Happy Thanksgiving-- What are you thankful for?

I just want to wish you all to have a nice and meaningful thanksgiving. I remember last time, I was back home (St. Croix) celebrating thanksgiving with my friends. I really miss them, and I am thankful to have such wonderful people in my life. I am thankful for my family and for the care and effort they provide for me to make sure I am doing well. I would not be here without them; moreover would not be even typing this blog post (probably the last) in the first place. I am also thankful for my friends here are Virginia Tech. I feared that I wouldn't assimilate and get along with others for some reason, but I was wrong. They have my back when needed. Lastly, I am thankful for my girlfriend. Cliche. But I mean it. She is always there for me 25/8 whenever and wherever. For every step I take, she is there to support me in everything that I do. I cannot believe someone is that patient to deal with me. For that, thank you. Girlfriend, I know you are probably reading this because you "need to catch up on your islandboymiguel readings", thank you for everything. And to you the reader, thank you for taking your time to read this post. I appreciate it. What are you thankful for?

PS: NO CAR STUFF WAS MENTIONED ON THIS POST. WOAH.

It all started with a few dollars

Buying and collecting cars, a habit that starts during the childhood years in most people. For me at least, I can say that I have been a car fanatic ever since I was a kid. In the photo, we can see the child choosing buying Hot Wheels, a company that produces collectible toy cars. When I was a kid, my grandfather would spoil me and bring me to the mall so I can buy my Hot Wheels. It all started with a few dollars till I stopped messing around with 2 inch cars and moved on to bigger and better things. $1.97 was what the cost to make me happy, however that is not the case today. Bigger and better things also relates to the price/cost of what I am spending on my car so far. Currently, I have installed a performance muffler, deleted the resonator and have custom pipes on my exhaust; this totaling, not $1.97, but around $150. Also, I have a short ram air intake which is basically a new intake kit, which took $50 out of my pocket. What a big change. All the upgrades that I want on my car will cost more than the actual price of the car. Crazy huh? I am saving up to buy a suspension kit which can total to about $1500+, however, that would really take a while, considering the fact that I am not working. Also, maintaining the car can also cost a lot. I paid $80 to get all the fluids checked and replaced and will pay another $80 to get new tires, mount them on, and balance them. I know it is very expensive and sometimes it makes me upset knowing the fact that the money in my bank account is decreasing rather than increasing, but whenever I take it on a drive to mountains and such, it makes me happy. It is not always about the miles per gallon; it is about the smiles per gallon. 

MORE CAR POST!!

                     Progress is being made, slowly but surely. The Jetta has been receiving the care it needs. I have installed xenon white headlights, along with eye brows for the headlights. As great as this sounds, there is more work that needs to be done, especially within the engine bay. Last Monday, I took the car to an automotive shop in Christiansburg, where it got its oil and filter changed, as well as the steering wheel fluid and the coolant. I wanted the car to be ready for a 3 hour drive to Elon, NC to see my girlfriend. However, the oil leak that I talked about earlier stopped me. Turns out my PCV Valve, a valve that lets the engine breathe, has been leaking pretty bad. This causes everything to be clogged inside the engine, this releasing pressure out which causes the oil to splurge all over. This also clogs the coolant hose, which creates a pressure within the reservoir. This is not good because an engine is not supposed to have such problem. It should be an easy fix, however I don’t have the time to do so. Although I can get it fix for the price of $350. I guess this explains why time is money.
                      On the other hand, I have put this car up on craigslist for sale or trade. I am looking for a more reliable car. Currently I am looking at this Honda civic, which is jam packed with all upgrades, which is what I want. However, the price is way over my budget. The owner and I have been discussing a deal, which might be a possible trade along with cash. I don’t know how everything will turn out, but time is money. 

http://blacksburg.craigslist.org/cto/4160236384.html

New Shoes + Updates

There have been a few improvements that has been done to my car. My Jetta got new shoes! That is right. I saw a post on Craigslist about someone needing to traded wheels because he and his fiancé is expecting a baby, and they need wheels like mine to be painted pink for their baby girl. Anyways, it was really nice of them to drive two hours down to Christiansburg, and to meet me. The Dad has been a mechanic all his life. What is really cool about it is that he drives the same car as mine. A 2001 Volkswagen Jetta, except his was a turbo version. We traded wheels on a parking lot, one wheel after another. Since he drives the same car and knows a lot about it, he taught me about how to cool a Jetta engine down when it is overheating and other pro tips about the Jetta, turns out that almost every Jetta has a bumper problem; where the front bumper falls off. It was really nice of them to trade me an $800 set of wheels for a stock factory rims.
                There are more work that is needed to be done to the car. Tomorrow, I will bring the car to the shop for an oil change, leak fix, wheel balancing, and wheel alignment. I would’ve done some of it with the help of the Car Club such as oil change but I just don’t have the time with all this work that I have for school. Priorities. Currently, there are parts that are being shipped for the car. I have ordered a performance muffler, and bright white xenon headlights. I am very excited about this purchase and I will definitely be posting more about my car! 

