Friday, August 31, 2007
The most expensive violin
The highest price anyone paid for a Stradivarius violin is 3.5 million dollars! Wow! O.o Imagine playing an instrument that is oh so so expensive. Actually, I would be afraid to play it.
I have been reading a non fiction book on this famous luthier, Antonio Stradivari, maker of this insanely priced violin.
I know nonfiction...just a few years ago history puts me to sleep. I've been really interested in history lately (in the past few years that is). Did i mention that that my favorite channel is the history channel? Well anyways, I was in a for a pleasant surprise by the book,"Stradivari's Genius" written by Toby Faber. It is packed with drama. First, Antonio Stradivari married a wealthy widow, Francesca Feraboschi, whose brother murdered her husband. She then sued her dead husband's father for her dowry back!!! Four months after she was remarried to Antonio, they had their first kid! Who would have thought that people do that in the 17th century? Talking about drama! No need for prime time TV show or day time soap. Then after Francesca died, Antonio remarried a woman who was 20 years younger than him. He was 55 at the time. When they had their first kid, a daughter, Antonio named her Francesca after his first wife. See, not your typical non-fiction book. O.o....
I have been reading a non fiction book on this famous luthier, Antonio Stradivari, maker of this insanely priced violin.
I know nonfiction...just a few years ago history puts me to sleep. I've been really interested in history lately (in the past few years that is). Did i mention that that my favorite channel is the history channel? Well anyways, I was in a for a pleasant surprise by the book,"Stradivari's Genius" written by Toby Faber. It is packed with drama. First, Antonio Stradivari married a wealthy widow, Francesca Feraboschi, whose brother murdered her husband. She then sued her dead husband's father for her dowry back!!! Four months after she was remarried to Antonio, they had their first kid! Who would have thought that people do that in the 17th century? Talking about drama! No need for prime time TV show or day time soap. Then after Francesca died, Antonio remarried a woman who was 20 years younger than him. He was 55 at the time. When they had their first kid, a daughter, Antonio named her Francesca after his first wife. See, not your typical non-fiction book. O.o....
Saturday, August 04, 2007
What a long Saturday!
I woke up 26 hours ago and it was Saturday August 4, 2007 4:30 am. 26 hours later, it is still Saturday with 2 more hours to go. My plane landed at 12:48 PM. I slept on the plane for about 7 hours. I fell asleep before it took off, woke up for food, went back to sleep and woke up 3 hours before it landed. At around 3 PM, I was falling asleep and finally succumbed to it at around 7 and woke up just now, feel all refreshed and ready for Sunday! Great!
I had the worst experience ever returning to the States. At the gate to the plane, I was randomly selected for further screening. If that wasn't bad enough, at SFO, I had problems with my passport. Apparently, the officer had what you call a "user error". I was standing there at the booth for about 5 minutes with the officer looking at me and making phone calls...hmm..something was up. Then another officer showed up to escort me to what the airport calls a "secondary screening" area. I was being questioned about the authenticity of my passport. Where I got it and questions like if I bought my passport. Um..no? He was looking at my passport very closely, probably trying to figure out if it was authentic. Yes it is, the US government issued it to me! I told him that I didn't have a problem when I came back from Tahiti. After further questionings, he asked me if my passport were ever stolen because when the officer at the gate scanned my passport another person's info came up on the screen. So he decided to give it a try and scanned it again. Luckily it came up with my information. He tried scanning it a couple more times. He then told me that I could proceed to the baggage area to pick up my luggage and said that the glitch was probably a user error. A user error?!!!!
Moving on, while I was waiting for my luggage this cute little beagle kept smelling me. At first I thought oh how cute..what a cute little dog...and then after a little bit I felt a desire to push the dog away because it's a not a good thing if the dog smells you for more than a few seconds. The officer asked me to put my backpack on the floor so that the beagle can smell it more closely. The officer asked me what I had in my bag. I had a dell notebook, a toiletry bag, some chocolates and some books. He asked me to open it and show him. After seeing that it contained what I told him, he asked me what I had it my bags prior to today. I said, well, I used it to carry some fruits (Oranges, apples, and bananas) and sometimes sandwiches during my stay in the UK. The cute little beagle could smell the residuals of the fruits and sandwiches that was in my bag. After that, the officer told the beagle to move on. Dang!!! That beagle had a good nose.
Uggghhh..worst experience ever!!! Glad it's over.
I had the worst experience ever returning to the States. At the gate to the plane, I was randomly selected for further screening. If that wasn't bad enough, at SFO, I had problems with my passport. Apparently, the officer had what you call a "user error". I was standing there at the booth for about 5 minutes with the officer looking at me and making phone calls...hmm..something was up. Then another officer showed up to escort me to what the airport calls a "secondary screening" area. I was being questioned about the authenticity of my passport. Where I got it and questions like if I bought my passport. Um..no? He was looking at my passport very closely, probably trying to figure out if it was authentic. Yes it is, the US government issued it to me! I told him that I didn't have a problem when I came back from Tahiti. After further questionings, he asked me if my passport were ever stolen because when the officer at the gate scanned my passport another person's info came up on the screen. So he decided to give it a try and scanned it again. Luckily it came up with my information. He tried scanning it a couple more times. He then told me that I could proceed to the baggage area to pick up my luggage and said that the glitch was probably a user error. A user error?!!!!
Moving on, while I was waiting for my luggage this cute little beagle kept smelling me. At first I thought oh how cute..what a cute little dog...and then after a little bit I felt a desire to push the dog away because it's a not a good thing if the dog smells you for more than a few seconds. The officer asked me to put my backpack on the floor so that the beagle can smell it more closely. The officer asked me what I had in my bag. I had a dell notebook, a toiletry bag, some chocolates and some books. He asked me to open it and show him. After seeing that it contained what I told him, he asked me what I had it my bags prior to today. I said, well, I used it to carry some fruits (Oranges, apples, and bananas) and sometimes sandwiches during my stay in the UK. The cute little beagle could smell the residuals of the fruits and sandwiches that was in my bag. After that, the officer told the beagle to move on. Dang!!! That beagle had a good nose.
Uggghhh..worst experience ever!!! Glad it's over.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Look right before crossing?!!!!
Yup, look right before crossing the streets or you will very bloody well get run over, mind you!I have no idea how much of a look left before crossing the street habit I have until now..hahaha...oh right, in case you don't know, I'm in London. London!!!! For work only and not for pleasure. Other than going to the office and coming back to the hotel, I haven't done anything.
This is the first hotel (Express Holiday Inn) I stayed at before moving to Hilton because it was in the bad part of London.
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The Hilton hotel is in a better part of the neighborhood. I forgot to take a picture of it. The only thing is, it's much farther from the office than when I was at the Holiday Inn hotel. Now, I have to take the tube to work.
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Below are areas around the TFL office. Looks pretty ghetto don't you think?
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Taking the tube to the office..... I have to switch lines 3 times and then it's a 20 min walk from the station to the hotel but it's worth it because it's got internet and a gym. Although I've been so busy I have no time for the gym. Mind the doors...mind the gap...mind what? Come again?
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Around Hilton:
Oh look, there's Starbucks!
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Oh oh, the best wonton noodle soup ever (either that or i was just craving some wonton noodle soup.)
Isn't this a cozy little chinese restaurant?
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Oh look, it's me!!! All happy because my wonton noodle soup was on its way.
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