Who's Ross Brawn?

‎"No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth." - Robert Southey

It has been a month now I am on this foreign land. As much as I enjoy my stay here, to think that I am leaving so many persons behind me at this period, sometimes, at one particular instant, I just miss the beloved ones back in Malaysia.

Anyway, I guess it is about time to share a little bit about my work place. As I have mentioned previously or most of my friends know, I am interning at Mercedes GP. I only get to know that Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg are their drivers. Lol, I don't really catch up much with F1 anyway but since I am here, I have to know. Pretty shameful that I am not familiar with a famous figure named Ross Brawn and yet I usually see him passing by our office like any other ordinary human being. Hey, his office is just opposite of mine. He will be away if there is race during the weekend. To think that I never meet Tony Fernandes, a profound Malaysian businessman, the team principal of Team Lotus, at some points, I do feel a little overwhelmed. *wake myself up*

I am working under Reliability Engineering department. I would say it is mostly about quality control; to ensure the parts of racing cars are in good conditions and for this purpose, the parts need to pass through inspection before being used. I have been doing inspection on gears which is one of my routines every week. There are lots of steps but it is part of learning process. If the gears aren't in good conditions, if something happens to the car during the race, whoever is in-charge for inspection will be responsible, that includes me. Lol. Another routine will be laser etching. Parts of the cars should be labelled with part numbers so that we can trace where does the part originate. This is done by laser etching. We are taught to use the laser machine to perform this job. It is not comparable to the equipment that we have in our campus, our UG lab at least. We aren't supposed to take photos inside our work places, mostly. You know, this whole thing is a competition.

Well, somehow, this shot with our supervisor (middle) was taken. His name is David Probyn but we usually call him Dave. He is the head of my department.

Assigned with three projects to accomplish throughout my seven-month stay here, I don't really have other daily tasks to do. The fact that everyone seems to be always so busy with their work, especially my office which is the designer office, I can't really proceed much with my tasks without their help. I always see them glue their eyes on their desktop doing designing job using CATIA, the software that they used. Mine; other than Ms Words and Excel, Adobe Reader, what else can I do? I guess the coolest project that was given to me is to investigate the faulty seal of Nico's car which fails during Japanese GP. Perhaps it is no big deal for the company but this project gives me the exposure of using my chemical background to conduct the investigation. The only drawback is that I barely have the knowledge to use the equipment such as Scanning Electron Microscope, Differential Scanning Calorimeter.. bla bla. There is just so much to learn. Everything starts from zero! Most important thing is, here, you gotta take your own initiatives, you can't wait for others. If not, you will lose in the game. Working until 5.30pm or sometimes stay late, I am sort of worn out during the weekdays. When I reach home, I will really push the job away from my mind to have time for myself. Not to mention our every weekend getaway!

Talking about English people here, well, I am not sure if British did colonise us last time because the culture is really, really different from ours. Opening the door for others to go first, drivers letting the pedestrians to cross the road first, employees greeting you every morning although we are not of the same departments (or we never meet one another before), the consistent use of the word "please" etc. We just have so many to catch up here. Oh ya, the "eff" word is pretty common if you hear curses, once in a while. Haha.

It's getting colder as winter is approaching. Despite of the daylight saving time (DST), the sun sets at 4.30pm in this period. Meaning, it gets dark sooner than usual. They save the day time making the night time seems to be prolonged. Lol.

It's the month of November, remaining 2 months of year 2011. Hoping for special closure for this year. Looking forward for white christmas! :)

Have a lovely day!

Greeting from UK!

"Language is not the barrier of communication.
The accent is."

A dream that I never dare to dream before come true when I am least expecting it: the opportunity to intern at Mercedes GP PETRONAS Formula One Team which based in United Kingdom! First time stepping out of Malaysia, I gave my very first step to England.

The month of October marks the beginning of my 7-month adventure. The journey began when I took 10.05am flight to London on 1st October 2011. Even the 13-hour flight itself was a new experience. I am used to fly to and fro KL and Bintulu but this flight was a little different. I was wondering what could I do to kill the time, thinking that even a 2-hour flight could actually bore me to the max until I was informed that the plane is equipped with electronic gadgets enabling us to watch movies, listen to songs. I watched Rio and August Rush, which occupied 4.5 hours of the journey. Remaining time I was listening to songs, taking naps and enjoying the scenery out of my window. Get to have a glimpse of parts of the world that I never see before.

First time on a big plane. A little sakai.

This view amazed me. Somewhere between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Leaving the mainland...

... and reaching England!

Finally touched down at Heathrow International Airport after being on air for 13 hours!

I'M FINALLY IN UK!

Heading to a suburb named Banbury which is 1.5 hours away. Staying in Banbury House Hotel for few nights as our host company didn't manage to find a house for us yet. When we settled down, it was already night time. 1st October 2011 was stretched for extra 7 hours for me due to the time difference. Funny, jet lag didn't really affect much. Perhaps it was due to the fact that I am used to stay awake at night back in UTP. Never knew it could help me in this situation. Lol.

View from my room.

Hunger strikes and it is our mission to hunt for food in the foreign place. As expected, it was freezing cold outside. The temperature gets below 20 degree Celcius, colder than a typical air-conditioned room. Well-prepared with my sweater, we walked down the street of Banbury and eventually stopped by at Pizza Express, our very first meal and dinner in UK!

A dinner that cost me 6.30 pound.

A thing that we shouldn't do when we spend money here is to convert to MYR.

Next day:

Good morning, Banbury, UK.

Our hotel, Banbury House Hotel

Grilled Bacon for my very first breakfast.

Equipped ourselves with camera, it's time to do a little exploring around the town before heading to our work place on the next day. Let the photos do the talking. *lazy to type*

Street view along the road

Going down the street

Catholic Church

Banbury Landmark: Banbury Cross

The "Fine Lady"

Another church.
Saw this in the church's compound.

We are lucky to have a glimpse of the annual event of Banbury Canal Day which will be held on every first Sunday of October!

*ignore my hand*

Exhibitions, the crowd of people. It was really happening in this small town.

Saw these horses passed by on our way back to hotel.

Have to say, even this suburb has so much to offer. I am looking forward to explore the land of Big Ben for my 7-month stay here.

Familiarised ourselves with Banbury, it's about time for our main intention coming here: internship. Being chauffeured to our work place, all the way in Brackley, we get to see our host company for very first time.

Signage at the entrance

The main building. Reminds me of UTP, a little.

My desk

That's all for now. More stories in the next post. *Daily report is a nightmare. A requirement by SIIU.*

I start to love it here! I miss my friends back in Malaysia. Take care, everyone! =)

Journey to the West

*A post of only words.

"To travel is better than to arrive. It's the journey, not the destination."

It all began when I submitted my resume to Student Industrial Internship Unit (SIIU). The initial deadline was set at the end of February. At the time, I was yet to complete my resume and hence, I missed it. In fact, I didn't have the intention to go for it. I just felt like want to go back to where I belong to. Attended the internship briefing and there is one part the officer was talking about the overseas placement. Talking about the allowance and all. Wasn't that interested to listen to the slot. For next few weeks, friends have been talking about seniors going abroad to have their practical. Oxford, Germany, Austria and so on. Never imagined I would be in their shoes. Seriously.

Checked the elearning. Guess what? The deadline was extended to end of April. By the time, I have done my resume because I planned to submit it during Technology, Education and Career (TEC) which was held in the same month. After giving it some thought, I was like, heck, why wouldn't I give it a shot? No harm applying. Plus, I always believe that things happen for reason. Lol. During the semester break, I get the news that I was shortlisted for an interview to be shortlisted for becoming potential candidates. Meaning, once selected, I am yet to have a placement but I would be considered and the application is all done by SIIU. I passed the interview. I remembered that I have to reschedule my slot because I was having 2-week study leave.

The waiting began. One by one, my friends were getting placement. Getting called for interview and everything meanwhile I didn't receive anything. Japan, Austria, Germany, France etc. All the placements were occupied. I was like, oh, perhaps I have out-listed. Wasn't really have high expectation though. Plus, I already have a placement back in my hometown. Have been considering the pros and cons for both choices, if I get any, going to intern in MLNG is not that bad at all. The time I was ready to stop hoping is also the time when I received an email from SIIU to attend an interview. Okay, there was a glimpse of hope again.

Doing a little research on the company to prepare myself for the interview. There were 20 interviewees and they only required 8. 40% chance to be selected. The interview session went quite smooth though. Frankly, I felt good about it. The thing is, the other students that I met who have been interviewed felt the exact same way. I didn't feel good again. Lol. I didn't put my hope high so that I wouldn't crushed as much. Though hope is frail, it is better than none. Good news came in 1 week later. =)

A little adventure began when I need to have my passport in the first place because I don't have one. Since I came from East Malaysia, I need to have a birth certificate if to apply in West Malaysia. I did bring along my birth cert along with me to the campus so I thought it wasn't a big deal until I realised I have misplaced and forgotten where I have put it! Nearly ransacked the whole room and I couldn't find that piece of paper. No choice but rushing to the nearby Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara to retrieve a new one. The officer mentioned it would took one week to process since I am not from local. Great, SIIU officer has requested the passport details in one week time and I was stuck with this. To make thing worst is I heard from my friends that even the passport would only be done in one week time too. What choice do I have anyway? Back to the campus that day, when I have calmed myself down a little, cleaning up the mess and boom! The birth cert appeared! LOL, it appeared in a file that I thought that I wouldn't have put it there. I went to Immigration Office on the next day itself.

I have visited the office thrice just to get my passport done. First visit was to fill up the application form where the officer said it required 5 working days of investigation before they can process it. Waited for a week and I came to the office for second time. By right I can have my passport done on that day but the machine or whatever they call it, break down. Did I mention that the Immigration Office is quite far away from my campus? I was really thankful to my friends who were willing to bring me there just to do my passport. 2 days later, my third visit, which was on 21st August 2011, finally, I have my very first passport in my hand!

Next was the Visa application. We have to wait for offer letter and supporting documents from the company before applying and we only managed to get them during exam week. Earlier, we have been studying the UK Embassy website. The website is kinda confusing. I was having a hard time to identify what I need to do. From online application, online appointment, payment mode, Visa photo requirement and everything. That's a lot of things which couldn't be taken lightly. Asking from seniors and friends who have been doing this last time lighten the stress a little. After having all the necessary documents, after exam, we went down to VFS Global Malaysia, a UK Visa application centre which located at Wisma MCA. The application went smoothly. No interview was needed for my case. It took a minimum of 5 working days to process and eventually, it was approved.

Okay, I realised this is the account from the time I submit my resume, interview, passport and Visa. Oh well, the adventure of a lifetime, it didn't come by just by a snap of finger. It is kinda grueling as when everything is not confirmed, you would always be haunted by doubt and uncertainty. It is not cool.

Just for your information, I will be doing my internship at Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Limited which based in Brackley, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom. A small township which is 1 hour and a half drive from London. Mixed feelings right now as I have the chance to go for a journey of self-exploration and learn more new things but also, being separated from the beloved ones here in Malaysia for 7 months. Well, this is just a temporary part of process in learning. This bounds to happen someday, may be not now but perhaps in the future. For me, now is the beginning of this part.

This post will be the season finale and last post here before embarking my new chapter of life somewhere. The month of October marks the beginning of a whole new adventure, not just for me but also to my friends. Hereby I would like to wish my batchmates all the best in their internship. Thailand, Japan, France, Austria, Germany, United Kingdom, United States and of course, not forgetting those in Malaysia. See you all in Final Year! ^^

I start to miss home now. Miss my family. Miss my buddies. Miss my friends. Hoping that later, I will get tired of missing so that I won't be too emotional to fly off this Saturday. Lol. Take care, everyone! See you when I am back! :)

*This post is scheduled to be published at 6.50pm, the time of departure from Bintulu to Kuala Lumpur, beginning of the new adventure! *saje*

A Walk to Remember

"I'm so glad you made time to see me. How's life? Tell me, how's your family? I haven't seen them in a while..."