Another car post

 About a week ago, I made a purchase. A car. Yes, a 2001 Volkswagen Jetta GLS

Top Left: The car posing. Top Right: Leaks.
Bottom: Headlights after toothpaste!

V6 Engine. I got what I paid for, but that is alright. There is a lot of work needed to be done to the car, from exterior work, to interior, and down to the engine. Instead of being scared and upset by it, I am excited that I got a "project" car.  A car where I can do whatever I want to it. Let it speak for me, and represent my creativity. I have a lot of ideas that I want to do to this car however, before I get started with all of these decorations and whatnot, I have the engine to worry about. The car is 12 years old, and has ran about 124,000 miles; which is not bad for a 12 year old car, considering it has traveled approximately 12,000 miles per year. Anyways, there are leaks around the oil valves which connects it to the intake manifold (where the car gets oil), which is then connected to the engine. I tried fixing it up a bit but I don't have the tools and time to do it, thus bringing it to a mechanic is the best approach. The car runs, I can tell you that. But I would just prefer to be on the safe side if anything.

So far, I have done some fixations on the car. I was able to fix the broken hood latch in the back by attaching a string of nylon that can be pulled to release the lock whenever it needs to be opened. Also, I have installed the temporary license plate on the bottom left corner of the car for style. I also wired an LED bar light on the interior to made it look better. The coolest adjustment I did for this car was taking the yellowing of the headlight out with toothpaste. Overtime, the plastic on the headlight oxides from the head and the humidity of the air. So scrubbing it with toothpaste is a great idea to leave your headlights shiny; it also leaves it minty fresh!

Human Race

                In this blog post, I would refrain from talking about cars. I found something very cool today.Enjoy!

                As I was walking to class earlier, I realized something. Time. Time is always keeping us back, or rushing us. Leaving home around 7:30 this morning, my only hope was to make it to my 8:00 am class. I got here at campus around 7:50 and I ran from the parking lot to McBryde. Made it. During that walk, I realized that time is very crucial. Everyone seems to be rushing, trying to make it before this deadline. This essay for example, I am going to be honest, I am procrastinating, trying to beat the time, while also trying to plan when I leave to get to my Chemistry lab at 10:00. Its currently 9:35, and I need to rush. To be continued. Luckily, Sam lend me his bike and I was fortunate enough to make it on class, 15 minutes before the class even starts. . Throughout that ride, I had one enemy. It wasn’t the pedestrians, nor the cars. It was time, even though I knew I would make it early, I still wanted to make sure that I make it. You know, rather be safe than sorry?  After this stage of the day, it is time to start all over again, for my engineering workshop this time, then going home, and again and again. Anyways, what I am trying to say is that time makes up almost everything. Time is the source of all-nighters, fights, sadness and happiness, you name it. Time is everywhere, think about it.

                Everyone seems to rush to make it before the deadline, running around to be on the safe side. I guess this explains why they call it the human race. 

Cars

                   When you hear the word “Cars”, what comes to your mind? Four wheels? Vroom-vroom? That’s how most people view it, but I view it on a broader way. Last night, I went to Car Club at Virginia Tech’s swap meet. First I should define what a swap meet is, it is where car’s meet, and members show off their car. There, car owners talk with other members about new modifications and other improvements they can do to make their car go fast or look better. I must say, it was an experience. It was my first time actually going into a car meet. I have always wanted to go to a car meet but I never got a chance to until last night. I consider myself lucky to be a part of CCVT. Currently I am in the Wheel-Lug nut program. I am currently assigned a mentor (Wheel) and I am the Lug nut (mentee). The idea is pretty cool and creative. My mentor, Kyle, drives a Mazda 3 Hatchback and I was very fortunate to sit in the passenger’s seat while he revs and cut through corners. That is the type of driving I prefer; reckless but careful at the same time.             
                     In my opinion cars are more than just vehicles. It is a lifestyle. The people I met at CCVT eat, talk, and dream about cars. Owners use cars as way to portray themselves. Some keep them very simple, while other cars are flashy. My Ford Explorer had massive tints on it, blacked out headlights and other accessories on it. This car, however, did not pass the state inspection due to the tints and other modifications on it. I guess this shows my rebellious ideas or it just shows my ignorance about the laws and regulations. My passion for cars has inspired me in a lot of ways. It has taught me that hard work does pay off. Also, being creative and innovative would be very helpful in the process of fixing and designing a vehicle. For all of you drivers out there, take care of your ride. 

