Over the past few months, I've been catching songs on the radio and on tv that I really love. Needing to find the artist, I did a bit of googling and found that the entrancing music belonged to Florence + The Machine. I'd been hearing their songs everywhere and could finally put a name to the music.
What captured me was the amazing strength in the lead singer's voice. Florence Welch has a captivating vocal range and I found myself listening to the sound more than the words. When I dug deeper, the lyrics were just as impressive. The band has released two albums and an unplugged collections from a live show. I've always held the opinion that any artist's music slightly degrades after their first album. But, this band has made me change my mind. Ceremonials is just as good and perhaps even better than Lungs. I've been replaying the albums for weeks and can't seem to grow tired of it.
If you can, get a copy of the unplugged show as well. It blew me away! How something so beautiful can come from someone's voice astounded me. The amount of musical creativity out there is inspiring. I almost feel the need to start playing the piano again :-).
Here I share my experiences of working as a coal geologist across the world. I also share what's currently catching my attention from the latest book to the weirdest webcomic.
Tuesday, 8 January 2013
Sunday, 1 July 2012
Musical Madness Part 1
I love creativity in all its forms. I love new stories whether it's in the children's section of the book shop or a new webseries. When I first stumbled upon Janelle Monáe's music, I was entranced.
Janelle Monáe's songs not only cover a range of topics, but different musical styles as well. But the best part is where the music comes from. She has created this entire fictional world in which the songs are actually by the main character. A story within a story. I love it! Without giving too much away, I really recommend getting your hands on both her albums - Metropolis and The ArchAndroid. The album art beautifully illustrates this new world as well. One of the first singles, Many Moons (link to official music video), recreates Monáe's universe and is a short film in itself.
Again, the depths of people's creativity has amazed me. I can't wait to see what else is out there!
Janelle Monáe's songs not only cover a range of topics, but different musical styles as well. But the best part is where the music comes from. She has created this entire fictional world in which the songs are actually by the main character. A story within a story. I love it! Without giving too much away, I really recommend getting your hands on both her albums - Metropolis and The ArchAndroid. The album art beautifully illustrates this new world as well. One of the first singles, Many Moons (link to official music video), recreates Monáe's universe and is a short film in itself.
Again, the depths of people's creativity has amazed me. I can't wait to see what else is out there!
The Perfect Geologist
I had a very interesting conversation with my manager the other day. We were going to inspect one of the furthest pits and were in the light vehicle for quite some time. I took the chance to try and find out how I've been doing at my new job - I was being very subtle, of course. The conversation turned to how potential candidates are being interviewed and what skills are considered crucial. My manager had a list of three things in the following order:
1) Safety behaviours - critical in the mining environment. Does the geologist put himself or others in danger with his attitude towards safety?
2) People skills - how the job is done. Is the geologist a good fit in the current team? Will he fit in or at least be willing to work within the team?
3) Technical skills - geological knowledge and related skills.
It was interesting that the technical skills landed at the bottom of the list. But, I have heard this argument before. One can teach technical skills, but people skills are trickier. Either you're a good communicator and get the necessary information across or you can't. Geology is a service to the production and planning teams. As a geologist you have to be able to convey the right information at the right time in the right manner. Learning how to use software can be done with a few training sessions. How not to aggravate your co-workers isn't something a session with Oprah can fix :-).
In the current job market with its boom and numerous opportunities, you need to show you're a cut above the rest. Your confidence in yourself and your ability to do your job may become more crucial than your actual technical skills. So don't be scared of moving between different mining operations or commodities. A good geo is a good geo - no matter if you're Vulcan or Minex proficient. (And, yes, I only added that last sentence to be able to describe someone as Vulcan. My Star Trek roots run deep :-)
1) Safety behaviours - critical in the mining environment. Does the geologist put himself or others in danger with his attitude towards safety?
2) People skills - how the job is done. Is the geologist a good fit in the current team? Will he fit in or at least be willing to work within the team?
3) Technical skills - geological knowledge and related skills.
It was interesting that the technical skills landed at the bottom of the list. But, I have heard this argument before. One can teach technical skills, but people skills are trickier. Either you're a good communicator and get the necessary information across or you can't. Geology is a service to the production and planning teams. As a geologist you have to be able to convey the right information at the right time in the right manner. Learning how to use software can be done with a few training sessions. How not to aggravate your co-workers isn't something a session with Oprah can fix :-).
In the current job market with its boom and numerous opportunities, you need to show you're a cut above the rest. Your confidence in yourself and your ability to do your job may become more crucial than your actual technical skills. So don't be scared of moving between different mining operations or commodities. A good geo is a good geo - no matter if you're Vulcan or Minex proficient. (And, yes, I only added that last sentence to be able to describe someone as Vulcan. My Star Trek roots run deep :-)
Monday, 26 March 2012
The Magic of Reality
The Magic of Reality is a new book by Richard Dawkins. I've read a few of his books before so when I saw this one I thought it might be a bit of a repeat of what he's already written. But, when I noticed Dave McKean did the illustrations I immediately bought it.
