Summer here, Summer there

Okay Okay I know it. It's a lot I don't post. Almost 3 weeks.

There have also been people telling me "I kept checking your blog but no updates :( ".

I am sorry >:[

It's just that you know...it's summer! So I haven't exactly been much at home, and even when I were I had a ton of things to do (and even so, I couldn't do everything I wanted) and situations to decide/sort out with some people.
...and it also took a lot of time catching up with the many mangas I left on stand-by to read because I was at the CodeCamp and that kept piling up xD

When I got back from the CodeCamp I spent some time with my family, and it took a bit to tell them about the many things that happened to me in the previous weeks, supporting my narration with the pictures and videos we took.

Even after getting home I often talk with Giuseppe and Gianluca (btw he is in the USA right now, have a blast dude! :) ) on skype, I know it's not the same, but it's nice to hear them and have a good laugh together.

The News on the National Brodcaster...about us :)

Another really cool thing that happened in the previous days: I was on TV, on the National Broadcaster channel. Well I already sorta knew this was coming tho. They shooted some footage at the codecamp for the News; without us knowing, after lunch and after an intense table tennis match, while we were all sweaty and with a messy hair, we saw the cameras in the ExFadda. So the service was aired a few days ago, I posted part of the video on my FB. Journalists like to hype up things, so they called us... *shrugs* "Italian big brains" and *shrugs* "Italy's best super programmers".

Colosseum by night

I've also been in Rome for a few days to meet a certain person from my past. It was fun but it was also sooooo hot (for several reasons). But it was a good chance to meet this person, and visit the many wonderful places of Rome, even if, I have to admit, it wasn't exactly the best period to do so. Overall it was really fun, and I had a lot of little exquisite things to enjoy :)

The books I've ordered

Even if it was summer, I had to work with Enrico and Vic to our First Order Logic game. It works, it's playable, but we're still having a little trouble with the packaging. Once it's solved, I'll give out a demo and I can then hear your feedbacks on the gameplay :)

Beside the project we *had* to do, I am trying to learn about some other new technologies, so I started diving into HTML5 & CSS3 (I think those two will become really important and required skills in the next future), while practicing some more with jQuery and PHP RestFul Webservices (which I think can always come handy); I also bought a few new books about those subjects ( http://www.amazon.it/gp/product/8848127568/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00 & http://www.amazon.it/gp/product/8850331525/ref=oh_details_o00_s01_i00 ) and they should be shipped tomorrow.

The weather here is hot, and according to the news it's going to get even hotter up to 43 °C, but even so, I am trying not to waste any day, and jogging in the evening before dinner.

Microsoft's future products

In the past days I've also been experimenting with Windows 8, Visual Studio 2012, Office 2013. It's still a little too early to give out a complete opinion about them, I was favorably impressed by the new TaskManager but the whole  Metro UI takes a while to get used to, anyway, I am a person open to changes so I'll try to get used to it. There are many integrated features like msn, maps, or the login to the OS with your Live account.

GW2 is officially gonna launch the 28th...but I am gonna start the 25th! :)

GW2 is launching in 5 days (Hoorray for the 3-days headstart!!! Even tho it's 9 am D= ) and we're getting everything ready (that's also the reason why I am studying so early in August). We're most likely going to roll on Crystal Desert as server and everyone is really excited. In the past weeks there have been several stress tests that allowed us to play a bit, and there have been several changes to the skills and the traits, so I am still figuring out what my final build is going to be.

If you want to have fun, come and Mumble with us! :P

Thanks to Adam, we've also got a Mumble Server, and since a week, we're like always on it. It's going to be our main communication channel for GW2, but it's becoming our meeting spot, and if my pc is turned on, I am on it. We're using it to chat and almost every night to play LOL together (with the little Giuli, Adam, Stephie, Tay, May, Enrico, Ronky, Daniel, Ibrahyn, Simo, etc.). If you want to come and (audio)chat with us, just ask me the details and let's have fun together!

I realize I still haven't posted a lot of pictures and the videos from the CodeCamp (they are really funny xD) and if I'll have enough time before GW2 launch I'll try doing a blog post with them.

See y'all soon! :3

Code Camp: Day #12-13

Me, Enrico, Vic & Gianluca

The last 2 days of the CodeCamp were really frenetic, we didn't have much time to sleep, let alone to post a blog update, so I am writing this from home, following some notes/pointers I managed to sketch here and there.

Code Camp: Day #12

The day in which we had to present the results of our work. The morning was spent finishing what was left of each group's tasks and then integrating them in order to make the project presentable to the press and to the audience. In the afternoon in fact there would've been a lot of people to assist to the presentation, journalists included, just as example there were RAI's Videocameras (RAI is the italian public service broadcaster), San Vito's major, The vide-president of Puglia's region, the president of the Conf-Commerce association.

