agreed to become sub-editor while Karen was editor in chief. After that, we started building up an editorial board out of scratch. Digging the ground for contributors to the newsletter.

Oh oh, guess what? The newsletter’s title is T.E.N. Yes! T.E.N. It stands for The Engineering Newsletter. T.E.N.! We are seriously getting addicted to this abbreviations. Then there’s the Vision of the School of Engineering at Taylor’s College. The vision of the school is T.E.A.M. It represents Together Engineers Achieve More. I’m seriously getting overly-excited about this abbreviation thing.

Oh, one interesting episode was the interview part with my new Chemical and Biochemical Processes lecturer, Mr. Lam. He’s one really good talker. He can elaborate things really well. Just ask him a question to start off and he’ll go off like a choo-choo train. Non-stop I tell you! Even the Nestle Non-Stop Drumstick ice-cream will finish before he does.

After the interview, Karen and I did a biography of him. Whoa! I tell you guys out there which haven’t gone into newsletter business and writing a biography is HARD! Finding the suitable and the most appropriate word to describe a person is totally exhausting. Besides, you have to make it sound like the person has a lot of plus points. Took us 3 hours to finish up a draft! A DRAFT! But the end product was very satisfying. Felt proud we did such a good job! It all definitely paid off.

Well, I guess I’d better get back to the newsletter business and settle some unsettled stuff. Will try to blog more often when time permits. This newsletter business is one heck of a work load!