Dave McKean has illustrated many of Neil Gaiman's books and graphic novels and I love his work. He also directed MirrorMask, a film based on Gaiman's book. He uses everything - inks, paper, models, photographs. It's truly creative and amazing. And his work in The Magic of Reality takes his art to a new level.
The book is about how wonderfully magical science truly is. Richard Dawkins has beautifully explained some of the more complex concepts arranged in chapters that each start with a question. Dawkins then looks at the more colourful myths around these questions and then turns to the science behind it.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It has one of the best explanations of natural selection, evolution and plate tectonics I've ever read. And McKean's illustrations are unique and bring the scientific concepts to life. This is the first page :-):
Dave McKean has illustrated many of Neil Gaiman's books and graphic novels and I love his work. He also directed MirrorMask, a film based on Gaiman's book. He uses everything - inks, paper, models, photographs. It's truly creative and amazing. And his work in The Magic of Reality takes his art to a new level.
The book is about how wonderfully magical science truly is. Richard Dawkins has beautifully explained some of the more complex concepts arranged in chapters that each start with a question. Dawkins then looks at the more colourful myths around these questions and then turns to the science behind it.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It has one of the best explanations of natural selection, evolution and plate tectonics I've ever read. And McKean's illustrations are unique and bring the scientific concepts to life. This is the first page :-):
Wednesday, 14 March 2012
Wortel
One of the things I really like about the mine I'm working at is how many different cultures there are. Don't get me wrong, South Africa probably has the widest range of cultures in one country. At my new work, there are people from all over the world.
In my area, about half of the team are not Australians. There's South Africans, Indians and Indonesians. My geology supervisor us from Chile and the geology technician is an American. What I love is how everyone gets along and tries to understand each other even through some of the language barriers.
The workplace really has become global with many of my colleagues having worked in several countries. I think that more and more of your cv will be focused on how you can work in a team. How you get along with people who might have very different views and ways of doing their job.
We were about to go home for the day one afternoon when my colleague mentioned she'll be making wortel cake that evening. In Afrikaans, wortel means carrot and when I asked my friend, she replied that's what they call carrots in Indonesia too.
There's a good metaphor for life in that story about how some things may not be as different as you think even between cultures massive distances apart. We just started joking about who might have used the term first :-).
In my area, about half of the team are not Australians. There's South Africans, Indians and Indonesians. My geology supervisor us from Chile and the geology technician is an American. What I love is how everyone gets along and tries to understand each other even through some of the language barriers.
The workplace really has become global with many of my colleagues having worked in several countries. I think that more and more of your cv will be focused on how you can work in a team. How you get along with people who might have very different views and ways of doing their job.
We were about to go home for the day one afternoon when my colleague mentioned she'll be making wortel cake that evening. In Afrikaans, wortel means carrot and when I asked my friend, she replied that's what they call carrots in Indonesia too.
There's a good metaphor for life in that story about how some things may not be as different as you think even between cultures massive distances apart. We just started joking about who might have used the term first :-).
Saturday, 18 February 2012
Best clock ever!
What's better than the ultimate scifi movie double trilogy Star Wars? What's better than those childhood favourite toys Lego? The two together in a friggin' alarm clock!
The photo shows my new clock in all its Dark Side of the Force glory. The black thing is my wireless mouse just to give you some scale :-).
When you push the head down, it has a light and acts as a snooze button. Don't you just love toy stores? When I saw this I couldn't resist. Who'd have thought I'd find my own Storm Trooper in the middle of Queensland in Oz?
The photo shows my new clock in all its Dark Side of the Force glory. The black thing is my wireless mouse just to give you some scale :-).
When you push the head down, it has a light and acts as a snooze button. Don't you just love toy stores? When I saw this I couldn't resist. Who'd have thought I'd find my own Storm Trooper in the middle of Queensland in Oz?
Saturday, 11 February 2012
Smiling - The Universal Language
While travelling to reach my new job in Queensland, Australia, I stayed in Brisbane for a few days. The corporate head office is there and I needed to cross some t's and dots some i's. The company had made all the arrangements and I was treated like a queen. I knew transport had been arranged and it was with absolute delight that I discover a man in a suit with my name on a nice sign waiting for me at Brisbane Airport.
I had been travelling for the past 24 hours, but tried to keep up with the small talk. The man was in his late fifties and had a few stories to tell. One being the book he was working on. The ride into Brisbane was great and he answered all my questions and showed me some of the tourist spots as we drove. When I had to get back to the airport, Lady Luck intervened and it was the same smiling man who picked me up from the hotel. Since, I'd mentioned I was a geologist, he was ready this time with a joke (petroleum geologists and lightbulbs :-) and the following printed out:
I had been travelling for the past 24 hours, but tried to keep up with the small talk. The man was in his late fifties and had a few stories to tell. One being the book he was working on. The ride into Brisbane was great and he answered all my questions and showed me some of the tourist spots as we drove. When I had to get back to the airport, Lady Luck intervened and it was the same smiling man who picked me up from the hotel. Since, I'd mentioned I was a geologist, he was ready this time with a joke (petroleum geologists and lightbulbs :-) and the following printed out:
Top Ten Signs You Might Be A Geologist:
10. You have ever had to respond "yes" to the question,
"What have you got in here, rocks?"
