My mind. Enhanced.

I'm sitting at Starbucks on Robson and Thurlow as I write this blog. Days when I need to unwind I make the trek downtown to this particular spot. It's the perfect place to people watch. It's got a certain vibrancy not found anywhere else in Vancouver. People of all ethnicities gather here on a daily basis. Families, friends, business folk and more. Conversations are often spoken in mother tongues, like Mandarin, leaving me envious to eavesdrop in their stories, gossip, or business transactions. This place, it resonates a particular atmosphere; the smell of exotic coffee, the small bursts of steam from cappuccino machines, the dim lights, the lethargic shoppers, and the curious, talkative, foreign exchange students. It's this atmosphere that draws me here on a near weekly basis. It's this atmosphere that puts me at ease. My sanctuary, placed right in the hub of busyness - the core of downtown - no less. This cafe, I'd say is a concoction of contradictions. It

I'm fascinated by engineers. Growing up I've always been surrounded by them. My dad, an electrical engineer, my brother a budding power engineer, and my uncles - ranging from civil to mechanical engineers. I'll admit, I've never had an interest in a career as an engineer (its only now that I've found merit in the discipline), but I've always loved technology. I just never pictured myself developing it. That's now changed. I'm loving science, and I'm loving the idea of being able to create something useful out of nothing, based on the laws of the universe and current tools and community accepted, applied scientific theories. Engineering blood flows through my veins, I've just never fully tapped into my abilities. Granted, problem solving comes easy to me. For years I've applied that gift to the Arts, I think its time I gave Applied Science a bit of love too. I suppose my transformation has largely to do with helping people. As I've g

Fundamental Physics would teach us that objects put into motion stay in motion and objects in rest stay at rest. I guess this rule holds true for ambition too. I set myself on pre-calculated course, direct all my best efforts into that course and come out with finishing with positive results. Keep that momentum up and keep the motion going. It's cyclical and that rule has applied to my life's direction in regards to academics and career targets. As you can probably tell from my previous posts, I'm in transition of a new career. I've laid it out, I've told the people who matter to me what my plans are, and everyone seems to be on board with the idea. So, I'm going for it and I'm not turning back. It was hard for me to come to grips with the idea, the many things I would need to sacrifice, and calculating the risks and overall benefits should I succeed. I've convinced myself that it's an upgrade necessary not just for myself but more so for the peopl

So I thrust myself forward into world of robotics. I attended a club meeting of the Vancouver Robotics Club. Their first collaboration with the Vancouver Hack Space (VHS) was held at the VHS headquarters on E. 1st Ave in Vancouver. Going in I was a little apprehensive as I felt I may have been crashing a party. I went in uninvited with no contacts whatsoever in the club. I was greeted by a guy in a PHP (programming language) shirt and immediately I felt at home. A home full of nerds. I signed some waiver forms (personal safety and liablity) and walked around looking at some parts and robots on display. The club demoed their different inventions, a line following robot, a bartender robot, and a sort of capture the flag robot with 180 degree frontal sensors. I'm inspired. I spent a portion of my day so far looking at local companies offering robotic and electronic components. It's time I got started on my dream. It's starting ... into the rabbit hole I go.