hijabis that scream apocalypse

For the first time in like .... FOUR YEARS, I get the opportunity (pardon the cover letter tone - applications have made me rather prone to convert too fast into the formal tone and of course, completely forget how to form proper, cohesive and succinct sentences that are devoid of too many adverbs, adjective and technical jargon. Alas the ability to express myself with brevity has completely gone into smoke) to write a biography assignment about - *drum roll* - MYSELF.

I love how the preclude describes this assignment:

In order to master any subject, it is helpful not only to be aware of the world around you (what this course is about), but to be self-aware too. We’d like to get to know you a little better too!

Thus, this assignment is intended for both self-revelation and discovery. It gets you to think a little about your past experience, allows us to find out better who is really taking this course, and also to surmise a little about your hopes and expectations for the course. It is hoped this will be a little fun as well.

Self-Revelation and Discovery?! I had a little epiphany in my head when I read that sentence. You want us to write a piece on self-revelation and self-discovery within the limits of one single, measly page?! Of course, that was the satirical and wisdom in me talking. I quickly reverted to my current predicament - which really isn't anything too cutting-edge and ground-breaking like the company's want me to be - and thought this was probably the best assignment I've ever had the chance to put my eyes on.

I wonder which poor TA has the misfortune to go through this bullshit. I pity his job. But I'm sure they're probably gonna be of those who party their butts off so...no, not that sorry.

Here's what I ended up writing. I was quite proud of how much bullshit I could pull off. Really, people should stand up and applaud me.

Personal Reflection (Bio)

CIV300 – Terrestrial Energy Systems

My educational background is mainly focused on electrical engineering (ECE), although in the future I would like to orient my career towards bio-engineering. For now, however, I am highly interested in the simulation of integrated circuits as well as power distribution and energy systems – the main reason behind my intention of taking this course. I believe that a physical understanding and interpretation of energy systems is extremely valuable as much as the circuit configurations behind power and energy distribution of power grids today. I plan to specialize, if possible, in both power & energy systems as well as pursue a minor in biomedical engineering.

My favorite book insofar has been Micheal Pollan’s, “The Omnivore’s Dilemma.” The book explores and contrasts dinner table norms, traditions, customs and conversations from 90 years ago to present day, commenting, remarking and pointing out how drastically different we as humans have evolved from appreciating our daily bread to downright boycotting it from our diet. It is one of my favorite books because even if it is a non-fiction piece, it manages to engage my attention throughout its solid 464 pages of humorous adventures, sinister representation of corn fields and nauseating statistics.

The most unusual thing about myself – or at least when I compare it with others’ – is the nature of my sleeping patterns. They have so far defied every rule in the book, so that night is the new day and the day is the new night. In short, my sleeping patterns have evolved so far as to completely redefine the entire meaning of ‘nocturnal.’

The most terrestrial-energy-systems connected experience I have encountered was the powerful tsunami that had hit Southern South Asian region in the winter of 2006. I was on a holiday trip to my native country Bangladesh at the time, and even though it was not one of the worst hit areas, the earthquake of such a tremendous magnitude was definitely felt and its consequences re-lived for several weeks afterward. Even though Dhaka (the capital city of Bangladesh) was by no means the epicenter of the earthquake, resulting tsunami that stirred the entire Indian Ocean caused rivers, lakes and creeks to overflow. By the second day, most of city was submerged in almost 4 feet of water, and more than half the population of the city handicapped instantaneously. To my initial embarrassment, this was my first flood – admittedly quite surprising since Bengalis are immune to floods given that it happens so often. However, to my relief and alarm, I discovered through my family members that I was apparently stuck (all flights were cancelled since the airport runways were swamped) in the worst flood Bangladesh had ever seen! And they weren’t wrong. The flood that the 2006 tsunami caused, literally wiped out any sort of terrestrial transportation and Dhaka had been rendered an Eastern Venice. Day by day, the seawater levels rose and people had to run their errands, via boats and ferries. Alleyways, markets and even some villages along the coast vanished underwater. Electricity was scarce during the day, even more so during the night. To say the least, it made me realize that the days and weeks following the natural disaster are much worse than the disaster itself. As an engineer, I found it quite disappointing at how vulnerable the artificial systems we create are in comparison to the natural forces like earthquakes and tsunamis, even though the systems in question are much less developed in third world cities than in North America. Unfortunately, despite the disastrous circumstances, I enjoyed my winter vacation to the fullest, especially relishing the part where we ended up going to the airport on a boat!

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