Assoc. Prof. Dr Rachel F. Mansa

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” ― Confucius This quote makes me smile. In my teenage years, I sought to understand what it meant. I thought I had to do what other people wanted me to do. Or what other people thought suited them. So I modeled myself after other people. As years passed by I realized that learning about yourself is the key to knowing what you love. Seeing yourself in other people's eyes and admitting all the flaws as much as appreciating all the positives about yourself really helps you move closer to that direction. I choose to say direction not point because life is a journey. Some people say I am lucky and born in the right stars. But how do you explain the hardships that I walked through in life. Something that no one could ever imagine. The choices that we make when the challenges come our way, make the BIG differences in our life. To walk in the path I took, it is not for the faint hearted. Sometimes you go through da

I am a kampung girl, with paddy planters feet, I grew up in the kampung but learned a lot of process engineering from my Ina. Process engineering is one of the career options of a chemical engineering graduate. It deals with making raw materials reach it's customers in the product form that it is required. The raw materials can be fossil fuel, biomass, oleochemicals, minerals etc. The products can be in the form of chips, electrical gadgets, food, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, fuel etc.  As a kid I used to read a lot and there is three words that I came across which reverberated through my life. It was, "making rocket fuel". Thirty years ago, I used to be cared for by my grandmother who I lovingly know as "Ina". Part of the fun activities were feeding the farm animals, making "nonsoom" (fermented food) of either fruits, fish or meat, as well as my favorite, making rocket fuel. Back then I did not know that I was helping my grandmother turn biomass i

I like the title of my blog. It just wraps up life so well. Everything constantly changes. Everyone grows. It is amazing.. The wonderful thing that I have realized is that when you feel down, it means one day you will be happy. If you are happy.. no one knows it will turn bad or worst or better. But that is life. It changes. Hence you have to change with it. Otherwise you get blocked or frozen.. I love life.. I love the way it changes.. because something nice just happened and I feel sooo very happy..

Tulip (Author unknown, by me at least) If I was a Tulip And you were wind’s-wings, I would not count My broken dreams, But bless the coming spring. I would let you see me In colors- Pink, yellow and red. You’d find me blooming By the riverbed Or, down in the valley By the little creek, To make proud The water falls, To make you feel meek. But strong winds Of late May Again could make me weak. My petals scattered On the ground And gone in a week. But I will come again To let you see… Life is but a circle, I will bloom Again next spring: Isn’t it a miracle? I would be happy To know that you would Touch my face When the sun sets in. I would feel you in full force, Gently from within. You would come to me Each day- Again to disappear, But when the sun’s-rays Touch at noon- Again I would feel you near.

Two years ago, I was in depression. Life could not be worst. Was I so evil that my marriage was my hell? Today that is all over. Thank You God. The perpetrator to my hell experience finally said sorry. I did not need to hear it from him because I was already at peace. Yet it was very good to hear it even if he did not mean it. I knew he would be sorry. It was just a matter of time. Life is a great Teacher that is what I would say. Today, I am a successful career woman with financial problems and worries about raising my kids as a single mother. :) The way I see it, it is just sweet life. Nothing could be better than this. I can smile freely each day and receive the hardships and beauty that comes my way. Nice... Next stage, planning for the future. I am not sure if I can achieve it but the actions of today determines the fruits of tomorrow. Think, communicate and do. That is the Motto of this year. From my work of yesterday, I have a large reserve of papers and proposals. It was hard t

I read a blog with the above title. I love it. :) made me smile and made me peaceful. I know it is really embarrassing to be caught being Catholic, God-fearing plus having a lot of faults and sins. It is really embarrassing to looked at because you said Grace before a meal. I am shy to be caught praying. I have to admit that I love my God. I love the way I pray. I love the way He had watched over me all these years. I have walked far away from Him and I have walked closer to Him. I found that when I walked far away from Him.. I "thought" I was ok. I thought I was at peace and I was happy. I thought I was doing good and then when the shit hit the fan for me several times I cry and scientifically do the mental housecleaning. However I never went through a spiritual house cleaning. Why? Because I believed I was ok. Next would be a contradiction to the above. Now that I am closer (not very very close okay)just closer than before. I feel soo many evil things are happening around m