A tree

Woke up this morning by a call from Christophe. Heard the same sound of rain drops as when I went to bed - it has been raining since days. Chatted a bit with him, knowing that he would go to a friend for lunch, I told him it was raining cats and dogs here before hanging up. A bright light flashed in my eyes while I stepped out my bed room. It was snowing. The first snow of the year. In our yard, there's a little tree has accompanied me these years. Sitting in front of my study desk, I face directly to the yard garden, unavoidable that unknown- name tree. In spring its leafs are harlequin; summer it blooms milky flowers; in autumn it turns gradually golden brown; and in winter it's often covered with snow. Every now and then when I feel tired or frustrated during learning, and need a short break, I raise my sight and observe the tree at its slender but firm and tenacious trunk. No matter the change of its environment, it remains staunch, quiet and elegant. It became my study inspiration.

Chicken wing dinner

Headache whole day. Probably because just ate a bit tomato egg soup until 6 p.m.? So I made some chicken wings I bought today, accompanied with mushrooms and bamboos. The headache disappeared while I was cooking, but tragically it recurred after eating. What's wrong with my head? Food addicted?

Simple chicken wing recipe

1. Condiment: 1/3~1/2 spoon paprika, 1/2 spoon salt, 1/3 spoon basil and 2 spoon oil for 4 chicken wings.
2. Mix the condiments first, then with chicken wings. Marinate for at least 20 minutes.
3. Broil or fry (without extra oil) until golden brown.

The end of holiday

In pace with Christophe's departure, my holiday comes to an end. A friend's call this afternoon while Chris was packing reminded me my long weighty learning schedule hasn't yet been started. Whoever told me I was assiduous complimented. However I'm far behind. Three months' time passed, I'm still standing at the balk line. Tonight I took advantage of the last week end of September sorting out my holiday photos. They did reduce my guilty feelings of not having been stood by my books. Despite being sick for several weeks, I had a beautiful summer. Probably more adventures than any other summer I had. Central Africa is my ''Eyes Wide Shut". Two days Salzburg in rain recalled my fantasies of Europe. Our home-made hot-pot brought me years back to the city I grow up with. Where I feel sincere, where will be my home.

I'm back!

Oh, I'm back! Feel totally released. I started to appreciate clear water, fresh shower, straight roads... all the little things I took as granted before I had experienced the harsh life in D. R. Congo. Probably I would never have learned how lucky we are without living in black Africa for two months.

Just sorted out some photos we made in Jinja and posted them on Flickr, not yet have time for the ones made in Bunia. I was sick these days. As I turned better since yesterday we visited the Technical Museum today. But now I have to go to sleep as I am very tired and want to take advantage of the presence of Chris for another week or so. Bye thus.

First week in Bunia

In Christophe's office now. Outside, heavy rain. The weather is far different than I imagined. What I brought are just summer clothes that don't fit the enviroment and temperature here. I have to put on Christophe's pullover to keep myself away from cold and mosquitos.

Bunia is located close to the Congo and Uganda border, an hour flight from Entebbe. Living condition here is harsh. Tab water and public power supply is not constant. Water has been backed up in jerricans in case the water tank is empty and the pressure is too low to refill it. The electricity, if there is any, is much lower than sufficient to supply the normal lightening, so that all (foreigners') houses are equiped with generators which generates lots of noise besides power.

Christophe works from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and comes home for 1 and half an hour lunch break. Cooking and other house works are done by two Congonese workers. I would do some reading or learning during the day if there's enough sun light. Evening time we often go to the "MONUC House" or the military camp for dinner. The house we are living is guarded, as security is still an issue in Congo. Walking alone outside may cause danger so I'm recommended not to go out alone. Anyway there's nothing to see in the city except muddy roads.

Last Sunday afternoon, a friend of Christophe's was robbed at home. Four robbers, two guns. The friend and his guards were threatened and later were locked in a room. His house was searched up side down, all valuables are gone. Luckily nobody was hurt or wounded. This case gave me an alarm, a vivid picture of the security problems in Congo. Even the field UN staffs are in unsafety, how about the local people?

