Monday, December 18, 2006
Zambia - Day 7,8,9
I realized that I miss an update, I was too consumed with finishing my resume so to make it up, I’ll do a longer update
Zambia Day 7
In all honesty, I can’t quite recall what I did today, I know it is more meetings to talk about the working of RPC and some of the results we came up with for all aspect of the project, so it is a day full of meeting. Everyone is pretty burnt out by the night so we all went to bed pretty early.
Zambia Day 8
It was Saturday. It was a special day causes first of all, no meeting!!! Second? We went to a safari game farm. The game farm does not have any cats which were unfortunate but it did have all the deers and buffalos, zebras and giraffes. We all rode in one of the safari trucks that you find in the movies which were pretty fun. I’ll let picture do the speaking. On the way back to the school where were staying, the bus had a broken bearing and we had to wait on the side of the road for about 20min for a new bus to come. We all praised God that we were safe and that there were no car on the other side of the road cause the bus swerve to the opposite lane. That night, we had a BBQ/meeting to present our findings to some of the RPC share holders. The food we ate in Zambia was pretty similar to the food in North America but instead of potato or rice, they eat a white paste made of grounded maize. It is very bland and you eat with your fingers. The BBQ was great.
Zambia Day 9
Sunday is always church day and in Zambia is no exception. The team was divided up into 2 or 3 and we all went to different churches. The church I went to this Sunday not only had the big speaker at the front of the room, there were big speakers at the back of the room too. Good thing we were sitting in the middle so our ear did not bleed. This service was very similar to the service we had in Lusaka, very engaging and very high energy. After the service, we jumped on the bus and were on our way back to Lusaka. Throughout the time in Lusaka, we notice lots of stickers on the bus and cars have reference to God. Initially we were joking around with the stickers. One of the buses has “Only God Knows” stickers and we were saying Only God knows how we survive that ride but there is some truth to that statement.
Until next time...
Monday, December 04, 2006
Zambia Day 5 & 6 - Meetings and Meetings
Zambia Day 5
Today was mostly more meetings to talk about the processing plant as well as the business plan. A couple of us went to meet with the Ministry of Environment to ask about the environmental standards and the impact assessment that we have to write before the start of construction. The meeting went very well.
The place where we stayed in Ndola is a school set up by a group of aussie missionary to teach locals different trades skills. The school has very nice landscaping and the rooms are quite comfortable. The window has a screen so the bugs will be able to fly in. For the pass few mornings, I discovered that I have been bitten every night. I soon realized that the screen gave me a false sense of security because it has a big hole in it.
That night, a few of us went out into town with our guild to an internet café. It was nice to get connected with the rest of the world and let everybody know that I am still alive. It was quite freaky to be in town at night as there are not much light on the streets and since we are foreigners, lots of beggars were asking for money but we all made it back safely.
Zambia Day 6
Today is special as we have a little field trip to an orphanage. The meeting today was used to compare the processing machine quotations and discussion on the business plan. There are quite a number of kids at the orphanage ranging from babies to elementary school age. All the kids have HIV but you can’t really tell because they are all so energetic. The orphanage consist of three cute little house. We spend the time there playing with the kids. For the rest of the day, we had our meetings. I notice that throughout the day, I get very sleepy when after every meal especially lunch time. I think they should have something like Siesta but then, the whole day would be Siesta.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Zambia Day 4 - Ndola
After breakfast, the team is ready to get started and eager to look at the site. There was much work to be done. There were a number of meetings that needed to be schedule, we were still hunting down surveying equipments, and we also needed to make up the schedule for the time we are in Ndola. I spend most of my day trying to figure out how big an area the composting facility needs with the limited info I have which went no where. In the afternoon, we went to walk the site which RPC was in the process of buying. The site is about 4.5 aches, it has a stream running along the bottom boarder and has very nice trees on it. The site has a two way slope and has a 30m drop from top and bottom. Next to the site were a bunch of mud houses own by farm workers working the land RPC going to buy. The villagers were not too happy with us walking around the site since the sell has not been finalized yet. We quickly drew a crowd since we are so good looking and all. The crowd was not hostile but at one point one person said “no white no fight.” Soon after that, we quickly went back to our base camp. We had a short meeting to discuss the site and we concluded it will be very expensive to put a processing plant on a sloped land. Lots of sand will be needed to level the land. That evening, we told RPC our finding and suggested finding a new site and gave them a set of guidelines. What happened with the site really show me how critical the service eMi is providing. If RPC has brought the site, then they will spend a lot more money on the land and might not be able to sell the chicken for as cheap as they want. After dinner, it was a time of sharing and it is off to bed.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Zambia Day 3 - Enroute to Ndola
After the meeting, we decided to head downtown to grab some lunch and exchange some local currency before we head up to Ndola. As we were walking back to the car after lunch, a group of locals came up to us. They distracted all of us and stole from one of the team member. The person did not realize he lost some money until later on in the night.
