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There was enough room for the driver to avoid the cone.  There was no traffic from the opposite direction.  

This evening, I deviated from the course material in Basic Rigging to talk to my class about goals.  A lot of them were never taught on how to plan their goals.  How to make a road map to succeed in their careers.  So I took the time to show them.  First off topic I hit tonight was the Apprenticeship Program.  Like most in my class, I was misinformed and I parroted the misinformation to others.  I once believed that attending classes at GCA Trades Academy meant that they were apprentices.  I held that belief for a long time, until last Thursday.  I prepping for my Basic Safety Class (T/TH) in the conference room.  Then our Education Director comes in with one of my colleagues and starts showing him the Apprenticeship Program model.  I learned a lot of what an Apprentice is and is not.  An apprentice has to be hired by an employer and registered with a sponsor, enrolled in a school program, and learning skills from OJT's.  All the classes that my students are learning at the academy will help them as they complete each level of their Related Crafts Instruction.  Although, it sounded complicated it really was not.  An apprentice has to be employed and then enrolled in a school.  Once the apprentice graduates from the program.  It does not stop there.  They now have to study to take their Journeyman's exam to get certified in their chosen field.  I basically showed my students that steps they need to become an apprentice.  Then I worked with some on how to make a road map to succeed in their chosen trade.  For those students who have chosed the safety field.  I sat down with them and showed them exactly what safety classes they need to take in and in what order.  There is so much misinformation floating around out there.  My students needed to know the truth.  ESTA

There has to be something wrong when you go to a grocery store just to drink their free coffee.  Then you brag about it with your other cohorts, who do the same thing, loud enough for people passing by to over hear your conversation.  Hanging out in the entrance aisle like nobody's business.  Not a care in the world.  Don't you rent an apartment upstairs?  You're a renter, so you do have money.  Or are you that downtrodden.  No, you're just cheap.  Not just any cheap.  But penny pinching cheap.  Just because they the grocery store provides that service to their customers.  Does not mean you can abuse it.  Just because you can does not mean you should.  At least, ask one of the grocery store workers for a broom and mop, so you can sweep and mop up the entrance aisle.  Earn that cup of coffee.  Don't be cheap about it.  Yes, I remember you.  You used to come into my postal service store next door, and swipe the candy in the candy bowl that I left out for my clients.  After 10 years, you have not changed!  SMH ESTA

I don't understand some people.  Why ask for referrals for a job, then you don't take the job when it's offered because it is to far from your house?!  I went out of my way to help someone..  But it appears that they can't take the job because it is to far from their residence.  It's not like they're going to have to walk to work.  That person has an SUV.  For crying out loud, if you can spend on the gas to fill up that truck.  Then you could, should have taken the job.  This island is not that big.  We can get most anywhere on this island in an hour's drive.  It's not like you live in a state and have to commute 100 miles to work twice a day. Listening to excuses from to far, out of the way, or whatever was exhausting.   Just tell me the truth.  You're to lazy to work in construction.  Don't waste my time and the company's time.  Oh, here's something since it's close to your house.  McDonald's is looking for a part-time worker.  You should fit just right in.  Worthless piece of ......... ESTA 

Earlier, I was looking in my freezer to cook something for lunch.  I started pulling different packages of meat out and putting them on the table.  Along with the meats, I was pulling bag, after bag, of plastic bags.  There was more plastic bags then there were meats.  I even found the bag of fish that my sister, Ris, gave me months ago.  Last year, months ago.  I thought that was eaten or thrown out.  There is a bag of manahak that was under some ice.  I'm gonna eat that tomorrow.  Why, in the world, are grocery plastic bags being stored in the freezer?!  

