My Digital World

This week, I received the result back from the last exam. I am so disappointed with my result. It is a 5, a FAIL! I cannot believe that I will fail since I got a good feeling for that exam. It is really depressing when the good feeling is there, but get a result back that is not good! This takes some of my confidences away....Because of this, I have no mood for doing things for my study.

While I lost my motivation, I finish with my programming in C. I also get all the components to test the snesor of my supervisor and the C code that I wrote for her. When I want to start with hardware testing, I am pushed back by my supervisor and the technician, Piet. Piet gave a lot of critiques. Because of his critiques, I can test my understandings and being sharp all the time. Thanks Piet for being so critic to me! Dafina wants me to work in a more structure way. Working in a structure way means for me take a longer time to work things out. Next week, there is an one week vacation. Which is now very bad since I cannot continue to work on my testing procedures. I am really curious about the code I wrote in C which I can only test with the hardware that I am building. Those who are familar with programming in microcontroller + other discrete components, know that debugging can be only in the software and in the hardware environments. Missing one of them means you cannot do anything.

So far my schoollife. Yesterday, I was going to a kind of open-area concert. Take a look HERE. I really like concert. When I go back to Singapore, I want to go to a concert. Ya, I love music. :)

Last weekend, I gave a KTV party. Bou is leaving for vacation and before he left, he asked me to give a KTV party. I am told by Annie that Bou does like KTV alot. So, I call and e-mail everyone for the party. The weird thing is, is that everyone gives me just less than one week to organise an event. Do I look like a superman who can do multiple task without any problems? I doubt...., I do not have an S t-shirt hor!

So, last Saturday, there was KTV at my place. As usual, I am the only one who cook the meal for around 20 persons. This time, I let them try my Laksa. Some of them do not like eating spicy stuff and therefore I cook Rou Gu Cha for them. So, in the early morning, I went to market for food and stuff. In the afternoon, I start preparing. In the evening they can eat and sing.

It was nice to do a regular KTV party. I am a bit tired of partying, since I am in charge with buying, cooking and cleaning. Do I get something back? Of course! What is it? It is the fun we have. :) I really do want to give them some happiness.

Anyway, this week, I was busy with writing a programme in C. I promised my supervisor that I will complete the whole thing in C by next week. I want to push myself to work hard. Else I will lazy around then. Dafina looked at me with a big eye since there are alot of things that I have to do in C. But it will be alright. Trust me, please!

This week, I also talked to Dafina about the path that I have to go through for my M.Sc. project. There are a lot of work to do. I just finish with 1/4 of all. Since I am back scheduled, I want to work harder. I want to check how many things I can do simultaneously. Therefore, I ask Dafina whether I can start writing my thesis. She agreed and I told her that I will give her the first chapter of my thesis by next week.

On top of study, I am asked by a dealer to design a programme with which he can check the stokc of all his (5000-10000) products. I do like this challenge. Since both of my hands are filled with part-time and two studies, I look for friends to help me. Zhoa Duan and Bou will join me for doing this job. During the weeks, we have built a time schedule. Once the dealer comes back from his business trip, I will make an appointment with him for negotiations about our pay-off. Hopefully, this will be our first job to work together, since I want to do business with Zhao Duan and Bou.

Last Sunday, I did modelshooting. Finally I can use my background! I am very happy with the model and the results of the shoots. I will share some of the pics:


This is Izabella. She comes from Utrecht.


Izabella is half Polish and half Dutch.


She lets me think of Lele.


This Friday, I met Izabella at the train station in Utrecht. Since
she wants to collect the photos.


This is her mother. Izabella is a nice girl to work with. Hopefully,
we can work more next time.

This week, I am busy with sitting in front of the TV. A few months
ago, I dowloaded many episodes of One Million Star. That programme
is a very well-known "Idols" programme that is held in Taiwan. I
do think it is very pity that I miss many episodes, since it is
really a very nice programme. Before I watch the One Million Star,
I did not watch any kind of Idols. It is not that I do not like
it, but it is my mood. I want to watch when my mood rings me.

Well, the One Million Star is very great! That show is not only about
competition, but there is one very important element in that game,
which many people should learn and be aware of.

In competition, people only want to know how to survivie. When I was
in Singapore for study, all the students only focus on how to get good
marks. Since they think that a good grade will give them a good job or
at least, they are better paid than those with a so-so results. However,
looking at the reality, the most important thing to be really successful
in business or in many other aspects, are the experiences. That is the
thing that you only can get when you have tried and obtained from
working. In my opinion, you are very strong if you have many kind of
experiences and have people who can help you. People can be your
families. relatives or friends. In One Million Star, the participants
become friend finally. They start as opponents of each other. But
once time flies by, they notice that this game is not only a
competition. Friendship is the most value thing they get from this
competition. I do think, they do not care much about the prize
anymore, which I think, it is a good business.

Nowadays, people can only think about money. No money is no talk!
Money is important, but it is absolutely not a must. If you look around
this world, there are places where people do not talk about money.
Having money can be happy, but losing money does not mean the
ending of the world. One said that rich people are very bad. Well,
how about poor people? I do think that poor people are worse than
rich people. Where do the crimes come from?

Anyway, going back to One Million Star. It is my first time in my
life that I do see the participants as well as the judjes, audience
and the presentor cry. You know what?! I am also touched!
My tears were standy in my eyes! This is the first programme
that can make me sniff. My heart is jumping when they are beat
by other singers who are challenging them.

Tell you something. Currently I am poisoned by songs. Guess what?!
The singers of the songs are from the One Million Star. I am very
glad that they bring a good CD. In contrast to the singers in HK,
their songs are really crap. I did not listen to Cantonese songs for a
few years already. The songs, the lyrics and the singers make the
music dramatic bad.

