Sarcosuchus

Sarcosuchus (/ˌsɑːrkoʊˈsuːkəs/; meaning “flesh crocodile”) is an extinct genus of crocodyliform and distant relative of living crocodylians that lived 112 million years ago. It dates from the early Cretaceous Period of what is now Africa and South America and is one of the largest crocodile-like reptiles that ever lived. It was almost twice as long as the modern saltwater crocodile and weighed up to 3 tonnes (3.0 long tons; 3.3 short tons). The first remains were discovered during several expeditions led by the French paleontologist Albert-Félix de Lapparent, spanning from 1946 to 1959, in the Sahara. These remains were fragments of the skull, vertebrae, teeth, and scutes. In 1964, an almost complete skull was found in Niger by the French CEA, but it was not until 1997 and 2000 that most of its anatomy became known to science, when an expedition led by the American paleontologist Paul Sereno discovered six new specimens, including one with about half the skeleton intact and most of the spine. (Source Wikipedia)

Took this photo last December 16, 2018 at Musee National (National Museum) Boubou Hama, Niamey, Niger Africa

Kati Kati (Itchy Itchy)

at Dagupan Riverside Market

Easy money during high tide at Dagupan Riverside Market, this “Kariton Boy” (Cart Boy) transports people instead of their usual fish delivery during high tide. To encourage passengers, the boy shouts Kati Kati (itchy itchy) as the overflowed water from the river is dirty and will cause itchiness. To avoid discomfort, people have no choice but to ride the cart to reach the dry area of the road and this will cost them to pay five pesos for every ride.

Steps to Successful Schedules in Project Management

Here is some of the basic steps for schedule creation that project managers can follow for their successful management.

1: Define the Schedule Activities

2: Sequence the Activities

3: Estimate the Resources Needed for the Activity

4: Estimating the Duration of Each of the Activities

5: Schedule Development

6: Monitoring and Controlling the Schedule

Continue Reading ….

MOPU Golf Day

MOPU Golf Day

Tenix Ltd will be sponsoring MOPU golf day on Sunday the 8th of April 2012 commencing at 1.30pm and all arrangements have been finalised. A very huge appreciation goes to Tenix Ltd for its commitment to be The Gold sponsor of this event . Tenix Ltd has also air freighted all the prizes, T-shirts, golf balls and banner all the way from New Zealand and will arrive here in Lihir next week in time for the tournament.

This year’s MOPU Golf event will be better than last year as 24 teams will be participating. Newcrest Mining Ltd media will be covering this event so that it is recorded in the Newcrest Mining Ltd media records. It will also be featured in the sports section of the Lihir Ilamel – The Lihir local newspaper.

All the control rules regarding playing rules and personal behaviour will be given out at the golf course on golf day.

A special thanks to Peter Hatagen for organizing this fabulous event and for having me to join again this year. (My Team is “Miners Learns to Golf”) with Team Mate’s – Randy Salas, Gin Mango and David Willis. (Courtesy of Peter Hatagen)

Panagbenga 2012 Major Highlights

Panagbenga 2012 Major Highlights
Panagbenga Flower Festival is here again

Panagbenga Opening Parade February 1, 2012

Market Encounter February 1 – March 4, 2012

Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom February 11, 2012

Handog ng Panagbenga sa Baguio February 12, 2012

Fluvial Float Parade February 12, 2012

Chinese Spring Festival February 21, 2012

Grand Street Dancing Parade February 25, 2012

Grand Float Parade February 26, 2012

Session Road in Bloom February 27 – March 4, 2012

Pony Boy’s Day March 2, 2012

Panagbenga Closing Ceremonies March 4, 2012

Grand Fireworks Display March 4, 2012 @ 7:00 PM

Baguio’s Biggest Dish of Fried Rice

Baguio's Biggest Dish of Fried Rice

An enormous dish of fried rice fed more or less 15,000 people in Baguio City during the
annual celebration of the 8th Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism (HRT) Week Baguio Rice Festival last
Saturday 03 September 2011. It was served in a 7.62-meter dish, with 13 recipes prepared by
nine restaurants in Baguio. 500 kg of rice was used in the preparation.

Memoirs of Beijing, a Walk to Remember

(Written by George Fosana)

Flickr Buddies at Great Wall
“ Coming from a two year employment in a smal West African oil-rich country Equatorial Guinea, I never imagined I could set foot on the culture-rich and one of the oldest civilization- China.”

