Jernie's Hub

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Get-Together

Since the weather doesn't allow us to do much outdoors. We spent the past few weekends getting together with friends and relatives.

At the Gellera's places in Scarborough (North-East of Toronto). Since the very popular Filipino Restaurant "Remely's" is just a few minutes drive, we treated ourselves to authentic Filipino dishes. Being a Saturday, no wonder the place sa packed. We run through quickly to the food on display and placed our take-away orders and drove back. For a moment, I felt I was in the Philippines. You can check their website for their menu. http://www.remelys.com/welcome.htm

with Baby Tristan

Dinner at Annalou and Erich's home in Burlington. We were treated to a sumptuous home-made dishes. Annalou's family is our neighbour back in Manila.

with the Natividad's at our place

With the three girls around, we had a blast the entire time. Roselle and Ian are both my ex-colleagues in Dubai.

A wonderful afternoon with the Wolfes. After a great lunch, we headed to the Lakeshore for a stroll.

A view of Toronto from the Lakeshore.

Oh my! I wish it's cholesterol free. Nevertheless, we enjoyed it.

A get-together with the Ocabas and Wolfes at our place. We spent the afternoon at the recreation area. Too bad the swimming pool and the bowling alley were closed then for maintenance.

Lunch at our place.

Oh, I will surely miss these kind of gatherings when we go back to Germany. It really felt like we're just in Manila. There's just a little room for homesickness in this part of the world.

Posted by: Jernie
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Tuesday, March 17, 2009

On Computers...

I was quite disappointed with my 1 year and a half Samsung R70 Despina notebook. It was running perfectly but one fine day it showed a hardware problem message and I just switched it off and booted back-up. It worked fine for a couple of hours but later on gave-up, I got nothing on display at all. I sensed it was either a video card problem or my display mechanism because the hard disk was showing activity. I feared if its the video card as it might call for a mother board replacement which most of the time means buying a new one. Since, I don't have the right tools to conduct further test, I took it to a computer service center. Not long enough they confirmed it's the video card problem. On the other hand, the technician was asking where did I got my notebook as it is not available in Canada. True, Samsung notebooks are marketed only in Europe. I am disappointed because I was expecting more from a Euro 1,200 (almost CAD 2,ooo) notebook.

I was quite surprised because the first Samsung notebook we had never gave us a problem. We just replaced it after 2 years when the computer case fell off from the baggage cart and rolled down the elevator. A piece from the computer flap came off. But it never had a major down-time. That's why I opted for Samsung R70 which really had a good specifications, sleek design and light. Out of curiosity, I browsed thru the internet to check what really was the problem, was it isolated to the video card or the specific model as a whole. There I came across with online forums discussing the same issue and problem I have. I then verified the warranty of my computer and it carries a 1 year international warranty and 2 years local warranty. I logged a complaint at the Samsung service center if there is a way for my computer to be fixed here in Canada. I was impressed with their response time but not so with the solution they are offering. I had to send my computer to Germany and they will fix it but they won't be able to send it back to me here in Canada. So with this situation on hand, I got no other option but to send my computer for repair and get a new one here in Canada. Well then, I got DHL on the line for the mechanics and details of sending a computer to Germany.

So, what options do I have now? I don't even know how long will it take for my computer to be fixed. Although my husband has his private computer (apart from his business one), he didn't welcome the idea that I will share with his notebook because I am notorious in setting-up the computer my way and we will be on top of each other who can use it. So, my husband was insisting to get a new one. We drove to Heartland commercial complex where two major computer and electronics shops are located: Future Shop and Best Buy. We looked at the notebooks/laptops on display. Sony, Toshiba and Dell are the ones in my shortlist. Considering my requirements, the Dell Studio notebook met the closest: 4GB RAM, 250 GB hard disk, Dual Core processor, though its not centrino but its ok just for the mean time), with wireless N network adapter, with HDMI port, slot loading disc drive and good size.

