Medan

21

It’s the time of year where I apply kaizen: To stop, reflect, and continuously improve.

I’m scared of the future. It seemed so uncertain and scary out there. Meanwhile, my days in university is numbered. I couldn’t start it with positivism and optimism like what I did in my 17th, where after reading it back, I laughed at myself 😃 Many things have changed but some things will not. I saw my wishes from my 18th birthday, I felt that I did fulfilled all of them already by this age: improved designing skill (check; hey, back then, my designing skill was really bad); improved public speaking (partial check; I think co-presented a presentation during international conference counts? hahaha); built personal website (check; it was a mini-resume now, with few side projects hosted on it). …

Holiday (1)

16 December 2014

My first week of holiday has been spent on attending Web Science and Data Analytic Summer School 2014 at NUS School of Computing. Hence, I need to wake up very early in the morning, just to make it on time. And this week ended with me going back to my hometown. …

Second week

25 August 2013

This week was more relaxed than the previous one but the academic lesson was busier.

On Monday, I had my first tutorial class at TR16 for the course CZ1005, Digital Logic, which the tutor I find was quite nice and friendly. On the evening, my orientation group (OG), Kelilingjengking, held a barbecue event at Hall 11 BBQ Pit while at the same time, my hall also held a “compulsory” welcome tea at the canteen which was very near to the BBQ Pit. Most of the time I spent at my OG’s BBQ, but I attend the Welcome Tea just at the beginning and at the end. In the beginning, the Welcome Tea kind of taking attendance and giving away free Coca Cola Zero. In the end, they held a free dinner and sold hall shirt which I bought one at 5 dollars. The barbecue was nice and fun although each had to pay 8 dollars.

Tuesday was Peter’s birthday. At lunch, he treated us a glass of orange juice then after lectures, he treated us an hour of Wii games. At the evening, I went to NTUBS sub-committee interview of which I applied for the position in resource and publication.

On Wednesday morning, I had almost missed my first lab session. Usually the lab sessions started on week 3 but this was unusual, it started at week 2! Time shows 0830, I’m at Lee Wee Nam library, started to using the public PC and will do the tutorial assignment for CZ1001 and HE9091 class at 1030. But an unexpected SMS came from Deka, who asked me if I did not come to the lab. I got panicked! I ran out of LWN and straight to level 5 of NS (which tutorial class was there), and then I checked the location code of the lab class. After that I ran to the 1st level of N4 and seen that there were many labs there and it was quite big. Finally, some minutes before 0900, I arrived at the lab class. Didn’t know what to do, I just read the lab manual and did what it said until the prof asked us to meet the members of group members we were assigned. I am one group with Gary Ng, Prakash Sekaran, and Liu Liling. We then brainstormed what will be the idea of our presentation in group project for the course.

In the afternoon, I went to LKC to complete the Student Pass formalities. Because of this, I got my CITS SA slot covered by Leonard Tanoto. Around 3pm, I was done and I played in the Red Week event of which I got a lucky draw ticket, then went to LWN until 6pm. After dinner, I went back to hall. This was the day where in the evening, there were no events.

At Thursday evening, there were ICN 2013 screening. Here, the ICN itself was good although I did not understand the message at the end of the story. The screening time was not that good as it reached midnight and there were no buses any more.

Friday was a relaxed day where I just got one hour lecture class only. After that, we went to play Wii again at SAC until before-lunch. After lunch, we went to Business Library for the first time. Here, although small compared to LWN Library, there were so many business related tools like iPad with business apps, computers which connects to Bloomberg, etc. After this, I went back to hall to do my laundry. The washing process of the free washing machine took time around one A Rush of Blood to the Head album which I listened while waiting at the TV Lounge. There, I met a security staff which was very friendly.

On Saturday, Computer Engineering Club held a rally, but I missed it because I woke up late and there were online contest from TOKI for OSN participants as a warm-up contest which I helped supervise. In the evening, I went to Warung PINTU which I ordered Nasi Uduk and Roti Bakar. The food was okay but I would say that it was quite costly. The board games provided was nice though.

On Sunday, seniors from Medan held “Medan Gathering 2013”, a gathering event for freshmen and seniors from Medan. First we gather at Hall 12 TV Lounge. There were introduction session then games session. After that, we went to lunch at Canteen 16. In the afternoon, we went to Labrador Park to play another games under the hot and sunny sun. After the games, we went to have an ice-cream and then had dinner together. Although the games was nice, the ones played at GTD was nicer and funnier because at GTD, the games were for competition while this one was just for fun. Thank you Filbert and Miechie for organizing this event.

It’s been a month

It’s been a month since I posted things from Medan, my home city. In that time, I’m joining Pelatnas 1 TOKI 2013, the first selection that will eventually select 4 best students from all over Indonesia to represent Indonesia at 2013 IOI in Australia. That Pelatnas thing was held in Bandung.

First thought looking at Bandung from the sky: not as big as Medan. When we landed, the airport was so much inferior to Medan’s Polonia, I think if I would compare Kualanamu, Medan’s airport in-construction, with Bandung’s, it will be something like a skyscraper with a flop-house. Why? It just took a few steps from our aircraft to the airport building exit gate.

Bandung, the first day I came, around evening, it comes the rain, a heavy one. The weather pattern was somewhat the same all the month: sunny morning, cloudy afternoon, rainy evening. One thing for sure: when it rains, it rains heavily.

Also, Bandung air temperature was nice, in some cool-and-rainy days I could see my breathe condensates in the air, i.e. a cloud! Ha-ha. The temperature here was comparable to that of Brastagi.

Enough said about Bandung, next time I’ll write about my life there.