Blessings pouring in!

I just slept all day. I came home late last night because I went walking around. I’m not sure if I’ve been with people or someone last night. I don’t know. Memory gap.

So yeah. I slept in the morning. I slept in the afternoon. Then suddenly…

Ring! Ring! Ring!

I picked up the phone. And answered whoever it was calling me because the number is not registered to my Nokia 1020.

“This is Vanessa from Oceanagold Philippines.”

I was like. “Didn’t hear you. Come again.”

“Is this Sir Ryan? I’m Vanessa po from Oceanagold.”

Oceanagold. One of my dream companies. The one I always hear about that offers good pay, good food, good accommodation, good benefits, and good roster break.

It is January 2, after all. I didn’t have a job anymore. My last contract ended last December 20, 2014. I badly need a job. And here this comes.

My job here is very short term. Only three months as a Geotechnical Engineer/Geologist. But the superintendent said that he will try to open a regular position anytime soon. And QUALIFIED candidates may be absorbed. I am holding on to that chance. Praying and hoping. Trying to perform well. So whenever that position comes, when it comes, I may qualify.

Dili jud diay ka kalimtan ni Lord. So far, wala pako natambay. Thank you BRO!

1…2… 3… Happy New Year!

Everyone around the world had their own share of noise to celebrate the first day of 2015. Even in the small town of Dumaguete, even in our humble abode (we rented two studio type rooms somewhere around downtown) we also had our own share of celebration.

Mom came home along with Donald. It is worth noting that he is not the owner of McDonald’s. They came from a short vacation in NZ. Donald is a kiwi. Mom a Filipina. So they kinda hit it.

This is the first New Year that we celebrated as a family, as far as I can remember. I really don’t have much of memories, and if my memory doesn't fail me, we didn't have any celebration as a family. I’m not sure.

God is good. And HE is always true to his promises.

Growing up!

A few hours ago, I was looking for PC peripherals and hardware over the internet. Like I wasn't able to do my work. Truth is, the team has come to a part where the working has become boring. All we did since the day we came back from a 2-week fieldwork at the various areas in northeastern Mindanao is to check documents, prepare the database, hazard reports, and in the next two days, map interpretation. Boring.

So I came up with a good idea. How about if I stop working and just build a Gaming Rig, it's a gaming PC with all the hardware of a monster PC. Search all over the net, Google it, checked their prices and so on...

But now, five hours have passed. I'm damn tired from all the research of this gaming rig, as what gamers call it. Then, suddenly, reality settles in. I need to stop thinking about gaming, having a good time, games, games. I really need to grow up and start working for my future.

I need to grow up.

Sudden U-turn

"While I am good, some of the times. God is good. All the time."

My career as a geologist just took a sudden turn around. For a long time, even before I took the board exam, even before I graduated in college, I always wanted to work for the energy sector, in the petroleum industry exactly. Though this was not really possible, because I didn't graduate from an Ivy League School, I can see myself working in the petroleum industry in the near future. (Amen!) 

So when I got hired in the geothermal industry, with a company being the second largest geothermal steam producer in the world, I was happy, very happy. I can see myself going ahead, in a different path, in a different career, than any of my colleagues. I was the first geology graduate from our school to ever work in that company, the largest geothermal producer in the Philippines.

But I failed, I felt that I wasn't smart enough. I had issues with a few of them. They belittled me, and I let them. I thought I was being kind and patient, I should have fought back and argued heads on. I should have... But I knew it was not fair... for my part... I knew something was wrong... Some of them, they didn't really want me to be a part of their team... I tried my best... But I felt I can no longer move forward and excel with those people hanging around me... I resigned...

Someone told me that it is okay to be silent, and be kind, and forgive other people, and let minimal issues pass by. But when I did this, things didn't go well. When you try to let other people look down on you, and let them say things they shouldn't say in the first place, you lose your self-esteem. You lose your brilliance. You lose everything...

I just wanted to be a better person. Pretended I didn't hear anything insulting... I used to fight back... But I didn't, this time. None of the things I did brought me goodness... Life is unfair.

I learned that the world is wicked. And as long as we work with wicked people, and try to be kind, they will push us down. This is the norm of the corporate world.

The next time I get a chance to work with large companies. I know what to do.

