Halloween

My floormate + Pumpkin

Making Siu Lung Bao

The Taiwanese Student Organization's event of making Siu Lung Bao: Siu Lung Bao und Spring onion Bao

Heiko's b'day party

Italian Hebrew

Departmental meeting

Had a test in the morning on data structures and Java. I think I will have no problem exempting the classes. They don't want to deal with me either (I guess). Maybe I should try to attend the Intro to CL class tomorrow?! I really don't know what I am doing all these silly stuff for. Will I stay here for 2 more years to complete a BA, let's say I can survive this semester? Not very likely.... Afternoon was the departmental meeting. As a small potatoe, attending this meeting is always a matter of "presence", or a German listening training. Today's topic is about: IBMers Foundational Competance. No one in the department, except the manager, knows these 3 values. 

Herrenberg

Obstküchen und heiss Chokolade + Marktplatz Restuarant + Herrenberg

Venedig

So this is my "unexpected" trip to Venice. Fumi and I took a bus at 8.45 on Friday at Stuttgart-Vaihingen. Gonole + flooding at St. Marco Square We arrived in Venice at aroud 8am in the morning. We didn't have time to plan our trip. The tourist office was closed. But this city is quite small, so with a 1-day travel ticket, things were simple. Musei Civici Veneziani + Bridge We took the "bus" (the boats) to St. Marco Square. The place was flooded with tourists, and there was a small scale flooding with water too. The entrace fee for the Musei Civici Veneziani is 12€ (we were not offered any EU student discounts, because we have no EU passport...), even more expensive than Luvre in Paris. Given the size of the museums, how can it be reasonable?!! Night view of a cover bridge + Murano glass Venice could be a nice place when the weather was good. Having all the buses and taxis as a boat is quite special. The architectures are characteristic. But maybe my expectation about this place was too high...

Messed up again...

I strongly feel if there are troughs in life, the recent time must be one of them... I cannot explain why 4-5 problems can come all together at once, they came in the order since Wed: 1) Attended the orientation talk at ISCL, and was informed there is a 3-day compulsory intensive unix introduction course, which I cannot attend due to my internship. 2) Tried to talk to the teachers for applying exemptions, but the lecturer said I must attend the unix test on Friday at 11am, and I must explain to the *dean* why I was absent 3) I will have a meeting in Bö with Oliver on Friday 9.30am to report my work progress, which means a test at 11am in Tü is impossible. 4) Caught on Wed on the S-Bahn because I have forgotten to renew my travel pass which is expired for 1 day, have to go to the VVS office within 1 week, otherwise the penalty is 40€ instead of 10€ 5) Received an email from Dale in Toronto today enquiring about the status of my work. I begin to feel the stress in this project, which Oliver has warned me before... 6) Received another email from the tour agent, asking why I did not send the payment for a trip to Venice tomorrow on Friday night (I was not even informed the trip was confirmed...). Luckily, my friend did not reject my sudden request. But it means I will lost my Saturday. 7) The only GOOD thing: Oliver has no time on Friday morning, and he postponed the meeting to Monday, but it probably means I have to go back to the office on Sunday (I hope it is not locked) I sincerely hope I don't have to append any more items to this list. Good luck!

Oliver's strategy?!

A: [asked why the development of a single project is distributed in different sites (US, Canada, Germany...)] O: [answered my question.] The guy who sent you an email from Canada is actually an important person in the lab. He is the Senior Architecture of our project. I met him earlier in Switzerland. [...] So this is a good chance for you to learn how to collaborate in an international team. What will you do after your internship? Have you thought about working in IBM? We can definitely talk about it after your internship. A: [no response, silent] O: At least if you want to. Maybe I can give you some feedback? I think you can identify and communicate your problems. This is an important attribute to work in a team. (A: I think I am quite dependent... I am asking a lot of questions...) O: The problem is many Asian students are shy. (A: I think I am also shy...) O: I had students who are quiet, who just sit there without resolving their problems. But what I cannot tell is your capability. The tasks you were given were quite simple. But the work later can be more difficult. I can surely tell after your internship. [...] What is the purpose for telling me what he cannot tell at this early stage? It sounds simply like, "do a good job on your internship, otherwise I won't recommend you"

The Problem...

