The days are getting hotter, and longer. So far, the biggest issue I have with the increase in temp is the flies that come out of nowhere, and are found everywhere. I was told that I'm still an American until I swallow a fly while talking during the summer months.. then I am initiated as an Aussie. I think I'll stick to being American and invest in Off spray and sunscreen.
Job: It has been about three full weeks on the job. I spend almost 8 hours per day, sitting at a desk, reading on fluid dynamics, trying to understand how pumps work and fail, and contemplating things that I overlooked when I was studying it for the first time. When you take things for the first time in college, you just learn enough to pass exams; figuring out how to apply equations given the information provided in the problem. Now, when reading, the emphasis is more on why than anything else. [ In fact, for the engineering geeks, I had a question about why is it that Bernoulli's equation says that as pressure increases, the velocity decreases, BUT when I put a nozzle on a hose to a fire hydrant, it feels like the pressure increases as the velocity increases... nobody in the room is able to answer ] So... I share the room with two other people. They don't talk to each other too much, but when I take a break and turn around towards them, I end up having a 5 to 15 minute conversation with at least one of them. So, I manage to get work done by just keeping my back towards them and my head in the books. I'm moving along alright at the job; rarely see the professor in charge. I confer with him once every week and a half, and I'm off on my own to figure out what to do.
On this Sunday, I am taking a trip to Brisbane for four days for work. The university is putting me up in a hotel room that looks like a luxury apt, paid food and other expenses, to listen to bunch of speakers talk about engineering. My professor said that they'll only pay for 8 hours of work a day, which means after hours would translate into the opportunity to wander around. I wish I could stay there longer though... Brisbane is near the Gold Coast, which is famous for its prestine beaches, a sailing opportunity that would teach you how to sail by staying at sea on a sailboat for about 3 days, scuba diving to see the Great Barrier Reef, and going to the jungle area to see hwo the native tribes live... exciting stuff! But another time.. this time I'll just wander the city.
I should be going on full time at the University by the end of this month.. hopefully. In the meantime, I make my own hours, and get paid only by the hour with no benefits.
Driving: My homework each week is to practice at least an hour of driving. My goal is to be able to drive anywhere in WA. So last week, I went around, and got lost (literally) for about an hour, but b/c of TomTom, was able to return back home. I almost got into a car accident... problems always happen when I am in a rush, and forget to repeat to myself "drive on the left". Thank God people in Perth are more forgiving of horrible driving mistakes, as long as I don't run into the police. So, I passed my aunt's house, made a u turn, and then drove on the wrong side fo the road.. and less than 2 minutes later, had to swerve to avoid an oncoming car. And so, this week, I had two places on the agenda to go to: The Margaret River Chocolate Factory (the place to be if you are a chocolate lover! )and a convention on evangelism in South Perth. I made it to the first place, after getting a bit lost, and never made it to the second place... I forgot again once, and almost got run over again, so I went back and settled for video telecast of the convention. This Friday and Saturday is the Global Leadership Summit 2010, and I'm going to risk driving again. Pray for me that I'll get there safe... or pray that no one is on the road at the times I go... either one is fine with me! ;)
Church: Decisions, Decisions... there are positive and negative parts of the church I have been attending, but so it goes with any church... no church is perfect. In short, I ponder over whether this is where God wants me to settle down. I met with the Pastor today to voice my concerns about how the church reaches out to the community, what the theology of the church is (which is important since what you believe affects how you live), and the mission and vision of the church. It was a good talk, and gives a lot of things to think about... such as do I stay with a church that is relatively young, with a diverse population, who are trying to be molded into a church that is deep in relationships and reaches out ... or ... do i try to find one that has it all together now, which would probably mean it would be a bigger church. I had asked people in the church about the church's stand on predestination vs free will; which leads to either long discussions, or avoidance. I had a long discussion with the pastor on it, which was most helpful... so there is a lot to think and pray about. Frustrating at times, and a faith stretching time. This is what the three hour bus rides are for. Anyone up for long conversations over coffee or ice cream? My treat if you can make it here... :)
On the lighter side of things, I am meeting good people in the church, and their hospitality is terrific; making me feel at home. One of them is very connected, and works at the university that I work at. She said that when the time comes, she'll connect me with people that rent out rooms to make the process easier.
