So what?

Hey ya all! It’s been a while since I post something personal here. All of these while I’ve been blogging on what’s happening in my daily life in Penang. Well, I personally feel that this course (oh come on, I got to blog other than work related (before) and studies (now), once a while. dang) is like taking a double bachelor degree instead of a master degree. The amount of time and workload is double (or triple) as compared to BSc. Of course you can not compare BSc and MSc as both are at different level but lets compare with other MSc related. Other major i.e. Project Management, and other related coursework only have at least 3 days of lectures while we, 5 days a week- morning up to 5pm (7pm on thursday). Argh. OK I shall not complaint. It is a coursework afterall. teehee.

I just came back from PHS1, borrowed some book on site surveying, visual impact assessment (vs. EIA), and some guidelines in establishing parks in Malaysia. I wanted to borrow one book of planning guidelines and/or reference as recommended from one of the PhD student but I forgot the author name and the title. dang. 

I wanna go to Kinokuniya again!! and Basheer bookstore. Wanted to buy books on landscape construction etc. I will be taking landscape construction next semester (or 3rd semester, I’m not so sure) but I wanted to read about it first. It is so dang interesting

teehee. and of course, i wanted to do something about visual impact assessment and/or landscape/environmental modelling for my Project. I wonder whether I can do that.

Drop by the Convex Expo to buy my dinner there. Bought some kuey teow, quarter chicken & the A&W root beer float. Yummy. 

The  food was okay but what I’m trying to show it here is that, no plastic/polystyrene is used during the expo. In which every stall require to use the recycle food pack and paper bag as shown below:

Good effort. Now we can extend the lifespan/ capacity of our landfill. He,he.

I’ll blog again on the effort of maintaining a good earth citizen (i refused to use sustainable word, it is toooooo loosely define & widely used- Not that I’m against it but come on, I’ll blog about it again later) during the Convex Expo. I’ll bring my baby for a walk tomorrow & I’ll cover the convex event (just like a reporter, or paparazi). ha,ha.

Tree-hugger planting trees?

Ha,ha you got it right. After another battle at the studio in the morning, the class off to the back of the school to plant fruit trees (Nephelum lappaceum and Garcinia mangostana) with a total of 15 trees. I am 5 shades darker now than my original skin color. Argh! Plowing is much more harder in real life than in facebook. hahahaha! 

Fellow landscapers & me 

One of the tree

School of HBP

Such a tiring monday. Right after tree-planting, I accompanied one of my classmate to the clinic. Seems that she’s having flu and cold. And nope, not the H1N1 influenza I think it is due to the body overheating after the socio-economic survey at Bukit Jambul the other day. 

I’m trying to coordinate my merged cadastral map (in shape file) from the page coordinate to the real one. Getting lotsa calls from the classmates on how to merge and union features of the digitized cadastral map. Feels like a GIS-hotline now. I shall charge GIS consultation fees for my pocket money right? LOL. 

I need a hot cuppa of cadbury chocolate. Want some? 

p/s: photos taken using E71 

I was doing alright

Ah. Just as my facebook status update: I think my biological clock gone haywire.  It’s wierd. I used to wake up late when I was back in KK but here, I wake up even before then sun rise! Ha,ha. I am still confused on when the sun rise n when the sun set. I can adjust myself pretty quickly when I was in KL as the time different only an hour, but it Penang it is more than 1 hour. 

I was sweating like a dog hitting balls at the tennis court when it’s already 5.30 pm. I feel that it is still like 4.00 pm in KK. Imagine how hot is the sun is at 4 pm in KK. So my timing is out. Need to rectify it, pronto.

Class-wise etc, I am very punctual.  All my classes start at 10 am (woohoo!) and my studio classes start at 9 am. Most of the time, I’ll be the first (or second) person to come to the class/studio. Somehow design class always an alien to me & most of the time I am pressuring myself. I should have just let go, letting the new knowledge flows in and noted the essence of it.  ahh.

But I am glad I learn back all the familiar topic that doesn’t sound too alien. In fact, most of the time I am helping the lecturer to recall back the scientific term and adding a lil’ fun fact to be shared with the rest of the class. Ah. Yep, botany class is fun! I am going to learn back what I have learnt before in UM especially on plant identification, systematic taxonomy (yikes… this is the subject I am trying to avoid & I can’t run away from it again at this level, I am screwed), ecophysiology etc. Both Ecology and Botany will be taught by lecturer/professor from School of Biology. ah.. I am happy

Ecology will be taught in the Ecohub.  It is one of the so-called only eco-hub in this region.  The place is also called as Durian Valley. They are trying to bring back the campus it’s natural environment (orang kampung settlement) way back in the 1800 (or was it 1900?). Can’t remember, I was daydreaming when the professor talking about it in front. ha,ha. There will be another trip (or I rather called it expedition -dang! to Belum rainforest! ahh I loikeeee! )

There will be a theory & philosophy of landscape design tomorrow. I shall read about the greece, roman empire and the renaissance landscape and civilization so I would have a rough idea on what the lecturer going to blabber in front. keh.keh.

