Sunday, November 16, 2008
slack week again

Yeah. 2nd week of work. Haha. Nothing much actually. Basically I'm still reading on the technical specs of the project I'm involved in and another new tender project which I will b assisting my mentor in. So yeah, just more reading. Haha.

Got a company laptop on wed. Gotta wait another 2weeks for the new computer to be delivered. That's why I'm using laptop in the office. Finally not that boring at work 'cos I can go online and surf the net. Well, gotta be discreet about it. But yeah, gotta keep myself awake during office hours, so I'm like msn-ing people or email-ing "chat" with others. Haha. Lucky I got my own email add and own extension line. The orientation friend working in the Engineering Design Office was quite sad. She can't have her own email until after probation, which is 6mths later. And there's lots of restriction over there as well, such as they gotta sign some agreement that don't know how many % of the time is for personal calls and such. And their extention line is shared by a few others. Even when she wanna sms or make personal call on her hp, she gotta hide somewhere to do it. Kinda strict over there. I'm glad my department was very slack. Or rather, no people cares about what I am doing. Hahaha. Everyday I was just "thrown" there by myself to read up and do research on the web for things I don't know. At most my mentor come talk to me once or twice to ask how am I doing. He's to busy with sooo many projects that he didn't have time to sit down with me to tell me about the process of the ongoing project. So I'm still quite lost with everything. Oh. To the extent that I only know a few names in the office. Haha. 'Cos no one brings me around to introduce them to me and I can't recognise some of them even. There's only like 20-30+ people in the office. Lol.

Well, so far so gd. Actually, should be so far so boring. Haha. 'Cos I have only been reading non-stop for the last 1+week. But not bad ba, for the working environment in my department, and have to stress that it's only in my department that's not bad. Lol. Others I heard wasnt that good. Hmmm, soon I will be busy with work 'cos lots of new projects coming in and also, I will be involved in lots of meeting. Probably 1-2 meetings a day. Damn, I hate meetings.

Friday, November 07, 2008
new environment

End of my first week in my job. Well, in short, it's my honeymoon week, at least for the first 3.5days. Haha. Had 3.5days of orientation around the whole shipyard and I would say it's very interesting. Before I started work, I wasn't enthusiatic about the job at all, just accept the offer for the sake of getting a job. But after the 3.5days of orientation, I changed my mind. It's an interesting place to work in, where you will be exposed to all kinds of stuffs and really learn alot from there. Though it's really a busy place, probably with lots of OT and full of stress, but just a great learning experience.

This orientation is actually something that the company have for all management grade staffs which last for 3.5days. Yeah, as an engineer I am of management grade. Hahaha. First day was just visiting all the various departments in the admin building and learning about the company and what each departments are involved in. Get to meet a few of the GMs from the company. Haha. They also gotta entertain the 7 new employees.

Second day was visit to the 6 departments in the production side, meaning gotta dress in coveralls and safety boots with all the safety equipments to go around the workshops to look at what each of the production department is doing. Well, it's interesting to see all the different parts of the ship being made and yeah all the equipments are HUGE! One engine can be as high as 3-storey high. Haha. Eye opener and also I know nuts about ships.

On the third day, which is the most interesting day, we get to go on board to the ships! First time on a ship, other than cruise liners. It's a tour around the ships with regards to safety issues. First ship I get up was a bulk carrier that is undergoing repair work, almost at the finishing stage. Should be sailing off next week. Quite an old ship and kinda dirty. Yeah, shipyard is a super dirty place with no clean air. Haha. And the 7 of us are divided into 3 groups, with me being in a group with 2 guys. So, I got up the ship, all the banglas start looking at me, like I'm some kind of rare beast or what. All are thinking, what is a girl doing on board a ship in coveralls. ZZZZZZ. 'Cos apparently there's no female wokers onboard the ship, not even female engineers. Most female engineers work in workshop or office. Haha. Well, I don't really care actually, just enjoying my walk around the ship. Get to go all the way into the engine room to look at all the big big machines operating the ship.

Well, a mishap happens. As usual, the clumsy me fell down behind the safety officer who is bringing us around. The funny thing is the safety officer didn't know I fell down and continue walking, while the 2guys behind me saw my "happening" fall. Haha. Think of it I also wanna laugh. Was walking down the steps in the engine room and as I was not used to the safety goggles (these goggles make ur vision weird and things looked kinda elongated when you are wearing it), I missed a step and fell down on my left knee. Nothing serious, as I'm used to falling down. Then, that 2 guys who are walking down the steps just suddenly see me "disappear" from their view, and realise I fell down. Haha. Kinda funny sight. Luckily nothing serious happen. If not the safety officer is so dead. Hahaha.

In the noon, got up another ship. This is a newbuild tanker, that just started sailing about 2months ago and had been in the yard for 1month for some maintenance. It's freaking new and clean and nice. Especially the chief office! And the chief officer is so nice to offer us drinks and let us slack in the meeting room for over 2hours, enjoying the aircon. Haha. There's LCD TV, kitchen, Playstation, etc in the chief cabin. So nice lah! Like some luxury hotel. Haha. This ship is very big with over 300m in length. Impressive. Haha. Well, but it's kinda tiring working onboard the ship, gotta climb up and down and it's VERY hot in there. Just climbing up the gangway to the ship is like climbing up 5-storey flat or more. By the time you reach the ship, can feel that your legs are like jelly. Haha. To end it off, it's really a nice experience. And probably I won't have much chance to get up ships le, since I'm mainly working in the office, dealing with contractual stuffs and the clients and subcontractors.

On the last 0.5day of orientation, it's back to visting more departments in the admin building and yeah, finally I'm going to my department for the orientation. My first "visit" to my department and first look at my colleagues. Haha. Nothing much. Just kinda boring on the last 0.5days. None of us wanted the orientation to end, all of us are enjoying and having fun the last few days. By noon, all of us have to return to our respective department le. Time to get use to new environment again. Luckily for me, I got a friend in there and I will be working on the same project as her! Haha. And I'm sitting next to lili's friend. So I still got some company. Not that bad. Haha.

So as of now, I'm still having a slacking time on my job, basically just reading through the technical specs for my project. And since I don't have a computer yet, my mentor can't teach me stuffs yet and it probably take another 1-2weeks for my new computer to arrive. Also, my mentor is too busy to teach me things, he's involved in 3 projects and all of that he's a mentor to some mentee. Haha. Poor guy. He's like the only senior mechanical contracts engineer around, so all new mechanical contracts engineers are like under him. 2 of them joined only 2-3mths ago. Haha. Hmm, still not very sure of what I will be doing, but only know will be very busy, 'cos got 3 new tenders coming up. And most likely I gotta be involved in one of it and taking it as my own (only on the mechanical side. the electrical and structural stuffs got other people to do. Haha). Hopefully it's not going to be so bad. And I have to get use to attending LOTS of meeting and catching subcontractors for quotations. I wonder if I'm up to it. Ha.

Ok. One super long entry about my work, or what I experienced first hand. More details on it can't be revealed due to company secrecy. Haha.