It's decent read - plus some photo of our Verona campus (they should have taken some photo of our Campus 2's construction site - especially the big hole for the 4-level underground parking garage).
Jun 9, 2008
Rare article about my company
Yeah my company is a bit mysterious, so it was quite a surprise when I found this article: Behind the Curtain
It's decent read - plus some photo of our Verona campus (they should have taken some photo of our Campus 2's construction site - especially the big hole for the 4-level underground parking garage).
It's decent read - plus some photo of our Verona campus (they should have taken some photo of our Campus 2's construction site - especially the big hole for the 4-level underground parking garage).
We found ourselve a dessert wine
Was planning to have dinner at Lombardino's Friday night but they are fully booked except for the 5:30 or 9:00 spots. So instead, we went on Saturday. We have 6 people (Chris B. was planning to join us as well, but apparently he overspent on our Friday night dinner - XD). Well, I don't know about the others but it's definitely one of my favorite Italian restaurant here in town. However, parking was horrible as Lombardino's is located close to the campus area on a tiny corner lot.
The restaurant was really packed this time. Last time Konphused and I went there, it was rather empty. I think the service was above average. The waitress was quite nice and friendly. The food is good. I originally thought about ordering the Linguine di Mare, but had a change of heart and ordered the summer linguine from their special menu instead. I have to say this was indeed a smart choice. Konphused ordered linguine di mare and it turned out to be a heavy tomato-based pasta. Mine was more of a wine/cream-based, which suited my taste better. For the record, Lombardino's changes their menu throughout the year, and according to the waitress, the Summer Linguine I ordered will be on their regular menu starting next week.
While I've been dining out with these folks for like three to four years now, Saturday night was the first time we ordered a full bottle of wine split 4 ways (since I picked, so i stick with Chardonnay. wakaka)WeAlfred and I probably could have ordered a 2nd bottle, but I don't think Konphused and King Snort were that much of a wine drinker so we just ordered a follow-up Prosecco by glass instead. In hindsight, i should have ordered the Prosecco first with the lighter appetizer and the Chardonnay with the meal. Anyway...
Tiramisu is a standard with an Italian meal, but we also ordered a bottle (it's only of those smaller, 375mL bottles) of Moscato D'Asti. Man that Moscato was some good dessert wine. It's definitely sweet, but not too sweet like the other D'Asti I bought earlier. I would prefer the alcohol content to be a bit higher, but nonetheless it was a great wine. For those curious, it's a 2006 Saracco Moscato D'Asti. According to many wine selling site, we definitely got ripped off (we paid like $18 for 375mL, internet sites have the 750mL bottle listed for $13 - 16) - but hey, it's the experience that matters right? Will definitely again buy in the future.
So 3 glasses of wine + pasta + appetizer + dessert came out to $50, a pretty good deal to me. =D
The restaurant was really packed this time. Last time Konphused and I went there, it was rather empty. I think the service was above average. The waitress was quite nice and friendly. The food is good. I originally thought about ordering the Linguine di Mare, but had a change of heart and ordered the summer linguine from their special menu instead. I have to say this was indeed a smart choice. Konphused ordered linguine di mare and it turned out to be a heavy tomato-based pasta. Mine was more of a wine/cream-based, which suited my taste better. For the record, Lombardino's changes their menu throughout the year, and according to the waitress, the Summer Linguine I ordered will be on their regular menu starting next week.
While I've been dining out with these folks for like three to four years now, Saturday night was the first time we ordered a full bottle of wine split 4 ways (since I picked, so i stick with Chardonnay. wakaka)
Tiramisu is a standard with an Italian meal, but we also ordered a bottle (it's only of those smaller, 375mL bottles) of Moscato D'Asti. Man that Moscato was some good dessert wine. It's definitely sweet, but not too sweet like the other D'Asti I bought earlier. I would prefer the alcohol content to be a bit higher, but nonetheless it was a great wine. For those curious, it's a 2006 Saracco Moscato D'Asti. According to many wine selling site, we definitely got ripped off (we paid like $18 for 375mL, internet sites have the 750mL bottle listed for $13 - 16) - but hey, it's the experience that matters right? Will definitely again buy in the future.
So 3 glasses of wine + pasta + appetizer + dessert came out to $50, a pretty good deal to me. =D
Jun 2, 2008
People on the move
Have heard from a few people switching jobs or planning to switch jobs/move to different place. I guess summer season IS the time to move. My team at work was hit hard, there are a few people leaving or has left. Considering the fact that my team is a small team to start out with, i expect things will get worse before it gets better. Yikes!
