The Story of the Steering Lock

This is a steering lock. A steering lock that I noticed it about a week ago, in a One-Stop Shop, it occurred to me that it would be a good idea to have some extra security for my beloved Proton Wira, no harm giving potential thieves some extra deterrent, if they ever do attempt to steal my car. So I bought it with a cheerful RM30, reach home thinking to myself, what a good deal that was…

Days passed. Diligently putting the lock to use, I actually look forward to locking and unlocking this wonder. It was designed to only allow a one-way key entry into the “X”, followed by a 180 degree anti-clockwise turn. I see it, as if it was an initiation to set the launch sequence to a nuclear missile. It was doing what it was designed to do, and I am proud of it!

Badminton on Tuesday nights is something I do regularly; I drove there on March 20^th, prepared for a good game, like I usually do, lock the steering, and then went for the game. Little did I know what was about to happen will be able to put me through so much tension!

Back from the game at 10pm. I was about to speed home for a nice bath, then I realize something usual about the 180 degree turn, it stopped at 120! No more after that! No matter how I twist and turn, push and pull it just didn’t work at all. The key-turning was not the only thing that got stuck, my mind as well… shocked by the fact that my car might not even make it home tonight and all the whatnot dangers that awaits it, and the list of problems just went on and on. In this desperate situation, I decided to take only one desperate measure… to pray to God…

“ God, please help me, I really need to get this steering lock working or more simply out of my car steering altogether so I can drive my Wira back in one piece, please help me Lord, I will learn not to trust in earthly securities more than I trust You.”

With my hopes high, I twist the key… Nothing. Still nothing!! There after I went a little berserk! When suddenly, I was able to twist the lock open! Shocked and confused, I opened it gently like a slow motion scene in an epic movie. In my heart was an immense shout, “YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!”

Later, my curiosity led me to understand, that, during my moment of berserk, I twisted the key clockwise, that actually allowed a small gap for the locking point to lift over! Out of all the possibilities, this could actually happen!? I was really dumbfounded by the way God leads me to a solution, such as this event. With a little pondering, there were many other events prior to this one.

As I am writing to you now, the sense of comfort and trust in the prayers to God has engulfed me greatly. Remember there is no prayer to small for God to work. May God bless you always! :)

Week 2 with Finisar

To all readers, my sincere apologies for abandoning the blog for some while... I love the work here in Finisar, it has always been keeping me occupied and learning. I am starting to find at home with the system and running of the company, the rules and regulation, do-s and don't'-s, and a little more extras here and there ;)

The 300-pin Transponder Department that I am associated with, is a fairly new department, dated about a year plus back since its establishment. Ever since, a pioneer group of Engineers and Technicians, who came back from the United States earlier, are the pillars who keep the production line running.

Actually, I have alot of things to share with you, but now, I am more aware of my obligations to the confidentiality of company intelligence, so I have to carefully filter what I can or cannot show in public.

My first assignment was to understand the tuning process of a Transponder, with the correct parameters, a perfect 'EYE'
should be obtained. This tuning process allows us to have smooth transmitting and receiving of data through the fibers. And simple as you might understand now, it really takes skill to do the job fast and accurately, if you give it to a freshman like me... Haha... it will surely take some time...

Sometimes, we come accross modules that cannot be tuned nicely... NO, we don't throw them away! We just send it to the Debug Team. These are the people with the schematics embedded in their heads. Amazingly, some can instantly point out the problem, and they just know what to do with them... Microscopes, Solder and computer screens are their everyday tools! I've read through some of their schematics, and what do you know... I can understand a thing or two there! Thank you UNITEN. And I leave you with these words today...

The pupil can only educate himself. Teachers are the custodians of apparatus upon which he himself must turn and twist to acquire the excellencies that distinguish the better from the poorer of God's vessels. ~Martin H. Fischer

My Industrial Training Experience with Finisar

Every now and then, students in UNITEN have different things to talk about in different seasons. "Which subject to choose?" for the semester, happens twice... Once, before the previous exam and another, will be the first week for the semester itself. But there is one topic that gets everyone excited and curious... This question is none other than "Where are you conducting your Industrial Training Program?".

You can most certainly expect the question coming from each conversation with my peers and friends. Besides the common "Have you had lunch?" or "Do you know the solution to this assignment?", this question is at the back of each 3rd Year Undergraduate's mind, in the mystique month of March.

So... Where will I conduct my Industrial Training? You ask. Let me introduce you to...

Located in,

Plot 1, Kinta Free Trade Industrial Zone Off Jln Kuala Kangsar,

31200 Chemor Ipoh 31200

The Company is focused on the application of digital fiber optics to provide a broad line of high-performance, reliable, value-added optical subsystems for networking and storage equipment manufacturers. Finisar designs and manufactures high-quality optical transceivers and wavelength management subsystems for gigabit-rate fiber optic applications in Gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel and SONET/SDH networks.

(Yeah... I got this somewhere from the net...)

So, I will be dealing alot of testing and fine-tuning each module to it's customer's specifications. It's a good thing that I took Communication Systems last semester, so, terms such as SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio), Attenuation, dBm, Wavelength etc. are applied practically in tuning each module. Though I am still at the surface of mere technical work, but trust me, more interesting facts are inside the heart of the module!! Though I cannot disclose company secrets, but I will try my best to keep you coming back for more!! ;)

On human-relation issues, I generally find great people in Finisar Malaysia. My direct supervisor, B.L. Tan (that's how you are addressed in Finisar...) for example is a great person in leadership! Being always motivated and constantly motivating the people in the production line, he doesn't mind getting hands on with the modules, and relate with Technicians as peers of the same level. Flattery? No. He's example is for many to see and testify.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- Mark Twain

And so my life as an Engineer, begins in this first step to the world of the unknown...