Here I was on a Virgin train traveling from London to the Midland, where my parents live, and trying to blog. I’ve forgotten how bumpy British train ride is in comparison to Amtrak. So within 15 minutes of my eyes trying to keep track of the constantly moving text on the screen my inner ears complain to my brain and I started to get headache and my stomach starts to fill queasy. Better stop before I make a fool of myself…
Blogging at 40,000 feet
My original plan for my east bound flight was to read my New Scientist magazine until dinner had been served then slept all the way until breakfast. Alas, with delay on de-icing the plane when we were on the ground we were an hour late taking off. That means I finished my magazine way before dinner was even heated up!
Before this flight I debated whether to spend the money on a air/auto power adapter for my PC notebook. (By the way, this is the first time in over 4 years that I travel without my trusted PowerBook.) As I mentioned before my plan didn’t include using the notebook on this flight so I didn’t spend the money (~$100) for the power adapter. But as I was sitting here bored, waiting for dinner to be served so I could go to sleep I remembered Leah and I have two more trips to the U.K. this year for friends wedding. So I decided spending the money on the power adapter isn’t such a waste of money after all.
It’s been over two years since I last flew trans-Atlantic with Virgin. Sure I had flown many times in the last two years around the States but those Boeing planes cannot match the Airbus A340-600 that I am sitting in right now. I am reminded by the level of details Virgin has put into the whole experience when I used the bathroom. When I closed the door the bathroom light does not just switch on like most plane. Instead, the Virgin way is to slowly bring the light level up so there is no sudden change of brightness. Same with the reading light or the cabin lighting. Then there is the smoothness of the ride. The constant hum of the engines are ever present. But my Shure E-3c headphones block 90% of the hum and the low level of vibration makes me almost think I am sitting on solid ground. Oh and the carbon fibre seat tray impresses the geek side of me too 🙂
So thank you for another enjoyable trans-Atlantic flight, Sir Richard.
From Windows of the World to Colors
So the surviving staff of the WTC’s Windows of the World is starting up their co-op restuarant called Colors. I had been to the Windows of the World twice but Leah has never been. I booked a table there for our anniversary on September 28, 2001 but the event on September 11 meant Leah never had the chance to enjoy the night view of the city with fantastic live music.
When Colors is opened, I think our first visit will indeed be a ‘pity’ visit but if the food is good then there is no reason not to return.
Zhao Ziyang dies at 85
So the last of the old guard (for my generation) of the Communist Party leader and a reform leader, Zhao Ziyang, has died at age of 85.
His tearful appeal to the Tiananmen Square demonstrators was our hope that the communist party was serious about reform and push China into the modern world. We can only imagine the China that may be if he were not ousted and became the party and country’s leader.
Skype Me
I’ve heard a few good things about Skype recently so I downloaded a copy for my PowerBook. Very nicely designed UI but with a lack of willing and capable participant on the other end of the connection I haven’t been able to test out the actual speaking part yet.
The last time I tried VoIP was when I was working in Portland and Leah and I talked over the net using iChat. Pretty good quality but with a slight time delay. Perhaps Skype will be better, especially with its cross-platform nature (i.e. more potential users)?
Lost in Colonisation 