Apart from that, this thursday, we’re going to have out first surveying field. I need to prepare myself to know about how to do surveying & most importantly on how to calculate cut & fill volume.  Before this, to obtain the cut & fill volume for the Project, I only need to call up the CS engineer and/or the QS to obtain the cubic metre but now, I have to calculate it myself. aish. But I can’t wait to play around with theodolite. hahahahah. That going to be fun!  

DO you know that Penang has it’s own department called PenGIS, it seems that the whole state has been digitized in their GIS database.  The lecturer used to work for the said department.  Chat with him of the difference in getting a cadastral map in Sabah as compared to other states in Malaysia.  I had fun digitizing some cadastral map in ArcView too. Oh NF, I have the converter extension for cassini-RSO and MRT-RSO, but I am not sure whether it is MRSO or BRSO, or both can be used for Malaysia.  Hmm I have to get back to the lecturer & ask.  I just realized that I know heaps on the function and how to use the ArcView but when I try playing around with the ArcGIS program, I get a headache.  The program is so powerful until I don’t know the function for each icon.  Dang. Got to play around more with the program to familiar myself with it. (noted).

Yesterday, the whole landscape clan hiked up to Bukit Jambul in the morning. I rather say, it is quite steep for a recreational hiking. and guess what? There are one public gym on top of the hill. LOL> Funny I tell ya, and the equipments are all quite, old. But it does serve the purpose. *two thumbs up*

We’re going to have a trip to Jogjakarta, Indonesia this October. woohoo! Bangkok trip next year, Dr? 

 

Demoralized

I am demoralized.  I failed to sketch a nice landscape composition. I have been sketching everyday (almost) and I get negative feedback on my work.  I am sad and I got 4 sketching to submit this friday. ah. I am almost to the point that I want to give up. 

I can’t give up.  It is something I need to overcome. I need to bring back that enthusiastic me.

I really need ME right now.

 ahhh. help!

Day 1 : Relocation to Penang

Hello ya all! I’m blogging from my room at Tune Hotel. Oh, how cheapo this hotel is, makes me realize I rather splurge on other amenities rather than stick to the basic. Yep. Ha,ha. But I shouldn’t complaint too much.

I started off the day by taking the first (and only) direct flight BKI-PEN which takes about 2 hours & 50 mins. Oh the captain, drop dead gorgeous,  i tell you!  

Landed 20 minutes early & hoping that I can catch the academic briefing at 10 am. Upon arrival, it was already 10.05 am & guess what? They just started with the welcoming speech of the dean (in which supposed to start around 9 am?). ha,ha. After the tea break, we were ushered by the coordinator to the landscape studio. They were expecting 16 landscape architecture students registering today. I managed to get to know my first classmate, an Iranian guy. Very friendly & helpful. Oh and Nicholas Saputra is in my class. I’m serious! hahahahahaha! Ok I’m kidding. Saputra look-a-like is what it is.

After registration, I was walking around the campus trying to figure out what to do next. I supposed to register myself at the Institute of Postgraduate Studies (IPS) but I have yet to settle my tuition fees. I encounter problem that the fund allocate for the tuition is in my maybank account.  The bursary do not accept my debit card! I was so devastated, tired & hungry at that time. Luckily there were 2 international postgrad students, an African lady (i presume) and another hottie South African (I presume too) helping me out. I can always register tomorrow, but then in order for me to get the accomondation in campus, I need to register. I walked to the International House & managed to book a room there. However, the lady in the office can’t promise me that I might get a room there.

My second choices (should be the first) would be referring to the housing department to get a room in the hostel.  It is located at the southeast of the campus while the HBP (Housing, Building & Planning) located at the southwest, approximately 1.8 km away. Some more, it is located off-campus but facing the Bkt Gambier gate.  If I want to stay outside the campus, it is convenient for me to stay around Sg. Dua or Batu Uban. Of course in campus is the most convenient as I can just walk to the class. 

Anyway, my attempt to register formally failed today. I almost gave up & wanting to go back to KK. But the great one consulted me & said go on with what I have planned.  Imagine, I am walking around with my dang crocs biting my feet with my almost 10 kg hiking bag carrying my certs and macbook around. I almost cry walking from the international house to the Tekun hostel. OMG.

I did site surveying for the whole campus and its surrounding. Thanks to the site surveying skills i pick up from my tree-hugging job, I managed to map out the area in my head instantly.  

I sorted out the dilemma of taking preparatory classes for those come from non-construction field.  I will be taking basic land surveying this semester along with the core subjects such as GIS, basic ecology, botany, graphic studio as well as theory & philosophy of LD. 

I can’t wait for the classes to start but at the same time, I am terribly scared. I hope I can switch back to student-mode thinking just in time for class.  ah. 

Another long day tomorrow.  I hope ya all in KK doing just fine. I terribly miss you all!  

Can’t wait for the great one to come to PEN.  We’re going to have a hawker food feast! char koay teow! chee cheong fan! hokkien mee! orr chien!!!! sup kambing!! and the ice kacang. ekekekeke. and the woo tau koh. *drool* ok, enuff of food!