Steffen Heringhaus

Romanian Diaries III – Bucharest, a Culinary Paradise for Friends

Steffen — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 15:40:25 +0000

Hey guys, today, I am not going hail the Romanian cuisine, even though I am a big fan, but start out with two basic assumptions: The dog is men’s best friend and stray dogs need trash to survive. As Bucharest has plenty of the latter, it features also plenty of the first. And because I do not want to talk bad about my new hometown I prefer to express the situation this way. Yet, Bucharest is much more than this, but let’s start with the beginning.

Casa Poporului - House of Parliament, own Picture

It has been quite I while that I posted the last part of my Romanian diaries, yet that does not mean that there has not been anything to write about. Actually there was plenty and way too much, while I was kinda busy. My favorite hangouts have been Godaddy and forums in the domaining industry (guys and gals making money by selling domains), I gave way to tens of new websites (ironically my own company website is still missing) and moreover, I changed my job and work now for the biggest publisher of the country and thus, moved last fall to Bucharest. Now I can enjoy an awesome view on the House of Parliament (better known as Casa Poporului), to be admired in the picture.

A typical Romanian would probably stress now that it is the nearly largest building of the world, second only to the Pentagon and actually, after 9/11 even the largest (at least I heard so). He will consider it also the right moment to let you know that Bucharest is actually little Paris and does not mind about the fact that there are several other Eastern European capitals which claim this very title for themselves. Indeed, it were in most cases French architects (Paul Gotterau is the first to be mentioned here) who built the most interesting buildings in the Romanian Capital (see here for more examples).

A less known, but extremely well fitting comparison – brought to me by Mihai – is about Bucharest being little Venice. It refers to the poor performance of the local canalization system and the flooded streets after a rain or when snow melts. In collaboration with the potholed streets and sidewalks it indeed resembles little Venice; just that the badly needed boats are missing.

But for several weeks we had snow and several centimeters of ice on the sidewalks as hardly the streets have been cleared. At least not without the very personal intervention of Major Oprescu. After four weeks of discussions whether streets have been cleared or not , Oprescu went out at 3 A.M. to look for himself and afterwards fined all snow clearing companies. One day later the streets looked awesome. The sidewalks instead not, and so people walked on the streets to get to work I for myself have become quite an expert at ice figure skating, but of course I lack the elegance. Bad for me, fun for the viewers.

Better news do not exist right now, as Romania is still being hit hard by crisis. GDP fell last year by some 7.7%, unemployment in Romania is on the rise and many salaries have been reduced. I just witnessed several newspapers being closed and remaining redactors facing the fact to work for 20% – 30% less salary. Just over night. For my German readers I might mention that Nokia actually raised the salaries here by 9% right now, but that’s an exception.

One might argue that it is not Romania’s fault as Romania did not produce the crisis, but – among others – has to suffer the consequences now. Yet, if the guys here had used the years of growth before properly it would not have been that accentuated. For example, the planned and badly needed investments in infrastructure have been delayed all the time and as a result e.g. Mercedes opted in late 2008 for Hungary and their nice highways instead for Romania. Nokia’s suppliers did not come as promised streets haven’t been built, while politicians spent the allocated money for current spending or simply bullshit like the next “feasibility study “ with astonishing prices. And the people here just accept such monkey business instead of kicking those politicians’ asses. It’s the same as with snow clearing, actually.

That is not to say, that here are not good points, too. Romanians, when they happened to criticize something about their country usually start with the assertion they don’t want to generalize anything and close with the conclusion, that there are actually several “honest, hard working and admirable people” in this country, namely on the country side. I have never been good at diplomacy and stuff, neither I am a big fan of the countryside and hard working in subsistence agriculture and thus, I will end this post in a different way: Bucharest is great city; the people here are quite polite and educated and especially much more civilized as their buddies on the countryside (including wannabe cities) tell them to be. And I have the opportunity to work with some of Europe’s best online developers and marketers here. That’s amazing and I really appreciate them and their little Paris.

