Long time no see, everyone!
I apologize for the extended 4 month hiatus. Personal business has interfered with my ability to create more content for this blog, but nevertheless I should have made a notice at some point to indicate my absence.
That being said, I am well aware that talk is cheap and my action (or rather inaction) throughout the history of this blog speaks for itself. All I can really say is that I will demonstrate otherwise, and I thank you for your generosity of giving me yet another chance in advance.
An update of my life is long overdue, and so I shall follow up to get up to speed:
Professional Updates
It is my pleasure to report that I’ve completed my 100th work shift as a Quality Control Laboratory Technician for Gowan Milling LLC. The achievement is not quite as grandiose like a 10 year anniversary, but I see it as a notable milestone of marking both an expectation of competence as well as a sufficient checkpoint to have formed a more solid impression of the position past the honeymoon phase.
I intend on writing a reflection post on this topic quite soon in the coming weeks – certainly before the 250th work shift; it’s important to see just how far since you’ve started and where you stand in order to improve and readjust.
Chemistry Updates
Back in March, I’ve had the opportunity to attend 3 workshops hosted by Agilent Technologies on ICP, HPLC, and GC, and I found them enlightening.
It was not only a welcome refresher on the basic theories and mechanics behind their instrumentation but also a great chance to listen on what part of the hardware and software exactly is prioritized for upgrades and optimization as well as the various common concerns voiced out from other industry representatives.
Otherwise, I remain focused on further exploring the chemistry field to see what interests me…or at least what doesn’t interest me. Forensic science peaks my interest so far, so I shall devote further attention towards looking past a superficial impression. However, my mind remains open for other possible paths in case employment in that field is not feasible.
Language Updates
For both of my Vietnamese and Japanese language studies, I continue to expand upon my vocabulary, though I’ve come to realize that I’ve hit a wall in my development by failing to focus more on the grammar. I’ve come to address this glaring error by dedicating time to practice making sentences during my studies. At some point, I developed a list of prompts for direction and inspiration in writing as well as a quota of grammar concepts to ensure that I review everything properly.
Additionally, I also adopted the practice of implementing a “Word of the Day” in my flashcard repertoire, but the emphasis is on the sentences to see the words used in application. This serves to both increase my retention rates as I’ll become better at recognizing the word outside of my flashcards and more importantly help me to apply the word properly by seeing it in use. There’s also the side effect of just flat-out practicing reading in the language as well, a welcome bonus.
In Japanese specifically, it took a few months, mostly due to the aforementioned personal business, but I finally graduated to Level 7 in WaniKani. There’s a great satisfaction to be had upon further recognizing even more of the Kanji within the written text. I might just be able to pass the JPLT N5 by next summer or even this winter (if this pandemic lightens up). I’ve made minor advancements in Duolingo; I’m approaching the point I’ve quit before learning Japanese seriously, but it will take some time as I focus on mastering each lesson instead of moving onto the next one right after the Introduction stage.
So much more transparent on when and how many reviews I’ll expect.
On the other hand, I’ve made substantial progress in my Vietnamese at Duolingo. I’ve well past my previous quitting point, and outside of Duolingo, my efforts are beginning to show as I am more frequently using the language among my family. I still have a long road to walk, but my basics have improved significantly.
Personal Updates
Perhaps the greatest development these last four months is a complete overhaul over my daily routine. Before, my schedule was congested with a large variety of commitments every day, but now I have simplified it to have less unique commitments each day instead.
While it is true that overall less time is dedicated for each individual commitment per week, the greater dedicated focus towards each one will be more time efficient due to the reduction of “start-up” lag from switching from one subject to another and taking advantage of momentum. Additionally, with less things to juggle in my mind each day, I am less distracted and can better reflect upon my progress. Since then, I’ve observed greater performance and output in my projects.
Additionally, I also decided to dedicate time towards reading books as they are powerful fonts of knowledge to draw upon. I like learning, and it is recognized that successful people are book readers, so I should “take a page” from their playbook and try it out myself. Right now, my current reading material is 1000 Best Quick and Easy Time-Saving Strategies by Jamie Novak, and I aim to share my impressions later on after I finish reading it.
Website Updates
Now that I am currently employed and am more established personally and professionally, I seek to revamp this website with a new makeover with the aim of using less stock photos, integrating my blog with the front page, and rebranding myself from freshly graduated college student to budding working professional.
In terms of actual posts, the aforementioned changes in my daily routine better facilitate my ability to focus in writing new content, and I aim to write more posts at greater frequency. With that said, thank you for your time and interest, and I again apologize for my inactivity. I am grateful to those who stuck with me, and I shall make a serious attempt to make good on that faith. I wish you all a good day, and please do take care out there in these particular times.