It's All About The Experience
Archive for February, 2010
DIY Woodwork Part II
Feb 27th
Here’s the continuation of the little project. The newspaper sticking on the wood is really a pain in the arse. What an unnecessary mistake I’ve done. Now I know….waste of time and energy.
Luckily, Dad came back with me but unluckily for him to be part of the labour. Cause’ he had to do this
Dad and I painstakingly scraped off the newspaper. Rubbing off with thinner doesn’t seemed to work. Water does make the removal easier though. After that, we applied two layers of wood protection just like previously. When it’s dry, assembly is commenced!
We used two types of ‘L’ Bracket – plastic and steel. We wanted to use all steel but out of stock so we bought plastic ones and they are cheaper anyway. We used plastic ones for the simple tables.
Applied carpentry glue between two pieces so that they hold more strongly..
After many many screwing (no pun intended), we’re done! 2 simple tables, 1 weirder looking table and 1 shelf.
and
Piles of newspapers to throw and clean up.
The total cost of the project is RM 156.50, and approximately 65 man-hours. Worth it? Yea to some extend it was satisfying but the process wasn’t exactly that enjoyable. We had bruised palm and backache due to much bending. urgh! But it was certainly a rich learning experience. Below are some of the things I would improve on / reduce the next time around (if any):
- Reduce wood protection coating. Perhaps only use them for the sides. That would dive the cost down by 40%, using only one tin and lower the man-hours by 50%. Using less chemical is also more environmental friendly.
- Would love to try paint instead. Black or white would be my top choice.
- Install then only paint the side to avoid newspaper sticking on the wood. This would reduce the man-hours by another 20%.
- An electric driller would certainly speed up things and reduce physical pain.
- Minimize throwing of newspaper and recycle them instead. Almost all are torn while separating them from wood.
Without a good assistant like Dad, this project will not be completed so wonderfully. Thanks!
DIY Woodwork Part I
Feb 11th
In support of green architecture, I have decided to make my own furniture by re-using pieces of wood that I managed to salvage. Apparently some people left it lying by the stairs and seeing that no one came to claim them, I loaded as many pieces as I can into my poor little car in the middle of the night when no one was watching and transported back to my apartment. The pieces, weigh more than 5kg a piece, are still in very good condition. There are still more pieces of variety sizes and shapes by the stairs but that’s all I could carry though I have the desire to go back for more. Perhaps some other day. Each of the wood measure 1 inch thick but of different length and width. So this is what I did to them thus far:
- Wiped them clean and stacked according to size
- Took measurement with IKEA measuring tape
- The GOAL: use up all the pieces and make as many furniture as possible. The designing work is actually the hardest process. It had me thinking for quite a while. Below are my engineering-ish drawing sketches:-
- The preview of the end result. There will be three tables and one shelf. Each shape is tagged with alphabet corresponding to size. This is for easy identification and to avoid using the wrong piece during assembly.
- Recently my wooden computer table was covered with mold – same type of wood, only thinner. So I’ve decided to apply wood protection to avoid having the same problem. Went to Ace Hardware to look around and here’s what I came back with:-
- Painting. This is when the actual labour begins. Each surface was coated twice. I had twenty two pieces and the recommended drying time before re-applying is 12 hours. But I waited only about 7 hours because I was impatient. I worked from morning till midnight.
- The second coating made the wood even darker. The surfaces are now not so smooth as I thought they would be.
One litre of wood protection wasn’t enough so I went and bought another two more tins. If I had another chance to do another woodwork I would want to try coloured paint. Now I left the reverse side to coat but I face a problem. The newspapers are now glued to the wood. Anyway I’ll figure out how to solve it after the Chinese New Year break. I can’t wait to get them done. It’s my woodwork since ‘kemahiran hidup’ back in the secondary school days. As for now HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!!!!!
Live & Inspire: Chew Hoong Ling
Feb 7th
How would you like to make organ donation your passion?
