Now it is time for my first website to be published on the internet

I have always fancied about what kinds of website that I will build once I enter into a graduate school. The reason that I decided to hold on until I come to graduate school is that I don't have a good justification to actually work on the website as an undergraduate student. However, as I have attended more talks, lectures, workshops and conferences, I found myself quickly looking up some graduate student online when they gave their presentations, so that I could be informed about who they are and what they are working on. Subsequently, it helped me realize that I aspire to have my personal website as early as I can get into a graduate school.

Fast forward a bit, I am currently a first-year graduate student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the physics department. I have been in graduate school for almost a semester and have been working on my website for a few months. I think now it is the time for my website to be live online. Here is the link if you are interested.

The first version of my personal website

My second layover country: Japan

After I had a fairly good time visiting Istanbul for a layover, I am now eager to visit many more countries for layover as I found it was a good way to start getting to know the country, the public transportation and local food. My second destination for a layover is Japan for both Osaka and Tokyo. Instead of flying to the same airport for layover, this time I fly to two different airports at two different cities for a layover.

My first layover for this trip is Osaka. Even though I went to Osaka before during the visit with LESA, this is my first time coming here by myself. Fortunately, I found another Thai friend of friend who study in Osaka. He recommended me to go to Namba for the visit during couple hours that I have and also suggested public transportation from the airport to the city.

Dotonbori, the night life in Osaka

Asian Science Camp 2015 at Bangkok, Thailand

If I can pick one highlight for each summer, it would not be too difficult for the previous three summers. My highlight for my first summer is easily Yellowstone with my Thai friends from University of Chicago. For my second summer, it would be a conference about technology at KAIST, South Korea. Last summer, it was definitely UTRIP, an internship program at University of Tokyo, Japan. However, it was not so easy this summer. Previously I would say either an exoplanet conference in Quy Nhon, Vietnam or my sightseeing trip to Ho Chi Minh City. But after going to Asian Science Camp (ASC2015), I am certain that the best thing that happened to me this summer is being a liaison at ASC2015.

Panel Discussion with famous scientists, including two Nobel winners and Field Medalist (Credit: Theerapoom Boonprab)

Planetary Conference in Quy Nhon, Vietnam and What I learned from here

During the summer, I had a chance to participate in a planetary conference in Quy Nhon, Vietnam as it is my first conference participating as a speaker to talk about my research works. Previously, I had been to few different conferences, including ICIST at KAIST as a delegated speaker, APRIM in Chiang Mai as a liaison to help organize the conference, and an upcoming Asian Science Camp (ASC) as a liaison for leaders. Being the first time, there are so many things that I have no idea about, such as cloth for the conference (it seems like I am way overdressed for this summer conference - I guess it is better to be overdressed than underdressed). Of course, I also mange to find some time to travel in Ho Chi Minh before going to the conference. 

The conference is at a private conference hall next to the beach and far from everything else. The location is awesome as it is in the middle of nowhere and everyone at the conference is forced o to meet each other more than other conferences. The building is created only to support scientific conferences. This creates some problems regarding having enough conference and events to be self-sustained without other supports. Either more business conferences or having private investors are necessary for sustaining the building.  

ICISE, the venue for the planetary conference

Three days in Ho Chi Minh City

Even though I have only a short time of less than two months at home, I still manage to spend a week and a half at the Planetary Science conference at Quy Nhon, Vietnam. Of course, I will definitely find some time to travel in Vietnam. This time, I decide to visit Ho Chi Minh city for the first time before flying to Quy Nhon for the conference. 

Fortunately, I know a Vietnamese person (Chau) from University of Chicago (a bonus from going to school with lots of international students). She took me around the city for these two days that I spent here. I am so thankful that I had someone to show me around and help me communicate with local people. First thing that surprises me about Saigon (the previous name for Ho Chi Minh City) is how similar it is to Bangkok. The city is similar while the cost of living is also exactly the same. There are more cars in Bangkok while there are more motorcycle in Ho Chi Minh. One explanation that I heard from this difference is that there is a large amount of taxes for buying a car in Vietnam as the government is trying to control the number of cars on the street, leading an increase in the number of motorcycles instead. 