Now, I have another job. The people here are very nice to work with. Moreover, I have received another job offering, hoping that this one will move on to a contract signing. This one really has a significant salary increase. I hope that HE will give this to me.

While I am good, some of the times.

God is good. All the time. 

I'm back in the Metro

It was a long, cold, full of anxiety two months of my life. Not that everything is bad or something awful happened. It's just that, a lot of difficulties occurred while the exploration project progressed. But anyway, I'll tackle about that in my next post.

For the meantime, let me share to you the wonderful things I saw in the Bicol Peninsula!

In Bicol, I had the chance to actually taste the true and original Bicol Express. Seven different Bicol Expresses I had a chance to savor with, delicately putting them inside my mouth while carefully critiquing how each of them differ from one another. A few restaurants serve it mostly out of Sili, literally, Sili (chili). But the secret ingredient is the coconut milk, the right amount of coco milk plus the right amount of chili and spices is equal to a yummy bicol express. Bye for now!

Necktie Show!

I think I'm getting used to this, I think that wearing a long sleeve polo, slacks, black shoes, and an extremely odd-to-wear necktie is getting better. I'm getting the hang of this. But the truth is, I don't wear necktie. That's just, in my own opinion, odd. I came across this poem in the internet about neckties. Here it goes:

Arms spread across the grass

Eyes closed, this moment, don’t pass

Warmth of sunlight gently lifts my face

with the absence of a black suitcase 

Finally my mind is able to breathe 

while buzzed after an evening-like mead

This day should last forever 

never to stress about a business endeavor

This day was hard to find

when weather is awfully unkind 

There are dreary grey skies in me

in the man, I used to be

Bad Day! Bad Trip!

What a wonderful morning, how delightful it is to know that after you take a bath at 6 o' clock you get to acknowledge the fact that you left the door closed and the key is inside your room. So that you cannot get inside and have to wait outside, hoping that your landlady arrives on time.

But NO! She didn't arrive. So you have to wait a lot more to figure out what you are going to do with your short petty life outside your newly-rented room.

You asked for help. Then help came, hammered the door-knob so hard that it now looks twisted and crumpled. You are late for work. You are late for work. So you hailed for a taxi and when you got inside, something tells you that you left your WALLET! in the room.

I mean, can this day become any 'more' worst?

Get Away! Lalala...

I have a new task today. And this task is something that I do very often in college - editing/proofreading. But no! This is no fun! There is no way in the world, even if it becomes stupidly insane, that a task like this would likely become adorable or wantable if you are proofreading a geologic/well geology log. Makamatay ang ka-boring! Makamatay! Aaahhh!

Sakita sa ulo!!! Aaaahhhhh!

But I have to endure this task of mine, though this one doesn't really require too much brains. No, really it doesn't. It only requires patience, and patience, and patience.

2.30PM. This is frustrating. I can hardly continue doing this.

4 PM. This is nuts! I'm so sleepy I wanna grab my bag and sleep over it.

4.20 PM. I need to wait until 5 PM. Go home time!

Amma Sorry!

Yesterday was Sunday. And I feel really bad until now about not being able to go to church. I went there actually, to the church, but only to find out that there was no service! or maybe they rented another venue on that specific Sunday because it was holy week.

I feel really really bad right now. Apart from the primary reason that it was holy week, I also wanted to hear a good word from the pastor because I failed to be on time the other Sunday.

So now, I'm carrying the burden of failing to attend church!

Destiny Church in UP Dilliman

I went to the church this afternoon. I mean, I didn't really entirely attended the whole thing because I was late. I'm always late, at all things, most of the time. And being late is something that has become a trademark, a part of my system.

The church is called Destiny. It is a church in UP (They are renting the entire UP theater every Sunday!). I have been there last year when I was still reviewing for the board exam. Then later on, when I started working, I didn't come back anymore since I was assigned to different places.

Not until now that I got a second job and got me an office here in Metro Manila. The place, if I could remember it clearly a year ago, was always fully-packed. Youth were storming in.

They have this pastor, his name is Karlo, what an awesome preacher. Wow! The first time I heard him preaching, I believed in him. All the things he said. He was marvelous. He had this gift that when he spoke, everyone listened. He would do frequent actions and leisurely make walks around the theater stage. He is one of the great pastors I've heard. :)