Posters

It’s Wednesday already, and I haven’t finished my paper for my seminar class yet. The days are moving so fast nowadays. Yesterday, we had our poster presentation for the same class, and I did not know if I have done well. Two of my classmates had their posters as tarpaulin, mine was on an illustration board. How was that? Although my design looks nice, I just feel that I have not given my full effort on this project. Zoe and I were sick last week, and I was not able to work on this assignment during those days. Oh well, it is okay, at least I have submitted a poster.


The infection my baby got from eating ice cream

My baby got sore tonsils last week. I got sick, too, due to lack of enough sleep and stressful school work. Days before she had fever, I brought home some ice cream and ice candies…knowing that she’s expecting some. What I didn’t see coming is this attack on her tonsils. Because she’s not used to cold foods and drinks, once she eats ice cream or the like, she’ll get sick after a day or two. I thought she had outgrown that part, but I was wrong, she has not.

What I learned from this experience is that I should take it slow in letting her eat ice cream and other enjoyable cold treats. Since I’m not giving her such foods before, her system is not used to eating them, and she needs a gradual introduction of them into her body. Noted!

Yesterday, we went to her pediatrician for a check up. Since she doesn’t have fever anymore, only a cough with phlegm, the doctor just gave her Ventolin Expectorant to remove the phlegm. I wish the medicine would take effect right away, so she won’t suffer coughing anymore. It’s disturbing her peaceful sleep.

Today is another Monday, start of a week of work. I just hope everything will go well this week. The Finals week is coming, and this week will be our last meeting for both of my classes. What a fast-paced university life!

Whew! What a week!

My whole week has been so tiring and full of complications. My research on biodiesel is draining my energy. I feel so pressured, especially now that the deadline for the results is near. I just want this research work to be over.

It’s Saturday morning, yey! It’s time to spend some quality time with my family, my favorite part.

By the way, here’s my favorite picture for this week:


Awesome job, Sir Mike!

A long list of things to do

I had my second exam in Inorganic Chemistry today, it was really long!

Today’s a very busy day. I called up so many people and went to so many places. I am so tired…

Also today, I just got this news from my thesis adviser that she’s going to Australia on April and she’ll go back next year. Oh no! I need to finish my research before the term ends! If not, I’ll be left hanging on the air, and I don’t want that. There’s another thing that I’m worried about… I signed up for the Chemistry Congress on April, because my adviser wants me to. I registered today, but I wasn’t able to pass the required extended abstract, because I don’t have the results yet:( I just hope the technical team of the Chem Congress will give me an extension.

I want to sleep already, it’s 12:24 a.m., but just by looking at my long list of things to do, I know sleeping is not a good idea.

Excellent pics of the year 2006


I haven’t posted my daily entries last week, for I have been real busy. I’ve been working on my research on biodiesel. I want to finish it before the term ends.

Anyway, I want to relax right now, before starting on my report. I’ve cheked my mail, and I saw this greatly captured picture.
Really fascinating, huh?

Zoe’s Date of Birth

I’m 23 years old and I have a two year-old baby already! Zoe just turned two last Tuesday, Feb. 13. JE and I didn’t go to work that day to be with Zoe the whole day. We went to Mall of Asia, because we haven’t been there since the opening day. It’s so big! Gigantic mall! We ate pizza together, and later on, we bought petite ice creams for Zoe (Thumbs up). To see more of the unforgettable moments, just visit this link: jelontok.vox.com

Zoe’s Birthday Party

Zoe will turn 2 years old tomorrow, Feb. 13, but we decided to have the party on the eleventh (yesterday). Last year, we celebrated the party at McDonald’s, but the second birthday party was held at our place (it’s much cheaper).

It went okay. Most of her cousins in the neighborhood are present. Zoe was obviously happy, for she kept on jumping and smiling. Last year, she was so grumpy, because she didn’t take her morning nap. She didn’t even have a picture wherein she’s smiling. But this year, she didn’t take a nap, yet she’s still active and ready to party. She’s really growing, and that’s happening really fast. I feel happy, for I am seeing all her development and growth. There’s nothing greater than being a mom to a super cute and sweet baby.

Zoe rocks!

I feel guilty for I haven’t posted an entry for almost 2 weeks. One of my resolutions is to have an entry on a daily basis. This blog would be my journal. But due to a stack of pile of things to do, I can’t wok on that resolution. I wanted to blog on POPs, music, books, but I wasn’t able to do all that for the past days. I will just make up today.

My memory of the past contains the following:

1) My husband has bought a pink guitar for our baby Zoe.