The joys and the privilege of moving from around the world is the benefit of an overseas worker. We tend to see beautiful places while earning. Not many people from the billion populace of the seven continents has had the experience of such wonderful feat, and I am  fortunate to be one.

Beijing, anciently known as Peking, is such a splendid place to travel for its opulent palaces of the old dynasties. It is, in my perspective, a cradle of one great empire that grew from endurance. The books can tell how colorful its history was.  How much more if one is able to stay for six months and saw wonders of the world we only see on the print and visual media. This is the best thing that happened to me for my employment with Fluor Shanghai, an experience which I would forever treasure and cherish.

Earth has north and south poles, we have night and day, physics has several laws of contradiction.  It is a nature call to have happiness and sadness, thus despite those blissful moments, there comes a feeling of  emptiness which envelops my psyche in some inquisitive moments.  I really am  expecting a challenging work  because it is my first time to work in Mining.  It is well another feather to my cap in addition to my experience in High Rise building construction, Infrastructure and Civil Works, Petrochemical Plant Construction, Upstream projects such as Drilling and Oil and Gas where I honed my Project Controls skills. Sometimes, what you expect is the least to happen and what you need is just to ride the boat and go with the current. Read more…..

Welcome Panagbenga Festival

Welcome Panagbenga Festival

Panagbenga is month-long annual flower festival occurring in Baguio, the summer capital of the Philippines. The term is of Malayo-Polynesian origin, meaning “season of blooming”. The festival, held during the month of February, was created as a tribute to the city’s flowers and as a way to rise up from the devastation of the 1990 Luzon earthquake. The festival includes floats that are decorated with flowers unlike those used in Pasadena‘s Rose Parade. The festival also includes street dancing, presented by dancers clad in flower-inspired costumes, that is inspired by the Bendian, an Ibaloi dance of celebration that came from the Cordillera region.

Aside from economic boosts from tourism, the festival also helped the younger generation of indigenous people to rediscover their culture’s old traditions. The indigenous people was first wary with government-led tourism because of the threat that they will interfere or change their communities’ rituals. (Source)

Baguio Flower Festival schedule for 2011 

February 1, 2011 – Grand Opening Parade
February 1 – Mar 6, 2011 – Market Encounter
February 12, 2011- Let A Thousand Flowers Bloom
February 13, 2011 – Pre-Valentine Event & Fluvial Float Parade
February 26, 2011 – Grand Panagbenga Street Parade
February 27, 2011 – Grand Float Parade
February 28 – March 6, 2011 – Session Road in Bloom
March 2, 2011 – Pony Boys Day
March 3, 2011 – Central North Luzon Tourism Fair
March 6, 2011 – Grand Closing Ceremony & Grand Fireworks Display (Flowers in the Sky)

Temple of Heaven

Temple of Heaven
The Temple of Heaven in the southern part of Beijing is China’s largest existing complex of ancient sacrificial buildings. Occupying an area of 273 hectares, it is three times the area of the Forbidden City. It was built in 1420 for emperors to worship Heaven. The principal buildings include the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests, Imperial Vault of Heaven and Circular Mound Altar. (China Through a Lens)

Story of the Clever Dog

(I received this story from an email)