Cya soon
Stef

Update: We have boats now

The happy dude in the video below is living in a side-district of Bucharest and takes the boat for buying some bread at the corner store

Crocodile Gena’s Birthday and me Running Out of Music

Steffen — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 15:37:14 +0000

The unimaginable happened and I am running out of music. I didn’t even bother to enhance my playlist on Youtube due to a complete lack of time. So I remembered an old favorite of mine, Crocodile Gena’s Birthday song. Gena is a character from an old Soviet animation series for children, the main hero being Cheburshka. Nevertheless, feel free to send me your recommendations via YouTube

Crocodile Gena’s Birthday Song

Let the pedestrians walk clumsily through the puddles
And let the water run over the asphalt in a river.
It’s unclear to the passersby,
On this rainy day,
Why I’m so happy.

But I’m playing the concertina
For all the passersby to see.
Unfortunately,
Birthdays
Only come once a year.

I wish that a wizard
Would fly in, in a light blue helicopter,
And show a movie for free.
He would wish me a happy birthday
And probably, leave as a present
500 ice cream sandwiches.

But I’m playing the concertina
For all the passersby to see.
Unfortunately,
Birthdays
Only come once a year.

Lyrics translation seem to be first posted here

Ofra Haza vs Esther Ofarim: Shecharchoret - שחרחורת

Steffen — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 20:45:15 +0000

The Ofra Haza page on facebook posted today a nice song from Youtube, sung by Ofra Haza and I am gonna repost it here, together with a transliteration from Hebrew and an English translation. As Esther Ofarim has a nice interpretation of this song, too, I include her as well in the post. See for yourself which version do you like better. I admire both.

The very same song sung by Esther Ofarim

Shecharchoret Hebrew Transliteration - Lyrics

Shecharchoret yikre’uni
tzach haya ori
umilahat shemesh kayitz
va’ani shechori

Chorus:
Shecharchoret
yafyafit kol kach
be’einayich esh bo’eret
libi kulo shelach

Shecharchoret yikre’uni
kol yordei hayam
im od pa’am yikre’uni
shuv elech itam

Shecharchoret yikre’eni
ben le’av molech
im od pa’am yikre’uni
acharav elech

Shecharchoret English Translation - Lyrics

The dark girl, they call me
my skin was pure white
from the fire of the summer sun
I am dark

Chorus:
Dark girl
so very beautiful
in your eyes - a burning fire
my heart is all yours

The dark girl, they call me
all those who go down to the sea
if again they call me
I will go with them again

The dark girl, they call me
son to the ruling king
if he calls me again
I will follow him

Credits: Hebrew songs

Tina Karol: Nochen’ka - Тина Кароль - Ноченька

Steffen — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:56:21 +0000

Тина Кароль - Ноченька.

Тина Кароль - Ноченька

Просто так, неожиданно пришел закат,
Ласково ноченька приплыла к нам с того берега,
К шелку уронила.
Что не так? И зачем я так хочу бежать
Долго ли лодочка, ты плыви плыви,
Больно мне помнить

Припев:
Я хочу улететь,
Чтобы высоко и вниз не смотреть,
И за руку тебя милый мой,
Заберу я с собой…
Ты оставил мне след,
По которому, я буду лететь.
И за руку тебя, мой родной,
Заберу я с собой…

Как узнать, что на сердце у тебя, родной,
Милый мой сказкою, превратились наши дни с тобой…
И полюбила
Целовал, каждый вечер мои рученьки,
Говорил “Я с тобой, - не разлей вода”,
Больно мне помнить…

Припев:
Я хочу улететь,
Чтобы высоко и вниз не смотреть,
И за руку тебя милый мой,
Заберу я с собой…
Ты оставил мне след,
По которому, я буду лететь.
И за руку тебя, мой родной,
Заберу я с собой…

Посмотри на небо, и вспомни,
Почему с любовью не спорят,
Попроси кого-то напомнить,
Почему с любовью не спорят…

Припев:
Я хочу улететь,
Чтобы высоко и вниз не смотреть,
И за руку тебя милый мой,
Заберу я с собой…
Ты оставил мне след,
По которому, я буду лететь.
И за руку тебя, мой родной,
Заберу я с собой….

Farmville Cheat with Cows and Dairy Farm

Steffen — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:52:19 +0000

A cheat at Farmville (facebook) and the dairy farm offers you as much cows as you want. All you need is a cow in the gift box, a dairy farm, space for more dairy farms and there you go with your cows… ~~Cheat works currently~~ (does not work any more :(…

I discovered the cheat tonight, however, it seems some others did, too and posted it already. However, I prepared the pictures and so I am gonna post the cheat, too.

The Farmville Dairy Farm Cheat for gratis Cows

The new Farmville dairy farm allows you to store up to 20 cows in one building and to milk them at once. Pretty good, I was anyhow running out of space. Now you need a cow in your gift box and all you have to do is dragging this cow directly into the dairy farm (Gift box > use > select cow > drag it into the dairy farm). There will some green stars flickering that indicate that the cow moves into the farm. Afterwards you will see that there is still one cow left in the gift box as the farmville application obviosly notices the usage only if you drag the cow first somewhere on the ground. So: get them directly into the farm. Have fun with farmville, I just created three new dairies

PS: Another strange thing I just observed is that the three dairies I created some 20 mites ago for the pictures were already ready for harvest. Anybody knows more about that?

Nas featuring AZ, Foxy Brown & Cormega - Affirmative Action - from It Was Written

Steffen — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 19:29:51 +0000

NAS - Affirmative Action. Actually a very old song, but it still fuckin’ rules. The »It was Written« Album was kinda special to me. And after more then 10 years (on my Playlist at least) I am still lovin’ this song and especially this version. Hence, I post it now without video and remix, just the sound and lyrics from Youtube for the sake of old times. Though I hope they never come back

Intro: AZ

This is what… this what they want huh?
This is what it’s all about..
What? Time to take Affirmative Action son
They just don’t understand, youknowImean?
Niggaz comin sideways thinkin stuff is sweet man
Ya know what I mean?
Niggaz don’t understand the four devils:
Lust.. Envy.. Hate.. Jealousy
Wicked niggaz man

AZ the Visualiza
Yo, sit back relax catchin contacts, sip your cog-nac
And let’s all wash this money through this laundry mat
Sneak attack, a new cat sit back, worth top dollar
In fact, touch mines, and I’ll react like a Rottweiler
Who pull the late, we play for high stakes at gunpoint
Catch em and break, undress em tie em with tape, no escape
The Corleone, fettucini Capone
Roam in your own zone or get kidnapped and clapped in your dome
We got it sewn, The Firm art of war is unknown
Lower your tone, face it, homicide cases get blown
Aristocrats, politickin daily with diplomats
See me I’m an official mack, Lex Coupe triple black

Cormega
Criminal thoughts in the blue Porsche, my destiny’s to be the new boss
That nigga Paulie gotta die - he too soft
That nigga’s dead on, a key of heroin, they found his head on
the couch with his dick in his mouth, I put the hit out
Yo, the smoothest killer since Bugsy, bitches love me
And Queens where my drugs be, I wear Guess jeans and rugbies
Yo my people from Medina they will see you
when you re-up on your heater all your cream go betweeen us
Real shit, my Desert Eagle got a ill grip
I chill with, niggaz that hit Dominican spots and steal bricks
My red beam, made a dread scream, and sprayed a Fed team
Corleone be turnin niggaz to fiends
U-Conn’s and ninja black Lexus, ‘Mega the pretty boy
with mafia connections it’s The Firm nigga set it

Nas
Yo, my mind is seein through your design like blind fury
I shine jewelry sippin on crushed grapes, we lust papes
and push cakes inside the casket at Just wake
It’s sickenin, he just finished biddin upstate
And now the projects, is talkin that somebody gotta die shit
It’s logic, as long as it’s nobody that’s in my clique
My man Smoke, know how to expand coke, and Mr. Coffee
Feds cost me two mill’ to get the system off me
“Life’s a Bitch,” but God-forbid the bitch divorce me
I’ll be flooded with ice so hellfire can’t scorch me
Cuban cigars meetin Foxy at Demars
Movin cars, your top papi Senor Escobar

Foxy Brown
In the black Camaro
Firm deep all my niggaz hail the blackest sparrow
Wallabee’s be the apparel
Through the darkest tunnel, I got visions of multimillions
in the biggest bundle, in the Lex pushed by my nigga Jungle
He money bags got Moet, Sean Don
Bundle of sixty-two, they ain’t got a clue what we about to do
My whole team we shittin hard like Czar
Sosa, Foxy Brown, Cormega, and Escobar
I keep a fat marquis piece, laced in all the illest snake skin
Armani sweaters Carolina Hebrera
Be The Firm baby, from BK to the ‘Bridge
My nigga Wiz, operation Firm Biz, so what the deal is
I keep a phat jewel, sippin Crist-ies
Sittin on top of fifty grand in the Nautica Van, uhh!
We stay incogni’ like all them thug niggaz in Marcy
The Gods, they praise Allah with visions of Gandhi
Bet it on, my whole crew is Don Juan
On Cayman Island with a case of Cristal and Papa Chula spoke
Nigga with them Cubans that snort coke
Raw though, an ounce mixed wit leak that’s pure though
Flippin the bigger picture, the bigger nigga with the cheddar
Was mad dripper, he had a fuckin villa in Manilla
We got to flee to Panama, but wait it’s half and half
Keys is one and two-fifth, so how we flip
Thirty-two grams raw, chop it in half, get sixteen, double it times three
We got forty-eight, which mean a whole lot of cream
Divide the profit by four, subtract it by eight
We back to sixteen, now add the other two that ‘Mega bringin through
So let’s see, if we flip this other key
Then that’s more for me, mad coke and mad leak
Plus a five hundred, cut in half is two-fifty
Now triple that times three, we got three quarters of another key
The Firm baby, volume one uhh..

Jay-Z feat. Rihanna & Kanye West - Roc Nation: Run This Town Video and Lyrics

Steffen — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 16:31:17 +0000

Jay-Z makes awesome music, Rihanna does and neither Kanye West isn’t bad. But together they rock and it is all about to “Run this Town”. Awesome clip, awesome performance and on repeat in my playlist. Here is the official video from Youtube, the lyrics and the song. Actually Jay-Z meant to name the song “Off that” and was planned to be performed together with Drake, but later Jay-Z decided to perform it with Rihanna and Kanye West and so the song was released as “Run this Town”. Good decision!

Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West - Run this Town - Lyrics and Video

Rihanna
Feel it coming in the air
Hear the screams from everywhere
I’m addicted to the the thrill (I’m Ready)
It’s a dangerous love affair (C’mon)
Can’t be scaring nickels down
Got a problem, tell me now
Only thing that’s on my mind
Is who gon’ run this town tonight
Is who gon’ run this town tonight
We gon’ run this town

Jay-Z
We are, yeah, I said it, we are
This is Roc Nation, pledge your allegiance
Get y’all fatigues on, all black everything
Black cards, black cars, all black everything
And our girls are blackbirds, riding with they Dillingers
I get more in-depth if you boys really real enough
This is La Familia, I’ll explain later
But for now, let me get back to this paper
I’m a couple bands down and I’m tryna get back
I gave Doug a grip, I lost a flip for five stacks
Yeah, I’m talking five comma six zeroes dot zero ?
Back to running circles ’round niggas, now we squared up
Hold up

Rihanna
Life’s a game but it’s not fair
I break the rules so I don’t care
So I keep doing my own thing
Walking tall against the rain
Victory’s within the mile
Almost there, don’t give up now
Only thing that’s on my mind
Is who gon’ run this town tonight

Heeeeeeeeey heeeeeeay
Heeeeeeeeey heeeeeeay
Who gon’ run this town tonight?

Jay-Z
We are, yeah, I said it, we are
You can call me Caesar, in a dark Caesar
Please follow the leader, so Eric B we are
Microphone fiend, it’s the return of the God, peace God
And ain’t nobody fresher
I’m in Maison, uh, Martin Margiela
On the table, screaming fuck the other side, they jealous
We got a bankhead full of broads, they got a table full of fellas
And they ain’t spendin’ no cake
They should throw they hand in, ’cause they ain’t got no spades
My whole team got dough
So my bankhead is lookin’ like Millionaires’ Row

Rihanna
Life’s a game but it’s not fair
I break the rules so I don’t care
So I keep doing my own thing
Walking tall against the rain
Victory’s within the mile
Almost there, don’t give up now
Only thing that’s on my mind
Is who gon’ run this town tonight

Heeeeeeeeey heeeeeeay
Heeeeeeeeey heeeeeeay
Who gon’ run this town tonight?

Kanye West
It’s crazy how you can go from being Joe Blow
To everybody on your dick, no homo
I bought my whole family whips, no Volvos
Next time I’m in church, please no photos
Police escorts, everybody passports
This the life that everybody ask for
This a fast life, we are on a crash course
What you think I rap for? To push a fuckin’ Rav 4?
But I know that if I stay stunting
All these girls only gon’ want one thing
I could spend my whole life good will hunting
Only good gon’ come is it’s good when I’m coming
She got an ass that’ll swallow up her G-string
And up top, uh, two bee stings
And I’m beasting, off the re-sling
And my nigga just made it out the precinct
We give a damn about the drama that you do bring
I’m just tryna change the color on your mood ring
Reebok, baby, you need to try some new things
Have you ever had shoes without shoestrings?
What’s that, Ye? Baby, these heels
Is that a May-what? Baby, these wheels
You trippin’ when you ain’t sippin’, have a refill
You feelin’ like you run it, huh?
Now you know how we feel

Jay-Z
Wha’sup?
Rihanna
Heeeeeeeeey heeeeeeay
Heeeeeeeeey heeeeeeay
Jay-Z
Wha’sup?

Rihanna
Heeeeeeeeey heeeeeeay
Heeeeeeeeey heeeeeeay
Who gon’ run this town tonight?

Jay-Z
Wha’sup?

Jagged Edge feat. Run DMC - Let’s Get Married - Lyrics and Video

Steffen — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 16:28:53 +0000

Jagged Edge feat. Run DMC’s song Let#s get married is somewhat older, actually I listened to it some three years ago for the first time and for some reason Jay-Z and Rihanna happened to remind me about that song.
So: it’s added to my playlist, here are the video (Youtube) and the lyrics as usual, here is the song: Jagged Edge and RUN DMC. Let’s get married.

Jagged Edge feat. Run DMC - Let’s Get Married - Lyrics and Video

See first of all, I know these so called players wouldn’t tell you this
But, Imma be real and say what’s on my heart
Lets take this chance to make this love feel relevant
Didn’t you know I loved you from the start yeah

Then I think about, all the years we put in this relationship
Who knew we’d make it this far
Then I think about,where would I be if we were to just fall apart
And I can’t stand the thought of losing you

Chorus:
Meet me at the altar in your white dress
We ain’t gettin no younger we might as well do it
Been feelin’ you all the while girl I must confess
Girl let’s just get married I just want to get married

Meet me at the alter in your white dress
We ain’t gettin no younger we might as well do it
Been feelin’ you all the while girl and I must confess
Lets get married

Said I done it all, but frankly girl I’m tired of this emptiness
I wanna come home to you and only you
Cause making love to just anyone ain’t happenin’
I just gotta be with you
Did you think about, us finishing something we started so long ago
I wanna give you my all
And did you think about, maybe us having some babies
come on wont you be my lady
forever girl

im ready to commit to you
and i just cant wait for that night
cuz i need you here with me,
and lets start a family

Farmville - Extend my Farm! :D

Steffen — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 08:23:07 +0000

Farmville on Facebook keeps changing and has new features. However, I badly want to extend my farm, but the function is still locked for the mighty plantage. Maybe because Farmville got 11 million users now (per day), what is great on the other hand. Though it slowed the server obviously down. It has obviously outdriven FarmTown and the farmville community on facebook is growing. There are also some really good new posts on the game, personally I liked a lot the posts on Farmville Economics by Adam Nash.

On the other hand, I got somewhat upset with farmville in the last time. This is because of many things:

New Harvester:
The new harvester is an awesome machine I wanted to have for a long time and it is doing a great job. Harvest as fast as you plow with a tractor. However, you do not get extra fuel for it and it will take the same fuel as the tractor. As I expanded my farm to 20×20 already some time ago, even the tractor has not enough fuel to plow the whole field. So, I divided my farm in three parts, all planted with sunflowers, which ripen at different times so the fuel can be refilled meanwhile. However, it is still not enough to plow and harvest all the subfields with the machines, and however was not quite the idea when I bought them.

My farm is running out of space. I added a lot of friends dedicated to farmville and receive a bunch of gifts every day. I also built some stuff like Tool Shed, the rest tent, a cottage and a grain silo (though I am not into grain tarde, hehe) in order to get more experience and to reach level 25 (sunflowers :D). Well, the result is my farm running out of space and the extension to 22×22 is locked, though I have enough friends.

Well, currently I still manage my farm life but it is getting somewhat boring without opportunities for significant development in the game (unlock the big ole plantation and the mighty plantation zynga dudes!). Furthermore I want to employ staff as I am going to holidays on friday and I will not visit my farm for a week then. Somebody should do the work there?!

The super berries disappered as quick as the came. What a pitty, they have been quick cash, but as my farm is running out of space I cannot invest more money right now whatsoever.

Here a small gallery of my farm.

Last but not least I recommend the posts of Adam Nash about Farmville Economics:

Farville Economics Part I Farmville Economics Part II

I liked these posts a lot, hope you do, too and now have fun with farming

Pink - Please Don’t Leave Me - Lyrics and Video - Remix

Steffen — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 16:46:52 +0000

I dunno what happend to Pink - or to me. When I heared their first songs I didn’t like her too much, now she releases on song after another I like a lot Well, here we go with the third single of her fifth album (ya, good to know, eh?) and actually, in the form of another remix brought to us via Youtube. Pink - Please don’t leave me :D…

P!nk - Please Don’t Leave Me - Lyrics

Da da da da, da da da da
Da da da da-da da

I don’t know if I can yell any louder
How many time I’ve kicked you outta here?
Or said something insulting?
da da da da-da
I can be so mean when I wanna be
I am capable of really anything
I can cut you into pieces
But my heart is….broken

Da da da-da da
Please don’t leave me
Please don’t leave me
I always say how I don’t need you
But it’s always gonna come right back to this
Please, don’t leave me

How did I become so obnoxious?
What is it with you that makes me act like this?
I’ve never been this nasty
Can’t you tell that this is all just a contest?
The one that wins will be the one that hits the hardest
But baby I don’t mean it
I mean it, I promise

Da da da-da da
Please don’t leave me
Da da da-da da
Please don’t leave me
Da da da-da da
I always say how I don’t need you
But it’s always gonna come right back to this
Please, don’t leave me

I forgot to say out loud how beautiful you really are to me
I can’t be without, you’re my perfect little punching bag
And I need you, I’m sorry.

Da da da da, da da da da
da da da da-da da
Please, please don’t leave me

Baby please don’t leave me
No, don’t leave me
Please don’t leave me no no no
You say I don’t need you but it’s always gonna come right back,
It’s gonna come right back to this.
Please, don’t leave me.
No.
No, don’t leave me
Please don’t leave me, oh no no no.
I always say how I don’t need you
But it’s always gonna come right back to this

Please don’t leave me
Please don’t leave me