His niece doesn’t want to lend her guitar to Zoe, so my poor baby cried and cried. JE and I told Zoe that we’ll just buy her a guitar when JE got his salary. So, when pay day came, he rushed into the nearest department store to keep his promise. The guitar that Zoe liked is the one with different shapes in it and a colorful one, but JE has bought a guitar with strings! I was a bit doubtful if Zoe will like the pink guitar. But eventually, she liked it, too. We took really cute pics of Zoe holding her new guitar. One of the pics is shown above. My baby really rocks!

2) JE has bought a guitar.

We’ve been planning to buy a new guitar for so many months, and last week, this plan has been implemented. I’m happy for this purchase, because JE liked the idea of having a new guitar, and now that he has it already, he’s much happier than I thought he would be.

3) I’ve finished reading John Grisham’s “The Rainmaker“

It’s kind of funny to know that I’ve read this book just now. I’ve watched the movie before, but I haven’t read the book. While searching for a novel to read at our library, I came across this one. Since the story is more complete in a book, I gave it a shot. What happened after reading it? Well, I’ve had a more complete picture of the story, for I got more details. Plus, I got inspired by Rudy Baylor’s character. If you will recall, he’s the most unlucky man at the beginning of the novel, but then he didn’t lose hope. He continued to do what needs to be done, and by doing so, he found a job, then put up his own firm, and got a 50 million dollars verdict! But at the end, he realized that he doesn’t want to be a lawyer anymore, he just want to go away from Memphis and live a simple but quiet life with her new-found girl, Kelly.

John Grisham is an excellent writer on thrilling stories about lawyers and law (legal thrillers). I enjoyed watching the movie, but reading the book to which it was based is a more fulfilling experience (I guess that’s always the case). To those who have watched the movie, but haven’t read the book, I encourage you to do what I did, read the book! It’s more satisfying and enjoyable.

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend the 3rd National Workshop of ARRPET. This workshop was organized by the Chemical Engineering Dept. of DLSU-Manila. Since I have an elective course under one of the department’s professors, I was required to attend the said event. I would say that the time I’ve spent there was very worthy. I had the chance to meet several professionals who are doing research works on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). By the way, most of them are chemical engineers and 90% of them have their PhDs. Isn’t that amazing? Plus, I have learned so many things about these POPs, and knowing about their existence and what they can do, can be really frightening. Another thing that’s great about this workshop is the free food and free entrance. I would tell you, the food is really yummy! Plus, the hotel (Angelo King hotel of DLSU-Benilde) is really elegant and cosy! I’m glad I’ve forced myself to go there, because at first, I really didn’t want to attend, but since it’s free and the place is near my school, why not?

Let’s discuss these POPs. According to the Stockholm Convention,

“Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are chemical substances that persist in the environment, bioaccumulate through the food web, and pose a risk of causing adverse effects to human health and the environment. With the evidence of long-range transport of these substances to regions where they have never been used or produced and the consequent threats they pose to the environment of the whole globe, the international community has now, at several occasions called for urgent global actions to reduce and eliminate releases of these chemicals.”

It’s scary, right? Most of these POPs are used in pesticides, and if these pesticides are not yet banned in our country, if they’re still being used, there is a big risk posed in every Filipino’s health. Actually, this is not only for Filipinos, but for the rest of humanity.

In my next entries, I’d be discussing more about these POPs and the Dirty Dozen as labeled by the Stockholm Convention. If you have the time, please make some entries on POPs, too. It’s really scary, especially when I think of my baby, who will grow up to be surrounded by these POPs. Common, help me in disseminating information on POPs, may be in this simple way, we can help our generation and the future generation to live longer lives.

My family day at Enchanted Kingdom


Last Sunday, we had the opportunity to go to Enchanted Kingdom (EK) at Sta. Rosa, Laguna. My brother who went home from Dubai was the financier, so we did not worry about the money. Actually, we had planned to go there for almost two times – July and December of last year. I think it is just fate that those plans did not push through. I have thought of two reasons for that. First, because we can go there when the right opportunity comes, such as last Sunday — we didn’t need to spend that big money for the entrance. Second, we wouldn’t enjoy the experience if we would go there without any relative. Originally, we planned to visit the place, just the three of us. But last Sunday, I realized that it was more fun to have a relative to take care of Zoe while JE and I are checking some of the rides that are definitely not for kids, such as roller coaster and up, up and away. I am so thankful for the opporunity; it’s quite tiring, but lots of fun goes with this experience, especially when I saw the pretty smile on my baby’s face that was brought by this magical day at EK.