The car ride up to Ndola was very interesting. The ride is supposed to take about 2.5 to 3 hours. There were a total of 8 guys and we have a 7 person car plus some luggage. We managed to somehow get everything and everyone is the car. I can tell you that we got to know each other very well after the ride. We also made lots of stops to switch seat, every round, one person will get the front passenger seat. It was kind of like musical chairs. Even though it was very tight and cramp in the car, we still manage to stop and pick up 3 watermelons. With all the stops, the total trip took 6 hours. By the time we got to Ndola, we were are very tired and hungry but it was an awesome car ride. Lots of sharing, story telling, and bonding.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Lusaka - Day 2
Until Next time...
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Zambia – Day 1 - Lusaka
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Not so Alive but still kicking
Currently some thing been on my mind. I have been a nomad for the last 5 years, moving every 4 months, home city does not feels like home but at the same time don't really have a place to make it a new home cause I was moving so often. One of the by product of the co-op program I guess...am I the only one who have this feeling?
until next time...
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Alive and kicking
until next time
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Long Weekend & Flight info
This long weekend has been restful, I slept pass noon on one of the day hopping this twitch right below my right eye would have gone away but it did not although it is getting better. I have no clue why I have this twitch but I want it to go away. I headed out to downtown again on sat and went to the Glenbow Museum. It is similar to the ROM but way smaller but still a fair sized museum. Knowing that I will be away for two weeks, I got my starbucks fix by having a green tea latte. The expresso shops in other parts of the world are ment for people to slow down and enjoy a cup of coffee while waiting for a friend to arrive and go on to do what was planned. But I noticed in Canada, most people are just rushing in and out of the shop, grapping their caffine and on with their busy life. Maybe for your life style, you need to rush but i think it is still improtant to slow down once per day. Now...all I need to work on is that someone I need to meet up with. Other than the museum, I did not do much, packed a bit for my trip and went to the mall to pick up a few things. If you are wondering if I had turkey for Thanksgiving...well I did not. I had sushi instead which was a bit off but I am not complaining. So it was a good quiet long weekend.
Flight Info:
So in a few days, I will be sitting in a plane for 20 hrs flying to Zambia. I think I am going to bring a book or two to read. Any suggestion as how I can entertain myself?...I wonder if British Airways hire cute flight attendants?...I'll let you know!
Leaving Oct 12:
Calgary 2:00pm Air Canada AC1154 -> Toronto 7:45pm Oct 12
Toronto 11:55pm British Airways BA 96 -> London Oct 13 12:00 noon
London 7:15 pm British Airways BA 255 -> Lusaka 6:15 am Oct 14
Returning Oct 24
Lusaka 8:50am British Airway BA 254 -> London 6:05 pm Oct 25
London 11:55 am British Airway BA 93 -> Toronto 2:40 pm Oct 25
Toronto 5:00 pm Air Canada AC 133 -> Calgary 7:10 pm Oct 25
Until Next Time...
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Just making it as a Spanish model
Until Next Time...
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Fighting hunger, Ghetto bathroom upgrade, Last day of Summer
Zambia is one of the most stable countries in the region politically, however, it is still ravaged by HIV/AIDS and poverty. The total life expectancy of the population is 40.03 years, as of 2003, the HIV prevalence rate in adults is 16.5%, 50% of the population is unemployed and 86% of the population lives below poverty line. As said on my project leader’s blog, feeding of the soul often becomes secondary to a population whose only goal for each day is to feed the body.
Derek, the visionary behind the Royal Poultry Company (RPG) wants the company to :
-Provide nutritious, affordable food
-Create jobs and establish businesses with Godly, ethical practice
-Improve and expand regional, eventually national agricultural conditions
-Direct proceeds into a fund dedicated to providing financial resources for church development throughout Zambia.
