Quintana

=May.22.2009:= Today I started by cleaning the windows at the entrance again. We had a huddle.I helped set up for a shoe clearance by zap strapping shoes and putting them on a table. I then did more inventory by checking if the skews were scanable. I helped in shipping by flattening boxes. Also I help by watching the shoe that were outside so that no one would steal them and switched every now and then, I also did some 88's to be sold. I faced some shoes and then I went home.

= = = = =May.20.2009:= Today I started out by cleaning the windows at the entrance and the mirrors in the change rooms.I was pretty lazy today and quickly cleaned the windows at the front entrance, but I got caught of my sloppy job and had to redo them because there were finger marks on it which were not noticeable but had to be spotless for the customers appeal. Also we had a huddle today in the morning. I had to help move bikes outside. I had to help Fances make room for shoe boxes in the backroom. I then helped Kyle with stock by using a PDT to scan the skews ( stickers with a barcode on it) to check if they were valid and if not I had to print some out. And when I was printing skews, the printer broke twice but it got fixed. Also I had customers come up to me to ask for things, but I didn't know where the products they asked for were located so I had to refer them to someone else.

= = = = =Day 5 at Sport Chek:= Today I started my shift at 8:30. I help around by cleaning the windows at the front entrance and the mirrors in the change rooms. After I had to help Kyle organize shoe boxes that were not put into the proper position. I then had to unpack shoe boxes that came in from shipping and stack the same types of shoes together and flatten the boxes that the shoes came in. I had to "face" all the shoe boxes in the backroom to make it look nice. Basically what you do is align all the boxes so that it looks appealing to eye. I really saw the difference but though it was a waste of time. Really it was just me doing all the fixing because Kyle was busy with customers and I'm not such a people person so I try to avoid the customers and even if I did help a customer out, I wouldn't be able to find the shoe size they want because I don't know where the specific shoe they want is. Kyle and I had a "facing race". Kyle eventually wasn't busy and came to the back and said he could finish the womans section before I can finish the section I was assigned to. And I won. I also got congratulated for "facing" all the shoe boxes in the men section. Some unexpected was that I thought the bikes came to the store made but in fact a person has to build it. = = =Day 1 at Sport Chek:= I was very nervous when I was on the bus to Sport chek because I didn't know what to expect when I got their. I was very mistaken when I started my shift because it turns out the people were nice and chilled.I started my first day wiping down the windows at the front entrances doors and moved bikes outside to the front of the entrances. Afterwords I got my safety orientation and I introduced myself to some people. In the tech shop I had to unpack some bikes with another work experience student and then put the seats on them. I then had wear a filtration mask on my mouth along with gloves to be able to replace a filter on this machine which had lots of dark soot on it and I was told to not inhale it or it could cause lung problems. After I've taken the filter out, I had to vacuum the area in which the filter was in.I had to clean the filter too. I along with other work experience students had to help Alisha to move sections where products where located to another area of the store. It took 3 hours to do as there was a lot to it. I then spent some of my time unpacking clothes and hanging them on a rack in the back room. Then I had to sweep floor in the back room where shoes were located.

Education needed for a microBio or a lab technician is at least 6 years for a microbiologist bachelor degree, calculus, biology, chemistry, physics and a bachelor of science.

How I feel about this type of work is that I would never want to do this work. I would never in my life want to be a microbiologist nor a lab technician. Yeah it was okay watching what they were doing, but I'm not that interested in it. I don't want to be a microbiologist because I was suggested that it would be better to be a pharmacist than a microbiologist which I gladly obey to do..Lab technicians aren't my thing....

The types of jobs in the work place where I work are well.... There are Lab technicians which are divided into Organic and Inorganic types.The Inorganic lab technicians they test water samples such as Bod and Cod's.They check what elements the samples contain and prepare the samples to be put into a machine that gives them the results.Shipping and receiving gos get the samples that clients bring in and that trucks bring it and prepare them to be used by the lab technicians.They also refill the clients cooler boxes that are to be sent back with jars and plastic bottles which some contain a certain chemical.Receptionist, Manager, Microbiologists, and the person who does quotes and stuff....

1. Sometimes it can be really smelly when pouring old samples down the sink. 2.They have a lunchroom with a table,a snack machine, cutlery,lots books;a trash can,a telephone, 2 microwave,a fridge,coffie maker,windows and a sink. 3. You have to buzz in to get through the main entrance or go to the back to enter. 4.Don't push the red button no matter how tempting it is. 5.Sign in/out yourself when you start your shift or end your shift. 6. You can put your lab coat anywhere as long as you know where it is. 7. The staff are nice and laugh a lot. 8.You could be handling cancerous chemicals. 9.There are a lot of computers and gadgets. 10.Don't bring food in their labs. 11.No lab coats in the lunchroom for safety reasons. 12.The inorganic lab room temperature is cold when its cold outside. 13. No one keeps track of you lunch brakes. 14. Listing to personal experiences could be rewarding