Engineering Exposition- A new experience

Wow. That was my reaction after going through the 34^th Engineering Exposition here at Virginia Tech. Each year, Virginia Tech hosts expositions for different career fields. The expo, short for exposition, offered many opportunities for business majors, and engineers. I went to the second day of the expo and coincidentally that was the day designed for engineers. I was lucky. I dressed to impress that day, suit and tie, and all that jazz. I was the man who was determined to get an internship. Before entering the expo, I was scared. Scared because of the stories a friend of mine told me; not all of the companies are looking for freshmen. It is a given that it is very hard for freshmen to land a co-op, or an internship, this is due to our lack of experience in the field and as well as the fact they look at your freshmen grade point average (GPA). I was also scared because most companies are looking for U.S. Citizens, which I, an international student, is not. With all these negative thoughts in mind, I still went in and gave it a shot. “You never know till you try” that was the mentality I had going as I entered the hall.

At first, I looked around and observed what others are doing. Make eye contact. Shake hands. Introduce yourself and tell them what exactly you are looking for. I was surprisingly comfortable with what I was doing. I talked to big companies such as Honda, Boeing, and General Electric, along with the 10 other companies that I went to, small companies, but it really doesn't matter, I did it anyways. Compared to what I heard about companies rejecting your resume’s, more than 10 companies offered to take my resume, and even one company did a mini interview about what a science fair project during my high school year about consisted of. They seemed very interested. It was a great feeling. I felt accomplished. I know that the field is very competitive, and I am not really expecting lot from this event, but I was proud of myself because I went it for the kill. I did it anyways, despite the scary stories my peers have told me. This is a life lesson learned, just try because you never know how an event can turn out. If you fail, then you have made a wise decision and you know what to do in case an event of some sort comes up again.

An intro maybe?

I may have forgotten to introduce myself on the first blog post, so here we go. My name is Miguel Comparativo, a freshman at Virginia Tech, majoring in Engineering. I have been an island boy my entire life, hence why the address of this blog was such. I was born in the Philippines, a place composed of 7,107 islands, and lived there for 11 years. I was fortunate to learn enough about my Filipino culture. I am fluent in the language (no I did not lose my native tongue), and familiar with the culture; needless to say, I still maintain my Filipino values most of the time. Fast-forwarding a little, my father got a job offer at this place I have never heard of; St. Croix (pronounced Saint Croy). I looked it up on the Internet, and was very impressed with the place. Crystal clear water, beaches, tourists. It isn’t just another island, it is a place that I would have never thought I would call home. I fell in love with the place, the people and the island life, you know where you can wear shorts and a tank top during December? 

Other than casual beach days and running around in sand, I am also interested in sports. I try to stay well rounded with various sports such as basketball, soccer and sometimes volleyball, that is, of course depending on who I am going against with. I am also into cars. Whenever I see a nice car, my head turns 360 degrees and my jaw drops—it’s true, you can ask my girlfriend. The main reason I am steering towards mechanical engineering, is my passion for cars. I want to be able to work in the automotive field, and one day one a performance company of my own. I have a lot of things that I want to accomplish in life before I hit the oxygen tanks, I know it is possible and it will happen. I will leave you with words from Audrey Drake Graham, “you only live once, and that’s the motto. YOLO.”-- So go on and start achieving your goals.

Transition to college.

Week 2, day 3.

College. Whoa, seems like yesterday we just graduated from high school. You know, all the marching and tossing of the caps? That event was meaningful. I think the point of graduation really is change, and change is scary. Change is the thing people run from; let’s face the truth, change is, and will always be, unavoidable. I still remember myself, awkwardly walking to classes and being pushed around by upperclassmen during my freshman year of high school. I was afraid, afraid of the teachers and especially the girls…definitely the girls.

Now, let’s fast forward to my senior year. I had changed since my being a freshman, I must say. I was the one walking around giving high fives to my friends and talking with the ladies. Things were finally turning out right, and I was getting comfortable. And then, BAM! It was over. Suddenly, I am miles and hours away from home, and my loved ones. Away from the island life, my friends and the relationships I had so tediously built. I look at this experience as a chance to start over, and to change for the better. The journey has just begun, come on, I’m a freshman…again, except this time it will be the last time being a freshman ever. It’ll be a roller coaster ride definitely, especially with my engineering major, but I am determined to tackle all the challenges life has for me, and in the end all the hard work will pay off, literally. I have goals set in mind that I want to achieve, and with great determination, I know it will be possible. Who knows, maybe next year I will be doing an internship or a co-op program? We shall see. I guess the point of college now is to find out who you are as a person, if you haven’t already. To find what you’re actually here for, and set goals. I will leave you with this: take things at your own pace. Don’t feel embarrassed because someone is in a higher math class and you aren’t, or because the guy next to you in the gym is lifting 70 pounds and you only have 25 pounds. There is no need to rush. So lay back and eventually you will find what your purpose really is here in college. With that being said, I wish you the reader, good luck with your future endeavors. Keep ya’ head up.

test