Site Opening Blurbs for June 2004 - August 2004

31 August 2004

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Winnie!!

TTC Train Operator: "Okay, everybody out please, we have to isolate this car."

My first reaction was: "uh oh, there's trouble, let's get out"

TTC Train Operator: "Please get into the next car ."

So without an explanation of why this particular subway train car had to be isolated, we shuffled along to the next car. And then Christie makes the really ominous comment: "If there's something wrong, why did we move towards the back of the train?"

But nothing was wrong. There was no explanation. I suppose the train operator wanted to take a nap or something in the dark. See, if I'm asked to comply with something, I'd like to know why, even if it's a white lie.

Oh well, we lived, the train didn't seem to have anything wrong with it though.

Had fun today, at least, stuffed myself at the Korean place... and walked around aimlessly around much of Toronto. Tired, but wow, it was pretty nice today to walk around to place I haven't been to in Toronto.

Anyone interested in the CNE on 2 Sept?

30 August 2004

Went downtown today again, and I arrived at around 5pm, just when the rush hour was starting to get really busy. All the masses of people rushing down to Union Station to catch their trains. It's actually amazingly comforting to see that many people at a train station. I guess it's just too quiet in Waterloo for me... for me, that is:

Me: "It's really comforting to see all these people running around to catch their trains. It's just... relaxing, I have no clue why."
Kevin: "Man, you're seriously urbanized. Most people LEAVE the city to get away from it all, and you're going INTO the city for your hoilday and finding it relaxing. What's wrong with you?"

28 August 2004

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Tammy and Peter!!!

20 August 2004

Perhaps this just shows how much I really really dislike Waterloo and the surrounding vicinity. I'm sitting inside the Starbucks inside Indigo in the Eaton Centre, and wow, do I feel relaxed. I don't think I've ever been able to feel THIS relaxed in a long, long time. It's like this inner peace that you suddenly, inexplicably have...

Perhaps it's just the fact that I'm outside the hellhole we all call Waterloo. Perhaps it's just the big city air. Perhaps it's seeing everyone rush around. Perhaps, even, it's just the sheer number of people walking around. Or perhaps, it's being able to sit back and enjoy an iced mocha like I used to in HK, watching people go about their business behind a large glass window. And, in general, just sitting around and doing nothing -- in the big city. Man I miss HK.

I miss HK even more since I was talking with Peter, Tammy, Adrian, Angela, John... (and I don't know who else was there) while I was on my way out to Toronto on the Greyhound. There is everyone enjoying their holidays at home, having a great time (for old times' sake) and me, stuck around in Toronto. Sometimes I do wish I wasn't in co-op and following this stupid schedule, allowing me to go back home more often, or just allowing me to just hang out with friends in HK, Vancouver, and Toronto .

Sure, I have more experience when I graduate and come out to work. But there's sometimes when you've just got to wonder: why the hell should I care?

I care. I do care about my future, about my career, about my standard of living when I get out. I just sometimes think that it's not worth my youth and energy to do some of the stuff they make us do. Especially at the cost of fun, togetherness, and just plain ol' having a good time.

The fact that university is supposed to be the most fun time of your life is... well, squandered, to say the least, here, especially when you're trapped inside computer labs while the sun is beating down outside, the grass begging to be stepped on; that frisbee at home begging to be tossed around; that watergun begging to be used.

And I suppose it's not even HK I miss specifically - it's being able to relax and soak up the sun during the summer. Being able to spend the entire day doing nothing, and not feeling an ounce of guilt. I miss summer and all it stood for: freedom from school, friends hanging out, having a good time.

Perhaps this post would be less bitter if I hadn't just spent the entire summer cooped up in a hellhole. But there's a good lesson to be learnt here:

For all of you who are going to go into university, or those of you who haven't discovered yet, it's okay to say "no". I'm not talking about rebellion, I'm not talking about declaring a coup and pushing a reigeme change in the university (although if I did declare it, I'm sure most people would follow). I'm talking about just looking at something, and just saying "Forget it. This is a waste of my time, and I'm going out." As long as there's been a reasonable effort put in. As long as you can justify it to yourself.

If there's anything valuable I learnt this summer, it was that. Know your limits, push yourself, but also know when to drop it and forget about it. Have a good time, and take time off to enjoy the simple things in life.

Even if all you do for that time is to sit in a nice big sunny field, and lie there for a few hours.

I've sat here for two hours now, just soaking up the atmosphere. Wow, life doesn't get any better than this. In any case, I'm meeting with Kevin in a few minutes -- so I leave you with a quote:

"We're so busy watching out for what's just ahead of us that we don't take time to enjoy where we are."

- Calvin and Hobbes.

I think it's something that we all can take on board.

17 August 2004

Exams finally finished! (Well, actually, they were finished five days ago, but again, I've been a bit too lazy to update as usual).

My thoughts? Hm... the exams could have gone a lot better, but whatever. All I know is that I passed Calculus once and for all!

SO SUCK THAT, 'S***Z! (Damn, maybe in retrospect I shouldn't have yelled it in the stairwell in MC)

Still waiting anxiously for other results to come out.