9. You have ever taken a 22-passenger van over "roads" that
were really intended only for cattle
8. You have ever found yourself trying to explain to airport security
that a rock hammer isn't really a weapon
7. Your rock garden is located inside your house
6. You have ever hung a picture using a Brunton compass as a level and your
rock hammer as your hammer
5. Your collection of beer cans and/or bottles rivals the size of your
rock collection
4. You consider a "recent event" to be anything that has
happened in the last hundred thousand years
3. Your photos include people only for scale and you have more pictures
of your rock hammer and lens cap than of your family
2. You have ever been on a field trip that included scheduled stops at a
gravel pit and/or a liquor store
And the #1
sign you might be a geologist:
1. You have ever uttered the phrase, "Have you tried licking
it?" with no sexual connotations involved
The fact that he took the effort to bring me this was astounding. I've found that this kind of friendliness is part of most Australians. People aren't afraid to help - you just need to smile and ask :-D.
Sunday, 5 February 2012
Sandpit
I'm working in a very large sandpit. This was how my career was summarized by my loving friends and family. The fact that I'm no longer in contact with any of them is a completely different matter, of course :-).
Open cut coal mining is all about balancing the sand or dirt to get to the black gold underneath. I've only been at my new open cut mine for three weeks, but I've learnt so much already. The diagram below illustrates the basics of open cut mining (as seen through the eyes of a geologist :-).
The first stage is clearing the area (after the correct environmental procedures and plans have been followed). Then comes the removal of the overburden. There are different methods of open cut mining. For example, strip mining or terrace mining. The method used depends on the geology of the area. How deep are the coal layers? How many coal layers are present? Are the rock strata horizontal or at an angle? Are there any structural features likes folding affecting the strata?
One of the biggest challenges is to remove the dirt above the coal without damaging or destroying the coal and then to manage the space available for dumping the dirt. This is done by deploying the correct machinery to the right stage in the process. The dirt is typically moved to sites where the coal has already been removed. One big thing I've learnt is the dragline never touches the coal. It only removes the overburden. The bucket on the dragline is too rough of a tool and easily scrapes away valuable coal.
I sometimes feel a bit silly at work when I don't know what the hell is happening or what people around me are talking about. But, the guys I work with are amazingly helpful. The geologist I'm learning from has been sitting with me and slowly teaching me the modelling software and how open cut mining operates. It's been wonderful. And, I'm loving being in the sun.
So it is a bit like playing in a sandpit :-).
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| The Sandpit I Call Home |
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| Open Cut Coal Mining |
One of the biggest challenges is to remove the dirt above the coal without damaging or destroying the coal and then to manage the space available for dumping the dirt. This is done by deploying the correct machinery to the right stage in the process. The dirt is typically moved to sites where the coal has already been removed. One big thing I've learnt is the dragline never touches the coal. It only removes the overburden. The bucket on the dragline is too rough of a tool and easily scrapes away valuable coal.
I sometimes feel a bit silly at work when I don't know what the hell is happening or what people around me are talking about. But, the guys I work with are amazingly helpful. The geologist I'm learning from has been sitting with me and slowly teaching me the modelling software and how open cut mining operates. It's been wonderful. And, I'm loving being in the sun.
So it is a bit like playing in a sandpit :-).
Saturday, 21 January 2012
Under, Down Under
I'm typing this from an internet kiosk in a small town near the Queensland coast in Australia. I've just started my new job this week and wow. It's been wonderfully overwhelming! I'm loving the new office and I'm learning so much already about open cut geology and mining operations.
My trip to Australia was great. The company paid for business class seats and I had to get used to the air hostess calling me by my name. The food was amazing and your whole body could actually fit in the seat. My first stop was Brisbane at the head office. A small glitch in baggage labels resulted in my suitcase only arriving three days later. This meant I appeared at the corporate head office, on my first day, with a wonderfully colourful bunny t-shirt. Cue hilarious laughter! My HR contact at the office was very understanding and we had a good laugh about the entire situation. Especially after we realized I was also wearing purple Winnie-the-Pooh socks featuring the adorable Eeyore. I dressed comfortable for the long flight, all right? :-)
Other than my lost baggage, which was luckily recovered just in time for my flight to my future town, no other major travel hiccups occurred. It'll just take a bit of time to get my new house and mobile sorted out. In the mean time, I'm staying at the single quarters camp. This is great since I get fed three times a time and don't need to clean anything.
I've found it amazing how similar the geologist's role is from underground to open cut operations. The principles are very much the same - daily mapping, checks between actual and expected geological conditions, short- medium- and long-term planning and modeling, working with engineers and production teams. It's only the setting which is different. And I'm really enjoying being out in the sun versus the dark underground, but I can imagine that the hotter weather apparently coming in February is going to be a bit of a challenge.
