Trip to Leyte

This entry aims to account for all of my experiences in Leyte. Here we go:

July 21, 2011 was our scheduled flight to Tacloban, Leyte via Philippine Air Lines (PAL) flight PR 391. With me are my batchmates: Cel, Katz, Dona, Mei, te Gern, Meeks, Les, Dex at Aids. Our itinerary included arrival in Tacloban on the 21^st and back to Manila by the 23^rd. Our trip was sponsored by PASAR, the only copper smelting company in this country. Everything's free except for the pasalubong expenses.

07/21

At around 6:30 AM, Pops accompanied me to Centennial 2 Airport. The travel via a cab took us around 40mins coz of the medium traffic at Gate 3 and somewhere in Villamor. I waited for some of my classmates till I checked-in. I first saw Cel and Meeks. Pops left me na since I’m with my classmates already. Lester, Katz and Aids had already checked-in. I thought I was the earliest.haha After checking-in our baggages, Dona, Mei and te Gern arrived na rin so sabay-sabay na kaming nagcheck-in.

my e-ticket & printed ticket

while waiting for my classmates. shown is Jacob, my CM Eclipse 1 phone.=)

We were so early. We waited for like an hour and a half till the plane left for Tacloban. While waiting in the terminal, everyone did their own stuff: from galaxy tabs, ipads, to phone calls, text mates, and cam vainness. I just did the last one.hahaha

smile Mei! behind her are Aids and Katz (while waiting for the plane)

Cel and Dona. namnamnamnam.. super sarap ng buttery-milky biscocho na dala ni Cel.=)

Mei and I. Cel took this pic, I think.=)

Aboard the plane, my seat is near the aisle, so I had a very limited view of what was outside. Beside me is a guy around 30’s who just slept throughout the flight. He just woke up when the guy nearest to the mirror dropped the snack wrapper on him while giving it to the flight stewardess. The snacks provided by PAL were: greaseless Happy peanuts and green Fudgee bar. Hot coffee and water was also available, no hot choco for kids. What would the kids drink, coffee? Oh no.. I don’t drink coffee so I just asked for water. I also borrowed a broadsheet for me to be updated on what’s happening na. I haven’t watched any news for the past month, I think.=(

There, I wasn’t able to sleep coz I need to be alert for whatever may happen.haha and it’s just my second time to fly a plane which will last for more than an hour. [my first was bound to Legaspi, Albay which was just like 45 mins]. But the flight seemed very fast. Soon, the captain announced that the plane is now ready for landing. We arrived at the Tacloban airport around 10:30 AM. Daniel Romualdez, as the airport is named, is situated near Leyte’s coast.

taken inside the plane, just after the plane had landed in Tacloban.

after getting off the plane

The service that would take us to PASAR, LIDE, Isabel, Leyte was already waiting for us. Since the trip would take us around 3 hours of travel by land, we ate muna at Robinsons’ Tacloban for an early lunch. The Supreme Bowl which I ordered at KFC doesn’t taste good, or maybe it was just the unfamiliar hot sauce that did not satisfy my taste buds. But no choice, I have to feed my intestines or else they’ll eat themselves and my mortal existence would be over.

Huwaatt? Where are we na? So there, I saw only a few shoppers in the mall, unlike in Manila where the flow of the people inside every mall is always either medium or heavy. We bought some packed pasalubong in the grocery din, where Cel helped us chose which tastes good and told us what island is it from.

while waiting for our orders to be taken. Dona, te Gern, Mei and Cel

for lunch.

Robinsons Place Tacloban

The 3-hour trip was sooo loooonngg.. as in! plus the added inconvenience in my seat coz it’s back support isn’t high. But I have no right to complain coz the company provided these all for free.

On the way, I saw some LDS chapels. One had a very large lot, mostly covered in grass. One is in the middle of a vast area of land. I always feel safe whenever I see LDS chapels coz it means that there are members in that area and that they would always be there to help me in case.=)

Upon arriving at the guesthouse of PASAR, rooms were assigned to us. The 4 boys shared a room; Dona, Mei & Ate Gern shared another; and Cel, Katz and I took the room #5.

Green Room. shown is Cel' and Katz' bed. I love this room coz it's soo green.=)

Yellow Room. the other girls' room. Dona, Mei and te Gern.

Prior to our interview the next day, we had to undergo a series of medical tests. 

