X-Git-Url: https://codewiz.org/gitweb?a=blobdiff_plain;f=blog%2F2009%2FApril;h=245a3a40b737827d2bdd796929a0e6800a4d32ef;hb=dc9f9ff2c8929e91fd637ae8020716cbf89d0039;hp=8df8093e33db8711bfa633635bc23555f2d5fe13;hpb=f223e8faba0136140eba679afd5a141e88581590;p=wiki.git diff --git a/blog/2009/April b/blog/2009/April index 8df8093..245a3a4 100644 --- a/blog/2009/April +++ b/blog/2009/April @@ -1,26 +1,119 @@ == Bernie's brain backup of April 2009 == -=== Negligent === +=== April 21th ==== -Yes, I've neglected to update this blog for a few months. This isn't because I had nothing -to talk about. In fact, these months were quite intense, with a lot of notable events, including: +==== Great temples everywhere ==== - * 2009 Jan: Visited the [[Pictures/vacation/EastCoast2008|East Coast]] with Silvia - * 2009 Jan: Attended the [[Pictures/conf/XOCamp2009|XO Camp 2]] - * 2009 Feb: Attended the [[Pictures/conf/Fosdem2009|Fosdem 2009]] with a few friends from Italy and SugarLabs colleagues - * 2009 Feb: Visited - [[Pictures/vacation/brussels_riga_stokholm_2009/Brussels | Brussels]], - [[Pictures/vacation/brussels_riga_stokholm_2009/Riga | Riga]] and - [[Pictures/vacation/brussels_riga_stokholm_2009 | Stockholm]] with Tommaso - * 2009 Mar: Organized a small revival of [[SystemShockBBS]] with a few original users - * 2009 Apr: Attended a meeting/miniconf in [[Pictures/conf/Bolzano2009|Bolzano]] with WalterBender +While I upload the photos. -I am currently back in Florence, trying to find a way back in the US. +==== x264 goodness ==== + +I re-encoded all videos from MJPEG, the crappy native format of my Canon camera, to x264 (aka MPEG4). +Firefox 3.1/3.5 still doesn't grok it with the ##video## tag, but I didn't have a +[[http://theora.org/|Theora]] encoder installed. + +=== April 20th === + +==== Best hostel ever ==== + +The [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/UtanoHostel|Utano hostel]] in Kyoto would rival many +five star hotels I've seen. Sorry I couldn't take any photos in the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onsen | Onsen]]. + +Also have a look at the impressive [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Kyoto/ShinKyoto|Kyoto station]]. + +==== Shinkansen tour ==== + +In a jounery report, the details of transportation are usually left out as uninteresting. +Except if one takes the fastest train in the world! We took the +[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dkaid%C5%8D_Shinkansen|Tokaido Shinkansen]] line from Odawara to Kyoto, +riding on a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/700_Series_Shinkansen|700-series]] train for the +[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hikari_%28Shinkansen%29|Hikari]] service (not the faster +[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nozomi_%28train%29|Nozomi]], but still very impressive). + +The ticket cost a whopping 11240 yen per person, and I'm not even getting a +[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_Express_999|machine body]] with it! ;-) + +See [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Shinkansen|the the photos]] and don't miss the +[[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Shinkansen/00009-x264.avi|pass-through]] and the +[[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Shinkansen/00011-x264.avi|on-board]] videos. + +{{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Shinkansen/00006.jpg|Shinkansen|maxwidth=800}} + +=== April 19th - Hakone day 2 === + +{{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Hakone/FujiSanBernieSan.jpg|The Fuji-san (left) with Bernie-san (right)|maxwidth=1024}} + +We took the suggested touristic itinerary around the Hakone mountains which employs all sorts +of transportation means: bus, cable train, rope way, cruise boat and bus again. + +Along the way, we could see the volcanic sulfuric vents and pools, the Ashi lake with its breathtaking +view of the Fuji-san, the ancient cedar avenue, the old post, the detached palace gardens and the +beautiful [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinto_shrine|shinto jinja shrine]] of with its +[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torii|torii]] diving in the lake. + +Of course, I took plenty of [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Hakone/Trip|photos of the Hakone trip]]. + +=== April 18th - Hakone === + +{{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Hakone/Hostel/00008.jpg|Our japanese style room at the Senkyoro YH|maxwidth=1024}} + +We arrived in a small town near [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakone,_Kanagawa|Hakone]]. I'll publish photos later. + +**Update**: [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Hakone|photos of the hostel]] are now available. +=== April 17th - Ghibli museum in Mitaka, Ginza === -=== Tue, April 14th - Tokyo === +{{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/GhibliMuseum/00005.jpg|Robot from the ancient city of Laputa|maxwidth=800}} -{{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/SensojiTemple/00081.jpg|The way to the Sensoji temple in Asakusa|maxwidth=800}} +The museum was actually a bit of a disappointment, but maybe just because I had my expectations so high. +Cameras weren't allowed inside, so I only took [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/GhibliMuseum|few photos]]. + +In the afternoon, we walked around the shiny neighborhood of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginza|Ginza]]. +See the [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Ginza|photos]]. + +=== April 16th - Fish Market, Gardens, Tower of Tokyo, Temple === + +{{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Tsukiji_Fish_Market/00013.jpg | Tsukiji Fish Market |maxwidth=800}} + +We had a very intense day where we visited a lot of places all around central Tokyo: + + * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Tsukiji_Fish_Market | Tsukiji Fish Market]] ([[http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3021.html|Japan Guide]]) + * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Hama_Rikyu_Gardens | Hama Rikyu Gardens]] ([[http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3025.html||Japan Guide]]) + * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Zojoji | Zojo-ji Temple]] ([[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zojoji|Wikipedia]]) + * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Tokyo_Tower | Tokyo Tower]] ([[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Tower|Wikipedia]]) + * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Reiyukai_Temple | Reiyukai Temple]] ([[http://www.reiyukai.org/|official web site]]) + * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Imperial_Palace_Gardens | Imperial Palace Gardens]] ([[http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3017.html|Japan Guide]]) + * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Edo_Museum | Edo-Tokyo Museum]], which was already closed. + We'll try again when we come back to Tokyo ([[http://www.edo-tokyo-museum.or.jp/english | official web site]]) + +NOTE: photos still being uploaded, gomen nasai! + +Seeing so many beautiful things at such a high frequency might make one's head spin. +In fact, this evening I've been dangerously close to faint in an [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onsen | Onsen]], +which was really scary because I had never lost consciousness before. I had walked all day with very little +food and drink, which might have been part of the problem, but diving in thermal water for a long time has +certainly triggered it. What a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaijin | gaijin]] who can't even take some +hot water! + +{{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Zojoji/1.00011.jpg | Zojo-ji temple (left), Tokyo Tower (center), Bernie (right) |maxwidth=800}} + +=== April 15th - Skyscrapers everywhere === + +Compared to Tokyo, every other city I had visited would seem dirty, old, boring and disorganized. +I can't find the words to describe my amazement walking around this amazing city full of wonders. + +{{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Roppongi/TokyoMidtown/00023.jpg|Tokyo Midtown Gardenside seen from the Galleria building|maxwidth=800}} + +Photos for today: + * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Shinjuku|Shinju-ku]] -- The district of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Metropolitan_Government_Building|Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building]]. + * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Roppongi|Roppongi]] -- A rich district hosting modern art museums (Art Triangle) and night life ([[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roppongi|Wikipedia]]) + * [[Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Pachinko|Pachinko]] -- Popular Japanese slot machines + +**Update**: now finished uploading the photos + +=== April 14th - Arrival in Tokyo === + +{{Pictures/vacation/japan_2009/Tokyo/Sensoji_Temple/00081.jpg|The way to the Sensoji temple in Asakusa|maxwidth=800}} I couldn't resist grabbing a super-cheap round trip to japan, a place I've always wanted to visit. By "always", I mean: since when I was in kindergarten, watching great series @@ -33,3 +126,20 @@ documenting this long day appropriately. NOTE: if you can't watch the videos embedded in the wiki, get yourself a recent browser featuring HTML5 or send me a patch adding support for old-style HTML video embedding. + +=== Negligent === + +Yes, I've neglected to update this blog for a few months. This isn't because I had nothing +to talk about. In fact, these months were quite intense, with a lot of notable events, including: + + * 2009 Jan: Visited the [[Pictures/vacation/EastCoast2008|East Coast]] with Silvia + * 2009 Jan: Attended the [[Pictures/conf/XOCamp2009|XO Camp 2]] + * 2009 Feb: Attended the [[Pictures/conf/Fosdem2009|Fosdem 2009]] with a few friends from Italy and SugarLabs colleagues + * 2009 Feb: Visited + [[Pictures/vacation/brussels_riga_stokholm_2009/Brussels | Brussels]], + [[Pictures/vacation/brussels_riga_stokholm_2009/Riga | Riga]] and + [[Pictures/vacation/brussels_riga_stokholm_2009 | Stockholm]] with Tommaso + * 2009 Mar: Organized a small revival of [[SystemShockBBS]] with a few original users + * 2009 Apr: Attended a meeting/miniconf in [[Pictures/conf/Bolzano2009|Bolzano]] with WalterBender + +I am currently back in Florence, trying to find a way back in the US.