A butcher watching over his shop is really surprised when he saw a dog coming inside the shop. He shoos him away. But later, the dog is back again. So, he goes over to the dog and notices he has a note in his mouth. He takes the note and it reads “Can I have 12 sausages and a leg of lamb, please. The dog has money in his mouth, as well.” The butcher looks inside and, lo and behold, there is a ten dollar Note there. So he takes the money and puts the sausages and lamb in a bag, placing it in the dog’s mouth. The butcher is so impressed, and since it’s about closing time, he decides to shut up shop and follow the dog. So off he goes. The dog is walking down the street when he comes To a level crossing. The dog puts down the bag, jumps up and presses the button. Then he waits patiently, bag in mouth, for the lights to turn. They do, and he walks across the road, with the butcher following him all the way. The dog then comes to a bus stop, and starts looking at the timetable. The butcher is in awe at this stage. The dog checks out the times, and then sits on one of the seats provided. Along comes a bus. The dog walks around to the front, looks at the number, and goes back to his seat. Another bus comes. Again the dog goes and looks at the number, notices it’s the right bus, and climbs on. The butcher, by now, open-mouthed, follows him onto the bus. The bus travels through the town and out into the suburbs, the dog Looking at the scenery. Eventually he gets up, and moves to the front of the bus. He stands on 2 back paws and pushes the button to stop the bus. Then he gets off, his groceries still in his mouth. Well, dog and butcher are walking along the road, and then the dog turns into a house. He walks up the path, and drops the groceries on the step. Then he walks back down the path, takes a big run, and throws himself against the door. He goes back down the path, runs up to the door and again, it throws himself against it. There’s no answer at the house, so the dog goes back down the path, jumps up on a narrow wall, and walks along the perimeter of the garden. He gets to the window, and beats his head against it several times, walks back, jumps off, and waits at the door. The butcher watches as a big guy opens the door, and starts abusing the dog, kicking him and punching him, and swearing at him. The butcher runs up, and stops the guy. “What in heaven’s name are You doing? The dog is a genius. He could be on TV, for the life of me!” to which the guy responds: “You call this clever? This is the second time this week that this stupid dog’s forgotten his key.”

Reflection: Looks like some, people will never be satisfied with what they’ve got. When it comes to the work place, Employers do not know how to appreciate their people who have served them loyally through the years. I’ve seen companies lose good people for the simple fact their leaders failed to show appreciation. Employers with big egos enjoy the fact that they have more power and authority than others. They show, in the way they give orders and directions, that they think they are superior. They get a kick out of displaying this superiority. People who do this are fools, and everyone but them knows it. They are never satisfied because they could not be satisfied even if their people perform well. They don’t listen to the opinion and ideas of their subordinates. Why? Because of their stupid pride and insecurity. People of this kind will never be satisfied. Why? Because they are so busy wrapped up in themselves and, fact is, the self can never be satisfied. Happy and productive people are always those who are “others-centered” rather than “self- centered.” The greatest idea of leadership is not someone who throws his weight around. Rather, he is a servant. As Bible would say, “He who wish to be a leader should first be a servant.” His joy is derived from delivering a job that others benefit from his contribution. Aim for service and success will follow.

God Bless!

Last 2 days in Beijing, China

Last 2 days in Beijing, China – A narrative speech written by Gilbert Jay C. Orbeta

Greetings! As you are acquainted with, I’m Gilbert Orbeta, and I’m pleased to talk with you about a topic that is near and treasured to my head and my heart: my last 2 days in Beijing, China. 

What can you do in the face of reality? The reality was that we were leaving and the response was to calm the pain of that reality with shopping, “take a trip” and retail therapy. And, sad as it sounds, it worked. What’s more, I took home gifts for my loved ones and that felt good. It felt like a bridge between Beijing and Philippines somehow.

I assume you could say that I yield and loosened my grip on my desire to be “a local” and promised that aspiration that I’d revisit Beijing in the future. Many different places had been tested by my father who is currently working in China in advance of our arrival. He said that he previously went to Jade Ware Factory, YaXiu market, Forbidden City, Wangfujing Shopping Street, some park that are nearby in the hotel where we are going to stay , and one of the seven wonders of the Medieval Mind, the Great Wall of China.

We went to these entire places in just a week, and for our last day we went once more to the Great Wall of China. By this time we rented a shuttle bus. I asked my father how much the shuttle bus rental worth. He replied back and said one thousand six hundred. I thought its one thousand six hundred pesos so I don’t ask a follow-up question. But when we went back to the hotel I saw my father paid one thousand six hundred Yuan. I was stun by that particular moment. It’s so expensive! But I and my family have a great time, so I think the one thousand six hundred Yuan didn’t waste.

We went back to the hotel at midnight. The trip really did solidify the feeling of being a tourist. I know that China is not my home, but it had begun to feel that way before I moved into the hotel. I really hope to regain that feeling in the future – that feeling of China being my home.

When we headed for the airport the next day, the drop in my guts seemed like an endless black hole. I kept gulping back tears and nausea and just tried to keep breathing the reality of my leaving in, as though it was a necessary medicine and that I would recover. Recover from the pain of separating from that amazing country, yes, and also recover from the intensity of this tourist marathon.

I’m still working on both recoveries. I know that I will return to China. I will go back sooner than later, I believe.