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To reach the sky: START FROM YOUR HEART.  Read more about him and his passion. Find out more about the projects he has done. Get insights into his life through his blog. If You Cry Coz You Miss the Sun, You're Gonna Miss the Stars... Read more about him and his passion. Find out more about the projects he has done. Get insights into his life through his blog. + biodata
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December 15, 2009 | 12:42 AM
Signature Pose?
 Hey I'm on the SP webbie. I know what Su Jun has to say if she sees this: "Your signature pose!!" So lemme clarify it before you hear her version: I seldom do this pose (OK I'll admit it, I pose like this sometimes without realizing it). But I have about twenty photos with different poses, and it's just so happened that they pick this one. December 11, 2009 | 6:31 PM
New President for the Imperial College Alumni Association of Singapore
Guess who is the new President for the Imperial College Alumni Association of Singapore? Tan Hang Cheong (pictured above) takes over from Dr Lee Hing-Yan as President of the ICAAS leading a newly elected executive committee. Here's the full story taken from Imperial College website. One of Imperial’s most well established alumni groups, the Imperial College Alumni Association of Singapore, elected a new executive committee at the group’s 32nd Annual General Meeting on 9 October 2009. Tan Hang Cheong was elected as President, about which he commented: “It is an honour to be elected President of the alumni association of my alma mater. I thank my fellow alumni for this privilege to serve.” The 32nd executive committee of the ICAAS is comprised of: • President: Tan Hang Cheong • Vice President: Oh Lock Soon • Honorary Secretary: Yap Tiong Peng • Honorary Treasurer: Kuan Tek Seang • Members: Ling Ming Koon and Chen Hung • Youth Wing Chairman: Lee Yew Wei • Co opted members: Tang Wey Lin, Raymond Kwok and Bernard Lee • Honorary Auditors: Alex Fung and Anthony Ong Mr Tan’s predecessor, Dr Lee Hing-Yan, is stepping down from the position after four years. Dr Lee is currently the Deputy Director of the Singapore National Grid Office. He obtained his undergraduate degree from Imperial’s Department of Computing, and later an MSc in Management Science. Emma Jones, Alumni Relations Manager at Imperial College London, expressed the College’s gratitude for Dr Lee Hing-Yan’s dedication to the association: “We would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr Lee Hing-Yan for his hard work, support and enthusiasm for Imperial College London during his tenure as President and before. ICAAS would not be the success it is today without his contribution.” As the new President, Tan Hang Cheong plans to build upon his predecessor’s successes in order to forge a “closer bond amongst Imperial’s community in Singapore.” Thanking his predecessor, Tan Hang Cheong said: “The association thanks Dr Lee Hing-Yan for his service and looks forward to his continued involvement in the association.” | 1:03 PM
Upcoming Career Fairs!
NTU Career Fair Date: 27 & 28 January 2010 Time: TBA Venue: TBA Republic Polytechnic Career Fair 2010 Date: 28 January 2010 Time: 11.00 am - 5.00pm Venue: Republic Polytechnic (Woodlands Campus) NUS Career Fair Date: 4 & 5 Feb 2010 Time: 10am - 5pm Venue: MPSH 1 & 2 December 6, 2009 | 12:51 PM
2010 Resolutions
Taking the last two digits from 2010, I'll try to accomplish TEN resolutions. In year 2099, I'll make 99! (Let's keep our fingers crossed I can see the day.)  1. To gain admission into a good engineering university and excel in it! 2. To obtain scholarships that will enable me to do R&D after uni! 3. To gain weight! (Don't kill me, please) 4. To learn a fifth language! 5. To get an International driving license! 6. To join the photography club! 7. To TOTALLY kick my bad habits, like biting nails! 8. To make more friends! 9. To learn some serious cooking! 10. To visit some of the '1000 Places to See Before You Die'! October 30, 2009 | 11:35 AM
About Comfort Zone
I noticed I have not been blogging for quite some time since I came back from Graz. It's because of my hectic schedule. Apart from my full-time work commitment, I have been preparing for my university applications, which include taking the SAT reasoning tests, SAT subject tests, writing admission essays and personal statements, and university-specific admission tests and interviews, e.g. Cambridge Thinking Skills Assessment. Honestly, with my work commitment, I did not really have the time to fully prepare for these tests. These tests largely require mastery of English language, both critical reading and writing, which is quite an Achilles' heel for someone who has just, strictly speaking, begun speaking English three years ago. The tests seemed just... insurmountable. As the test day drew close, I felt the full impact of anxiety. The anxiety, later I discovered, is a natural phenomenon that occurs as one steps out of our little circle of comfort. Although stepping out of my comfort zone is something I have constantly done in my life, I have not got used to it. In fact, nobody can. Going out of my comfort zone allowed me to develop myself. For the past two months, I felt I have become more adept at using English to communicate. The improvement was gradual.. but tremendous. I read faster, comprehend better, write faster, express ideas better. To illustrate, I could not finish the critical reading sections in my first few practice tests and now I have an official score of 2220 (average entry score for top US colleges is about 2200). 