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Work stuff
Jun. 29th, 2006 10:08 pmMeetings, meetings, meetings today. I knew I wouldn't have to be in on that conference call, but they asked me to stay, anyway. At least I got lunch out of the deal, such as it was.
Tonight I attended an interesting concert at the college. It was a kind of "super group" of local brass players: a dozen or so trumpets, four horns, six trombones, a tuba or two and even a little percussion. They played some of the antiphonal music of Giovanni Gabrieli and a lot of music by an unknown Viennese composer who died in 1970 and with whom the conductor had worked in the 60s. Interesting stuff, especially that this concert was the first time it had been played outside Vienna in 40 years.
Tonight I attended an interesting concert at the college. It was a kind of "super group" of local brass players: a dozen or so trumpets, four horns, six trombones, a tuba or two and even a little percussion. They played some of the antiphonal music of Giovanni Gabrieli and a lot of music by an unknown Viennese composer who died in 1970 and with whom the conductor had worked in the 60s. Interesting stuff, especially that this concert was the first time it had been played outside Vienna in 40 years.
Random Tuesday Update
Jun. 20th, 2006 10:23 amWe had some really strong thunderstorms come through here last night just after 5:00, which actually knocked out power to the office for about a minute. It was just long enough to down one of the network switches or something, so there was no e-mail or Internet here until about 9:30.
WBJC is playing Schubert's 9th symphony now, the "Great" C major, which is unusual because it's like an hour long. I got to play it twice last year, and this classic recording is making me all nostalgic. Except for the fact that it was with the BPO and it's really tiring to play, it's also kind of fun.
OK, really should do work now.
WBJC is playing Schubert's 9th symphony now, the "Great" C major, which is unusual because it's like an hour long. I got to play it twice last year, and this classic recording is making me all nostalgic. Except for the fact that it was with the BPO and it's really tiring to play, it's also kind of fun.
OK, really should do work now.
Well, that was a close one
Jun. 2nd, 2006 11:33 amAlmost no one has been in my office looking for me all week, so I assumed it'd be all clear to wear jeans today. That way, I also wouldn't have to change before rehearsal. Then at around 8:00 this morning, one of the managers comes in and says that the company V.P. wants to meet this afternoon for a status update on my project.
Whoops. Fortunately, the same manager came by about half an hour ago to tell me the V.P.'s changed his mind and would rather meet on Monday, when the actual program director comes back from Europe. Dodged a bullet there, hopefully.
Whoops. Fortunately, the same manager came by about half an hour ago to tell me the V.P.'s changed his mind and would rather meet on Monday, when the actual program director comes back from Europe. Dodged a bullet there, hopefully.
Just like old times
Jun. 1st, 2006 11:42 amI'm debugging someone's code here at work-- it's based on a FORTRAN program a different someone wrote back in around 1984 or '85. The copy of the original program I'm verifying against is printed from a dot-matrix tractor-feed printer, still with the feed holes attached. This makes me nostalgic for the days when my brother and I used to type in long computer programs for our Commodore 64. Invariably, there'd be some kind of bug, to find which we'd have to print the whole damn thing out and peruse line-by-line.
Yep, good times. Also, who knew that the C= 64 processor ran at an astonishing 1.023 MHz?
Yep, good times. Also, who knew that the C= 64 processor ran at an astonishing 1.023 MHz?
(no subject)
May. 25th, 2006 08:48 amWow, who goosed the air conditioner in here?
And now, what fresh hell is this? A dude right outside my window on the breezeway, with a leaf blower...
And now, what fresh hell is this? A dude right outside my window on the breezeway, with a leaf blower...
Back at Work....
May. 1st, 2006 10:38 amYes, unfortunately the long weekend had to come to an end. I had sufficiently recovered by Friday night to play the concert at Villa Julie, which seemed to go over very well. That morning, I also got fitted for my new soft contacts, which I really like (but forgot to wear for most of the weekend).
Saturday I went down to the Harbor to check out the racing boats in town for the big Volvo Ocean Race. I spent several hours down there just enjoying the weather, getting sunburned, and just being glad being around people speaking English (mostly). Some of the pictures I took are posted at Flickr and I'll post the rest when I subscribe. Still haven't gotten around to color-correcting and posting all my Korea photos yet. As a test of Flickr's linking features, here's a photo of a Volvo XC90 made out of LEGOs:
( You don't believe me? )
Another part of getting back into the routine: Rehearsal tonight for Columbia. When practicing yesterday, I was surprised how much of the Shostakovich 10th I could actually play, despite not practicing it for two weeks.