Being away from home (and really away, not just a short 2 hour flight) is definitely an adjustment. But, with technology these days I keep in contact and it helps with the homesickness :-).
It's time to head back out into the heat - there's a reason Queensland is known as the Sunshine State!
My trip to Australia was great. The company paid for business class seats and I had to get used to the air hostess calling me by my name. The food was amazing and your whole body could actually fit in the seat. My first stop was Brisbane at the head office. A small glitch in baggage labels resulted in my suitcase only arriving three days later. This meant I appeared at the corporate head office, on my first day, with a wonderfully colourful bunny t-shirt. Cue hilarious laughter! My HR contact at the office was very understanding and we had a good laugh about the entire situation. Especially after we realized I was also wearing purple Winnie-the-Pooh socks featuring the adorable Eeyore. I dressed comfortable for the long flight, all right? :-)
Other than my lost baggage, which was luckily recovered just in time for my flight to my future town, no other major travel hiccups occurred. It'll just take a bit of time to get my new house and mobile sorted out. In the mean time, I'm staying at the single quarters camp. This is great since I get fed three times a time and don't need to clean anything.
I've found it amazing how similar the geologist's role is from underground to open cut operations. The principles are very much the same - daily mapping, checks between actual and expected geological conditions, short- medium- and long-term planning and modeling, working with engineers and production teams. It's only the setting which is different. And I'm really enjoying being out in the sun versus the dark underground, but I can imagine that the hotter weather apparently coming in February is going to be a bit of a challenge.
Being away from home (and really away, not just a short 2 hour flight) is definitely an adjustment. But, with technology these days I keep in contact and it helps with the homesickness :-).
It's time to head back out into the heat - there's a reason Queensland is known as the Sunshine State!
Friday, 13 January 2012
To the wizard!
As I mentioned in my previous post, I'll be relocating to Australia soon to start my new job at an open cut coal mine in Queensland. I'm really looking forward to the new mine and different way of doing things.
One of the biggest things which struck me throughout this entire job-hunting and relocation process was change and the lack thereof. I had a chance to visit my potential job for the interview and could experience first-hand what it would be like to live there and what my colleagues would be like. I was amazed by how much things are different and how some things never change. I mean the entire setup is similar to what I've been doing - small mining town, half of the town works at the mine, the bigger cities and shops are at least an hour away, many 20 to 30 year olds come from other places to work at the mine. But, how the people view life and work is completely different from what I'm used to. It's amazing! It's like two sides of the same coin.
What also really impressed me is the incredible level of tolerance. Religious views, sexual orientation - these are non-issues. There's actually a complete lack of perceived tolerance because no-one believes there's a problem with what you believe or who you're attracted to. It was refreshing and made me realize how much even I still need to learn to accept people without judgement.
I'll be a bit quiet for a while on the blog, depending on how soon I can get my internet access sorted out. I'm off to see the Wizard of Oz! Woohoo! Wish me luck :-).
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
Unemployed and Homeless
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| View from my window |
For the past few months, I've been itching to move onto something new in my career. That's the reason for being so quiet on the blog - the job hunting has been hectic. I've been working at a great company as a chief geologist at one of their underground coal mines. It's been wonderful, but I needed a change and want to gain experience at an open cut coal mine. I started looking for opportunities in South Africa, but then I thought of going overseas. I have a friend who's working in Australia and had a chance to visit the country. I could experience what it would be like to work there and had the chance to visit some of the potential jobs while I was on holiday. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of opportunities there are for geologists.
The job applications, interviews, online psychometric tests and the final work visa process was quite lengthy. But, it's definitely yielded great rewards. I'm starting my new career next week as a mine geologist at an open cut coal mine in Queensland, Australia. The company employing me has made all my relocation arrangements and I should be moving into my new place at the end of February.
I'm really looking forward to the new job, people and town. I can't wait to sink my teeth into open cut geology and exploring Queensland. Until then, I'll just enjoy being unemployed and at the beach for my last few days in South Africa :-).
Friday, 11 November 2011
Undone
Be brave, dear one.
Be changed or be undone.
My Brightest Diamond, All Things Will Unwind 2011
Be changed or be undone.
My Brightest Diamond, All Things Will Unwind 2011
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| All Things Will Unwind |
Sunday, 9 October 2011
Undead
I hate the Twilight series. Maybe hate is a bit strong, but I really don't like it. It's got a lot to do with the fact that the entire series feels watered down compared to the classics. I mean it's basically a teenage romantic drama with some vampires and werewolves thrown in for good measure. Where's the action? Where's the deep emotional trauma? Where's the apocalypse? Where the hell is Buffy?
Buffy the Vampire Slayer will always be my reference point for anything undead. The series was groundbreaking. You had a high school cheerleader being chosen to save the world against all levels of weird, supernatural and world-destroying creatures. Buffy had to battle vampires, evil boyfriends and passing math. She had to make extremely difficult decisions like killing the only person she loves to save the world. Buffy even died a few times. Now, that's a vampire show. Compared to Buffy, Twilight just feels like alcohol-free beer.
The undead have always featured in movies, books and comics. The most recent I had the pleasure of reading was The Goon. Thanks to my brother who introduced to this zombie-killing hero. The Goon is an enforcer for a powerful mobster and keeps the Priest and his armies of zombies at bay. I expected a good action story with lots of zombie-bashing, but was impressed by the great twists in the plot and how complicated it got. Read it!
I can only repeat what Frankie always suggests for those troublesome zombies: Knife in the eye!
Buffy the Vampire Slayer will always be my reference point for anything undead. The series was groundbreaking. You had a high school cheerleader being chosen to save the world against all levels of weird, supernatural and world-destroying creatures. Buffy had to battle vampires, evil boyfriends and passing math. She had to make extremely difficult decisions like killing the only person she loves to save the world. Buffy even died a few times. Now, that's a vampire show. Compared to Buffy, Twilight just feels like alcohol-free beer.
The undead have always featured in movies, books and comics. The most recent I had the pleasure of reading was The Goon. Thanks to my brother who introduced to this zombie-killing hero. The Goon is an enforcer for a powerful mobster and keeps the Priest and his armies of zombies at bay. I expected a good action story with lots of zombie-bashing, but was impressed by the great twists in the plot and how complicated it got. Read it!
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| The Goon and Frankie |
Monday, 5 September 2011
Terrible Truths
There are some things you uncover as you grow up which can be quite disturbing. One of course being the realization that your parents must have had sex since you're around. The fact that they might still be having sex is a terrible truth many people only acknowledge in their late twenties :-).
Another thing you realize is that not everyone around you might believe what you believe. I'm talking about religion. I grew up in a Christian home but not strongly conservative. We always had open discussions about different beliefs. Since then, I've realized the whole concept of religion doesn't make any sense to me. It's quite possible there's a higher power out there, but the god thing is too much of a stretch for me. Many people believe in a one almighty being or many almighty beings that watch over them. I do believe in karma - happy thoughts out, happy things in.
I've always marvelled at our immense capability to believe in things. As a child, you never had any doubts that a fat man could get down a chimney and bring you presents. I think believing is a critical part of life - you can move mountains with it. It comes back to mind over matter. How many stories are out there about people surviving incredible circumstances simply because they refused to give up? They kept believing in themselves and that they would survive. How else would motivational speakers make so much money? They help people get back their belief and confidence in themselves. I don't understand that really - I'm super awesome so it's easy to believe in myself :-).
I recently watched Rango again - the animated film about a pet chameleon that has to survive out in the desert. But, he doesn't know who he is, so he turns himself into Rango, a tough-as-nails cowboy. And that's the secret. He decided to believe in himself as this amazing person and that's what he became.
My most terrible truth is the amount of power we have. Simply by believing. Believing that you'll survive the bad times, believing that you can change your life. Again, not simply sitting back and moaning about it, but getting up and doing something. But, it's starts with thinking it. You control your emotions, your thoughts, about everything! Scary and super cool.
Another thing you realize is that not everyone around you might believe what you believe. I'm talking about religion. I grew up in a Christian home but not strongly conservative. We always had open discussions about different beliefs. Since then, I've realized the whole concept of religion doesn't make any sense to me. It's quite possible there's a higher power out there, but the god thing is too much of a stretch for me. Many people believe in a one almighty being or many almighty beings that watch over them. I do believe in karma - happy thoughts out, happy things in.
I've always marvelled at our immense capability to believe in things. As a child, you never had any doubts that a fat man could get down a chimney and bring you presents. I think believing is a critical part of life - you can move mountains with it. It comes back to mind over matter. How many stories are out there about people surviving incredible circumstances simply because they refused to give up? They kept believing in themselves and that they would survive. How else would motivational speakers make so much money? They help people get back their belief and confidence in themselves. I don't understand that really - I'm super awesome so it's easy to believe in myself :-).
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| Rango |
My most terrible truth is the amount of power we have. Simply by believing. Believing that you'll survive the bad times, believing that you can change your life. Again, not simply sitting back and moaning about it, but getting up and doing something. But, it's starts with thinking it. You control your emotions, your thoughts, about everything! Scary and super cool.
Saturday, 27 August 2011
Taking Credit
Geology is easy. Being a geologist is tricky. The rocks have been the way they are now for millions of years - only our knowledge of what's beneath our feet changes. And that's where the tricky part comes in.
I've mentioned before the sometimes difficult relationship between the geologist and the engineers on a coal mine (Gaggle of Dykes). And more often than not difficult geological conditions are entirely your fault. Even though the rocks have always been like that, somehow the geologist is to blame. It is your fault if you didn't warn the production teams of the conditions ahead of time. But, the actual rocks? Definitely not.
I've had many issues underground around thick in-seam inorganics. These are sandstone lenses in the coal seam which are harder to cut and worsens the overall quality of the seam. Some stone layers can become thick quickly in a localized area and causes major problems with the crushing and transporting of the material underground. As the geologist, I can only predict what the stone will do. I cannot remove it. This is sometimes lost on the engineers.
Recently, I was underground with the foreman of the section. He took me all over, complaining about the unmanageable cutting conditions and how the huge stone layers were blocking his feeder breakers and chutes. He was ranting and then implored me: "How the hell I am suppose to cut this nonsense?" (I have censored his word choice slightly.) I very calmly replied: "With difficulty." His anger deflated immediately and he came back down to Earth. "That's probably the right answer to that kind of question," was his reply. He knew I could do nothing about the stone. His expression was quite hilarious though! I do think most of the guys get so much pressure from above that they just need to vent to an understanding person. I sometimes just fall into that role.
This kind of blaming happens quite often, so when you can take the credit for something, you should! We were busy with a large stoneworks project through a dyke and devolatilized coal (the intrusion had burnt the coal). Burnt coal is very soft and dangerous to mine through since it's so unstable. The plan was to drill boreholes to test for when we get into the normal coal again. We did a couple of samples and finally reached clean coal. When I shared the results, I was congratulated and patted on the back by everyone! It was so funny. I didn't magic the coal not being burnt - it's been like that forever. I only gave the laboratory results back. But, as I said, you get blamed so often for the state of the rocks that it was a welcome change to be congratulated.
At least mining is never boring :-).
I've mentioned before the sometimes difficult relationship between the geologist and the engineers on a coal mine (Gaggle of Dykes). And more often than not difficult geological conditions are entirely your fault. Even though the rocks have always been like that, somehow the geologist is to blame. It is your fault if you didn't warn the production teams of the conditions ahead of time. But, the actual rocks? Definitely not.
I've had many issues underground around thick in-seam inorganics. These are sandstone lenses in the coal seam which are harder to cut and worsens the overall quality of the seam. Some stone layers can become thick quickly in a localized area and causes major problems with the crushing and transporting of the material underground. As the geologist, I can only predict what the stone will do. I cannot remove it. This is sometimes lost on the engineers.
Recently, I was underground with the foreman of the section. He took me all over, complaining about the unmanageable cutting conditions and how the huge stone layers were blocking his feeder breakers and chutes. He was ranting and then implored me: "How the hell I am suppose to cut this nonsense?" (I have censored his word choice slightly.) I very calmly replied: "With difficulty." His anger deflated immediately and he came back down to Earth. "That's probably the right answer to that kind of question," was his reply. He knew I could do nothing about the stone. His expression was quite hilarious though! I do think most of the guys get so much pressure from above that they just need to vent to an understanding person. I sometimes just fall into that role.
This kind of blaming happens quite often, so when you can take the credit for something, you should! We were busy with a large stoneworks project through a dyke and devolatilized coal (the intrusion had burnt the coal). Burnt coal is very soft and dangerous to mine through since it's so unstable. The plan was to drill boreholes to test for when we get into the normal coal again. We did a couple of samples and finally reached clean coal. When I shared the results, I was congratulated and patted on the back by everyone! It was so funny. I didn't magic the coal not being burnt - it's been like that forever. I only gave the laboratory results back. But, as I said, you get blamed so often for the state of the rocks that it was a welcome change to be congratulated.
At least mining is never boring :-).
Friday, 19 August 2011
Spoon Bending
In my final year of high school, I was the head girl and had to make speeches at the beginning of every term. My counterpart, the head boy, was always very serious and talked about studying hard and persevering. Good stuff, but I thought it was a bit like those motivational speakers you see on television. I took a different route.
For 10 to 20 minutes, I was in front of the whole assembly and they had to listen to me. It was a great power trip :-). I decided to make my speeches interesting and added props and jokes and so on. I can't remember all of them, but the first and last ones will always stay with me. In my first speech of the year, I talked about some people apparently being able to bend spoons and what amazing brain power we all have. I then ended the year coming full circle.
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| What I can do (with a set of pliers) |
I had gotten up behind the podium after the head boy had spoken. He had said some very nice things about studying hard in the upcoming final exams and doing your best and blah blah blah. When I started speaking, I pulled a teaspoon from my pocket and slowly showed it to everyone. This is some of what I said (which I'll never forget):
At the beginning of the year, I talked about people being able to bend spoons - mind over matter. During this past year, we all bent spoons. Some of us bent small ones, others bent soup ladles. Some bent many while others simply tried to bend something. All of us tried to do something this year, even if it was as little as possible. The point is to never stop trying. Never stop dreaming. Without our dreams we are nothing.
This last year of high school will mean something to you. Maybe you don't think so now, but one day when you're in jail or discussing your tormented youth with a psychiatrist, you'll see it.
