What I study, what I do
Hi everyone!
Hi Rachel!
This weekend I went to a city named Sobral, the city that my girlfriend lives. It´s located about 220km from Fortaleza. Unhappiness, I passed the entire weekend sick. I was with fever and headache. All my body was hurting. My girlfriend took care of me and I’m feeling well now (I think she will be a good physician - she studies medicine).
First of all, Rachel, I read the last two posts and it is amazing the way that you talked about direct and indirect speech. These topics became clearer to me after your explanation. I can't wait to read the next post about verbs tenses. I don't know if it is possible, but could you give me some more examples of reporting verbs? I’m particularly interested about two-word reporting verbs (e.g. pointed out).
I wanted to reply all comments, but there is a lot. I’ll comment today about the comment of Mahjabeen from Pakistan and I’ll talk some more about my job.
Mahjabeen asked me what “transportation engineering” is and how it is related to economics.
Well, Mahjabeen, as economist I’m concerned about the social use of scarce resources and its most efficient use. A scarce resource can be petroleum, water, sits in a train, the space for cars in a street. A scarce resource has that name because you cannot use it infinitely. Efficient use can be understood as the use that gives to the society the higher level of welfare. Commonly, welfare is measured in terms of income. As higher the income levels of a nation as higher its quality of life. I high development level means that I country has a high capacity to produce goods and services. Then, how is it related with transportation engineering?
As I told you I worked civil in an engineering company (in fact, in a company that works with construction, waste management, etc), in a bank and in a railway (after starts study transportation engineering) before working as independent consultant.
The job I liked less was as banking. Banks play an important role in a society. However, here in Brazil the bankers are worried just with their selves in a higher level than in the rest of the world. Someone told that I banker is someone that gives you an umbrella in a sunny day and takes it back from you when starts to rain. Here in Brazil it is more truth than in the rest of the world. I felt like working for nothing. Of course, they paid me for my job but I could not see the social benefits of my work. Before, I worked in a construction company and every day I could see the social results of my efforts. My job contributed to build ports, airports, roads, bridges, water supply systems, etc. Working in a bank, theoretically, you can contribute with those activities financing companies. But it almost never happens here (or, when it happens, is in a small scale – and in general it happens for the middle of a state-owned bank, not for a private bank).
I was unhappy as banking and I wanted to work with “infrastructure”. But what is it?
The Free Dictionary defines infrastructure as “the basic facilities, services, and installations needed for the functioning of a community or society, such as transportation and communications systems, water and power lines, and public institutions including schools, post offices, and prisons.”
All those things (the basic facilities) can contribute for a nation to produce more goods and services, and more efficiently. The development of the infrastructure of a nation is a basic step to bring development for a nation. Imagine your lives, in your homes. You have water, sanitation, electricity, gas, telephone, and internet. Every day you go to your job to the college by bus, train or driving your car and you use public infrastructure (paved roads, rail lines, etc). Maybe your country needs to buy petroleum from other countries and it travels in cargo ships that use ports to load and unload the petroleum. Maybe one day you decide visit Fortaleza, Brazil, so you should take a plane and came here. We should guarantee that you staying here can be as good as it gets. So, you have to guarantee you clean water, communication with your family and access to our best beaches and touristic places.
Developing infrastructure a government or a company can offer you basic services, fundamental to our lives and to develop business in a country. It is a good way to generate jobs, too. And I wanted to contribute with the development of the infrastructure of my country. How?
There is no specific field in the city I live to study infrastructure economics. But one day I was in a conversation with a professor, and he suggested me to look for the course of Transportation Engineering at Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC), the same that I had studied.
Transportation Engineering is a field of the engineering that works with everything related to transport. It means that they work with bridges, ports, airports, cars, bus, trains; the spatial location of residences, schools, colleges; and the things that must be transported from one place to another (people and goods). Where I study, the course to obtain the Masters’ Degree in Transportation Engineering is divided in two major fields: (1) infrastructure and (2) planning.
The ones that study the planning of a transport system (I´m included in this group) are concerned to comprehend standards of travel from one place to another. Or, why some kinds of travels are made (by people or by goods) and what influences these movements. You go everyday to school. But what school? Is there any school near your home? Why don´t you go to another school? How do you go to your job? By car? By train? By bus and train? Do you walk from your home to the supermarket? The United Kingdom buys petroleum from other countries. What countries are those? Brazil buys components to made computers from China, South Korea, and Malaysia. Why Brazil doesn´t buy these components from other countries? Why the petroleum that United Kingdom buys is transported in a cargo ship and why the components that Brazil bought from other countries travels in airplane? To plan a transport system you have to answer many questions – more than I asked before. And the economists have the ability to answer some of these questions. But other professionals are required to help to plan a transport system: architects, engineers, geographers, statisticians, sociologists, etc.