The problem: How can I complete the requirements for a full-time degree + working on a full-time job... The good thing: it doesn't sound something completely impossible. The bad thing: it can be an illusion of being possible (so I don't give up my hope, and create unnecessary *stresses* on my own) Like in HK, I have to complete normally 30 credits per semester. Magie, the IBM intern I met told me: out of my compulsory courses (=credits): 1) "Introduction to Linguistics" does not count participation. (9) 2) "Maths for Linguistics" also doesn't with teacher Hamm. (6) 3) "Introduction to Computational Linguistics" does count attendence, and I cannot skip >2 classes, or I will fail. (3) 4) "Data Structure and Algorithms" counts attendence too. (9) For 1) and 2), it looks like it is possible that I go to the website, self-study, hand-in the assignments, and go to the exam. :p For 3) It is an 2-hour class per week, every Wed 16-18 in the late afternoon. I can try to attend?! For 4) I am trying to apply for an exemption. Unresolved problems: A) There is no web site associated with 2), how can I know what assignments are given? B) I may not even be able to attend the first lesson, how can I sign up for the course? Emailing every lecturer, telling them I'm unable to attend the first lesson?! Conclusion: I should post an ad to hire someone to take attendence and collect assignment requirements for me?!! :p

ISCL orientation talk

Left my work at 3pm today to attend the orientation talk for my BA in ISCL (International Studies in Computational Linguistics). They assume the students have nothing else to do during the week, and they organize some compulsory compact seminars from 9.00-16.00 on Tue-Fri, which I will not be able to attend. Who knows what's going to happen: will I be able to get my computer account? Will I be disqualified...?! Right now I am seeking possibilities for applying exemptions for the "computational" part (maybe some German too, LOL). This is the only thing which might help...

A key person?!

I think today I might have met a key person for my stay in Labor. She lives also in Fichtenweg, works in Labor for 6 months, studies Computer Linguistic, a foreigner, etc. Sharing all these points in common, I think it is very natural for me to meet her. While I am worrying how can I get any credits from the Uni, when I am a registered "full-time" student and a full-time Intern, she told me she knows another student in the 1-Semester, which could be a solution for my problem. Even if I cannot attend any classes, at least I have to know what assignments are given, in case I can spare any time for self study. :p Another thing is I found yesterday a Mitfahrer from Tü to Bö until early December. Right now I will probably give up my thought about moving to Bö. Because: 1) All my acquaintances are in Tü 2) I attend a German class in Tü on Wed evening 3) I go to the Christian group at Thu evening, and sometimes Sun 4) I found a temporary Mitfahrer 5) I have a nice neighbor 6) Moving is troublesome 7) Moving is expensive It seems there are so many reasons for why I should stay....

Strange vegetables

Caught a fever (from Stefan :p). Stayed at home and I thought naively the fever could recover... Went to ISP for course reigistration: Mass Medien in Deutschland, every Wed, 18-20, Michael Stadelmann. Oh yes, I intend to get some credits to fullfill my duty as a full-time student... :p Went to Kaufsland. It was the only day I managed to get sometime to go there. Saw the strange vegetables, which I saw in the market again. And this time I bought them. Strange vegetables: Romanesco (left), Rosenkohl (right) Spitzkohl @Reutlingener Markt

Metzingen + Regionalmarkt@Tü

Went with Fumi to Metzingen in the morning. We didn't buy any clothings, but chocolates. When we back to Tü, it was the Enterennen and the regional market. At the evening, Motohiru invited us to see an animation from Miyasaki - Porco Rosso together. Metzingen with factory outlets and chocolates Regionalmarkt@ Tü with strange green and yellow cauliflower (=Blumenkohl)

Mid-Autumn Festival

Had dinner with Fumi, didn't really celebrate the Festival. Shi Hua phoned Fumi to ask if she wants to try moon-cake, so I also received one. It is the first salty Chiu-Chow moon-cake I have eaten. On Saturaday, I met some Taiwanese at the train station and received another Taiwanese moon-cake. I didn't know before there are so many types of moon-cakes!! Night view in Tübingen + Taiwanese moon-cake (with sweet potatoe) Night view in Tübingen on 15.8. and Chiu-Chow moon-cake (with beef?!) 

Tag der Deutsche-Einheit

Besuch des Schloss Sigmaringen mit der Gemeide

Beuron