Career-ize

Hey guys! I am just in Rotorua for the weekend so thought it was about time for an update for all my friendy friends.

I got my final semester marks back - they're okay, but not great. B, B+, B+, and an A. That gives me my BSc though, so I am happy! I am working in Hamilton at Convex Plastics, which is an amazing innovative company that manufactures blown films for plastic bags, packaging, and banners. I am a Lab Tech there, but am involved in a really really exciting project on biodegradable stuff - my specialty :D It is awesome to be asked for my opinion and knowledge on various things, and people are so encouraging of my creativity. I can't wait to get back from the U.K. and get into a job with a company like Convex - forward thinking and innovative. The big boss has even said he is happy for me to use Convex time to work on my own personal engineering invention I want to look into! I am really happy there, and really excited about my career.

In January sometime I will be heading down to Wellington to live with my brother Gareth, his fiancee Juliet, her sister Nikki (of Tales of the Red Headed Devil Child fame), and the Devil Child herself. I am very very excited!! Apparently I get to live in the dining room as the new house they found is only a three bedroom. No worries though, now that I have finished study there will be a noticeable absence of the massive green desk and the huge bookshelf of texts, so my belongings will be able to fit into the small room. Just trying to find a job down there now, so if anyone knows any companies that might want a girl with a degree in materials and process engineering and environmental technology, give me a yell. I am hoping to get something in the environmental side of things, like water treatment or landfill design, just because it is an industry I won't be doing my Masters so it will be good to get a taste of it. Mmmmmm, wastewater.

I have attended several Rotary meetings as part of the Ambassadorial Scholarship I have. My sponsor club in Rotorua (Rotorua Sunrise) is really exciting, I got to do a little introductory speech to them and that was cool. I also went to the Hamilton East club, and the Te Puke club. Everyone has been so so welcoming - I spoke at the Te Puke club and I almost cried when I was thanking them for the scholarship - I am so overwhelmed and happy that I have been given this amazing opportunity, I can't describe how grateful I am towards the Rotary Foundation. All the money I will be getting is from Rotary members, normal people, funding ME! to travel and study! I really hope I make Rotary proud.

So this weekend, I had a garage sale at my house in Hamilton. Jenna came round with a carload of her stuff, and we spent from 6:15am to after lunch sunbathing outside the garage and selling things. Then we sorted out the stuff left over - big ticket items we are going to put on trademe, and all clothes and shoes that didn't sell we boxed and are going to take to Habitat for Humanity. So check out my trademe listings, they will be up in a few days. Then I drove to Rotoma for Johny's birthday. He would have been 23 today. His death is still so raw, I am dealing with it a small bit at a time. I miss him a lot - just knowing I will never get to see his goofy smile again is really hard. Some other day I will tell you things I remember about him, but not right now.

Now - it is time for me to go grocery shopping with my dad. We are going to buy lunch supplies for the week. I get to work at Scion tomorrow, for Convex. I worked at Scion last summer, so will be cool to be back in the lab with all the guys there.

Til next time!!

xx

i am still alive :D

hi guys, just to let you know i am still around! Things got incredibly hectic - a very good friend of mine, Johny Jones, passed away on the 20th September, and from there I just ran on automatic. I have now completed my degree (i hope - exam marks are not in yet!), and have started full time work for a plastics company in Hamilton. It is brilliant, but i am fully fully fully busy, still teaching piano and about to get a weekend bar job as well. Then there's dancing, gym, and Rotary as well - no time for blogging.

I am now not moving to Melbourne in January, but rather staying in NZ (hopefully in Wellington) until I leave for Wales in August/September. Exciting!

xx

I am a yellow Pencil.

My flatmate Cameron is wearing very nice business socks today.

Here is a picture of me and my buddy Stella on the swings in Wellington. I love swings.

freeeeeeeeee!!

I HAVE HANDED IN MY ASSIGNMENT ON MALEIC ANHYDRIDE! TAKE THAT!

I am not expecting a good grade, but it was 39 pages of goodness pumped out in a week, so I gotta be pleased with that! I got it in at 4:53pm, 7 minutes before the deadline. Awesome effort I think :D

So now it is the weekend, and I have to do some knitting for Jenna's birthday on Thursday. I don't think she is a blog-follower, but just incase she is, I won't say what I am knitting her. I still owe her flatmate a pair of fingerless gloves for her 21st last year. Basically, I suck. On Saturday night Caleb and I are thinking of going to a social that our dance club is putting on. We went to dancing last night after missing 2 weeks, and we were out of practice! We picked up the new steps the class had learnt easily enough, but our technique was less than good. We've decided that as long as we practice, we can miss every 2nd or 3rd dance class, because we can pick up the steps so quickly. So we might go along this weekend to have a practice and watch some more talented dancers and just have something fun to do on a Saturday night that doesn't involve getting trashed and going clubbing.

The other crazy thing that's happened is that I have had my due dates confirmed for my research project. And they're extremely close. October 15th is my presentation date, and October 31st is when I have to hand in the written report. So I have to get the practical stuff done ASAP - I am going up to Clariant in Auckland in 2 weeks (22nd September) to do all my injection moulding, which means I have to do all my extruding next week. And there's still that 30page literature review I need to do.... I think I'll be needing hypermode.

Lastly, I want to prove how domesticated I am. After the week in Wellington with my favourite family flat, I decided I had to send them some chocolates... And then I decided I should make something. I didn't quite know what to make that would post well, but ended up choosing a non-cook option. See... see...

These are chocolate Oreo's, dipped in melted energy chocolate, and covered in hundreds and thousands.

I conveniently dropped some water in the chocolate when I had just melted a little bit... I couldn't let it go to waste... Please note the awesome apron made for me by the lovely Nikki.

And then I wrapped everything up all nicely, and did some other wrapping at the same time. Wrappity Wrap Wrap. It is also worth noting that there is 3-4 little packages nicely wrapped up inside that big one. I am the master wrapper.

Blogging every day, in every way...

It is 12:32am and I am still up working on this assignment! I am exhausted so I am going to bed.

I think I just wanted to blog about this so I felt good about doing so much work.

SOMEONE COMMENT DAMMIT!!!

It IS past my bedtime...

I just HAD to blog now... It's 10:04pm and I'm at Uni - been here since 8am this morning...

I mean I did go home in the middle of the day for a few hours but I did work there too! I have written 8 pages for my large assignment so far, I think I might just be able to pull this one off... Actually, I take that back, we're putting it into HYSYS (chemical engineering software) tomorrow and I think that is going to seriously upset me. Fingers crossed that the programme takes a liking to my random clicking and loud grunting...

Today has been another classic hypermode day, which is awesome. If I work like this for the next 6 weeks then I will be Miss I-have-a-degree-Ramson. Good idea! I think I will do that. I may also die of exhaustion, but at least not of wondering.

xx

Hypermode

Hello!!


I have gotten so much done today and it is only 3:30pm! I am currently uploading some photos which I will then post on here for you people to see. I think my blog is going to be way more interesting with photos. Hurray!!

Here is the first one of me and Jutey in Wellington - note the old lame-o gappy fringe I'm sporting... I like how Jute is pretending to be a biscuit-eating pirate.

Now here is me after my hair cut... Apologies for the bad lighting, it was early morning :D Fringe is better, yes?

Finally, here is me working in hyperdrive to get my assignment done - ever wondered how you get so much more done when you are super busy? That came out a bit odd. I mean, when I get stuff done, I really get stuff done.

Alright, I admit it doesn't look very hyper-drivey. Perhaps I will post all my project reports on here, then you'll see my hyperpace. Hmm? Anyone want to learn about Maleic Anhydride or Polylactic Acid? Anyone?