For the other side, the major field infrastructure is concerned to project roads, railways, etc. They are concerned to made travels easier. At UFC they have focuses different kinds of pavement. For example, they have good results with a kind of asphalt that is made from recycled tires of automobiles. They have other good results using an oil from cashew nut as substitute to some toxic products required to made some kind of pavements. And chemical engineers, system analysts, statisticians, and other professional are required, too.
As independent consultant, I use the technical background that I learned studying economics and transportation engineering to evaluate investments in infrastructure. In general, I help to choose the one that cost less or the one that has the higher social benefit. I had worked with projects in transport (new roads), logistics, sanitation, and with touristic infrastructure. I don´t have a routine. Every job is a new job and has its own challenges. Sometimes I have to work for long hours, days and nights, to finish a job. And the work is not done when I finish an analysis. The work just ends when the project is in the construction phase.
Before the end of this post, I want to share with you a personal victory. When I started to blog in January I had to look for words at the dictionary, grammar rules and new ways to write better. It was a hard job. I’m not writing as well as I could, but I’m sure that I’m writing better. To write this post, I did not use grammar and I just look at the dictionary to define the word infrastructure. I’m trying to do the things by myself. I feel more confident, but I'm sure I made more mistakes. Now, I want your help (again). Where are my mistakes? What phrases I could write better?
Thank you everyone for the comments, thank you Teacher Rachel and thanks BBC!
Comments
Hi Marcos, I am sorry to hear that you were not well. I hope you are feeling better now. It's good your wife is looking after you. Do you mind me asking Which year of medicine your wife studies? Inspite of you being unwell, you still wrote a nice long message to keep us busy. I agree with you about Rachel's description of direct and indirect speech. She described it really well. I also liked your detailed explanation about your job. It is good that you worked in different places and decided which one you like the most and sticked to that one. But unfortunately not everyone get this chance and therefore a lot of people sometimes end up working which they don't like but they work continue working there because they need to even though they don't enjoy their jobs. I believe if you enjoy doing something then you are more likely to work harder and be more dedicated to your work. However, if you work in an area which does not interest you then it will be just something that you need to do. It would have been so good if a person had a chance to experience different jobs and then decide which one they enjoy more and stick to that one, but I guess this is not very realistic. Not everyone has this much money to have different degrees and then make their decision. Before I end my message, I would like to congratulate you on your victory. It is true that hard work always pays. You never know one day I will be like you. Would you be able to give me some suggestions on improving my english. I really need to improve my written english. Sometimes I find it so hard to think of the right words when I am writting a piece of work. Hopefully this message board will help me. I would like to ask one more question. How do you think I can improve my vocabulary? I would like to write more but I am too tired and it is quite late at night as well. Hopefully I will write more tommorrow. Best wishes Rabail
Excellent Marcos! you are really way far from a beginner, I'm so envious of you! some little mistakes, like this one: "As higher the income levels of a nation as higher its quality of life", which I think could be written like this: "the higher the income levels ....,the higher its..." Any way, I am not quite sure and I am looking forward to see other comments ;)
Hi Marcos! You have to imagine me aplauding to your excelent work. There have been new blogs on both sides, teacher´s and yours, on the screen today. I decided for yours to read first. I felt like sitting in an aula at the university listening to your lecturing speach like a skilled professor. I am absolutely out of any technical issues but how easy it was to listen to your explanations. I was the most interested about the work in a bank and liked wery much your honest words. Everybody here would prefer the work in a bank I suppose. You has got such a clear attitude to your place in a society and you are being capable in solving your career in a right way. It has to brig you the best of the luck! By the way long years I was in a hospital service during christmas or easter holidays. I don´t feel like celebrate these events now. Did you happen to take some shots at the visit in Sobral city?
Hello, Marcos! You are an enthusiast and humanist. Your employees are lucky to have you to develop their projects. I can see that you are doing it for the benefit of your country rather than for the money you earn. This post of yours was informative and I’ve learnt something new from it. You had a professional care during your spell of illness, so I’m not worried about you not blogging here. Looking forward to your new enthusiastic post.
Dear Marcos, I sympathize with you about your illness – it’s a disgusting feeling :( Luckily you have a home-doctor :) I admire your endurance… and your profession. No, really! In my country it’s a headache, so almost all the logistics and transportation specialists are wealthy and nervous. At the moment I’m working close to this sphere, although my job is related more to sales and support. So I can say it’s rather tricky to deal with existing infrastructure here. I think you’ve already heard about it. By the way, your report about the profession you’ve chosen contains less mistakes and more new words than your first post. I can see a real progress, congratulations! Although I still don’t notice my gaps :) For me the best way to improve is listening to “Downloads” here on BBC. It really helps in speaking! “Quizzes” and “Funky phrasals” are also very useful. Wish you later progress and good health!
