My Childhood Is Officially Over

I can now say that my childhood is officially over. From now on, there’s no more Harry Potter installment (books or movies) to wait for year after year. I’ve been seeing posts in tumblr about fans getting depressed, excited or unsure of what to feel after seeing the movie, and I did nothing but laugh at them for over reacting. Now that I have seen the movie myself, I realized that 14 years have gone by so fast. I have seen Harry enter Hogwarts as a not-so-ordinary boy, and grow as someone who was destined to defeat He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. From meeting his bestfriends for life, to conquering unimaginable challenges, I was there through it all. Now that it’s all over, I myself do not know how I’ll deal with it.
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A little organization wouldn’t hurt

I need some organization in my life. No… Not some… A LOT OF IT ACTUALLY.

I see this semester as one of the toughest ones since I’ll be doing my thesis and I am pressuring myself to pass my last few floating subjects so that I won’t have additional units to take next semester. 

Organization. Lots and lots of it. Maybe a solid and finely structured one, like that of Olympia Steel Buildings… Strong, tall and standing still no matter what the weather is. Haaaaay. Thesis mode tomorrow.

Thesis It!!!

Been stressed for the past few days because of the stupid ES15 (fluid mechanics) exam that was so hard, you will fail even after reviewing for days in advance. Like seriously. It was harder than ES12 or ES13 combined! I’m not sure what our professors really had in mind, but all I can say is that the exam LITERALLY gave me a migraine which I had to endure until early this afternoon.

EEE3 was also a pain in the butt! It’s a good thing that I didn’t really spend too much time reading on the reports done by the other groups in class because you can finish the exam in just 10 minutes! As long as you’ve watched and listened the presentations during class (w/c unfortunately i haven’t since i was always late or absent HAH!), you can guess which one’s teh correct answer (True or False questions and multiple choice).

Anyway. Had to go to our (Sam and I) scheduled oral thesis proposal presentation with Doc Judge. We already have everything — concepts, materials and equipment to be used and even the methodology! What we are in dire need of now is a suggestion on an alternative catalyst that PGPRC can use for their gold cyanidation process. If you have an idea of what I’m talking about, care to share? Leave me a message in my askbox (look to your right HEH). 

Hakka-Hakka Lang Iyon

Three weeks of school and it already seems like the sem is halfway over. Deadlines and schedules of exams are being posted every now and since I haven’t really adjusted yet (my mind’s still in vacation mode), I am having a hard time formulating the right mix of mojo for acad mode. I still try, though. But there are times where I would just stare at my computer screen, waiting for ideas to magically appear out of nowhere. 

It’s my last year in engg (FINALLY!) and I am required to submit a thesis this semester, and take up plant design next sem. We already have a thesis proposal and I’m supposed to email the Plant Metallurgist of PGPRC and start with out thesis proposal but as always, i’m procrastinating. If i keep on doing this, I won’t be able to rmake my dream of producing white gold jewelry into a reality. Charot. 

With all the physical, mental and *ehem* emotional stress brought about by school work, I found the perfect way to de-stress and loosen up. MILK TEA. Yeps. MILK TEA. Back then, I only had moonleaftea shop as my choice but with Universitea, I can buy my favorite drink within the Campus premises lang. Fun, noh?

Where did all the fun go?

This is one of those times when I start to wish that my life here in Manila is as easy as my life in Masbate. When i was still an intern for PGPRC, my daily routine consisted of: waking up at 5 in the morning, going to work at 7 or 8, eating lunch at exactly 12noon, leaving the camp at 12:50, resume testworks, eating dinner before 6 and play badminton at 7 or maybe grab a drink or two when we don’t feel like exercising. 

Usual lunch

The first few weeks felt like months to me but as I made friends and learned to love my job, the time flew by without me realizing that I only had a few days left to make the most out of my stay in Masbate. I must admit that I missed the Urban life that I’m used to but every once in a while, I must admit that I somehow miss the easy-going life I’ve had for two months. (and I think that lifting heavy pressurized filter canisters is easy that rv repair. SAY WHUT?) Haha. 

Will I Survive?

It’s that time of the year when UP Students pray that CRS will be good to them and give them the subjects that they need. This eliminates the need to wake up early to get the few remaining class slots that other UP students are looking for as well. 

