stories of a neuromancer

Mike Martello was a great friend, a teacher and mentor to so many of us. On June 2nd 2009 he passed away doing what he loved to do: teaching martial arts. He devoted his life to bringing at least a little piece of the vast amount of experience and skill he had attained to everyone open enough to accept it.

The world has lost a great man, but he won’t be forgotten as he’ll live on in everyone of us, who were lucky enough to know him.

Also visit Jake’s blog for lots of memories and links to tributes to Mike.

There’s a new site dedicated to Mike at http://mikemartello.com/

I went out of the house, walking through the sun I smelled something familiar. It reminded me of spring in Teheran. There’s lots of similarities between Teheran and Beijing. Not only the masses, traffic and polution, but there’s the dry weather, workers watering the greens and flowers in spring and lots of small details that kind of subconciously make me like this city even more. Not many people see these simliarities, but even chinese and persian culture have lots of things in common. Is Beijing maybe the Teheran I always wanted?

It’s been more than 5 weeks since I moved here and I know it’s also been nearly a month since my last real post on this site. We took lots of pictures, but most of them are inside of restaurants. Seems like the only thing we’re doing these days is working, sleeping and – on weekends – watching movies and trying out nice food places – doesn’t sound very interesting, but it’s been relaxing and fun. I’ve also been cooking a bit more these days.

As for gongfu, it kind of looks like my blog activity. First I was busy, then I was lazy and now I got problems with my wrist, but I’m planning on definitely starting training in May! – I promise

A really well done and creative self-introtuction by gradtuating designer 马文

Source: 八八吧 :: 88 Bar

I was planning to try out friendfeed for a long time, but never did. Today I finally registered an account:
http://friendfeed.com/puja108

As I have both my blog and my del.icio.us account in there, I won’t have any of the “News around the Web” posts on here anymore. My recent 5 del.icio.us additions can still be seen in the right “navspace”.

Third day in Beijing. Had a nice realxing Tuesday alone with Pingping and met up with Fei Ai and her friend Aron yesterday. We had lunch together with Pingping and after picking up Aron’s suit we sat a little at Houhai, drank and talked a little.

Today I’m gonna look at some apartments around Wudaokou. Seems like there’s lots of nice and cheap ones free at the moment – the recession also has its’ good sides

Nothing very special these days. Seem to be allergic to something floating around in the air these days. Oh, nearly forgot: NEVER drink a “Green Tea Latte” at Starbucks!!! The “Green” in doesn’t mean real green tea (like any normal person would think), but some kind of sea-weed tea!! I posted a pic of that “delicous” brew and yes, it really tastes as bad as it looks!

So, yes, I’m moving back to Beijing! This time to write my final thesis in a project at Peking University.

The past weeks were filled with my last exams, a (really interesting) scientific paper we wrote, finding someone to take our apt in Cologne and miscellaneous – seemingly never ending – last preparations. But there were also lots of “goodbye meetings”, which – though kinda sad by definition – were lots of fun.
I really have to thank my girlfriend and my family for bearing me and my stress-induced moods.

But now I’m here and staying (at least for 6 month). And as lots of people asked me to keep them updated I thought of reviving this blog and add more personal posts to the automatic del.icio.us news and occasional videos I’ve been posting lately.

As I got a nice new cam (Canon IXUS 980 IS), I’m also gonna try to post some more pics from time to time.

The flight with Air Emirates was ok. Read the rest of this entry »

The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

Nice and easy explanation of the economic crisis.

• Jun 4 : We’ll miss you Mike…
• Apr 27 : Scent of Iran
• Apr 27 : Designer uses Youku Clip for Application/Self-Promotion
• Mar 20 : Friendfeed
• Mar 19 : Hello Beijing