Cel, Mei and Dona. while waiting at the hospital's lobby

te Gern & I.=)

Everyone was too tired to do any activity after dinner, except for the boys, I think.hehe

07/22 

Interview Day

the sequence of interviewee for today

My supposed 20-min interview took just around 10-15mins. I was seated in a "hot seat" where around 9-10 executives were the panel. Whew. Good thing it's over.haha After the interview, we still had to finish the series of medical tests.

in the hospital's lobby, still dressed in our formal attire

syempre, dapat kasama ako..hehe

Since the interview and medical tests were over, everyone just enjoyed the night. We had a photoshoot in our room, with Lester as the photographer (using his Canon SLR) and Meeko the stage manager. Here's some of the shots taken:

on Cel's bed. CW: Dona, Mei, Cel, and I

framed group pic. cool!=)

framed family pic (daw.haha)

teleserye kuno.haha but why am I smiling? haha

ow now..haha todo pose.=))

when we got tired of taking pics, we rested muna. Above is Mei with her galaxy tab, Les, Cel & I were seated on my bed watching The Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

07/23

Last day in PASAR.. 

my morning dose of Energen.=)

good bye Green Bed! I'm not sure if I could go back to PASAR again..

Since it's around 6am pa and my roommate is still asleep, as well as my other classmates. I took some time to take some pics of the guesthouse muna.=)

the pool. No one among us UP pips dared to swim in the pool, except the IIT boys.haha

I tried to capture a morning dew, but I think these ones were accumulated from the rainfall last night.

cute bonsai plant. I don't know what it's called.

just my hand under the water of the pool.=)

Around 7am, most are awake na except for Cel.haha Below is te Gern trying to wake up Cel. 

Last breakfast in PASAR:

viand choices..

I ordered a fish and a chix for breakfast.

ERDT pips. L-R: te Gern, kuya Joe (now works in PASAR), me and Dex

group pic at PASAR before going to Tacloban airport.
Up, L-R: Dex, Katz, Mei, te Gern
Down, L-R: Aids, Meeks, Mei, Cel, me
Les' the photographer

I really enjoyed this 3-day activity in PASAR. Surely none of us was able to seriously review during those 3-days but I know we all enjoyed it.=)




Picture Credits:
*Les' Canon DSLR [thanks for the pics!=)]
*my sis' Kodak point-and-shoot cam

Met Stuff

While having my ritual of studying for the upcoming Board Exam for Metallurgical Engineering graduates, I came across one slide which contained some words from the Old Testament that include some MetE terms that are very familiar to me. I cross-checked the passage in my King James version edition of the sacred book. It says:

“SURELY  there  is  a  vein  for  the silver,  and  a  place  for  gold  where they fine  it. Iron  is taken out of  the earth, and brass*  is molten out of the  stone.”  Job 28:1-2

*Of course brass can’t be “molten out of the stone” or taken out of the earth as it is. Coz as we know, and MetE’s must surely know, it is an alloy (or a mixture) of Copper and Zinc.

Well, that made me realize that truly, the scriptures mention a lot about metals, ores, precious gems and other MetE related stuff. So my curiosity again overpowered me and instead of studying for tomorrow’s review, I scanned the scriptures and looked for verses which contain the said MetE stuff. And here are some of what I’ve found:

Genesis 1:11-12

The  name  of  the  first  is  Pison: that  is  it which  compasseth  the whole  land  of  Havilah, where  there is gold ; And  the  gold  of  that land  is good: there  is  bdellium*  and  the onyx*  stone.

*bdellium - Aromatic gum resin; similar to myrrh (aromatic resin that is burned as incense and used in perfume)

*An onyx is a really beautiful variety of chalcedony (a quartz) that has black and white bands. During your spare time (just like NOW), you can quickly browse the net and search for pictures of precious stones/gems. They really are so eye-captivating!

Genesis 13:2

            And  Abram  was  very  rich  in cattle,  in silver, and in gold.

Genesis 24:22, 35, 53

            And  it  came  to  pass,  as  the camels had done drinking,  that  the man  took  a  golden  earring of half a  shekel* weight,  and  two  bracelets for her hands of ten  shekels weight of gold;

            And the LORD hath blessed my master  greatly;  and  he  is  become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds,  and silver, and gold,  and menservants, and maidservants, and camels,  and  asses.

            And  the  servant  brought  forth jewels of  silver,  and  jewels  of gold, and  raiment,  and  gave  them  to  Rebekah:  he  gave  also  to  her brother and to her mother precious  things.

*shekel - The basic unit of money in Israel

Genesis 41:42

            And Pharaoh took off his  ring from his hand,  and put  it upon  Joseph's  hand,  and  arrayed  him  in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;

Genesis 44:8

            Behold,  the  money, which  we found  in  our  sacks'  mouths,  we brought  again unto  thee  out  of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?