I was never lucky with CRS. The system didn’t and still haven’t learned to love me. After seven years of enrolling in UP (this is my 7th year and I have a valid excuse for staying long in the University: I shifted to another course during my 4th year in college. Heh), I wasn’t able to get all the subjects that I need during the pre enlistment period and even if I did, CRS didn’t give me the best/nicest professors. 

Anyway, I will start my week with a 7am class and end it with a 4-5:30 major subject (and maybe wear my persol sunglasses in between). Thesis, chem28 lec, EEE3 and Pyrometallurgy will make my life a living hell for four whole months. Will I survive this sem with my sanity still intact (but hopefully papayat sana ako LOL)? 

Polluted Manila Air

Two days home and I already miss the mine site! I already forgot how polluted Manila air is and how congested EDSA is with cars and smoke belching trucks and buses. The dirt road from the 300 man camp to the mill processing plant already felt familiar to me so the moment I saw the busy sidewalks of Manila, I was welcomed with the exciting, yet sad thought of everything going back to normal. No more 7am to 5pm work hours routine; 7am breakfast, 12pm lunchtime and 5pm dinnertime schedule;random golf trips to the clubhouse; and of course, the people who made the experience exciting and worth it. 

Anyway, I am not yet ready to give an insight on my OJT experience. All I know is that I need to lose weight (might try xanax detox and see if it’s effective) and avoid the sun at all costs since I doubt my friends will recognize me with my nognog skin.

The Drinking Machine

Been drinking straight for the past few nights and even though I go to work with a major migraine and hangover, I must admit that I don’t have any regrets on staying until 11 in the evening just to finish five to seven rounds of Tanduay Ice. Before we were banned from playing badminton (Sam and I don’t have gum sole shoes), drinking sessions happen only on special occassions and saturday barbecue nights. I even gained the name of ‘Drinking Machine’ because of my high tolerance in alcohol. We don’t even need to wait for our cash advance (OJT allowance) because Sam and I don’t have to shell out money just to get a bottle of beer. 

Just a few more days and we’ll be out of this prison island (as how one of the expats puts it). Current emotions? Not really sure.

16 more days

Two more weeks and I’ll be back in Manila! I have waited for this day since April 7 and now that it’s just a few more sleep away, I’m starting to wish that time would slow down and let me enjoy my last few days here in Masbate. CHOS.

I have made a lot of friends over the past few weeks and the thought of having no chances of seeing them again after I leave for Manila is quite depressing. I must admit that I still get homesick every night and I still can’t wait to get home and finally get my life back to normal, but I cannot ignore that gnawing and sick feeling of leaving every Masbate memory behind. Heh.

Anyway, the first thing that I will do when I get home is go to the spa, get a massage and have my nails done; buy a 16oz cup of Dairy Queen’s Mud Pie Blizzard and white cheese pizza from bigoli; shop online for pergo flooring from Bestlaminate.net and maybe meet up with teh sorority sisters and friends. Oh. And go surfing too!

Awwww. I miss the citylife! I miss eating at McDonalds, Jollibee’s crispy fries, sleeping and getting up late, andall the stupid things I can’t do here! 16 more days and I’ll be home!

#OJTblues

So me thinks one of my supervisors read my blog a month ago and in response to it, he asked me how I find Masbate so far. I know this blog post is a month late, but hey! I think it’s about time that I update people with what I’ve been doing for the past few weeks.

I’ve been assigned to Puro, Aroroy (in Masbate) for my SPP (Summer Plant Practice) and even though it’s far from Manila, I accepted the ‘job’ since I haven’t been there yet. Packing my bag was a bit of a challenge because I wasn’t so sure what to bring with me. I don’t know anybody from Puro, so I have no idea what I would be facing for 8 weeks. (BTW, i paid 450php for 3k excess baggage)

To cut the long story short (I’ll be writing a separate and detailed blog post soon), life here inside the mining site is a WHOLELOT DIFFERENT from what I’m used to back in Manila. Here, you’ll be the talk of the town if you are not careful enough with your actions. 

Being here for 5 weeks is very stressful, that I may need to use dermitage cream soon. I still have A LOT of stories to tell, but I’ll be out for lunch in 5 minutes (yes.patakas kng ginagamit PC dito office LOL). Uhm. So no closing remarks yet because I can’t think of any.

SPP Early Realizations: Mining Is Beneficial For Everyone

I’ll keep this blog post short since I need to sleep early for work tomorrow.