When I have decided to take the notebook, I was asked if I would like them to setup and optimise the computer and if I would want to have a recovery and utilities software CDs for CAD 99.99. Well, I want to do the setup myself but I do want the CDs. Although, the recovery program is in the hard disk (Partition D), I would still prefer to have the CDs and of course, for that I have to pay CAD 70. I was shocked for a moment, but quickly realised that I am in a different part of the world. As far as I know, when I buy a computer the Operating System and Utilities CD are included and I don't have to pay for it. And here's another blow, the international warranty again is not included. So, I have to decided to take 2 years or 3 years coverage. I needed a few moments to grasp and understand what am I going to do. So I asked the Salesperson to give us some time to decided. Whatever marketing strategy or technique they have, I couldn't understand why do they have to do this. If I am a buyer, I want to buy a complete package. It's like buying a cutlery set, with a certain price, then you will be asked you want also to have forks along with the spoons then you have to pay this more, if you want to have knives too, well we have to add this much on top. Isn't it that these things belong together?
I was expecting that if I buy a notebook, the computer has been set-up already at least the basic operating system, the software CDs should come along with it for repairs and maintenance purposes, and of course the warranty should also be there at least a standard 2 years. Then I will look at the price. It's a lot simpler. That's the system I know so far. Anyway, while I was discussing things with my husband the Salesperson came. In fairness, she was thinking if she can be of help. She told us that we could also buy the unit thru financing)/instalment scheme. Politely, I told her thanks for your concern but that was not an issue. If we buy things like these we always get them thru outright purchase. I asked her further on the warranty terms and policies and later on decided to take the 2 years coverage. Also, since the CDs alone would cost me CAD 70 dollars so I might as well pay the 30 for the set-up and optimisation. So, we settled everything and was told to wait for another 2 hours for the setup.

Later on, I realised I made a mistake, I missed to request them to make a separate partition for my data. For me, it is always important to have my data files in a separate partition for a certain level redundancy. If I needed to reformat the C: drive where the Operating System and the program files are, I don’t need to touch my D: drive. But what they do, they just made a D: partition enough to house the recovery program. So, I had to reformat and repartition my hard disk. So, I paid the 30 dollars for nothing. See, booboo again.

Anyways, I got my new notebook and started setting it up tailored to my needs and likes. We'll see how this Dell notebook performs and I hope I wouldn't have to test or experience the Dell post-sale services too soon.

Some things I would like to advise computer users is that before buying a computer, you should know first how are you going to use it. Then you will have an idea what specifications of computer you would need. From there you can search the kind of computer you would want to have. In this way, you can avoid paying a lot more than what you really need and use. There are entry level users who don't need a high-end computers, some users need for gaming and multi-media applications, some are those advanced users who need more computer resources. Also, it would help to check for forums on computers you are eyeing to get. Some people may have good or bad experiences with it just to have an idea.

Furthermore, computers, electronics and technology devices are driving to have a very different approach than before. I remember few years ago, we used to prefer to buy expensive computers because we thought it will last long. It is worth the money when it stays up and running for a long time. But now it's different, technology develops and rolls fast. Even if the computer still runs but it doesn't have the new whistles and bells which are coming up in the market so, we had to dispose it and get a new one. The same thing applies with the printers, we used to buy good printer so it will serve us long all we have to buy are the consumables like inks. But the marketing strategy has taken us to a different direction. They sell the printers now at a low price and it comes with the inks. However, if we buy a replacement ink alone it will cost almost the same as the printer. So why would I buy an ink? I could also but a new printer with the ink the same price. And this brings me back to a very good example at home. My husband has a very good Onkyo music system in which he invested a few thousand of Euros then. It is still in top condition after more than 20 years. Yes, we can still use it doesn't have the new technology i.e. 5.1 surround system or 7.1 speaker system. On the other, we can't easily get rid of it because it is still really good and it coasted a fortune. But it is time to let go of it. To sum it up, it is not advisable to invest on the highest-end and most expensive stuff because we know that technology changes and we can't keep it forever. Unless, of course you have a budget to invest on these ultra-expensive things and still have the capacity to replace it every few years.

Buy things wisely.

Posted by: Jernie
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Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Living in Mississauga, Ontario

From the busy environment in downtown Toronto, we now moved to Mississauga. It is a city in the west of Toronto with a population of 750,000. It is just about 20 minutes drive from downtown Toronto.

When we came back September last year, we stayed in a hotel for a few days while we were searching for a fully-furnished accommodation. We have decided to take a place around the City Centre area simply for convenience. It wasn't difficult at all to find a good place in this vicinity because there are quite a number of high rise condominiums complex surrounding the area: The Ovation, City Gate, Monarchy, The Capital Condos and more. This is a prime location in the city. Here you can find the City Hall, the city public library, the Living Arts (a cultural centre), the very popular Square One Mall and most of all, the bus terminal hub which is right next to the mall. It is pretty convenient to travel to nearby cities.

