The Beautiful Italy, La Bella Roma

How I Perceived Rome

When in Rome, do as Romans do. That’s a popular saying, however; I wonder if there is anybody that once in Rome, would even need to hear this advice? Rome and Romans made me feel at home as soon as I step out of the airport. It just came naturally to do as they do.

Ti Amo, wrote in the pavement for all to see facing the sky so that even God can witness this love confession. Is pure coincidence that the same letter to write Roma are the same letter to write Amor (love) But Rome, breathe, eat, see, hear, feel and manifest love in all its splendor.

For instance; it could be as simple as enjoying a cappuccino during the pomeriggio (afternoon), seating at the Piazza while watching kids playing and lovers passing by. By the way; Italians are not shy when it comes to PDA (public display of affection). Enjoying their delicious dishes and /or a glass of wine during their siesta time or just by immersing on the immense beauty of their old monuments. This is all part of the quotidian life in Italy. Don’t get me wrong, Italians work hard too, but even so, on the days of La Giornata (working days), they find the time to relax too. It is just so easy to enjoy this beautiful city and do as the Romans do.

When making a wish at the Trevi Fountain, in order for your wish to come true, you first have to wish to come back to Rome.

“Everyone soon or later come around by Rome” by Robert Browning (English Poet 1812-1889)

Talking about my trip to Italy, because my memories there, always make me smile. Those moments are so vivid in my memory that I can still feel the taste of their internationally famous, delicious, creamy gelato, the smell of the old rocks coming from the Coliseum, in contrast with the delicious smell of the delicious incomparable pizzas coming from pizzerias nearby the piazza. Aromas that were brought to me by the refreshing breeze of that lovely winter; moreover; I will especially treasure in my memory, the Italians warm smile and friendly conversations.

Not in vain Rome is called “The Eternal City”. With 52 ancient monuments that spanned as far as 2,000 years. I heard from a local citizen that they still discovering monuments that are underground, which I find fascinating. On the contrary, a friend at home told me: “I would never visit a city where everything is so old.” If people think that way when visiting Rome, they won’t be able to appreciate the historical value of the imposing and gorgeous monuments that actually give Rome its unique transcendent beauty. We don’ build things like that anymore. The intrinsic designs, detailed, and perfect sculptures. It’s all part of the magnetism, romanticism, and attractiveness of the city. Could, getting lost in a foreign antique country be scary? This could be in fact a terrifying situation from some people. No for me, not in La Bella Italia, no in The Eternal Rome.

During my trip, one of the funniest moments was actually when we got lost. While most people might think that getting lost could be scary, could, in fact, turn into something fun and make for good tales. Actually, I highly recommend it. It opens horizons and options you weren’t counting on. It will bust your sense of adventure, entice your curiosity, and take you to places that might be hidden gems of the locals. as your adventure unfold you might even discover an aspect of your personality you were not aware of. For instance: A shy lost person (my daughter) in need of information or direction might get the courage to talk to strangers (my daughter) and who knows even make some friends too (my daughter:-). All it’s needed is a positive attitude and a sense of adventure. It helps to keep in mind that Rome is called not only called the eternal but also La Bella Roma for many reasons. If you ever go, to maximize your experience, focus on the breathtaking views of the Piazza del Popolo that can be seen from the famous park Villa Borghese. In addition, another good spot is the Giardino deggli Aranci (Orange Garden) from where you can see practically the whole city. At these spots, you not only can enjoy the view but can also enjoy a very relaxing ambiance. You could also focus on the little cute cafes and pizzeria with their clichè but ever cute red and white tablecloths, adorable little streets with their romantic balconies with the colorful flowers hanging from it.

There is a lot of romantic little streets, cafes, and restaurants like this one in Rome.

The monuments and little streets evoke a whole new enhance beauty as the sun sets and the nightlights are turned on. All of these beautiful scenarios indulges your senses when you hear the music from a street performance by someone playing the guitar, the mandolin or accordion creating such a nice atmosphere. Furthermore, there is another famous saying about Rome, which is: “Everyone soon or later come around by Rome” by Robert Browning (English Poet 1812-1889.) At the gorgeous Tervi Fountain, all its visitor wish to come back to Rome. The reason why is, because there is a condition for the stunning world famous fountain to make its visitor wish come true. the condition is that in order to get your wish after tossing a coin into the fountain you must first wish to come back to Rome. If we believe in this old cultural folklore; wouldn’t this be one of the main cause of why Rome visitors always return to Rome? Whatever the case may be an as for me; I didn’t want to take any chances, therefore, of course; I tossed some coins and all I can say is this ” I can’t wait to get the chance to come around La Bella Roma, again.

