Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Tronoh

Due to a colleague resigning from the company, I was carefully selected to replace her in overlooking the finishing of a project. My colleague has been monitoring the multi-million dollar project at UTP and her resignation (pasal kahwin lorr) is a huge lost to the company due to her extensive knowledge on project for about a 1++ years already. The problem is that: she's the only scientist who knows how to synthesize the material hands on, and yup...you've guessed it: NO ONE ELSES knows how. Hence, I believe that in the future, we shouldn't let any knowledge be passed down to a single person. This is what happens when he/she resigns from the project/company - panic strikes!

And so, I, of three candidates were selected by my project leader to be attached to UTP, Tronoh. I was the most obvious candidate cause 1. I am Ipoh, Ipoh-mali 2. I am single 3. I am a genius :P  My boss orally assured me that three months is all it takes, max (but now I am not so sure anymore).

I've not been to UTP. I've heard that it's one modern campus stuck in the middle of two small dainty township: Tronoh and Seri Iskandar, Perak. I've passed by UTP several times on my way to Setiawan or Lumut but have not stepped foot in its vicinity. I did not want to judge, but on mid-Dec 2011 when I first came to UTP for the first time in my entire life - it actually felt good.

Macaques and beruks often sighted here in huge numbers (20-30s).

UTP is really green. It's within those hutan-hutan virgin yang belum disentuh lelaki (opps, I mean, manusia). Macaque monkeys and big beruks communing, chatting and scouring for food near the campus is a common sight. I once drove pass the jungle side of the campus and had a clear sight of at least 30 monkeys communing in a clearing of the jungle. I simply thought: there's going to be a planet-of-the apes revolt some day in Malaysia! I can sense it!

Library at the Chanselor's Hall

As you enter UTP from the main gate (Lumut road), you can see a huge UFO-like structure ahead on your far left. That's the Chancellor's Hall. The point is, there lies the building of the library. The architecture for the library is pretty amazing to me because it resembles several oil rig platforms, graduated in form. Books are visible from the outside, stacked in the most pleasant manner to the eyes. The library is spacious and high-tech machines are all in place for students to borrow or return books. Of course, I've been into the awesome National Library of Singapore, but UTP's library, IMHO, has fight. This is because at night, this library is brightly litten resembling a mini Eiffle Tower....really!

View from Block 15 - I think that's Civil Engineering Block in the pic

Modern Structures of UTP buildings in the middle of Perak's green lung

Despite being there for more than a month, I am still most impressed of the modern structures and the conducive working (studying?) environment here. It's serene and pleasant to be walking the corridors of the faculties. I personally adore the arrangement of the buildings where it is not too symmetrical, yet functional in many ways. And there's my personal fav: the glass walls of almost 60% of each building; well, may contribute to global warming, but a service to architecture. Transparency to me is important because it assures that knowledge is to be promulgated and disseminated.

The connecting stairscase linking one faculty to another.

One structure that complete overwhelmes me, which to many means nothing, is the stairs. I huge open staircase exist in every two blocks complements the 'transparency' concept this campus meant to convey. I hang out around here often (yes, stairs!) cause I get better phone reception than any other area :P  Oh, I can assure you that the toilets here are clean... but they aint transparent! :P

Spot a few ppl doing LSD runs in the morning. Wow!

I would love to run around this campus to train my runs. It would be around 5km to run the whole campus, I guess. But ummm....I have to wear long pants and no singlets. So, forget it! I am still under strict regulation for dress code in-campus.

I was provided with accommodation in-campus. It's a guesthouse. BTW, if you didn't know, the UTP campus was previously a USM campus. Ok, let's make it clearer: this location was where USM campus was located before PETRONAS took over and throw in their billions and make it their own university. I am actually staying in a old guesthouse which belong to USM previously. Ain't that nice the guesthouse; hence I prefer to go back to the comforts of my own home in Ipoh and drive 32km daily to Tronoh to work.


So, I drive daily to work in UTP. Life's been pretty easy peasy in this dainty, small place. UTP is a great place - it's relaxing, and if you're a student, it's a conducive location to study. Some times I had to remind myself I am there to WORK, and not study.

Tronoh is where the Chinese ppl are, while Seri Iskandar has mostly Malays in its population. So, demographically, you know where to find your food. If you want chinese food, go to Tronoh while Seri Iskandar has all sorta traditional Malay and mamak stalls. Cheaper than Ipoh, but not cheap comparatively to other ulu townships (it's pretty kampung lah, u see). I usually stop by Tronoh to savour the wan ton mee or soup noodles before heading to work. My lunch is usually malay nasi campur with chicken Vanggey. BTW, there's a new Tesco and Secret Recipe (whoa!) now at Seri Iskandar. :P

I love the sight of dawn on the way to Tronoh.  I do enjoy the slow drive to Tronoh daily too as it is never, never as hectic as KL. BUT ummm...like I've said many times to many ppl: Love the campus, hate the township.