The Square One Shopping Mall

The City Gate

The Ovation

The Public Library, The Capitol Condominiums and the Mississauga City Hall

We find our place pretty much quick. I just browsed through the internet then I short-listed a few agencies and gathered a little more information online. To make things easier, I have made a list of our requirements, concerns and questions prior to getting them on the line. The first agency I made contact with, showed us their units available in the Ovation Condominiums. The first few units are not really very welcoming, the furniture and the units layout did not meet our criteria so I asked them to show us more. The last unit we saw immediately got my attention. I like the size and the layout. Subsequently, we were taken around to see all the facilities in the building which includes a good size of indoor swimming pool with spa, a huge dry sauna bath room, fitness gym, aerobics room, mini-golf, billiard room, cards room, bowling lane, a movie theatre and a party room. Amazing! It is a perfect place to be in, especially during the winter season when it is difficult to go out. We then went to their office and sat down to discuss and agree on the details. Since I did have a list of requirements, it didn't take us long to come up with a decision.

The Square One, viewed from our apartment

View from the balcony, far behind is the Ontario Lake

Toronto skyline as seen from the apartment

The swimming pool ans spa

When we moved-in, I run through my list and communicated with the agency everything we want to be addressed. It was not at all an easy ride; we had lots of frustrations and nerve-wracking situations dealing with the agency. One thing is for sure is that, their service is sub-standard. The most frustrating thing is that when we request or complain something, we always get a 'Yes' but no one tells us when it will be addressed. They left us hanging in the air. There were many of those issues that I couldn't enumerate anymore. Considering the monthly rental rate, we are expecting a very good or at least a reasonable service. Until one day our patience has reached its maximum elasticity point. It was about the retouch painting in the walls because there were lots of black lines and scratches all over. It has been more than a month that they haven't done anything about it, let alone telling us if they ever have a plan of doing it. It was then when I got them on the phone and blasted them. I asked them to tell us if they would ever do it or not at all so we could plan to pack-up our things and move out. Only then things moved, quickly they sent someone to do the painting. Is this how things work? Well, whatever it is it worked. Later on, I observed that there services has improved. I don't know if it is because their utility man is a fellow-Filipino whom I could explain the customer's expectations and I gave him some tips as well on how to deal with them efficiently. To cut the story short, we stayed in that unit for three months. Jokingly, I told him why you don’t hire me to improve your services (lol).
Since we had to leave the country for the Christmas Holidays, we were contemplating if we will stay in the same place or not. So, I started to contact few agencies again to check if we could find a better place. I had viewings but at the end of the day, I still prefer the layout of the current unit. We then decided to stay in the same place but will demand for a better service.

Evening view

Evening view from the balcony

Inside the suite

The living room

We came back here end of January, to our surprise we have another unit exactly the same layout with the previous one but it is newly and nicely furnished with brand new furniture and utensils. Still there were missing items, again I made a list for them to address. Funny enough, when the utility guy got my list thru email, he said 'Oh, she is back!' (lol). Surely, their service has improved. I would like to think that they must have learned it from us. They even provide a weekly maid service instead of once a month as they previously offered. I am delighted to have fellow-Filipinas to do such service. Apart from them really doing a good job, it is also heart-warming to have them around. Somehow, we managed to have a better relationship now. I hope it will stay that way and will extend to their other and future customers.

In getting around Mississauga, they have a very good transport system. The Mississauga Transit offers a comprehensive network of bus routes throughout the City. Route maps can be obtained online or in print form from the Transit Terminal. You can their route planner online -
http://www.mississauga.ca/portal/residents/publictransit

In travelling to the areas surrounding the Greater Toronto Area, Go Transit is providing efficient services. Check their website - http://www.gotransit.com/publicroot/en/Default.aspx
Because of the weather conditions, I haven't gone much around Mississauga. On foot, I have been just around the City Centre area. The public library and the Square One Mall are just across the street, as well as the Catholic Church which is just behind the complex. Hopefully during spring and summer time I will be able to go around the city conveniently.

For our basic needs like groceries, we drive to various places. That's the benefit of living close to residential areas because we are closer to the supermarkets and most of all to the Asian Supermarkets where we can buy our well-loved and craved-for food.

Unlike in downtown Toronto where I went around most of the time on foot; here in Mississauga, though we are living in the City Centre area, it is less busy. To go to other shopping areas we have to drive or take a bus because it is quite far.

Certainly, it is a different environment and a different way of life.

Posted by: Jernie
65 comments

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Mannheim City, Germany

Mannheim celebrated the 400th city anniversary in 2007. It is the second largest city after the capital Stuttgart in the region of Baden-Württemberg with over 300,000 inhabitants. Mannheim is situated at the confluence of the rivers Rhine and Neckar. It is unusual among German cities in that its central area is laid out in a grid pattern (called Quadrate, squares). Each block is labelled by a letter, kind of strange.

You can check here for larger view : http://www.gis-mannheim.de/mapserver_mannheim/index.php

On sights:

Mannheim is dubbed to be a city of arts and cultures. There are numerous galleries and museums around the city namely: the National Theatre, the municipal Art Gallery, the Reiss-Engelhorn Museum, the Planetarium and the State Museum for technology and labour. Ironically, I have never been to any of these museums. I will visit these places once we stay in there for a longer period of time. A city tour would be a great thing to do when in Mannheim.

The Main Train Station (Die Hauptbahnhof) - was built in the years 1871 to 1876.

The Mannheim Castle - The Kurfürstliche Schloss (Electoral Castle) was built during the years 1720-1760 under the Electors Carl Philipp (1661-1742) and Carl Theodor (1724-1799) and is the largest self-contained baroque complex in Germany. This remarkable seat of residence reflects the political ambition of the Palatinate-Wittelsbach monarchs. The extensive palatial buildings and grounds are indicative of the status of their constructor, the sovereign imperial prince

The Water-Tower (Wasserturm) is Mannheim's most famous landmark. It dominates the Friedrichsplatz and was built in 1886 according to plans of the then only 24-year-old architect Gustav Halmhuber. The construction is made of yellow sandstone, has a height of about 60 metres, holds 2000 cubic metres of water and is built in the Roman monumental style. The top of the Water-Tower is adorned by a statue of Amphitrite, the wife of the god of the sea, Poseidon. Bronze groups of mermaids and tritons adorn a small pool and two groups of centaurs made of stone can be found at the big pool. The park at the foot of the Water-Tower was designed by Bruno Schmitz (1901-03). The semicircular arcades made of red sandstone, together with the Festival Hall and the Art Gallery, which face each other across the park, were a model of modern urban development even before World War I.

The Rosengarten - One of Mannheim's most famous and impressive buildings is the Rosengarten culture and conference centre. The name Rosengarten hints at the original use of this area, but whoever now expects to find themselves somewhere far off from Mannheim's city centre, is wrong: the culture and conference centre is part of a unique art nouveau complex, the Friedrichsplatz, and lies directly across from Mannheim's most famous landmark, the Water-Tower.

The Christ Church - The city's largest church, situated not far from the Friedrichsplatz, was built 1907-11 by the Mannheim architect Christian Schrade and restored after the war. The neo-baroque rotunda with its low transepts and narrow, 65 metres high, copula has the twelve Apostles grouped around it. It is crowned by the statue of St. Michael sounding his trumpet. On the main portal and in the mighty pediment above it, reliefs by K. Albiker and L. Habich are to be found.

The Mosque - built by the Islamischer Bund (Islamic Society) Mannheim e.V. and the largest mosque in Germany to date, was officially opened on March 4th 1995 in the Jungbusch, a district of Mannheim, after two years of construction. It has a capacity of about 2,500. Mannheim itself has approximately 20,000 Moslem inhabitants. The building cost about 10 million DM, which was donated by Mannheim Moslems. The site on which the mosque stands incorporates an area of 1,209 square metres. Aside from 50 underground car park spaces there are 6 business premises, one executive room, facilities for young people and women, a picture gallery, an Institute for German-Turkish Integration Studies, as well as an ornate ritual washing-room with a fountain.

The Observatory - The Jesuit Christian Mayer was the first astronomer in the Electoral Palatinate. He asked the Elector Carl Theodor to put up a new building in Mannheim instead of the temporary observatory in the castle in Schwetzingen. At first the plan was to redesign the tower near the Jesuit College. But this plan was rejected because of the bad condition the "old tower" was in. The observatory was then built according to the plans of Johann Lacher west of the Jesuit Church from 1772 to 1774.

The Jesuit Church -was built in the years 1733 to 1760. The plans for the ecclesiastical building were modelled upon the mother-church Al Gesu in Rome and were designed by the architect Allessandro Galli da Bibiena from Bologna. The foundation stone was laid in 1733, the topping-out ceremony was celebrated in 1748 and in 1760 the prince-bishop Joseph von Augsburg consecrated the church, which is over 100 metres long and can hold up to 3,000 people, in the presence of the electoral court. According to the foundation deed of 1728, the "Patribus of the Societas Jesu" - the Jesuits - were supposed to be the owners of the then Great Court Church for "all time", but only 13 years after the consecration Pope Clement XIV. abolished the order of the Jesuits.

The history of the church in photo, before the World War II, during ang after.

