June 30, 2004

1st July, public holiday

"Occupied by the UK in 1841, Hong Kong was formally ceded by China the following year; various adjacent lands were added later in the 19th century. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and the UK on 19 December 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 1 July 1997. In this agreement, China has promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic system will not be imposed on Hong Kong and that Hong Kong will enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years."

Posted by Claudio at 04:04 AM | Comments (0)

Internet, work and a cockrouch

Still don't get any other permanent internet access at home although I found another access point which gave me limited access to the internet with a very bad and slow connectivity.

Work is ok so far. Nothing exciting to do unless working on a Chinese market study (and I think I will continuing working on this for the rest of my internship). Tonight there is going to be an informal get together here in the office with some drinks to be offered to the employees. Let's see and drink ;-)

Tomorrow, 1st July, is a public holiday... so no work at all...jippie.

The day before yesterday, frightened I found a huge cockrouch on the floor of our kitchen....uaaah...very yucky....after catching it with a glass I threw the c. out of the window ;-) and it hopefully didn't fall on somebody's head.

View image View image

Posted by Claudio at 04:01 AM | Comments (1)

June 28, 2004

Internet access UPDATE

Hmmmm...seems that someone recognized I am using this open WLAN network at home, since it was not possible to get web access today in the morning although I could reach and connect to the access point.

Hopefully my internet access days at home are not already numbered!?!?

Posted by Claudio at 03:50 AM | Comments (2)

June 27, 2004

Yummy....Sushi...

Yum yum! Oh I could die for sushi...it was really delicious ;-) and I am still alive!


Posted by Claudio at 12:31 PM | Comments (0)

"Skype" update

Remember I mentioned this only telephone tool called "Skype" before?!

I already tried and used it with two friends from Germany and what shall I say. The quality is great, almost no buffer or timelags, so great tool to get in conversation with buddies at home or elsewhere.....highly recommended!

For those who might be interested, my screenname under this tool is "Pistolino.de".

Posted by Claudio at 05:37 AM | Comments (0)

Mmmmmhhh Internet Radio...

....is awesome!

It's somehow weird sitting more than 10k km away from Germany in Hong Kong and listen to a Munich radio broadcast over the internet.

WLan plugged in, connecting the laptop to the HiFi in the dining room, turn on the volume and go for it...yeah!

Posted by Claudio at 05:30 AM | Comments (0)

June 26, 2004

Hong Kong - "City of Life"

Today I did walk along the streets in Hong Kong, I took the ferry to get to Kowloon.

Have a look on several impressing pictures I took during my walk.



Posted by Claudio at 02:45 PM | Comments (0)

Finally Internet access at home!

Howdy!
Today I went downtown to Causeway Bay and Mong Kok to check out several computer stores, primary to buy me a new battery for my laptop since mine broke during my stay in Italy.
Then I asked some vendors how I could solve my problem with the wlan stuff at my home....he suggested to take a usb wlan adapter, take a long cable and put the adapter out of the window...I bought this thing, plugged it in my laptop, hang the adapter out of the window and........it worked!

Wanna see how....click the link below.


Before:

Afterwards:

Posted by Claudio at 02:20 PM | Comments (0)

June 25, 2004

One thing I don't like in Asia...

...is that my skin suffers tremendously from the bad water consistency available here in Asia.
So, same effect as last year: More and more pimples are poping up day by day.....arg!

Posted by Claudio at 08:58 AM | Comments (1)

June 24, 2004

擦地哦吃安度四

My name in Chinese ?!?!?! ;-)))

Posted by Claudio at 12:29 PM | Comments (1)

Internet access at home

Do you remember? I almost gave up finding a way to get internet access from home.

Yesterday evening I finally found a way to get access, for free....

...it is really a ridiculous/funny/unbelievable story.

When I sat down at our dining room table, I turned on my laptop and began transfering the digicam pictures on my laptop. By coincidence, I plugged my wireless lan card in but nothing happened. Anyways, why should something happen in my own apartment where there is no internet or wireless lan network installed.

But hey, one moment afterwards the transmission light of my wlan card started signaling. Somewhere around there seemed to be an access point, however I couldn't locate it.
So I started to take my laptop and I crouched along the dining room to see when the signal frequency was going to increase.

After a couple of minutes without any success I coincidently opened the dining room window and placed my laptop on the open placement area and hey suddenly my wlan card detected up to 5 different access points!
All but one of them were secured by a password. So why don't give the last one a try?!?! Seconds later, placing the laptop almost completely out of the window, I did get internet access for the first time!