On similar note, my brother also got an offer with some company north of Chicago. Since his new salary is much more in tune with his necessary expenses, I am foreseeing that my days at supporting him might be coming to an end - which of course is fabulous news for me. To put it in perspective, I can pretty much get a new Dell 27" monitor each month with the money i am lending him, or buy a new MacBook Air every quarter. XD
On similar note, my brother also got an offer with some company north of Chicago. Since his new salary is much more in tune with his necessary expenses, I am foreseeing that my days at supporting him might be coming to an end - which of course is fabulous news for me. To put it in perspective, I can pretty much get a new Dell 27" monitor each month with the money i am lending him, or buy a new MacBook Air every quarter. XD
I just have to share this...
I bought a tasty watermelon this weekend - sweet & juicy =D Hopefully, it's a good indication that the melons i picked this summer will be great. Hohohoho...
May 12, 2008
罪過罪過
岩岩先話今個 weekend 駛o左唔少錢係 dining 方面... 但今日我又走o左去買o左兩件衫~ Oh well... 支持美國經濟!
[Edited]
Memorial weekend... 又執多兩件... 一一"
[Edited]
Memorial weekend... 又執多兩件... 一一"
May 11, 2008
Pricey Weekend
Good news - I tried a new restaurant this weekend
Bad news - I spent $75+ on Friday/Saturday dinners
Seriously, if I don't think the US would be in a recession if everyone is spending like King Snort, MyEvilInsideMe, Alfred and I did this weekend. XD
MyEvilInsideMe found a Brazilian grill place last week, but King Snort wasn't up for it (since it's a buffet style) so we decided to do it this week instead. Originally we thought it would be our regular Friday night dinner, but that place is booked this Friday & Saturday, as well as next Saturday during normally dinner hours. So instead of doing it on Friday, we decided to make a reservation on Saturday at 9 instead.
Since we knew the price range of the new place would be a bit above our normal (it's $33 but all-you-can-eat), we thought we would have something cheap on Friday night... or so we thought. The place we ended up in? Olive Garden. We did consider going to the mall's food court at one point. We just didn't end up there. :P Despite my best effort (I skipped the Tiramisu), I still ended up with a $24 - ordered a glass of Prosecco - it was better last time. I think my glass was the last glass in the bottle so the waitress just emptied it out, but it also meant that a lot of the bubbles are gone already :(
Saturday night's dinner, well, what can I say. The whole experience was neat - having the people bring you the meat and slice it off the skewer is nice. However, I do think the price is a little too high. A $28 tab would make me go back more often. At $33, it will be one of those once is 6 months place. Alfred and I ordered drinks (Mango Mojito for him and a Sangria for me). Comments? I've had better Sangria. We even ordered dessert (they have a very good hazelnut gelato). To my surprise, King Snort even ordered a dessert wine (so did Alfred) - it's a surprise because he always says wine at restaurants are over-priced. I think they liked the D'Asti and I am tempted to buy a bottle next time I get wine. So how much does a Sangria + Main course + dessert cost? $52 - definitely one of the more, if not the most, expensive dinner I've had at Madison.
Bad news - I spent $75+ on Friday/Saturday dinners
Seriously, if I don't think the US would be in a recession if everyone is spending like King Snort, MyEvilInsideMe, Alfred and I did this weekend. XD
MyEvilInsideMe found a Brazilian grill place last week, but King Snort wasn't up for it (since it's a buffet style) so we decided to do it this week instead. Originally we thought it would be our regular Friday night dinner, but that place is booked this Friday & Saturday, as well as next Saturday during normally dinner hours. So instead of doing it on Friday, we decided to make a reservation on Saturday at 9 instead.
Since we knew the price range of the new place would be a bit above our normal (it's $33 but all-you-can-eat), we thought we would have something cheap on Friday night... or so we thought. The place we ended up in? Olive Garden. We did consider going to the mall's food court at one point. We just didn't end up there. :P Despite my best effort (I skipped the Tiramisu), I still ended up with a $24 - ordered a glass of Prosecco - it was better last time. I think my glass was the last glass in the bottle so the waitress just emptied it out, but it also meant that a lot of the bubbles are gone already :(
Saturday night's dinner, well, what can I say. The whole experience was neat - having the people bring you the meat and slice it off the skewer is nice. However, I do think the price is a little too high. A $28 tab would make me go back more often. At $33, it will be one of those once is 6 months place. Alfred and I ordered drinks (Mango Mojito for him and a Sangria for me). Comments? I've had better Sangria. We even ordered dessert (they have a very good hazelnut gelato). To my surprise, King Snort even ordered a dessert wine (so did Alfred) - it's a surprise because he always says wine at restaurants are over-priced. I think they liked the D'Asti and I am tempted to buy a bottle next time I get wine. So how much does a Sangria + Main course + dessert cost? $52 - definitely one of the more, if not the most, expensive dinner I've had at Madison.