The Mannheim National Theatre has had a very eventful past, as one can see by its many different and contrasting buildings. The historical National Theatre in B 3, for instance, underwent a number of reconstructions, the changes by Joseph Mühldorfer 1853-55 being the most noteworthy. The famous theatre designer and decorator, architect and engineer entirely changed, among other things, the exterior form of the building by constructing a fourth floor and roofing over the courtyards. These traditional features, however, were completely destroyed during World War II. (September 1943).

The Reiss-Engelhorn Museums- Those interested in art history and city history should go to the museum for art, city and theatre history in the Reiss Museum. The museum puts on a varied programme of exhibitions, lectures, symposiums, concerts and educational events. The basis for all activities are the extensive and valuable collections, which cover the wide spectrum of archaeology, nature study, ethnology and art, city and theatre history. The Reiss Museum's exhibition area of 7,500 square metres is located in the former armoury in C 5 and contains the museum for art, city and theatre history. The new building in D 5 contains the museum for archaeology and ethnology. In 1997 the new building in D 5 also became the home of the museum for nature study, which is now a part of the entire complex.

At the heart of the Planetarium lies the dumbbell-shaped projector, weighing 2.5 tons and with a height of 5 metres, on its hydraulic lifting platform: the only one of its kind in Germany apart from those in Stuttgart and Hamburg. It is able to project 9,000 stars of the northern and southern firmament as well as the sun, the moon and the planets, in all their complex motions, onto the domed ceiling. Since 1997 laser show interludes are possible. Since its opening in December 1984, 1.5 million visitors have passed through its doors.

The State Museum for Technology and Work is not only remarkable for its unique architectonic exterior, but also for its experimental, unconventional exhibition programme and design. The visitor is led through 16 stages, structured chronologically and starting at the top of the building, which display and narrate the technological and social changes of the last two and a half centuries. In 1992 it was awarded the European Museum of the Year Prize for innovation and creativity. Some of the exhibits on display are working models and the visitor is given a demonstration as to how these function. Some have been reconstructed from scratch, others have been translocated in their entirety, such as a weaving mill, a paper mill and a Porsche manufacturing unit. The museum provides a unique chance to see fully functioning machines and manufacturing processes as well as quality control and safety procedures. The visitor is aided on his "journey" through two and a half centuries by relevant contemporary images and quotes which flesh out the historical situation

The Art Gallery on the south side of the Friedrichsplatzes contains one of the most important 19th and 20th century collections of paintings and sculptures, the main focus being France and Germany.

The two municipal parks, the Luisenpark and the Herzogenriedpark, are firm favourites with the public, even beyond the city limits. With an area of 41 hectares, the Luisenpark is the bigger of the two. Its history stretches back to the time before 1900. It was laid out between 1892 and 1894 according to the plans of the Siesmeier brothers, Frankfurt landscape gardeners, and was named after the Grand Duchess Luise.

Source on Sights: http://www.mannheim.de/

On transportation:

The main public transportation in the city is Straßenbahn (street cars) and some buses. Every streetcar stop/station has a route map, as well as the timings of arrivals and departures. Many of the stations have automatic ticket dispensers. Tickets can be used in both streetcars and buses. On board, passengers should insert their tickets into the stamp machines located in various points. Controllers are checking for the tickets randomly. Failure to show a ticket will cost the passenger 40 euro. Monthly and yearly cards, as well as individual route maps are also available from the respective transport line offices. I was advised that the passengers with pets should have a license and must purchase a ticket for their pets as well.
A very comprehensive public transport planner is available online. http://efa9.vrn.de/vrn/XSLT_PS_REQUEST2?language=dethis includes various types of transport i.e. streetcars, buses, trains ... When the desired trip is completed, you can print the plan to take with you during the trip. I am personally impressed with its versatility in providing relevant information.

On Shopping:

The city offers a wide range of places to shop: sophisticated boutiques, large chains, small specialist shops and exclusive department stores. There are no vast shopping malls like the ones we know in Asia. One of the things I love about Europe is the atmosphere: the beautiful buildings around, the ground with cobble stones, the outdoor restaurants and coffee bistros, delicacies stalls and the outdoor sitting areas. It's really beautiful! It is important to note that currently the value added tax in Germany is 19%. The prices already include the taxes. So, when an item is costing Euro 20, then you have to pay the same amount. One more thing is that, there are not many Sales Personnel around the shops. It is always a chore to get someone to help you. Somehow it explains why my husband is the last person to ask for assistance. Sometimes it frustrates me when we couldn't find an item in the shop and he refuses to call a sales person for assistance. He would rather spend time trying to find the item than asking for help.

On Dining:

Mannheim offers a diverse range of cuisine, from fine dining to fast food chains. Of course, one thing which one should not miss is the German beer and sausages. Smoking ban in public places is on.