my first few days in los banos

Today's my fourth day in Los Banos, Laguna. I'm surprised that I am not missing Davao as much as I have expected myself to be. Maybe because of the climate (it's unusually hot here like in Davao, I was expecting a cooler temperature) and the sight at my window (which reminds me of how green Davao City is, amidst the urbanization, though it's much greener here). 

When I arrived here in the dormitory, I immediately experienced the discomfort of choosing a room in the third floor. Good thing my brother accompanied me and helped me bring my things to my room. The room was full of dust and cobwebs. I didn't let the day pass without cleaning the room since I really really really don't like sleeping inside a dirty room (and using a dirty bathroom). But before I cleaned my room, my brother, together with my classmate and her sister, and I went shopping for things we need inside our rooms. I wasn't able to buy a table since my feet sored after hours of looking for things and walking from Robinson's to a nearby store and vice versa. It was rather discomforting on my part because unlike in Davao, the groceries here are packed inside brown paper bags or cartons and there are no taxicabs here. So we went back to the dormitory riding tricycles. So I cleaned my room and partially finished arranging my things. 

On the second day, I went somewhere to buy a table. I only rode a jeepney to get home with my table. Good thing the main road wasn't really that far from my dorm.  I finished cleaning up my room that day.

Yesterday, my classmate's sister took my classmate and me to UPLB so that we could have our lunch at IRRI (I don't know the meaning of the acronym but it is a reasearch institute for rice).  We had to walk to get there, and I got sunburned again. But it was all worth it since the food in IRRI's canteen is delicious and cheap! We then went to the Chemical Engineering Department to finish our enrollment for the review. We talked to Ma'am Mila (the Secretary) and she shared a lot of experiences with the past reviewees.  She said the reviewees from places other than Manila were the more successful ones.  She even jokingly told us that she could see it in our faces that we could top the board exam. Haha... What a good source of inspiration. :P

Today, I'm a bum. My classmate and her sister is in Manila. I was supposed to go together with them but I've decided to postpone my Manila trip to next Sunday because I guess I really have to spend some time here in my room first and adjust to the environment plus I should save money. 

My review is on Monday-Saturday. Mondays and Saturdays will be whole day sessions while the sessions on Tuesdays to Fridays will only be on the evening. Talk about brain overuse. The review will officially start on Tuesday. We will have our orientation and a pretest on Monday.  Ma'am Mila told us not to study for the pretest, so I won't. I will just be enjoying my last few days relaxing and adjusting.

To God be the glory!

before i take that leap of faith

Tomorrow, I will be entering another phase of my life.  I'm not sure if I am really ready for it but I'm trying to be enthusiastic about everything that's going to happen in a span of five months.

This boils down to one thing: I should pass the board exam. I WILL PASS THE BOARD EXAM. I claim it, I believe that I will.

I am having jitters.  I honestly don't want to leave Davao yet. If only there were review centers for the Chemical Engineering board exam here in Davao, I wouldn't have to leave. I am kinda conscious about the money my mom's shelling out for this. I really do not want to become a financial burden that's why I really have to save my money.  I am thinking about the possibility of not taking the refresher course and going home instead. For one, that would really save a lot of money because with the type of living environment I want and considering the cost of living in Manila, my mom should really have to increase my monthly allowance (which I really do not want her to do). I am planning to spend the remaining weeks before the board exam here in Davao.  The downside, however, is that I couldn't get a chance to exchange some notes with the reviewees in Manila. Anyway, I haven't really decided about this matter yet. Let's see. :)

I will only be surfing the internet once a week starting next week. So, for the next five months, byebye to Facebook, Yahoo Messenger, Twitter, Plurk, Tumblr and Blogger. :(

I NEED TO FOCUS. I NEED TO BE CONFIDENT. I NEED TO TRUST. I NEED TO KEEP THE FAITH. So help me God.

it's been a year

I was browsing through profiles of my friends in facebook when I came across the profile of one of my supervisors during my OJT in Nestle, Sir Bert Cual. He's not actually my direct supervisor, but I consider him as one of my mentors because other than being a supervisor also of the department I was assigned to, he helped me in one of the weaknesses that I have to get over with before I finish the OJT: reporting.  My supervisor (Sir Vic) and Sir Bert were members of the Toastmasters.  Sir Vic gave me and my partner an assignment to prepare a short presentation regarding one of the projects that we were handling. I guess this was intended for two reasons: one, to gauge how much we know about the background of the project and next, to see our reporting skills (because we had to report about the four projects that we handled on the graduation day of the OJT).  The "critic" they gave me was actually spot on (that I was too technical, and all the other stuff that I know I'm not good at), and they gave me some pieces of advice on how to deliver the report in a manner that everybody would understand.

Anyway, I watched a video of his humorous speech that he delivered in a Toastmasters contest.  Watching that he really performed like a pro, I am now in awe.  Now I say I'm really very lucky to have been trained in a good company under excellent supervisors.

