There is a famous Chinese proverb, “A single conversation across the table with a wise person is worth a month's study of books” and I totally agree. Food and meaningful Conversations are two things that I enjoy most. The Research presentation competition of IMECHE (Institute of Mechanical Engineers) which I took part last month could not only fill my stomach with mouth watering dishes but also provided me with a vast supply of food for thought.
The contest itself was mind-blowing with seven mechanical engineers from seven different countries presenting their research in detail to a non-technical audience. Even though the presentations were highly technical each of those presentations was inspiring, because each and every one of us had a true passion for what we were presenting. I must say all those presentations were second to none of TED talks I was watching recently. From the secrets of formula1 car racing to self balancing scooters, from convertible technologies to greener solutions, from face tracking robots to lean manufacturing, they all were truly inspiring.
Apart from the competition I enjoyed the fruitful conversations amidst of never ending food courses. What more can you ask for when you are on a vacation? It was interesting how all of us share many experiences including the engineering softwares we use such as Solidworks, PROE and so on. On the other hand it was equally interesting to observe the different perspectives across the globe for example in Sri Lanka where Engineering field is highly recognized with top students are entering Engineering field In China and Hongkong the field of Engineering is not treated with the same status. There the top students enter management and marketing.
We are living in an age where we are connected across the globe with various networks but at the same time it makes this a silent age that isolates us to iphones, laptops, and ect that makes us ignore the presence of people. I learnt the power of conversation through my grandma. As a person who haven’t received any education more than 5th grade her awareness about the world is better than a college graduate all due to the family culture of conversation where all of her seven children share their day with her. On the other hand conversation is way different from gossip that is why they say “Conversation is an exercise of the mind; gossip is merely an exercise of the tongue.”