Saturday I went down to the Harbor to check out the racing boats in town for the big Volvo Ocean Race. I spent several hours down there just enjoying the weather, getting sunburned, and just being glad being around people speaking English (mostly). Some of the pictures I took are posted at Flickr and I'll post the rest when I subscribe. Still haven't gotten around to color-correcting and posting all my Korea photos yet. As a test of Flickr's linking features, here's a photo of a Volvo XC90 made out of LEGOs:
( You don't believe me? )
Another part of getting back into the routine: Rehearsal tonight for Columbia. When practicing yesterday, I was surprised how much of the Shostakovich 10th I could actually play, despite not practicing it for two weeks.
Too much meeting
Apr. 25th, 2006 09:27 pmToday, finally (according to my colleague), I got the taste of what the last trips to Korea have been like for the other employees, i.e. sitting in meetings that last from 9 or 10 AM until a lunch break around 1:00, then more sitting and talking until around 6:00. Much of it is haggling over minutiae and who did this or didn't do that, most of that done in Korean. The only interesting thing was the V.P. of the company taking a dozen or so of the other employees and us to dinner at a fancy Japanese restaurant, with course after course of I-don't-even-know-what. Since I'm sure no one wants to read about meetings, I guess I could ask: what would people like to know about, or what should I write about for the last few days I'm here? Post a comment here and I'll try to answer it, but I'm hardly an expert after being here for five days.
A beautiful carving in the ceiling of a Chinese restaurant we found in China Street (appropriately enough), near Busan Station.
( Pictures, of course... )
<Dave Chappelle>I'm rich, biatch!</Chapelle>
( Money! )
A beautiful carving in the ceiling of a Chinese restaurant we found in China Street (appropriately enough), near Busan Station.
( Pictures, of course... )
<Dave Chappelle>I'm rich, biatch!</Chapelle>
( Money! )
Back to work (and Western food)
Apr. 24th, 2006 10:45 pmYes, we eventually had to get back to the business at hand, i.e. more meetings. Although, today involved driving about an hour to the factory of one of our suppliers to get a presentation on their capabilities and the parts they've already produced for the project. I took about a dozen pictures, but I doubt I can post them here, and they're pretty much only of interest to the people back at the office anyway. For lunch, before the factory trip, our hosts took us to the same business district we were in yesterday, right to the Outback Steakhouse. I guess they wanted to make us feel at home, even though I haven't been to an Outback in several years. I didn't have steak, but the food seemed pretty similar to what one would have back in the States.
Luckily, we finished the meetings early and were back at the hotel by 6:00 (compared with 8-9:00 other working days). For dinner my co-worker and I decided to head to the same area as this afternoon, and maybe a little more shopping. I wanted to try and find the Batman Bar to see if it was actually open, but despite asking a few younger guys, no one seemed to know where it was. At least I have some photographic evidence. My co-worker really didn't want any more Asian food, and since our only options were either the myriad tiny Asian restaurants or the few Western staples like McDonalds, Pizza Hut, or the Outback, we opted for the Pizza Hut.
Finally, you guessed it, more pictures. First, the Korean version of the Dollar Store:
( Clicky! )
I know, I keep taking pictures of these buildings with all the lighted signs. It's because, in this city, they're everywhere, especially in the more commercial areas. Those signs that say "PC" are, as I'd guessed, Internet cafes. They are also everywhere.
( Clicky! )
Here is the inside of one of them, which seemed to be pretty nice. There were some young women, but mostly younger guys, playing WoW, or CounterStrike, or Half-Life 2 (I think) and whatever else the kids are playing now. Maybe broadband is too expensive to install in people's homes, or the kids are just trying to avoid going home to their families, but these places must be really succesfull.
( Clicky! )
Finally, one clinic where I definitely would not want to be a patient:
( You know you want to clicky! )
Luckily, we finished the meetings early and were back at the hotel by 6:00 (compared with 8-9:00 other working days). For dinner my co-worker and I decided to head to the same area as this afternoon, and maybe a little more shopping. I wanted to try and find the Batman Bar to see if it was actually open, but despite asking a few younger guys, no one seemed to know where it was. At least I have some photographic evidence. My co-worker really didn't want any more Asian food, and since our only options were either the myriad tiny Asian restaurants or the few Western staples like McDonalds, Pizza Hut, or the Outback, we opted for the Pizza Hut.
