Assoc. Prof. Dr Rachel F. Mansa

To tell you the truth, although I am an engineer, I do not have the slightest understanding about car technology. I am totally dumb in this area. So the normal thing to do is Google it. So I googled "what is the difference between DVVT and VVT-i" and found a good source in myperodua.com According to the website DVVT or it's full name Daihatsu Valve Variable Timing is based (copycat) on Daihatsu mother company Toyota engine, which is VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing - intelligence). They believe that DVVT is just VVT-i's engine brand name for Daihatsu cars. Both DVVT and VVT-i is designed for fuel efficiency. Basically a 1.3l should be able to perform like a 1.5 engine due to better combustion at high rpm (revolution of engine, higher gear). In short more power for less fuel. CHEAPER! Hmmm... What really happens is that the valve timer shifts the time of opening of the valve a little bit earlier than normal engines. The higher the rpm the earlier it opens and hence better ...

It is funny how a day can change. Yesterday was good, while today. I feel sooo heartless and don't-give-a-bloody-damn. Hah. One unfortunate student got a negative answer from me. However I balanced it out with signing up for NKF donation. Poor NKF fund raiser. He shrunk away from my door frame as soon as he saw my face. Must have look truly eeeevil. Ha. Anyway after a quick struggle to be kind and mannered I welcome him in and sat him down. I have been waiting to contribute to the National Kidney Foundation. The kidney is such an important organ of the human body. Can you imagine a house without a toilet? You will have poo everywere. Habis la... (expression which means you are done for). Now for a person who has both kidneys fail on them. It is like living in a rubbish bin or even a human waste unit. My passion to help people overcame my really nasty mood today. Thank God! I am still human. My baby is kicking. :) Aw... I am 20 weeks pregnant today. I can feel this little passionate...

Me so happy, me could cry!!!! My one and only paper is finally published. No more article in press. Yahoo!!!! As of 6 Feb 2008. Gosh that took ages. It was available online since 27 Feb 2007. It is even listed in Web of Knowledge he he he he.. I am finally indexed. This is really the Kampung girl (Country girl) in me. That means I can be cited by others. Double yahoo. Anyway it is properly published now. Very excited! Ha ha ha ha. Of course. It is my one and only paper! I should have written another 3 from my Thesis but but but but... Hmmm. I am so embarrassed to say I have loads of excuses. I do look up to my fellow researchers from Birmingham. They are good and I can not compare. However in my little way I have contributed to science. My paper can be found online at www.sciencedirect.com with the title 'Using intelligent software to predict the effects of formulation and processing parameters on roller compaction'. Yahoo... It really really means a lot to me. Why? because i...

I thank you all who have visited my blog since I have put it up. Payperpost has approved my site and I am a happy bunny. Means the money should be trickling in. I would not have been successful without all your support. Cheers to all!

I had three phone calls from my inconsiderate students. Last night after 9 pm, and two just before the test 2 this morning. Aiyah.... sometimes it is sooo GRRRR frustrating. With the really DUH!???? excuses. Last night's call was to ask if he could take the test another day because he had a cold for three days. Hello? you just need to sit for 45 minutes answer the quiz and leave. Procedure for sick students are easy we take their sick cert from their doctors and when the final marks are finally out we consider that they were sick and be lenient on them if they are borderline cases. This morning's excuses were even better. I have told them about this quiz two weeks ago. This morning they call to postpone their quiz due to some their robot not functioning for a competition tomorrow. Hmmmm.. I know Lina you have left this things sooo far behind. On days like this I secretly envy you. I told the students well just take the 45 minutes test. It is very short. They have the gall to ...

Been soo busy at work and at home recently. The workload at work is neverending, so is the housework. I do not mind the house work. It is something that should be done. However when your kiddo is blaring his voice box in protest because he wants you to sit close to him. Sigh... it is difficult. I can not sit still while looking at my really dusty floor. Unswept for a week this morning. The dishes, the laundry gets done at least. The toilets needs cleaning. Hmmmm.... I have totally given up on cooking dinners for myself. As long as my Kiddo gets to eat I am happy. Pros and cons of having a house help. The good thing about having a help is that you get loads of help with dinner, house cleaning and my kiddo gets enough attention too. If I did not work. I would be able to cope with housecleaning and caring for my kiddo. But work is such a huge added stress for me. The bad thing about help is that, at times they may hurt your kiddo, they might steal, one has to send and pick them up as they...

Shite! someone's put a note on my door using double sided tape. I am fuming. I liked that my newly painted pink door was speckless last time I saw it. Feck!!!!! Now it is not. How inconsiderate. Use your brain lah! That is what the white board and the envelope box are for. There is also the space under the door to slide things in. Murphy's law: if something can go wrong it will. Grrrrr.... I regret the day I filled in that form to agree to review papers for this Seminar. Not only did I get a bollocking for not having reviewed the four papers on time. Which I really hate. I have never been told off that I was incompetent. If he was right I think I would have admitted. But they are in need of my help and it was a favour. A volunteer job. They asked if I could review a few papers. I said yes. They asked how much papers I could review. I said four. They did not tell me that the papers were to be reviewed in one week. Double shite! FECK! I vaguely remember trying to get to the pape...

Woah.. I feel so tired today. A very exciting weekend. In my little beautiful state, for the first time, in my life time of adult realisation of all things important. BN won with such a huge majority, however they lost in 5 other states. hmm if I am wrong. It is clear that my source had told me the wrong info. :) I am not as crazy about this as a lot of people I know. I am amazed at how passionately some feel about this. I think that it is good. Some people still care that their opinions matter. I just joined in to have a free ride on something exciting. HOW SAD!!! ROFL. I sooooo need a holiday. I am begging for the next few weeks to come fast. I will then find a quite corner to myself and read maybe Sophie Kinsella, or just do my manicure and pedicure, or maybe to chat with friends, or even to just enjoy a day at the beach with my kiddo. He is so big now. He can run around with the big boys kicking a ball. Oh soooo cute. At fifteen months. He will probably be another Michael Balak. Hm...

Aiyoohhh. yooh... it is soo difficult push myself to do work. Awfully difficult. I am sooo grateful to all you bloggers out there. I have a reason to stick to my seat even when I am bored to death while doing my notes. Hmmm. Reading up your blogs had brighten my day today. Shoot! I just remembered I have a meeting in one hour. Yesterday it rained like no tomorrow. Very scary indeed. I was warned by Doc Beautiful and my sister that I should go home early. It was likely to flood. I still went home an hour late. :) Rebel. I had four choices in my route home. First, towards YS long way, second, toward YS short way, third, towards IP Long way and last, towards IP short way. Hmm I took YS short way. Going over the YS bridge I could see that the river was sooo very very full. Thank God I was going home. However I changed route half way coz the Kg Likas road was JAMMED. I took the long way which was smoother. Some large puddles and river like water logged on the roads but passable. On Tuaran...

Watch out I just had my doors painted pink. Funny colour for a door right? Yeah ask the past Big Gun's wife. She chose it. My door had one victim so far. Just as I was printing the wet paint sign. I would bet there would be more even with the wet paint sign on my door. Oh dear I think I have to leave my room now. I am already slightly heady. The smell is bad for baby. okay no problem. I will go somewhere else to do work.