680 for critical reading, 800 for math, and 740 for writing with a score of 11 on the essay (I surprised myself!). English obviously became pale in comparison to my math but I'm proud of the score. I consider it an achievement as a non-native English user. I feel, the context of the test taker should be taken into consideration, i.e. the scores should be considered subjectively, not objectively. Perhaps these scores can be higher though; I heard there are some tips and tricks to outsmart the SAT. What I have been using is 'BRUTE FORCE', pure analytical way of coming up with the answers. Finally, as a polytechnic graduate, I realized I have a hard time if US top colleges are the places I want to go. The most critical reason is that polytechnic is not yet as recognized as A levels in the US (in fact, the position hasn't changed much). It will take more effort from the polytechnics to promote themselves and polytechnic graduates to keep trying and prove themselves to improve the situation. If I get into a top college, I think somehow it can pave the way for polytechnic students. It's gonna be difficult, I know. October 11, 2009 | 11:29 PM
September 18, 2009 | 3:11 PM
Excellence in Education and Teaching Convention
 The theme for this year's Excellence in Education and Teaching Convention (EETC) is "Towards Holistic Education". EETC 2009 Website I was privileged to be invited to be one of the panel speakers. The programme started with the address from Principal and excellence in teaching award presentation. It was then followed by an inspiring talk given by Principal of North Light School (NLS). I bet not everyone knows what so special about NLS. It is a school established by Ministry of Education for students who are at risk of dropping out of school. Generally you have to fail PSLE twice to gain admission, but the school also takes in occasional students who failed once and students who dropped out from secondary school. Students there receive an achievement book instead of a report book. Principal Chua shared some of the contents in the achievement book. Instead of the negative comments we normally see in the report book, e.g. "xxx can do better...", the achievement book is very positive, for instance, "xxx dances well with her classmates and can improvise her movements with music". Imagine if you are the parents, and when you know that your children achieved something, won't you feel delighted? The curriculum is primarily vocational and emphasis is placed on developing the students' characters and life-skills. The best part is that students will get a 10-week long industrial attachment where they will apply the skills picked up at school. From the life experience, including getting scolded by the supervisor, students learn to survive outside. Students who showed greatest improvements in character are awarded the Frog to Prince Award or Duck to Swan Award, depending on the students' gender. The 'trophy' is a toy!  Frog to Prince Award  Duck to Swan Award If immersed in water for 72 hours, the frog (or duck) will transform into the prince (or swan)! I like this idea a lot -- that's creative, isn't it? After the keynote from Principal Chua, we had a short panel discussion about how polytechnic education can be holistic. The introduction itself was already astounding.  Here're the panel speakers:Chua-Lim Yen Ching, Principal of NLS Dr Tan Guan Hong, MD of SysEng, Ltd. Dr Robert Kay, CTO of MicroStencil Ltd, UK Kuriakin, the 'Me' Liew Beng Keong, Director of Dept of Student Development, SP M Thiyagarajan, Lecturer of School of Business, SP and the coordinator, Dennis Sale (DS)! As you can see I will be speaking with the top dogs of these organizations, so I thought I might as well shut up. But on second thought, since I have promised to help, I will try my best to present myself well. Here's roughly what I shared. DS: How have you developed holistically? I attribute my holistic education to CCA. I realize many students are not able to see how CCA may help them develop their characters. I wasn't either.DS: How do you think holistic education can be achieved? I agree with what has been said by other speakers. But in polytechnic context, it is quite difficult. This is because lecturers don't stick with a particular student for three years. What I can think of is Personal Tutor (PT). When students join the polytechnic, they could be too young to have a clear goal. As a result, they may be studying or playing games aimlessly. At this point, I received a counter-argument from Mr Thiyagarajan, who felt that lecturers COULD do something. He felt that lecturers could interact with the students and set good examples. It definitely helps but I think character doesn't develop in one or two occasions. However, I didn't respond to the argument, because I didn't want the discussion turn into a debate. (Well, actually it was partly due to the fact that I didn't have the mike xD ). DS: Lastly, I would like to ask Kuriakin. What is the event that brings the most impact to your life? (I stopped a while because I wanted to provide a rebuttal to Mr Thiyagarajan's counter-argument. Mr Thiyagarajan, if you are reading this, no offense intended :| ). I changed a lot in my three years at SP. Previously, I was not as outspoken as I am now. I was rather quiet. But because of my role as the student leader in the Philippines expedition, I had to lead, communicate well with my team members. In the process, I learnt to articulate my intention well and diplomatically.After the closing speech, I received many praises from the lecturers. But what matters the most was the one from Mr Thiyagarajan because I have expressed my thoughts in a subtle way that he didn't find offensive. Ah, what a nerve-wracking yet rewarding experience. September 15, 2009 | 10:41 PM
