hindsight

moved

2008-02-14T23:22:00.000-08:00

new blog address.

update your feeds as well here http://feeds.feedburner.com/mfli/hindsight

down

2008-02-14T14:28:00.000-08:00

I'm closing this blog and starting a new one, on different blogging software, with a new design.

The site will probably be down for a couple of days, and if you have any rss feeds on this blog, you will likely need to update the feed.

Easy RoR

2008-02-07T22:50:00.000-08:00

http://heroku.com/

No title

2008-01-28T14:15:00.000-08:00

I went to a museum where I grew up when I was 7 or 8 years old, and I still remember the glass cases full of skulls and bones from the people who died. It is considered by many one of the worst atrocities committed by the Japanese military during WWII.

Now someone has made a documentary. It's showing in Seattle starting this Friday for a week. I figure I should go.

Presentation skillz

2008-01-28T13:07:00.000-08:00

How to deliver a presentation like Steve Jobs.

Prius or Hummer

2008-01-28T11:38:00.001-08:00

http://fallbackbelmont.blogspot.com/2007/03/which-is-greener-prius-or-hummer.html

The switch

2008-01-27T23:24:00.000-08:00

The gallery software on the website is too old, and I'm too lazy to upgrade. So I've been using picasaweb lately. But space's filling up, and I don't want to pay for more (actually, I do want to pay, just not to picasaweb), so I've made the switch.

I'm now using smugmug.

Pictures from the South America trip.

Hilarious

2008-01-25T18:39:00.000-08:00

This is a great satire on the subprime mortgage debacle.

Giant Rodent

2008-01-16T14:59:00.001-08:00

I didn't see any rats during the one day that I was in Uruguay, but scientists did recently find the fossilized head of a one tonne rodent there. That's a giant rodent.

Puno

2008-01-10T08:47:00.000-08:00

There's really not much to write about Puno. The only thing to do there is to go on a tour of Lake Titicaca (quecha for stone puma), which is exactly what we did.

The tour was supposed to start at 8 am, so you would imagine my surprise when the hostel guy knocks on the door at 6:50, and tells us our bus is here. Couple minutes of rushed pulling on pants and shirts later, I'm on the bus, and headed for the port.

The first stop on the tour was the Uros islands (floating islands built on straw). There are around 6-8 families on the smaller islands, and over 10 on the bigger ones. They have ponds for fishes, lookout towers, straw boats, even solar panels for tv and radios. It wasn't until the tour of the Uros ended that we realized that we were in fact on the wrong boat. The tour we booked was a two day tour, with an overnight stay on the Amantani island, but the boat we were on was only doing a one day tour.

Panic, talk to the tour guide, a couple of phone calls, no room, more phone calls later, we get dropped off on a floating island, and get picked up by another boat, the right one this time (and incidentally, that tour started at 8 am).

Since the second boat started later, we got to see more of the Uros islands, and even saw a big island that guests can stay overnight on, complete with a restaurant (where they'll catch the trout fresh out of their pond), an international phone booth, and an attached floating church.

From there, we continued on a slow, three hour boat ride to Amantani. It is here where we find out that there's no hostels on the island, and we'd all be doing home stays. We wait for our names to be called, and matched with a host family, where we'd be sleeping, and having all of our meals. The primary diet on the island is potatoes, so we had a lot of soup and meals with potatoes, but they were very tasty.

On the island, we climbed to one of the peaks, where there was a great view of the lake (and we can see Bolivia, even though the guide kept on stressing that Peru occupies 60% of the lake, and Bolivia only 40%), as well as some pre-Incan ruins. After dinner, we had a fiesta where all the tourists donned traditional Quecha garments, and drank beer, and danced to live music.

The next day, I awoke to pouring rain pounding on the rooftop. It felt as if I were under an waterfall. After a brief breakfast, our host-father runs in, and gestures for us to leave (because there's a break in the rain). We head to port, where we stood in rain and hail to wait for our boat to be ready.