march.09 Today was a pretty slow day to end off with. In the morning I helped Sushanthy throw away old samples stored for just-in-case purposes. The room where we were disposing the old samples smelled really bad.In fact really awful.The garbage bag filled with these samples were heavy and you had to carry it outside to the garbage bin. Me and Sushanthy went to go throw them away,but while I was lifting the bag to get it into the garbage can it ripped and old samples went everywhere. Not only that I decided I would open one of the samples to see if it was oil 'cause you don't throw away samples with oil in it. It turned out it was a ticking stink bomb and filled the whole room with an acrid smell of rotten eggs + dung.We had to evacuate the room because the smell was so awful and it didn't go away for quite awhile.We lol'd since it smelled like millions of stink bombs were set off and everytime I went in it made me cough and gag.I felt like bringing that smelly sample and opening it around the whole building to make it smell like dung. Also it turned out I did something wrong by throwing away the wrong samples so we had to retrive them.Sushanthy and I went to go wash out some lab ware to be rinsed in ionized water.Basicly after that I went to go help label. I got to put 2 droplets of ammonium in these bottles for clients to use, and dump out apple juice coloured samples down the sink and throw then in the garbage. There wasn't much to do in the afternoon so I just made pepits.

sometime : As I was working in the Inorganic lab getting a quick chemistry 101 lesson that didn't make seance, I found out electrons aren't particles and they teach you this in 4th year chemistry at university.This would forever be engraved in my memory that was said to me.GET ALL MY SCIENCES TO BE A PHARMACIST INCLUDING PHYSICS B/C I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE IT IF I DON'T LATER ON IN THE FUTURE.

Describe something you experienced that was totally unexpected? march.06

12:28pm:I was working in the organic lab washing some tubes until I smelled an acrid scent of something.I started to feel nauseous like it was sucking all the oxygen out of me and from the air. I just ignored it thinking it was from a reaction of some sort that someone was doing. "Hey" she said to me in a curious voice, "Do you smell that"?. I nod yes. She walks out and goes tell someone. Everyone in the labs could smell it since it reeked of it and she told me and everyone to move out of the lab. The head honcho(Manager) comes in to inspect this odd smell. Were outside of the lab watching him investigate the scene murmuring to each other if we should evacuate the building and about the smell. The manager comes out and says there's a possible gas leak and calls the gas company.The gas company is on their way. They recommend we evacuate so the top floor was evacuated but the bottom floor was unaware of this. As time passes everyone is evacuated out of the building wondering why we didn't tell the bottom floor any sooner as this gassy smell reeks the whole building. Eventually the lab next door to bodycote evacuates to as well since they to smelled the gas. We're all outside in the nice sun shined sky unable to get out personal belongings in the building as we weren't allowed back in.Everyone talking to each other laughing me just observing and listening to them and small talking with Sushanthy .One employee kindly offered Sushanthy a ride home or money for bus fair.So were out waiting for terasin gas to come and check it out. A person next door of bodycote decides to go inside and get some belongings risking his life in the gassed up building that could explode at any miniute by a spark and then BOOM theres a huge explosion in the building engulfed in fire, airplanes crashing and trees laughing at the dead guy in the building.No, he comes out fine no explosion bringing everyone from the other company their belonging. And then another guy goes into the neighnouring lab gassed up to get some beer out of it!!!and stateting the smell has saturated both buildings.We basically just wait for a very long time, employees from bodycote dececide they would be back later as some has their car keys and others dont. Untill we call the fire men and they come in less in 5 mintues then terason gas comes and they go inside and check everything and the smell is gone. Then they come up with this logical explantion of what happened. Then this drunk guy is talking to me at the bus stop offering me bear but i refuse and keep refusing because he trys and pressures me,asking me about my plans and all then i come home and hear about the stabbing at Qe.

Day:2 march.3

As I got on to the bus at 6:42am and read on my way to work carring my lunchbox, I helped Sushanthy finish labeling bottles and got to work in the microlab after. The microlab is a pretty interesting place to be at as I got to help in preparing samples with the person I was assisting, but you had to be very careful not to contaminate the samples so you had to follow certain rules as contamination would effect the final results. I basically watched most of the time what she was doing such as using the "membrane filtration" and looked at these disks if EColi grew or " total coliform" appeared ( If it did it would show a nice beautiful mettalic green colour); Watch her check the temperature of fridges with big " Biohazardes" signs to see if it was in the right range because if its not then the things in there are basically garbage. I had some small talk with her such as asking her about her job. She recommended anyone who wanted to be a microbiologist is very competative to find a job for a microbiologist and more that I cannot say because of the oath anyway, there is a lot of labeling and paperwork you have to do (the boring stuff). You get to use this thing called "the sealer" which does exactly what the name is, to seal samples you carefully pour down into the thing that gets sealed later on as you dont want to contaminate it. She did a very good job at explaining everything she was doing. I had to pour down these old samples or something..I dont know...down the sink ( throw away gloves every so often !!!CONAMINATION ), but they really stank and i put the glass tubes in big orange "Biohazard bags" and threw them outside in the garbage bin. She wipped out her bunsen burner as everytime she used the membrane filtration, she would pour this water that has been heated in this calabriator and then put the top part into the bunsen to decontaminated it. My point is it was awsomely kewl