It's kinda weird now, since most people have moved out of Waterloo and I'm one of the few people remaining around this place. It's positively... strange how quiet this place is.

Also annoying was how my bike was stolen last Saturday after the Calculus exam. Well, it got stolen between 9pm and 1am... and it was properly locked up too! I don't get it ... the lock was obviously difficult to cut through because I could see three distinct cuts on the lock. But yeah, I now have a new (crappier) bike and... well, it does its job.

If you haven't noticed since 1 Aug, there is a new design for this website - now it's been finally propagated to all the pages, although there will be glitches here and there (e.g. yellow on white) which haven't been fixed. Again, it's a huge departure from the old design, and I hope everyone likes it. The rationale behind it? A more "professional" looking site. Also, I've switched hosting providers which lets me put cool(er) stuff like that poll you see on the left. Dynamic content! Who woulda thought?

Anyway, so far, the guestbook script has been ported over to a local version, and polls have been added. I'm still working on other stuff, and you'll see these changes incrementally as I begin to change parts of the website.

Hm, nothing much else to say at the moment. :)

*edit* added picture of me sleeping in the ECE 222 lab, prior to the ECE 204 exam. Taken 5am-ish by Wood.

5 August 2004

(ECE 222 WTF post)

What happened there? Can anyone tell me? Well, all I can say is that it's left me completely unable to study today ... well, I did study from like 9-10pm, but as either Pui Yan or Eunice can attest, I didn't do much other than stare at my binder blindly.

Back to back exams really take a toll. (well, not quite back to back, but it was 4th at 7pm and then today at 2pm)

It's 11:30pm. I'm going to try to sleep. :S

1 August 2004

Wow, it's been another month and a bit since I've updated (meaningfully). This time, exams are sneaking up upon me, and although I've really got no complaints about the schedule (most exams allow me one full day before to study) I am kind of peeved that ECE 251 and ECE 222 are practically back to back (i.e. Weds night and Tues afternoon - ok, it could be worse, but it could be slightly better than that). Nonetheless, I'm going to die this time... revising my butt off at the moment. The sight isn't pretty - books strewn all about my room, desk covered in paper, undone laundry, paper carpeting my floor... man.

Hm, what else has been going on?

I've become a WEEF TA for the Fall 2004 term! It's gonna be fun, and I'll finally have a bit of time to learn how to drive and stuff! I can't wait till September (mainly because by then the exam season is over and I'll have time to breathe)

Labs, labs, labs... that's what been going on the past month. I practically find no time to do much else, except for the odd couple of questions off an assignment. Notable would be the ECE 241 labs, which takes hours upon HOURS to do (and that's just the prelab! - prelabs take ~5 hours, labs take 5 hours out of a 3 hour time slot), ECE 222 labs, which have progressively gotten easier since the 30-hour Calculator lab (hey, the last one only took 16 hours!) and the ECE 251 assignments, each one of which keeps frustrating me (and most others) more and more. The compiler assignment was annoying - i spent no less than 34 hours on it before giving up... and hence not doing procedures and missing out on 1.2% of my final mark.

Oh, I just HAVE to rant about 241 - the BJT lab. For ONCE in my life I knew what the heck was going on. I got a perfect, and I mean PERFECT circuit going! You know, perfect, smooth waveforms, etc. But except one thing wasn't doing what it was expected (the signal generator wasn't producing a difference in the circuit at all. I didn't know it was the case at the time) So I ask a TA.

TA: "Wait, I'll get back to you in a minute" (goes to help someone else)

5 mins later: "Sorry, I'll be right back" (goes out the door)

yet 5 mins later: "Hold on..." (completely just passes me. Just wanders around room)

It's worth noting that my physical circuit was useless unless the problem was fixed. I went on to work on PSpice and other parts I could actually do at the moment.

Finally - 20 mins after I first requested help, he comes over. And only after I basically stopped him in the middle of the corridor.

Me: "I don't see what's wrong - it's hooked up properly like it is on the board"

TA: "Hm, let me check your circuit." (He looks at the circuit, examines it bit by bit... ) "I don't see what's wrong. Let me check something..." (Fiddles with the oscilloscope, then with the voltmeter, and finally the function generator). "Well, I can't see what's wrong, perhaps..."

AND HE DRAMATICALLY PULLS A WIRE OFF MY BREADBOARD, WHICH CAUSES FOUR COMPONENTS TO COME OUT OF THE SOCKETS SIMULATNEOUSLY! (The wire was seated under a capacitor, which itself was underneath two resistors and next to yet another capacitor - it's not sloppy - it's the only way it could be done)

And he keeps looking at my circuit. Finally, exasperated he calles Ed Spike. He comes over and takes a quick look at my circuit, shakes his head, and then goes on to hook up the function generator to the oscilloscope. He finds out it's the oscilloscope that's busted. Ed: "That's your problem right there. I'll go and change it for you" (He goes away to fetch another function generator)

TA: "Well, that's your problem right there." AND THEN HE PROMPTLY LEAVES!