RPC’s goal is to establish hundreds of self-sustaining and individually owned poultry raising and feed growing farms around central supply, education, and processing facilities. In order for this to become reality, RPC needs to train, supply, and develop the market for micro-enterprise poultry farmers, organic feed growers, and market vendor. As this becomes established, the availability and quantity of nutritional, affordable food for low income families will be increased, more jobs will be created, local farmers will be educated and profit from RPC will be designated to establish a national church growth fund.
My task at Engineering Ministry International (eMi) will be to Master Plan and design the first buildings for administration and teaching facilities, supply and warehouse buildings, fertilizer blending plants and mature bird processing plants. A team of 13 volunteers consist of Architects, Mech., Civil., and Elect. Engineers as well as Project/Construction manager, and Surveyor will be traveling to Zambia from Oct 12th to 25th.
It is a privilege to be working with a group of professional who are giving their own time, energy and resources for this project that is directly fighting against poverty and malnutrition. Please pray for financial provision, our preparations, our ability to catch the company’s vision, our families back home while we are gone, and our unity as a team because few of us will have ever met each other before we land in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. Feel free to email me for more information and check back for updates.
Ghetto Bathroom Upgrade:
So, on thursday this week, I was informed that our 3rd world Ghetto bathroom had an upgrade and now it is consider to be a nd world Ghetto bathroom. What made the difference? A toilet paper dispenser...
Last day of Summer:
On the last day of summer, I head back out into downtown. There are way more people walking around than last week most likely due to the nice weather. But then, there still nothing much too do in downtown. While walking around, I made a hit list of museums I am going to check out. I walked by Holt Renfrew again and the sexy jacket I saw last week is still there but it looks like they are changing their displays. The picture did not capture the full glory of the jacket
Sunday, September 24, 2006
1st week of Calgary
It has already been 1 week. I still can’t really get settle in, it is not that I am not getting used to the city, the fact is I am moving into a new place first thing Oct, I can't really unpack. Staying with my project leader is pretty cool, I have to constantly watch what I say and I do as he has 3 young kids, a fourth grader, a first grader and a 1 year old…the one year old is the cutest. So all filters are on and I must say they are over worked because I don’t want to set a bad example or I don’t want them to get in trouble because of me. My project leader said that he is prepping me for the mission trip as well as being a parent. Oh the horror! I have not even given marriage a single thought yet let alone having kids. Maybe I should work on finding that special lady first. The weather has been improving, It was 21 C today. I took advantage of the nice weather and explored downtown a bit. Compared to any downtown,
Until next time…
Sunday, September 17, 2006
The Ghetto Bathroom
First weekend in Calgary and the snow had fallen already during the three days I am in town. I must say, Calgary is a quiet town. I am currently staying at my project leader house and in front of the house, there is a bunny that sit underneath a tree for most of the day. If you ask me the highlight so far, I'll tell you that it must be the eMi office....or more specifically the ghetto bathroom at the office.
Until next time
Monday, September 04, 2006
Truth...
How will he handle the truth?
Will the truth brings about an unpleasant reaction?
Are his reaction 100% certain?
How should the truth be handled?
prevaricate?
Is prevarication the best thing to do?
Will he learn of the truth via other avenues?
How will he reacts than if he does?
Are his reaction 100% certain?
Is prevarication the best thing to do?
Will the truth really hurts?
Does prevarication hurts?
Will the truth hurts more or will prevarication hurts more?
Does the truth really hurts?...
Until next time...
Saturday, August 26, 2006
In the Dark
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Patient...Faith...Trust
So how then do you go about making those big impact and perpetual decision? How do you evaluate the change in circumstances and determine if they are significant enough to change the outcome of a decision? Often times, you will pray for wisdom and weight the pros and cons of the different sides of your decisions. You will also pray for direction and patiently wait for some sort of divine inspiration. However, I believe sometimes, you just have to make the decision and have faith and trust that the path you choose is the right one for you because even though it is not the correct choice, God will still be able to use you or use the situation to teach you. When you look back in hindsight, you'll see that it is the right path because God made it into the right path. Like in the poem 'The Road not Taken' by Robert Forst, the protagonist only knows the less traveled path made all the differences "somewhere age and ages hences."
The Road not Taken by Robert Forst
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Until Next time
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
A Stroll Down Memories Lane
Until next time
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
la fin d'un voyage
It has been four days since my last exam of undergrad. The last exam was so hard to study for as with all exams but this one was on the last day and I lacked motivation. I really don't know how I did but I should be alright. So...this is the end...It still fells surreal that I am done. It feels like any other day. It hits me when Eric moved out of westcourt Friday of last week. This pass five years really flew by, I still remember the ups and downs as if they just happened yesterday. What's next, I don't know...I came in to university searching for an answer but I end up with more questions. I am sure they will be answered eventually but until then, I'll just have to have faith and wait.