Hi Marcos! It's great to know you are not a slave of money and i like your profession of belief and faith about your job. Bankers have been portrayed as greedy and stinky monsters who have gulped down a lot of money for their own sake since the economic crisis hit the global. Some of them did it, no doubt about it. But don’t you think that we should take some responsibilities for the disaster rather than pointing a finger at them and request them to carry the can all the time. How do you think of it as an economist? By the way, congratulation on your superb English, and you’re deserved a pat yourself on the back.
¡Wow Marcos! Your work seems to be very important at all. I think most people don't have a good opinion about banks. Bye
Hi Marcos! I must say that I particularly liked this post. As I was reading it I could feel how enthusiastic you are about your job. And I think that means you are an excellent writer and if you made mistakes along the way, they didn't impair your power of communication. This is wonderful!! Congratulations!! From your writing I could understand a lot more about your profession which I found very fascinating. You showed us a lot of aspects of it we don't usually consider when we think about the job of an economist or that of an engineer. Relly nice. If I were not so old, after reading this I would certainly consider persuing this career. Good bye for now friend and keep on being happy. Regards from Mauricio.
Hello, Marcos.You're a good analyst in relationship between the transportation field and economy.I think your english skill is good as well. Hau
Hi Marcos. Nice post this week. It's intersting to learn something about free lance activity in transportation engeenering. What your opinion about sustainable mobility?
the teacher ricael reminded me fo practising english from here, not just being the student blogger, which i am waiting for a long time. i am government officer from beijing china. i try to learn english every day, but sometimes i feel tired. i feel that my english havenot improved. i am glad to have the oppturnity to learn english with all of you. i will insist on learning english.
Hi Marcos, I've enjoyed a lot your post. I've felt as myself your vivid interest in the matter. Here in Barcelona we had the 1st. "Forum de las culturas". I can remember special stands for explaining concepts like, efficiency in the use of energy or the use of alternative energy sources. What do you think about hybrid cars? Are them the future? and nuclears? I'm deeply interested in to know your point of view. See you, Toni.
Hi Marcos It's been a while since I wrote here so today I decided write something. It took me a while to write something interesting here but unsuccessful. Anyway, I have finally came to a decision to write about yesterday (what I did yesterday). I woke up early in the morning very nervous and tired as I had an interview for PhD. I was tired because I couldn't sleep the night before. I tried to calm myself down but no luck. I read the notes a few times and I was satisfied with my preparation for interview. Even though I was happy with my preparation, I kept thinking what if they ask me a question that I don't know the answer to. Or what if I can't think of the right words to explain my answer. Anyway I wore clothes that I thought were appropriate for the interview. I did not feel like having breakfast so I only drank a glass of milk. Went to University where my interview was taking place. I got there an hour before my interview. I met few people that I knew but did not feel like talking so I decided to look over my notes again. Ten minutes before the interview I went to the place where the interview was taking place and waited anxiously outside the interview room. Those ten minutes took forever. I could hear the girl talking who was being interviewed before me. It made me even more nervous as the girl was talking non-stop. They laughed a couple of times which means that the interviewee before me was not even nervous. At the same time I felt jalous as well because I could hear that girl talking so confidently and at that time I wished that life would have been so much easier if I was able to speak like her. Then I tought to myself that she is a native speaker of english and I am not, so there has to be differences between me and her. Coming back to my interview, I was finally called up for the interview. I went inside, sit and tried to look confident but my nervousness took over me. The panel was introduced to me and then the first question was asked by one member of the panel. I prepared that answer so well and in detail. I thought, I will definetly answer this question properly. Guess what happened? As I started to answer the question, I was interapted by one of the interviewer by asking another question in relation to the first question. At that moment I thought I wasn't saying it right so they gave me a direction to say the most relvent things rather than giving them a detail answer. At that point I lost the plot and I couldn't concentrate in the rest of the interview. Anyway, I tried to answer all the question but I did not mention a lot of important points which I prepared before hand. Interview was finished and I was relieved that it was over. But I kept thinking about it and the more I tought about it the more I felt sad that I did not answer all the questions correctly. Even though I thought my interview did not go so well, I was still thinking that maybe it did not looked as bad to the interviewer and I might still have a chance to have admission to PhD. But to make matters worse I bumped into one of the interviewer and started talking to her. I asked for feed back on my interview and she said that I looked extremely nervous and that I should have worn different colour clothes than black. Well, the rest of the day was not so good as I kept thinking about it. To finish, I would say that I feel better today and especially writing it down helped as well. I guess this enough for today. Have a nice day! Rabail UK
Congratulations!!!!
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