May 4, 2008
Mario Kart Wii
After skipping out on a few other games (Okami, The World Ends with You, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates - don't worry my little games, someday, i'll get to you guys), I picked up Mario Kart Wii last week and is currently having a blast with the same. I actually picked up another SRPG game, Rondo of Swords, a week or two before MK:Wii came out, but i'll leave that to another post.
Overall, I would give the game a solid 8. It's Mario Kart so you should know all the mechanics to it. The game tries to refreshen up a bit by adding bikes to the mix - which at times were quite fun but sometimes frustrates me because I uses light bikes that get knock off pretty easily.
Races are sometimes crazy/hectic - getting hit by a red shell, followed by a blue shell and then a bomb probably would drive you crazy. But hey, if you get a Bullet Bill, that should make up for it.
Online game play is phenomenal. There is essentially no lag at all even when I am playing a worldwide match (unfortunately can't say the same for Smash Bros. That's why I mainly stick to offline mode for that game). Although I did get disconnected from the Nintendo WFC network for a couple times, it's a smooth sail most of the time. In fact, other than the time it takes to prepare the match, I can't really tell between an on-line and off-line game. People online aren't too bad either - I've had my wins/losses, but they were all fun. It's also nice that you can join games in which your friends are playing. One of my friends in HK and I are trying to see if we can get enough people to create our own 12-player room (so far we have 4).
If you're a Wii owner, I don't see the reason not to get this game. And when you do, leave me a message in this post with your Friend Code so I can add you. Mine is 3866-8414-7951
Overall, I would give the game a solid 8. It's Mario Kart so you should know all the mechanics to it. The game tries to refreshen up a bit by adding bikes to the mix - which at times were quite fun but sometimes frustrates me because I uses light bikes that get knock off pretty easily.
Races are sometimes crazy/hectic - getting hit by a red shell, followed by a blue shell and then a bomb probably would drive you crazy. But hey, if you get a Bullet Bill, that should make up for it.
Online game play is phenomenal. There is essentially no lag at all even when I am playing a worldwide match (unfortunately can't say the same for Smash Bros. That's why I mainly stick to offline mode for that game). Although I did get disconnected from the Nintendo WFC network for a couple times, it's a smooth sail most of the time. In fact, other than the time it takes to prepare the match, I can't really tell between an on-line and off-line game. People online aren't too bad either - I've had my wins/losses, but they were all fun. It's also nice that you can join games in which your friends are playing. One of my friends in HK and I are trying to see if we can get enough people to create our own 12-player room (so far we have 4).
If you're a Wii owner, I don't see the reason not to get this game. And when you do, leave me a message in this post with your Friend Code so I can add you. Mine is 3866-8414-7951
Apr 7, 2008
Weekend Recap
In short, there was lots of traveling involved. I mean, 4.5 hr drive isn't something I would normally do myself. =D
The whole thing started when my friend told me last Monday that there will be a soccer tournament between the various HKSA around the Midwest region. He was hoping to get a ride from local UW's HKSA to go down and meet his UMich friends (he graduated from there), but it turned out that the UW actually asked him to help with the car-pool. And since he will be driving down, I tagged along to visit W. Lafayette.
The soccer tournament didn't interest me much - mostly because most people that I knew already graduated last year, and i would need a miracle to find Ronald. XD Just introduced myself to this year's P and have some brief chats. I believed i actually talked more to the UMich undergrads than Purdue's. XD
Since I didn't stay to watch the tournament, I took off and walk around campus. There are new buildings and constructions everywhere. However, i think it still manage to retain the same ol' atmosphere (which is a good thing). On a side note, I still think the new Discovery Park is "too modern" to blend with the rest of the campus. The Union definitely underwent some major remodeling. There are now multiple restaurants replacing the old "food vendor" (well, image you walk into the union from the south entrance close to Heavilon...once you get it, you used to get food from the place on your left...that area's what got axed and replaced). I kinda missed my standard "Quarter dark chicken with 2 sides" lunch (especially since one of the newer vendor is Mexican food). There's also a StarBucks in the Union now - fortunately there wasn't one when I was at Purdue - Can't imagine what much my lunch would cost each day. XD
I did a lot of walking as well. Basically back and forth between the soccer field outside of the Purdue Airport (so basically a bit further than Purdue West) and Chauncey. And i did that twice since the soccer tournament took forever with 7 teams participating (they were supposed to have 8 teams, but ND didn't make it). Even lounge a bit at Vienna on the 2nd trip. Good old times...
