Lotus Paste Hits Town

The Dynamic Duo are back (and the Random XS tags along...naturally). And along came a whole compliment of surprises. Parcels and gifts galore (that's the reason why the Random XS tags along) ...

Mind you, the both hit the ground running, but as with many things in life, they came prepared. Tools of the trade, ready at hand to savour a taste of home.

The Tap wasted no time in tackling those giant Lotus Paste filled-double-yolked-vacuum-sealed confectionary. In fact, the three closed in upon the poor unsuspecting mooncakes with voracious zeal.

Happenstance

It's back to basics. The simple things. A bustling city square. Horse driven carts. The clear blue skies, and a piping hot cup o' black brew topped with a frothy crown...happenstance of souvenir cup art and an incidental conjecture from the images that they evoke.

In Theory

The thing about going all the way out to some big time something-mart type of outfit is that you end up buying loads of stuff thanks to the encouragement of economies of scale. That being said, you find that the fridge is soon bursting at the seams with things hitting their sell-by date and you're back to square one when things start getting moldy and you head back to the nearest supermarket to part with your hard earned dough for more of the same. Things get even more complicated when you head out on an empty stomach...walk into the store and you're a sitting duck for everything that is screaming at you to be bought.

J. Deuce

He has the ability to frame the ordinary and make it look anything but. Meet J.Deuce, currently on his tour of duty in the land of the red Maple Leaf, shaping the future of architecture in an Island along the Equator. Kudos to this brave young lad for venturing out there to make a difference.

Wok the Talk

Was in conversation with Lilac Couture today. She having been just in town from London for a quick vacation. There are certain things that never change, and thankfully so. Suffice to say, it's nice to hear from her again, this time round a lady on a mission. We decided that a massive cook out session would be of the order, soon. So, for initial try outs, it was a quick stir fry with pork filet in sesame oil marinade, with chopped celery thrown in for good measure. This is another random post.

Day Trip

In an excursion to the land of exquisite pralines (not forgetting home to the EU Parliament), Sturm Booster made two extraordinary spots. And no, these aren't CGI effects. They're hot off the sensor of an IXUS400.

One has to admit, she has a good eye for stunning architectural facades.

Abschiedsfeier

The weekend rounded up pretty well. Family B organised a farewell party, Deutschland styled for the Tap and the Jackrabbit. The Random XS, being the freeloader that he is, tagged along...naturally. But he paid his dues, and made sure everyone had a little something to take home with him, or her. Tea, a walk in the woods, juicy turkey roast, dessert...the works. It will be one of those days you'd look back upon with fondness when in the dense tropical rainforest jungle , dancing to the tune of reservist training. Oh the wonders of it all...

Fire It Up

Back home, we got em' Honda Civic hatchbacks and Type Rs with souped-up spoilers, sport rims and electric blue livery, thumping to the beat of the latest trance-rave-techno bass tube electronica. Here, they got the Golf.

But when a Golf gets an MPV make over, standing 9.5 cm taller than it's ubiquitous, sporty brethren, and having LED tail lights (which thankfully, you don't have to add on your own in some garish rainbow color) with a claimed drag coefficient of 0.32 to reduce wind noise....you just HAVE to take it for a spin.

Business As Usual

Nobody would have guessed that the JackRabbit actually ran his own private farming enterprise down under just across the other side of the Equator. Nobody. Except the Red Timberwolf.
Meet the only one who can go toe to toe against the legendary Jackrabbit (and put up with his XBOX mayhem as well). The charm extraordinaire captured this brilliant spot during one of her travels. Hats off to The Red Timberwolf. She is the only one who can discover the truth about The Jackrabbit.

Frosty

The last hints of Summer green seem to cling on reluctantly. But this year round, it looks almost as if it's just going to jump straight into Winter. You get into the garage at close to 6 am in the morning, check the thermometer in the car...and it reads 16°C. You get out of the garage and drive a bit, and then it reads 7°C. You drive to the office....and it finally reads 4°C. And I thought Autumn was supposed to come, the orange glow was supposed to envelope the city and so on and so forth...but I really should not be complaining. The Tap and the JackRabbit are probably freezing their pink cherry er...whatever... cheeks in the Alps at the mo I reckon.
I prefer to think about whether or not I am going to get my lunch today ...

The Simple Things

It's the simple things that count. Nowadays, this means watching that silver lining form around those inspiring cloud formations as the evening hum of the cityscape winding down at the end of the day plays on in the background. Life's simple pleasures of sight and sound.

Entertaining Angels

It has been said that we sometimes meet angels along the way without even knowing it. I might have just met mine not too long ago. Here's what happened:
Travelling along the Autobahn with constant 20 minutely updates regarding the latest Stau Information can take some getting used to. Most of the time, it doesn't really affect you, and if you happen to get into one, you'd most likely be out of it in a matter of minutes through stop-and-go traffic. This time round however, the traffic situation got critical when a trucking accident caused a major jam spanning 7 km under the hot afternoon sun. The rescue teams responded in due course, with great efficiency and professionalism. Traffic cleared the way for the emergency vehicles as they made their way to the scene of the accident. Being right at the tail end of the jam, I decided perhaps it was a good idea to go through one of the Bundesstrasse and make my way out of the mess before it made me late for a house group meeting. It wasn't long before I was hopelessly lost. Circling endlessly within the vicinity of Ludwigshafen, running low on fuel and with no spare cash in case the petrol stations didn't accept credit cards, it was a case of desperately trying to find my bearings with my grossly rudimentary ADAC map and hoping for God to extract me from this potentially long drawn mess.
Then I looked up. And there she was.
CITROËN bearing a similar area license plate as the trusty old OPEL steed. "Follow Me" it seemed to beckon. I took my chances, thinking perhaps that the chances of such a car in such a far out area of town (well, not that I really knew where I was really...so it had to be pretty far out) could only mean that she was heading back to the same region as I was, along the Rhine.
I thought if the car was on a visit to some little village...then well, I'd be in a rut. So I tailed the car, hoping that it would get me out of this mess I was in, hoping that the worse would not be realised. The car continued, past countless roundabouts, little quaint towns, vineyards and the works. I turned off the air condition as a desperate fuel saving measure (which was almost in the red). And then it happened. The CITROËN stopped and flicked on it's signal lights. I pulled up along side and asked where they were headed. Their response was that they were trying to find their way out too, and that I could follow.
What ensued was one of the most interesting journeys I have had to date. They made sure I followed behind, making sure I was able to match their cruising speed. At roundabouts, they made sure traffic was clear so I could follow, and at traffic light junctions, they never tried to beat the orange lights so I won't be left behind. Eventually, they led me back on the highway again and I was in familiar Autobahn territory once more.
At a narrow pass, I waved them goodbye and expressed my heartfelt thanks.
CITROËN XX XX 2729, you both know who you are. Here's a massive thanks for that chance meeting and tremendous help you rendered. God Bless, and thanks for being such considerate guides for a fellow sojourner. It meant a lot to me.

In Conversation

Was in conversation with Dr. Ti, Keen Karat and JS today, not forgetting S2. Figured it was high time for a change of pace in the life lived thus far. It has been said that the Blog has been somewhat cryptic, and perhaps it has been understandably so. But perhaps that will be set to change, maybe not here, but perhaps in it's new guise somewhere else in the near future. But all agreed, it is a season for change. Autumn beckons. By the time Winter is over, I believe the metamorphosis would have been in full swing. Thank God for Him being around while it happened.

Journey to the South East

And so the Elph will be Equator bound soon, come end of the year. Stay tuned for the latest, as the journey begins first, due East. This will be interesting.

Grease Talk

Weekends are a good way to unwind. It's funny that when one's in school, weekends signal the tide over of Friday night's party. You'd carry on till it's Sunday, and then dread the coming of Monday...only to look forward to the next weekend in sight.

Nowadays, it means a sleep-in, papers, and some grease-excessive bacon and eggs breakfast and some solid catch up or discussion with a couple of friends over a hot cuppa and some marmalade. Then comes the groceries for the week and some work out to make sure that the calories heaped in during the morning don't get into places they were not supposed to...not when the next IPPT is due and the threat of RT looms overhead...

