I'm now a proud owner of a Steinway grand piano. M and I went out and bought a Steinway model M on Friday. It's a beauty; the notes sing. The high register is melodic and round; the low register is full, powerful and strong. Not having lived with a piano for the past 11 years means I'm completely out of practice - yet this piano covers a hundred faults. Who cares about a weak pinky and the occasional slip-up when the notes produce such an enchanting and mesmerizing sound?
We bought the piano from Sherman Clay. They had a Steinway event this weekend and we happened to drop by Friday evening just before the event. I played on about 20 Steinways that evening. What a treat! It's really amazing how much sound difference there is even between Steinways - and it's hard to compare them unless the two pianos are side-by-side. The one we bought was definitely superior than the model L's and model O's in the room, even though the model L's and the model O's are larger pianos. Even M can tell the difference. Each Steinway is handmade so each possesses individual characteristics. Apparently to M, this one was "born a genius."
I still need to get it tuned, but I'm supposed to let it sit for 4-6 weeks to acclimate. I feel guilty for playing so poorly yet able to own this piano. It's like if the piano were a guy, he would not want to date me. Except I bought him...
Uh... I'll resist the temptation to take this analogy any farther.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
Treo 755p
I upgraded from a Treo 650 to a Treo 755p today. The 755p is lighter, grips nicer, and it no longer has an ugly antenna sticking out of the top. The menu and the navigational buttons are in different places from the Treo 650, so it'll take me a while to get used to it.
The reception at my house improved by a couple of bars, which is quite amazing considering there are what, only 4 or 5 bars total? That's a whopping 50% improvement!
I was happy to find Google Maps pre-installed on the device, since that would have been the first piece of software I download. I downloaded the newest version of Google Maps anyway, though, since the pre-install is a couple of versions behind. Too bad Sprint's GPS isn't opened up to Google Maps like some of the Blackberries.
The next piece of software I want is calendar sync from Google Calendar to Palm's calendar. It's nice to be able to check my meetings directly on the phone, without waiting for an internet connection. Apparently CampanionLink makes a pretty good 2-way syncing software, but I can't decide if the extra convenience is worth $30. :(
I installed the following freeware games: Space Trader, Sol Free, and Blocks. These ought to keep my parents entertained on long family trips. It's funny - my parents are nearing retirement age but they fight over handheld games just like children do.
I think it's because I'm cheap and am only looking for freeware, but I can't find any good non-game applications. Some of the applications just seem a little silly, like there is one application that helps you reset the phone, and one application that helps you hear people louder.
I guess I can't complain too much about freeware. But it's annoying that sometimes they don't pay attention to the details, like having a "quit" menu item, or defaulting the game to the correct "Game" application category. I keep thinking that I'm going to write the next piece of palm software I need, but I never get around to it. Maybe one of these days something will annoy me enough to do something about it.
The reception at my house improved by a couple of bars, which is quite amazing considering there are what, only 4 or 5 bars total? That's a whopping 50% improvement!
I was happy to find Google Maps pre-installed on the device, since that would have been the first piece of software I download. I downloaded the newest version of Google Maps anyway, though, since the pre-install is a couple of versions behind. Too bad Sprint's GPS isn't opened up to Google Maps like some of the Blackberries.
The next piece of software I want is calendar sync from Google Calendar to Palm's calendar. It's nice to be able to check my meetings directly on the phone, without waiting for an internet connection. Apparently CampanionLink makes a pretty good 2-way syncing software, but I can't decide if the extra convenience is worth $30. :(
I installed the following freeware games: Space Trader, Sol Free, and Blocks. These ought to keep my parents entertained on long family trips. It's funny - my parents are nearing retirement age but they fight over handheld games just like children do.
I think it's because I'm cheap and am only looking for freeware, but I can't find any good non-game applications. Some of the applications just seem a little silly, like there is one application that helps you reset the phone, and one application that helps you hear people louder.