I was browsing my blog entries this evening.  I didn't realize it has been awhile since I posted a blog.  My time has been really busy the last couple of weeks with safety trainings.  I had a class today to teach Forklift Safety.  Everything went well during the classroom portion off the safety course.  All five students took the written exam.  They all passed.  When we went into the Construction Lab of the Trades Facility to do the performance test.  I got the forklift out of the warehouse with a nice sized load for the students to use.  Brought the around forklift to the other side of the building.  Got it set up.  The first student to do the performance test was the only one who passed.  Unfortunately, the forklift had a major malfunction.  It ran out of fuel.  So I was only able to observe one student to do enough to complete the performance test.  I didn't have much choice but to reschedule the other students for a later date. 

A couple of days ago, I was told that I was to hard on the last group of students who failed their safety exams.  In that group of 6, only 1 passed.  I did not teach this group.  I only helped proctor the exam.  So that day, after I was told that I was to hard on the students who failed.  I reflected on it for some time.  Yes, I was hard on the five who failed.  They failed an open book exam.  All the answers are in their handouts.  How in the world do you do fail that?  I thought it could have been a comprehension issue.  Well for one student who got 25% wrong.  Yes, maybe he may have comprehension issues.  I'll lean towards the maybe, on that student.  For the other four, they have no excuse.  They answered more than 25% correctly.  For one student who was looking over my shoulder as I corrected his paper.  He jokingly said to his buddy, "Hahahaha, I failed".  I glanced at him for a second and just shook my head.  I do not think failing is a laughing matter.  It may cost you your job.  The other three guys were all smiles, like there was nothing wrong.  One even commented, "It's okay...we'll take the retest".  He even asked if they can take the retest right then and there.  I don't know about you.  But I get upset when I get a wrong answer on any of my exams.  Yet, the only person upset among the six, was the only student that passed.  He was upset for getting 4 questions wrong.  There is something wrong, when the students taking the course, feel it is okay to fail the test, because they know, they will take a retest.  I don't understand that concept.  I get upset whenever our locals on island...When I say locals, I'm talking about Chamoru, Filipino, Chuukese, Yapese, Palauan, and others who live here and make Guahan their home...I get upset when they don't push themselves to be better than their past.  I've heard all the excuses.  "I'm a mason.  Why do I need to learn safety?" "I'm a laborer.  I don't need this." "I don't use computers, so I know I'll fail". "I didn't want to be here." "I don't have any construction experience.  So I don't know." "What's the point of learning this?  We're not going to do it." "I'm old school." There are much more that I have yet to write down.  but you probably get the gist of what I'm getting at.  I know these folks can do a lot better.  I know they can.  Some people reading this will probably think that I'm crazy.  But I am sick and tired of seeing many locals get passed over by foreigners.  I'm sick and tired of seeing locals doing hard menial labor while the foreigners are in management.  Yes, it is their responsibility to better themselves.  But as long as I am a Safety Instructor.  I will kick your arse so many times to move you in the right direction.  You're going to have to reach deep inside you to find that spark to motivate yourself to do better, than what you're doing now. I'm also sorry that you think that I was hard on you.  IF you thought that was hard, You're a panty.  That's not hard.  My MATUA SCOUTS will tell you what hard is from me.  Coming from a construction worker, that I was being hard.  If you can take the time to think of how hard I was towards you, and complain to your supervisors or to the training coordinator on how hard I was towards you.  YOU should have taken the same amount of time if not more to pay attention during the safety course.  So you can PASS  an OPEN BOOK EXAM!!! I can only guide a horse to water.  I cannot force it to drink.  Due to the retest issue, I've instructed my GCC safety students.  They can only retest with the next cycle or whenever the department head schedules the retest but not less than 1 week from the previous test. 