I’ve started my OJT (on the job training) last Thursday and for two months, Masbate will be my home. So far, I like the facilities, food, work that they’re assigning to us (so far tour pa lang sa site) and the safety procedure they implement inside the mining site. So far, being exposed with the methods involved in mineral extraction has made me more confident in saying that even though mining can somehow destroy the environment, big mining companies make sure that a feasible rehabilitation plan is in order. I’ve seen trees and green pastures grow on old dump sites, a man-made water dam (done by the company) for agricultural use by the community and I know it’s totally off topic but the company even provides free medical assistance (by building a clinic) to nearby barangays. So please. Whoever says that mining won’t do any good for the environment, that Palawan will dissolve due to exploitation of its mineral resources and that farmers can do their jobs without the materials produced by mining should think again.

And really. The science, technology and safety procedures implemented by the company will truly amaze you especially if you see it for yourself.

Brushes I <3

e.l.f brushes sold in the Philippines cost a fortune but if you order them online, you will see the big, BIG difference in the prices. The ones that they sell in Watson’s cost around 120 - 150php each but when you order them online, you can get a set (11 brushes) for only 12USD. See the difference? The eyeshadows are sold here for 145php each, but you can order them online for only 1USD. You can indeed save big when ordering on the internet but the only downside is, they don’t ship internationally so you need someone to send a balikbayan box to you if you want to order online.

It is extremely important that you clean your brushes regularly to increase its lifespan and to of course, avoid rashes (think of it as getting an electric car insurance… Not sure why but it was the first thing that came into my mind LOL). Anyway, I’ll do a separate post on how to clean make up brushes but if you don’t want to wait for it, there’s always Youtube.

I got the 11pc Brush Set (as shown above) for half the orginal price (30USD). The three white eyeshadow brushes cost around 3USD each but can be bought at 50% off everytime e.l.f goes on sale. Anyway, I’ve also ordered a 100 color palette for only 15USD (i think the original price is 30USD) but I don’t have a pic for it yet so as usual, will make a separate blog post for it next time.

Handy Dandy Toothbrush

I’ll be leaving for Masbate on Thursday and right now, I’m still not sure if I’m excited, scared or tinatamad to spend my summer there.

Anyway, my clothes are still strewn all over my bed and I will go back to QC on Tuesday for my urinalysis and other important stuff I left at home. I’ll be flying three days from now but still, I don’t know which things to pack and still not sure what I need to bring for my two-month OJT. While browsing my tumblr dashboard, I saw this:

My first thought: Hey! Perfect! haha. I’ll just fill it with toothpaste and press it everytime I’ll brush my teeth. Perfect for traveling di ba? This is also perfect for smokers (such as Romeo cigars).

I now don’t have an excuse to miss jogging

Bought new running shoes last week and guess what? I bought it for half the original price! Pardon me for the overdue blog post and even though I have already used the shoes for many times already, I still can’t get over it’s bright white color and the springy feeling it gives me whenever I wear it.

I can’t remember the last time I bought running shoes so I didn’t turn down my Lola’s offer to buy me new ones for *ehem* Graduation (it’s too early I know). So when I saw the pair of shoes that I really liked and found out that it had my size, I didn’t let go of it and what’s made it more exciting is its 50% off price tag! It was a good thing that my boss gave me a payday cash advance because if he didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to buy the Adidas shoes I’ve bene eyeing since my Lola lost her wallet while we were looking around the Megatrade hall.

French Manicure FAIL

I finally had my long due mani/pedi session. I can’t remember the last time I had my nails done and for the past few weeks, I desperately want to have myself pampered and spend the day at the spa, have my hair cut, get a massage and other girly stuff that men don’t think are really necessary. Unfortunately, these activities always remain as plans since my busy schedule doesn’t even permit me to get enough sleep.

I decided to have a French-tipped manicure and after one day (and a couple of times I tossed a gold coin, CHOS!), the nail polish started to chip off! Fine. Can somebody please remind me not to get a French manicure again next time?

Benerice. RICE?

I sometimes dread and sometimes look forward to first day of school. I dread it because I’m not sure if the professor that I have for the semester is considerate or a terror. The reason why I look forward to every class’ first meeting on the otherhand, is because I always argue with most professors because of my name’s spelling and pronounciation. I remember one professor asking me what my last name is when it’s clearly stated in the class attendance that it’s Oliver. So far, almost 10 people have already ‘corrected’  the spelling of my name by eliminating one ‘e’. Do I need to show them my birth certificate to make it clear that it’s BERENICE and not BERNICE?

