A Friday in Dubai

by Sonny Espejo

Sunday in Dubai is the start of the work week. Fridays and Saturdays are the weekend days, Friday being the holiest day in the Muslim faith. In lieu of a Sunday service, Christians attend Friday masses, which to me is just alright since I find the Sunday evening mass too much of a hassle. And so, one lazy Friday morning after the mass in Saint Mary's Church, we drove to a chic and newly opened mall in the beach district of Jumeira, all three of us Pinoy Engineers, to just walk around and have a good laidback lunch. Such a thing is a luxury in our working environs. We chose a restaurant called Chilis, not so much for the Mexican style food but for the good view that its wide glass walls offer of the front walk and the taxi stand and the fountains set on a garden further down.

Dubai has become a cosmopolitan city, and on any given day, you would encounter people of different nationalities and ethnicities mingling and interacting just like they were from the same small village called the world. They said boys will be boys and over dessert and coffee Raul, Ed and myself enjoyed taking-in the sight of lovely girls that seem to just walk around for our ogling. Blonds, brunettes, Africans, Orientals, Arabic, Latinas, Americans, Aryans, Scandinavians, Eastern Europeans, Chinese, Filipinas, Vietnamese, Australians, British – they're all here. And we were pimply college kids all over again. One banter leads to another until Ed and Raul came to a head – they could not agree on who is prettiest, Brazilians or Swedes. I am not of much help either. I admire most the angelic faces and devilish curves of Lebanese ladies but I keep that to myself.

But just to break the deadlock, I asked them, for a change, who they consider are the most unattractive. Almost without hesitation, "Indonesians!", they declared in unison and I laughed with them in total agreement. Of course, we were thinking in sync of that loud, snooty, unsightly, scowling Indonesian wife of my landlord who just that morning reproached us on the use of the garage. Yup, we unanimously agreed, Indonesians are officially the ugliest and we moved on chatting about other care-free topics, dropping that mean racist joke altogether.

After a while, a Filipino guy, apparently homesick and new in Dubai approached our table. "Kabayans!", he greeted. "I overheard you speaking in Tagalog. Kanina ko pa kayo gustong lapitan kaya lang naga-alangan ako. Akala ko kasi kanina…

… mga Indonesians kayo."

We almost died laughing and we were never more red in the face. Poetic Justice, it was; and it came way sooner than we expected.


Moral of the story: Always choose a landlord with a gorgeous wife!

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Carlo Chan Solves The Escalator Puzzle

My previous post titled An Amusing Challenge has lured out some of the best minds from SLC. Engr. Carlo Chan and Engr. Ludy Aquino, both Board Placers in different years, and prides of SLC Engineering submitted their solutions minutes within each other. Two distinct approaches, one correct answer. I am publishing Carlo’s solution first after which I will append Ludy’s solution after he adds verbal explanations to his math equations so that us, lowly mortals could follow hehehe…

The Office Escalator

It’s 3 o’clock in the afternoon and everyone was in a hurry to get home. The Managing Director was generous enough to let everyone go early for the day, giving them time to prepare for New Year’s Eve. So I hurriedly shuffled the loose pile of paper on my desk and pushed each one into the trays, shut down my laptop and shoved it into its carrying case. “Happy New Year. See you next year, everyone”, I hollered to nobody in particular as I walked to the exits. Work could wait for next year which will start next Sunday! Everyone was filing out of the office into the parking lot. I needed to go, too! I could not wait for the slow descent of the escalator so I walked down even as it descended. It took me 10 steps with my normal gait to get down from the First Floor level to the Ground Floor level. I was about to dash away to the Parking Exits when Mar, looking down from the Second Floor level called my attention. “Hey, Sonny – you dropped your wallet.” In my eagerness, I dropped my wallet at the top of the descending flight that I just traversed. Wanting to get to my wallet as quickly as possible, I forgot to use the ascending flight and instead huff-and-puff my way up the descending flight at a rate which is 5 times my pace in going down. It took me 25 steps before I got to my wallet – thank God. Now Louisian Engineers, pray tell me how many steps has our office escalator?

