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.