City Driving Essentials

In a candid conversation with Dr. Auto Focus, we decided that the following were some of the car park essentials for any discerning driver:
1. Compact Forklift (small but powerful)
2. Parking lot painting kit (you park the car, the kit paints the lot)


Neat.

Nostalgia

Feeling a tad bit nostalgic when the Random XS saw this on the Web lately:

It has been close to two decades since Metal Armour Dragonar was screened. Interesting they have come up with a website once more. Another Random post.

Go South West

And so it was with a heavy heart that the crew bid Dr. Red Bull and GB farewell, as they headed to the land of the Brave Matadors. Farewell too, we said, to the fabulous place that was their residence for the past few years. The kitchen where it all happened, the sumptuous Tuscan Cuisine served to countless guests, all of whom would readily agree was the best around.
Free City and the little village they lived in will indeed be a lesser place now that they aren't here anymore.

But we will always remember the fab' times both in, and out of University with the Legendary Dr. Red Bull and family.
A testament to his packing genius:

It has been said, that the Volkswagen Polo can manage a lot...we just hadn't realised that it was THIS lot. Way ta' go. All the best Dr. Red Bull and your family. Success and Godspeed.

Gone with the Flow

Everyone has their moments. The Jackrabbit, in a moment of sneaky brilliance, spotted this one of the legendary Tap. An empty glass, an empty BOTTLE, The Tap out cold on the couch...this is as good as it gets.

The Elph Writes

All the way from the Land of the Rising Sun...it's good to hear from the Elph, old school.

To drive the point across, this one's definitely an Old School classic:

Drive on Monday

After the lunch-less fiasco, the Random XS DID indeed get some chow. With the first day of the week behind him, it was time for an evening wind down at some no-brainer fast food joint... where plenty of €1 deals abound.

A quick snap of some of the major institutions here in the land of Wurst, viewed through the Golden Arches for effect.

And then it was back to cruise control, gliding through what's often quoted as the last bastion of freedom in a highly legislated, bureaucratic juggernaut.

Lunch Less

Whilst that would be a productivity improvement plan for some, a dietary exercise for others, or a pathway to some masochistic joke, it definitely is not for the Random XS. This is proving to be another case of history repeating itself.
One gets promised "Oh, I'll call you back." So I hold my ground, hold my stomach...until a time comes where I go "Dump it. Abandoning post....I'm getting my lunch."

Tick Tack

That was what it all boiled down to. Tack it right. The instrument:

The Dynamic Trio (JackRabbit, Tap, XS) spent the entire day producing mixed-media pieces for a private viewing Art Exhibition. The theme: Speed of Sound. Working their way through massive wooden frames, the three set about mounting their canvas. And mount the canvas they did...after close to 50 frames...the three earned themselves a good evening's rest. What better way, to wrap things up, than with smooth Irish Cream:

Smooth.

Firmware

Firmware /ferm'weir/ n. Embedded software contained in EPROM or flash memory. It isn't quite hardware, but at least doesn't have to be loaded from a disk like regular software. Hacker usage differs from straight techspeak in that hackers don't normally apply it to stuff that you can't possibly get at, such as the program that runs a pocket calculator. Instead, it implies that the firmware could be changed, even if doing so would mean opening a box and plugging in a new chip. A computer's BIOS is the classic example, although nowadays there is firmware in disk controllers, modems, video cards and even CD-ROM drives.

I love it, especially when it makes your overall user interface look this much better than it was before...ahhh, ways of keeping the customer happy.

Simplicity

For a while, one was getting worried if phone giant Nokia was loosing touch with it's designs. But thankfully, it appears that they are once again back on track with some really slick designs after what appeared to be design bedlam with some of the worst handphones ever conceived (think 7250(i)...dancing lights and looking like something out of HALO2..a phone for the Covenant Elites...*grunt*)...
Enter the 6030.

Simplicity personified. Good ergonomics (ok...they had to add another button and mess about with what we're normally used to....) and a phone without a camera, fancy gadgets and all. Just plain simple SMS, call, and ok, and FM radio. I like it.