Carlo’s Solution:

Let N = total number of steps between floors.
E = the number of steps the escalator moves down for every step that I make when
moving down

As I am going down, the moving escalator “helps” to improve my rate such that after only 10 steps, I would have reached the bottom of the escalator. This means that for every step I make, the escalator also “steps down” by E steps and thus enabling me to descend a total of 1/10 of the way or N/10, each time.

1 + E = N/10

Running up against the downward-moving escalator, I have to sprint back 5 times faster than my original speed to overcome the opposing motion of the escalator. But since I am 5 times faster than initially, the escalator could only take away E/5 number of steps for every stride of mine. After 25 steps I would have reached the top which means that for every step taken, I am able to go up a net of 1/25 of the flight or N/25:

1 – E/5 = N/25

From these two equations, one would easily find that N = 20 steps.

QED

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That was elegant! How could you make it so easy, Carlo? Any questions, Class? Hehehe...

- icarus

Childhood Memories in the Barrio II

Back in the early 90’s, Rowell was half of SLC’s super twins – the other half being his brother Rommel. Rowell is enrolled in the Engineering Department while his twin brother is with the Arts and Sciences Department. They were popular and conspicuous on the campus, not only because of their almost identical looks and striking symmetry but also because they were equally outstanding in their academics. I remember training a Quiz team led by Rowell for the prestigious Varsity Quiz during one College Days Celebration. They were to compete with, among other teams, an AsEd group anchored by Rommel. Yes they were Quizzers. They were also declaimers, orators and debaters. They were regular contributors/columnists to the Torch. And boy, could they write! Rommel, a man of letters by training, is expectedly good but Rowell, a man of numbers, was never left behind. How I wish all SLC Engineers could write as lucidly and as vividly as Engr. Rowell could. He would put to shame most Eng'g. instructors, including deans. hehehe. I left Saint Louis College when Rowell was in Third Year Engineering. I wonder if he had learned to write this good had I remained to affect him with my twisted English. Hehehe… Enjoy his comical adventures.


Why I Never Learned How To Swim Naked
by Rowell Olivar

Back in 197_, My brother Yit and me had a bestfriend whose name is Tambong.

He was the robust type, growing up as a grunt in their farm, while Yit and me were skinny and sickly.

Ruddy and vigorous, he was the instigator of many escapades, though we were older by a year.

Our favorite place was a small creek near our house, not so near as my father could see us learning to swim there.

Its waters were clean, and fish and crabs were abundant in its recesses. The creek was shallow. But in some places there were deep pools, especially where large bamboo clumps have grown, and overhung the water.

Tambong introduced us to the creek’s pleasures when we were 6 and he was 5. A bit sheltered, we didn’t know how to swim, and we were openmouthed at how our friend would dive and stay underwater.

How he would come up with handfuls of sand from the bottom and display them to us, like gold dust. He was Aquaman from the Superfriends.

Naturally Yit and me(my name is Kit, by the way), wanted to learn how to do what he could.
He was our idol, so to speak.

Everyday, as soon as we finish breakfast, we would sneak off to their house and ask him to go with us.

His father must have been amused by us, lost little twins. He would just tell us to be careful and let Tambong go.

And off we would go running to the creek. Stripping off our shirts, our shorts, sandals flapping, throwing them every which way, to fall shrieking into the water. Thus our mornings would be spent.

Lunchtime is a whole different matter.

Our father has definite ideas on our kind of fun- in his book swimming is illegal. His favorite tree, among the multitude in our yard, is the atis.

Many middays, my brother and me would come home with mud in our hair, and smelling like carabaos.Our dear father will be waiting for us.

He will grab us by our ears and march us to the sanctity of the atis tree.
This tree, aside from its sweet fruit, has slender and pliant branches, ideal for making whips for little boys.

We watch while father makes his selection, testing each supple branch til he finds one to his liking. He will break off this branch, about two and a half feet long, slender like a green snake.

One by one, the leaves are slowly removed, making sure the nodes by which they are attached are left intact, for maximum damage to small legs and butts. When everything is ready, he will ask who will go first.

As the elder by 30 minutes(or 15 minutes, depending on who’s talking, my anti or my grandma), I choose to go first. Father will hold me by the left hand, pull it just a bit to get a clear shot, then deliver one stinging lash to my legs or behind.

