kfwong

Hello there! Kang Fei reporting in! People would call me K.F. (kay-eff), and hey it actually sounds friendlier to me! I'm currently a year one student at NUS pursuing my interest in Computer Science. Say hi to me if you happen to see me at School of Computing! I'm shy and I don't bite ~~that hard~~, really!

My early life, the fate, my choice

I was borned, raised and attended high school in Malaysia for 18 years. Soon after I completed my at high school, I was given a choice to serve Singapore NS and then became Singaporean upon completing my service. It was uncommon during that time since people rather not to "waste" their 2 years marching around, especially as a foreigner - I was a Singapore PR then.

I still remember the day I got my enlistment letter and my mother asking me, "Are you sure you want to take on the offer? You could have stayed and lead a rather peaceful life." I weren't thinking that much then, I just want to see the world, so I didn't care and I went for it.

It was rather tough. I mean, coming from a foreign country to serve as per local male, I honestly wasn't prepared for all of these. The physical training are holistic, sergeants are strict, and I have difficulties catching up with the locals as English speakers primarily. I was in Tekong Island counting the days I'm going to POP.

But then, it was quiet an exciting experience as well. I was shy, REALLY shy, nerdy and introverted. NS is where I learned about being open, becoming a leader, and courage in public speaking. I've made a great deal of close friends that remain contact with me till this very day.

I've always thought that if I were to take root in Singapore, I should go though the same amount of hardship as per any locals. This is what kept me going. I didn't regret it. In fact, I was really grateful I gain so much from it, much more than it's exceeded my expectation. To those who are still nagging about how disastrous NS was to them, it's just a matter of whether one taking it positively or negatively. NS didn't shape me, I shaped myself to become better through its guidance. The outcome is the character I've developed over the 2 years, and that's just being myself.

My journey, then

I took a rather long detour, and even a longer one. My high school result wasn't good enough to secure a university place for me, so I went for Polytechnic instead. I attended Nanyang Polytechnic as Information Technology student. It was a great school with helpful lectureres and friends, I would dare say it's definitely the best poly in Singapore!

It would seem that what I've learned in poly wasn't enough to quench my thirst for more knowledge. I joined Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN) as IT consultant in June 2012, develop and solve their IT issue in business. It was fulfilling as I learned as much as I could and apply them in my studies. My freelance and studies complement each other and I was able to excel in both commitments. AVPN staff are especially kind, and I owe Kevin Teo, the CTO, my thanks for his guidance in my career path.

I worked at NCS PTE LTD for my final year internship. It was enjoyable and challenging to be able to witness working as a team in IT industry. Due to short of manpower, I was given reason to be more independant. Whenever I faced difficulities that I couldn't solve it alone, the staff are kind enough to lend me a hand and we manage to work it out together.

A rather unexpected turn of event

I took a month of vacation after I graduated from NYP. My friends called me up to join a startup. I was reluctant at first, yet I was bored at home. I took it up eventually in May 2015. The company is called Present - as in the gift. It's owned by Peter Draw, who has a very inspiring personality and a great friend. I was convinced by Iman, the current CTO to join Present as I admire his achievement and wish I could learn more from him. I worked as a backend developer for the application platform API. It was extremely enjoyable and fruitful when I was working there. Unfortunately, I was enrolled in the university in August so I had to leave my position to pursue my dream.

A new chapter

I was thrilled when I saw the offer letter from National University of Singapore to study computer science! For I've been rejected 5 years ago, I have proven myself through NS and poly education that I was too, able to reach my goal. It was rather sad as all my friends have already graduated while I'm just about to start my life in university. I have no regrets, because this is the path I've chosen.

The unforseen future

I do not know what lies ahead. But I do know there are excitements and a clear goal. My duty is to follow my own heart, therefore I live without regrets. My story has not ended yet! The next time you visit this page it'll be much longer!

Bored? Skip the rest and read from here

Yeah skip the rest above and that's it. I admit I'm quite a boring person. But hey, I do have my interests alright? Just a bit unusual... maybe?

Let's start with the music I listen to. I love movie & game soundtrack, sometimes ambient music that help me focus. It's not that I hate pop, but I find the lyrics often intefere with my thoughts. My favourite of all times? Final Fantasy sountracks, as long as it's composed by Nobuo Uematsu. Listen to this! I played it myself! His music fits to perfectly that I see myself in the adventure everytime I listen to them. Anybody knows Yoko Shimomura, Joe Hisashi, and perhapes Hans Zimmer? I find myself listening to the "Mood" or "Focus" genre on Spotify quite often. If you are one of a kind, let me know and we could perhapes trade some of our favorites?

I'm took up interest in boardgames recently. Not just the mainstream Monopoly! I'm sure you've heard of Settlers of Catan or Civilizations? I find boardgames a great way in terms of ice breaking, especially when meeting up with a group of strangers. I'm not a professional collectors but I play as my friends suggest: Avalon, Resistance, Bloodbound, Dominion, Seven Wonders, Puerto Rico, Lifeboat, and so much more I couldn't remember!