Aftewards I tried the same thing on the different windows in other rooms. The neighbours living next to our building with view to my dining room might have considered me being a fool guy when crouching with my laptop along the rooms.... ;-)

Never mind! I got this damn internet connection and at least I am now able to pre-write e-mails and send them out by holding my computer out of the window! Strange approach, but it works.

A friend of mine told me that there are wlan cards with external antennas...if I find something similar here, I'll have to get it since it will be more comfortable to sit on the table and hanging the antenna out of the window unless I don't want the laptop to fall down out of the window at some stage.

Posted by Claudio at 06:04 AM | Comments (3)

Pictures from Dragon Boat Race Day


Posted by Claudio at 02:48 AM | Comments (0)

June 23, 2004

Hong Kong Dragon Boat Day and Internet

After my first day of work I was already glad to have one day off since it was "Dragon Boat Day" yesterday which is a public holiday in Hong Kong. We went to Stanley Beach, south part of Hong Kong Island, and watched the races (almost 160 boats registered for the race). I took several pictures which I hopefully will be able to upload the next coming days.

Today I am back at work...plenty things to do, which is good, generally speaking.

I am still trying to find out how to get internet access at home since it's uncomfortable/ not well seen to use the internet for private reasons at the office. Anyways, things look like that I won't be able to set-up an internet connection from home which is really sad ;- However I am still not giving up hope in this matter.

Posted by Claudio at 09:08 AM | Comments (3)

June 21, 2004

First Hong Kong pictures

Today was my first working day. Pretty cool so far, although the Chinese didn't set-up my computer properly in the first place. However I still have problems accessing my e-mail account since I don't have internet access at home yet :-(
So sorry for not replying to all your birthday greeting mails and sms. As soon as I get this sorted you'll hear from me personally/individually.

Here are some pictures I took during the weekend. They mainly show the Victoria Harbour, the IFC2 Tower in Hong Kong Island, the view out of my small apartment and last but not least a picture with a student fellow of mine from Germany who I did surprisingly meet in a Bar here in HK on the evening of my arrival.


Posted by Claudio at 11:42 AM | Comments (0)

June 19, 2004

Thank you!

Thanks a lot for all the birthday greeting emails...overwhelming!

Posted by Claudio at 09:42 AM | Comments (0)

Hello from Hong Kong

After a 11 hours flight, I finally arrived in HK. As expected it's very hot and humid.
The appartment I live in is very small and hot as well as soon you turn off the air condition. Since I don't have internet access at home at the moment I went into an internet cafe to write these few lines to you.

It's kind of strange to be back in Asia and it will take some time to adapt myself to this situation.

Yesterday on my arrival I already went to the office to meet my new colleagues. The office is located in a very tall building with a large mall on the ground floor...tremendous how many stores with labels like "Versace", "Gucci", "Prada", "Valentino" and so on....

After having organised everything with my appartment, we went out to Lang Kwai Fong (LKF) which is the party street in HK....very exciting. After a short visit in Bar George where I met my boss again for a few drinks, I met my flatmate and his friends in a bar called "Schnurrbart" :-)

At midnight we celebrated my birthday and in the end I got very very pissed. :-)

Posted by Claudio at 09:17 AM | Comments (0)

June 17, 2004

Bye bye Germany

Time has come! It's time to say goodbye. See you in a three months time.

Posted by Claudio at 06:19 PM | Comments (0)

Countdown to Hong Kong

The day of my departure to Hong Kong! Before I will leave for the airport today late in the afternoon, I still have to check few stuff...checking whether my employer will pick me up at the airport in HK, if my roommate might be able to keep the apartment key at the doorman's place since he will be still at work on my arrival, etc.

Unfortunately I didn't make it to see all my buddies at home during my short stay in Germany. My apologies.

Generally speaking, I must confess I am little bit confused at the moment.

Update:
...four hours left until we head off for the airport. Almost everything I need is already packed in the suit case, just one, two stuff are missing which are still in the washing machine....

Posted by Claudio at 01:10 AM | Comments (0)

June 15, 2004

Stage fright increases...

harbour110604.jpg

....uhhh just two days left....and in three days I'll have almost the same view as shown on that picture above. Do I have everything? Did I forget to manage anything?

map.jpg

Posted by Claudio at 11:12 AM | Comments (1)

June 14, 2004

Trendy Online Diaries / Weblogs

Look what I found during my journey on the web. There is a German article published on the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper somehow in April this year. It describes (in German) the fascination of Online Diaries, also called Weblogs, and the steady increase of such portals in the web. Holy cow! And I thought I would be the only dumb guy on the globe to be so kind to publish my personal experience on the web and to share it with friends....and strangers.... ;-)


Posted by Claudio at 01:33 PM | Comments (0)

Road to Asia...

skyline.jpg

...in less than four days I am already on board of my flight to Hong Kong...uuuuuuuhhhh....

The weather forecast for my arrival date is astonishing: back to max. 41 degrees celcius and up to 79% air humidity....


Posted by Claudio at 12:02 AM | Comments (0)

June 13, 2004

Wedding party

We were invited to join Steffi's and Daniel's wedding party at Barcode this saturday evening. Overall it was great fun hanging out with my buddies and having had some drinks with them. Have a look on some pics...

Posted by Claudio at 11:35 PM | Comments (0)

June 12, 2004

Football is coming home!

euro2004.jpg

For about one month, the whole globe is going to watch the European Football Championship taking place in Portugal this summer.

The tournament will start today evening with the inauguration match Portugal vs. Greece.

The Italian squad will be on the pitch against Denmark on Monday. The Germans are going to struggle against the Netherlands next Tuesday.

Posted by Claudio at 09:53 AM | Comments (0)

June 10, 2004

Hong Kong in a week's time!

Hmmmm in just one week I'll be already on my way back to Asia...weird...

Posted by Claudio at 12:37 PM | Comments (0)

June 09, 2004

Skype - phone calls world-wide

Hi,

I just installed a great tool with which you are able to make telephone conferences on the net and the quality is really amazing. The tool is called "Skype" and the use is completely for free.

I set-up my own account called "Pistolino.de", so if you are up for smart chats whenever I'll be in Hong Kong, feel free to download this tool and call me.









pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"
type="application/x-shockwave-flash"
width="270"
height="510"
bgcolor="#F6F5DB"
quality="high"
play="true"
menu="false"
base="/flash/"
loop="true">

Posted by Claudio at 12:31 PM | Comments (0)

June 08, 2004

Back in Germany...

after an exhausted day in university in Milan I recently got back to my home in Germany....it's good to be back again. However, the only thing I need at this stage is getting some sleep.

Good night.

Posted by Claudio at 11:53 PM | Comments (0)

June 07, 2004

Returning to Germany

Ok my plans are through! Tomorrow after having my exams I will be heading off and leaving Milan and go back to Germany. I think I will be back at home tomorrow late in the evening....stay in touch!

Posted by Claudio at 05:17 PM | Comments (0)

June - lots of birthdays coming up...


Posted by Claudio at 08:38 AM | Comments (0)

The same procedure as every Monday!

The result of a weekend without e-mail access:


e-mail.gif

Posted by Claudio at 08:35 AM | Comments (0)

Studying, Studying, Studying

These have been the only three words I had in mind the past weekend when looking ahead to my next three exams all going to take place tomorrow....in fact, this is going to be a nightmare!

It's almost an immpossible task to study the whole range of three subjects over just one weekend. Well no time for complaints since I have no choice.

Apart from studying, things look like I'll leave Milan at latest the day after tomorrow since I shall be leaving my apartment by tomorrow. As for now, the only problem is that I have actually no idea how to reach Munich with all my luggage. It's nearly impossible to get all my stuff on a train. Well, we'll see how to get back to Germany.

Time passed by too quickly once again....hard to believe that I have lived in Milan for three months now. Especially, when all things considered, I didn't feel comfortable here at all.
The city is ugly, grey, tremendously expensive, ... I could go on expanding this kind of list but I don't have time for it now.

I am very much looking forward to seeing my buddies in Germany again, before I will head off for Hong Kong in already less than 2!!! weeks. Incredible...I am getting old, too old for this s**t, man! :-)

Posted by Claudio at 08:34 AM | Comments (0)

June 04, 2004

Tough exam...

Gosh...this was a very tough exam today. I don't have a good feeling regarding the outcome of this exam....arg...

at least I got the news that I passed the exam of last week...

Posted by Claudio at 10:54 AM | Comments (0)

June 03, 2004

Tomorrow next exam

Sorry very busy at the moment. Tomorrow next exam...wish me luck, I could need it! ;)

Posted by Claudio at 02:28 PM | Comments (0)

June 01, 2004

Password protected diary?

This diary/weblog has attracted many visitors in recent days. This implicate that there are few persons who I actually don't want them to read these lines here.

To prevent them reading and following my steps, it is most likely that I will convert this diary partly or completely into a password protected system.

Any suggestions are welcome. Feel free to add your comment on this issue in the comment area below this post.

Posted by Claudio at 11:59 AM | Comments (2)

Website redesign

It's is definitely time to change something on this website. Some changes have already taken effect, so be anxious to see what is going to change next. :-)

Posted by Claudio at 11:45 AM | Comments (0)