Months ago, I entered into a private contract with a company here on Guahan.  Actually, it was with the owner of the company and not the company itself.  I figured it was the same thing.  Later on, I learned it was not the same but separate from the company.  I did not understand the big deal of having a private contract between the me and the owner.  When I am actually contracted to provide safety consultations for his company.  That contract didn't last long.  There were provisions in there that only allowed me to conduct certain safety trainings and not others.  When I first wrote that contract up, it was before I became a authorized trainer to teach the USACE EM 385-1-1, 16 and 40 hour courses.  I was asked to present a new contract proposal to him.  Which I did.  This time, I made sure that the contract gave me the advantage and not the other way around.  When I submitted the contract via my lawyer friend to his lawyer.  We were told several times that it was to many demands and expensive.  That I needed to lower it down some more.  I refused and held fast.  All the fees were below island average.  The owner refused the contract.  Which I was glad.  Now, weeks later...He has his secretary asking me to submit a proposal for a project.  I am desperately needed as a Safety Officer, according to them.  I am doing a lot right now, especially with safety trainings.  So I am good to go.  What is awkward is the secrecy behind this whole thing.  Not one manager in that company knows of the first contract and the new proposal.  It was between me and the owner.  Why hire the managers if you don't trust them?  It just don't make sense.  It's gonna cause miscommunication later down the road.  ESTA...

Our honeymoon adventure on the honeymoon raft.  It's good to enjoy your river trip with close friends and family with you in the raft.  The ladies cooling off under the waterfalls.  Rhoda, Mele, Alex, and Rizza.  Each stop along the river's edge brings its rewards.   We went from two to three.  Then three to four.  We're praying to get more, naturally from within us to add to our own.  I want 12.  Keep Smiling

I thought giving our son Frenfren a chicken to take care of, was a great idea.  Even though he is only 2 years old, he really enjoys helping out and feeding the chickens.  He started off watching the new day old baby chicks as the men in the compound built cages for them.  The chicks actually belong to the property caretaker, where we stay at.  In return for helping him, my brother-in-law was given some chicks to raise.  As the weeks turned into months, Frenfren would help with the morning chores feeding the chicks.  He would get so concerned with the chicks and their feed.  He didn't think they were getting enough to eat.  So he'll go back in the house and get the leftovers in the refrigerator and feed the chicks, the family's food or breakfast for that morning. When the kids were getting ready to go to the family's province.  Frenfren decided that since he will not be home to feed his chicken, he will bring his chicken with him on vacation.  So the chicken, our two kids, and their Uncle Ronald rode the 5+hour long bus all the way to Butuan City.  When Rhoda first told me that our boy took his chicken with him on vacation.  I thought, ok...that's a little bit weird.  It's okay.  I never thought that that chicken would find it's way back home to  CDO.  The sensible approach would be to leave the chicken at the family compound.  No, not my son, Frenfren, he decided again, that the chicken will go back with him.  He can be very persuasive..  That chicken made it's way back to the family home in CDO.  That's the only chicken that I know of, that rode a bus round trip and not end up inside a pot.  That chicken is no longer livestock.  It's become a pet.  Keep Smiling

A couple weeks ago, my family had eaten spaghetti cooked by a close family friend, Dolly.  It must have been really good because my son, Frenfren, picked that dish over his mommy's spaghetti dish.  Everytime they ask him, if Dolly's spaghetti is good.  Frenfren would say, yes.  When asked which spaghetti dish is better, his mommy's or Dolly's.  Fren would reply, Ate Dolly.  The other day, Rhoda tried again asking Frenfren, which spaghetti dish he liked...her's or Ate Dolly.  Frenfren replied, Ate Dolly.  Rhoda replied back, "Aiii...bad". Frenz said, "Mommy, I'm not bad.  I'm only telling the truth".  ROFLOL!!!  I could not help but laugh at Rhoda's account to me of that day.  I have to admit, We raised our children up really good.  The other night.  Rhoda was invited to a monthly celebration close to her church.  When she told her brother that they are going there for dinner.  Frenfren hurriedly stood up and said, "Wow good food again, let's go papa Bebot".  He calls his uncle/nino (godfather), papa.  ROFL... Larraine does the same thing.  She speaks her mind and tells the truth.  Sometimes, her timing is really off when she does, especially when she just speaks her mind.  But what can we do.  We taught her to tell the truth, always.  Now were trying to teach her about discretion.  Its no easy.  I'm really proud of Rhoda for raising our children up without me there.  Larraine and Frenz are very well behaved for their age.  I have to commend her for doing a great job.  Keep Smiling.