The last island in the tour is called Tequile. But we really didn't do anything there except have lunch (of grilled trout), and walk down a bunch of steps. Then it was another long and slow boat ride back into town.

We left the next day. Like I said, there's nothing to do in Puno.

The big MP

2008-01-03T17:06:00.000-08:00

There was no time (or energy, probably, since I'm pretty lazy, and out of shape, and this whole altitude thing makes me get out of breath very easily) to hike the Inca Trail, so we're did the normal tourist thing, and did a 2 day 1 night tour of Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu.

First, on the train to Aguas Calientes, we stopped at a random location, and was informed that there was an "incident" at km 84. About an hour later, we find out that the "incident" was a land slide (the train stewards obviously knew about the landslide, but chose not to tell us, this is just one example of the South American custom of not trying to displease anyone, and saying that everything is OK). Another hour or so of waiting later, we finally start moving, only to stop again about 10 minutes later. This time it was to wait for an oncoming train (since most of the track is single lane), we were told that it would be here "momentarily". That turned into 45 minutes, and no train ever came. So we kept going, and finally arrived at 2:30 pm. 3 and a half hours late.

There's not much to do in the AC, except, as the name suggests (it means hot water), a hot spring. So we relaxed a little in the hot pool (which smells like chicken soup), went back to wait to meet our guide (who never showed up - but he did call, eventually), and slept.

The big day.

We got up at 4:30 in the morning, had breakfast at 5, and caught the 5:40 bus. From there, we met our guide, were split into two groups (English and Spanish), and started our tours. I'm not really going to talk about the history, if you want to hear about that, go buy a book (preferably from amazon.com). But it was about 30 minutes into our tour when the rain started to fall, and it didn't stop until after we left the site. It's a good thing I invested in a good poncho in Cusco (too keep my gear dry), and also had a rain sock for my SLR as well. We basically walked all around the site, even hiked to the Sun Gate with some people from our tour group after the tour, saw some llamas, saw some big stones, and lots of clouds. It was pretty cool, actually, and wet.

Now I'm in Puno, ready for a Island tour on Lake Titicaca tomorrow.

Just one last word. We were in Cusco for New Years Eve, in the Plaza de Armas, where a huge crowd gathered (we had some boxed wine which kept us warm). Everyone was setting off fireworks (some in giant sticks that shot sparklers where you aimed, preferably in the air), which I though was a huge safety hazard, and would never fly in the US. Later, when the clock counted down, a huge crowd started to run around the square, people were screaming, singing, dancing, generally festive. Throw in some firecrackers that randomly went off all over the place, and you kind of get the idea. It was definitely different from any other NYE I've ever been to.

I'm Still Alive

2007-12-31T09:17:00.000-08:00

I'm in Cusco still, and the altitude hasn't killed me yet, although walking up a flight of stairs does tend to put me out of breath (I'm still not sure if that's a consequence of my being out of shape, or the altitude).

I did a Sacred Valley tour yesterday, going to such Incan ruins as Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero (ok, this is not exactly an Incan ruin, more of a post-conquest church), etc. The Incans had their ways with stones, I'll tell you that much.

Today is a city tour, involving such places as Saqsayhuaman (or as I like to call it, sexywoman), and other monuments of Incan worship that I cannot remember. Tonight is also New Years Eve, in case some out there haven't noticed, so I'll have to pick some randome bar/club to go to around the main square. All this is going to make getting up at 6 am tomorrow exceedingly difficult. But I must, since I've already paid the fare to go to Macchu Picchu.

Now I must be off to find some lunch.

Postcard

2007-12-27T16:43:00.000-08:00

If you want a postcard, send me your address. I will try to send you one. By try, I mean having fun comes first, and sending a postcard is somewhere down the priority list.

Lima

2007-12-26T20:24:00.000-08:00

There are no conventional taxis in Lima. Every taxi you stop, you just haggle for the price to the destination. There's no meter, no starting fee, no price per 1/13th of a mile. And apparently, only the yellow and white taxis are safe to take. We took a taxi to Damian's family home (a big thanks to them for giving us food on Christmas), and the hostel person took a picture of the driver and his ID (so that nothing would happen to us).

