Buntis Updates

The past days had been too busy for me at work. Here's my to-do-list and proud to say that I'm more than halfway to the finish line.

- Complete technical and validation files for ongoing and future projects
- Submit closing documents for finished projects
- Submit SS file to the HR Dept for proper computation of my daily allowance during my maternity leave
- Submit updated Carte de Séjour at the HR Dept
- Inform everybody in my workgroup about my upcoming maternity leave and have my boss in Cc systematically on all email exchanges
- Transfer all ongoing and future projects to my substitute and train him/her. (S/he hasn't arrived yet. Darn! But good samaritan as I am, I told my boss that I could go back a day or two to finish the job)
- Complete my Declaration File (a file wherein we declare our daily activities - so starting next week, it reads Maternité..)
- Arrange files /Clean my table
- Clean my Inbox to prevent email clogging
- Inform my friends and family to direct their emails to my @yahoo.com account
- Bring home my laboratory gown and used socks hehe..
- Bring my laptop and phone to our secretary
- Bring home all personal stuffs in my drawer
- Etcetera

Now you understand why I was absent from the blogging world. But hey, I'll be back full time starting next week...see you guys!

Legend: in Red = Done
in Green = Work in Progress
in Blue = To Be Done

Rewards at Work

I have received an email from the big boss this morning, informing me and my immediate boss that my project last year will be nominated as Best New Product Project of the Year. How did I react to that? I of course forwarded the email to frenchguy boasting how the big bosses esteem my work. Yabang!

The fact that they thought about nominating my project is already a great compensation for me. Inspite of the technical difficulties we encountered at the start of the project, the final product is playing to my advantage. First, I had an exceptional incentive. Yep, euros! And then, I had a salary increase and that project was used as a means to justify those extra euros in my pocket. I have to add that due to this project, I was able to see my family more often last year (the project was implemented in the Philippines), I was able to dope my mileage giving me access to my airline's business lounge and finally, I was able to bloat my bank account with my travel incentives hehe.

The deliberation will be at the end of this year. I of course hope to bag the title kesihodang magprepare pa ko ng pang Famas na message. Teka, I'm on maternity leave nga pala by that time. Ok lang, I'll just recite it infront of my bébé, pampatulog hehe..

I was tagged!

I was tagged, again??? Eherm, these blogfriends obviously want to know more about their blogfriends..mga tsismosa ba hehe. But since I generally write about me, my life and my points of view, it's just so easy to get to know me. So in case you haven't noticed or known yet, I'm generally a pro-environmentalist, a nature lover, ano fa nga ba, a proud Chemical Gingineer, a soon-to-be but already-super-duper-excited mom, inloved with my frenchguy, a struggling pinay in the wine capital of the world, a serious buff at work and a babaeng bakla all rolled into one..

I guess it would be interesting to read this and this to have a glimpse of me. Pero teka, you're asking 3 things you don't know yet? Hmmm, esep esep...So, vakletang Mildred, here you go baby:

THREE THINGS ABOUT ME THAT YOU DON'T KNOW YET:

1. I only work when I'm being paid. I hate household chores. As in! I hate cooking. As in ulit! So who does all those dirty jobs at home? Of course, my fave houseboy - frenchguy (the only thing I do with gusto is ironing and cleaning the toilet and bath hehe). And how do I survive when he's out of the country? Di po ako nagkakalat, that way, I won't have anything to clean up. I have stocks of ready-to-cook stuffs and a number of telephone numbers for express delivery hehe.

Oh well, I have to change this bad habit, especially now that I'll be a maman!

2. I can't sleep without my pillow. Mawala na si frenchguy sa tabi ko, wag lang ang unan ko hehe..so imagine our bed, surrounded by pillows. And that's for anytime and anywhere, be it on camping, on the plane (I ask the stewardess for extra pillows), on vacation (kasama namin pillow ko sa lahat ng bakasyon, nasa likod lagi ng car hehe).

Magbiro ka na sa lasing, wag lang sa bagong gising!

3. The number 12 signifies a lot to me. If I have to play lotto, for sure, I have this number on the list. It's my birth date, our anniversary date, and my rank on our batch of graduating class. Di po kami 12 lang sa buong batch, mas marami naman po dyan, 13 kami nun nyehehe...joke lang. We were more than 100, so it might not mean anything to you, but still, I was proud of it. Ang yabang ko nun hehe...

Er, do I have to tag somebody else? Don't want to designate anybody...just answer it folks if you think you haven't bared everything on your blog ;)

Home Déco: Need Advice

Frenchguy's out so I took this opportunity to indulge myself into decorating our house - well, just a minor change lang naman - our curtain. It's not at all my forté so if you could honestly give me your opinion, that will be greatly appreciated.