Remembered the first day stepping my feet into University Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) back in 2008 with high-school-innocent look. Meeting new bunch of friends from various parts of Malaysia and the world. First time being so far away from home. It was uneasy at first and was a little homesick but quickly I managed to adapt to the new environment. Not to mention I experienced culture shock although I am a Malaysian myself. Lol. Attending lectures, tutorials, co-curricular classes and so on were parts of academic activities. Hanging out with newly-met friends was how we spending our past times. Friendship grows. Sometimes misunderstandings and mild conflicts happened, it still grows. That was during Foundation.

Semester by semester. Year by year. We survived through freshman, sophomore and currently in our junior year. Time passed by. Things change. Inevitably, friendship changes, too. From strangers become friends. Become closer afterwards, having arguments, then being distant, reaching into the level of being nearly acquaintance. Some make it. Some didn't. It is tough to sustain the closeness when you know one another a little too well; when true colours show. Everyone has limit to tolerate but apparently, some have a little too low. I witnessed how the circle alters and I was once in the shoes as well.

Anyway, things happened. It just happened. I couldn't do much about it. The worst part is it left the wound and God knows only time can heal it although scar will remain there. Slight reminder will induce the same old pain. Nevertheless, I have always believed that things happen for reasons. I embrace this principle to focus on the good in my life and turn every negativity into something positive. I'm grateful that these actually help me to be better and better. :)

The journey here really has taught me a lot, a lot. Learned countless valuable lessons which are not parts of our course structure. It is not something that you can gain from the book. Pre-intern period has given me so many memories to be cherished.

For the next 7 or 8 months, I am going to miss the random conversation that we used to have; the games that we used to play; the songs that we used to sing; the path that we used to walk. Most importantly is the time that we used to spend. Bits of these moments play a significant part in my life because they beautify it and make it more meaningful.

Thanks for the memories. Thanks for being there all the time. It is definitely going to be a walk to remember. Wish you all the best. See you next time. Forget me not. =)

New chapter of my life begins in 2 weeks time. I am excited!

Kuala Lumpur, the Transit City

Thought want to update about my post-exam moment as my last post in UTP before leaving for internship. I guess I was too tired when I finished my last paper on Sunday after grueling days of studying. Almost take a nap instantly right after the paper and there was once I thought it is Monday when I woke up. Papers on weekends. All the days were pretty messed up. Busy packing after that. Running stairs up and down for more than five times, carrying my stuff to the extent that my arms became numb. Level 3 is a deadly curse when it comes to packing.

That's that and I'm done with my third year second semester. Time flies. Same old, same old. After 3.5 years of academic commitment at UTP, it's about time to do some hand-on work. Looking forward for my 7-month internship which will start in October. Hopefully it is a right choice, though because the job ain't really related to my program of studies. Worry not, I take it as a new challenge in learning something new. Somewhere. Hopefully. :)

The post title is named so as I am currently at KL Sentral, staying here and later, Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) to fly home tomorrow early in the morning, to the land of Hornbill. It's been months being away from my homeland and I am desperately missing home and can't wait to be there. Earlier in the morning I was doing my Visa application. It went well, I guess and I can only hope that there is no complication during the process to get it approved. If not, I would have to fly back to KL to have it settled. :S

Went KLCC to hang out with my friend to spend the remaining time of the day. Watched Contagion which is surprisingly disappointing despite of the good rating. It is not just the fact that Kate Winslet died in the movie but the plot evolves around a circle. No rising action, no climax. A little overrated.

Okaaay, I'm feeling sleepy now and a hot Starbucks chocolate doesn't help me much to keep me awake.

See you all later.