I guess I can't complain too much about freeware. But it's annoying that sometimes they don't pay attention to the details, like having a "quit" menu item, or defaulting the game to the correct "Game" application category. I keep thinking that I'm going to write the next piece of palm software I need, but I never get around to it. Maybe one of these days something will annoy me enough to do something about it.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is on TV tonight. One of the top 15 contestants is Miss Tanzania, and she has a beautiful, bald head. I think that's totally awesome.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
One Laptop Per Child
I'm really excited about the One Laptop Per Child project. When I first heard about it a couple of years ago, it sounded like fantasy. But I was glad to find that they're now close to production! It's also cool to hear that the Taiwanese computer manufacturer, Quanta, is participating in the project.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Mongolia
Taiwan wants to be sovereign and so does Tibet. That got me thinking, how did Mongolia ever get away?
Turns out Russia backed them and they were also communists. Go figure. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongolia.
Turns out Russia backed them and they were also communists. Go figure. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongolia.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Boshiamy
I don't know how to type in Chinese. Normally it's not a problem - I don't write to anyone in Chinese anyway. But every once in a while Chinese input comes in handy, like when people want to know Mark's Chinese name, or if I want to refer to my third-granduncle-twice-removed or whatever who doesn't have an English name.
So when I was having lunch with some engineers from Taiwan today, I asked them what Chinese input method they use. One person said he uses Boshiamy, and almost everyone concurred it's the fastest Chinese input method. As we talked more about it, it became clear to me this input method is totally designed for me! Chinese radicals are mapped into the 26 English letters, so the keyboard stays exactly the same as an English keyboard. The input method is based on the shape or the sound of the word. My favorite is the (very common) radical "車." It means "car" in Chinese, and therefore the letter "C" is assigned to it. The same goes for "木", which means "tree" - the letter "T" is assigned to it.
I looked up Boshiamy on wikipedia. It tickles me that the word 哈 is mapped to "O A O". Get it? It's an O on the left, an "A" on the top right, then an "O" on the bottom right. That's hilarious.
Someone at lunch also said that because the inventor of the system leveraged mnemonic so much, you'll be able to type 70% of the words in common usage once you finish reading the manual. Too bad it's proprietary. I'll have to get my hands on that software sometime.
So when I was having lunch with some engineers from Taiwan today, I asked them what Chinese input method they use. One person said he uses Boshiamy, and almost everyone concurred it's the fastest Chinese input method. As we talked more about it, it became clear to me this input method is totally designed for me! Chinese radicals are mapped into the 26 English letters, so the keyboard stays exactly the same as an English keyboard. The input method is based on the shape or the sound of the word. My favorite is the (very common) radical "車." It means "car" in Chinese, and therefore the letter "C" is assigned to it. The same goes for "木", which means "tree" - the letter "T" is assigned to it.
I looked up Boshiamy on wikipedia. It tickles me that the word 哈 is mapped to "O A O". Get it? It's an O on the left, an "A" on the top right, then an "O" on the bottom right. That's hilarious.
Someone at lunch also said that because the inventor of the system leveraged mnemonic so much, you'll be able to type 70% of the words in common usage once you finish reading the manual. Too bad it's proprietary. I'll have to get my hands on that software sometime.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Wedding Slideshow
Our photographer made us a slideshow. We'll be getting our full-size files soon. So excited!!
Friday, March 16, 2007
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Man vs. Wild
The other night, some friends came over and we were watching the Discovery Channel show Man vs. Wild. It's a show demonstrating outdoor survival. At the beginning of each show, the host, Bear Grylls, parachusetts off of an airplane into "the wild" - it could be anywhere in the world. He has nothing except for a water bottle and a knife. His objective is to survive until he finds civilization.
In the episode we watched, Bear got dropped off in the middle of the Kenya. He couldn't find water for a long time and he was dehydrated. When he found fresh elephant dung, he picked it up, squeezed the water out of it, and drank that. It was very gross.