Like being bitten by hundreds of ants, I do a kind of jig, with both palms trying to rub off the pain, and wearing a comical deathmask.

Yit is next, and the ceremony is done.

Whimpering a bit, but not crying, we leave our calvary, promising not to get caught next time.

After every punishment, we used to envy Tambong, wishing Lakay Tukkol was our father.
We never saw Tambong punished for swimming in the creek, or hitching onto a jeep, or climbing the coconut trees. Often my father would go to Lakay Tukkol, asking him to punish Tambong for our antics. But he couldn’t teach the older dog what to do.

One day, the three of us went to the creek, same as before. Our clothes were scattered all around the shore, and we were playing tag. The ‘it’ boy will try his best to catch the others.

Depending on our mood, a particular body part is chosen as the target. Being naughty little boys, our favorite are the little eggs between our little legs.

Hard to believe, but though Yit was the skinnier and sicklier, he was the hardest one to catch. He does all these contortions underwater so that you would think it is easier to catch an eel.

I was the ‘it’ boy, working very hard to catch my little brother, swimming, twisting and squirming, trying to cover his peanuts.

The plonk and splash must have been going on for a bit, but I heard them as I was catching my breath.

I stopped and looked around.

Yit was still trying to get away, but Tambong was at a safe distance, and so noticed me.
Pebbles were falling all around our pool. Sometimes it would be this way, sometimes that way. They do this splash, as if a creature is trying to come out of the water, like a deep sigh.

The pool was overhung by dense shrubs on both sides, and being near midday, everything was quiet. Except for the falling pebbles, and the sighing splash as they hit the water.

In a split second, Tambong and me looked at each other, and then panicked and broke for the shore.

Yit was still starting to comprehend.

Like outraged buffaloes we waded screaming for the shore, thinking that the river ‘kumaw’ has come for us!

Never mind clothes, slippers nevermind, or my brother scrambling behind. We left everything and didn’t look back once.

We didn’t see our father laughing and rolling on the shore.



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Greetings from SLC PICE and Singapore

Buried in the comments on the first article blogged last December 28 were reactions and feedbacks from some friends in other parts of the world. I'm sorry to have overlooked it for sometime before today. Every reaction/feedback deserves attention so I am posting it today. First one is from Engr. Rubia Nones ( ex-girlfriend of Engr. Theory Raul Nones... hehehe) who is currently SLC's Head of Civil Engineering and concurrently Advisor for PICE-SLC. Here goes...

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!!

The PICE SLC Student Chapter would like to express thanks to each and everyone who have made financial contributions* to our fellow louisians who were afflicted with grave illnesses like Mr. Molina, Mrs. Amando, Mrs. Caldoza and Mang Mundo Caluscosin and to the families of our dear Engr. Ailyn Apilado and Jimmy Portacio, a BSCE 5 student who was killed on christmas eve. Thank you for your generosity and wishing you more blessings in life . . . not only this new year but for all the years to come...

from:
Engr Rubia Nones
in behalf of PICE-SLC

*All in all, we raised a total of AED 4,400.00 (approx 56,300 Pesos) during the picnic in Creek Park. The contributions came from those who attended whom I have already named in the previous article and four more who were unable to attend but each sent their 1oo dirhams anyway. Thus we acknowledge the kindness Engr. Rowell Olivar, Engr. Maylanie Estabillo, Engr. Marielle Nisperos who are all from Dubai; and Engr. Gilbert Jaramillo who sent in his share all the way from Australia!

(N.B. Mr Sofronio Molina is one time SLC's Maintenance Supervisor, Mrs Vicky Caldoza is the long time Secretary to the President, Mrs Erlinda Amando is a long-serving Librarian and wife of Dr. Amando, the former Dean of Student Affairs; and Mr. Mundo Caluscosin is the Plant Maintenace Electrician.)