There are other small things here and there, so if you want to hear, just give me a buzz. Email or it me up for a convo so I can hear what is happening with you.
I'm going to try to send out an email with pics of where I've been... hopefully this week.
18 October 2010
04 October 2010
October's First Adventures
So October just started, and it feels weird to walk outside in 80 degree weather when I'm expecting 60 degree weather. It's just different...
Job: So, I started working last week. It was my first full week on the job, and I am basically reacquainting myself with fluid mechanics, which I last took over a decade ago, and learning how a pump works. When I first learned fluid mechanics, it was so boring, but now, since I see there is a real life application around the corner, I am more interested in it. I come in everyday about 8:30 am and leave 5:30pm, putting in either 8 or 8 1/2 hours per day. It is an amazing concept to put less than 12 hours in per day, and walk away from the job saying "I'll just continue tomorrow". I can't do any more than these hours due to bus scheduling, so the horrible frequency of the bus keeps me in check at the moment. ;) The plan right now is to read daily (yep, I get paid to read right now) and become an expert in pumps and fluids by the end of Oct, an expert in reliability by the end of Nov, review other minor subjects in Dec, and then write the 100 page paper on basically what I have read by Jan.
I share a temporary space with two guys - Dirk (a German guy in his late 30s doing his PhD) and Andrew (Malaysian-Chinese guy in his early 20s who just finished his PhD). Really nice guys. Dirk is very talkative, and is like the typical aussie who mixes in a whole lot of socializing in with the work time to make the time go by quickly. Andrew seems more of the typical Asian - get in, do the work, then go.
The Aussie way is so laid back, that sometimes it is very .... frustrating and bewildering. I went to a meeting on Friday with the entire team, which consists of 4 professors and me. So, the meeting was scheduled to last for an hour, and so I thought that there would be an agenda and a lot to talk about. I get there, and Ian sits down and says "So... I was suppose to spend an hour to plan the meeting, but it didn't happen. So.. what do you want to talk about?" And that is how began an hour meeting on something, but nothing, at the same time.. kind of like a Seinfeld episode. And within this meeting, I got drafted to go to Brisbane at the end of Oct to attend a conference. They are paying for airfare, hotel, food, etc.. so it is all good. I hope I can squeeze in some sightseeing time as well. I'll keep you posted on it.
I also had to sit in a meeting with PhD candidates presenting their work to the group, and I felt that I was 23 all over again, sitting in those meetings back in RPI doing the same thing all over again. And just like normal, I fell asleep during the first presentation... so if anyone has ever worked with me, you would know that I have a tendency to fall asleep really badly at meetings. If the person presenting does not engage the audience, but instead just reads off of the slide, I'm out like a light... just a matter of time. So the first presenter went, discussing the usage of rapid prototyping in companies, and I lasted maybe 15 minutes. I felt so bad afterwards, when Ian had asked if there were any questions! :( For the second presenter, I stayed awake since he was very fluid in his presentation. The topic was on the training of a feed forward fuzzy neural network on patterns obtained from a wavelet transform of his vibrational data. Trust me... it sounds geeky, but it was good. If we sat down for coffee, you'd get it in like 10 minutes.
Driving: I have had the total Australian experience in driving this weekend. I decided that since almost everyone is very busy, and helping out the newbie in Oz with driving is not at the top of the list of things to do, I was going to take my adventurous self and go driving on my own. So, I went to the industrial part of the suburb, where I have practiced with my uncle, to practice a bit and then brave the new world and travel to a park and McDonalds. I spent about an hour in the industrial area doing k-turns, starting and stopping, trying to figure out how to start without having the car shake. And after an hour, I got pulled over by the cops for suspicious driving. Let me say, it sounds funny, but it isn't at the moment when they pull you over and don't state why for at least 5 minutes. So, they said that there was a rash of burgleries in the area, and since I had passed them multiple times (they were in an unmarked car) they thought I was casing the joint. I had to explain to them basically that I was the crazy American trying to get used to driving on the wrong side of the car on the wrong side of the road with a manual car instead of automatic. I know you are smiling now, thinking that you wish you had pictures... sorry, there aren't any.