The temperature in Lima is a much welcomed break from the heat in Argentina. I actually need a long sleeved shirt at night.

Off to Cusco tomorrow.

Last Day

2007-12-23T07:17:00.000-08:00

Only one more day in Argentina, then I'm off to Santiago, and then Lima.

The day in Iguazu Argentina started off uneventful (aside from having to get up at 7 am to catch the first bus, and buying tasty empanadas at the bus stop), and after some waiting, some bus riding, some walking, some traing riding, and some more walking, there were more waterfalls. Then we decided to take the boat ride into the falls (and they literally take you right under the waterfall). The pressure from the water was so intense that you can´t even keep your eyes open. But then it started to rain, and it was cold.

From Iguazu, we flew back to Buenos Aires and took an overnight bus to Mendoza (on which they played bingo). Mendoza is super hot, and sunny, and hot. The first night we had a roast at the hostel with some other Americans, then a wine tour the next day, and a rafting trip yesterday (the cold water was a nice relief from the hot sun). Today is Sunday, and nothing is open, so it´s take it easy day before a bus trip to Santiago tomorrow.

Iguazu

2007-12-17T15:07:00.000-08:00

After another day of markets, some Mate (bitter, but not bad) at a great little cafe called del Limonero, and a last course of meat in Argentina, it was off to Iguazu.

The flight was early in the morning. We had to leave the hostel at around 5 am, and the dude at the counter was clearly out of it. I think he was in some half asleep, half dream coma. But we got our taxi, and were on our way.

The flight was delayed, but otherwise uneventful. We bused into town and got settled around noon. It's hot over here. I had the crazy idea of going to see the Brazilian side of the falls (since the Argentinian side requires more time, and I wanted to go there earlier in the morning). The problem was, Brazil requires a visa for American and Canadian tourists, and we didn't have any. We got on a bus anyways (after a lunch of empanadas, beer, and chorizo), and I got a little worried when we arrived at the border and everyone had to get off and go into a queue. Little did I know, that was only the exit queue for Argentina, and the bus didn't even stop at the Brazilian side, so we were in.

After a transfer at the bus station (we were now in Portuguese territory), we finally got to the national park, paid the ticket, and took yet another bus to get to the actual falls area. The waterfalls are pretty spectacular. There's a walkway along the cliffs that overlook the falls. as you go along, the waterfalls just keep on coming. It seems that as you round another corner, there's a different waterfall just waiting for you. Needless to say, I took plenty of pictures.

Did I mention that it was very hot? I was drenched in my own sweat.

Finally, we took the bus back (which was quite an endeavour since we needed to do a transfer, and waited essentially by the side of the road, and tried to flag down every bus that came by, only to be disappointed that they weren't heading to Argentina), and now it's time for bed. I need to get up early tomorrow to visit the Argentinian side of the falls.

One more day

2007-12-16T06:55:00.000-08:00

Only one more day in Buenos Aires, then it´s off to Iguazu for some waterfall action.

Thursday was a ferry ride day trip to Uruguay (Colonia del Sacremento, and one more stamp on the passport). It´s only an hour away, and is a quaint little town that´s UNESCO protected and all that. We had a brief walking tour when we got there. Apparently Colonia was quite the city of dispute during its early days, changing hands between the Spanish and the Portuguese 9 times during its first 100 years.

Colonia also has a Street of Sighs, although the orgin of that name is not what you´d expect. Back in the days, when there were so much turmoil, all the soldiers were stationed along the coastal part of the city. Incidentally, that´s also where the prostitutes hung out, and along that street (where the soldiers´ barracks were), many "sighs" could be heard. Hence the Street of Sighs.

We also rented a scooter and drove around for the rest of the day (since there´s really not much to do in the town). There´s an old abandoned bull fighting ring 8 km out of town, it was built in the early 1900s, and then closed down a couple years later when bull fighting was banned in Uruguay. The Uruguayan government doesn´t have enough money to restore it, or to make it into a tourist attaction, so now it just sits there, with a fence around it, abandoned and rusting.

