The Freescale Experience - A Summary

My first experience in a real working environment is finally over. 2 whole months just flew by. The following is a summary of this experience..

On my first day, I only had a rough idea where the Freescale building was located for I used to see it on my way to college when I was studying at Inti College Subang Jaya. It took me half an hour to find my way around the huge building, and reach the entrance which was located on the other side (not facing the Setia Jaya KTM station). It didn't take me long to figure the shortest route, and it was to be a 10-minute walk to and fro everyday, plus a 40-minute ride on the KTM each way. It really isn't an exaggeration (or any attempt to butter-up anyone.. lol) when I say that I was always enthusiastic to get to work. Perhaps, it was because it was only 2 months.. perhaps, it was because I wasn't constantly burdened with difficult assignments. Even so, I was happiest on the days I was tied down with work, rather than not having anything to do and just walking around the assembly line purposelessly with an unmistakable feeling of being patronized.

So what have I really accomplished within these 2 months at work? Well, I worked on a couple of projects - namely the TBGA substrate wash and the foreign matter mapping; the latter being where I feel I actually made a significant positive difference. I also helped out my colleagues with their work whenever I could, and in the process learnt a lot about the whole semiconductor packaging process. Not to mention the gems of people who took the time and effort to explain to me the fundamentals of the procedures and processes in various operation lines, ultimately giving me an idea of the bigger picture.

Technicalities aside, I also had the opportunity to make an observation on the workplace environment, the management system and its effectiveness. There are a number of people who seem very dedicated to the job, and have the company's well-being as their foremost priority. For these people, the extra hours they work does not seem to be an issue. In a world where selfishness and a lack of vision has gotten the human race moving along a different direction, I must say it was heartening to know that there still are people who give their all in their profession without much fuss. No, I do not think these people are fools who are naive and won't survive in today's 'competitive' world.. I believe they are visionaries, who see things in the long run.. who know that their tireless, hard work would lead to the company's progress, and in turn their own well-being as employees. The same goes for any institution. Take for instance an educational institution. It doesn't matter how great a school/college/university it may have been to date. What matters is the mind-frame of the people in it. If all of them are positive thinkers who see the glass half-full, then even the worst of schools would "miraculously" transform into a legendary institution. All it takes is a positive mind (minds in this case), and even more importantly - patience.

I also observed the importance of teamwork, and the need for a caring and understanding supervisor. Frankly, I learnt a lot about this, and a lot more in my Industrial Psychology class last semester. However, they were all in theory, and I am ever so grateful for being given a chance to observe them in practice, and in cases also experience them myself. No, I didn't learn much about things related to my major (Chemical Engineering, for those of you who may have forgotten.. tsk tsk), but I believe I've gained something more important than just an internship. Hence I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to everyone at Freescale who have made my 2 months at the company truly unforgettable. Thank you!

Well well well.. we have a slightly longer than usual post here, so with nothing much to add, I think I'll wrap things up here. Adieu!

P.S: To those of you in Malaysia, I've only got another 2 weeks to go here, and I'm quite uncertain as to when I'd be coming home again, so please let me know when you're free and we could hang out some time soon. Take care!

Keep on Moving

That's just the way the story goes..

Work's gotten a lil' tougher since my last blog. No more purposeless wandering-around, no more long tea breaks. Yet it's still good fun. However, there is one thing that has bummed me this week.. the KTM Komuter.. my daily mode of transport. Back in my days at Inti, I used to think the 15 minutes a train frequency was bad.. now it's 20 minutes a train.....

To make things worse, there's always the odd train that vanishes mysteriously (happened to me thrice this week, and I ended up waiting for 40 minutes for a train.. good grief). Due to this, the number of people add up to the point where breathing space becomes scarce during the ride.. Oh, and did I mention.. some coaches are infested with cockroaches. Haha. But in all seriousness, what can this country boast of if even its public transportation system is in such a state. It really is a pathetic sight. I mean, we're talking about the most extensive public transportation in KL. The Star & Putra LRT only travel for relatively short distances. It's the KTM Komuter that covers the most land in and around Kuala Lumpur.

Ok.. complaints aside.. I've still been spending my weekends with friends here, but amazingly there are still quite a few I haven't met and really wish to see before my departure. Wait a minute, that still sounds like a complaint. Lol. I guess that's all I got for now. Watched 'Wanted' at the theatres last week. Pretty neat movie.. and everyone tells me that 'Hancock' ain't good so I didn't bother to catch it at the big screens. Alrite. That's about it for now. Have a nice day!

Threading a Fine Line

It's been a while.. since I could blog my heart out here..

As some of you may already be aware of, I've been pretty preoccupied the past couple of weeks. My internship (so to speak.. it really doesn't seem very related to my major, but it's very, very interesting stuff) began a fortnight ago, and I've had really long hours at work... not to mention my long trip to and fro on the KTM (just like the good ol' days back in INTI). Here's a little update on what working at Freescale really has been like for me. Firstly.. there's a sizable group of Indians working at the line where my job is based. These guys really are gems, and my only regret is that I would only be working with them for 2 months. Each of them are unique in their own way.. yet all of them are in unison when it comes to advising me on what I should do once I complete my studies in the US....... DON'T COME BACK TO MALAYSIA!! At first, it really was sad to hear that. However, the countless arguments they made on why I shouldn't come home were all valid.. Now the only thing that still binds me to a future in Malaysia is (quite obviously) my friends and family.

Future talks aside, my workload at the company really wasn't much, until last Friday when I was finally entrusted with more arduous and important tasks. And when I figured it couldn't get any more tiring, today's work was a killer! I was practically in the line for really long hours, even foregoing my breakfast and tea break hours (lunch break is compulsory). I performed measurements to test the repeatability and reliability of a couple of new high-power microscopes in the line. Towards the latter part of the day, I was repeatedly attempting to overcome my greatest obstacle to date... threading an amazingly fine gold wire (that's 99.9% pure gold for you.. lol) through a couple of small holes and a capillary tip. I managed to get all the steps right in due time except the last one... threading through the capillary tip. Being the determined one (yea right! lol), I'm gonna give it another go tomorrow. Oh and did I mention I screwed up the bonding pad measurements slightly and I'll need to redo tomorrow?? Guess not.

So yea.. I've been pretty tired on the weekdays. However, despite the crazy hours, I managed to meet up with Henry Yeo at Mid Valley last Tuesday. He basically had free tickets and we decided on Kung Fu Panda. I must say, I was kinda fearing a repeat of my HORRENDOUS Monster House experience (I think those couple of hours still torments the other few who watched it with me.. haha), but the movie turned out to be really funny. Yes, some of the jokes seemed stale at times, but the animated expressions and sound effects made it truly enjoyable.

And what about the weekends? Well I'm pretty busy on the weekends too.. busy having FUN! Lol. For instance, this last Saturday, I met up with Fang Hai and Samuel (once again.. Mid Valley) as we ended up eating at chatting for hours - catching up on old times and discussing the current situation in my alma mater.. Victoria Institution. From there, I made my way to Edmund Siew's barbecue party. He had basically invited a horde of Victorians from my batch... some of whom I had already met up with at the surprise party. Any event with this bunch of guys is always great fun, as we chatted and cracked jokes for hours. I was very happy to meet a lot of them, and for the opportunity I thank Edmund. Now, it didn't just end there.. I was also out for the entire Sunday at the Bukit Bintang area with Ashan and Alex. Once again, lotsa chit-chatting.. and a couple of bowling games and we really had a relaxing evening.

Alright.. that's it for now. Here's me signing off, and for once very uncertain as to when the next update would be.. Cheers!