Finally, you guessed it, more pictures. First, the Korean version of the Dollar Store:
( Clicky! )
I know, I keep taking pictures of these buildings with all the lighted signs. It's because, in this city, they're everywhere, especially in the more commercial areas. Those signs that say "PC" are, as I'd guessed, Internet cafes. They are also everywhere.
( Clicky! )
Here is the inside of one of them, which seemed to be pretty nice. There were some young women, but mostly younger guys, playing WoW, or CounterStrike, or Half-Life 2 (I think) and whatever else the kids are playing now. Maybe broadband is too expensive to install in people's homes, or the kids are just trying to avoid going home to their families, but these places must be really succesfull.
( Clicky! )
Finally, one clinic where I definitely would not want to be a patient:
( You know you want to clicky! )
The "Real Korea"
Apr. 23rd, 2006 12:53 amWell, no more or less "real" than the Korea we saw on the train trip yesterday. Anyway, we had another meeting today; The Koreans, like most Asians, it seems, never stop working. Even though we were meeting with one of the sub-contractors on Tuesday, they wanted to have a pre-meeting with us for part of today.
Four hours later, we seemed to have ripped through the entire agenda for both days, without actually answering any questions. Mostly, because we didn't have the answers; we'd have to write back to the office and hope to get a response in time. Our hosts, who were three young-ish engineers from this company agreed to take us to lunch at Haeundae Beach*, which is a popular tourist area. We didn't go to the actual beach, because it was in the upper 50s and very cloudy, instead we drove to an area in the hills overlooking the bay. It reminded me of Mount Washington in Pittsburgh, if that provides any context. On a clear day, they told us, you could see all the way to Japan.
We ate another traditional Korean lunch, this one featuring a small hibachi built into the table, where they kept putting more meat. The table was absolutely filled with small dishes of appetizers. Afterwards, since my co-worker mentioned wanting to buy something for his wife, they decided to take us back downtown to Lotte's large department store, which is like a Macy's in New York City, but more crowded. We didn't really like the place, but just a block away, in the back alleys, was an inner-city market like something out of Blade Runner. That, so far, was the coolest thing I saw so far, just because it felt so authentic. We also visited a health club owned by a former co-worker of our hosts who had left their company only recently.
Since this entry is getting long and I still have to post pictures, I'll just say that no matter where you live, there is no way the traffic is worse there than it is here. That drive from downtown to the beach easily took an hour and a half, and was probably 20 miles or so. This department store parking lot was absolutely full, and they were practically stacking cars to get them in the garage.
Anyway, the pictures. To get to this part of Busan, you have to cross this huge bridge. These tall buildings we saw yesterday are everywhere, but are not corporate housing, they're only constructed by the various companies. I didn't get a chance to ask about the ferris wheel.
( Read more... )
Just a small part of the Blade Runner market:
( Read more... )
A slice of Western influence, in the same area. I've also seen Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds (of course), but not nearly as many as in the U.S. I have seen at least three Outbacks, however.
( Read more... )
*- the location is probably wrong, but Google Maps doesn't seem to have that in the database. =(
Four hours later, we seemed to have ripped through the entire agenda for both days, without actually answering any questions. Mostly, because we didn't have the answers; we'd have to write back to the office and hope to get a response in time. Our hosts, who were three young-ish engineers from this company agreed to take us to lunch at Haeundae Beach*, which is a popular tourist area. We didn't go to the actual beach, because it was in the upper 50s and very cloudy, instead we drove to an area in the hills overlooking the bay. It reminded me of Mount Washington in Pittsburgh, if that provides any context. On a clear day, they told us, you could see all the way to Japan.
We ate another traditional Korean lunch, this one featuring a small hibachi built into the table, where they kept putting more meat. The table was absolutely filled with small dishes of appetizers. Afterwards, since my co-worker mentioned wanting to buy something for his wife, they decided to take us back downtown to Lotte's large department store, which is like a Macy's in New York City, but more crowded. We didn't really like the place, but just a block away, in the back alleys, was an inner-city market like something out of Blade Runner. That, so far, was the coolest thing I saw so far, just because it felt so authentic. We also visited a health club owned by a former co-worker of our hosts who had left their company only recently.
Since this entry is getting long and I still have to post pictures, I'll just say that no matter where you live, there is no way the traffic is worse there than it is here. That drive from downtown to the beach easily took an hour and a half, and was probably 20 miles or so. This department store parking lot was absolutely full, and they were practically stacking cars to get them in the garage.
Anyway, the pictures. To get to this part of Busan, you have to cross this huge bridge. These tall buildings we saw yesterday are everywhere, but are not corporate housing, they're only constructed by the various companies. I didn't get a chance to ask about the ferris wheel.
( Read more... )
Just a small part of the Blade Runner market:
( Read more... )
A slice of Western influence, in the same area. I've also seen Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds (of course), but not nearly as many as in the U.S. I have seen at least three Outbacks, however.
( Read more... )
*- the location is probably wrong, but Google Maps doesn't seem to have that in the database. =(
Another Tiring Day
Apr. 21st, 2006 11:34 pmI'm not going to take a lot of time and detail everything that went on today.... mostly because very little happened. We had to get up early and take a train to Cheonon, which is back towards Seoul, and even on the high speed (300 km/hr) train, still over 2 hours. We met with some clients there, toured the manufacturing facilities, then they took us out to lunch at a traditional Korean restaurant. There was floor seating, chopsticks, spicy appetizers, and for the main course, a bare chicken boiled in a small pot with broth, rice, and seasonings. With all that hot food and the beer, I'm amazed I could stay awake through the afternoon meeting. That took only about an hour and a half, and since our train didn't leave for over another hour, we basically had to sit there in an uncomfortable silence until they decided they were done with us and talking to each other.
By the time we get back from dinner and typing up minutes and everything, I'm so tired I'm practically falling asleep. I don't know if it's jet lag, or just a draining work day. Tomorrow, another company wants to meet with us in the morning, but they've promised only a half-day, plus they'll find something for us to do the rest of the day.
Meanwhile, more pictures. Here's a huge chandelier-type thing in the hotel's lobby that I thought was really cool:
( Read more... )
The outside of the hotel, which is a "traditional" design:
( Read more... )
Just to show that we actually did leave the hotel, I took pictures from the train. Most of the Korean cities have identical buildings like this, which my co-worker and I surmised are a type of corporate or factory housing. Some of them had logos on the side for LG and Samsung, but most we didn't recognize. What would it be like to live here?
( Read more... )
Finally, coming out of the train station on the way back, there appeared to be some kind of Buddhist festival going on just outside:
( Read more... )
By the time we get back from dinner and typing up minutes and everything, I'm so tired I'm practically falling asleep. I don't know if it's jet lag, or just a draining work day. Tomorrow, another company wants to meet with us in the morning, but they've promised only a half-day, plus they'll find something for us to do the rest of the day.
Meanwhile, more pictures. Here's a huge chandelier-type thing in the hotel's lobby that I thought was really cool:
( Read more... )
The outside of the hotel, which is a "traditional" design:
( Read more... )
Just to show that we actually did leave the hotel, I took pictures from the train. Most of the Korean cities have identical buildings like this, which my co-worker and I surmised are a type of corporate or factory housing. Some of them had logos on the side for LG and Samsung, but most we didn't recognize. What would it be like to live here?
( Read more... )
Finally, coming out of the train station on the way back, there appeared to be some kind of Buddhist festival going on just outside:
( Read more... )
The day and some pictures
Apr. 20th, 2006 06:59 pmAs far as work goes, today was pretty easy. We didn't have to be at the client's office until 1:00, so my co-worker and I went to breakfast, walked down the street a little bit, and came back. I don't know what he did after that, but I walked around a bit more and took some photos before getting ready. Then it was off to the brand-spankin' new office building, a different off-site office of the project manager, then back. We tried to help with what we were asked, but much of the time was spent listening to them all talk to each other in Korean. That ended at around 5:30, and we came back with questions to send back to people at the office. I'm going to check out the dinner buffet soon, but I'll probably end up right back here in a few hours. In the meantime, a few photos.
The view out my hotel window, of the city in one direction and the harbor in another:
( Read more... )
The view inside my room's mini-fridge. I am not going to drink the can labelled "Pocari Sweat", mostly because I have no idea what kind of animal that is.
( Read more... )
EDIT: Thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
delphica, now I know what Pocari Sweat is. Now, the stuff in the black bottle (on the left) is scary. It's labeled "ADH Project" and has a yellow strip sealing it. On the strip is the only other English words on the bottle: "Hangover, Recovery from Fatigue Condition", "Pacificating Action of Alcohol", "Dissolution of Alcohol", "For Hotel", "Dissolution of Ammonia Gas", and "Shampinion Extract Added".
The view out my hotel window, of the city in one direction and the harbor in another:
( Read more... )
The view inside my room's mini-fridge. I am not going to drink the can labelled "Pocari Sweat", mostly because I have no idea what kind of animal that is.
( Read more... )
EDIT: Thanks to
delphica, now I know what Pocari Sweat is. Now, the stuff in the black bottle (on the left) is scary. It's labeled "ADH Project" and has a yellow strip sealing it. On the strip is the only other English words on the bottle: "Hangover, Recovery from Fatigue Condition", "Pacificating Action of Alcohol", "Dissolution of Alcohol", "For Hotel", "Dissolution of Ammonia Gas", and "Shampinion Extract Added".
Made it safe and sound
Apr. 19th, 2006 11:01 pmI may be paying for bandwidth at the hotel here, so I should keep this short & sweet.
15-hour plane rides really aren't fun, especially in Steerage class. At least I was by the bulkhead, so I could stretch my legs when I needed to. Couldn't really sleep, though. The worst part is after they've served you dinner, you've read 100+ pages of your book (thanks again,scout1222!), and watched "Good Night and Good Luck" on the little LCD screen, when you flip on the flight stats page and it tells you there's still 10 hours of flying time left. The system kicks ass, at least. They have classics like "The Godfather" and "Citizen Kane", plus a bunch of current movies. I also watched "Syriana", since I'd been meaning to catch it in the theater but kept missing it.
OK, I think that's enough for one night.
15-hour plane rides really aren't fun, especially in Steerage class. At least I was by the bulkhead, so I could stretch my legs when I needed to. Couldn't really sleep, though. The worst part is after they've served you dinner, you've read 100+ pages of your book (thanks again,
scout1222!), and watched "Good Night and Good Luck" on the little LCD screen, when you flip on the flight stats page and it tells you there's still 10 hours of flying time left. The system kicks ass, at least. They have classics like "The Godfather" and "Citizen Kane", plus a bunch of current movies. I also watched "Syriana", since I'd been meaning to catch it in the theater but kept missing it.OK, I think that's enough for one night.
Last Update (for a while)
Apr. 18th, 2006 08:08 amI have to drive to a co-worker's house in an hour or so, then it's a cab to Dulles airport, a 13-hour flight to Seoul/Incheon, then another short flight to Busan. Where it will be tomorrow night. The company laptops finally showed up yesterday, but I don't get one of the nice ones. I get the boat anchor. I couldn't even think of any software I'd want to install on it, nor did I really have time last night anyway, with the having to go to rehearsal, too. Fortunately, I'll have some form of Internet access at the hotel. I'll have to, since we'll need to send e-mails back to the office, and we need a Web interface to fill out our time sheets.
So, stay tuned. I'll try to get an update when I can, in between all the meetings and whatever else.
So, stay tuned. I'll try to get an update when I can, in between all the meetings and whatever else.
Good Friday to everyone
Apr. 14th, 2006 12:06 pmNo one is in the office today, it seems. Must be a holiday today.
Where the hell are the laptops we're supposed to be taking on our trip??
Finally, Happy birthday toanitavacation!
Where the hell are the laptops we're supposed to be taking on our trip??
Finally, Happy birthday to
anitavacation!Happy Passover to everyone in the Tribe. I'm commemorating with a big bowl of oatmeal. I'll probably be having a sandwich tomorrow.
I totally haven't prepared for my trip next week. =( However, I have gotten a promotion and raise at work.
I totally haven't prepared for my trip next week. =( However, I have gotten a promotion and raise at work.
It's Official
Mar. 24th, 2006 02:36 pmLooks like Passover is going to be cancelled this year. Well, for me at least.
To make a long story short,![[info]](https://stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
Kyla isn't the only one taking a long trip in a few weeks.
More details later.
To make a long story short,
Kyla isn't the only one taking a long trip in a few weeks.More details later.
(no subject)
Feb. 27th, 2006 04:15 pmLooks like I get to wear a tie on Wednesday and Thursday, because of a client meeting. The Dilbert one is probably appropriate.
Not much else to report; going to be a busy week of rehearsals for Saturday's concert.
Not much else to report; going to be a busy week of rehearsals for Saturday's concert.
I've been hungry all day. I have a headache and my eyes are sore from staring at the screen and reading reports all day. At least there's a rehearsal tonight to give me something to do, and a fun stand partner to make it more enjoyable. For now, I'm outta here.
