Physical exam? Watapak? Haha!

This is not my first medical exam. But I had a lot of ‘firsts’ during this one. When the doctor said physical medical exam. It meant all. ALL. As in, ALL.

Blood. Urine. Shit. Eyes. Nose. Throat. Skin. Lungs. Liver. Genitals and Anus. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh. The doctor was female though. Hahahaha.

And yeah, you know that feeling. I don’t have to elaborate that. The good news is that, I have learned that my lungs is clear. It is now free from the disease that I got a year ago.

Thank you Lord for the gift of healing. And thank you for all the blessings that you poured in to my life. I couldn’t ask for more. Except this tiny little request. Hehe.

Hired! Yohoo!

I traveled to Manila yesterday. Again, it is a long 12 hour trip, that one. I stayed at the same cheap hotel in the metro. I am very excited to go home, and tell mother about the good news.

Then a phone call came… “Ryan, this is Vanessa from oceana. You are going to submit the following requirements I sent in your email.”

It meant that I cannot go home. It meant that I had to stay in Manila. CLOTHELESS.

So I had to go to the nearest shopping center and got myself some white shirts, shorts, and underwear. They wanted me to work too soon. And I had no choice. I badly needed the job.

Will they hire me?

Today is my interview for the job. I met the senior engineer and saw the superintendent, an Australian I assume. There are a lot of foreigners working here. We call them expat. Foreigners are called that way. I don’t know why.

Before I was interviewed, they toured me around the mining site. At the OPEN PIT. WOAH. WOAH. WOAH. I was just amazed watching this engineering marvel.

Then they asked me to do some tasks. Well, it’s part of the recruitment. They asked me to map some geologic structures in the pit. This one couldn’t be more perfect in timing since this is my task a few months back as a geothermal geologist.

“So, Ryan. Why should we hire you? Does your school teach geotechnical engineering as a minor subject?”

“No Sir. Our school is not very particular in engineering geology. So I don’t know much. But I just know the concept. Don’t expect too much. I don’t know much. But I’m young and I’m really eager to learn. I am young and I am really excited about doing this project.”

Longest travel I've had ever

A very… very… very long travel to the mining site is gonna start soon. I’m writing this blog while waiting for the company bus to arrive. I’m sitting at a ministop convenient store just right across the main office of this mining company.

Makati is different by the way. It’s clean and the entire city is well-planned. There are only one or two of these here in the Philippines. Not sure. They said Davao is nice too.

It will take 12 hours of looooooooooooooooonggg…travel over the mountains; over the ridge of northern Luzon. I never really thought that a trip could be as tiring as this. But yeah know. I am excited. I need to nail that interview tomorrow.

God is always true to his promises. Thank you Lord.

Window shop Manila!

I arrived in Manila last night. I rented a room at a very affordable hotel along north EDSA, right across SM North EDSA. I’m not really choosy when it comes to rooms and food and clothes and stuff. As long as I can sleep, as long as it’s edible, as long as it’s clean, I’ll go for it.

Went to Makati-Ayala area and window shopped. Looking for potential products to purchase when I have the money, which in reality is unlikely to happen because I don’t have money yet and I still need a job.

Toured around manila – malls, restaurants, and shops. Then I got tired, and realized that I didn’t really like Manila when I started working here last year. The noise. The dust. The pollution. The jeepneys. No offense to Filipinos. But in Dumaguete there is none like these.

Dumzville to Ubec to Manila

I woke up early today. It is my flight to Cebu, from Dumaguete, then Manila in the afternoon. It seems like I was touring around the Visayas but no!

Like what my previous post suggest, I am going for an interview in Didipio, Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya. It is a far-flung place in northeastern Luzon, Philippines.

The funny thing is how short the trip was from Dumaguete to Cebu. When the plane went up the sky, a time for the passengers to take the toilet or to eat some snacks, I closed my eyes a bit because I was too tired the night before. Uhmm… Then…

We are to land Mactan International Airport in 10 minutes… something like that…

Then I told myself. What a short trip this is!

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.