When I read this now, I can't believe they let me on stage. I mean I was talking to very young kids as well! :-D. But, I still believe this - never stop believing you can bend spoons. How else will we continue doing the amazing things that has given us oranges all year round and space shuttles that don't always explode?
Wednesday, 3 August 2011
Sport
I've always loved playing sport. Don't get me wrong, I've never been A-team material. The only reason I ever played in the first team was that there wasn't anyone else :-). But, my lack of athleticism non-withstanding, I could get quite aggressive on the court when necessary. There were a few times when I stumbled into my opponent or stepped on their toes which were definitely not by accident. After kindergarten level, things got even rougher!
I have always loved watching sport on television or live. I didn't always keep up with the latest happenings, but thoroughly enjoyed watching the game with my dad or spending a whole day in the cricket stadium. It's also a very good conversation topic as I found out with my one work colleague. After the weekend we'd be chatting about the latest rugby or cricket match and I didn't have the heart to tell him I actually wasn't watching any of the games since I didn't have the necessary pay channels. I ended up checking the sport websites on my Blackberry early Monday mornings so that I could at least hold my own in our coffee conversations :-).
One of the biggest supported rugby teams in South Africa is the Blue Bulls. Their home town is Pretoria and I recently had the chance to go to their Loftus Stadium for the very first time. It wasn't a major game - still a bit early in the league - so the stands weren't packed. But, wow! What a crowd! Every little move that the Bulls made for the try line was greeted with cheers and howls much louder than I expected from the tiny crowd. The atmosphere was electric and I found myself singing out loud the "national" Blue Bulls anthem every time it was played over the loud speakers.
They even have their own mascot - a man dressed up as a bull running around the stadium. The kids loved him and were shaking his hand and taking pictures. He even had his own bicycle made to resemble a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. I really loved the whole experience even though my team, the Cheetahs, lost. I wondered at the sense of camaraderie - is it possible to feel like this with your fellow human? Not just with your fellow supporter?
I think I'll try and get some cricket tickets for the summer season. There's nothing like watching a day-night game with a cool beer and some friends!
I have always loved watching sport on television or live. I didn't always keep up with the latest happenings, but thoroughly enjoyed watching the game with my dad or spending a whole day in the cricket stadium. It's also a very good conversation topic as I found out with my one work colleague. After the weekend we'd be chatting about the latest rugby or cricket match and I didn't have the heart to tell him I actually wasn't watching any of the games since I didn't have the necessary pay channels. I ended up checking the sport websites on my Blackberry early Monday mornings so that I could at least hold my own in our coffee conversations :-).
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| Blue Bulls Mascot |
They even have their own mascot - a man dressed up as a bull running around the stadium. The kids loved him and were shaking his hand and taking pictures. He even had his own bicycle made to resemble a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. I really loved the whole experience even though my team, the Cheetahs, lost. I wondered at the sense of camaraderie - is it possible to feel like this with your fellow human? Not just with your fellow supporter?
I think I'll try and get some cricket tickets for the summer season. There's nothing like watching a day-night game with a cool beer and some friends!
Saturday, 23 July 2011
Right to Left
I mentioned Nausicaä before - she's from Miyazaki's manga and film of the same name. I've recently gotten all seven volumes of the manga and can't put them down. I have had to ration my reading so that I don't finish it too quickly.
When I showed some friends the manga, I hadn't realized how confusing it would be if you're not used to reading graphic novels. Firstly, it's quite different from reading a normal novel. You don't just read words - you look at the entire picture drawn for you in the panel. Secondly, the manga has been translated from Japanese so the entire setup reads from right to left. Very disconcerting if you're not used to it. Some people might ask why bother if it's so different? It's the story of course.
Nausicaä's adventure's and mishaps through the poisonous forests come alive in the manga. I was sucked into each and every page and couldn't believe the amazing world I was being drawn into. Graphic novels and manga tell stories in a completely different way than conventional books or even comics could. The scale of the story across volumes is different as well as the pace. More often than not much more time is spent on the smallest details and this is what makes the worlds created so real.
Sometimes reading something different opens up a whole new view to you. It also keeps Alzheimer's at bay since your brain is working extra hard to figure out what's happening on and between pages ;-).
I only have one more volume left and can't decided whether to read it right now or drag it out for a bit!
When I showed some friends the manga, I hadn't realized how confusing it would be if you're not used to reading graphic novels. Firstly, it's quite different from reading a normal novel. You don't just read words - you look at the entire picture drawn for you in the panel. Secondly, the manga has been translated from Japanese so the entire setup reads from right to left. Very disconcerting if you're not used to it. Some people might ask why bother if it's so different? It's the story of course.
Nausicaä's adventure's and mishaps through the poisonous forests come alive in the manga. I was sucked into each and every page and couldn't believe the amazing world I was being drawn into. Graphic novels and manga tell stories in a completely different way than conventional books or even comics could. The scale of the story across volumes is different as well as the pace. More often than not much more time is spent on the smallest details and this is what makes the worlds created so real.