(At this point I staring at the TA in absolute disbelief, and I was thinking about taking something moderately heavy and very expensive from the lab and hitting him on the head with it. On second thought, it probably would have been more fun to find myself a Taser and get him with 50,000 volts, seeing that it WAS an electrical / analog systems lab)

So in the end I didn't finish that lab. Which is why I'm surprised I got the 7.5/10 on it.

So, Mr Wong Chak Yu came over to visit for a few hours one day. It was interesting that you knew Charlton though! Haha, well, it's weird... given that both of you happened to be in the same class(es) as me at one point or another! Man, it's insane. Well, it was nice catching up with you, and hope I'll see you in HK at Christmas.

Ernest - where the heck are you? I see you online, but every time I message you don't seem to respond! (Ok, I do message at rather awkward times). Look forward to having time to catch up with you.

(Just cuz I didn't mention you above doesn't mean I haven't thought about you, just that these two guys suddenly popped up into my mind)

Everyone in HK : I miss you ALL!

(And even if you're not, I still miss you guys!)

What else... hm. I survived midterms - all of them, thankfully. Need to do some serious revising though to pull through finals. It's been difficult juggling time to get enough sleep, let alone do assignments and what not.

So now, I'm here taking a break from my exam studying and just posting to tell everyone I'm alive.

You'll probably notice a brand new design - well, it's work-in-progress and I've been working since January on this design (and I spent a few hours on Canada Day on this too) so I thought it'd be time to unleash this upon the world. (No, I haven't spent any time on design in the past three months except for said exception on Canada Day, so don't ask me why I have time to do this but not sleep)

It's a huge departure from the old design in terms of colour scheme, etc... but whatever. I don't have time, though, to update the other pages... yet. Result? You'll notice some broken links, and every other page on this site reflecting the old design until I get a chance to update everything. If you have any comments or suggestions on this new design, I'd love to hear them - drop me an email. (I'm also looking into investing into a PHP enabled site - stay tuned!)

Still trying to see if I can fit a short trip over to Vancouver into my schedule, but it seems more and more unlikely given that I'll have no time to plan it, and that I'll need to move at the end of August. :S We'll see about this one.

Well, that's all that's going on with me for now. Wish me luck on exams. I'll need it.

Signing off...

22 July 2004

ISSUED BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA

AT 6:08 PM EDT THURSDAY 22 JULY 2004.
WATCHES/WARNINGS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN ONTARIO...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR:
=NEW= WINDSOR - ESSEX - CHATHAM-KENT
=NEW= SARNIA - LAMBTON
=NEW= LONDON - MIDDLESEX
=NEW= OXFORD - BRANT
=NEW= HURON - PERTH
=NEW= WATERLOO - WELLINGTON.

THIS IS AN ALERT TO THE POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.

MONITOR WEATHER CONDITIONS..LISTEN FOR UPDATED STATEMENTS. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES TAKE IMMEDIATE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS.

==DISCUSSION==
A COLD FRONT CROSSING SOUTHERN ONTARIO THIS EVENING MAY TRIGGER ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED JUST AHEAD OF THIS FRONT IN SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO. LARGE HAIL AND BRIEF DAMAGING WIND GUSTS ARE THE MAIN CONCERNS WITH THESE STORMS.
AN ISOLATED BRIEF TORNADO IS ALSO POSSIBLE EARLY THIS EVENING. THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO SUBSIDE LATER THIS EVENING AS THE FRONT INTRODUCES COOLER AND DRIER AIR.

PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST PUBLIC FORECASTS FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

27 June 2004

Wow, it's been a crusher of a month, hence why I haven't updated in a (long) while.

Killer ECE 241 labs that only are supposed to last 3 hours, but end up being 5 hours. 4 midterms in 7 days, etc etc.

It feels like I'm being crushed under the weight of the Engineering programme, and then being slapped in the face a bit by the profs. On the bright side, I did get higher than I expected on most of my midterms -- although I did WANT higher.

An interesting conversation between ECE 241 prof Dr. Anis and myself.
"Hi, Dr. Anis - I'd like to get my midterm back. I came in the afternoon lecture but you didn't have the morning section's midterms there"

"Okay - what's your name"

"Jason Pang"

*flip flip flip* "Here you go. You did all right on it, but I expected much better."

(shocked look) "Wait, sir, are you sure this is my mark?"

"Your name's Jason, right? Yeah, then that's your mark."
"Hold on" (calculates mark in my head)

"Why, is the mark too low?"

"No, sir, I don't think I deserve this grade!"

Yes, I came out of that exam expecting to bomb it very very spectacularly. It was one of those exams where you come out too dazed to speak. I ended up with 78%. And the annoying thing was that I knew I could've done better too.

Week after midterms was also from hell. Labs, assignments, etc all piled up to be due in the same week.

Hm, what else has happened. Oh yeah, hayfever season. It's been annoying - i've been literally rubbing my eyes in and out, and I've just spent a very exorbitant amount of money on an air filtration/purification device. Meh, well, as long as I sleep better with it, and not wake up in the middle of the night. The doctors have already drugged me up quite a bit, but I was still getting woken up in the middle of the night :(

Hm, I think that's all I have to say for the time being. I'll try to update more often. 4 day weekend coming up!

Pang - signing off.

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