Authentic Italian Pasta

Just a little tip:

For this trip, we used the travel company GoAheadTour. An amazing company that for a very reasonable price; with even easy payments plans, organize your traveler’s adventure making it stress-free. They will take care of everything for you. From picking you from the airport, making the hotels reservations, to have expert guides take you in comfortable buses to the most important places and highlights of the location you are visiting. If you want to adventure on your own. The guide will give you advice and show the best way to enjoy your vacation to the max in the safest and economical way. This is our third experience with GoaheadTour and we are looking forward to the next.

From GoaheadTours: ” The Go Ahead experience is all about stepping outside of your daily life and exploring the world around you. Your tour will focus on cultural immersion and making connections along the way—either through chatting up locals or sharing experiences with tourmates. ” https://www.goaheadtours.com/

Thank you GoAheadTours for the wonderful experience. For a smooth, relaxing enjoyable and affordable vacation. See you again soon.

The year of the Pig🐽

Happy Chinese new year!

On February 5th China 🇨🇳 and grand part of Asia celebrate 🎉 the new year. This year it’s represented by the Pig.

According to China’s culture and beliefs, this is a good thing. Although the Pig is known for being lazy, only eats and sleeps; the year that it represents is associated with his friendly, healthy and peaceful personality.

Another reason to be happy about this year is that as most pigs fulfilled destiny is to satisfy the palate and the stomach, and you know that says: “Full belly, happy heart.” So, it is then, that the meaning of the Pig year is also abundance and prosperity. I can see that. I mean if you are not a vegetarian; Can you find a more beautiful table that a banquet where the centerpiece is roasted pork 🐖?

Let’s wish that not only Chinese and Asians, but everybody in the world, including vegetarians, have a friendly, healthy, peaceful and full of abundance Pig year🐖.

This cute ceramic Chinese pig, drinking Korean Soju (소주 in Korean; 燒酒 in Chinese) a Korean popular, clear alcohol, is found at amazing Asian Infusion Restaurant, http://izzibanrestaurant.com/
in Metrowest, Orlando, FL.
Ah, You are welcome. 😉

A TIGER IN MY LIVING ROOM

If I have a Pet cat, can I as well have a pet tiger?

Tigers and cats are pretty much the same. Part of the feline family, beautiful shiny fur, elegant walk, with an imminent enigmatic beauty, gorgeous piercing eyes, they even have the same bone and muscular structure. So why can’t I have a tiger as a pet instead of a cat? Cats and tiger, as well as other felines, even share 95.6 percent of their DNA. That is according to an international team of scientists on the Christian Science Monitor website.

Sure cats are more convenience in size, but didn’t we as a society established that size does not matter? But let’s be more specific: First, a cat’s average weight goes from 7.9 to 9.9 lbs. while on the other hand, the tiger’s weight goes from 200-670 lbs. I have to admit that this is quite a difference in weight. Then, there is the litter box. I don’t think that there is a litter box that will hold the tones of feces from a feline of that magnitude. I can put a litter box in a corner for a cat, but I would have to get a box that is at least over 20sq feet or a huge backyard. However; there are also another, not so remarkable, differences between cats and tigers. Like the way, they mark their territory. Cats use individual scent thru glands in their faces, tails, and paw pads, in contrast to tigers, who release their scent by tree scratching.

Cats use their premolars and molars for chewing, Tigers, however, uses their molar for tearing and chewing.  Cats have longer necks and their hearing range is different too. Cats can hear up to .045 kHz – 64 kHz. Tiger hearing rage is between 0.2 kHz – 65 kHz. But these last characteristics are the minuscular difference that won’t alter the intention of having a tiger as a pet. However; the more I do researches and read about cats and tiger the more in doubt I get on the idea of getting a pet tiger.

For instance; one of my favorite thing about a cat is their purring. That calm, relaxing, lovely purring sound. On the contrary and according to Purr-Wikipedia tigers cannot purr, instead, they make another type of sound when they are happy or they roar which is about 114 decibels which can be heard up to 2 miles, I would probably turn deaf after the first roar. In addition, considering the amount of food that a tiger would eat versus the amount of food a cat eats, I would probably be broke in a week. That might be something to think about, because according to Diet, Feeding and Nutritional Care of Captive Tigers website, stated that various studies have estimated that a tiger could eat up to 25 pounds of meat a day which is an average 7 % of their body weight or up to a 100 pounds in one day. That is a lot of tons of meat. My cat barely eats about half a cup 3 times a day of dry food. That been said, I have now to consider all the facts.