Talking during the presentation...

Vittorio had to leave before the presentation started, and at that moment I started feeling melancholic, it was kind of like, when a vacation ends and you realize you have to say goodbye to the friends that shared that experience with you. A few hours before the presentation started, I took the chance to shot a lot of pictures to the ExFadda and to our apartment with Gianluca's photocamera, because I wanted to have a memory of all the places where our adventure took place. I took a shower, and then headed to the conference, where I was called on the stage to discuss about the project first (with diagrams projected on my back) and the human aspects of our CodeCamp then (with embarassing pictures projected on my back). I came up with an...evocative sentence (it was about the chunks & fragments) that sounded more or less like "Regroup! Join up! Be a single thing!" (the original was: "Raggruppatevi! Unitevi! Siate una cosa sola!") that stroke the audience (in more ways than one xD). The presentation was a success, many congratulated to us, and Puglia's Vice-President personally approached me to congratulate.

Cavitielli (a kind of pasta) with seafood

Finished the presentation we proceded to have (a late) dinner to a restaurant, in which we recollected together all the good moments, and we critically analyzed what should be improved for a CodeCamp 2.0 . After eating several appetizers and a seafood first dish, we toasted (many times) and we ate the Cake we bought to thank the staff & some sweets that Giuseppe's family gave us.

The cake we bought...

After the dinner the staff went home, while we proceded for a last round to the bar, where the house offered us Tequila, Cinnamon and Orange slices & Japan Ice / Long Island's cocktails.

Tequila...

When we got back, we sat on the sofa, laughing but with a sad face at the same time. We didn't want that night to end. Before we went to sleep Gianluca gave us some ceramic magnets with pictures of his city printed on them, as gifts.

It was an...hot night with hot goodbyes, but someone was sleepy. :P

Code Camp: Day #13

When we woke up Domenico had already left to Brindisi, while Gianluca was coming back after going to buy some croissant and local sweets to have a last breakfast with us. Gianluca's just...great. When the time came we had to depart (his fly was in the morning) it was really sad, we got a little emotive. While he was walking away, we shouted behind his back. I am sure, I really am, we'll meet again.

I then proceded to pack my stuffs. It was kind of a mess, since I had even more stuffs than when I arrived. Luckily someone helped me to fold my stuffs and fix them in the bag, adding that someone's special touch to my otherwise messed shirts. Our neighbours came to say goodbye to us, and once our luggage was ready we left the house and we went around S.Vito for one last time...During the past days when we walked around the streets or the plaza we would often be recognized since the CodeCamp was a big topic among the citizens and our shirts would help getting pinpointed.

We had one last meal together, took some more pictures, and promised to stay in touch.
Uccio drove us to Brindisi where we would take our bus, so Me and Enri started our trip back home...

I have a lot (and I mean A LOT) of pictures and videos still to post, and I plan on doing it in the next days :3

See y'all soon!

Code Camp: Day #11

Today wasn't a day with many things to tell. Since tomorrow we have the presentation of the status of our projects, we focused on finishing and polishing the tasks, after taking part to 3 seminaries. I worked on my task with Vittorio and we managed to finish it in the first part of the afternoon, so we had enough time to duel at table tennis for over 15 matches. 

The code session ended quite late and so we ate at 10.30 pm, at a restaurant called Broadway, which was near our apartment. After we finished eating we all went for a stroll in the main plaza, but since they were all tired and lacking sleep they prefered to head to bed. I wasn't sleepy yet (as usual) so I prefered to stay up to talk with someone...

Yesterday before going out I took a few pictures for the blog while I was waiting the others to get ready, but since I couldn't decide which ones to post...in the end I decided to post a bunch of them. :X

Also apparently Lala said it's better with no mustache xD
See y'all soon!

Code Camp: Day #10

Today afer waking up, as usual, we went to the ExFadda since we supposedly had to go to the beach. Today was terribly, terribly torrid. In the previous days the temperature was high too, but unlike today it was rather windy, so you wouldn't get affected too much.

Near lunch time, Vittorio joined us at the camp, riding his bike from Naples to San Vito dei Normanni under the scorching sun.

After I showed him around a little, we all went to have lunch, rigorously inside the cafeteria, because without air con, it would've been deadly.

In the early afternoon, there were journalists to take pictures (Little spoiler: watch out for Skulls, Rubick's cube and Pacman) and videointerviews, it was hot, and it was hard to avoid sweating, so we had to put a lot of effort in keeping up our appearence, they requested us to be creative (I really did my best xD) and to open ourselves, but in the end it was fun. 

Once we were done with the press work, we headed home riding our bicycles, so that we could refresh, and let Vik organize his stuffs.

We had a dinner at a Design's Apartment, a kind of sample for Lago's line of products. I have to say that it was an amazing house, and I would've loved to have one like that, we took a lot of pictures (gotta thank Giuseppe for the pictures and Vik for the layout of the compositions you can see on this post), so judge by yourselves!

The food was really good aswell, there were a lot of local typical products I never tasted, I was particularly impressed by the Caramelized Onions, they were onions, but more like a sweet than anything, if I can find the recipe, I'll definitely try to cook it at home.

Martina told us that at Cliff (her club on the beach) there would've been a party...sea...stars...music...and drinks plus she hinted to the fact there could've been someone I know... so we decided to go there.

I'll omit what happened there... :)

See y'all soon!

Code Camp: Day #9

A bit flushed...but it's also due to the tan :3

Yesterday was a light day, since we had a free half day to go to the beach, we woke up late, also 'coz the night before, I stayed up till late, and I had...a lot to do, if you know what I mean ;) . The afternoon was spent to work to the new project for the other company (Sandei) that is sponsorizing the CodeCamp, while Lala kept me company, chatting and laughing together.

Afterhours concert

After having dinner and a few drinks with...some friends at the ExFadda, we went to the Afterhours's concert, since the organization of the event decided to give us free tickets. Their music wasn't exactly in my tastes, but luckily, after the concert ended, we moved to a different place to dance and party. We stayed there till late, some songs the DJ put up were a bit "meh", but at least I was in good company :) And I can say that when girls are at discos, with a bit of alcool, are quite easy. Even too easy.

Disco

We got back home late, but even so, while someone was so drunk that wanted to just sleep, me and someone else were a bit hungry, so, before heading to bed (at 6 am), we prepared some Ravioli with Panna and Mushrooms.

See y'all soon!

Code Camp: Day #8

Aperol Spritz, our favourite aperitif

Even though we drank quite a bit, when we got up (early) this morning, no one of us felt nausea and we were ready to go. After breakfast with croissant and milk's cream + coffee's cream, we fixed a few lines on the code, and we took part to Sandei's event / seminary.
After lunch (which was quite windy since we were eating outside with quite a gale), we had a free half day.

We were about to go home, when we met the "Pizzica's gipsies" so we went to their practice hall, chatted a bit, asked them infos about events, and invited them to have dinner with us at the Villa on sunday.

After that, proceded to go home and after dropping there our bags we went around for shopping (yes, Giuli, I finally managed to purchase the postcard to send you :) ), and then took showers & got ready to go out for the night.

A picture with the psychologist...

3-card game: Me vs the psychologist

We had dinner at the Ex-Fadda (with a lot of meat), and then with 2 cars we went to a club in a near city since we wanted to let out some steam dancing.

The tree I climbed on

It was quite a big place, with a retrò atmosphere, lots of trees (I climbed on one), and a big medieval tower, in which they projected 3d image animations (it wasn't perfect, but fun enough, especially with a drink or two).

Gianluca (from Genova), Me and Enri near the tower

It's quite late, around 6 am I think, I'll head to bed now and have a long relaxing sleep.
See y'all soon! :)

Code Camp: Day #7

The day starts...

This is the first time since I started to write my CodeCamp's diary that I don't post it before going to sleep, I am at the ExFadda now, while I publish this, you will later understand why.
We had to get up early this morning because there is a lot of work to do and tomorrow we have a presentation for one of the two companies that sponsorized the CodeCamp, Sandei, and we have to show them the status of the project we're developing for them. So most of the morning has been spent coding, and correcting some bugs.

During the afternoon, we had as guests the journalists of National Geographic / L'espresso, that had to make a reportage about the CodeCamp. After a few words, they also got interested in our Green City project, so we had an interview with them, with loads of pictures too. I guess I am not too good at posing >=| But it's nice to be featured on such important journals :3

A lot of drunk IT people

Yesterday night we had dinner together at the Ex-Fadda. There were a few snacks, rice salade, chicken, and...a lot of drinks. Beer, Aperol, Beer, Mohito, Beer, Caipirinha, Beer, and even more Beer. Did I say there was Beer? 
We took a lot of pictures, and we were all "quite happy", both us and the staff and even some University's teacher. We took a lot of pictures and danced till late. Inside the bar I met Titti, a cute psychologist, that has a lab at the ExFadda, and she joined us for a few more drinks. We talked for a while and I have shown her Naples classical 3-cards game. She supposedly will come to have lunch with us tomorrow (today, actually in about 40 minutes) with another female friend (I suppose the guys will be quite happy). I hope that after knowing us she doesn't want to have us as guinea pigs for a study case.
When it was around 2 am, we played a little of drunk table tennis and table football...you can guess the results were terrible. We gave up on going back home with bicycles, it would've been a suicide.

Our bicycles...

Did I say there was Beer?
See y'all soon!