Industrial Visit to Cameron Highland, November 2006

Travelling is the best way of garnering knowledge... Experts claim that as much as 60 percent of communication in daily human life is through visual stimulation. Getting to the see something for real will leave a greater impact to our mind and ensure a more lasting memory...

That's why trips are my favorite programs in my campus life. Recently, again i had the opportunity to help organize an industrial visit to Cameron Highland...

Cameron Highland, did not actually change much from the time i last visited it 5 years ago. Nevertheless, my feeling is different from the that of previous visit as this time around, i went with my campus mates and not my family. Fortunately enough, I did have the chance to meet some new friends as well.

Our mission of doing this trip was like, "Kill two birds with one stone," or rather "Kill three birds with one stones." Our very 'noble' objective was to gain exposure on the processing operation of agro-based products. However, our hidden agendas were to raise some funds for another international trip to Korea in May 2007. The revenue gained form this trip would be used for the international trip. We also made appointments with managers of the companies we visited to discuss for another program that we are doing in March! Yeah, talk about fully utilising your chance, huh?

We visited MARDI and BOH tea plantation. Besides, we did also visit the famous nurseries and farms such as Cactus VAlley and Rose Valley. On the last day of the visit, we also visit the mysterious Kellie's Castle in Batu Gajah...

All in all, the trip was very interesting and will be a good memory after a semester of hardwork and stress. It kisses goodbye to the past semester and marks the opening of the time i enjoy most in a year; HOLIDAYS!!!

Happy holidays everyone...

Blogging: A whole new experience...

Blogging...
Being the not-so-pc-savvy person whom i am, the term blogging just wouldn't come across my mind as something i would like to try on. The fact that i don't even have an active friendster account proves just how pc-illiterate i can be. Blogging is definitely the last thing i would try in my campus given the condition that the access to internet is really bad!! I would rather spend my time, watching super thrilling anime episodes such as Naruto and Bleach...

It was days after my final examination that i came across some of my friends' blogs that trigger my interest in blogging. Initially, i thought it as a good platform to 'showcase' my achievements and things that i am currently running. I thought all bloggers are supposedly people with good language and writing skills who would like the whole world to know their accomplishments. Good place for the 'kiasus', so to say. I was thinking, if these people can make a big deal out of a simple html file, i can do it too. It shouldn't be a surprise why a i would have this kind of mentality considering the level of 'kiasu'ism embedded in every cells of my body. For the first time in my life, i spent hours in creating this new online manuscript. As for the first post that i published, i chose one of the reports which i did for a trip i organized mid this year. i didn't even bother to create any new thoughts.

Life changes, perspective changes, as nature changing courses go by... I was trying to elevate my 'kiasu'ism to another level by researching and looking into different blog to improve my very own blog. I have to admit that i didn't even have any inspiration on what to pen on until i got into one of my friend's blog called, "Me, Myself and I." It was then I realised that blog can be just as simple as can be. Things that touches my heart from the blog is the simplicity and the spontaneity of thoughts being penned down. It doesn't have to any great accomplishments, nor it has to be of any special topics. Little do i realize that one's thinking can be so shallow when you let ego takes its place.

I now view blog differently. This is going to be my accounts of a fulfilling life, and also of life being as simple as it is... This is going to be my personal diary shared with the public. Sharing thoughts and emotions is undoubtedly one of human's greatest joy...

2 days passed and i already fall in love with blogging. To all my visitors out there, let's join me into this whole new experience...

Educational Trip To China, May 2006

Taking a break from the regular routine of lectures and examinations is always in a students’ mind. Have you thought about going on a trip in which you could see for yourself the technology advancements in another country and at the same time learn their different cultures? I have been fortunate enough to have made these dreams a reality by organizing the Biotechnology Educational Trip to China 2006…

Held from 6th to 13th May 2006 with the theme, “A niche where biotechnology meets cultural exchange”, the trip provides an eye-opening experience to 22 students and 3 lecturers from the department to experience for themselves the boost of biotechnology advancement in various institutions and industries in three southern provinces of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. As its theme suggests, the trip aims not only to provide the opportunity for the participants to gain technical knowledge on the application of biotechnology and bioprocess engineering but also enabling them to experience the oriental cultures of the Chinese Republic.

Just upon arrival at the Shenzhen airport on the very first night, we were already in awe that the city was still very much awake even it was already close to midnight! The streets were still crowded with people walking around and shopping even till 3 am in the morning!! The next day, we had a one-day leisure tour to Hong Kong and visited some of the most interesting tourist spots in the Pearl of the Orient, namely Repulse Bay, Stanley Street, Victoria Peak, and Kowloon. We also had a great time bargaining and shopping for souvenirs and goodies.

We then paid visits to various corporate bodies, research institutes and universities involved in different lines of biotechnology and chemical engineering like pharmaceutical technology, gene-therapy, bio chemical compounds extraction, botany, food production, waste water treatment and agricultures. In Shenzhen, we went to Tsing Hua Yuan Xing Co Pte. Ltd., a research based company specializing in pharmaceuticals and gene therapy. After the visit at its main office, the participants were brought to the South China Bio Park Incubator in which its research centre was located. They had the chance to see for themselves the whole pilot plant manufacturing line which operated under the GMP standards. Another company where they visited was Enoch Biologic Pte Ltd, a Hong Kong based company dealing with microbes based nutritional supplements. The company was working on the technology to induce microorganism into nutritional supplements to boost the consumers’ body immune system. The company was even generous enough to give away goodies to all participants! Besides, the students and lecturers had also the chance to go to HONSEA, a company which specialized in extraction of bio chemicals compound. The company develops “Super Critical CO2 Extraction” method to efficiently extract essences from jasmine, lily, and other plants.

The trip was originally done with the vision to initiate good relationship with the universities in southern China. Some of the universities that they visited are Sun Yat Sen University, South China Agricultural University, and South China University of Technology. One highlight of the programs in the university was the “Culture Exchange and Sharing Session” with the students in universities. Students from both Malaysia and China exchanged different views on various issues from education, cultures, and also technology. In the sharing session, representatives from UTM presented a talk on Malaysian cultures, education and tourist attraction. They even portrayed a variety of traditional attires through a brief fashion showcase and sang our traditional folk song, “Rasa Sayang”. The session was an enlightening session for students from both countries. In South China University of Technology, we visited one of the oldest campus in China, which was built in 1927 by Dr Sun Yat Sen. One of the most interesting place ever visited was undoubtedly the “University City”; an island which accommodated 13 different campuses! The whole of the island was occupied by undergraduates and academicians. Other interesting place that we visited in these universities was a pilot waste water treatment plant which cost RMB 1 million and was fully monitored using computerized system.

In addition, we also had a chance to visit research institutes like the South China Botanical Garden, a public botanical park which housed research institutes specialized in botany and herbal plants. The botanical garden had a herbarium which stored 1 million different species of medicinal herbs and plants. We were brought around the garden and had a great time.

One highlight on the cultural aspect of the trip was the visit to Splendid China: Folks Show Village and Museums, a tourist spot portraying and showcasing the customs and cultures of various ethnicities in China. It was a wonderful experience for the participants as they go through different show villages of different ethnics, watching their live performances, donning their traditional attires, and trying their foods. It was really cultural enriching because the centre showcased all historical and famous places all around China in miniature forms. We went to the mini Great Wall of China, the famous Xu Mountain, and many more. It was literally like throttling around China itself.

Indeed, the idea of visiting a completely different place, learning their cultures and language, gaining experience and technical knowledge, establishing new network of friends are all the elements of a great educational trip. That was an experience worth working for… And all of us were proud that we were part of the team which made this idea come true and embark on this journey of limitless discoveries.