About Me

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München, Bayern, Germany
I love all things motorsports and racing. I have an unhealthy addiction to modifying anything mechanical. Brakes and Suspension are my forte and I love driving fast in slow cars. I am in love with math, physics and knowing how things work. But if there's anything I've learned since being here, it's that experiencing a multitude of other cultures, traveling, and seeing tangible history will enrich ones life in ways no book can offer.

Tuesday 31 May 2011

Dr.Grandin and the IEP Alums


This past weekend we had the great pleasure of having dinner and drinks with Dr.Grandin, his wife and many IEP Alums and contacts. Dr.Grandin is very well accomplished and respected as he has founded the International Engineering Program and has been the director for the past 23 years. The program has gained many awards and is one of the most nationally recognized in the country blending Engineering and Language to cater to a global marketplace. It has served as a model to other Global Engineering programs but is quite strong with partner schools and business programs in countries speaking German, Spanish, French and Chinese.  It was really refreshing to see what is possible and what opportunities await after graduating from this program. I still believe I want to pursue grad studies in Europe, but it was nice building up some connections. 


Click here for more info about the International Engineering Program









Sunday was pretty productive. Laundry, research, and planning for Nürburgring. It was beautiful out so i decided to walk around camera in hand.


This is where the magic happens, BMW Forschungs- und Innovationszentrum (research and innovation center). This is just the front entrance which is about 1/14th of the actual office complex. The office complex is only about 1/3 of this BMW campus. It is a wonderful place to work. I am sad when the weekend rolls around because I have to wait until Monday to go back. Every day, a new adventure.

Tuesday 24 May 2011

Saturday was spent sailing on the Ammersee. The weather was amazing as usual, and a couple friends and I drank a beer and talked about what could have been. It was "Doomsday" afterall....

After judgement day, Sunday I went to a German Practice/Stammtisch. It was great meeting new people and there were many good conversations. The weather started to get windy/cloudy, but almost in a nice way.

All the deadlines for Grad School Scholarships abroad in Germany are actually sooner than I thought (November). I'm going to have to shoot a couple emails out to different universities to get the ball rolling on deciphering if my Bachelors is comparable for enrollment, at least to get some University correspondence which many scholarships require. If I cannot find funding for graduate school, there's absolutely no way possible. I really want to study Fahrdynamik (Driving Dynamics). It completely aligns with my hobbies and interests. The reason why I went back to school in the first-place was for the love of motorsports. This internship at BMW has opened my eyes to opportunities that I initially thought unobtainable. Work hard, do the best you can, and eventually you will reach your goal. It took me a couple years, but so far everything has been working out for the best. I will try harder, and maybe in the future I'll be exactly where I want to be.

Today I saw the BMW Vision ConnectedDrive at work, what a beautiful car.



The boat we rented for 70euros (the whole day)







BMW ConnectedDrive




Unrelated but based on the ConnectedDrive design and still awesome in it's own right, the BMW 328 Hommage:


Friday 20 May 2011

Week in Review

This past Wednesday I attended a German Stammtisch organized through some forums on Toytown. It is a predominantly english speaking forum, but there are an ABUNDANCE of activities set up from concerts, photo scavenger hunts, stammtisch (in many different languages), wine tastings and so on. It is easy to get ideas to keep busy and meet people. Best part, toytown is active in many large cities around Germany. It was cool mingling with people from many different countries and with the help of some locals, we were able to engage in conversation at our own pace, own level, and with good constructive feedback. There is another German Practice Stammtisch on Sunday I will go to. Next Wednesday I will be taking part in a 6 person Portrait Workshop learning  how to use Studio Lighting. I can't wait, I haven't been motivated lately to take any new photos, but it would be nice to learn how to take pictures of people nicely.

My tickets for the 24Hours of Nürburgring have been booked! My boss is going to be there too for the Mini GP race and I think one other event. He told me to drop by the paddock for a visit  :) I am extremely excited, but again, sad I do not have access to a telephoto lens. :(

I have been more busy at work which is awesome. I helped translate a 96 slide PowerPoint for BMW Driver-Training (my boss is also a driving instructor). Today I got to sit in and offer a few recommendations for some hard to translate (into English) topics. However, they all did a great job, and it was just fun meeting others and listening in.

Tomorrow I will be heading off with two other IEP students to the Starnberger See for some sailing. Can't wait, even though some say it's the Apocalypse, I'm not going to let that get in the way of enjoying my short moment left in Germany. I just realized that in 2 or 3 weeks, I'll be halfway done with my internship which really breaks my heart.

Saturday 14 May 2011

Another week, time is speeding up

This week at BMW was particularly busy. There are a couple of cars that had to be prepared for my co-workers to test. I have been given tasks to carry out independently and have been fairly successful in finding my way around, and conversing with people I don't know to get the job done. I took a visit to the wind tunnel this week which was extremely interesting. It's nice to hear everything that is taken into consideration when testing. It isn't just air flowing over a car, but it depends on tire motion and "street movement" under as well. There are a lot of sophisticated systems in place to accurately measure real world type scenarios.

 I am starting to re-review the suspension theory that I've been learning. It's one thing to understand the words in what they mean, but another to understand the point that they are trying to convey; what is this text actually describing? I took a moment to finally realize that after a while, my mind just goes to autopilot, and i read and understand, but not comprehend. More to work on.

I am under the realization that my vocabulary has started to suffer. Where technical vocab is used quite frequently, I have a hard time remembering some basic verbs, proper conjugation (on the spot when nervous) and prepositions still pose an issue. I've starting printing off Vocab lists and trying to dig through old exercises on Sakai to refresh my memory.

I was going to try to go to Braunschweig this weekend to retrieve some of my belongings I have left with friends, but I got out of work too late. Instead I will spend the weekend in, recuperate, and try to research some Graduate Programs abroad. I have spoken with several people and they explained that the Bachelor/Masters system is still too new in Germany. Industry doesn't quite know how to react to these new degrees so it is still ideal for applicants to have a Diplom/Masters; whereas in the states, one can get a good job with just a bachelors (or even just relevant work experience). I am interested in the IEP's Dual Masters track, but for me it's an issue of affordability. I can barely afford to do my Bachelors, and I max out loans and even wasted 3 hours a day for 3 years, commuting by bus to save money. The prospect of 3-4 semesters abroad at only 500Euros per semester is quite appealing. Cost of living isn't that much different from living in the states, I just have to see what financial aid opportunities I might be eligible for before deciding. It's getting difficult but it's better to prepare for something I may or may not do, than to be unprepared for when the time comes. I will have to consult some professors and other contacts for any tips and advice.

anyways..... next week my uncle from Canada is in Germany on business, I might be able to meet up with him and see how things are going. My Cousin is getting married early June, and I'm quite sad that I cannot afford to fly out and attend. I wish them well though, time is passing ever so quickly.

I am already a third finished with my time at my Praktikum. I feel like I've done a lot, but i also feel like I haven't done enough. I dread the day I will have to pack up and head back to the states to tackle the hardest semester i've had yet. I'm maxed out on course load, still living off campus, and there is a possibility I will not be able to graduate on time because of one required elective (ELE220 - Active Passive Circuits) that is only offered once a year, and it usually conflicts with every core engineering class I've had to take. I get stressed just thinking about it. I do look forward to seeing my girlfriend, my friends and my car. I welcome the life's conveniences I took for granted before leaving; I will definitely miss Germany, but if all goes well, I'll be back.

It's a rainy weekend this week, but today, the clouds have parted and the sun is shining brilliantly. I need to get some things done before the afternoon showers roll in. Then researching what it takes to get into Grad Programs abroad.

Sunday 8 May 2011

1000km Spa Francorchamps International LeMans Cup

1000km de Spa-Francorchamps was a lot of fun!

It makes me really wish I could afford a good telephoto lens. In any event, Peugeot is strong as usual. The new Audi TDI (now running with 6 cylinder motors) is extremely QUIET. Just the sound of wind rushing past,then all the other cars screaming behind.

The Corvette and the Aston Martin were easily the loudest.






Here is a bunch of videos. Dont mind the end credits, i just used windows to stitch various clips together lol.

Thursday 5 May 2011

Going to Belgium!