Sometimes reading something different opens up a whole new view to you. It also keeps Alzheimer's at bay since your brain is working extra hard to figure out what's happening on and between pages ;-).
I only have one more volume left and can't decided whether to read it right now or drag it out for a bit!
Sunday, 17 July 2011
Raunchy and Realistic
My cinema calendar is a bit behind and I only got to see Bridesmaids today. What a fantastic movie! A breath of fresh air.
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I first noticed Kristen Wigg with Ellen Page in Whip it! When I saw the trailers, I knew I couldn't miss it. Wigg wrote and stars in the film alongside Maya Rudolph (Saturday Night Live) and Melissa McCarthy (Mike and Molly, Gilmore Girls). The 6 female leads are hilariously diverse which creates a story where I was laughing from beginning to end.
What made this film different for me was that it wasn't the typical romantic comedy with the damsel-in-distress female lead. All the characters have normal problems and issues. It didn't feel like a Hallmark card. I even started getting annoyed with the lead character at one point before she turns her life around. One quote from the film stood out for me (not verbatim):
"Stop blaming the world for your problems. You are your problem. But, you're also the solution."
Hopefully Hollywood keeps it coming with stories of real people and strong female leads. If you haven't seen it, get to your nearest cinema right now!
I first noticed Kristen Wigg with Ellen Page in Whip it! When I saw the trailers, I knew I couldn't miss it. Wigg wrote and stars in the film alongside Maya Rudolph (Saturday Night Live) and Melissa McCarthy (Mike and Molly, Gilmore Girls). The 6 female leads are hilariously diverse which creates a story where I was laughing from beginning to end.
What made this film different for me was that it wasn't the typical romantic comedy with the damsel-in-distress female lead. All the characters have normal problems and issues. It didn't feel like a Hallmark card. I even started getting annoyed with the lead character at one point before she turns her life around. One quote from the film stood out for me (not verbatim):
"Stop blaming the world for your problems. You are your problem. But, you're also the solution."
Hopefully Hollywood keeps it coming with stories of real people and strong female leads. If you haven't seen it, get to your nearest cinema right now!
Friday, 15 July 2011
Quark
Quarks are elementary particles and are the building blocks of protons and neutrons which atoms are made of. I learnt this from Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time. And no, I'm not bragging, the book isn't at all difficult to follow and makes you feel super intelligent since you're actually understanding it. Hawking writes so easily, as if he's having a conversation with you. The book is fascinating and covers scientific theories from The Big Bang to quantum mechanics and the very sought after Unified Theory.
There are many books that cover similar ground with a slightly different focus. E=mc2 is one of my favourites written by David Bodanis and not only explains Einstein's formulation of this famous theory, but also all the work done before him. But, my number one favourite is definitely the three Science of Discworld novels.
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As seen in the picture, the wizards of the Unseen University accidentally create a world (most probably ours). This world is not flat, has no magic, contains something the wizards have named narrativium and has numerous physical laws like gravity. The books follow the start of this new world and cover many theories and what-if experiments. For example, what if Darwin had actually decided to carry on with his theological studies and not get on The Beagle? The books are divided into alternating chapters - one from the wizards perspective as they fiddle with the new world (Terry Pratchett) and the other are the more scientific chapters (Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen).
All of these books does make you wonder what the hell we're thinking. This is our one and only planet in our one and only life-sustaining (so far as we know) solar system - once we've polluted it to an uninhabitable state (which could be before, during or after we kill each other with weapons of mass destruction), we won't be able to simply fly to the next solar system and colonize Earth 2. Science and technology isn't progressing nearly fast enough for that to happen.
I don't want to be all doom and doom, but it does make me think that getting angry because your neighbour's praying to Buddha or because he wants to marry his boyfriend is such a waste of energy. We really need to start building a friggin' spaceship!
There are many books that cover similar ground with a slightly different focus. E=mc2 is one of my favourites written by David Bodanis and not only explains Einstein's formulation of this famous theory, but also all the work done before him. But, my number one favourite is definitely the three Science of Discworld novels.
As seen in the picture, the wizards of the Unseen University accidentally create a world (most probably ours). This world is not flat, has no magic, contains something the wizards have named narrativium and has numerous physical laws like gravity. The books follow the start of this new world and cover many theories and what-if experiments. For example, what if Darwin had actually decided to carry on with his theological studies and not get on The Beagle? The books are divided into alternating chapters - one from the wizards perspective as they fiddle with the new world (Terry Pratchett) and the other are the more scientific chapters (Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen).
All of these books does make you wonder what the hell we're thinking. This is our one and only planet in our one and only life-sustaining (so far as we know) solar system - once we've polluted it to an uninhabitable state (which could be before, during or after we kill each other with weapons of mass destruction), we won't be able to simply fly to the next solar system and colonize Earth 2. Science and technology isn't progressing nearly fast enough for that to happen.
I don't want to be all doom and doom, but it does make me think that getting angry because your neighbour's praying to Buddha or because he wants to marry his boyfriend is such a waste of energy. We really need to start building a friggin' spaceship!
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