Exodus 3:22

            But every woman shall  borrow of  her  neighbour,  and  of  her  that sojourneth  in  her  house,  jewels  of silver,  and  jewels  of  gold,  and  raiment :  and  ye  shall  put  them  upon your sons, and upon your daughters ; and ye  shall  spoil the Egyptians.

Exodus 11:2

            Speak now in the ears of the people,  and  let  every man  borrow  of his neighbour,  and every woman of her neighbour,  jewels of silver, and jewels of gold.

Exodus 12:35

            And  the  children  of  Israel  did according to the word of Moses ; and they  borrowed  of  the  Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold and raiment :

Exodus 20:23

            Ye  shall  not  make  with  me gods of  silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.

^_^ What I’ve learned from my Sunday school teacher is that “god” with a small “g” refers to idols or anything that’s worshipped aside from the Supreme Being who created us all. So be careful to what/whom you are referring to by using the proper letter.

The following series of verses from the 25^th chapter of Exodus mentioned a lot about gold, as well as silver and brass. Here, the Lord commanded the children of Israel to offer the Lord the said metals to be used to build a tabernacle, the ark of testimony, a table, and candlestick (as shown to Moses in the mount). We can also see here how the Lord gives commandments: very clear and exact (measurements, position, etc).

Exodus 25:3, 11-13, 17-18, 25, 24-26, 28, 31, 36, 38-39

            And this  is the offering which ye shall take of them;  gold, and  silver, and brass,

            And  thou  shalt overlay  it with pure gold, within and without  shalt thou overlay  it,  and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.

            And  thou  shalt  cast four rings of gold  for  it,  and  put  them  in  the four  corners  thereof;  and  two  rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings  in the other side of it.

            And  thou  shalt make  staves of shittim*  wood,  and  overlay  them with  gold.

            And thou  shalt make a  mercy* seat of pure gold:  two  cubits*  and  a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.

            And  thou  shalt  make two cherubims  of gold,  of beaten work shalt  thou make  them,  in  the  two ends of the mercy seat.

            And thou  shalt overlay  it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about. And thou shalt make unto  it a border of an hand breadth  round  about, and thou  shalt make a golden crown  to  the  border  thereof  round about. And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof.

            And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood,  and  overlay  them with  gold,  that  the  table  may  be borne with them.

            And thou shalt make the dishes thereof,  and  spoons  thereof,  and covers thereof,  and  bowls  thereof, to  cover withal :  of pure  gold  shalt thou make them.

            And thou  shalt make a  candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the  candlestick  be made :  his shaft,  and  his  branches,  his  bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.

            Their knops and their branches shall be of  the same : all it shall be one

beaten work of pure gold.

            And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes  thereof,  shall  be  of pure

gold. Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all  these vessels.

*shittim - Shrubby thorny deciduous tree of southeastern United States with white flowers and small black drupaceous fruit

*cubit - An ancient unit of length based on the length of the forearm

*mercy refers to the Hebrew atonement-cover. Note that it was a golden slab of the same dimension as the top of the ark. A winged cherub was placed one arch end.

*snuff - of a greyish to yellowish brown

**More scripture hunting next time.=) Ang dami pala talaga masyado.hahaha Hope you are not yet bored, please continue reading my additional notes below. Arigatou/agyamanak/daghang salamat/thank you very much!=)

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

It is sad to know that other people misinterpret us that we do not rely on/read the Bible, only the Book of Mormon. But I do not blame them of course, it is a challenge actually for me to help them know who we really are, what we do, as well as our beliefs.=)  

So to clarify things up, we use the Book of Mormon, NOT as a substitute to the Bible, but as another book that testifies of Jesus Christ.

“The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God's dealings with the ancient  inhabitants of the Americas and  contains,  as does the Bible,  the fulness of the everlasting gospel.” (Introduction, Book of Mormon)

As a matter of fact, we study the Old and New Testament in our Seminary and Institute classes, Sunday School (this year’s curriculum is focused on the New Testament and last year was the Old Testament), as a reference to lessons in every Auxiliary organization, and a lot more.=)

There. =) I hope I’ve helped you increase your understanding and knowledge. Thanks!

***You want to have a copy of the Book of Mormon? I would be very grateful to GIVE you one. Just tell/text/call/e-mail me.=) It’s for FREE of course, just promise me that you’ll read it.=) Have a nice day!^_^

REFERENCES:

The Holy Bible. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. 1979.

Wordweb. 2006.