K (and stuff like that)

When you've got worries, all the noise and the hurry 

Seems to help, I know - downtown 

Petula Clark 

It's been pretty much forever since my last update. But I am still proud to own a real, old-fashioned blog like those that existed before the Facebook & co bubble, so here I am finally.

Things have changed, by the way. I'm in Amsterdam at the RIPE NCC again for some time, working on a visualization tool for K-root. We call it Visual-K: I presented a prototype few days ago at Graph Drawing 2011 in Eindhoven.

Time flows. Ideas flow. Cheers.

(Visual-K, prototype presented at GD'11)

The European Pilgrimage

I was just guessing at numbers and figures 
pulling the puzzles apart 
Coldplay 

The concept of day before leaving keeps teasing my subconscious, so here I am with a new entry before flying back (is back the right word anyway?) to San Diego. Online check-in, baggage optimization, tedious checklists & co are yet to be done, but I can still handle a little update.

Rome welcomed me (back?) in October with a cold and sunny weather, which happens to be my favorite combo. I got over the jetlag right on time and passed the admission test for a PhD at Roma Tre University! Then I went (back?) to Amsterdam and fell in love again with the city, no matter how rainy or windy it is. Spent two weeks at the NCC working in preparation for the RIPE meeting, had a great time with old and new people. Finally flied (back?) to Rome and attended RIPE61 in a fancy venue called Westin Excelsior; also contributed giving a small talk at the MAT working group about the stuff I did at CAIDA, gathered precious feedback and interest in my work, collected business cards, got a clearer picture about future projects and collaborations. And had a crazy blast at the social events...

Time to go. See you at the next eve!

(Westin Excelsior, Rome.)

Crazy Schedule

An electric concrete fantasy 

Strung Out 

Flying in a few hours to Rome; then Amsterdam, then Rome, then back in San Diego, in less than one month. I knew when I first arrived here my motto would be I either die or become someone... so let's see what nice compromise I can come up with.

I heard so many people saying they didn't like LA, that I actually did. And also LV of course. And most of what I saw in these busy, busy months - zero time for details, but I'm learning how to speak with pictures (here and here).

California hills, I'll be back!

(warm lights.)

Goodbye, Amsterdhome

Time it makes you old, experience makes you wise 

Strung Out 

And that's it: back in Rome, tired, sleepy, killed by overbooking and risen again with the refund issued by KLM. Quite a hell of a day.

So I'd let the pictures speak for me! More can be found here. Goodnight...

(all good things..., by me) 

(were you and me began, by me) 

(...come to an end, by me) 

Snow over Amsterdam

I'm on my way to hell
Brand New

Here it is - the snow, reminding us all that time goes fast and the holidays are just round the corner. The cold started setting in last week, letting me wonder what should I do to survive in January; but whenever the sun peeps out I immediately revert back to a child, really.

Updates? So many that I wouldn't know how to start, other than picking randomly. The NCC is an erupting volcano, based on an incredible balance between efficiency and madness, and I'm really enjoying my hours there - whether it's time for a gnuplot graph or a beer after the soccer match. My house is going quite messy as well, I know I should make some effort to add some rationality... one day or another.

I eventually understood that there's no rule to get in touch with people, you just forget any useless criteria and find a folksy path in every circumstance. Every.

And yes, I easily found a way to waste the very first paycheck in my young inexperienced life. Hint? Look at the big picture.

(NCC's Christmas present. photo by me)

Home Sweet Home

I wanna live in a wooden house
Coldplay

Live (and most importantly alive) from Amsterdam! I'm currently seating at the table in the living room of this wonderful apartment, fighting off sleep while trying to drop a couple of lines.

My journey was quite killing. The plane landed in Eindhoven over one hour later than expected, so I missed the (conformable) direct bus to Amsterdam and had to come by train. Nevermind! My landlord let me into this house at 17:30, then I went to the nearest Albert Heijn to buy the essentials - including my first dinner: dried beef (at least that's what it seemed to be), cheese, bread, tomatoes, Bertolli oil. Really essential.

The house is very nice. I would have put some photos here if only I had brought my mini-USB cable from Rome. That's what happens when one's in a hurry. I will buy it as soon as possible.

In the meantime, say thanks to my MacBook and just take a look out of my window...

(Centraal Station, Amsterdam. photo by me)

Sounds Good

What a curious life we have found here tonight
Neutral Milk Hotel

Great news: there's a roof to sleep under waiting for me in Amsterdam! It's an apartment in the centre, just 10 minutes walking from the office. Needless to say I'm as happy as a clam.

There was even a funny mistake behind that. The very first email containing news about the house came with an innocent address, Stadhouderskade 78. Well, at least I made a big grin when I saw what Google Maps could show me about that:

(Heineken Experience. retrieved on Google Maps)

Indeed an interesting place to live, as I wrote in answer.
Four days left to departure. Amsterdam, here we come...

Leaving

California, here we come
Phantom Planet

It sounds incredible, but that's it: I am moving to Amsterdam on October 14th to work on my MSc thesis at the RIPE NCC. Some weeks ago I was still wondering what to do with myself - and then this offer came just like a calling from the heavens. It took me one night to realize that there was no choice but to accept it.

Maybe this will be the right excuse to exhume this poor blog left to itself, covered in dust! Updates will follow.

 

(RIPE NCC. retrieved on Google Maps)