The week before I came to Bunia, we went to Jinja in Uganda. That part of the Victoria lake breeds the source of the Nile. We lived in a small resort with a beautiful garden directly facing the lake. During the week, despite having had a short walk to the source of the Nile, we stayed in the hotel, reading, eating, and relaxing.

Here in Bunia is completely different. People living here, except locals, are mostly working for the UN or other NGOs, others are militaries. Life is at the lowest standard, worse than many other African countries. When security or stability is an issue of a country, what more can we expect?

I am adapted, don't feel so astonished anymore as when I saw the "Bunia Airport" at the first sight. It is even not properly built as a bus station. Feeling happy to see Christophe everyday, I will stay in Bunia until September his next holiday and be back to Vienna together. Hopefully the weather will get better tomorrow.

Tiananmen Square Protests

Paul sings Nessun Dorma

From Microcontroller to Computer Engineering

Just finished writing the last protocol for Microcontroller. At least it's done in time. Tomorrow will be the deadline for submission. Feel released, not because of rejoicing at the completion of a course, but that it allowed me regain the confidence in having made a correct decision. After the FH I chose Computer Engineering following my interest, however I got a shock commencing my first semester of prerequisite courses. I simply have too less knowledge in this field. Certainly I started to doubt if my decision was wise to shift from Software Engineering to Computer Engineering, which will require me much more efforts than staying with the subject that I'm already familiar with and good at.

I persisted. The first semester was chaotic. During the four last years at FH, all courses were scheduled. As a new comer at TU, I chose the courses without awareness of their timing conflict or coherence, and (not) surprisingly found out weeks later that it's not possible to take some of them. At the end what I attended were three of the six I planned.

This semester is carried on much smoother. My hours were well scheduled. I started working in groups instead of dealing with problems alone, which did me good. The courses I took brought me fresh blood in vein. It's great fun to program hardware, something I definitely shouldn't let slip.

Take Microcontroller for example, it is surely not an easy-done course, requiring self-reliant studying and lots of practices. But the more doing it the more I feel joyful of doing it. (Although I will not have a very good note. I'm a nervous type, impossible to program something fast under people's observation in the test. They are very nice though.) Still remember, at the first day of the course, I met a guy in the lab, who clacked about how tuff this course was. (He already passed the course in the last year.) He described it catastrophically. I expected it to be horrifying. Today I say, what's wrong with that guy if such thing could not do him fun. Ok, I have to say it did me more fun because I first time worked with hardware. I turned on some switches and pressed some buttons, then the controller reacted, WOO, I can touch and feel.

It's pleasing to do and learn something one is interested. And it may take a long way until one finds what interests him/her the most. The field switch I made requires much time and many efforts, nevertheless it is worthwhile and I believe I'll be rewarded later on.

Living in Bunia

Today Christophe sent me some photos of the house which he is living in Bunia. It looked much better than I imagined, could not let me relate it with the one sometimes lacked water and electricity supplies. However it's the situation he has to cope with. His redeployment to Kinshasa will take place in August on an undetermined date. I don't know yet where I'll be by then. The plan is that I go to visit him during my summer holiday starting at the beginning of July. Of course he'll be working most of the time, but at least it's cheery that we can see each other everyday. I'll most likely stay in Bunia until his redeployment then return to Vienna. In September he can probably take three weeks holiday. I look forward to seeing him again.

Love is Like Magic

Love is like magic and it always will be,
For love still remains life's sweet mystery.

Love works in ways that are wondrous and strange
And there's nothing in life that love cannot change!

Love can transform the most commonplace
Into beauty and splendor and sweetness and grace.

Love is unselfish, understanding and kind,
For it sees with its heart and not with its mind.

Love is the answer that everyone seeks...
Love is the language that every heart speaks.

Love can't be bought, it is priceless and free,
Love, like pure magic, is life's sweet mystery!

Love is like magic. Oh, yes. It gives me strength to confront many difficulties. Certain situations we have to withstand, or we would have failed. Throughout the past three years, luckily, distance didn't separate us but made solid progress on our relationship. We had the luck of having met each other. What helped us later was reliance, patience and tolerance. Christophe gives me the confidence of keeping the relationship further and stronger. He is, for me, the source of magic.

Fun in Congo

Well, I don't know why, but I never wrote how much fun it can be to work in a UN Peacekeeping Operation. Two days ago I went on a mission on the Lake Albert, and with my colleagues we did some boat rides with Uruguayan Special Forces on their little but powerful zodiacs. Apart from my butt muscles hurting because we never stopped bouncing on the waves (yes, there might be waves on large lakes), it was great fun. Very nice views, boarding small villages which otherwise you could not reach, not even by air, as they are located at the flank of mountains dropping straight into the Lake, encountering local population, discussing their problems, trying to help. Yesterday, for example, we board one of these villages, this time located in a swampy area. We had to walk for 15 min, pulling our zodiac before we managed to reach shore. Quite an experience.

And I haven't spoken yet from all the helicopter insertions you do in this kind of job. Just imagine. There has been a mass killing, or some militia exactions in a villages located kilometers away from any know and usable roads. Well you board a MI-8 or MI-17, you know those old Russian choppers used for troops insertion during the cold war, and there you go. You can take numerous aerial photos, and sometimes experience wild rides.

But the best ever, was when I went to the Garamba Park, a UNESCO World Heritage where you have the last Congo white rhinoceros. Upon arrival, I took with two of my colleagues a small CESNA aircraft, up to Gangala-na-Bodio, another Park ranger’s base. When flying over the park, we saw numerous numbers of elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, antelopes and hypos. And I can hardly describe the sensations when the pilot dives close to the animals to offer us a better view, or when it landed, passing only a meter or so above the UN helicopter that lay stranded in the middle of the runway. Scary, but unforgettable.

I guess working with the UN is one of the most exciting jobs you can do. You go where nobody else goes (I mean foreigners of course), you use means which you could only dream of, and you don't have to be a military, nor work for a intelligence agency. Somehow, it's like being a "chevalier de la table ronde" but in modern times, the Grail being "peace on earth and security for all". Like the Grail quest it's an unending quest, with its perils and enchantments.

So, yes, there are positive things about this job, for those who wondered.

好天气

看写post的频率，就知道我这几天有些时间也有好心情，就象维也那近来的天气 :-) 前天交了Hardware Modeling的功课，教授说我们组做得好。也是，花了很多时间的！终于还算没白忙一场。今天整天在家，本来要看HW SW Codesign的资料，后来想想，也该轻松一下，所以就在网上闲逛。刚刚还给自己煮了点好吃的，心情级佳。和Chris讲了三通电话，早中晚，他真是个会关心又会体贴人的男人，无微不至，处处为我着想，用他的话说是处处为我们着想。看来明年是真的要结婚了，我们。他是人间四月天。

Handy

I often forgot my handy at home these days. It's my alarm clock to wake me up in the morning. Several times I forgot it on my bed-side table when I left home in rash. I did so yesterday, and today again! Still remember the time when I didn't own a handy, life was not bad either. But once we have it, we couldn't manage to live without it anymore. Uhm... my problem is, I missed the calls from Christophe, the only way for him to contact me when he is abroad. He calls me several times a day, tells me whatever good or bad, which I can share with him. I am at the university now. Just recognized that I forgot the phone today again, feel so upset.

Friends

Had a long day today. Went working this morning, had a lab tutorial in the afternoon, then back to work until seven. Tonight we (Jörg, Thomas and I) were invited by Hussain to a Persian restaurant which I recognized later that I was there once with Hafez and some others three years ago. Since Chris left to Congo this time I haven't really had time to cook for myself, just ate salat and some easy food, or other times bought pizza, spent most of my time learning. Tonight I had a sumptuous dinner - we ordered many delicious Persian meals: lam, calf, vegatables, kebab, with different kinds of sauce, wonderful taste. After the dinner we had a little chat at Thomas' place. Though I didn't talk much, listening is also joyful. Hussain is a funny guy. We haven't seen each other for almost four years, but he hasn't changed much. Actually I didn't see Jörg and Thomas in the last whole month either, wanted to invite them for a dinner at home when Chris was here. Pity that I was much to busy with the lab exercises during that two weeks, didn't manage to organize a dinner with them together. Just got home, I'm thinking, especially now, so nice to have friends, someone I can talk and spend nice times. I cherish it.

