Let's go, ok. But where?

A straight road toward Anza-Borrego desert

The silence is the most impressive thing I found there

What did Gehry smoke that day?

F.Gehry's Disney concert hall in LA

Ok. After almost 2 months spent here, I finally got a car. And I tested it on the San Diego-Los Angeles trip. The weather was not so good, actually almost raining, but along the highway there was one guy who didn't care.. and had the roof of his convertible lowered. That guy had also the fever few days later. That guy was me....but this is another story.

The story I want to talk about is how the parking areas in UCSD are used.
Well, after I returned the group car (the one I used till last week) back to the group secretary, I happily drove my own one towards the student/academic parking area with my brand new $45-for-just-10-days- parking permit. Considering that it was around 11 and everybody was already been working since a long while, all the parking spots were already taken. I was driving around and around giving my contribute to the global warming, when I notice a file of cars waiting at the entrance of the parking area. They didn't seem interested in any free spot hunting. But... actually they did. It works in this way:
- after a while, a good fellow enters the parking area walking. The first car in the file starts following him as a shark behind a surfer. At this point the UCSD speakers usually broadcast the J.Williams theme from jaws movie.. dundu dundu dundu...and so on.
- The guy keeps walking without any pressure at all...he has just a car 10 cm from his back.
- In the meantime the other cars in the file re-arrange themselves.
- The boy finds his car, drives it away.
- There is a free spot. 2 seconds later the shark is onto the spot. Its jaws red of blood.
- You are the (N-1)th in the queue. N is usually a big number around 11 am.

Now my question is: what does it happen if one enters the parking area walking, goes around and then turns back and exits the parking still walking? It would be a funny joke..but probably one can do it only once.

Cheers my friends!

ps: the first goal Superpippa scored was not a regular one. According to the american football fans at least.

California driver handbook

Interstate 280 on September 2005, photo courtesy by Coolcaeser

Things that you should know to pass the written exam for the driver license in California:

- A pedestrian is a person on foot
- Remember, if a pedestrian makes eye contact with, he or she is ready to cross the street. Yield the pedestrian.
- To make a left turn (...) look left, then right, then left again and make the turn when it is safe.
- Do not throw any cigarette, cigar, or other flaming or glowing substance from the vehicle
- Do not allow anyone to ride in the trunk of your vehicle
- Do not ride, or allow a child to ride, a "pocket bike" on a public street or highway. These vehicles are not manufactured or designed for highway use and they do not meet federal safety standards.
- Don't use your horn because you are angry or upset.
- Prevent a potentially violent incident by avoiding eye contact with an angry driver
- Do not shoot firearms on a highway or at traffic signs.
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Cose che e' bene sapere per passare l'esame scritto della patente californiana:
- Un pedone e' una persona a piedi
- Ricorda, se un pedone stabilisce un contatto visivo con te, lui o LEI (i caratteri maiuscoli l'ho aggiunti io) e' pronta per attraversare la strada. Dai la precedenza al pedone
- Per girare a sinistra (...) guarda a sinistra, poi a destra, poi ancora a sinistra e gira quando e' sicuro farlo
- Non gettare sigarette, sigari o altre sostance infiammabili o incandescenti dal veicolo
- Non permettere a nessuno di usare il baule della tua macchina per un passaggio
- Non usare, o permettere a un bambino di usare, una "pocket bike"
(http://www.vintageprojects.com/mini-bike/pocket-bike0002.jpg)
su una strada pubblica o in autostrada. Questi mezzi non sono stati realizzati e progettati per l'uso in autostrada e non rispettano gli standard di sicurezza federali.
- Non usare il clackson perche' sei scocciato o arrabbiato.
- Impedisci incidenti potenzialmente violenti evitando lo sguardo di guidatori arrabbiati.
- Non usare armi da fuoco in autostrada o contro i segnali stradali

recent big improvements to my life
(from left to right)