Thursday, 9 Nov 2023

I'd like to discuss my conference, known as PIPOC. Currently, I'm placing a food order and ensuring it's not ready yet. So, yes, let's delve into PIPOC.

Let me review my notes from the first day. I opted for Grab to transport my poster, encountering minor registration hiccups. Despite this, everything went well. Notably, the Grab driver chose to take the SMART tunnel. I've always wanted to go through it since watching a documentary, possibly on National Geographic, detailing its construction. I recall watching this documentary as a child, being somewhat of a geek. It was like a dream come true as I've always held a fascination with tunnels, having explored notable ones, such as the SMART tunnel and an auto-centric tunnel in Iceland that goes under the sea. Another memorable tunnel for me is the one under the Bosphorus Strait in Turkey, connecting the Asian and European parts of Istanbul. I initially thought it was connecting the Asian and European part of Istanbul, but I stand corrected. It's an under-the-strait tunnel where even getting service is a challenge. You have to take a lift to reach it, and it's notably cold.

Enough about tunnels. I was excited to take this route since I've driven to Kuala Lumpur many times but never had the opportunity to use this tunnel. Perhaps it's a shortcut, but few want to pay the toll. Maybe it's slightly more elevated in terms of the price compared to the normal route; I'm not sure.

Fortunately, I registered early as the queue was exceptionally long at 8:30. I'm pleased I registered when there were practically no attendees around, aside from the staff. The conference had a highly international turnout, exceeding my initial expectations, involving not only neighboring countries like Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand but also countries outside of Asia, including Colombia, France, and the Netherlands.

Speaking of posters, when I displayed mine, I couldn't help but notice its less professional appearance compared to others at the conference. It resembled something a high school student might create. Despite this, I was humbled by the beautifully designed posters. Fast forward to the awards ceremony, and I unexpectedly won one of the prizes for the best poster in the competition. I suspect this success may be attributed to the active presentation of my findings during the supposed judging sessions, unlike many other participants who were not present. Additionally, most posters were from the organizers themselves, potentially affecting the judging process. Out of 270 posters in total, my placement in the top 8 out of over 100 non-organizer entries is something I truly appreciate.

The diverse languages I heard indicated global participation, with recognition of Portuguese, Spanish, and French. On the first day, I had the opportunity to meet new people, and overall, the experience was great with amazing food and excellent talks.

The second day featured an official ceremony associated with the Prime Minister of Malaysia, a surprise given the stature of the speaker. The Prime Minister's improvised speech, incorporating recent details, stood out. However, the day had less exciting plenary talks.

Numerous exhibitions and company presentations provided ample networking opportunities. On the third day, it was relatively uneventful, prompting me to engage in conversations rather than attending talks. I did participate in some discussions on mechanization, specifically on the mechanical aspects of oil palm cultivation, providing an eye-opening experience on the industry's scale in that field.

Networking on the second day resulted in new connections, although I regretted not updating my LinkedIn profile beforehand. On the third day, I unexpectedly won the poster competition, prompting me to troubleshoot my research by seeking advice from peers. Overall, that summarizes my conference experience. Nothing notable happened during the third day, so I'll conclude here. Thank you for listening.

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