This weekend I am going to Aachen, then Spa Belgium.

I will be watching the 1000km of Spa Francorchamps, International LeMans Cup race. I am quite excited and cannot wait to watch my first race in Europe.



 I hope it's the first of many races to come. I want to see if it's possible to attend WRC - Deutschland as it's in Trier, middle August. I will be around, but it might be difficult finding accomodations.

I do plan on going to 24Hours of Nürburgring June 23-26, 2011 which should be fun. I am doing the RingTaxi August 6th (My talented boss is also a RingTaxi driver). For those who do now know what the Nürburgring is, also known as the Grüne Hölle, it is a world famous race course and test track. 20.8km long, 73 corners, the Nordschleife is an extremely challenging and difficult course to master. It goes through so many elevation changes and one can almost experience all weather elements in one race. It's dangerous, its exhilarating. If I am lucky, maybe I can catch a glimpse of the "Queen of the Ring", Sabine Schmitz, if the stars are aligned and the gods are smiling, maybe I can get an autograph. Otherwise, it's fun to dream  ;)







Tuesday 3 May 2011

Excursion to Garmisch-Partenkirche (Zugspitze), Burgheim, Neuburg and Kelheim

A friend visited from Braunschweig who had an exchange student in Bayern. She was visiting the family and I was invited to tag along. The Ruisinger Family was absolutely delightful. The dinner was amazing and the next day they showed us around three beautiful areas of Bayern. Burgheim which was the town we stayed in was very very quiet. The area was absolutely stunning.


Nikki, one of two cats of the great family that hosted us.








NEUBURG
Neuburg was not far. We drove and saw Schloss Neuburg. This palace is quite impressive and is in its original state (read: not war damaged). Schloss Neuburg was once residence to Counts of Pfalz-Neuburg; a principality founded in 1505. It was initially Gothic, then three Renaissance wings were added in 1530.  It has some beautiful hand etched stone of Biblical scenes which makes up an entire inner face of the courtyard (see pictures below). The technique used is called Sgraffito. Later between 1664 and 1668 a Baroque east wing and two towers were added. This was one of the very first Baroque palaces in all of Germany, but it covers an amazing array of styles, I honestly consider it an artistic marvel. 


Sgraffito


everything lined with shells





KELHEIM
Kelheim was about an hour away. It is well known for die Befreiungshalle (The Hall of Liberation). King Ludwig I commissioned the construction to comemorate both the victorious battles against Napoleon during the Wars of Liberation 1813-1815 and the unification of all the German races. It was modeled after buildings from Ancient Rome and midieval Italy. The outside houses 18 monumental statues with the names of German tribes. Inside there are 34 Goddesses of Victory made from white marble all joined in hands; they symbolise the 34 german  states of the German Confederation (Deutscher Bund) founded in 1815. The floor inscription reads:


MOECHTEN DIE TEUTSCHEN NIE VERGESSEN WAS DEN BEFREIUNGSKAMP NOTHWENDIG MACHTE UND WODURCH SIE GESIEGT.


Which translates to (according to wiki): May the Germans never forget what made necessary the Struggle for Freedom and by what means they won. 









CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL FLICKR SET




A special thanks to the Ruisinger Family in Burgheim for their hospitality, friendliness and willingness to show us around. They are genuinely kind folks and it was a pleasure to have the chance to talk to them (in german/bayerisch)




The day before, on Saturday, we had gone to the Garmisch-Partenkirche to see the Zugspitze. It was a beautiful day and we took a cog train up to Zugspitzplatz where it then connected to a cable car to the summit. But the weather is unpredictable at the highest peak in Germany. It was snowing when we arrives but within 15 minutes, the sun was breaking through the clouds. 



taking a cog train; the center of the track has a grooved track for the teeth of a large gear to roll over and index. This pulls the train up steep inclines it would normally slide down.


View from the loading dock of the cable car


Germany's Highest Biergarten


A small map was found depicting what the view should have looked like. It was pretty close...


Then it Finally Cleared





Click here for the full set to Garmisch-Partenkirche on my Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22512029@N06/sets/72157626515704475/with/5691254184/


I give photo credit to Rachel Harper for any photos in which I appear. Thanks!