Let me also take this opportunity, in behalf of slcpiceuae, to thank you madam for acting as our bridge to our dear alma mater. We are pleased to share whatever small amount we can afford. The amounts are actually too small but these are mere tokens of our continued loyalty to SLC and adherence to the values it had imparted. slcpiceuae hopes to maintain the close link with PICE-SLC, through you, for matters of common interest. You may also encourage the members of PICE-SLC to e-mail us regarding industry-academe linkage, including job hunting tips, visa requirement and employment opportunities in the various companies of our members in Dubai and the rest of the UAE.

-ise.

The other message is from an anonymous poster from Singapore, most probably an expat Louisian just like us who appreciated what we did. Whoever mackoy is, lets welcome him aboard...


Way to go, louisian engineers in dubai. Sana kami rin d2 sa singapore!!

-mackoy

An Amusing Challenge

The appeal of Logic puzzles cuts through the ages, young or old, alike. You could be a neophyte Engineer or an Engineering Professor, or a consulting CEO, still these posers brings a challenge which few Engineers, with their Math background, could resist. So you think you got what it takes? Try the problems below for size.

Our Office Escalator

It’s 3 o’clock in the afternoon and everyone was in a hurry to get home. Our Managing Director was generous enough to let everyone go early for the day, giving them time to prepare for New Year’s Eve. So I hurriedly shuffled the loose pile of paper on my desk and pushed each one into the trays, shut down my laptop and shoved it into its carrying case. “Happy New Year. See you next year, everyone”, I hollered to nobody in particular as I walked to the exits. Work could wait for next year which will start next Sunday! Everyone was filing out of the office into the parking lot. I needed to go, too! I could not wait for the slow descent of the escalator so I walked down even as it descended. It took me 10 steps with my normal gait to get down from the First Floor level to the Ground Floor level. I was about to dash away to the Parking Exits when Mar, looking down from the Second Floor level called my attention. “Hey, Sonny – you dropped your wallet!” In my eagerness, I dropped my wallet at the top of the descending flight that I just traversed. Wanting to get to my wallet as quickly as possible, I forgot to use the ascending flight and instead huff-and-puff my way up the descending flight at a rate which is 5 times my pace in going down. It took me 25 steps before I got to my wallet – thank God. Now Louisian Engineers, pray tell me how many steps has our office escalator?

If only a few could solve the above problem, it is probably because it does not fall into any of the common categories by which algebraic problems are usually classified. So I want to give everyone a chance by posing a problem which is in a class that is familiar to all : AGE PROBLEM. Peanuts, isn’t it? Then try the age problem below.

How old is Danny?

I have two friends named Manny and Danny who are very conscious of their ages. They don’t only keep tract of their years, they also are aware of their age combinations and ratios along the way. You see, the combined ages of Manny and Danny is 80 years, and Manny is twice as old as Danny was when Manny was half as old as Danny will be when Danny is three times as old as Manny was when Manny was three times as old as Danny. So how old is Manny?

I’ll wait for your solutions and interesting posers of your own. I will publish the first correct solution that comes by e-mail.

More Pictures from Richie Flores...

I remember Richie as my soft-spoken student. A bit shorter and smaller then than most of his barkada, you would mistook him for someone from a younger batch. When I finally saw him again during the picnic at Creek Park, I almost did not recognize him. He seemed to have grown taller, bulkier, fairer and handsomer. He also exudes the confidence of someone who is enjoying his profession and making a good work at it…

Meet the new Richie Flores…


Hi sir,

Musta? Musta new year celebration niyo sir? I just visited the slcpiceuae blog sir. ‘ganda ng article niyo dun sir, parang na-picture ko ung sarili ko dun sir when I was young but in a different scenario naman, sir. Hehehe. But it was good sir.. Maganda cia. Try ko log-in sa "follow this blog" pero ayaw naman sir. Arabic naman ung lumalabas. Hehehe.

Eto pala sir mga pics sa cam ko sir. Pwede u idagdag sa collection natin sir, sencia n sir ngaun ko lng send medyo bc din sa opis sir. Hehehe. Cge sir. Looking forward to read more articles on the blog sir. I hope i could also share someday. Hehehe. Happy new year ulit.

God bless.

Richie Flores

A mound of rock in the middle of the park for the rock climbing pretenders...



Early morning view of the Creek Park.




Early birds slumped on the grass as we wait for the rest to arrive...





D' FORGETS: L-R: Ed Blancas, Flor Doctolero, Engr. Menguita, Sonny Espejo, Raul Nones, Edwin Ancheta, Mel Gagtan






Members of batch '96

The stragglers from the batch of 2003

From the youngest to the oldest... not necessarily from left to right...

Getting ready for lunch... Kainan na!

A pose for posterity...


Thanks for the pictures, Richie. Unfortunately, you were not on any of them. That's the trouble if you own the camera. hehehe. (Ok, I'll take that back. You are that one in biege shirt standing between myself and Raul in the last picture). You are certainly welcome to publish your articles here. Just send me through e-mail and I will do the rest. You can also post your feedback by clicking on the comments icon at the end of every blog entry. If you prefer not to register in an account, you may choose the anonymous option. However, you can identify yourself by leaving your name at the end of the comment.

A Feedback From Doha, Qatar

Was it Confucius who once wrote: “To be immortal, you need to do any of three things; have a son, write a book or plant a tree”? I guess he forgot to mention another way: Teach in SLC! Nothing is more heartwarming or more uplifting than knowing that you were part of a Louisian’s life, playing a role, however small, in the process of his transformation from an eager-to-learn kid into a responsible and competent professional. A teacher’s legacy is perpetuated by those whose lives he touched through his vocation. Proof is Klasmeyt Ailyn. She may have gone ahead but her memory will linger and her name will be talked about for generations to come because she shared herself so generously to her students, and by extension to their sons and daughters.

Let’s hear it from Noel Estillore, one of the brightest out of SLC engineering in recent years…




Happy New Year sir!!

First of all, I want to congratulate you for creating such a wonderful blogsite for Engineering Alumni of SLC there in the UAE. Thanks to the email message of Ma’am Fe but sad to say she sent it to me to inform about the death of Ma’am Ailyn. Anyway, like what your poem says, she is free now and I strongly believe that God welcomed her into heaven's gate.

I am also inspired by the story of your life sir, how you overcame obstacles and be what you are at this very moment. It is very pleasing to see fellow CEA Alumni there in the UAE including my batch mate Chester Tabios who as you mentioned was the youngest batch who came during your reunion.

Well, time flies so fast sir. Like you, I am also a member of the mga "BAGONG BAYANI" as what we are called in our country. I am now about a year here in DOHA, QATAR. By the way, I want to say sorry to Engr. Theody Raul Nones for not responding to his offer for me to work there before due to the rigors of my former work. Hope that when we see each other he will still talk to me hehehe; and who knows one day I will be there in the UAE. (For your info by the way, Raul has a new name: Engr. Theory Raul Nones. He was the well-known instructor for Theody of Structures hehehe - icarus)

Before I write this message, I was busy telling of you to my co-workers here, mostly about my age and graduates of the University of the Philippines and University of Santo Tomas. I was very proud to tell them that you are my mentor (and that SLC Engineering Graduates are one of the best in the world with you as a proof to that along with my other instructors, and me maybe (kapal)). But joking aside, I am very proud to be a Louisian and being a part of your teaching life. I consider you to be one of the best instructors that I've ever got.

There's a certain feeling of envy in me because of the fact that you were able to find time to see each other there in the UAE and spent time with your colleagues and former students there. It gives me an idea that I can also look for all SLC Engineering alumni here in doha and also spend time with one another. Thank you also for creating a blogspot where we can also participate with your discussions (I am going to send this to all louisians here)).

Although the happiness of this new year would not be complete because of the loss of Ma’am Ailyn, i know that the unity of SLC Engineering Alumni would always be there. I am glad that I am also a part of it.

Happy New Year sir, please extend also my regards to Engr. Theody Raul Nones, Engr. Flor Doctolero, Engr. Ludy Aquino and to all there who may know me.

I remain;

Noel D. Estillore
BSCE 2004
Design & Calculation/Site Engineer, TTCC
Doha, Qatar




I took the liberty of publishing Noel’s letter before I could even ask for his permission. Letters like his is what we need to keep the camaraderie alive. Keep in touch, Noel. We will be constantly monitoring your progress as you continue your climb to the very top. As a Louisian, be proud…be very, very proud!