Vasughi is working toward integrating home appliances into a coherent distributed architecture. Explaining the application of her research, she says, 'With the technology that we are trying to develop, one will be able to access songs in MP3 format in your laptop through any other audio appliance such as a DVD player.'
Of Indian origin but born and brought up in Malaysia, she has always had to juggle with her dual identities though she candidly admits, 'I am more Indian at heart than Malaysian'. Nestled among her Indian friends at the UT, she exults, 'I am at my best in their company'. What fascinates her about the Dutch is their assertiveness and open-mindedness; the ability to 'call a spade, a spade', which is in sharp contrast to the popular 'compliant' behaviour back home. She illustrates, 'Here, you can say 'NO' to your professors when you hold a different view and perhaps discuss diplomatically but similar behaviour in Malaysia would probably invite unsavory consequences.'
Vasughi is, particularly, irritated at the 'appointment culture' that has confronted her here, very often now. She argues, 'At least, medical facilities should be exempted so that anyone can avail them anytime, especially in case of an emergency.'
'A variety of races; Chinese, Indian, Indonesian, Malaysian, co-
existing together in one country', she explains, while mentioning the uniqueness of Malaysia. 'The rat race that I witnessed at work there is hardly to be seen here and I am happy about it', Vasughi says, heaving a sigh of relief. She is absolutely impressed with the healthy work culture here along with the enthusiasm that blends so well with Dutch lifestlye.
Accustomed to travel exclusively by car, Vasughi finds it cumbersome to cycle her way out here. Vehemently missing her loved ones since she has never been away from home before, she adds, 'I also miss the hot, spicy Malaysian cuisine; the last time I tasted it was during my air travel in Malaysian Airlines!' Having undertaken the intensive Dutch course recently, she ensures to spare some time from her daily routine for follow up. She confesses, 'Nederlandse is niet moeilijk taal; to speak different languages is an asset.'
Vasughi states confidently, 'Malaysia has a lot to offer to the world; appetising culinary delights, beaches, islands, magnificent shopping malls and above all, the Petronas twin towers, the tallest in the world.' But she says regretfully, 'There is a lack of interest and motivation for students back home to pursue research as they prefer to take up jobs with better monetary benefits'. Last but not least, being apprehensive of the approaching winter, she shivers, 'I can't imagine my predicament in winter when the temperature drops below zero as the average annual temperature in Malaysia is 35 degrees Celsius!'
Vijay Iyer
Hometown: Kepong, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Languages: English, Tamil, Malay
Favorite Food: Chicken Sambal
Favorite music genre: Pop
Favorite tennis player: Andre Agassi
Favorite place in NL: Enschede
Best part about living in the NL: Learning the Dutch language
Worst part about living in the NL: Not understanding the language
Dream destination: Rome
Vasughi Sundramoorthy