#1: Gray and Burgundy-colored double curtain. Disadvantage is that it partly hinders sunlight to enter into our living room.

#2: Brilliant orange curtain which is à la mode at the moment. It's very thin so it still allows sunlight to enter which is good for my plants. Disadvantage is that we could see through it when the lights are switched on (this door/window gives access to our garden).

Please vote. Thanks.

Vélo en Ville

Since my former post on the increasing oil prices, displays at the gasoline station nearby never ceased to augment. From 1.19€ per liter for Super Unleaded 95, it went up to 1.32€! Since beginning of this week, a little decrease in these prices has disappointed the French community rather than satisfy them. And who wouldn't, they decreased at an average of 3 cents per liter. Tatlong sentimo! Ngek!

So how do we cope up with this pocket-wrecking phenomenon? On the last post, I tackled the substitution of these gasolines by vegetable oils (biocarburants) which are more environment-friendly. Some automobile companies are starting to design some models which jive with the same objective - decrease fuel consumption, therefore save the planet. BMW for example exposed a hydrogen-powered engine while Toyota featured their fuel cell hybrid cars combining both electricity and gasoline. Click here for more info (in french).

Europe is basically pro-environment. You could see this mentality in every corner of their little villages. From waste segregation to depriving themselves from air-conditioning to reduce consumption. Plastic bags are not given anymore for shoppers in big supermarkets, you have to bring your own bag or basket. Oil prices are astronomical to dissuade consumers from using their cars too often. Tax deductions are even given to those who buy clean cars or those which emit less C02 (Liquified Petroleum Gas for France or GPL). Bikes are widely used in the Netherlands and Belgium, and now here in France.

In Lyon, they launched a vélo en ville program (city biking) wherein a commuter could take a bike anywhere and leave it anywhere. Isn't that cool? In fact, the city made available for the public a number of bike stations where commuters could take, leave and pay rentals all in one. It's so easy to use, with an access card, you could roam the city as much as you want.

Why didn't they implement this brilliant idea when I was still living there? Think about the practicality of it. You don't have to buy your own bike, buy your own lock and find a parking space, or bring your car everytime and of course pay for the parking space, or wait for the bus, or the tramway, or the underground train! Imagine how my life could have been so much easier in this strike-prone country!

Décue

Madame,

Après étude de votre droit à la prime de naissance, nous vous informons que vous ne pouvez pas en bénéficier.

Votre Caisse d'Allocations Familiales

Madame,

After study of your right to the birth premium, we inform you that you cannot profit from it.

Your Family Allocations Bureau

Okidoki, not only we don't have the right on the monthly allowance for my bébé, we won't have the birth premium too! Isn't that considered a gift for every newborn child, so why the heck they have to fix a revenu bareme for each household? Kawawa naman ang bébé ko, baka lahat ng magiging katropa nya sa maternity clinic e me regalo galing sa gobyerno, sya wala :(. Ano kaya at fill-up-an ko lahat ng advertisement from different companies who promise to send their free trial products sa maternity clinic for the D Day para naman me maiuwi kaming regalo hehe..sayang din yun ha..

Actually, I try to stay zen but I find it a bit unfair. The bareme is just irrealistic...o sya, I won't elaborate anymore, sabi ko nga, I'll stay zen...before I sound frenchy..

For info:
Birth Premium given at 7th month of pregnancy = 808.31€
Monthly Allowance from birth to 3 yrs = 161.66€

What will I do with her.. Part II

As expected, nothing has been done when I arrived. Since what I explained to her yesterday represented just a part of what I wanted to accomplish today, I prepared a complete launching plan with step by step procedures and sent it to her last night before going home. FYI, she has a fixed schedule so she finishes at 3:30pm everyday which means that I have to synchronize accordingly. On the other hand, she arrives early (and the machine restarts automatically). What I actually expect from her is to launch my trials when she arrives, just after her daily machine and process verification so I could have preliminary results and react accordingly within the day. One production cycle is an hour and twenty minutes, so imagine, I have my first result at around 10am already (since she always waits for me), before I even realize, she has to pack her things up and go home! Darn!

Here's the scenario today:

Before even starting my PC: Ringgggggggg!!!! (I guess she's checking my parking slot to know what time I arrive)

Moi: Oui, j'arrive! - Yep, I'm coming! (I knew it was her, salamat sa caller ID!)