Afterwards, I attempted to go to the petting zoo, but couldn't find the turn off. So, I got lost for about half an hour. Then I found my way back to the main road, went to McDonalds, and sat there and read for about an hour to calm some nerves, then went back home. On the way to McDonalds, I did stall 3 times - 2 times at roundabouts, and 1 time at a red light. I am not a fan of roundabouts right now. However, overall, I think I am doing ok. :P
Church: The church people here in All Nations are friendly, and take hospitality to great lengths. In the past week, since the last time I wrote, I have been to two dinners, and one gathering. It is easier to get to know people over a meal than having a quick conversation after service. This week, I am having dinner with one couple, and this weekend, there is another gathering I was invited to (I'd go if I am brave enough to go on the highway and drive there with my tomtom). I don't ever remember being this popular... it's just the honeymoon phase of getting to know the church, I guess.
The sermons for the past few weeks have been pushing back on the church, asking how does God's word affect their lives - does it change it or does it just go on the side. The pastor is trying to raise leaders in the congregation, who would take more adventurous roles than just hospitality, such as leading bible studies and evangelism in the community. It reminds me of Pastor Edwin and NBT back home. This week was particularly focusing on being transparent with others, why we need the church, and what is the church (focusing on the end of Acts 2). It is like reliving a whole mess of sermons from NBT... missing home.
The Global Leadership Summit comes to Perth in a few weeks. I am going to sign up, and try to practice driving there so when the time comes, I can make it there on my own. If I can't, I am thinking of asking someone to drive, and maybe paying for their ticket as an incentive for them. Maybe I can talk the pastor into going.. he drives! I am also wanting to ask if I can get the day off on the friday and make up the hours another day so I can go for both days.
Other thoughts:
I went to China town this past friday with a couple that treated me out to dinner. Chinatown is literally 1 small small block, consisting of some restaurants, and 1 store. For a country that is so close to china, why is it that chinatown is so small? And for NY, which is half way around the world, Chinatown is so huge. missing home.
Job: So, I started working last week. It was my first full week on the job, and I am basically reacquainting myself with fluid mechanics, which I last took over a decade ago, and learning how a pump works. When I first learned fluid mechanics, it was so boring, but now, since I see there is a real life application around the corner, I am more interested in it. I come in everyday about 8:30 am and leave 5:30pm, putting in either 8 or 8 1/2 hours per day. It is an amazing concept to put less than 12 hours in per day, and walk away from the job saying "I'll just continue tomorrow". I can't do any more than these hours due to bus scheduling, so the horrible frequency of the bus keeps me in check at the moment. ;) The plan right now is to read daily (yep, I get paid to read right now) and become an expert in pumps and fluids by the end of Oct, an expert in reliability by the end of Nov, review other minor subjects in Dec, and then write the 100 page paper on basically what I have read by Jan.
I share a temporary space with two guys - Dirk (a German guy in his late 30s doing his PhD) and Andrew (Malaysian-Chinese guy in his early 20s who just finished his PhD). Really nice guys. Dirk is very talkative, and is like the typical aussie who mixes in a whole lot of socializing in with the work time to make the time go by quickly. Andrew seems more of the typical Asian - get in, do the work, then go.
The Aussie way is so laid back, that sometimes it is very .... frustrating and bewildering. I went to a meeting on Friday with the entire team, which consists of 4 professors and me. So, the meeting was scheduled to last for an hour, and so I thought that there would be an agenda and a lot to talk about. I get there, and Ian sits down and says "So... I was suppose to spend an hour to plan the meeting, but it didn't happen. So.. what do you want to talk about?" And that is how began an hour meeting on something, but nothing, at the same time.. kind of like a Seinfeld episode. And within this meeting, I got drafted to go to Brisbane at the end of Oct to attend a conference. They are paying for airfare, hotel, food, etc.. so it is all good. I hope I can squeeze in some sightseeing time as well. I'll keep you posted on it.