OK now, I remember someone told me that Harry's and Village Coffee shop both went out of business? Both seems to be opened yesterday. My friend and I actually drove around the campus on Friday night before we went back to the motel. There was this huge crowd outside Harry's. Though i don't go to bars, I am still happy to see it "re-open" (can anyone confirmed whether it really went out of business?) I do know that Boiler Room is out though - that spot is now occupied by a tattoo shop.
Here's the Flickr photo set from my trip. Let see if I can try to get people to go back in the fall for football games. =)
The whole thing started when my friend told me last Monday that there will be a soccer tournament between the various HKSA around the Midwest region. He was hoping to get a ride from local UW's HKSA to go down and meet his UMich friends (he graduated from there), but it turned out that the UW actually asked him to help with the car-pool. And since he will be driving down, I tagged along to visit W. Lafayette.
The soccer tournament didn't interest me much - mostly because most people that I knew already graduated last year, and i would need a miracle to find Ronald. XD Just introduced myself to this year's P and have some brief chats. I believed i actually talked more to the UMich undergrads than Purdue's. XD
Since I didn't stay to watch the tournament, I took off and walk around campus. There are new buildings and constructions everywhere. However, i think it still manage to retain the same ol' atmosphere (which is a good thing). On a side note, I still think the new Discovery Park is "too modern" to blend with the rest of the campus. The Union definitely underwent some major remodeling. There are now multiple restaurants replacing the old "food vendor" (well, image you walk into the union from the south entrance close to Heavilon...once you get it, you used to get food from the place on your left...that area's what got axed and replaced). I kinda missed my standard "Quarter dark chicken with 2 sides" lunch (especially since one of the newer vendor is Mexican food). There's also a StarBucks in the Union now - fortunately there wasn't one when I was at Purdue - Can't imagine what much my lunch would cost each day. XD
I did a lot of walking as well. Basically back and forth between the soccer field outside of the Purdue Airport (so basically a bit further than Purdue West) and Chauncey. And i did that twice since the soccer tournament took forever with 7 teams participating (they were supposed to have 8 teams, but ND didn't make it). Even lounge a bit at Vienna on the 2nd trip. Good old times...
OK now, I remember someone told me that Harry's and Village Coffee shop both went out of business? Both seems to be opened yesterday. My friend and I actually drove around the campus on Friday night before we went back to the motel. There was this huge crowd outside Harry's. Though i don't go to bars, I am still happy to see it "re-open" (can anyone confirmed whether it really went out of business?) I do know that Boiler Room is out though - that spot is now occupied by a tattoo shop.
Here's the Flickr photo set from my trip. Let see if I can try to get people to go back in the fall for football games. =)
Apr 6, 2008
Long Day
but quite fun just walking around the campus. Too tired to write up anything now, but I'll part you with my newest wallpaper on my desktop:
Let me know if you want the full 2.5M version.
Let me know if you want the full 2.5M version.
Apr 5, 2008
An unexpected trip
Location:
2030 Northgate Drive
West Lafayette, IN 47906
The HKSA is having a soccer tournament tomorrow (today). One of firneds at work is going down to cheer for his UMich friends, so I decided to tag along. So here I am in one of the motels in West Lafayette.
It's also funny that the UMich and IU teams are also in the same motel. The U-Wisc (two of their members rode with us) team actually is staying on the east side close to Meijer. There are a few more schools participating, but just don't know where they're staying.
We drove past Lafayette/West Lafayette/campus a bit (since we didn't arrive till like midnight). I couldn't imagine how many things have changed. There are new buildings everywhere, and a lot of places where we used to go closed down.
I probably will be a fun day tomorrow - ain't planning to stay at the tourney at all, but kinda walk around instead. Borrowed King Snort's camera for the purpose, so let see if I can get some photos. :)
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