The Encounter with Kuriakin
『クリアキンとの出会い』 http://www.kanazawa-tc.ac.jp/love/036.html シンガポール理工学院3年 クリアキンさん（22） 電気情報工学科4年 唐澤 卓也さん（19） 
9月4日。シンガポール理工学院の学生12人が金沢高専に到着した。金沢高専では、国際的な視野を持った学生の育成を目指し、1983年からシンガ ポール理工学院との交流を続けている。12人はそれぞれ金沢高専生宅に約10日間、ホームステイし、授業見学や市内観光、温泉入浴、企業訪問などを体験し た。唐澤がホストファミリーとして一緒に過ごしたのがクリアキンだった。 唐澤は、金沢高専の海外留学プログラムに積 極的に参加していた。2年次はアメリカ・セントマイケルズ大学に5週間、そして3年次にはニュージーランドのオタゴ・ポリテクニクに1年間、留学をした経 験を持つ。金沢高専に来るまでは英語は得意科目ではなかったという唐澤だが、２回の留学で日常会話に困らない語学力と物怖じしない積極性を身につけてい た。クリアキンとの会話はもちろん、英語だ。「使わなければ英語の力は下がっていくのだと痛感しましたね。留学時の英語の力を維持するには、勉強あるのみ です」。 唐澤には、海外で映画の音響制作に携わりたいという希望がある。しかし、就職は今後の人生を大きく左右する 転機であるだけに、自分の心のなかで“迷い”が生じていた。そんな唐澤にとって、母校でロボット製作の研究員になることが決まっているクリアキンとの出会 いは進路選択の刺激となった。「目指す仕事を明確に定め、そのために勉強してきたクリアキンの姿勢は見習うことばかりです。今回の交流によって、自分の夢 を実現したいとの思いが強くなりました。卒業後に、映画制作を学ぶ海外留学ができるよう、もっと勉強に励みます」。 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “The Encounter with Kuriakin” Published on Hokuriku Chunichi Shimbun on 2008.9.21 Singapore Polytechnic, Year 3 Mr. Kuriakin (22) Electrical and Information Engineering, Year 4 Mr. Takuya Karasawa (19) September 4th. Twelve Singapore Polytechnic (SP) students arrived at the Kanazawa Technical College (KTC). To provide students with global exposure, KTC has been organizing exchange programs with Singapore Polytechnic since 1983. Each of the twelve students stayed with KTC students for about ten days and experienced school and city tour, hot spring bath and company visits. It was Kuriakin that Karasawa spent as a host family together. Karasawa was active in KTC’s student exchange programs. He spent five weeks of his second year studying at St Michael’s College in the U.S and his entire third year at Otago Polytechnic in New Zealand. Before attending KTC, Karasawa was not good at English, but he acquired the linguistic ability that made him confident and comfortable enough to engage in daily conversation during the two exchange periods. Of course, conversations with Kuriakin were in English. “I realize my English standard declines if I don’t use it. I could maintain my English standard during the exchange periods because of the English classes.” Karasawa hoped to get involved in movie sound production abroad. However, there is "hesitation" in one's heart as job prospect greatly affects one’s future. For Karasawa, the encounter with Kuriakin, who was to become a researcher in his alma mater to develop robots, inspired Karasawa to follow his heart. “Kuriakin’s attitude to study what he is passionate about is what I ought to emulate. Through the exchange, the idea to actualize my dream became stronger. I will study harder to be able to pursue a study in movie production overseas after graduation.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NB: If you find mistakes in the translation, please let me know. Some thoughts of mine: The student exchange programme to Kanazawa was one of the most memorable experience in my life. I'm glad that I attended it despite having to work extra hard to complete my projects when I came back. Ideally, it's for second year students. Lucky me; I didn't miss it. August 17, 2009 | 1:34 AM
July 30, 2009 | 6:04 PM
July 27, 2009 | 9:38 PM
Vocabulary Building 2
Lesson 3: Feeling Superior Words Grouping: 1. Arrogant
Mnemonics:
| 12:38 AM
Vocabulary Building
In my preparation for SAT, I need to build up my vocabulary. How do I learn a few hundred words in the shortest time? Mnemonics are probably the key. Mnemonics, memory aid. Lesson 1: About Using Few Words and Being Quiet 1. Laconic Lac.. implies Lack of words!..conic implies Concise. So laconic must mean "using few words" 2. Succinct Suck-Ink... If we can suck ink away from a paper, fewer words are left! 3. Pithy Pit is central part (of a topic) and nothing more. Pithy means "concise and to the point!"4. Terse Almost spelt like tense. When we feel tensed, we can't speak much ("use fewer words").5. Reticent Sounds like resident. Imagine the game 'resident evil', the streets are "quiet".  6. Taciturn Sounds like taxi turn. When taxi driver turns the car, he "seldom talks". 7. Quiescent Derived from quiet.Lesson 2: About Speaking 1. Circumlocution circum suggests 'go one round'. In Chinese, we call it guai3 wan1 mo4 jiao3 (beat around the bush).2. Colloquial Coll - CollegeLoq - root for language .: Colloquial - language used in college (informal language). 3. Eloquence E - effectiveLoq - root for language .: Eloquence - effective speaking 4. Garrulous Garrulous rhymes with gorillas. Garrullous gorillas are noisy!5. Loquacious .: Loqua - root word for speech6. Grandiloquent .:Grand+eloquent: Using a grand way to express something -- which is too much. 7. Prattle To prattle is to talk in a senseless way. Rattle is a baby toy that makes percussion sound.  8. Rhetoric Rhetoric = "right oral" skills. If you have the right oral skills, you can communicate well.Rhetoric actually means a persuasive speech.  9.Voluble
Voluble = verbs that are soluble. Soluble verbs can flow -> "able to speak with a flow" .:Voluble = gift of the gab. July 2, 2009 | 5:26 AM
RoboCup 2009: We Are In Graz!
