Book Review: The Martian

Ilustration by Matt Taylor

I am a self-proclaimed science geek, and I am not ashamed of it. I have lived and breathed science since first grade, well until the year that I finally ditched the prospect of studying medicine in exchange of pursuing the road to my first love - aviation (well, it's still science, right?).

I started reading sci-fi novels at a young age of nine, starting with Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park. Since then, read most of his sci-fi novels. Timeline, State of Fear, Next, and Airframe were my four ultimate favorites. Until his untimely death in 2008, I thought that no sci-fi novels will ever surpass his works. Until James Rollins came. To be fair, both were good and they have different styles in presenting science to their novels.

The New Beginning?

People are pushing Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to run for President this 2016 National Elections. Even citizens outside Davao are starting to believe that he is the main solution to our country's predicaments; that he'd solve the long overdue problem of our government - graft and corruption. He says the otherwise, but there are indications that he'd run. Whether he'd really run or not, people who do not yet experience his leadership should have taken a lot of considerations before campaigning him.

Quarter Life

This should've been an obligatory thing every year - publishing a blog on my birthday. But yeah, I failed. But that's not really important! Haha excuses.

You know, I still can't believe that I am already 25. It feels like I'm still a fresh graduate from college, barely twenty one. The past few years had been challenging. Uhm, I didn't mean any major family dramas or things that you see on TV. Nothing melodramatic, to be honest but let us put it this way - I have learned a lot about life in general.

Anyway, I am so thankful for my family because they're supportive in all of my endeavors. I have my true friends who have stayed by my side through thick and thin. There are some though who left me in a void, unknowingly they wouldn't come back to you. They leave you behind just because they can. Something like that. But it's okay. It made me a stronger and a more independent man than before.

Quarter life, bring it on!

Too Lazy to Adult

When we were still young, we rushed to become an adult. We wished to grow up too fast, act like one, and be like one. After all, being an adult entitles you to do cool things. However, when we become one, we wish to go back to the days when we were still young, and problems were as simple as memorizing the multiplication table, or finding the least common denominator of dissimilar fractions.

It happened to me

Yes finally, it happened to me (lol screw that Ariel TVC). I am back on the grid. Two months ago, I swore that I should update my personal blog more often but lo and behold, my approach control training stopped me from doing such. After more than six weeks of training, simulated dry runs, written and oral exams, and the extremely difficult check-out, I am proud to say that I'm officially a rated procedural approach controller here in Tacloban Aerodrome/Approach Control. Meaning, I'm on my own. No more seniors or slantbars to guide me on what to do with my traffic. Bigger responsibilities, yes but everything's worth it at the end of the day.

Anyway, I should start writing blog drafts soon.

Right now, I am trying to finish at least a hundred novels before the year ends. Current read: The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach. I think it's my 37th (or was it 38th?) book for this year. I am confident that I'd finish more than a hundred before the year ends.

Lastly, mom and granny's going to visit me in Tacloban this 16th! I can't wait. Teehee. Plus, this June, I'd be wearing braces. So yep, good luck to me, most especially on the food that I always eat. See also: sabaw diet.

Mixtape Mondays, Vol 1

Sometimes, when the summer heat is unbearable, I'd pray for a rain, or at least an overcast weather. I love rainy days, but not to the point wherein mandatory evacuation is necessary. A cup of hot tea or coffee on a rainy day is already nice, but it would be better if it's accompanied by good music.

For the first volume of the Mixtape Mondays blog series, allow me to share Hues & Blues - my snuggle weather playlist. However, you can't download the whole playlist because it's illegal. Good thing, there's Spotify.

1. The Scientist - Coldplay
2. Lost At Sea - Dave Thomas Junior
3. Illgresi - Sigur Rós
4. O (Ghost Stories) - Coldplay
5. Time Forgets - Yiruma
6. England - The National
7. Coffee - Copeland
8. Vienna - The Fray
9. Collide - Howie Day
10. Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
11. I'm Not Talking - A.C. Newman

The Sunday Currently, Vol. 1

This personal blog will turn 9 this October. Time flies so fast! I created this blog last 2006 to document my not-so-awesome high school life. I used to have a journal but I thought of publishing my thoughts online. And besides, those were the days when only a few people know what a BLOG is. Years after, this blog became stagnant. I focused on updating my travel blog since 2011.

This year, I am going to update this more often. I've been promising this to myself since 2012, but due to my busy schedule, I wasn't able to fulfill it. And now, I'm going to publish more personal posts this year by starting this blog series, The Sunday Currently. I first encountered this after reading Camie and Chester's blog. 

Alright, here goes nothing.

How to Become an Air Traffic Controller in the Philippines

Lately, I have been receiving emails regarding on how to become an ATC (Air Traffic Controller) in the Philippines. Well, let me tell you something about the nature of the job of an air traffic controller. You see, they are the guiding voices of the sky. They instruct pilots when and where to descend, climb, commence a left or right turn, and other specific instructions. They are responsible for handling air traffic in a safe, orderly, and in an expeditious way.

Here in the Philippines, Air Traffic Controllers work under the Philippine government, specifically at the Air Traffic Service of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines or CAAP.

Here are the steps on how to become one: