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!
