Professional Engineer - The Journey of Becoming One

It's been six months, since I took the licensure exam for electronics engineer. It was a tough journey, but in the end, all worth it. A few more weeks, and it's the board exam again. I thought of sharing everything that I've been through.

It was a struggle in trying to regain my study momentum. February 2016 is the last time when I actually studied for academics. This is the "review" subject, in which passing this is required to graduate. All that remains is the thesis, which took us a lot of tries before passing.

We finished our thesis around March 2017, and were set to graduate on August 2017. Thinking that we can take the October 2017 board exam, we started reviewing on late April. That is more than a year of no studying. Regaining my study momentum after more than a year of not studying is quite difficult, but as the weeks passed, I'm getting the hang of it again. Then came the month of June, when we found out we can't take the board exam, because our TOR won't make it in time for the application deadline. Say goodbye to the study momentum that I just got back. We had our review moved to the next exam period, which starts on November.

Because of not doing anything for many months, and no funds for my hobby, I decided to look for a temporary job, until the review season starts. On September, I started working in a BPO industry, as a a technical support representative. I'm still working when November came, because I can only resign on January, four months after starting.

It's one big challenge, as I am at work during midnight, until the morning, and I have to go straight to the review center after my shift. After class, upon going home, I would go to sleep, and the same cycle happens until the weekend. Thankfully, with the help of my supervisor, I was able to have my schedule accommodated, with my shift only landing on weekdays, and on fixed times too.

January came, and I'm able to focus on reviewing after I had resigned, or so I did. On this month, I hosted an event, a birthday celebration for an anime character that we love so much. Some of my rest days were spent in meetings to make this event successful. Only after this event, I was able to start focusing on studying. I announced to my friends that I would go on a hiatus, and focus on studying, and to make a return on April.

The days went by, but I'm still not very serious on studying. After class, we would go on the nearby internet café, and play Rules of Survival, as it is one of the popular games at that time. I'm also an active player of Fire Emblem Heroes. I'm still living my daily routine, but with more time allotted in studying.

I only started studying seriously around 45 days before the exam dates. I'm still living my daily routine, but with less time playing and much more time studying. When Holy Week came, I was not able to do our usual activities, because I was studying. We even have classes during Black Saturday and Easter Sunday, as the exam is just days away.

The day before the exam, a mass was sponsored by the review center, and I volunteered for the choir, saying that this would be what I would do in place of the Holy Thursday and Good Friday activities that I missed.

The days of the exam came. Among all the exams, I'm pretty confident, with having sure answers of at least 60% of the items. The next week, the results came out, and I am among those who passed.

Of course, the exams are difficult. Even I have items in which I just guessed the answers. Like what some of our professors said, no matter how prepared you are, there might still be items that you cannot answer. But don't let these affect your confidence. If you lose confidence on the first exam, it would affect the other exams. Do not let the spent months of studying go to nothing.

It was a tough journey. Now I'm on the next chapter of life, which is finding a job.

April Feels 2nd Anniversary - The Road to Become a Full-Fledged Knight of the Rice Goddess

I've been in the Love Live! fandom since October 2016. Not much happened in the first few months, until April Feels first anniversary, just more on focusing on expanding my Hanayo collection, more on the smaller items, back then.

After the first April feels anniversary, that is where I stepped up my game. A lot of events happened which became my road to become a full-fledged "Knight of the Rice Goddess". These are the events that happened between April 2, 2017 to April 1, 2018

Here are my memories with Hanayo:

1. The Meeting

During the first few months in the fandom, I have not met fellow Hanayo fans during conventions, except for a cosplayer / performer during Cosplay Carnival 2017. Maybe it's just by chance that I'm not present when the others are, and vice versa.

Last Ozine 2017, at the food court, I met someone who is wearing the same Hanayo jacket as me. Imagine the feeling that you are not alone in supporting your best girl / waifu. Rice Cult was already founded, and this is when we slowly expanded it.

2. Getting the name "Kanin Primus"

A few days after Ozine, some friends asked me to post all of my Hanayo collection online.

If you already think that this is a lot, then think again. The amount that I currently have is much more than that.

Upon seeing these pictures, my friends commented Kanin Primus, and that is when I decided to live up to the name that they gave me (and doing it until now). I think it's by chance that the title Primus is trending around these days. It's actually my dream, to become the one to have the biggest Hanayo collection, here in the Philippines.

*kanin - Filipino word for rice

3. Marrying Hanayo

I married Hanayo, not once, not twice, but thrice! Three different wedding styles, and three different partners, but all Hanayo.

3.1. Moment Ring

In a wedding-themed cafe event, this is where my first wedding with Hanayo took place. This is also where my Onigiri Shield first showed up. For our session, I won the Best Armor award. At the wedding ceremony, we also get to say our wedding vows. Here is how mine went by, after cramming it for around 30 minutes.

Hanayo-chan, listen to my heart.

With this ring, I promise to love you forever, in sickness and in health. I love you for your voice, and your cute appearance. But most of all, I love you for your personality.

Let's play nawatobi, as we start:dash into a new chapter in our life. I promise to free you from kodoku na heaven. And with you, I would be freed from my own kodoku na heaven.

No matter what others say, I waanted to shout this out loud. Aishiteru banzai! Just say dareka tasukete, and I will answer chotto matette. With mw, you shall be the happiest lady in the world.

Let's begin by having a sweet&sweet holiday.

3.2. AniMarriage: Traditional Japanese Wedding - BoA 2017

There is a booth where we can experience how the wedding is done, the traditional Japanese way. I have a friend there who is cosplaying Hanayo, so I asked her if it would be okay that she would be Hanayo for the wedding, and she agreed.

The before the ceremony proper, there is a mini procession first. The background music that I chose is Hanayo's solo song, Nawatobi. I think that song is perfect for this kind of scenario. The people who saw us as we pass by are all cheering. It was a very nice experience too!

3.3. Weebs getting married to their waifus in a normie-filled school fair.

In the midst of my hiatus, I still have to do this, as I need to let loose because of some events that happened. There is a school fair in my high school, and where there is a school fair, there is a marriage booth.

Two of us did this kind of marriage, and people are asking what is wrong with us. I replied to them, "What is wrong, is you asking that kind of question." Later that day, I just thought that I gave the wrong reply. I should've quoted Patrick's line, "I don't tell you how to live your life!"

4. Organizing a Birthday Party for Hanayo

Loving Hanayo very much, we organized a birthday celebration for her. I actually celebrated her birthday twice, the first on the actual birthday, and the second one on Rice Party. It's my first time to host a weeb party, so I'm really nervous.

We made an exhibit dedicated to Hanayo. Most of the stuff here are mine. That is how much I am dedicated to my collection of her.

We invited cosplayers, requested that they come in Hanayo costumes. We also had a Printemps group here, who performed Love Marginal.

We also have cake for her. A birthday is not complete without the cake.

This is also when I kept my promise to Hanayo that I will be getting a nesoberi of her for her birthday.

A lot happened for a span of one year. I can't believe this is how far I would go, since meeting Hanayo. I guess you would do everything for someone who you really love. I'm not sure what would be my next step, but I assure you that this is not the end of my journey, as the Knight of the Rice Goddess.