It's actually kinda difficult for me to update the things happening here because of slow internet conection but here it goes! A Brief History of Graz! Over 900 years of living story in the second biggest city in Austria. You can find many outstanding architecture of all styles in a concentrated area – from Middle Ages through the 21st century. In fact, Graz is one of the UNESCO's list of World Cultural Heritage sites. Even as we traveled from the airport to our hotel we could see the testaments to the statement above. There are simply many nostalgic buildings mixed with modern architectures. We reached our hotel late afternoon about 2PM (Singapore time 8PM). We went for a late lunch and a walk around the city. We visited Kunsthaus Graz. Kunsthaus Graz Architects Peter Cook and Colin Fournier designed the spectacular Kunsthaus; it was built in 2003. The exciting interplay between the new structure on the banks of the Mur and the old Clock Tower on the Schlossberg has already become the trademark of Graz and reveals how productive the tension between tradition and avantgarde can be. The Kunsthaus houses temporary exhibitions, the “Camera Austria” (photographic exhibitions) and a restaurant. In Graz, we found many interesting things. A keyboard. Can you spot the differences?  A shoe-polishing machine. Huge traffic lights. Sweet fruits at low prices. A Chinese restaurant. June 21, 2009 | 12:21 AM
robocup special 2
Hey it's me again, reporting on team Singapore's preparation for RoboCup 2009 in Graz. The preparation continues even in the weekend as we strive to maximize the robot's performance. Significant improvements to structure of the robot makes tuning of gaits a swift! Last year, our robot took about 7 seconds to recover but this year it's in the two-second range! And here's the expert:  Chee Seng tuning the gaits for the robot However, it's not all glory in doing research. We had some problems with the locomotion last night.  Sudirman, Jhohan and Dr Zhang spent the night to solve the problem they had After the long day, we slept at 5am in the morning and got up at 8am to continue with our work. We're like robots ourselves! The only difference is that our fuel is passion!  Interested to know more? Feel free to leave a message in the chatbox or visit www.robocup2010.org and . June 20, 2009 | 1:56 AM
robocup 2009 special
Welcome to the official blogsite for Team Robo-Erectus who is going to Graz for RoboCup competition. Here, I will post our current progress and what we do in Graz. With regards to the Humanoid Teen and Kid Size Leagues, we improved greatly this year, be it on the structure of the robot, locomotion or artificial intelligence (AI) -- that is, the logic of the robot. This is also the first year we are participating in the RoboCup@Home and Standard Platform League.  Robo-Erectus Senior Category: Humanoid Teen-Size Description: 125-cm tall Biped Robot developed by Singapore Polytechnic - ARICC. It runs on single board computers PC104 and uses PowerCube as actuators. Challenge: Locate a randomly placed ball using a webcam, dribble the ball across the other half of field and shoot towards the goal defended by opponent's goalie.
Robo-Erectus Boy  Robo-Erectus Nao Category: Standard Platform League Description: 60-cm tall biped robot developed by French Aldebaran Robotics. Challenge: There are four stages: Self-introduction, Follow Me, Fetch and Carry (locate and grab an empty bottle) and Who is Who? (recognise persons). Challenge: The "Any Ball" Challenge (detect balls of random colors and motifs), Passing Challenge, The Localization with Obstacle Avoidance Challenge (identify the coordinates on the field and move to a specified destination while avoiding obstacles).  Robo-Erectus Junior Category: Humanoid Kid Size Description: 50-cm tall biped robot developed by Singapore Polytechnic - ARICC. Challenge: Three-on-three soccer game (the robots move on their own - fully autonomous) and technical challenges: dribbling while avoiding obstacles, double passes, throw-in challenges (pick up the ball from the field and throw it over head). As I was doing the testing earlier today, I took a video of RE Junior approaching and kicking a goal. Here it is.
Of the four robots above, which one is your favourite robot? Interested to know more? Feel free to leave a message in the chatbox. I gotta get back to work now. See you.
June 18, 2009 | 5:05 PM
crazy over robots
Taken from Teenage Magazine, July 2009 The mood in Singapore Polytechnic's (SP) Advanced Robotics & Intelligent Control Centre (ARICC) is unmistakably tensed. Huddled next to a soccer pitch filled with players chasing after a bright coloured 'soccer ball', everyone watched intently as one team raced towards the goal post, dribbling past their opponents. The striker cracks a hard left. "GOAL!" The group screamed. The score is 3-2 at half-time. But the players do not walk back to their benches for a drink and rest. Instead, the ARICC staff and students bend over the soccer pitch and pick up their respective players before starting to tighten the parts that have come loose. Welcome to RoboCup. A tournament where robots that range from palm-sized to human heights, compete in a series of tasks such as soccer matches for honour, glory and that elusive champion's trophy. Recent SP engineering graduate, 23-year-old Kuriakin, is part of Team SP which is participating in RoboCup 2009 in Graz, Austria. They will be taking part in RoboCup Humanoid Kid Size and Teen Size Soccer Leagues, RoboCup @ Home and Standard Platform League. Their teams are known as Team Robo-Erectus, a name derived from one of the stages of evolution in human beings.   Kuriakin, the first SP student to score distinctions for all his modules, explains the preparations before leaving for Austria. "There are several stages in constructing a robot, from deciding the parts of the robots, choosing materials to use, designing the motherboard, to the actual assembly of the parts. After the robot has been assembled, it is just an empty shell. Like a computer, it needs an operating system and software to perform tasks. The final stage will be to test the robots and improve the strategies to be used in the actual game." Team SP has heavy responsibilities. "As the competition draws nearer, I have less time for my family and friends, and also for my community. Some days I even have to stay up overnight just to make sure we are on schedule. It was even more difficult last year as I still had lessons to cope with. However, I don't mind it at all, because this is what I love to do!" says Kuriakin, the hardcore robotics fan. He also knows that the competition is stiff. "We face great competition from teams from USA, Japan and Germany, all who are very advanced in the field of robotics. But having participated in RoboCup since 1996, our lecturers can offer us invaluable advice, be it on the structure or strategy", Kuriakin notes. SP is well known for robotics development in the region. The poly has sent numerous teams to robotics competitions since the 90s. Gold medal hauls are common, all proudly displayed at ARICC. Hopes are high that the 13-member SP team will bring pride and honour from Austria. "We practised day and night. The air is so intense here, we are all out to win", says Kuriakin. Come June 2010, RoboCup will be held right here in Singapore. SP is partnering the Economic Development Board, Science Centre Singapore and Singapore Tourism Board to bring you this prestigious "Olympics" of the robotics world. The event will take place from 19 to 25 June 2010 at Suntec City. This mega event will draw more than 3,000 participants from around the world. Imagine the FIFA World Cup, but of a robotics version. If you want to know more about RoboCup 2010, check out www.robocup2010.org for updates. June 8, 2009 | 2:14 AM
Full Stop, June Ed: Grade Misteries
  First of all, it has a nice layout! But with regards to its contents, certain info is not quite right: 1. OCBC Prize is not in the list. 2. I'm not the first to score a GPA of 4.0 but the first to score distinctions in every module. 3. It didn't mention that seven points are for six subjects. And if you noticed, this is a very based-on-facts kind of report. I am looking forward to an article that reports a more personal side of me. It could be in the next issue. :) June 2, 2009 | 7:10 PM
The Sheer Determination
I'm so touched by this animation. The kiwi is willing to do everything, however difficult it may be, to fulfil his dream to fly. This strong determination is something I ought to emulate. May 28, 2009 | 11:04 PM
The Graduation of Dinosaurs (Session 9)
 With Grad Helpers & Tomatoes :p The Medaaaaaals. The Rich Bear The Prized Possessions With Bouquet The Dinos - No more DECC Jian Min's Family! Candice Jian Min + Jeremy Maggie The Two Terrorists :p Shawn, Another Terrorist. Hope Ber and Jo Grace and Mrs Lugg 20th MILE! Lita With Philippines 08 Teammates! Dir of CASS, Mrs Lam! Mrs Lee and My PTN: Mr Ng The Always HappeNing Ning! With Philippines 09 Teammates!May 27, 2009 | 9:04 PM
Lunch with Mr Victor Ow
 SAA Dir Mr Liew Beng Keong, Mum, Dad, Me, Principal Mr Tan Hang Cheong, Mr Victor Ow, SEEE Dir Dr Dave Chong May 26, 2009 | 12:34 AM
Today, I Saw ME Graduated!
Me playing the air guitar!  Photo: Courtesy of Sock Yong. From: SP Guitarists. The session started with a speech by the Principal, Mr Tan Hang Cheong. SPEECH BY MR TAN HANG CHEONG Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee, Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs;
Graduates from New Courses
New Developments at SP
Learning Opportunities at SP
Two Graduands Stories
Commissioning
 The 2009 Graduation Ceremony Medalists in V Formation 1.. 2.. 3.. Chiong! The Lee Kuan Yew Awardee Seven Wonders of SP With Minister of Law and Home Affairs Candice, the Rose in the thorns. The Eighth Medalist, Candice Yam! Mr Tan Hang Cheong also won the LKY Award!May 20, 2009 | 11:05 PM
Straits Times Report
First to score distinctions for all 33 of his modules By Amelia Tan
His all-distinction record is made all the more impressive by the fact that he achieved it while juggling several jobs and co-curricular activities in the guitar and Rotaract clubs. He also participated in community involvement projects in the Philippines. An Indonesian who arrived in Singapore four years ago from his hometown on Bin-tan island, Mr Kuriakin has worked as a waiter, sales assistant and roadshow promoter to pay off his $6,000 tuition loan and living expenses here. The youngest of five children, he did not want to burden his parents who are still living on Bintan. His father is a mechanic and his mother, a housewife. His efforts are even more resounding as Mr Kuriakin was not always an A-grade student. He did poorly in Indonesia's high school leaving examinations in 2004 and was denied a place at SP. He said: "I was the captain of my school's basketball team and neglected my studies. I saw how disappointed my parents were. During that year, my father was hurt in an accident at his workplace and until now I believe I caused it. He was distracted because he was depressed by my poor results." Motivated to make his parents proud, he came to Singapore to sit for his 0 levels as a private candidate and scored seven points. He hopes to study robotics in the United States starting September. He said: "I am glad I did not give up when I did not do well in my high school exams. If I had given up, 1 would not be able to chase my dreams now." May 14, 2009 | 10:38 PM
Sim Lim Square Buying Guide
Sim Lim Square is where you can get the latest gadgets at prices lower than normal retail stores. BUT the risk of meeting unscrupulous salesmen is also higher. On the other hand, no risk no gain. You can, however, manage the risk. Be streetwise. Be careful. Let's look at the different tactics the seller might use on consumers. 1. No Price Tag You will not find any price tags there. The risk is that it is subjected to varying quotes from the seller. He will convince you that the price they offer are the best. They do that in several ways: they make the conversation seem secretive, or they pretend to make friends with you and tell his boss that you are his friend so as to make you believe that he is quoting you the best price. I personally experienced this at the shop called 'Play Edge'. Very funny, i thought. 2. Incomplete Package The seller would quote you a price that is lower than anywhere else. But after you make the purchase, they will tell you that you need to buy accessories that the slightest common sense will tell you that it should be included. An example is power adapter. I was about to buy a Nintendo DS as a gift. I went to 'Play Edge' and talked to a salesman called Darren. He quoted $150. I asked if it's a complete set with adapter included and if I needed to purchase a game. He said I needed to buy a game but it only costs $1. So I confirmed with him "That means I just need to pay $151, right?" He pretended to talk to his friends and hear nothing. Then I knew something was wrong. I was right. He told me later that the price does not include power adapter, so he added $38. Still I agreed because $188 is still lower than the market price, although $38 for a power adapter was too expensive. Then he continued, telling me that there were 97 games pre-installed, and each game is $1. Then asked me to pay $280. How could there be 97 games? They were illegally modifying the gadget to play pirated games. They actually admitted to it. I told him I didn't want pirated games and that I didn't want to buy it anymore. So he offered one original game instead and 'gave me discount', quoting $220. I told him that I will only pay $200, $150 for the DS (as agreed) and $50 for the game. 3. GST He agreed on $200 but told me that it doesn't include GST. They have 101 ways to swindle customers' money. I think many are conned this way as people would take this as something that they have no choice but to pay for. However, this is not true. GST registration is not actually NOT mandatory in Singapore. It's only mandatory for business with annual turnover of over S$1M. And I didn't see any GST registration number in their sales invoices. So, I gave him a cold look and left the shop. I heard him swearing. They are obviously out there to cheat consumers. I think tourists are their main victims. Some form of control should be implemented to stop this from happening otherwise it will give our tourists bad experience. If you were to buy electronic gadgets there, follow these guidelines. 1. Get the facts: items that should come with the package, the price 2. Avoid going to shops that don't declare product price (Some computer stores actually have brochures pasted in front of their shops) 3. Bring a friend who knows about the product (A friend can offer rational views) 4. Check at least three stores and compare their prices 5. Prepare to say "NO" I think other shoppers also had similar experience. One of my favorite shops in Sim Lim for computer hardware is BEST BARGAIN. They might not offer the lowest price for everything but generally reasonable. May 13, 2009 | 12:40 AM
Graduation Invitation Card
 Today I received invitation cards (six in total, three for each session). They are actually printed on pearly paper boards that I like to use as cover for my report. It looks really elegant, but on the other hand, it's not environmentally-friendly and rather extravagant. The resources spent in such collateral can be put into better use.I actually requested for five seats for each session (10 in total) but "to facilitate contact tracing in the event of potential exposure of H1N1 virus, the number of guests per graduand is strictly restricted to two." The two sessions I will be attending are Session 1, at 930am, where I will receive the LKY award and Session 9, at 5.30pm, for my other medals and awards. I'm looking forward to the ceremony because I finally graduate, and yet I feel sad as it also marks the end of the exciting three-year ride in SP. Time to consider my choice of university. To my surprise, NUS sent me a package offering a place to read computer engineering. Previously, I sent an email informing them that I will not enroll because of my plan of working a year. Perhaps, they sent to me anyway, just in case I change my mind. Great, now I have offers from both NTU and NUS. Looking back to the time I was still in Indonesia, getting into NTU or NUS was very difficult to achieve. I definitely took a longer route but I made the best out of the three years in poly. I transformed into a person I never knew I could be. A lot of people actually asked me how I managed to get straight distinctions. One of them was Prof. Goel, Dean of Admission, NTU. "It all boils down to time management", I said, though Dr Dave Chong joked that I should have told Prof Goel that he helped me. LOL. I think the Police is busy enough. May 8, 2009 | 8:08 PM
My Article Story @ Graduation Website
There's No Such Thing As Not Enough Time By Andy Kwan (Source)
"Not that difficult to manage," says Kuriakin. All he needed to do was to jot down every task in an organiser and put a deadline to it. This model student award winner can certainly offer valuable lessons in time management. Kuriakin has been offered a place to pursue a Masters in Computer Science under the fast-track NTU-Georgia Tech Integrated Programme. But if he can get a scholarship, his dream is to study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. With Kuriakin's impressive achievements in SP, there's certainly a lot more that he can do in the years ahead. Even the robots can't beat him! May 3, 2009 | 12:19 AM
What Have Happened in Two Months
It has been two months since my last post. Yeah, as I came back from the Philippines, I found out several things. Institutional Award I was nominated by SEEE for the institutional award. What is an institutional award? In short, it is an award given to the best of the best graduates of the year, not only academically, but also in terms of CCA and personality. There are Toh Chin Chye, Low Guan Onn, Chua Chor Teck, Tay Eng Soon Medals and of course, the one that I have got, the Lee Kuan Yew award for Mathematics and Science. Prior to this, I was told that the Lee Kuan Yew award was only for Singaporeans and PRs. Little that I expected to get nominated for it, not to mention to get it. The truth is it is meritocratic. It was Thursday, 16 April, 9AM when I was sitting outside P's room waiting for the interview. I met Tat Heng, DME's top graduate - an amiable guy - and the familiar face, Jing Yuan, DEEE's top graduate. The interview process went very well for me. I think both the panel and I enjoyed the conversation. After that, I went to the next room where I met Andy, manager of Corporate Communication, who would write an article story for me. I saw that Thursday. It was very well written. The session ended with graduation website photo-taking -- in case I am selected for the award. We went to the wafer fab lab for my specialization was microelectronics. But to enter the clean room, I had to wear a mask. Weird enough, we took some photos there with my mouth covered. So I suggested to go to ARICC lab where finally, some decent photos were taken. The following Wednesday, I signed in to SAS to check if I had got any awards and Oo-La-La! here are the awards I've got: ABB Gold Medal - Course Medal Alfred Robert Edis Prize (This is actually for most outstanding contribution to the community) Diploma with Merit Infineon Technologies Academic Excellence Award Lee Kuan Yew Award - Top Technology Graduate OCBC Prize - Meritorious Academic Performance Shell Companies In Singapore Prize Shell Merit Award The Institution of Engineers, Singapore Prize That afternoon, immediately, phone calls of congratulations flooded in and amongst them was Candice of CCOM who was in charge of photo-taking for graduation day. Her nice voice is as nice as the person. So on Monday, Apr 27th, I went to Digital Life @ Moberly to have MORE photos taken. During the session, I met other medalists too like the 'Triple Js': Jingyuan, Jinshun & Justin. xD We had fun time together. The following Thursday was my video-taking session with Mr Stanley Soo from the Educational & Staff Development (ESD). So he decided to feature the very happening lab, ARICC. One of the scenario is that I'm supposed to tutor my peers. So, Stanley asked me to walk around my colleagues and pretend that I'm coaching them. As I stopped at CJ's computer, Stanley walked towards us and OOPS: he filmed CJ playing Restaurant City on Facebook. News from MIT, NTU & NUS While NTU has offered me to do a master in computer science in their NTU-Georgia Tech Integrated Programme, NUS shortlisted me for their faculty of law. How about MIT? Unfortunately, my application was rejected. Nanyang Scholarship I have been shortlisted for Nanyang Scholarship but I couldn't make it as I was still in the Philippines. So I asked if they could schedule another interview for me. And just this morning, I received their reply. They ACTUALLY scheduled another one for me. Woah, that's really sincere of them. So, I will go for the interview although I hope to work for a year first. I hope they will let me defer the scholarship for a year. February 22, 2009 | 10:41 PM
