Ariel Schapiro’s Blog

Last Thursday was the time for Argentina to launch Visual Studio 2008, SQL Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008. This event was part of the launches wave that started back on the 27th of February when Steve Ballmer presented those products in Los Angeles California.

This event in particular associated the heroes happen {here}campaign with a popular sport in Argentina: the soccer. The main event was a soccer match between professional soccer players and a team made of Microsoft developers and IT pro’s. As part of a big analogy, the software team used Windows Server 2008 on their defense, SQL Server 2008 on their middle field and Visual Studio 2008 on their offensive and that strategy allowed them to won the match.

Some pictures from the event

Soccer match between professional soccer players and a team made of Microsoft developers and IT pro’s. You can see Alejandro Ponicke as a DT in the background.

Jorge Garcia, Augusto Alvarez, Matias Woloski, Ezequiel Glinsky, Johnny Halife and me: watching the soccer match.

Augusto Alvarez, Paulo Arancibia, Miguel Saez, me and Johnny Halife

I’ve been tagged by Matí­as Woloski and Julian dominguez. As part of this game, I have to reveal five things about me that most people don’t know and then pass the ball by tagging 5 more people.

1. I’m 25 years old, I live in Buenos Aires, Argentina and work for Southworks. I’m finishing my software engineering studies at the University of Buenos Aires.

2. Some sports: Being a kid, I used to play chess like a mad (I even played in some tournaments). Then I kicked the chess board and started playing tennis (also like mad). After some years of competitions I changed my tennis racquet for a couple of rowing oars: at around 15 years old I joined a rowing team and this time we rowed like mad! (training from 6 to 9 times a week). During the week we used to row at night, after school. It was one of the greatest experiences in life: a healthy mix of sport, team work, hard work and travel around the country. Now I’m not as much as a sports man but I started playing squash on a weekly basis.

3. I love traveling: if possible, every time to a different place. This planet has a lot of very diverse places, cultures, people… Followed by that motivation I visited places like Spain, Portugal, France, England, Scotland, Nederland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Belgium, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, United States, Mexico, Chile. Since my girlfriend loves traveling as much as I do, she also joined me (or I joined her ?) traveling through Costa Rica, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil…and Argentina. Still there is a lot to visit…

4. I love sushi: my girlfriend shares this passion too, so some months ago we bought a rice maker and when we have some spare time we make (and eat!) our own niguiris, and makis.

5. Some sports, part II: I jumped out of an airplane once (hopefully with a parachute) and landed on a Mexican beach. Another once in a lifetime thing I did was jumping from a crane with a rope tied to my legs (some call that "bungee jumping"). A more lasting practice I enjoy a lot is snorkeling (another common thing with my girlfriend :)): when I get the chance I can be in the sea for hours…maybe because is difficult to jump from the water?

Now is my turn to tag. I pass the ball to Ezequiel Bella, Fred Chong, Marty collins, Mariano Szklanny and Jony Menasches.