China trip for ACM Multimedia 2009

Hi,

My first blog on my 1-week guest slot on SoC blog... Pretty cool, am in the middle of finishing up preperations for the trip to ACM MM in Beijing from 20-23 October. Poster done.. check, Visa done.. check, Visa done for the right country ... check :), Renmibi... check, hotel booking... check, was it messy.. yeah !! Found local contacts in Beijing.. check, Bought Lonely planet.. check, Learnt to say "Thank you", "Sorry" and ask for the way to a toilet... check. Am looking forward to meeting some interesting people, hear them talk and get a feel of Beijing and its people. Will keep the blog posted on anything interesting...

SoC graduate Orientation Day

Hi, how's first week of class? As the new semester has arrived, our campus is filled with energy and noise again. In orientation week, we have welcomed new SoC post-graduates by a series of events, including games, campus tour, talks and of course, nice food. Here are some photographs of the event:

Campus tour @ YIH

Campus tour @ Central Library

One of the highlight in campus tour is the chance to interview Prof Mohan. We have asked number of questions, from calligraphy in Prof Mohan's office to research and course related. Prof Mohan has shared with us his research experience and view on the quality needed (which all of them can be acquired from our program :) ).

Interviewing Prof. Mohan

Current students are joining us for tea and dinner. Nice sharing :P

Summer Europe Trip

My Summer Itinerary: Amsterdam - Brussels - Paris - Nice - Rome - Firenze - Rimini - PISA.

Trips to these places were planned by Interrailing which meant that no flights were booked and with the purchase of the magical rail ticket, we were able to take all trains around Europe at a minimum fee. As we initially planned our trip, everything seems challenging. We are almost at the tip of Europe(Stockholm) and the plan was to make our way down to the south of Europe (Italy). The amount of trains routes to plan and change was enough to dampen our mood.

However, once the trip began, we never looked back! Rushing from 1 place to another with our 60 litres backpack was extremely taxing yet adventurous. From the messiness of Amsterdam to the chocolates of Brussels, the romantic Paris, blue beaches of NICE, Rome's extravagant Colosseum, subdued Firenze, fine sparkling sand of Rimini and the leaning Tower of PISA. Every city exposed us to its distinctive yet unique cultures. So much so that we made a MTV from our trip in Europe. As the saying goes 'A picture tells a thousand words and a video explains the unexplainable', I will let the pictures do most of the talking and the video describe our europe story!

"He who plants a tree, plants a hope."

- Lucy Larcom

The International Simulation and Gaming Association, ISAGA, an international organization for scientists and practitioners developing and using simulation, gaming and related methodologies, runs an international conference every year. Its 40th Annual Conference was recently held in NUS, Singapore. To commemorate its 40th Anniversary, ISAGA Conference Organizing Committee held a Tree Planting Ceremony on 2nd July at School of Computing, NUS. Here are some photographs of the event:

Reading the message from Vincent PETERS, General Secretary, ISAGA.

A native Singapore tree, Elaeocarpus Pedunculatus, was carefully laid into the ground by Pieter van der HIJDEN, a member of the Steering Committee of ISAGA, with the help of a staff member from the Office of Environmental Sustainability, NUS.

Prof KHOO Siau Cheng,
Acting Dean, School of Computing, NUS.

Organizing committee: Organising Chairs YEO Gee Kin (NUS School of Computing) and CAI Yiyu (NTU), Conference Secretary Bimlesh WADHWA (NUS School of Computing), Publicity Chair TAN Yew Khim (Taknet Systems Pte Ltd), Local Arrangement Chairs TAN Sun Teck (NUS School of Computing) and Abel Paschal TAY (of CEO Match, also the Publication Chair of the committee).

Everyone with the tree.

The Elaeocarpus Pedunculatus.

- Dr Bimlesh Wadhwa

Life in Monsoon

Going to office in Monsoon season is just like amazing race. I have seen couple of water logging, sudden traffic jam due to accident or flooding in subway. I think pictures tell more than words in this case.

Besides traffic, I also suffer from slight food poisoning. It is time to remind myself "bottle water only". Though heavy rain brings a lot of inconvenience to us, it reliefs water shortage that some area have limited supply of water last month. But now, no one needs to worry about that, no wonder kids and adults are dancing for the 1st rain.