Almost at the end of internship...
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Carl Orff - O Fortuna from Carmina Burana suite
Topic: My Penn State Days

Days are passing by. So many experiences here. But can't wait till I get back to my beloved Penn State!

Learnt so many things. My foundations in VC++, VB has improved considerably. I learnt new languages like TCL, TTCN. Have worked with physical instruments, such as RedLine WiMAX-certified base station and subscriber stations, Agilent Vector Signal Analyzer and Vector Signal Generator, Ixia IxChariot Traffic simulation software, PROPSim C8 channel model emulator, Rohde & Schwarz NRPZ91 RF Power Meter, so on and so on. So a lot of updating to be done on my resume...

But Oh My God, I miss Penn State so much, and the good old enjoyable classes and theory. I guess I am more comfortable with theory than practical things, no matter how much enjoyable they are.

I have seen the corporate life, and it's not all so inspiring at the moment. I have seen how industries are affected by so many factors other than all the research and manufacturing efforts they put in their relevant areas. It'd be too much to handle for me, had I been a permanent part of it all.

So Penn State, here I come, September 2nd, and counting my days...

Going to Intel for the Summer, YIPPEEE
Mood:  on fire
Now Playing: Artcell - Chhayar Ninad & Ghune Khawa Rod (Oniket Prantor)
Topic: My Penn State Days
Hi all, back after so many days!!! I am going to Hillsboro, Oregon for a summer internship with Intel Corporation!!! Starting May 8th and ending September 1st!! Can't believe it, I have been here for less than a year and I am already landing on so many great opportunities! Can't brag about my capabilities, rather should thank my luck! For a lot of reasons.... And coming up with Intel jobs/internships aren't so easy these days... So at least I will have some break from this small-college-town life! And the summer... oh! Can't be a better time! And not to forget the money ;), and the invaluable experiences that will open a lot of doors later on, I guess! That's all for now... I WILL BE BACK... SOOON with more news!

Now... officially PhD candidate...
Mood:  not sure
Topic: My Penn State Days
Done with the Ph.D. candidacy exams. Appeared in front of the committee last week, and after a nervous and shaky performance, managed to pass. Well, it's just the beginning of whatever end I have... So I would rather say I am in a mixed mood, thinking about what to work on, etc.... But one thing may be for sure, I am gonna be stuck at this college town for years more than expected.

More surprises to follow, just not sure if to disclose them as yet....

Past the first obstacle to PhD
Mood:  happy
Topic: My Penn State Days
I got results of my PhD candidacy exams yesterday. I really sucked at the test -- specially the Probability theory exam. I thought I was well-prepped, after solving so many previous questions and even simulating them in MATLAB to verify my analytical results. The Electromag test was not bad. But I counted on Prob. Theory most. Anyway, the results are out, and guess what....... I PASSED!!! YIPPEEE! Now to prep for the oral candidacy with presentations and viva voce in front of a board of three faculty members.... uhuhuhuhu... Well, not bad performance, considering I am going straight for PhD, bypassing a possible MS....

David Copperfield .... awesome... he rocks!!!
Mood:  surprised
Topic: My Penn State Days
I watched David Copperfield in action tonight at the Eisenhower Auditorium at Penn State. I am not a big sucker of magic tricks or the like. I did watch DC perform on TV, but all I thought was 'Oh, that's just a cool TV trick!' But my convictions are broken.... I saw with my own eyes tonight... He made a 2-ton Lincoln Convertible appear on stage out of nowhere (!!!!), and the whole place was even surrounded by people randomly picked from the audience! And supposedly, he even took one guy from the audience to Hawaii (from where we were having live telecasts, and it looked nothing like Pennsylvania, with the sun up, the beach, the palm trees and the sand), he took him on a movable platform which came right over the the first 3 rows of the audience. His assistants covered them with a veil, and in a giffy... they're gone. Soon after, they appear at Hawaii on the live tv screen. He shows us photos he took of the audience just before they left, and also a writing on his arm done by one randomly chosen person from the audience! And in the final feat, he made 12 persons from the audience (randomly chosen by throwing plastic balls of different sizes among them and choosing the ones who got them) come to the stage, sit on chairs on a movable platform, covered them with a veil, and makes them disappear!!! Just like that.... And within 10 seconds, they reappear behind the back rows!!! Even a person getting down from the stage and running for those rows would take like 30 seconds!!! He defies the laws of physics!!! I never believed in magics, and still I don't, but I am amazed. No wonder DC deserves the Knighthood given him by the French government.... I will catch any show he does again, no matter what I pay for it... By the way, being a Penn State student allowed me to buy the ticket to the show only for $40, and the show was 2 hours long! Cool being a Penn Stater....

Finished with my first semester at Penn State
Mood:  celebratory
Now Playing: Enya's New Album Amarantine
Topic: My Penn State Days
Done with my first semester of graduate studies at Penn State. Nailed 2 of them with A's and 1 with an A-. I am beginning to love this place, no matter how small State College is. The next few days I am gonna roam about, find out places, and hang around with people, and ENJOY the holidays!!!