A New Semester

Hello September. Hello new semester.

A week has passed since I started my 6th semester of Undergraduate studies here in UTP. It's my last one before I go for my internship Insyallah. Kinda nervous about that. But it'll be exciting for sure. Imagine 3 years studying in a classroom with theoretical knowledge and lab works, finally we're going out into the world to experience what it's really like working as an engineer :D 

Serious stuff aside, I had the pleasure of getting acquainted with the Japanese Summer Programme Exchange Students from Tokyo and Gunma University. UTP has this really cool programme where it sends Malaysian students to Tokyo and vice versa. It was a good night getting to know the Japanese students and reliving memories when I was in Tokyo earlier this year. 

They even cooked for us which was so delicious! I'm such a huge fan of Japanese food but it's so hard to find halal ones in Japan and even Malaysia.

Oh and did I mention I've started working out? Those fat around my stomach has been enough reason to start doing sit ups and other abs-related routines. Anything to burn the fat away! And it'll be a bonus if I can get fit in time for my internship this coming January :D 

If you're a beginner like me, I recommend Abs Pro app for Apple users. It's simple really, you choose your level and duration of exercise. And they guide you step by step in your work out. It's easy!

I for one am getting the hang of it ;)

Taking the Lens Cap Off

I used to be an avid photographer. 

But over the years, the technicality of photography bored me. I began to stop being so obsessed with camera equipments and started photographing moments. I know that's not a good enough excuse to drop an interest in cameras and what nots, but I do try to see the beauty in every picture in a sense of emotion instead of what camera settings it was taken with.

I belong to a multimedia club in UTP. So you can imagine the level of obsession we are with equipment and DSLRs. I used to be that person too. But as I matured and grew up, my hobby in photography evolved in a whole different direction. 

I still love capturing moments more than anything. I love being the person who takes pictures and posts them up on Facebook afterwards for people to smile at and reminisce of the good times. 

I just stopped obsessing with the technicality of it all.

You could say I was dangerously putting myself in the comfort zone, of not trying to learn more or improve my skills in the world of photography. But, I do try to always improve my skills. 

Just not in the way every one else is doing.

I don't care how fancy my camera is (650D is as far as fancy I'll go). I stopped wishing for lenses as my birthday presents a long time ago. What I'd really like is a compact camera, small enough to fit in my backpack so I can take shots of anything anytime, without fussing over the weight and price.

I learnt over the years that even with the most expensive cameras and latest gadgets, if you can't appreciate the pictures you took or portray that sense of beauty in it, it'd all be pointless anyway.

Pictures are there for a reason. They inspire you, if not others, to believe and have hope. Because pictures can be interpreted in so many ways, I believe what matters is the feeling it portrays in people who've seen it. :) 

A World That Can't Stop Talking

See the full comic here.

Sayonara Third Year First Semester!

*wipes away virtual cobwebs*

Hello everyone! 

Alhamdulillah my nerve-wrecking finals ended yesterday, thus explaining my hiatus for the past 3 weeks (as if I have any other reason besides UTP when I can't blog much)

No point blogging during my study week anyways as I was pretty much in this state the whole time:

It was a good study week. For once since I started studying in UTP, my exams started LATER than everyone else and ende EARLIER than everyone else. What can I say except #achievementUnlocked ! Hahah... 10 days of study 'week' (UTP should really revise the term 'week' when it comes to finals) followed by a marathon 4 back-to-back papers.

To give you a hint of how difficult my papers were here are the subject titles:

• Control  Process, Dynamics, Instrumentation and Control
• Kinetics & Reactor Design
• Introduction to Management (ok lah this one not so scary)
• Process Safety & Loss Prevention

Chemical Engineering is a pain in the ass, but Alhamdulillah, all the papers went well despite some difficulties in them. But I've always believed that it's better to stress about your INPUT when studying then of the RESULTS when you can't do anything anymore. And now, there's nothing left but to tawakkal :) 

So my stress period is over and i have a wonderful 18-days holiday starting today.

In the meantime, maybe I should get this t-shirt to prepare for next semester's finals:

And wear them during exams. 

Thinking about it, I have 3 full semesters left in UTP InsyaAllah. Another 2 semesters of internship and I'll be graduating soon. But my pursuit of knowledge doesn't stop there. I've got more plans for the future and I pray Allah grants me longevity of life so I can continue my studies and be an inspiring engineer one day.

So my plans for the holidays?

Currently this: