Loving Parents

I always have faith that God will create wonders for every individual on earth. My belief is well answered by HIM as HE has given me the most wonderful things of all: parents that love me so much.

It’s been an interesting couple of months for me, being away from my family, my parents, stepping my foot in this so unfamiliar piece of land. Now I know that it’s time for me to pay them back. I used to be a small little boy, who will hold his mother‘s hand when walking in the aisle of mart, siting on his father’s lap in the living room and have strong liking to hug both his father and mother at the same time with his short little arms. Like any other children in the world, I love my parents.

Father and mother, being the guardian angels of all of us, always try to give the best things on earth to us, sheltering us with perpetual showers of love and care and shielding us from every danger approaching us. As parents, they will always try to protect us no matter what it takes, taking us into their folds and wings and try their very best to do anything for us including defying the gravity.

But as time goes by, a small little boy grows up to become a teenager. Growing up is fun and it is what every child would wish to happen in a flash, to have a taste of being a grown up. However, growing up are making our love and warmth for our parents to fade away as time goes by. Growing up is a process where we are exposed more to the world. By then, we tend to walk away from our parents. As I grow up in a small pineapple town, rebellious juices started to flow into my vessel, getting mixed with my blood and flow all over my body. Not a single words coming out from my mother’s mouth penetrated me back then. I was aware that my mischiefs would bring tears to their eyes, but somehow, my rebellious alter-ego seems to have the best of me. Back then, doing a lot of so called “cool stuff” just to look cool, hanging out with friends and becoming a popular guy have become a priority.

In our life, there’s always something that will happen to turn our whole life upside down, like a wakeup call, to wake us up and making us to realise the most important things in life. That something may strike you like two tight slaps, a couple of punches and three flying kicks and it’s going to hurt you a lot. Then, it’s too late to know that you are wrong, too late for any amendments to be made. And your parents will always be the one at your side, giving full support to you and once again, taking you into their folds and wings.

When the time for you to leave your nest to explore the world and pursue your ambition, your parents will be the happiest person in the world. Although they are putting a happy and cheerful front, there is always a worried silhouette behind. A father and mother’s love for their children is unfathomable. Their unconditional love for their children is everlasting, never seems to fade away, irreplaceable and will always stay the way it is. Father and mother’s love for us as their children is going to be from the womb to the tomb. So, love your parents before it’s too late to do so. Love them the way they love you.

CHOO TZE CHYUAN
18270
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

What Matters Most

“Life is not a bed of roses”. It is a very old adage but true to a great extent. As we go through life, definitely, there will be some hiccups along the way. We will encounter with all sort of problems in our journey to become an adult. Those problems will help us to become more mature and expose us more to the world. Many times, life doesn't work out the way we desired it to. Pressure and stress sometimes overwhelm us.

Leaping into a new phase of our life as a university student, our life is turned upside down as life becomes more hectic and busy than it was when we are in the secondary school. Due to this hectic lifestyle, we tend to ignore other important things in life.

Life is like driving a car. It doesn't matter what the car that you are driving, whether it’s a Proton or a Ferrari. As we go along the way, we tend to drive fast, hitting the speed limits and encountering a few speed bumps, only realising it when coming close to it. However, we will never know when we will encounter a speed bump in our life. By the time we realise it, it’s too late for us to slow down. Instead of driving fast, why not slow down to take a good view of the breath-taking view along the way. Only then, you will realise that the simple beauty in life is far more precious than any other things.

Likewise, in our life, we need to pause for a moment. Reflect. Meditate. Where have we come from? Where are we going? But we need to constantly remind ourselves: In life, there are many things that are far more important than wealth and fame such as our family and friends. No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. Remember that every test in our life makes us bitter or sweet; every problems comes to make us or break us; choice is ours whether we become victim or victorious.

“Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help to create the fact”
William Jones

CHOO TZE CHYUAN
18270
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

Disadvantages of Nuclear Technology

            Nuclear technology is the technology that involves the reactions of atomic nuclei. There are more cons than pros using nuclear technology because it is very dangerous, will generate radioactive waste, and causes health problems.