Well, one brave soul did – Chew Hoong Ling. To cut it short, she donated 60% of her liver to save a 13 year old girl, and today she’s the campaigner of organ donation. Basically her job is to inspire people / convince people to pledge their organs, and she’s been successful. I’ll tell you why later because I have something to say now.
I have finally tasted Starbucks coffee! Lolx. I’m a guy who doesn’t think paying more than RM13 for a coffee is worth it, so the only way I’m holding this cup was because it’s free.
There are many things I’ve learned from this session which I would like to share, so here it goes. How Hoong Ling came to donate part of her organ was pretty simple. She received a forwarded email (like most of us did), saying a 13 year old girl was in dire need of a liver transplant. The difference was this – she didn’t forward that forwarded email instead she responded by calling the hospital. Then one thing led to another. She went for a test to determine the suitability. In the course of her test, she found out she actually had only one kidney – all these while, she was born with only one kidney. Sometimes you discover stuff in an unusual circumstances, doesn’t it? Without saying she passed the test.
Now she faced many objections from different people till she doubted her decision until someone told her that it was her fate and karma to do this operation, and that once she’s decided, she is not to look back.
Before they proceeded with the operations, she had to undergo strict interview/process from the ethics committee. There are three parties involved – the doctor, donor and receiver. This is to make sure that the doctor is not doing it for the money (alone); the donor fully aware of the consequences and under no circumstances being forced nor involved in selling of the organ, and the receiver is indeed in a life-threatening stage where organ transplant is the only solution.
Here are some interesting facts. Doctor told her that her chance of death was 1 to 1.5%. That’s why she had the confidence to go on with the operation. The liver is the only organ that can grow back. Now Hoong Ling’s liver has fully grown back, even bigger than before. She donate about 500gm of her liver. Have you wonder why major operations take so many hours to complete? Dressed very casually, Hoong Ling said that the doctors had to cut very carefully and tie up every artery they come across. That means cut a bit, tie, cut a bit, tie, cut a bit, tie. That’s why lo.
The sad part is that the 13 year old girl did not survive the ordeal but not because of the liver cancer case. Months after the operation, she had bone cancer (not spread from the liver cancer). Because of that, she had to undergo chemotherapy and as a result her immune system was very weak. She contracted lung disease and died.
Sad indeed but it wasn’t a wasted donation. In fact Hoong Ling’s act extended the girl’s life for 8 months. It may not seem all that long, but try imagine yourself in her situation, you would cherish every second of it.
At this point I shall recommend you to watch ’7 Pounds’. Another solid performance by Will Smith with a great story. I say great story because I had no inkling what Will Smith was trying to do and it wasn’t predictable. Maybe I have low IQ but go ahead and watch it anyway, if you haven’t already.
Hoong Ling now goes everywhere with forms – lest anyone might want to pledge their organs. She’s been doing a great job even for someone who’s signed up. Back then I didn’t want to donate my skin and eyes upon death. I pictured myself dead, with only bones and no eyes! eeeewww. Looking at a dead person is spooky enough, but to actually look at one without his skin and eyeballs is like a halloween nightmare. However after explanation I have decided to donate it all! woohoo. As for skin, they’ll only graft the back part or perhaps your thigh. As for the eye, they don’t actually take the whole eyeball but the cornea. So yea, not so scary now.
Before
Now
This is me with the courageous Hoong Ling who’s also known as the mercedes girl no thanks to the operation scar. Is a whole 14 inch mercedes scar (yes we saw it – she showed to the crowd). 
This info – 14 inch – had won me a present from the quiz section! It’s a bag. Great, just what I needed as I’m actually running out of bags to carry. For some reason all my previous bags have torn on the part where you carry or sling over your shoulder, if you get what I mean.
I look forward to more great stories, free coffees, and gifts! In the mean time, go pledge your organ. It’s really a waste not to cause you are dead anyway. You won’t feel a thing, right? lolx.