Arriving at the pilot plant (hinihingal pa ko nyan!):

Elle: Ohlala, j'ai plein de boulot aujourd'hui. Je vais jamais finir. Je dois faire ça et ça...blahdiblahblah - Oh my, I have loads of work today. I will never finish. I have to do this and that..etc etc (problema mo na yun, try to organize better kaya).

Moi: Hmm. As-tu imprimé le programme que je t'ai envoyé hier? - Have you printed the launching plan I sent to you yesterday? (obvious ba na wala akong pakialam. nasanay na kasi ako sa endless reklamo nya)

Elle: Ben, non. Je n'ai pas de temps, comment veux-tu? Je n'ai pas arrêté de courir partout depuis mon arrivée - No. I practically had no time since I arrived, I've been running everywhere. (e kung bawasan mo kaya kakareklamo para smoother ang trabaho mo?)

Moi: Ca tombe bien. J'ai imprimé 2 exemplaires pour toi. - Great! I printed 2 copies for you (pang asar ba hehe)

Elle: (after looking briefly on it) Ohlala, c'est très compliqué. Je ne comprends rien. Ca fait beaucoup. On va jamais finir. Hé, n'oublies pas, je dois partir à 15h30, et avant ça, il faut que je fasse ça et ça..blahdiblahblah - Oh my, it's too complicated. I don't understand anything. That's too much, we will never finish. Don't forget that I have to leave at 3:30pm and before that, I have to do this and that.. (di pa nya nababasa yung planning ha, puro na sya reklamo!).

Moi: Attends. Ecoutes-moi d'abord - Wait. Listen first...and so I explained to her patiently while she endlessly butted in para ano pa? e di magreklamo! I was at my explosion limit, honestly.

After a long debate, she finally started to work. Ang itsura ko nyan, maiyak iyak sa asar! Kung nasa pinas lang ako nito, no questions asked, trabaho na kaagad ang mga alagad ko. Maam pa tawag sa kin kahit di ako titser.

Di pa sya tapos. After she's done with her work (actually, she only have to prepare and launch the specimens, then wait till the end of the cycle, that simple!), she started to ignite me again.

Elle: Ca se peut que tous ce qu'on fait donnera rien. Pourquoi on ne remet pas la configuration initiale de la machine? De toute façon, ce produit là ne représent presque rien dans le volume global. - All we do right now might not result into anything. Why don't we work at the original configuration? Anyway, this product represents almost nothing in the global volume.

Naku muntik na talaga akong sumabog, bigla syang naging kuto sa paningin ko na gusto kong tirisin! I won't elaborate anymore on how I explained to her as it's too technical and it involves the strategy of the company. Pero sa totoo lang, I just realized that she doesn't even know why she's working in our department - our goals and objectives. We're not in a production setting where we have the same process the whole day, where everything is already defined. Here, we do developments, we propose solutions, we work on new products, we define what will be implemented on production...so we do trials and experiments to attain results. It's not a monotonous job....

By the way, she's from one of our production sites. But after a year of being with us, do you really think she hasn't adapted yet?...

And by the way part II, I'm from production too...from pinas and proud of it!

What will I do with her..

I arrived early today, expecting I already have results from the trials I am conducting since the beginning of this week. But just like yesterday, I've got nothing!

Do you think I've got problems on anticipation and planning?

In fact, after the definition of the feasibility plan with other partners such as R&D and Quality Dept, I normally prepare the terrain by checking all the materials necessary for my trials. That would mean purchasing the specimens from the Central Dept, preparing/ordering all the chemicals needed, adjusting the machine according to the process required and preparing the launching plan with the pilot plant*.

Last week, I already adjusted the machine and provided the plan to the operator incharged so she could prepare the specimens and launch them early yesterday. Hélas, I arrived at 9am yesterday without nothing launched. Her reasons was that she was alone with the machine, that she just cannot leave, and she had no specimens prepared. Didn't I give her the plan last week so she could prepare everything come Tuesday? Or ok, she had no time last week, but isn't it more logical to prepare the specimens prior to starting the machine? Hmp! If she will remain as organized as that, I will never finish this validation before my maternity leave!

Unfortunately, the results yesterday weren't as I've expected. There were more problems than I thought. But no panic, I quickly geared up to plan B. So before leaving yesterday, I explained to her the program for today while she jotted down everything on her notebook.

Today, I arrived at past 8:30am with nothing waiting for me. She's got every element to start with but she nevertheless waited for me. I haven't even started my computer and my phone was already ringing. I'm fluent in french and I'm sure she understood every single detail but she just cannot work independently. What will I do with her? (I avoid comparing the working attitude between my country and my adoptive country as working culture is different, and they don't really appreciate it - I learned my lessons!).

