Linux

Today marks my first step toward migrating to Linux. I've tried a few times to download/burn a copy of Ubuntu but to no avail (basically because Chinese blank disks are no better than frisbees.) This weekend, Greg got me a copy and I did my install today on the D-drive of my desktop computer. First time in, and I'm completely lost! But that's the fun part... learning a whole new program, while at the same time, getting ready for the future.

"Future?" you ask. "Well..." I respond. From what this techie hears, even the microsoft programmers aren't too thrilled with Windows Vista. Several Blogs mention this (sorry no links yet) and with the usual tearing apart of Windows in general that goes on in the press, I can only imagine their days are numbered.

Here in China, that won't be the case for awhile. People here still believe that ASP is far superior to PHP. Some Chinese web designers "claim" and I stress the word "claim" that PHP simply doesn't work with Chinese. I got 7 words for them... www dot yahoo dot com dot cn. Looks pretty Chinese to me and it's based on PHP.

Regardless, it's time for a slow migration over to Linux, if only to learn. "Prometheus" my laptop & primary computer isn't switching anytime soon. However, "Epimetheus" is now sporting the latest Ubuntu, Edgy!

The Girl Next Door

Well, not exactly next door but 2 floors down.

Just about 10 minutes ago, an old lady who lives down on the 3rd floor (I'm up on the 5th) came to my door & asked me to go downstairs. Now, I have a propensity for listening to my music kind of loud. And, our kitchen sink is leaking a bit. But I'm thinking that there's no way she can hear my music, and the abandoned 4th floor apartment would take the majority of the damage.

So I went down. Slowly (she's REALLY old). I'm in old shorts, non-hair cut for about a month & a half now, and reeking of cigarettes & coffee. Not the best time to be meeting chicks. That & I figured if it wasn't the first two, maybe the old lady just needed help fixing or moving something.

I was wrong on all 3 accounts. She knocked on her door, and what I assume to be her grand-daughter came to the door. She opened it, the old lady went in, and I stood outside the door, smiling, thinking "WTF" & asking in English, "Can I help you?"

She stood there smiling & the old lady went in & I assume went about her normal, "old lady" business. The girl only said "Xie Xie" ("Thank you") a few times, and that was about it. I went back upstairs, and... well, you're reading what I did next.

Foreigners in China are often seen as "spectacles" and we're stared at often. But damn, that was rather blatant. At least she was cute! No match for the Princess of Beer (or my wife!) but good enough.