Long time not written anything

Well, that was a long time since I accessed our blog. Kind of no time, or no access or no mood to write. But today things were kind of different. I have access, time and willing to put down some of my thoughts.

I'm just back in the D.R. Congo from Vienna where I just spent two wonderful weeks in company of Yilin. Every day I realize how important our relationship is for me, and how lucky I am to experience such a healthy relationship, especially when I look around me, and see how difficult it is for most people to find a partner who is not totally neurotic, egoisitic or depressed and even when they find one, how it seems difficult for them to live their relationship. It seems either people create problems out of nothing, cannot communicate with each other, or are not willing to make simple concessions which allow for their relationships to live on. So after all, I guess I'm not just lucky, but also together with somebody who is willing to accommodate a guy like me. And frankly, I don’t think it's always easy, especially when this guy, me, lives most of his time abroad. Yilin you are just fantastic.

As far as my job is concerned, though I like doing it, it does not offer me much advancement perspectives. Some incompetent people seem to take a malign pleasure to hinder other people's advancement for the sole sake of exerting their discretionary powers. Just not fun, but seems this is the way this organization is working after all. I'll give it some more chances, but if it turns out that it will hinder our relation and/or my own professional perspectives, I'll just leave and look for some other jobs which allow for a normal couple life and are a bit more rewarding.

The positive thing about it, however, is while many people have just been too long in missions and don't have a sense of what normalcy is and are kind of fucked up mentally, that they are all alive, meaning that rarely you will find somebody depressed, or not willing to take its life into his own hands and advance. But most of the time money corrupts them to stick into these kind of jobs, and I don't wanna end this way. So besides all the setbacks, this is something I do like about this life, but only for a while, since I have somebody very much a live and definitively not mentally insane waiting for me.

Well I think that will do for now. Tomorrow I fly back to Bunia for another undetermined period of time awaiting my redeployment to Kinshasa which might just not take place. Future will tell.

Wish you all well.

累

好累，电脑看到头昏眼花，今天整天吊在institute的服务器上，上传改过的源码。谁让他们周末不开lab，只能上线做VHDL的功课，最后上传得过限量了，气人。不过也很晚了，该要休息，已经越坐越冷。
挺长时间不写blog，今天想要讲个简单又复杂的问题。人物各有形形色色，不分高矮胖瘦、贫富贵贱，都无干系，哪些素质应当具备？我的看法如下。首先，诚实。这也不用多说，人人懂，懂不等于能做。其次，乐观。可易可难。问题来了不能免，而没事找事，自寻烦恼，何苦。若有化腐朽为神奇的力量，佩服。而后，识趣也颇为重要。小学的时候就学过一片文章 《看云识天气》，科学也很哲理。这一点通常和智商挂钩，举一反三也是一样的道理。怕就怕灵不清。再后，尊重。尊重自己，尊重他人，尊重客观事实。或者说，接受自己和他人，接受客观事实。这三方面互齐互重，缺一不可，否则及易导致心理偏差。其实还有很多，今天就到此为止，太累，休息更重要。

Free SMS

I used some free web SMS services before, however so-called free is often just bait, or if a site once worked it became lousy after a while and I was never sure if the other side received it. As sending SMS from handy directly is anyway not expensive, I just switched to do so. Actually I call instead of SMS, because my Yesss call per minute is even cheaper than SMS.

Since ??? (don't remember... but loooong), I was vexed that Yesss is unable to send Chris SMS :-( International calls to D.R.Congo are €€€, so what can I do? This time !tonight! I surfed around web and finally found something cool. Post the links here maybe you will need. I hope my findings will keep working for a while.

• 50 free SMS after registration: www.smssend.org, ok for Germany and Austria, but not for D.R.Congo, the other countries I don't know... try it out.
• Free SMS to UK: www.cbfsms.com. Not difficult to find in google that there are SO many free SMS, handy logo and ringtone sites for UK.
  
• Here is the really cool thing I meant www.sms-lotse.de. Although many ads, it simply worked - I sent SMS to Congo... magnificent! You can also go to www.smsgott.de straightly.
  
  

Oh right, if you don't know German, here is howto.

1. type handy number under Empfänger box, and message in Nachricht box, then click Weiter
2. an ad box will appear, just wait for several seconds untill another page loads, a confirmation of what you've tpyed in will appear
3. now you can click the ad box which is above Bitte hier klicken, um Ihre SMS zu senden
4. another ad window will open, but doesn't matter, just return to the original tab where you were and wait for a few seconds. If you see a message Ihre SMS wurde erfolgreich verschickt, it means the SMS is sent.
   

Stufen - Hermann Hesse, 1941

Wie jede Blüte welkt und jede Jugend
Dem Alter weicht, blüht jede Lebensstufe,
Blüht jede Weisheit auch und jede Tugend
Zu ihrer Zeit und darf nicht ewig dauern.
Es muß das Herz bei jedem Lebensrufe
Bereit zum Abschied sein und Neubeginne,
Um sich in Tapferkeit und ohne Trauern
In andre, neue Bindungen zu geben.
Und jedem Anfang wohnt ein Zauber inne,
Der uns beschützt und der uns hilft zu leben.

Wir sollen heiter Raum um Raum durchschreiten,
An keinem wie an einer Heimat hängen,
Der Weltgeist will nicht fesseln uns und engen,
Er will uns Stuf' um Stufe heben, weiten.

Kaum sind wir heimisch einem Lebenskreise
Und traulich eingewohnt, so droht Erschlaffen,
Nur wer bereit zu Aufbruch ist und Reise,
Mag lähmender Gewöhnung sich entraffen.
Es wird vielleicht auch noch die Todesstunde
Uns neuen Räumen jung entgegensenden,
Des Lebens Ruf an uns wird niemals enden ...
Wohlan denn, Herz, nimm Abschied und gesunde !

As every flower fades and as all youth
Departs, so life at every stage,
So every virtue, so our grasp of truth,
Blooms in its day and may not last forever.

Since life may summon us at every age
Be ready, heart, for parting, new endeavor,
Be ready bravely and without remorse
To find new light that old ties cannot give.
In all beginnings dwells a magic force
For guarding us and helping us to live.

Serenely let us move to distant places
And let no sentiments of home detain us.
The Cosmic Spirit seeks not to restrain us
But lifts us stage by stage to wider spaces.
If we accept a home of our own making,
Familiar habit makes for indolence.
We must prepare for parting and leave-taking
Or else remain the slaves of permanence.
Even the hour of our death may send
Us speeding on to fresh and newer spaces,
And life may summon us to newer races.
So be it, heart: bid farewell without end.

(Translated by Richard and Clara Winston)

阶段 - 赫尔曼•黑塞, 1941

正象花都要枯萎、青春都要
让位于老年，一生的各个阶段，
各种智慧、各种德行，也都有
它的盛时，不能保持永远。
我们的心，对任何生活召唤
都要准备告别过去，迎接
新的开始，以便勇敢愉快地
屈从于另外一种新的约束。
新的开始都具有一种魔力，
它保护我们，帮助我们活下去。

我们要欣然跨过一片片空间，
对任何地方，不当作故乡留恋，
世界精神不愿意束缚我们，
它要让我们一级级提高、扩展。

我们对某种境遇刚感到舒服，
过得安逸，就有松劲之虞，
只有准备出发启程的人
才能摆脱麻木不仁的习惯。
哪怕残废的时刻会把我们
重新送往那些新的空间，
生活也不会停止向我们召唤……
好吧，心啊，告别吧，保持壮健!

(译者姓名不详 - 所以若译得不好可不关我的事哦!)

Happy Birthday to me

Another year, another birthday. I never really like to festively celebrate anything though I do make wishes. The one of this year is, like every other year, to stay happy and healthy. So do I wish you, whoever you are ;)

Free Hugs Campaign

Don't understand why people often can't simply enjoy their lives, making everything so difficult. Maybe just because we are so different? I love sun when it's sunny, like rain when it's rainy. Try to enjoy every moment I spend. Don't take live too seriously - you will never get out of it alive. Simply, be happy! Life is too short to be in trouble. Seize the day. Love yourself; love the others.

China

I was often asked how China is. It's a country I don't know that well myself - too many places I haven't been - actually I can count where I have been with one hand. Saw a video yesterday by chance, aroused my ardor... oh, I must see the country. Here is it. (I have to warn you in advance: the video is a bit kitschy !)

Paradise Holidays ... almost

I will not recount our last days as they are not really interesting, full of stress while considering the possible recovery of our passports and the purchase of another ticket for Yilin to get back to Vienna. At the end all went well, and both of us returned safely.

What was really a discovery for me was the fact that I loved so much doing nothing or almost nothing for two full weeks. Before I always wanted to discover the place where I traveled, or I felt I was wasting my time. I always believed that I was not a beach type of guy. However, this time I enjoyed so much to relax in the company of Yilin. The scenery was beautiful, the food (lots of seafood actually) was excellent, though more expensive than you would imagine on an island east of the African Coast, and most and foremost the coast where we were in the North was offering an incredibly beautiful scenery I would not stop enjoying. I became so lazy that I suggested Yilin not to move to the east coast like we had planned, and we eventually stayed another week in the same hostel, where we ended up having our stuff stolen ;-( Moreover, I had brought a pile of books which I devoured during the sunny hours of the day. So apart from our last days which were somewhat spoiled by this theft of our personal belongings, it was just perfect.

As for the national parks, that was cool too. It's kind of strange to feel you are the one in the zoo for once, but then when you think over it, I guess this is the way it should be and not the opposite. So, yes it's kind of magic to see elephants, lions, giraffes and so many other species in their natural biotopes, where men, if left without protection might just become a prey...

Now, more seriously, one of the most important problem on this island is the corruption of the local government which does not redistribute the wealth acquired from tourism to the population. Education, I was told by NGO people working there, is faltering and development is at an all time low. And mainland Tanzania has to cope with similar problems. But compared to neighbouring countries, Tanzania is pretty stable. It's just a pity they cannot take stock of this advantage.

Tanzania Photos

Just back from Africa - several days later than planned. Two days before the departure, our passports and some other stuff were stolen from the safe of the hostel we resided in Zanzibar. Of course cash is gone, but fortunately we got our passports back - the thief posted them back to the hostel manager... tschja, what can I say?

Somehow I don't feel like to write much today (have to get myself prepared for the new semester), just want to post the link of our holiday photos which you may be interested in. Our trip was otherwise wonderful though costly. The first week was in Arusha and the last two weeks in Kendwa. Tanzania, a country worth going - with a travel insurance with full coverage.

I like Chinese - Monty Python

忙

这几天忙不过来。今天和昨天都在计算机房工作到深夜，要做的两个测试还没完成，回家以后还要自己弄吃的，自己生活不容易……明天还要继续。昨天下午还做了一个考试，怎么说呢？做的是那种选错要扣分的选择题，问题和几个答案出得模棱两可，又是上机完成的，时间很紧（旁边还有人在“轻声地”聊天），完成以后“没了感觉”，可能好，也可能不好，第一次有考试后要看运气的想法。

明天要帮Christophe领一个文件，只能趁课间休息的空，那个部门离我们学校很远，还好我有2小时，拿我的资料在车上看。接种疫苗的事已拖了又拖，下星期一定要去，不能留到月底，怕有不适反应，月底还要和一个教授面谈，可不能状态不好。

Discipline

If I shall learn for the study, there're always something else "more important" to do. This week I’m reading From Third World To First written by Lee Kuan Yew, the first Prime Minister of Singapore, who changed Singapore thoroughly within 40 years.

My boyfriend bought the book in 2005 before our trip to Singapore. But afterwards the thick volume averted him from reading it. He had less time. Last week I picked it up again from the bookshelf. After reading its foreword and the first chapter I decided to continue. It is too interesting to drop out.

As the chapters are not ordered chronological, I chose the parts related to China, which interested me most, to start with. Surpris- ingly, unlike most of foreigners Lee has an objective view on China and the CCP.

Between the lines I sense his openness, astuteness and other qualities too numerous to articulate. Singapore simply flourished under his strategic leadership. How capable!

to be continued