I finally received the details of my travel to Masbate and was disappointed when I saw my eticket.I’m used to having my name or nickname misspelled, but I think this one is EXTREME. BENERICE? C’mown. Is that a type of rice grain or what?

Anyway, I notified the HR of the company I’ll be working for this summer because I’m afraid that the attendants of PAL will show me their exit signs when they see that the name on my ticket doesn’t match the one on my I.D.

Time to hit the beach? Nah.

I will be starting my SPP (Summer Plant Practice) next week and I don’t think I will have enough time to take a vacation before going to Masbate. I want to go to the beach, go surfing and try being a bum even just for a few days. Unfortunately, my ‘busy schedule’, work load and SPP schedule don’t permit me to at least take a few days off from stress. 

Anyway, for those planning to hit the beach this summer, there are many best weight loss pills for women available for purchase. In fact, one of my sorority sisters is selling us a brand of weight loss pills that she has already tried and proven that it really works. Sorry this is another sabaw post. Will write something more sensible next time.

It’s Summer Time!

I bought my nephew a kiddie pool for his birthday last July 2010. He wasn’t able to enjoy it, until now, because of his weak immune system, asthma and a possible case for pneumonia. Since it’s summer already, my mom and my sister (Lawrence’s mom) decided to take the pool out (with my dad’s consent of course) for Lawrence to ‘practice’ his swimming skills.

He usually uses the pool at noon, when the sun is at its highest. Yesterday was the first time I saw him used it and he was having fun! He doesn’t want to get out of it even if he was already freezing cold! Haha. Anyway, I’ll post more pictures soon. I just have to edit some since the files are really big. if you have a big property (let’s say one in Table Rock real estate), you can always buy one for your kids to enjoy. That is, if you don’t have an outdoor pool yet.

Countdown starts now!

These past few weeks have been uber busy for me because of time-consuming academic requirements, freelance work and other personal things that I had to take care of. Anyway, it’s still hell week for me and I don’t know why I’m blogging right now even though I reallly don’t have anything to write about. 

Oh yeah. I just remembered. I will be in Masbate for two months for my SPP (Summer Plant Practice) and I hope there’s an internet connection to wherever I will be assigned. I have already contacted Sun to inquire on the availability of Sun Broadband signal in the area but unfortunately, they told me that 3G signal is currently unavailable in Masbate. So if in any case I can’t connect to the internet during my stay there, expect 2 months of blog hiatus. That sucks, i know. 
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Meeting Fathi Habashi

For those of you who don’t know, I am currently a 4th year student of Metallurgical Engineering from the University of the Philippines, Diliman QC. What’s Metallurgical Engineering, you ask? Well it’s the process of extracting valuable minerals/metals from mined ores. Without us, you won’t have the laptop/computer you have in front of you, you won’t have the clothes you’re wearing now, no prescription eyeglasses so you’d have to squint your eyes everytime you read and you would need to walk kilometers everyday just to go to school/work daily. See how important we are to you? LOL.

Anyway, Dr. Fathi Habashi, a Professor Emeritus at Laval University in Quebec Canada, is currently holding a lecture series in extractive metallurgy at the University of the Philippines since Monday (yesterday). Even though he’s holding a diploma in Chemical Engineering, he is considered as the father/pillar of extractive metallurgy. His books are our bible and from there we learn techniques on how we can get the metals we want from a piece of rock. Amazing huh? 

Even though he’s already old (83 years old), he still shows his passion in teaching and sharing his knowledge in extractive metallurgy. Hydrometallurgy for me, is one of the hardest subjects this semester. The video he showed us yesterday however, was interesting and helped me imagine and learn the concepts taught inside the classroom. You see, it’s really hard to learn when all you see are diagrams, equations and visual representations of different hydrometallurgical processes. Even though I lacked sleep, i forced myself awake all throughout his lecture by drinking 4 cups of coffee!

Pyrometallurgy and Electrometallurgy are also interesting but so far, all I know are the basics since the majors for those processes are for next school year.

Thanks Habashi for igniting the already dead passion I have for metallurgical engineering. =)