Friday and Saturday were both a lot of walking. Saturday was market day in Recoleta. The market is beside a well known cemetery (where Evita is buried). There are a lot of cats in the cemetery (well, lots of strays in Buenos Aires altogether), and apparently some crazy lady pays to feed them all (in the cemetery, not BsAs). The markets here are pretty cool, a lot of local crafts (lots of Maté cups) and food (empanadas are good).

Today is Sunday market in San Telmo, to be followed by some Maté drinking, and one more parilla (grill with lots of meat) before we head on.

I´m a lobster

2007-12-14T06:05:00.000-08:00

Those who know me will know that I´m not so good at putting on sun screen. Somehow it gets into my mind that because I´m Asian I´m impervious to burns. Well I´m not, and now I hurt. I blame it on the sun in Colonia del Sacremento (day trip to Uruguay).

Observations:

the vast majority of streets here are one way, so I look like a bit of a fool when I look both ways before crossing

it´s really hot in Buenos Aires, and I don´t adapt well to hot weather

very few men wear shorts (this is something that I noticed in China as well, where I was the only grown man who wore shorts)

there are (at least) two ferry terminals in Buenos Aires, don´t go to the wrong one

sunburns hurt, not all the time, but when your skin rubs against something (like when putting on your backpack), it burns (no joke)

I way overpacked, and my backpack is too heavy

Buenos Aires

2007-12-11T13:45:00.000-08:00

After a long night of partying on a boat, maybe 4 hours of sleep (had to get the pictures up), a hungover flight to Atlanta, another 10 hours of sleeplessness to Buenos Aires, an hour of waiting for a pick up shuttle at the airport (that never arrived), a 30 minute cab ride to the hostel, another 10 minute cab ride to the hostel that we're actually staying in, I finally had a nap, then lunch with some grilled beef tenderloin (the lomo), a walk around San Telmo, more napping, dinner, and bed.

Today was a quick subway ride to the Palermo district, where there's a lot of parks (including a Japenese Garden - yes, I fully realize the hilariousness of going to Argentina to go to a Japenese Garden), and a walk a bit north where's there's a cornicopia of boutique shops (think Queen West of Buenos Aires). I also had two nice Argentinians warn me not to carry my camera in my hand because scary men in motorcycles will drive by, hit me, and snatch my camera (with very violent slashing hand motions). So far, that has not happened, but I now view every motorcyclist with an evil eye.

Now it's time for a nap, and more beef for dinner.

Stealth shooter

2007-12-04T13:50:00.000-08:00

I want this.

This is important

2007-12-03T09:23:00.001-08:00

Fighting Canada's DMCA.

I'm in ur brake linez, lowering ur fluidz

2007-11-30T18:04:00.000-08:00

For the last month or so, I've been noticing an anomaly in my car. About 50% of the time, when I make a right turn, the parking brake light would come up, and my car would beep at me.

Now, obviously, being a diligent driver, I checked to make sure the parking brake was off, but the car would still complain. And it continued to happen.

Finally I got tired of my car yelling at me (and it was also time for an oil change), so I brought it into the shop. Apparently, my brake fluid was low, and the sensor for the parking brake is probably either in the brake line, or the fluid reservoir, and was triggering false positives when I make right turns.

So $120 later, I got my car back all fixed. I was so ecstatic that I made four right turns in a row just to celebrate (OK, not to celebrate, but I did need to make four right turns in a row).

Cave

2007-11-16T11:26:00.000-08:00

A school in China built inside a natural cave.

Ugliest mp3 player ever

2007-11-14T10:27:00.000-08:00

The ibiza Rhapsody mp3 player, a joint effort by AOL and Haier. This thing brings ugly industrial design to a whole new level. Who knew a rectangle could look so bad.

PLA

2007-11-13T15:09:00.000-08:00

The Predatory Lending Association - pure gold.