Starlight Bridge, Phu My Hung

The first place that I visited in Ho Chi Minh is Starlight Bridge which is in a neighborhood of Phu My Hung. The bridge is very similar to Banpo Bridge in Seoul, South Korea which I visited two years ago. However, it was much less crowded here as most people here are only local and I did not see any other tourists around. The bridge is a good place for hanging out at night with lots of restaurants and street food around the area. 

Financial Crisis: Enemy of Any Political Systems

It was my privilege to be able to listen some British people talking about their queen during her visit to Paris and Normandy for the D-day Celebration on June 6th, 2014.

After hearing them talking about how much they love their queen and how happy they are to be able to see a glimpse of her in Paris, I could not stop and think about our own king. Both British and us are all united with this kind of the head of the State. People feel a part of their country because of the love for their monarch. This is something that liberalism and democracy cannot replicate. In my opinion, the thing that hold American people together is the American dream, a kind of ideology or mythology that everyone can rise from rack to rich while the British people are hold together by the love for their queen.

Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

Charles Ray Exhibition at The Art Institute of Chicago

Two weeks ago, I had a chance to visit the Art Institute of Chicago and I found a new exhibition in the Modern wing, called "Charles Ray: Sculpture, 1997–2014." I was not too excited about the exhibition at first as I thought it will be a typical exhibition. However, this one was different. The whole room is almost empty with couple sculptures lying around in the middle of the room.

The first one that stunned me was a sculpture of a life-size car crash. It looks so real, except from the coloring of the sculpture. I found out later that he actually took an actual car crash and making the exact replica from it. This simply shows how detailed-orientated Charles Ray is in making this sculpture. And this is the beginning of my fascination toward Charles Ray.

Educational Trek at New Orleans Charter School System

I have never been to New Orleans before, so this trek was a really great opportunity for me to not only learn about different educational organization in New Orleans, but also experience a unique culture in the city. New Orleans is an interesting place to visit regarding education because of its structure which had been changed radically after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. A majority of schools in the cities was destroyed by the hurricane, but instead of rebuilding every school to be in the same conditions as they were before the hurricane, the city and The Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) used this opportunity to create an entire new school system which based on the charter school model in order to progressively improve the education system in New Orleans. Because of this vision, most schools in New Orleans are currently charter schools and a majority of students enroll in charter schools. Specifically, only 6 out of more than 80 schools in New Orleans remains traditional public schools. This allowed us to study the possibility of creating the entire education system based on charter schools. The result was incredible which leaded Arne Duncan, the Education Secretary, to call Hurricane Katrina “the best thing that happened to the education system in New Orleans.”

Holy Cross High School, a catholic private school in New Orleans

Spring Break 2015: New Orleans

After visiting Tuscaloosa, the second city that I visited during my spring break of 2015 is New Orleans, Louisiana.

Instead of just traveling and sightseeing, the main purpose of my visit to New Orleans was for the education trek to learn more about New Orleans Public School system as almost all schools are charter school after Hurricane Katrina. But, there is no way that I will not take this opportunity to walk around the city and attend some museums that is available in the city. So, I planned my trip by arriving the city early in the morning before the trek, so that I will have time to explore the city.

St. Louis Cathedral next to Cafe du Monde

Last Spring Break of College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama

I spent my last spring break of college in two cities in two different states: Tuscaloosa, Alabama and New Orleans, Louisiana.

The first place that I visited was Tuscaloosa, Alabama. I visited this place because one of my friends (Ian Ramdeen) whom I met during my study abroad program in Paris is from Tuscaloosa. I think it will be a great chance for me to visit what called the 'Deep South' of the United States since I might not have this chance again once I graduate from University of Chicago.

Tuscaloosa is a college town about an hour away from Birmingham, the most biggest city in Alabama. It is a home for University of Alabama and its great football team which everyone seems to be really cared about. During my visit, it was a spring break for University of Alabama, so the town itself is really quite for my standard. Not many people were walking on the street even in downtown and there was few cars driving around the city.

In front of Tuscaloosa Amphitheater, Alabama