No news since we got a new pope…and the news about him diminshed a bit. That’s mostly due to too much work, my usual complain (I mean, the few updates here, not the popes sinking into the no-news-corner). However, the bit of spare time that’s still left I rather like to spend somewhere outside the appartment (which, by the way, is a new one, I hope I can write about that one soon) than in front of my laptop. I did experience some really nice weekends, which I would have to report about here, even lots of new pictures, but you know… Continue reading Skater’s Paradise
Category Archives: Asia
Asia
Xiamen – Additional Infos, Maps
All the links I had originally put up here are no longer valid. Nowadays, Google, Tripadvisor and the like are your friend. I’ve just left the little map of Xiamen here to see:
Benedict XVI.
Habemus papam: Josef Cardinal Ratzinger, a German, becomes pope Benedict XVI. All that certainly happened at the heart of the Catholic church, far far away in the Vatican.
My personal opinion on this selection goes hand-in-hand with the general opinion of other Germans, which seems to be somewhat different from the joy the news caused in many other parts of the world. Continue reading Benedict XVI.
Flyback
About every 4 months I get a flyback, means: I return to Germany for something, which supposingly is vacation. Didn’t fully work out as vacation this time. Those, who know me, can imagine why. I had just one week in Germany. And nearly no entirely ‘free’ day… I wanted to see people, and there are even some people who wanted to see me 😉 Makes in total a pretty packed week. Continue reading Flyback
John Paul II.
The passing of Pope John Paul II is even mentioned in today’s paper issue of the English newspaper China Daily on the title page (however, below the break). When reading ahead we were a bit surprised by the tactlessness of Chinese officials who–according to China Daily–combined a condolence note with stating that relations to the Vatican could be improved if the Vatican would stop diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Continue reading John Paul II.
Salsa
And nearly gone is March now, without any entry on the site. That cannot stay like that… Why couldn’t I do any updates? Because I’m working all day and night and weekend long? Certainly, that is part of the problem. But it got worse: Since a good week I’m learning Salsa… Continue reading Salsa
Pool II and Intersection Warden
Pool Addendum
Today, above mentioned workers took care of the other half of the pool. And it seems that they learned their lesson: Again the night before some ice grew on the water’s surface. Not as much as before, but something. And they started their activities in the part of the pool which was hit by the sun first. No smashing of ice, no heaving of buckets, they could start with their mops and cleaning machines nearly right away! Some light at the end of the tunnel…
Continue reading Pool II and Intersection Warden
About Taxis on Chinese, Fools, and Book Stores
I got up late today, some when in the middle of the day, as I worked late on an Update Notification mechanism for Sonux.net, soon to be released, but not yet ready… I saw bright sun shine and thought that I ought to have to go to down town again, where I haven’t been for quite some time.
Taxi I
As our Chinese teacher keeps insisting that we have to practice our Chinese a bit more in real life I decided to try my Chinese on taxi drivers today. I wrote down a couple of terms and street names (as so often, just writing it down helps remembering the phrases), ordered a taxi at the reception (that still in English) and were perfectly able to tell the taxi driver in a complete Chinese sentence that I want to go to People’s Square (“Wo you qu Ren Min Guangchang”, if anybody cares to try it himself). He repeated, I confirmed, and 20 minutes later I was there. Continue reading About Taxis on Chinese, Fools, and Book Stores
Translating “commit transaction”
This is the log of a chat I just had with a colleague working on a translation of a technical specification document from English to Chinese. No need to comment on, just plain reality: Continue reading Translating “commit transaction”
Cleaning a Pool
Cheap Work Again
Today again another example of too cheap working resources…
Between our project site and the next building there is a pool with fountains. Its a very shallow one, just 10 centimetres in depth, tiled in light blue. But it covers a large rectangular area: About 100 meters long, 30 meters wide. It is cut into squares of about 10 meters width by the white bars, on which the fountain pipes sit. The beauty of that installation is arguable, but not our topic today. Continue reading Cleaning a Pool