To avoid excessive exercise between my office and the pilot plant (they're on separate buildings, both on first floor), I brought my laptop and my portable phone with me and stayed with her the whole time. I know her, if I stay in my office, she will make my phone explode by asking questions non stop and eventually ask me to see her!

With devine intervention, everything ran smoothly as I wished and in function of today's result, I then again explained to her the program for tomorrow...and I'm sure, I will arrive again tomorrow with no results..nakakabaog na sya! Di tuloy ako makapag bloghop, kainis! (hehe, isipin daw ba ang blogging!).

Opps, by the way, it's not discrimination, she's like that with everybody else..

*Pilot Plant - a place where we do trials and experiments simulating industrial conditions. Most engineering schools provide such platform for students to conduct their experiments.

Folklorique Dijon

The whole weekend was totally animated in Dijon. As it was frenchguy's birthday last Friday, we decided to while away our time outside, just like the old times. Downtown Dijon was packed with young students due to an open-air concert offered by France Bleu Bourgogne to celebrate the school opening. Yes dudes, back to school! The noise was unbearable (are we getting old?) so we decided to scout a restaurant far from these party people. And the choice was just fantastic. We didn't even notice it before considering we lived just nearby.

Saturday was family day. Oh, actually, we just stayed at home the whole day, doing household chores. Hehe, is that family day for you too? That night, we were invited at a friend's house for dinner..to celebrate frenchguy's birthday!

Yesterday, Sunday, we decided to go out to attend the fêtes de la vigne and to watch the parade of all the countries invited in Dijon to showcase their folklore. I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves (if only I could equally capture the ambiance..)

Burgundy, France

Brittany, France

Bulgaria

Ukraine

Poland

Slovakia

Serbie and Montenegro

Italy

Portugal

Israel

India

Futuna Island

Sakha Republic

Brazil - the star of the parade!

It was a 32°C afternoon, so imagine those europeans with their national costumes! Good thing there were these hot Brazilians to change the atmosphere. Whoa!

Work and Pregnancy

When I was in college, everybody in my entourage told me that I was leading my life into a man's world. More so when I continued with chemistry, my mom particularly, already predicted that I'll have a lung cancer or other complications and will die at an early age. No, she's no Nostradamus, just a trying-hard-mom trying to dissuade her daughter from an unknown risk. I even remember contradicting my mom 'you wanted an engineer in the family, right?'...just to learn that this dream wasn't destined for me. Oh well...those arguments had no impact on me anyway, I nevertheless traced my path into this man's world full of complications!

My job consists mainly of projects at a global scale which requires a lot of time. A product which you buy in a supermarket doesn't arrive there alone in a second, obvious right? It normally passes through a long strategic pathway: marketing (to study market demand) - research - development - industrialisation - production - marketing (distribution). My world evolves around that blue-colored jobs.

Funny how it looks easy writing it that way, just a portion of a somewhat simple task. In fact, I do a part of development in collaboration with our R&D team which could extend from few months to infinity. After the development, we head straight on the industrialisation phase where we check its feasibility. A tough job. Profitability, industrial viability, and market acceptability are being studied here. My technical and economic prowess are being squeezed hard at this point. And would you believe that there are products which don't even see their light because of such and such? Whew! If everything is ok tho, the project will be deployed on site for mass production where my role is to implement the new process which includes defining the machine, the working parameters, the capacity, etc etc down to training the people so they could work on their own.

Interesting job, right? So what's the incidence on me being pregnant?

Chemicals - I wouldn't risk my baby's health, no matter what the cost. Bad thing is that, I work with chemicals. Not directly of course, but small doses at longer periods of exposure is just as dangerous. So I try to work 'from a distance', I prepare all the planning and let other people work for me (which is the case even at normal periods anyway), but I love analysing problems and final results myself - close to my subject! Anyway, I obliged myself to be a bit distant for awhile.. for the sake of my bébé.

Travels - it is clearly written in my job contract that 30% of my time will be spent on travels. That's part of my job. Techno transfers, especially when it involves chemicals, requires a minimum of hands-on implementation and training. If I were busy accumulating mileage last year, for a change, I never took the plane since the beginning of this year. Beginning to miss it!

By Project Basis - that would mean I should involve myself from Day 1 to D Day. So in consequence, no new projects for 2005, otherwise, I won't be able to follow the evolution of my new project. Unfortunately, all of my current projects are starting to reactivate now, few weeks before my maternity leave! I'm currently busy as a bee! Whew!

All that rolled into one reads: DANGEROUS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN!