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zvitali
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Name: Vitali
Country: United States
State: New Jersey
Birthday: 3/12/1974
Gender: Male
Interests: Watching movies, playing guitar, surfing internet, listening to music and learning, learning and learning.
Expertise: Electrical Engineering
Occupation: Student
Industry: Engineering
Message: message me
Website: visit my website
Member Since:
12/18/2002
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| Hi from Singapore, everybody! Just wanted to let you all know I am doing fine here. Don't have any teaching duties yet, so I am just sitting in my office and think about possible research directions. Doing a lot of shopping during free time, need to buy everythig, stove, fridge, AC, washing machine, TV, sofa.
But I already got a guitar. I really love it, it's a Garrison G20e model, sounds so much better than my previous Fender. Was thinking about getting the cheapest Taylor (slightly more expensive than Garrison), but there aren't too many of those here and the one I did get to try (model 110), I wasn't impressed with.
My new email address is zvitali@ntu.edu.sg, the old one will also work for some time, but will eventually be closed. So please write me to the new one.
Anyway, it's feel quite interesting to start an "adult" life finally. Got to become serious now. Or maybe not. Haven't decided yet... | | |
| Yay!!! I have graduated. Had my presentation yesterday, Everything went quite smooth. If you are interested, you can find my thesis here. Just be careful, the file is quite large (12.6 MB). | | |
| Just want to update you guys on my car situation. It cannot last until I am here, the reason is that the inspection is only valid until the end of August and so is the registration. And it won't pass inspection for sure. Morever, the insurance expires on Aug. 10 and I decided not to extend it. So I am looking to sell it now, but nobody wants it. Will probably just donate it for a tax deduction. | | |
| Finally it happened. My car had died. So unexpectedly. Was driving to the cell group on Friday night and half way the engine got stalled. I knew it's coming someday - I needed to change the catalytic converter. But since I am leaving the country, I decided not to repair it and hope it will last. And what's happend was that a piece of foam inside the converter got stuck in some pipe, preventing the exit of fumes and making the engine lose 90% of its power.
Had quite an adventure trying to get it back to the parking lot. I could still drive it, but it was getting worse and worse. Finally, when I had to stop at a traffic light, I realized I cannot make it move. The engine starts, but when I try to press on the gas pedal, it stops. After trying for 10-15 times it starting going slowly (7 mph or so) and I was facing a difficult choice. I could have just stop at some safe location and call towing service (and become $70 poorer) or take the risk and keep going. What do you think I did? You are right, I took the risk. Am I not the man that can solve his problems himself, right?
So I get stuck in a couple of more traffic lights. People were stopping and asking if I need help. I must have looked really pathetic, trying to start for 20 times right in the middle of the road. But the difficult moment was still coming. There is a traffic light at the intersection of Nassau St. and University Place, where I need to turn left. The left green arrow there lasts for only 10 sec and it's very difficult for cars to go around me. So I was already imaginging this crazy crowd of drivers swearing and laughing at me. And I prayed to God that he would save me from this embarassment.
Green arrow appeared, I shifted into the first gear, engine got stalled. One more time, stalled again. One more time, suddenly I hear this loud shot. I think that the piece of the foam inside the converter that got stuck in the pipe finally went through. My engine goes to 4500 rpm and the car dashes down the University Place and I am like: "Yeah baby, let's go". Straight into my parking lot. I was just so happy.
Anyway, the car seems to be fine again, but I am kinda afraid to drive it. This whole thing makes me a little bit sad. Feel like the things are starting to change. Soon I will be in a different country, doing a different work, having a different friends and so on. This 5 years in Princeton was really a very interesting and important page in my life, but it's time to turn it. Will miss it a lot though...
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| Interesting fact. Me and my girlfriend (her name is Su Ling) are often chatting on the Yahoo Messenger. She is right now in Singapore and I am in US, so there is a 12 hours difference.
The following thing happened already a few times and I have no explanation for it. For example, I am working on the computer, surfing web and then suddenly this thought comes to my mind: maybe I should login? And then I do, Su Ling says that she just logged in herself and that I appeared only 2 sec after her.
This happened a few times already, 4, maybe 5. And it never the other way around. I am the one who logins several seconds later. So I can think of two possible explanations:
1) After she logins, she sends me some mysterious waves and I can feel them and feel the urge to login.
2) I decide to login several seconds before I actually do, on the subconsious level. At this mode I transmit the mysterious waves to Su Ling. She recieves them and logins and then finally my desire to login moves from the subconsious to the consious and I login too.
OK, let's have a vote. Choose which is the most probable explanation out of this two, or propose your own explanations. | | |
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