Until next time
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Second Last Step
The third exam done on such a beautiful day. I think the exam went alright. I must say, this course, Clas 384, sci and tech of ancient Rome and Greece, was the best course I took in university and maybe it is just not engineering. I should have taken more cool courses like this one. That's one of the regrets I have. There are still so many interesting courses that I want to take and I miss so many lectures by cool and famous people just because I was lazy or busy. In university, the world comes to you but once you are in the real world, you have to find it. A life lesson would be to seize every chances you get and do all the things you want to do so you won't sit in your room one day and regret what you did not do.
until next time
Monday, April 17, 2006
Another Step Closer
cont'd
Until next time...
Thursday, April 06, 2006
One Step Closer
cont'd
until next time...
Friday, March 24, 2006
Going out with a big BANG
-Bio 2 assignments Monday
-Air 15% quiz Wednesday
-4th year presentation Thursday
-Bio project and presentation Friday
-Air assignment Friday
Not to mention my 4th year project report is due the week after...Boy what a bang it is going to be, from a scale of 1 to wicket, it is going to be sick.
On another note, I had my birthday yesterday, all in all, it was a really good day, Had breakfast with JT, Eric and Thomas. Went to orchestra @ UW at night and had a little celebration at Westcourt afterward. I have been expecting a pie in the face so I was on my guard. The confirmation that my pals are planning something came when I found out my classmates were going to orchestra too and 3 of my friends disappearing after orchestra. So, as I left HH, I saw 3 of my friends hiding in a corner. I start putting some distance between us. When I turned back to check, I saw one of my friend dashing over with a garbage back filled with cream, I dodged it and the next thing I know, there were 4 or 5 guys holding me down and I had flour all over me. One of my friend still have that garbage bag and is trying to pull it over my head. I manage to grab it from him and they scattered. It was a really good day, good breakfast to start off the day, got some work done during the day, wonderful music at night, dodged the cream but got flour instead, and cake at the end. Thx guys!!
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Traveling Without Moving
So, it is reading week. I guess I have been taking it easy. I've been doing research on my ancient weapon of mass destruction that I need to build for my classical studies course while knowing I have other assignment due next week. I am sitting in the living room, rocking to the tunes as I read, drawing out the blue print in my head, imagining, how life would be like back in the Greek and Roman time. So, I decided to do a little traveling...Going back to the ancient time. What was the perfect Roman life style? How different was farming back then? Was sailing dangerous? How extensive was the Roman road network. How did they build a siege engine. How did the Greeks came up with all the ideas about the world and the different math theory that we still use today.
All of these questions were answered during my trip. The beauty of it was I never left my living room. Dive into a book and travel with your imagination. Traveling without moving. Maybe I'll run into you on my next trip.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Virtual Insanity
voice in my head: dude, you should be finishing up that bio assignment and go to bed
me: don't worry, I am going to finish it, I just came back from the 3 hrs pre-study and the 2 hrs 4th year project meeting, give me a break
now "Fill Me In" by Craig David is rocking on my headphone...
voice in my head: you are weak dude, you fell asleep for half of the pre-study, WEAK!!
me: shut up!! Shut up!!! You know how stressed and tired I am, and come on, the prestudy leader was so soft spoken, she is like, sleeping music. YO YO YO, I just realized, the prestudy leader talks like Bill Lumbergh from Office Space, Ha haa, "ummm......yeah.....ummm....yeah..."lol.
As "Canned Heat" by Jamiroquai came on...
voice in my head: yo guy, I am serious here, you know how much crap you have to do?? You have nothing for that 4th year project of yours, two midterms coming up next week, and you also have to build that ancient weapon of mass destruction
me: "ummm......yeah.... ummm.....yeah...." hahahahaha, that is so funny. Yeah, that 4th year project is going to be the death of me if I don't get on it. Man, that's the thing that's stressing me out right now. I hope it works out at the end.
When "Virtual Insanity" by Jamiroquai started blasting:
voice in my head: well get to it! And dude, you are losing it, talking to yourself...
me: yeah, you know you are tired when you have a "virtual insanity" experience and talk to yourself then posting it on your blog