Traffic light turning into Tronoh town

Coffee Dilemma

The Coffee Dilemma

A man and his wife were having an argument about who should brew the coffee each morning.

The wife said, "You should do it, because you get up first, and then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee".

The husband said, " You are in charge of the cooking around here and you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee."

Wife replies, "No you should do it, and besides it is in the Bible that the man should do the coffee."

Husband replies, " I can't believe that, show me."

So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament and shows him at the top of several pages, that it indeed says:

"HEBREWS"

And here I go...complaining again.

Yikes. It's Year 2012!

I am already beginning to feel what a start of a new year is like: school begins and cars, busses clogging up the streets before and after schooling hours. The volume of cars increases tremendously. I have to wake up earlier than usual to get to work; McD and KFC is filled with mothers or uniformed students buying fast food during lunch. And their uniforms stinks...worst than some BO!! Betcha you guys concur with me...you've smelt that sweaty stink somewhere before.

Then, before you can even count to the Twelfth Day of Christmas, shopping malls have hightened their decor and music for Chinese New Year. Ooooh, I love some of the jingles, it does set up the mood, but at some point I am irritated. Too much of CNY music can be super annoying (too much of any thing is not good). And also I get irritated because I have not shopped for anything yet and my salary is finis.....hmmpph...let's not go there!

Last year ended with a note of surprise: Boss posted me for <3 months to UTP. Love the campus, hate the township. Anyway, I come back to Ipoh probably every single day to make full use of my RPGC membership which I've been paying since 21 for nothing all this while - to gym, swim and dine. That's my daily triathlon regime. I almost sold my club membership (thank God I didn't) and I really am happy with my decision not to.

Rationale to come back everyday to Ipoh:

Tronoh (UTP) --> Ipoh = 30km + overtaking huge trucks and lorries + old Kancils (0:40 min)

Puchong --> Office(Bangi) = 32km (LDP, Putrajaya) + RM1.60 toll + usual traffic (0:40 min)

Running on the roads (near my house, near the hills) is more dangerous in Ipoh than in KL. Ipoh is too quiet to run and if you do meet something or ~one on the road, they are either stray dogs or robbers. My mum said lately Ipoh has been very very dangerous with loads of snatch thieves in motorbikes. Robbing maids and old people while walking, even watering their plants or taking out the garbage. Puchong is relatively safer: I feel like middle class just as anyone else; there are many people running on the roads; the streets are sooo busy, happening and filled with people; no thief would wanna rob a sweaty, fugly runner in front of 2 primary schools pack with kids, rows of restaurants, hawkers stalls and Otai burger stalls. The only risk I face in Puchong as a road runner is....being knocked down by a car. I don't bring money while running in Ipoh, which makes it worst: I've nothing to give the robber which in turn may ignite his anger (I suppose) and murderlize me.

(Wow, I have great imagination.)

Polo Ground, you said? No way. So many kids running around and many walkers clog the pathways that it is not conducive for real running. Kids popping out of bushes or graveyard is pretty hazourdous to me! Not that I am a fast runner, but do not want my brains to work hard trying to scheme ways to manuever and overtake people. What do I think about when I run? -  I don't like to use my brains while running and I prefer to think of nothing.

And irritation no. 2: Why is everyone so kaypoh in Ipoh? People in Ipoh like to peek. I don't wanna generalised but while washing my car, there was this lady who was walking by - then paused like 10 seconds - stared at me straight to the eyes, then continued on. After that, came a car with a couple and a cargo of kids, was driving thru quite quick but then slowed down abruptly to peek into my house (and me). Err, caring? Or just kaypoh? Or maybe I was naked washing the car? But I wasn't naked. Confirm.

On a positive note. Life's sooo relaxing here (til it becomes boring), with the magnitude of good food, I couldn't ask for more. I deserve this. I've been working hard all these while :P  In terms of career, I got out of my comfort zone in KL and...straight into another comfort zone. From a bed of roses to a bed of fluffy feathers.

Complaining makes life interesting, doesn't it? A good friend keep telling me I complain just about anything and everything. Couldn't agree with him more - I do like to complain even if...life have been fantastic!!

(...as long as I don't complain as much as those ppl in Singapore :P)

Ivy-out!