It's been a year and six days since the OJT graduation, and reminiscing those days that I've spent in Nestle CDO makes me smile.  I have written it all down six months ago and I posted it in Facebook.  I'm reposting the entry again here in my latest blog site in remembrance of the happy times.

Think Summer

I sometimes wish that I could go back to Summer 2009. It was one of the happiest times for me this year (last year).

I still cannot get over the things that I have experienced during those times. It was my very first time to be independent, to be living alone (and gulay, ang hirap pala). I had a foretaste of how it is to be really working and earning a living for myself (though I still received my monthly allowance from my mother). I also enjoyed working inside an actual industrial plant, although at first I really had a difficult time adjusting to the work scenario, nevertheless I made it through the end of the training. I was amazed when I saw the machines and equipment that were discussed in the classroom (because I really had a hard time imagining how the machines really looked like). I was in awe when I had that opportunity to take a closer look on the machines (to the point that I could really touch some of them): cooling tower, pumps, activated sludge system, absorption machines, condenser, furnace, boiler, etc. Though I somehow feel regretful of not really maximizing my stay there, I was really grateful for having this experience of a lifetime. :)

The best part really was meeting and befriending a lot of people. Although we only had 2 months to be together, I will always cherish every moment that I had with the people there. I'm thankful for having been assigned under supervisors who were really supportive. I learned a lot from them, especially on reporting and speaking to co-workers especially to the executives (which were my waterloo. I was really lucky to be trained by these people who are also members of the toastmaster). I'm also thankful for having nice co-trainees in the department where we were assigned. I admit I had a hard time relating to them during the first week of the training (because I was still adjusting), but in the long run, I really really really enjoyed their company. I also had fun talking with the associates and workers, they never failed to make me laugh every time I visit their lungga. Bilib ako sa kanila, hands down as a matter of fact. I also learned a lot from them, especially about some of the actual operations inside the plant. I also gained a lot of friends from my co-trainees assigned in other departments.

I really feel happy whenever I look back to these memories. This is a blessing from God that I will forever cherish and be grateful for. :) To Nestle, my supervisors (Sir Vic, Sir Eric, Sir Bert and Sir Daryl), SH&;E co-trainees (Gai2x, Benjoe, Marrin, Karl, Baby Rona and Partz Marky), Voltes 5 (Peter, James, Nicho and Sarah), friends in other departments (Ivy, Aisha, Aldrine, Marianne), my co-trainees, Ma'am Lizette, sa lahat, THANK YOU and I miss you already.

- December 2, 2009

Reporting...

Receiving the certificate (Sir Bert is second from the left)

A snap shot with my fellow OJTrainees

note to self as the review for the board exam approaches

"If I had to select one quality, one personal characteristic that I regard as being most highly correlated with success, whatever the field, I would pick the trait of persistence. Determination. The will to endure to the end, to get knocked down seventy times and get up off the floor saying, ''Here comes number seventy-one!''

- Richard M. DeVos

some random stuff

* I'm currently fixing my stuff because I'll be leaving the house in two weeks time. My sister was the one who initiated the general cleaning. Realizing that my stuff are the ones which are left disorganized, I started cleaning them up and at the same time packing those that I will be bringing with me to Laguna. I'm almost through with the cleaning part, 90%. I just have to turn over some stuff to my co-officers in the org and I'm done. On the packing part, I'm still far from completion. I'm having a problem with my travel bag because I only have 5 kilos allowance for my clothes (to think I only loaded 2 sets of bed sheets and three towels). My bag is too huge and too heavy (5 kilos, standalone). Excess, excess, excess! Time pressure!!!

* I lost 6 kilos since March. Six more and I'll be back to my high school weight. I guess my sister's food regimen contributed to that loss because these past two months, we've only been eating two meals a day. No pork, almost everything are veggies.  This was not intentional on my part though, since I normally adapt to changes here in the house pretty quickly.  My 3-day LBM also "helped" me lose 2 kilos instantly (a blessing in disguise, I guess). I think this unintentional way of losing weight is a success compared to what I did last January. Muscle pain was not worth it.

* In relation to fixing my stuff, I'm having a dilemma over a certain green bag. I've been planning to throw it away a long long time ago but I'm still keeping it. This scenario keeps on happening: I remember the green bag then go towards the drawer to get it and to throw it away, but when I finally open the drawer and see that green bag, I stare at it, then decide not to throw it. I admit I'm a very sentimental person that's why I'm really having a difficult time throwing away things that really mean a lot. I have boxes and another bag filled with letters, pictures and stuff from people dear to me. I have this tradition, though, of going over these stuff (of course, with that comes reminiscing) once or twice a year.  I have thrown some of the letters and stuff because I realized they bear no meaning anymore (maybe because I burned bridges with the persons who gave those things). What I have now are those things that still have that deep sentimental value. I guess this green bag still has that "precious" value, and maybe the person who gave it is still dear to me.

* It's raining heavily. The rainy season has finally begun. I love the rain. :)