Code Camp: Day #5

The blackboard with the diagram of the task I am working on.

Today it kept raining and there weren't many things happening. We supposedly should've gone to the beach, but 'cause of the weather we moved it to another day. We woke up later than usual (around 10 am) and went to the Ex-Fadda quite late (11 am) to have breakfast with milk's cream and a croissant filled with Nutella.

During the afternoon we had a seminary, the theme was interesting, but I kind of already knew what the speaker was talking about. The most exciting moment of the seminary was when a chair broke and the guy who was sitting on it fell with his legs pointed toward the ceiling while he was still holding his papersheets.

One of the pizza we ordered (Capricciosa)

Also the dinner was quite ordinary, we ordered some pizza and we ate them together, it's not exactly like the pizza from Naples but was good enough. There were 6 different kinds, and I made sure to try them all. Too bad some of the condiments ended on my shirt and I'll have to carefully wash it >.< After that, we hurried to get back home because Giuseppe got a fever and we wanted to check on him (we have a fun video about this, but I am not sure when we'll be able to upload it, given the bad quality of this net).

A funny One Piece gender bender picture I found

This day was a bit anonymous if compared to the previous ones, but it allowed us to catch some breath since we have done things one after the other frantically. On a different note, today I finally managed to get in touch with my Tay Bear after so many days I was waiting for her online without any success, it was really nice to be able to talk and tell her the many stuffs that  accumulated over the days.  I also received a call from a certain person (during the seminary :P ) and she told me some things that made me smile; I still have an open question with her, and I plan to give her a proper answer when I get back home.


See y'all soon!

Code Camp: Day #4

Spaghetti...

As I mentioned in the previous post I went to sleep at 5.30 am... and unexpectedly, I woke up first in the house, at 8 am. We took our sweet time to go to the ExFadda for a nice breakfast, and then to start working. Today, beside working we had a meeting with an expert of Social Network Analysis and a Seminary about Information Retrieval and Search Engines. After the meeting, the first, told me and Enrico about some ideas he had but he wasn't sure about how to realize them. After thinking a little, we gave him our hypoteisis of solution, which amazed him. There is a concrete possibility we could work together to a really big and innovative project.

Preparing the panna & salmon sauce

We were supposed to have a dinner at the beach tonight, but due to the bad weather we had to give up on this option and we decided to have a little party at the villa in the periphery. Me, Gianluca and Giuseppe went to buy ingredients first, and then with Enrico and Tommaso prepared the food for...over 40 people. Yea because for a reason or the other, a lot of people joined us in the end, and it kind of looked like one of those american parties where unknown people keep showing up. I cooked 2 first dishes: Carbonara Spaghetti and my best dish, Scialatielli with Panna and Salmon, while Gianluca prepared some zucchini rollings with cheese and ham.

There were also a lot of alcohol bottles, and everyone got a little drunk. There was also Cosimo, a friend of Giuseppe from Bari, that attended our party and since it started raining we offered him to spend the night at our place, so he's going to be our guest tonight.

Gianluca's dish

It's really pouring down, rain, thunders, lightenings. It sucks a little since we were supposed to go to the beach tomorrow =| but at least we'll be able to sleep a bit more tomorrow. It's 3.30 am here and I have no intention on being late like yesterday, there is no use to waste my time like that any further, it's way better to just sit on the sofa and have a good chat with friends :)
Afterall I've learnt that

and I want to enjoy this wonderful experience I am living here at the CodeCamp to its fullest.

So see y'all soon! 

Code Camp: Day #3

CodeCamp group (Enrico wasn't here yet :( )

I am writing this blogpost while I rest on the sofa with my roommates sipping some coffee prepared by Giuseppe.

This morning I woke up earlier than them, and since all the lights were off, I stayed in the bed for another bit, while waiting for them. As the clock was getting near to 8 am, I decided to check on them, and while half-asleep, Giuseppe and Domenico decided not to come to the bicycle ride. So only me and Gianluca joined it. We went to the ex-Fadda, and picked two bikes for the 25Kms ride. 

The route was easy at first, most of it was descent so it was quite easy, but after each one those, I kept thinking more and more to the way back and how harder it would've been. We went past some olive trees that had 4 to 6 hundred years, and through some rough ways, while getting closer to the sea. When we were almost there Gianluca's bicycle broke, but one way or the other, we managed to reach the beach.

One of the roads we went through...

The scenery was nice, but the sea wasn't exactly calm. Nonetheless, it was really hot, so we dived in. While me and Gianluca kept chatting we suddely realized we got pushed really far from the shore by the waves, so we had to put quite an effort to get back. After that, it was time to get back home, and the way was really an  hell, with a scorching hot sun.

Riding next to the sea...

At lunch, Enrico finally joined us, we had the meal together, I showed him our room, I introduced him to the others and then we started working together. I have to say it's nice to have him around. We worked till late today, we were "inspired", so they brought us some snacks, we hastily finished. Like swarming grasshopperes.

Today's meeting

After work, we went to a festival all together, and then to a concert. Supposedly we should go around with bicycles, but the staff granted us the usage of a car, so it's all even better. =)

Even after the festival we still wanted to keep going, so we went to search for San Vito's movida by night 'coz Domenico wanted to hunt for girls.

Sausages at the festival!

When we got tired, at around 3 am, we got back to the apartment, and sat all together in the dining hall, like I said on the opening. While I was on pc, I wanted to solve a doubt I had, and as I guessed I was spot-on (even if that made me be up till so late, 5.30 am). I am not particularly surprised, it was to be expected afterall, but as improbable as it was, I still decided I wanted to give it a try. Tay-Bear would say I am too kind and gentle to people. Maybe it's true, but it's not up to me to say so. What it's surprising maybe, is that even when people behave in such a way, I don't feel like enjoying the slaps they receive from life. Most of the time it happens, and looking at the situation, I can be positive it will happen again. But I am not happy about it, believe it or not. I know it's easy to talk like this from my point of view, since everything keeps going greater and greater, but I'd be way more happy to celebrate successes together than laugh at other's failures, also when those people have been pretty unfair.

Yesterday's conference with me as speaker

I forgot to mention that while riding this morning I got quite sunburnt, so I am all red now, like a tomato =S It was so hot a few minutes ago that I went to the bath to wash my face to refresh myself a bit. I looked myself in the mirror, and I decided...it was about time to give it a change, and shave it all. And so, at 4.30 am, I said goodbye to all my facial hair. I forgot how many people says I look better without that and I have to say it feels way more fresh now :)

See y'all soon! :)

Code Camp: Day #2

I just got back home, out from the shower and as tired as I am, I am making a last effort to write this update before falling down.

I woke up pretty early this morning, at around 7 am, even though I was up till late talking and laughing with Giuseppe till over 4 am. After that, I fell asleep in a split second, but the bed was really really jelly and I risked falling down several times.

To try to fix that I managed to put under the mattress a few wood planks I found and I'll test this solution tonight.

I was really really sleepy the whole day, but there was a lot to work on. I took a few pauses to play table tennis though, and it kind of helped me to release the stress and stretching myself to stay fully awake.

During the evening we had a seminary about the technologies we will learn, and I had to talk to the audience about how we decided to face the tasks that were given to us and the status of the work so far.

Two more people joined me in the apartment, Gianluca and Domenico; tomorrow, with Enrico, the place will be finally full. After the seminary, we barely managed to get back home at 9 pm, to allow them to put down their luggage, that we had to leave again, to a beach close to our place. We went to a club on the shore, and we had our dinner there, lighted by dim candles, while listening to the sound of waves crashing over the rocks. 

After the meal, and a few drinks, it was about midnight and we decided to dive in the water, for a swim. I went a little further from the shore and...the water was warm, the stars were shining really brightly, and the waves were cuddling me softly, like they were caressing me. It was really relaxing, and for a while I forgot about my fatigue. It was really a great feeling, and I thought it would've been great if I had been able to share it with someone.

I'll try to sleep a little earlier tonight (even though it's already past 2.30 am) because supposedly tomorrow at 8 am we'll have to go for a 25 Km ride on the bicycle =S.
See y'all soon!

Code Camp: Day #1

It's my first day here at the Code Camp!!!

There would be a lot of things that I'd like to write but... it's 2.30 am when I am starting to write this, yesterday I managed to fall asleep around 3 am, and I had to wake up at 5 to take the bus to come here, and tomorrow...I have to wake up at 7.30 am again @.@

I'll keep this short and tell you just a few facts.

The trip in the bus was nice except for the air conditioning too strong. I arrived in Brindisi at 11 where Nicholas and Francesco came to pick me up and brought me in San Vito dei Normanni, at the Ex-Fadda center, the "base" for our activities. I gotta say it's a really great place, filled with green and with innovative concepts to rationalize the spaces.

After that,  I went to accomodate my luggage. It's a really nice apartment with 3 double rooms, a dining room, a living room, a kitchen, 2 baths and a veranda. It was clean, with 2 tv, air conditioners, fridge, washing machine and other little comforts. There is even a spare room with a double bed...if you know what I mean. (I'll upload the pictures tomorrow or the day after).

During the afternoon we got to know each other, we talked about the tasks we'll have to work on, and started planning a little. It was fun to meet people with different backgrounds and different skills but similar interests. Beside working we also playing a lot of Table Tennis. It was a lot of time I didn't play it, but it was a lot of fun!

When I got back to the apartment I decided to relax having a loooong bubbly bath in the bath-tube. Also the lack of net was solved with an internet key (the one I am using right now), it's not that great, but for sure it's better than nothing.

We then went out all together for a barbecue. I drank a lot of stuffs today... Tea, Coke, Beer, Wine, Champagne, Lime Caipirinha, Strawberry Capiroska, Baileys @.@ I gotta say though that it's great to drink and eat for free >=]

I was supposed to sleep alone, but at the barbecue I was noticed that a guy, Giuseppe, will join me because he didn't like the other place where the rest of the people were assigned. So we are here chatting and laughing after this long day of codes, fun and drinks.

It's past 3 am, time to sleep,
See y'all soon! :)

A wedding with...a lot of food.

Phewwww~ I still feel sooooo stuffed! Yesterday I went to my cousin's wedding (that's the reason why I am in a suit, PS: mom had to fix my pants because they were too large, it seems my hard work is paying off! \o/) and after the ritual in the church we went to have a party at the Grand Hotel Telese.
There were a lot of different foods, and I made sure to taste every and each of them, and for those I liked the most, I didn't hesitate to go for a bis or even a tris >=]
Let me give you guys a little list of the tasty dishes that filled my stomach:

We started with an aperitive in the garden, in which there were different corners with themed foods:

• Drinks corner - with various cocktails and fruit's nectar, Valdobbiadene's prosecco D.O.C.G. wine, Terra Serena wine, Amineo Coda di Volpe  I.G.T. wine , Castellblanch Champagne;
• Gourmet's corner - with a mix of canapès, small pizzas, rustic puff pastries, pan canasta, Danubio's tears, stuffed cream puffs;
• Seafoods corner - with iced oysters (yummie!), octopus carpaccio, marinated swordfish & Baltic sea salmon, skewers of fried little squids, mix of seafood's salade in a big clam, shrimps with Aurora's sauce, gratin of scallops & mussels;
• Cold cuts corner - with Pietraroja's prosciutto, Sannio's salame, slices of bresaola & speck, little cubes of mortadella, huge buffalo's mozzarella, pieces of Parmigiano's cheese, seasoned Cerreto's ricotta, little cubes of Provolone's cheese, pickles.

After the aperitive, we moved from the garden to one of the inner nineteenth-century's saloons.

As first dishes we had Scialatielli (a kind of fresh pasta) with lobster's flesh (it was delicious and I ate 3 servings :X) and Porcini mushrooms risotto. 

As second dish we had Twist of Bass (the bass was cut in 3 slices and braided, it was a kind of preparation I never saw before) with potatoes and salade. 

We then went outside in the garden again to eat Fruits and Desserts. There were many, many, many kinds of desserts, and I had all of them, from the different kind of mousses, to icecreams, to cheesecakes and many many more (too bad I don't have a photo, at least not for now, they were all colorful and good looking), and of course the traditional wedding cake. There were traditional italian fruits like watermelon, grape, pineapple, but also more exotic ones like passion fruit, litchi, rambutan and pitahaya (also known as Dragon fruit \o/), personally, I focused on the exotic ones :P

We got back home quite late, and today I didn't have my lunch 'coz I still felt stuffed D=

Anyhow, in the last days, beside running and preparing for my First Order Logic exam (I am still not sure if I am going to have it), I am preparing my luggage so my room is a mess...swimming trunks...power cords...hoodies...

Oh yea, there is a big big big news that I knew already when I posted the last update but I forgot to share...We finally have a release date for GW2! And it's actually earlier than I expected it to be (around October like for Aion's launch). GW2 is going to launch 28th August. The whole guild is palpitating, there is a lot to do, but our fingers are trembling in excitement.

Cam whore in a suit D=


I added two songs to the blog:

• Breath and Life - Audiomachine
• Everytime we touch - Cascada

The first is evocative, while the second is really really sweet, and I'd suggest you guys to read its lyrics:

I still hear your voice when you sleep next to me

I still feel your touch in my dreams

Forgive me my weakness, but I don't know why

Without you it's hard to survive

'Cause everytime we touch, I get this feeling

And everytime we kiss, I swear I could fly

Can't you feel my heart beat fast?

I want this to last

I need you by my side

‘Cause everytime we touch, I feel the static

And everytime we kiss, I reach for the sky

Can't you hear my heart beat so?

I can't let you go

I want you in my life

Your arms are my castle, your heart is my sky

They wipe away tears that I cry

The good and the bad times, we've been through them all

You make me rise when I fall

'Cause everytime we touch, I get this feeling

And everytime we kiss I swear I could fly

Can't you feel my heart beat fast?

I want this to last

I need you by my side

'Cause everytime we touch, I feel the static

And everytime we kiss, I reach for the sky

Can't you hear my heart beat so?

I can't let you go

I want you in my life

'Cause everytime we touch, I get this feeling

And everytime we kiss, I swear I could fly

Can't you feel my heart beat fast?

I want this to last

I need you by my side

See y'all soon! (this time I guess from the CodeCamp) :)

F5 Hit Refresh.

Updates are coming slowly. It's not like I lost interest in this, it's just that exam periods are always like this: there are a lot of things you'd like to do, but no time for them all, and of course I have to prioritize my exams above all. Talking about exams, do you remember the one I had the day I posted my last update? I knew I would pass it, but I had my fair share of doubts about the grade...but in the end I aced it :)

F5 Hit Refresh. I opened this blog post with that logo but...what is it o.o?
It's basically a CodeCamp, an experimental program, organized for the first time in Italy, addressed to IT specialists to work on the project of an Open Source Framework for Speech Recognition and Media Screening technologies. We will first attend seminars and lectures about the latest advancements in those fields, and then we'll have to develop the code.

It's cool and all, but what link does it have with me? Well, me and Enrico won a schoolarship (they picked only 20 people from all the Italy according to our Curriculum Vitae and past experiences \o/), so we will go there, without paying a cent for lodging & food. Vic couldn't take part to it because he already booked his vacation in Spain for that period.

The CodeCamp will take place from the 20th of July to the 1st of August, and it will be in Puglia (an Italy's region) at San Vito dei Normanni, near the sea.

The CodeCamp won't be only about working, rather it will be a nice mix of coding and having fun. Being close to the sea, we'll obviousely go to the beach (I hope my constant training in the last month paid off :X) to swim and sunbathe, but the organization of the CodeCamp will also bring us to Concerts, Parties, Dinners, Disco, Events.
Each one of us will be given a bicycle to move around, and it seems we have to choose between lodging into an apartment in the center or a villa a little farther from the center. Me and Enri would prefer the villa, but being in the center would grant us more chance to catch a wifi connection (during the day we will have our activities at a different place with net provided, but no net in our lodgings), but wtv.

I don't know much about those technologies, but it will be a good chance to learn about them, and overall, it's going to be a fun experience to meet other experts from all over the Italy and a good opportunity to enrich my Curriculum since important companies will take part to the CodeCamp.

I will be departing the 20th from Naples at 6.20 am to Brindisi with a bus, where I will be picked up from the staff of the CodeCamp that will bring me to the event's location. Enrico will join me a few days after since he has to attend his sister's wedding (oh! my cousin Carlo will get married too this coming saturday! :) ), it's going to be a few lonely nights in the villa, so I am trying to find something to do to kill the time...read some manga? watch some movie? write something? draw something? play some game? Or...for once, just sleep? :X

They also required me to send a short bio with a picture, because in the next week I should be featured on a journal/newspaper for taking part to the event. I know what it means, so I should get ready to be "zerged" again on FB =|

See y'all soon, either from here...or from the CodeCamp ;) !