Day 2 at SKIMA Conference 2013

Third day in Chiang Mai. The weather are getting bad day by day. Suit up to warm myself. Well, I am well-prepared for my presentation in the afternoon section.

Keynote talk of the topic is Space Flights Projects Complexity: ICT and Human Risk Management presented by Michel Tognini, an astronaut and former Head of ESA EU Astronaut Centre. Mr.Michel shared his life journey towards as astronaut, human-machine interaction, spacecraft and training. It was an interesting topic. After Mr.Michel presentation end, there are press conference awaiting for him.

As time tick, I'm getting nervous where my presentation slot in the afternoon section. I am proud that I managed to answered opened by the flows.

Minh and me. Minh is a lecturer from Vietnam National University.

Ready for Gala Dinner. Minh and me apparently stayed at the same floor, so we planned to go for dinner together. As we walked to the restaurant, I was wondering why there are no one in the restaurant and the windy blows in so windy. As we saw, the dinner was held outside the restaurant beside the swimming pool, Minh and me decided to go back our room to get our coat. It was indeed a cold and windy weather.

Minh from Hanoi Vietnam, Me, Nadiah and Pooja from Bhutan

The ceremony began with two traditional dance. The Gala Dinner is a buffet type. They do served fruit juices, soft drinks, beers and wines. The foods are delicious, just that it was cold as the foods was place in the cold weather.

Everyone was busy exchanged their name card, Facebook, email and Skype. And talked about their background of their research studies, exchanged ideas knowledge, multi-cultural, future and family.

Left above: Yohannes from Binus University, Indonesia; Adhi from Binus University, Indonesia; Worawut aka Paul, PHD student at Northumbria University and a lecturer at Chiang Mai University; I forgot his name but I remembered that he is from Bangkok, Thailand who studies in Germany.

Left below: Richard Yu came from Taiwan who is currently persuading his PHD at Griffith University, Australia; Minh came from Hanoi, Vietnam who is lecturer from Vietnam National University; Pooja came from Bhutan studied at Northumbria University, UK; Nadiah from UPM and me

Peter and Me

Nadiah, Pooja and Worawut (a local here, Chiang Mai) invited Minh, Richard and me to night bazaar. Before we go to night bazaar, Worawut brought us to watched sightseeing around in Chiang Mai. By the way, Worawut is local here in Chiang Mai. He's really a good tour guide. He explained the history of Chiang Mai, monuments and what's best in Chiang Mai. 

Worawut brought us here to have hot dessert. As you walked to your table, you can smell a strong oil lamp which olden days people used that to lighten up the room, hawker stall during the night. This little truck run by an old man.

Hot dessert arrived. 

As you can see, there are ginko and sesame sweet. The water based is made of ginger juice added hot water. Good choice to have this during the cold weather. It make your body stay warm.

Everyone enjoying.

Tau Fu Fa in the ginger water.

The Three KingsMonuments.

The three statues are the three kings; King Mengrai (the founder of Chiang Mai), King Ramkamhaeng and King Ngam Muang. The kings stand in front of Ciry Art and Cultural Center Museum. The Kings task were to built the new city of Chiang Mai which has been an independent kingdom, dominant power in region and a prosperous part of modern Kingdom of Thailand.

As the weather is getting cold, everyone decided to go to night bazaar tomorrow. Yeap, that's the end of third day in Ching Mai.

Day 1 at SKIMA Conference 2013

Morning folks. Had breakfast before SKIMA Conference registration started. Texted my parents and siblings how am I here.

Arrived at 8am, but the conferences' member tol me that conference will be officially start at 9am. I have a short conversation with Peter who is a language lecturer in Chiang Mai University. He came from California and been working in Chiang Mai for less than two years. He was the host of SKIMA 2013 conference open ceremony. Since I have an hour to go, I went back to my room take a short nap. I couldn't sleep well on the first night staying alone here. 

