Jiann Chyuan is wondering whether realisation of problems a sign of improvement.

Do we always call it problem? Or do we prefer to call it unresolved challenge? How would these two terms affect the way of thinking of people? Does it really sound more optimistic by labelling a problem as challenge?

What are your problems?

I have had a few conversations with Malaysian friends on the current hottest topic back home: general election. Many of them told me a change of course in the parliament is necessary and therefore they will vote for the opposition. I opine this is absolutely reasonable as I would also like to see how far the system can go in Malaysia.

But the problem (or challenge) is: Do we base our votes on the selection of parties or on the credibility of the candidates? Oh yes, you would say that they are evenly vital. But still, which one will you prioritise during the holy moment when you cast down your vote? Can we afford to gamble our future 5-year on two crosses?

Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t imply voting against the so called mainstream is lethally risky. It is just that, are we truly prepared to face the uncertainties in the future before putting down our preference on a piece of paper?

Let’s leave the macroscopic view of problem. When the boundary of problems is constrained, we come to what we used to call personal problems. Working on a project in Zeeland, province of south Holland, I realise there are many problems (or challenges) within myself.

It is wise for me to stop blaming UTM because it didn’t arm me with essential and powerful weapons for post-graduate study. Because the utmost urgent task to be completed is to analyse how to increase my understanding in various fields within the shortest time possible. Oh yea, your bet on the plunging self esteem after studying in TU Delft is undoubtedly right.

I think it is similar to the English situation of Kin Fook. When you stop reflecting yourself in the mirror, you will tend to forget how imperfect you are. Staying inside the comfort zone wouldn’t do us anything good. Timely self check is therefore critical for everyone. However, I am wondering how much flaw am I able to bear before I give up permanently. Or will these cruel realities put me off at all?

Problems do exist. For example, I have zero idea about why visitors to this site hesitate to vote anonymously in the poll I have created on the right hand side. Are they not interested? Does this mean I don’t have to spend time writing and selecting the beautiful pictures from my photo album?

I am curious, and I would love to know what the problem is. Enlightenment is appreciated.

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If a picture is able to tell a thousand words, Jiann Chyuan thinks a video is doing a better job by telling you everything.

Being constantly moving in Europe literally means an inevitable periodically change of accommodation. After living in a staggering nine hostels within a month during winter trip, the non-stop sleeping on unfamiliar mattresses has finally come to a halt. Yes, I’ve finally settled down to my new ‘home’, for at least the coming six months.

They call it space box, not because it makes you float and feeling weightless inside the room, just like what one would experience in space.
Soon Hooi calls it microwave, which to certain extend forcing me to come to an agreement, because of its strange resemblance exteriorly to the aforementioned electrical appliance.
Most of my friends here call it container, which is literally referring to the construction material of such a room.

No matter what it is called, it is my new home. Living in a shipping container is undeniably a bloody brutal fact which I have no choice but to accept. However, the idea of living inside a container doesn’t seem to disgust me at all, at least not since I moved in.

The room is obviously bigger than the one I had in Trondheim, simply because this is a self-contained room: kitchen, toilet and shower room are all contained in this approximately sixteen metre square container. Oh yea, try to imagine the smell of cooking which lingers in the room for a few hours after cooking.

So what is good in such a room? Nothing can beat the extreme closed distance of the room to my faculty. It takes only a maximum of 5 minutes walking to reach my lecture hall everyday. Other than that, I couldn’t really think of anything else.

How about the drawbacks of living in space box? Noise from neighbours. Come on, it is container, don’t you know that steel is really bad serving as sound insulator? If you study closely the toilet-cum-shower room, you would have probably noticed how it is possible for me to literally sit on the toilet seat while taking shower. I would have to say that it is definitely handy if I have to take shower when I was deadly tired.

Oh yes, the smell of cooking. Indeed air ventilation system is installed. However, the reliability of the ventilation system in my room is absolutely questionable. And for your info, I am living in third floor, which in one hand is perfect since I don’t have to deal with stares from passer-by and saving my energy in closing curtain whenever I am changing in the room. But on the other hand, it is extremely susceptible to wind and induces frightening vibrations. To my structural engineer friends, column is an unthinkable idea in this building.

Despite of the outstanding number of disadvantages for living in a microwave, I find myself strangely like the idea of living in it. The feeling of sleeping on a mattress which is placed on a wooden platform inside the room provides me the ultimate pleasure of imagining myself as an artist living in the past. Absolutely stunning!

Okay, without any further ado, let’s watch the first video in this blog.

Note:
The room is only coming with kitchen equipped with an itsy-bitsy fridge (minus kitchen equipments), toilet-cum-shower room (minus all the toiletries), a writing table, an arm chair, a mattress placed on a platform, one bookshelf, one drawer, one notice board, one insufficient single person wardrobe., two coloured chairs, one standing lamp, one table lamp, one ugly framed painting on the wall and a trash can. Plants and pots, photos and decoration on the wall are the creativity of the current tenant, ahem, me. It is totally up to viewer to utilise his/her utmost creative imagination to visualise the original condition of the 396€ (approx. RM1900, which is VERY expensive according to standard of Delft) space box, or microwave, or container, or whatever it is called.

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After a month long winter trip, Jiann Chyuan is discovering study in Holland is just the beginning of another greatest trip.

Thank you everyone for the support during my absence.
I make sincere apology for the empty promise in my previous post.
Luggage didn’t come in on time and I had my laptop stuck in Trondheim.

Where am I now?
Study the title of this post and you will get the answer.
Yup, I’m in Holland, or the Netherlands, in the city of Delft, studying in one of the most prestigious universities in the world, Delft University of Technology.

First impression? Impressive.
I have never realised how amazing a world class university can be.
TU Delft has really impressed me in every single way.
Great facilities, crowded with multi-talented students and researchers, really multi-faceting every student.
What more can I say?

A lesson learnt from the university:
If a book can’t be judge by its cover, it is the same theory to buildings.
Concrete covered, dull exterior, except for extra-ordinary design of buildings.
However, it was a totally different world interiorly.
Colourful yet simple, neat and organised, and surprisingly filled with youthful atmosphere for this 160 year-old university.

About Delft? Lovely.
Small city, but bigger than Trondheim.
Historical city centre with modern shops.
Amazing student town atmosphere and lively business centre co-existing.

About Holland? Freedom.
No, not about drug and pot.
No, not about sex and window shopping.
It is about the freedom to live your own life.
It is about the freedom to explore your own creativity and to pursue your dream.
It is about the freedom that is not mentioned by mouth, but buried deeply in the soul of every person.

About Indonesian in Holland? Everywhere.
About food in Holland? Everything fried.
About study in Holland? World-class.
About red light district in Holland? Dying.
About tulip in Holland? Not yet the season.
About bicycles in Holland? Immense!
About cheese in Holland? Tantalising.
About Dutch people in Holland? Tall, really tall, really strangely tall!

About me adjusting myself in Holland?
Ik hou van het. (I’m loving it.)

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As in title.

Already residing in Delft, the Netherlands.

Still not yet setting down, too many things going on.

Thanks for visiting often during the past month.

Come back next week for updates in Delft and the month-long winter trip.

See you soon.
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