it's philippines time
In about three weeks' time, I will once again fly to the Philippines to meet my Filipino friends and adopted family, while performing community work. Yes, it's the time for Overseas Community Service Project in the Philippines 2009!  This year, we will build a teen center where the teens in the community could gather to socialize, do sports or study. Besides, we will install electricity for the poorest of the poor so that children could study at night and the sick can be attended properly. In terms of education, we will impart some lifeskills such as basic IT lesson, basic Mandarin lessons, handicrafts and LEGO robotics, to the community. Of course, we will select the right audience: LEGO robotics will be for undergrads, Mandarin lessons for tourism officers, and so forth. We will also help the locals set up a small business making and selling kaya. Kaya is coconut jam made from coconut milk and chicken eggs, flavoured with pandan leaf and sweetened with sugar. As with other jams, kaya is typically spread on toast and eaten as breakfast. This is a part of the Student In Free Enterprise (SIFE) effort -- an international organization that mobilizes university students around the world to make a difference in their communities while developing the skills to become socially responsible business leaders. Having prior knowledge of the condition in the Philippines, I will be the advisor to the team. I hope I could maximize everyone's learning. February 20, 2009 | 8:17 PM
Demanding Week
Joy is short-lasting. My involvement in Science Buskers Festival and Singapore Robotic Games left me with a pile of reports and assignments. I guess the following picture well depicts the situation I was in.  The week held four reports, three assignments, four interviews, three presentations & two tests. Technopreneurship Marketing Presentation, Report, Test IC Testing Assignment, Report, Interview Digital Signal Processing Assignment, Report, Interview Quality & Reliability Assignment, Presentation Final Year Project Distinction Panel Presentation, Interview, Project Report Model Student Award Interview Public Service Commission Psychometric Test Yes everything went quite well, but when I finally survived the ordeal, what awaited me was the semestral exam. Oh, I missed several lectures due to the competitions. So, I got to catch up with the rest. My first paper was, Digital Signal Processing, last Tuesday. It was quite a challenging paper according to many. How I love challenging paper! =p And this morning we had Quality & Reliability paper. Not as challenging as DSP, but it was pretty tricky, I guess. January 21, 2009 | 3:55 PM
bronze medal
Yesterday was the commencement of Singapore Robotic Games 2009. It is one of the biggest robotic event in Singapore that saw teams from teams from NUS, NTU, Hwa Chong Institution, Raffles JC and all five polytechnics.  Medal Haul at Singapore Robotic Games! My team, SP.E.AR (Singapore Polytechnic - Eee - ARicc), won the 3rd place out of the 19 teams (94 participants) in the Open Category. In the category, robots perform interesting tasks that can fall under Entertainment or Applications theme. Judging criteria include degree of innovation, the design and realization of the design. For the category, we presented the robot version of sprint, soccer and fencing games in the upcoming Youth Olympic Games 2010 using humanoid robots, Sparic, mirosots and Wii robots. Humanoid robots include the RoboErectus Junior and the Drummer robots. RoboErectus Junior is the one that participated in RoboCup 2008 in Suzhou. With its 20 degrees of freedom, it can accomplished complex tasks such as soccer-playing, dancing and fencing. So we had the two humanoid robots to play fencing against one another for SRG. As for the drummer robots, they have 15 degrees of movement and has a weight of only 1.5 kg, making them the perfect robotic kit for edutainment. Omnibots are called so because they have omniwheels that can move to any directions. For this reason, omnibots are usually used in competitions such as RoboCup Junior. We modified the omnibots to receive signals from handphones through bluetooth and Zigbee technology. Zigbee is basically a low cost and low power digital radio. Sparic robots are fabricated for the Mirosot category and FIRA competitions. These robots are swift (around 3 m/s); thus, suitable for soccer. We made the omnibots and sparic robots to play soccer and sprint. We also had an MC robot, Jane, hosting the event with me. Jane is essentially a mannequin built on top of the Pioneer -- a versatile intelligent mobile robotic platform. She has a robotic hand which could, in the future, help with household chores. Everything was well-organized except for the fact that we were given only one mic instead of the promised two. In the end, I had to share the mic with Jane, who had a speaker built around her feet (on the Pioneer platform) - making the scene rather funny. Anyway, it was a great learning experience. January 17, 2009 | 2:08 PM
Culmination of Hard Work (SBF)
I have just come back from the finals of the Science Buskers Festival. It was awesome! It was a long long journey -- from 29 teams in the audition round to the top 10 finalists. Last night my teammates and I slept only for two hours preparing the Toy Humanoid Robot for today's show. Deciding the topic to busk hadn't been easy as we want to promote robots in ARICC as well - so the topic has gotta be related to robots. We had support from second year students - they brought banners "SPEAR, Go, Goal, Gold" and "SP EEE ARICC". And eventually, we received 'Most Popular Online Video' award (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5QWQcMic5w&feature=related). The number of views has hit 35,000! It's even featured in my department's website: www.sp.edu.sg/schools/eee. I need a short nap to replenish my energy. I'll work again later for the upcoming SRG!
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