I also had to sit in a meeting with PhD candidates presenting their work to the group, and I felt that I was 23 all over again, sitting in those meetings back in RPI doing the same thing all over again. And just like normal, I fell asleep during the first presentation... so if anyone has ever worked with me, you would know that I have a tendency to fall asleep really badly at meetings. If the person presenting does not engage the audience, but instead just reads off of the slide, I'm out like a light... just a matter of time. So the first presenter went, discussing the usage of rapid prototyping in companies, and I lasted maybe 15 minutes. I felt so bad afterwards, when Ian had asked if there were any questions! :( For the second presenter, I stayed awake since he was very fluid in his presentation. The topic was on the training of a feed forward fuzzy neural network on patterns obtained from a wavelet transform of his vibrational data. Trust me... it sounds geeky, but it was good. If we sat down for coffee, you'd get it in like 10 minutes.
Driving: I have had the total Australian experience in driving this weekend. I decided that since almost everyone is very busy, and helping out the newbie in Oz with driving is not at the top of the list of things to do, I was going to take my adventurous self and go driving on my own. So, I went to the industrial part of the suburb, where I have practiced with my uncle, to practice a bit and then brave the new world and travel to a park and McDonalds. I spent about an hour in the industrial area doing k-turns, starting and stopping, trying to figure out how to start without having the car shake. And after an hour, I got pulled over by the cops for suspicious driving. Let me say, it sounds funny, but it isn't at the moment when they pull you over and don't state why for at least 5 minutes. So, they said that there was a rash of burgleries in the area, and since I had passed them multiple times (they were in an unmarked car) they thought I was casing the joint. I had to explain to them basically that I was the crazy American trying to get used to driving on the wrong side of the car on the wrong side of the road with a manual car instead of automatic. I know you are smiling now, thinking that you wish you had pictures... sorry, there aren't any.
Afterwards, I attempted to go to the petting zoo, but couldn't find the turn off. So, I got lost for about half an hour. Then I found my way back to the main road, went to McDonalds, and sat there and read for about an hour to calm some nerves, then went back home. On the way to McDonalds, I did stall 3 times - 2 times at roundabouts, and 1 time at a red light. I am not a fan of roundabouts right now. However, overall, I think I am doing ok. :P
Church: The church people here in All Nations are friendly, and take hospitality to great lengths. In the past week, since the last time I wrote, I have been to two dinners, and one gathering. It is easier to get to know people over a meal than having a quick conversation after service. This week, I am having dinner with one couple, and this weekend, there is another gathering I was invited to (I'd go if I am brave enough to go on the highway and drive there with my tomtom). I don't ever remember being this popular... it's just the honeymoon phase of getting to know the church, I guess.
The sermons for the past few weeks have been pushing back on the church, asking how does God's word affect their lives - does it change it or does it just go on the side. The pastor is trying to raise leaders in the congregation, who would take more adventurous roles than just hospitality, such as leading bible studies and evangelism in the community. It reminds me of Pastor Edwin and NBT back home. This week was particularly focusing on being transparent with others, why we need the church, and what is the church (focusing on the end of Acts 2). It is like reliving a whole mess of sermons from NBT... missing home.
The Global Leadership Summit comes to Perth in a few weeks. I am going to sign up, and try to practice driving there so when the time comes, I can make it there on my own. If I can't, I am thinking of asking someone to drive, and maybe paying for their ticket as an incentive for them. Maybe I can talk the pastor into going.. he drives! I am also wanting to ask if I can get the day off on the friday and make up the hours another day so I can go for both days.
Other thoughts:
I went to China town this past friday with a couple that treated me out to dinner. Chinatown is literally 1 small small block, consisting of some restaurants, and 1 store. For a country that is so close to china, why is it that chinatown is so small? And for NY, which is half way around the world, Chinatown is so huge. missing home.
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