It was difficult to travel in the middle of the day because of the heat, so Bear travelled by night. When he came accross a lone elephant, I shouted, "what's the elephant doing out in the middle of the night?!" In reply, and with a smirk on her face, Wendy said, "well, what else is the elephant going to do at night?"
Nice.
In the episode we watched, Bear got dropped off in the middle of the Kenya. He couldn't find water for a long time and he was dehydrated. When he found fresh elephant dung, he picked it up, squeezed the water out of it, and drank that. It was very gross.
It was difficult to travel in the middle of the day because of the heat, so Bear travelled by night. When he came accross a lone elephant, I shouted, "what's the elephant doing out in the middle of the night?!" In reply, and with a smirk on her face, Wendy said, "well, what else is the elephant going to do at night?"
Nice.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Whole Foods
I like Whole Foods. The food is tasty, the produce is fresh, the staff is friendly, and the store is impeccably clean.
Unfortunately, everything is incredibly expensive, which is why I rarely shop at Whole Foods. Eating at the deli there is as expensive as eating at Chili's.
Today, I got sick and couldn't keep food down. After taking a long nap, I decided some clear chicken soup would do me good. So I headed out to Whole Foods because it's the closest store I know of that sells chicken soup. And heck, I'm sick. I can splurge an extra dollar for a bowl of piping hot soup. At the store, I was distracted by the watermelon section. I have been craving for watermelons for a while now, so it was only logical that I would pick up a watermelon as comfort food.
At the checkout, the watermelon rang up to 22 dollars! "Who pays $22 for a watermelon," I exclaimed. The cashier replied respectfully, "Ma'am, the watermelon is $1.50 a pound and this watermelon is about 15 pounds."
I told him to put the watermelon back.
Unfortunately, everything is incredibly expensive, which is why I rarely shop at Whole Foods. Eating at the deli there is as expensive as eating at Chili's.
Today, I got sick and couldn't keep food down. After taking a long nap, I decided some clear chicken soup would do me good. So I headed out to Whole Foods because it's the closest store I know of that sells chicken soup. And heck, I'm sick. I can splurge an extra dollar for a bowl of piping hot soup. At the store, I was distracted by the watermelon section. I have been craving for watermelons for a while now, so it was only logical that I would pick up a watermelon as comfort food.
At the checkout, the watermelon rang up to 22 dollars! "Who pays $22 for a watermelon," I exclaimed. The cashier replied respectfully, "Ma'am, the watermelon is $1.50 a pound and this watermelon is about 15 pounds."
I told him to put the watermelon back.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Studly
I was not here for this dinner conversation, but the conversation was described to me later:
W: Charity says Yul from Survivor is studly.
L: Does Charity know what "studly" means?
W: I think by "studly" Charity means he is good at puzzles.
W: Charity says Yul from Survivor is studly.
L: Does Charity know what "studly" means?
W: I think by "studly" Charity means he is good at puzzles.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Mark and Charity
The domain markandcharity.com is registered to a couple, Mark and Charity, in Kansas! What are the odds of that?!
They have been married for 13 years and they have 5 kids. Charity's blog has cute quotes from her kids. I feel like I've found my long lost twin. Mark laments about not being able to get the domain name.
They are Catholics and they practice Natural Family Planning. I don't think we'll be doing that. Just seems risky. ;)
They have been married for 13 years and they have 5 kids. Charity's blog has cute quotes from her kids. I feel like I've found my long lost twin. Mark laments about not being able to get the domain name.
They are Catholics and they practice Natural Family Planning. I don't think we'll be doing that. Just seems risky. ;)
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Pictures from Italy
I just came back from a 2-week trip in Northern Italy. I spent a few days in Venice, then met up with Mark and his family to continue the vacation in the Italian Alps, Milan, Tuscany, and finally, Rome. I've posted a few pictures on Picassa Web.
Friday, September 29, 2006
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