Well, that's it for this entry. Tomorrow, a new one will be post.

Everything seems like a flash. Last week, I am told that my paper for the US conference has been accepted. Therefore, Dafina should definitely goes to US for the conference. I do not know if I can join her, because of budget issue. If Paddy allows me to go, then I definitely will go to US.

The funny thing is, is that conference is held from 18-20th of June. My birthday is in between. It will be my first time that I might be on trip while it is my birthday. To be honest, I do not care about that since I do not celebrate my birthday at all.

Anyway, this week, I finished with my poster. During the weekend, I encounter many programs in the design. Luckily, I have a very nice supervisor who helps me with designing and checking for my poor English. She usually laughs at my simple/informal English. :P Below, I include my poster.



My first poster for my second paper! I am sorry
for the bad quality, since it is a screenshot of a
PDF file and I edit that in windows basic Paint.

So far, I have written two papers. Both of them are accepted. Hopefully more will come, since I like writing stuff about what I work on.

Yesterday, I had my first conference. Many people from the Instrumention Lab (the 13th floor of EWI) went to the conference. I really could not believe that I am the only one M.Sc. student of all of them. All of them are P.hD. and they represents their work. Their work is huge compare to mine. I am very glad that do not "look down" at people as me who is just a little boy, with a little work.

The conference was very interesting! I met the big guy who set up the Sensor and Actuators. He is a Dutch professor. Besides, I was very happy to see Sjaak and Jorg to attend the conference. It was a while that I talked to them.

Oh, the programme of the conference can be found here. During the poster presentation and when I was standing next to my poster, there were people from the Industry who are interested in my work. They asked me to tell them about my work and about myself. They also gave me their cards. :)

It was a good experience. On the way back, I had a chat with a post-Doc. He recommended me to apply for a P.hD. position. He said, that he would help me. I really can't believe that. What is "wrong" with me? I really do not think that I do that great job so far. Besides, I doubt about my intelligence. But I am very glad that people trust in me. :)

It has been a while ago that I update my blog. I was at home (in
Groningen), but I do not have the mood for writing. Besides, my
mother uses my laptop for watching TV. On top of that, I was busy
with preparing for (hopefully) my last written exam that I have
had this week.

Anyway, let me think what I went through in the past two weeks.
Two weeks ago, I am asked to assembly a new computer for my aunt
since his computer was broken. There were too many hardware issues.
I advised her to buy a new one. At first sight, my aunt didn't want
to listen to my advice. Then she brought the computer to other
people who were trying to fix for them. The problems were solved,
but a few days later, the computer crashed again. Then she knocked
on my door again. I told her that it had no sense to fix the pc.
But who will like to listen to me. I am not an expert, but I do
actually know things about computer-related stuff. For my Electrical
Engineering study, I also learned how to create from nothing to a
computer. Everything single hardware, chip, and so on, I do know.
Still, there are people who doubt about my advice. Maybe I do
look very stupid.

Actually I do not care about that people do not listen to me. But
I do not like people complaining in front of my nose, telling me
why the computer fails, although I told them the answer again
and again. And they force me to fix for them, altough there are
nothing that can be fixed. I do not like wasting my time. Therefore,
nowadays, I do not take any energy to think about the bugs. My
current rule is "if I cannot fix it within 1 minute, then I will say
that I am not capable".

Anyway, I finally bought a new computer for my aunt in Rotterdam.
I took that heavy thing from Rotterdam to Groningen. Why did I buy
the computer in R'dam? Because it is much cheaper and because she
is my aunt.

When I want to assembly the computer for her, she says that she
wants to add some components to the new computer, which means that
I have to "re-buy" and "re-set" my spare time for shopping in R'dam.
I really do not appreciate that.

My old computer that I have assemblied 7 years plus ago, also needs
to be replaced. I gave that computer to my mom, that was a supermachine
at that time. It was my first computer that I have assemblied. My mom
wanted to watch Chinese TV on the TV. And I found out for her where
she can watch Chinese TV for free. But it needs a computer with a good
internet connection. Because I nowadays do not use my old computer
anymore, I gave that my mom. But one day, my old computer finally takes
a white tissue out from its pocket. Therefore, I buy a complete new computer
for my mom. When I bought the new computer for my mom, I also bought
a new computer for my aunt. And because my aunt wants me to bring her
computer first to Groningen, I do her a favor. But she seems not to be satisfy
with what I have done for her. *sigh*, it is very hard to be a good guy.

Today, I think I have everything complete to start building the
computer and installing the softwares. After bringing my aunt's computer,
I brought the new computer for my mom to Groningen. When I get home
(I am now in the train on my way to Groningen), I have to gai gong
(going to work) again.

This week, Shabir's computer is also died. But his computer really
has a very serious error. The two capacitors on his motherboard
burst out. So, he calls me for help and advices. He wants to try
to fix the board by replacing the capacitors, but I say that it
probably won't help. My advice is, buy a new computer since his
computer is also very old. Today, he comes to Delft to select
the components for his new computer and he wants my advices as
well.

Enough about computers! Let me tell something good things. A few
weeks ago, I wrote two papers. Both of them are accepted, which
makes me very happy. My name will be on IEEE and other big
community that can be found on internet after the conference.
For the first paper, the conference is in US, in Irvin. The second
paper is a local conference which will be hold in Zeist. I think,
for the second paper, my paper won't be published on IEEE. But
I am not sure about that.

This weekend, I will start with designing a poster for the
conference. I will share that poster on my blog for those who
are curious about my work so far.