Nuclear Energy

Nuclear Power Plant

            Firstly, nuclear technology involves nuclear reactions that are very risky. There are probabilities of radiation leakage to the surrounding. If this happens, nothing can stop it from exposing. For example, the exposed radiation from the Fukushima’s nuclear power plant caused the whole city being abandoned. The nuclear reaction is uncontrolled if mistake occur during the reaction. An uncontrollable nuclear reaction can cause explosion such as a bomb.

Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

The uses of nuclear technology produce waste products which are still radioactive. Different kind of radioactive wastes have different complicated ways to handle it. For example, high level radioactive waste must kept in water pool for several years and sealed in a steel canister to be buried. Radioactive wastes take long time to decay for decreasing the emissions of radiation. Some of them may take up to centuries.

Nuclear technology will produce radioactive emissions that harm human body. Overexposure to radioactive emissions may cause malfunction of living cell and genetic mutation. For instance cancer, cataract, infertility and even death are the delayed effects. It will causes genetic effects on living things that overexposed to radioactive emissions. These genetic effects like birth defects, Down syndrome and premature death. There is no medical solution on all these health effects.

In conclusion, nuclear technology has many side effects like produces radioactive waste, risky and causes health problems.




DING DECK YIK
18272
Chemical Engineering

           

Freedom

What is freedom? Is it an absolute right? We are born to become free. Freedom is defined from different aspect ,and according to different cultures, freedom varies from culture to another. Some define freedom as a natural right, the human being is born with. Everyone wants to be free and independent from others .Freedom is the right to do what one wants, live where he wants, eat what he wants, learns what he wants, and chooses the religion in which he believes, without ignoring or harming other rights.

How can we live free? From my point of view, we can live free by respecting other’s rights to live free too. We cannot ignore the rights of people with whom we live in the society. We cannot simply do what we want and ignore others. We must take other people rights into consideration.

The idea behind freedom is to be respectful and useful to our society. Freedom is important to everyone. If someone is deprived from this innate right, he will definitely feel as if he is not a respectful human being. When freedom is guaranteed, I can think freely, go where i want, say my opinion without fear from people who would not like my opinion. Freedom of opinion is among the most important branches of freedom .In some societies where freedom of opinion is not guaranteed by the authority, the creativity of mind is killed.  Society is the largest and biggest loser from this lack of creativity. Someone once said, Freedom of opinion will never result in animosity among people if they respect each other. As I mentioned earlier, freedom is not an absolute right, and there are too many constraints on it. Firstly, the society rights including national security which is very important. Security is as important as freedom. Our practising of freedom should never lead to threatening our national security. Secondly, freedom of belief, to believe in what you want and chooses your righteous religion. We also should have the right to establish our own places ,where we perform our religious actions.

Historically, there has been an evident proof that freedom is innate to human and that he will fights as long as he lives to restore his innate right to be a free man .The western civilization guaranteed freedom for its own people, and occupied poor nations and deprived their people from their rights, including freedom. So ,these poor nations fought without rest to restore freedom and autonomy from occupation. Abduction of rights , is not a respectful human action. Since God gave us freedom for free, we must do our best to maintain and keep this right.

                In summary, freedom is an innate right, humans are born with. Nothing should threaten our freedom, deprive us from our right. Also our right of freedom must never harm any other human being , directly or indirectly. We must respect freedom of everyone in the society. This way we can enjoy our freedom through our life.

EYU KAH WAI
18067
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
FOUNDATION SEMESTER 2

Comparing Semesters...

Although I have been in University Technology PETRONAS (UTP) for approximately 2 semesters already, I'm still constantly impressed with the Chancellor Complex of UTP!

UTP Chanselor Complex

Two semesters may not be a long time in a university but I'm already filled with lots of great new experience of university life. I have to sacrifice my city life in Kuala Lumpur to come to this deserted area to study. Besides having to adapt to taking cold showers, I also have to bear with the change in the food that I regularly eat. When I first came in to UTP I was shy as I was surrounded by many new faces and strangers.  But then this changes slowly as I get to make more friends. I have joined some clubs and societies such as the Chinese Orchestra and International Culture Club. As for the subjects, I had English 2, Thinking Skills, Fundamentals of Programming 1 and Moral Studies. These subjects require lots of memory work. The new thing that I learned was programming this subject opened up a new world to me. This semester ended quite well and I achieved a decent score for my results.

For the second semester, I started to know more people of my batch. While being adapted to campus life, I was less home-sick but I occasionally longed to go home. I participated in more events for this semester. I knew more people and gained more knowledge through the events I participated. The subjects I’m taking for this semester are English 1, Physics 1, Chemistry 1 and Pre-calculus. These subjects, unlike the previous ones, were tougher. Calculation and more analytical thinking are required for subjects like Physics, Chemistry and Pre-calculus.

I hope I will do well in this semester as the finals are coming up in 2 weeks’ time. I think what I am experiencing now is just the tip to an iceberg. I am looking forward to experience more of university life.

Live. Love. Life.

Chong Hoong Liang

17968

Foundation 2^nd Chemical Engineering

Green Tea Cheescake Recipe

Ingredient:   

     100g Graham cracker or digestive biscuit 
     60g Butter
     200g Cream Cheese (room temperature)
     100ml Plain Yogurt
     100ml Heavy Cream
     90g Sugar 
     2 Eggs (room temperature)
     2 tablespoons Corn starch
     2 tablespoons+1 teaspoon MATCHA Green Tea powder
     Lemon juice (only if you desire)

Steps:

Step 1 
Put Cheese cloth or Coffee filter in a colander. Put 100ml of yogurt into it. Let the yogurt drain for about 6 hours.  
Step 2

Preheat oven to 170C (340F). Place parchment paper in a 7 inch × 8 inch square pan. Crush cracker in a plastic bag. Put crushed cracker and melted butter in a bowl, and mix it. Put it into square pan. Then press with your paw.
Step 3

Put softened cream cheese in a blender or food processor. Then switch on! Add drained yogurt, sugar and heavy cream. Then mix and add 1 egg at a time.
Step 4 

Add corn starch and green tea and blend it.
Step 5

Strain the mixture through a strainer. Pour it filling into a pan. Bake in a water bath for 35 minutes to 40 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate at least 3 hours.
Step 6
Ready to be served. ENJOY!

 LOH JIE QIAN
18507
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

Important Qualities of A Good Lecturer

            Lecturer is a person that delivers knowledge and lectures professionally in tertiary education. Therefore, a good lecturer should have certain important qualities: passionate, confident and presentation skill.

            One of the quality of a good lecturer should have is passionate. A good lecturer must have passion on the subject they teach. The person that enthusiastic about what they do will understand clearly on the ins and outs of the subject. Precisely, they will have a high level of proficiency on the subject. They will also able to extract important material appropriately and further explain during lectures.

             In order to be a good lecturer, they must be confident about their knowledge and teaching method. If the lecturer is not confident on their teaching or their answer towards the question of a student, it will lead the feeling of students that the lecturer does not know about the subject. Therefore, a good lecturer should be well prepare for any question and plan the teaching appropriately every time before the lecture begins.

              Meanwhile, good presentation skill is essential as a lecturer. Lecturer must able to communicate well with their students because students love to hear lecturer that can speak well enough. In addition, they also must make the lecture interactive, by calling on students and making them participate during lecture. An interesting and enjoyable lecture will boost student morale and maintain focus. Adding a bit of humor into the lecture will always tends to lighten the tone, and a joke would be a memory trigger, which enhance the learning and absorption of students during lecture.

              In conclusion, the combination of passionate, confident and presentation skill makes the best possible lecturer.

DING DECK YIK
18272
Chemical Engineering