Registration started at 9am. Also not to forget to registered yourself for the one day tour trip on the last day of the conference. Open ceremony started off with Chiang Mai traditional dance and the VVIP of the conference member was invited to hit the gong to officiate the SKIMA 2013 conference. Let's the SKIMA 2013 began. It was an interesting conference where you can absorb ideas, inspirations, thoughts, knowledge's where the mind mapping connect each other to what I am exactly looking for or forward.

 

First presenter about EU Erasmus Mundus Collaborations and Eramus+ Opportunities, presented by Jose Gutierrez. The presentation took about one hour and ten minutes. It's about the collaboration between universities for program exchange and grants for joint master program. Objective of this programs are the framework for European cooperation in education and training and sustainable development of higher education

20minutes were given for tea or coffee break.

Dr.Tan was a second presenter who taught lecturer in National University of Singapore presented about Advances in Evolutionary Multi-Objective Optimization and Applications. This topic talked about the challenges faced in EMO, the algorithms for optimization performance and the applications of EMO techniques.

During the lunch time, I sneaked out from the conference to looked for local delicacies. Nothing much it seemed. On the street, you can see the locals sell coffee, fruits, fruit juice and fish balls. I walked along the streets and saw this restaurant at the opposite of the road. Along the streets, you can see many tourists on the rental bike or bicycle to ride around the city area. The rental bicycle charges 20 - 40 baht and 30 - 80 baht per day. The rental bike charges less than 150 baht a day. My information might not be accurate because every shop charges on different prices.

Kau Kab Kang Thai Food Restaurant

Spring Roll served with plum sauce

Pork noodle soup. 

When the noodle was served, the owner restaurant told me that he gave extra noodle and vegetables in it. I replied him thanks with a smile. OMG, I am so bloated.

In the evening, I went to Bazaar market and walked around to see any souvenir to my parents, siblings and friends but I didn't bought much because the weather is killing me; cold and windy and my sweater is not thick enough.

Lena Restaurant located inside the Bazaar Market.

Black Pepper Pork. 

Although the dish is normal, but this dish could make your tears drop. It's freaking spicy and the owner restaurant offered if I want ice water but I didn't take it. It could makes my tongue goes numb.

Kau Kab Kang Thai Food Restaurant

Address: 164/110, Chang Klan Road, Chang Klan, Mueang Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, 50100 Thailand.

Lena Restaurant

Address: Anusarn Market, Night Bazaar, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Arrival at Chiang Mai Thailand

I am thrilled, excited, joyous knowing that my Master dissertation has been accepted by SKIMA Conference 2013. I feel like a kid jumping around when daddy gave me a present. 

My first trip ever without parents and siblings, kinda lonely thou. Missed my parents and siblings so much. The flight took 2 hours and 15 minutes. I kept asking the direction afraid I took the wrong Airbus. Couldn't blame me, it's my first time trip ever. But I have to said it was the most empowering things I ever experienced. Travelling alone challenge my fear and insecurities. I am really terrified of the local on how they gonna aim at you especially I'm alone. Only god knows what will happened. Thank god everything was fine. Fear exist to protect myself and boost my awareness towards surrounding.

Red taxi cost 8baht which is cheaper than tuk tuk

Shangri-la Hotel.

Had a slight problem with the check-in the Shangri-la Hotel. Glad everything has settled, the room boy lead me to my room and placed my luggage in the room. Unpacked my stuff and rest a while before going out to get local sim card, sightseeing and dinner. The weather in Chiang Mai was cold and windy in the night.

Shopping Mall. Opposite the mall, there are a bazaar market open during the night.

The hotel staff told me that there are a good beef noodle called Rote Yiam Beef Noodle. It's located opposite Shangri-la Hotel. One bowl cost 50baht. I love the broth soup. You can add condiments such as chilli flakes and garlics to add in your bowl. The soup broth is rich in beef flavour and sweet based.

Rote Yiam Beef Noodle
Address: 255, Moonmuang Road, Mueang Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, 50200.