Interestingly, as I completed my research to answer my own question and as I have found all the similarities between a cat and a tiger; I am asking myself, what is wrong with the pet I already have? While a tiger will be big, loud and expensive to support, a cat is smaller, quieter and more affordable and yet they share 96% of their similarities. Consequently; I came to the conclusion that I already have a tiger in my living room.“

My cat Emry’s with my daughter’s Tiggy which is not a Tiger but a Cheetah.

“Be grateful for what you have (a cat) and be careful of what you wish for (a tiger).                                                                                                                                                                                                               Chinese proverb.

Diet, Feeding and Nutritional Care of Captive:  Tigers https://www.2ndchance.info/bigcatdiet.htm

National Geographic http://www.nationalgeographic.org

Purr- Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purr

Howard Hughes

Under-rated, unappreciated, misunderstood, poor sick billionaire, Howard Hughes

“I am not a paranoid deranged millionaire. Goddammit, I’m a billionaire.” said once Howard Hughes, correcting with this statement his financial status but said nothing about what people said about the words describing his personality.  Could be, most likely, because he was very well aware of how unusual he was. A magnet of the finances, real state, airlines, and cinematographic industry.  Mr. Howard Hughes was, as many others millionaires are, an eccentric. Little that he knew that such a called “eccentric behavior” was in grand part, triggered by his illness.

Mr. Hughes was an undeniable genius.  At his early age, he built the first wireless radio transmitter and at age of 12 the first motorized bicycle.  He was an emancipated minor at age of 19, took over his deceased parents’ wealth and right after, he funded a biomedical research institution.  Which happens to be the HHM Institute.  His most important legacy.  Later in his life, he was recognized as a business magnate, record setter pilot, engineer, and tycoon of the cinematography and even as the world greatest womanizer.

With his rich lifestyle came also his ‘eccentricities.’  Which might as well had been the beginning of his mental illness.  Because he was also a very reclusive individual and auto medicate himself, it would be hard to establish if his illness came first triggering his eccentric behavior or if it was the other way around.

An extremely secluded individual that would spend months in solitude and darkness was also constantly in distress by his germs phobia, his unreasonable fear and intrusive repetitive thoughts cause by a severe Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).  Mr. Hughes would do things out of the ordinary like buying a hotel just because he did not want to check out at the checkout time.  In the eyes of the world, this was just another impulsive eccentric moved from a millionaire.  But in fact, Mr. Hughes locked himself in the hotel penthouse, with blacked out windows, in the dark dealing alone with his phobias and fears. 

“ I intend to be the greatest golfer in the world, the finest film producer in Hollywood, the greatest pilot in the world, and the richest man in the world.”  Howard Hughes

            This entrepreneurial genius would spend days wearing nothing but Kleenex boxes on his feet, eating nothing other than chicken and milk and urinating in a bottle.   Would this be just an eccentric behavior or a way to cope with his suffering?  By that time, OCD was not the only illness that was tormenting Howard Hughes.  Secluded in a room he will hide from the world, auto medicating himself with painkillers to fight the constant pain from his multiples injuries due to 4 air crashes.

Howard Hughes
Dec. 24, 1905-April 5, 1976

              With a fortune net worth of over $3 billion, The Aviator was the first US billionaire. This poor rich genius was probably often misunderstood and very lonely. For many, his inexplicable behavior could certainly be as a result of this financial power. Perhaps, it was a result of his genius; maybe just manifestations of his afflictions or a combination of all.  Only one thing is clear; he wisely once said “Money cannot buy happiness” and he was living proof of that.  For the tycoon Howard Hughes, illness was his weakness.

“Sometimes I truly fear that I… am losing my mind. And if I did it… it would be like flying blind.” Howard Hughes

Sources: Howard Hughes Essay by Denice Lopez, (Ashworth University. English Class I,) 11/03/2018

Between the PC and Network

Nowadays computers have taken over the world, but how much do we know about them? I asked myself that question and enroll for an Introductions to Computer Class. Oh boy, I was no ready for the blast and vast, overwhelming amount of information that was thrown at me.

Of course, something so incredibly efficient and essential for our modern lives, would be complex, ingenious with interesting paradox etc. but when I enrolled in that class, I was looking more for something like ~this shinney thingy does this, this one help with that, and thanks to this one we get this results and so on so forth. I was not expecting to learn a whole nother language, that almost sound like aliens speaking Alienglish (yes, I am officially the creator of this terminology, you can quote me on that;-)

We get internet thru computers and other electronic devices, but what is internet? We know what it does, but what actually is? I don’t know. I really don’t know If you know, please let me know. How are these computers and devices designed to provide us with this service and more? What do we know about internet connections, networking and how the mysterious almost magical world of the wide world web actually works?

Well, apparently, from the moment we type a domain in our browser, that is when the magic begins. This domain name will be identified by the proxy which will make your search easy by filter the request and take you to the VPN (Virtual Private Network). Although, we must clarify that there are also Public Proxies that allow anybody to use it and private ones that can keep your search secret. So we have to think of the proxy as middlemen that communicate our finger intentions to the webmaster creation. Mind you, that all these abstract thoughts and ideas that are about to materialize are protected by Gateway antiviruses that scan the traffic of information in the web looking for viruses, anything that might harm your hardware or software. heew! I’m sweating just thinking about it.

This is not even the beginning of the romance between all these virtual technological creations because it’s so extensive; so many things have to come together to make this happen; like this moment right now, while I’m typing on this blog. Per say, before we even type the domain or name we are searching for and put the proxy to work, there is the FTP (File Transfer Protocol) which is what we have to use in order to create a website, then HTML files, images etc. then the Domain Names then the extension which is the “.” whatever (.com, .org, .blah, .blah, .blah) You got the idea.

Behind all these; wait, let me clarify. Behind, next to, under and above all these are the HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) responsible for how the webpage appears in the browser with the assistance of the Hypertext Transfer Protocol. So think of this. Every time we are surfing on the internet we are using URL (Universal Resource Locator) which would be identified, scanned, downloaded before bringing the requested information to our eyes by all those magical kind of ethereal beans of energy and light that I just talked about. All these things work together to make this blog, your email, your facebook, the search for your essay, historical events, events from around the globe materialized in front of our eyes.

Of course, none of that would be possible without the Internet Service Provider or ISP (Internet Service Provider) The telephone companies, as well as satellite and cable companies, offer access to the internet thru DSL (Digital Subscriber Line). A high-speed internet that co-exists with telephone service but only provides access to local users. In addition, there is also ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line), a Broadband Internet Connection and SDSL (Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line), a faster high-speed connection. These and others broadband are needed to download and upload anything effectively. By the way, SDSL is great for gaming, streaming or hosting a server.

Ah, there is much, so much more. How computers must identify and recognize each other’s name so they can talk to each, connect. Then there is the homegroup. Microsoft Windows refers to this as workgroup network, when a group of computers communicates with each other like a business partner or a bunch of friends having a conversation and that my friend is called Networking. Then there is also the peer to peer connection or Ad-hoc as they called in Alienglish. Then there is NIC (Network Interface Card), the Putty a highly popular open-source terminal emulator -Oh my God whatever that means.- The Secure Shell SSH Protocols, Network hardware, Ethernet, ARP(Address Resolution Protocol), VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure), oh yes and even a Dumb Terminal and Thin Clients (I’m no kidding. But after I learned what the function of this last one is, I understood that the name is actually appropriate.) Anyway, the list goes on and on and I don’t think that would ever end as technology is constantly changing and my impression is that, the easier those genius that creates all this make it for us the more complicated it gets. Ergo, the more we need to learn.

Ah why oh why did I decided to study Introductions to Computer. I was fine just by living oblivious of all the insane ingenious that make this magic called Networking happens. And you know that this is just a ridiculous small gist of all that it really entails.

Funny enough, my major is Psychology, kind of the opposite (machines-men), kind of the same (functionality-connectivity). Would I be able to keep going on or would this class be too much? Would I ever be able to grasp for real the world of an IT technician to the point of at least have a decent conversation about computers and today’s technology? Time will tell, and only then I will be able to tell as well.
This is the nice (D’nice, get it? ☺️) world we live in.

Sources: Introduction to Computers, Lesson 1 to 7, Lecture by Dr. Brown  (Ashworth University), 01.26.2019.https://www.ashworthcollege.edu/

“To make a difference in someone’s life, you don’t have to be brilliant, rich, beautiful or perfect. You just have to care” Via Gratitude App

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton