Here I am in a real world....

Special Movies

2011-11-05T00:25:00.000-07:00

This movie has been sit in my waiting list for a long time. Until a few days ago, finally I got a chance to finish it. I was amazed by the director - Nicolas Winding Refn and the actor - Ryan Gosling. For such a simple store, just above love, violence, gangsters, and driving, However, they could do it in such way that as slow as possible and as beautiful as possible, especially Ryan so calm, quite, and those killing smile. For the color, I felt a little awkward which might be done on purpose for the special rhythm. After I finish this movie, a strong feeling of watching all Ryan's other movies remains for a long time. He seems to have such power to make you feel calm by just watching his eyes.

Dolphin is one of my favorite animal. I remember when people ask me if you have a power to change yourself into other form of life, what you would like to be. Dolphin will definitely be my answer. I like this movie not just because of Dolphin but all the spirit from the kids. Somehow, only child has such strong will to keep doing things what he think is right. As adults, sometimes, we just lost ourselves and impede by so call "common sense". The result is we give up too soon. While on the other hand, we are trying so hard on something that not suppose to be stubborn. We need to learn to find a balance for ourselves, also for other people.

Return to Blogger

2011-10-07T11:51:00.000-07:00

When I was kid, I used to like writing, especially novels and random staff for my life. All of suddenly, I found it becomes really hard for me to write, not just for paper, also for just daily life thoughts. Technology really shortens my attention. We have cellphones that I can write down anything on twitter or social media. The desire to well sort and write down my thoughts keeps been interrupted and stopped. It is a really bad habit.

Talking about writing down thoughts, most of people told me it helps a lot when you have some great idea that you do not want it to just losing in the wind. You need to write them down in a notebook and keeps reminding yourself and realize it. The first thought, we have google doc, TBD, task, all kinds of technology, why do we need a notebook. It turns out we indeed need it. Or life will just like running water. Without carefully planning and reorganizing, sometimes, I do waste my time.

Another thoughts comes from recent research experience. Due to the computer science major, almost everything in my area evolves really fast. Sometimes, documentation becomes a burden. But documentation is the only way to communicate with developer and user. So the result is forum. It seems hard for me to describe my problem in a simple way that other people can understand. I need more practices I think. The better way to analogy or metaphor your work into a simple scenario needs thoughtful insight and well understanding the hinge of your problem.

It is always nice to find out your weakness and always hard to keep track of it and improving yourself. I would like to use this method to remind me and keep working on it.

Nobel Peace Prize

2010-10-08T10:53:00.001-07:00

I was quite excited about the news that the Nobel Peace Prize has given to Xiaobo Liu this morning. After I got to lab, on Twitter and my email box, there were full of congratulation messages and joy for the right choice of Nobel Prize Committee. Also, another news was about the China's official condemnation and disappointed comments from people both in China and outside.

I tried to write something down in my Chinese blog. At the time, I tried to save my draft, I found that lots of words are sensitive words I can't use in my blog. Moreover, I can't publish my blog directly before it is passed the censor. Of course, this is the normal way how Chinese government uses to avoid public consensus.

This might be the first example that a nation or the official government is not honored about its citizen won the first Nobel Prize. Even some Chinese immigrants had won Nobel Prize but in the sense of nationality, they are not Chinese. This is the first Nobel Prize for Chinese people. There is no flower or applause but the forbidden words and expression. Disappointment can't express how Chinese people feel now. Even worse, if you search the Nobel Peace Prize, there is no directly positive news in China. Chinese government might blockade the news.

A few days ago, the blackmail behavior of Chinese government made many people scorned about such a huge and powerful rising government would use this kind of scheme to make other people agree with its opinion on its human right issue. It reminds me the bullies in middle school. If it is a common sense that this behavior is defective for the development of children, then why those governors are not able to see this.

Xiaobo Liu might not be known by most of the later 80s' and 90s' generation because of lack of information resources and that period of history is distorted by the official. In the long time, my history teacher told me that most of history is written by the current authority, and they normally leave the evidences which will benefit them. This is the reason truth is berried under somewhere no one is able to find it. The results might be lost of ability to distinguish right or wrong, although for some case, the line between them is blur.

Most people expected that Nobel Peace Prize is able to give Chinese people power to fast its sluggish reform in human rights, and it is a very challenge to Chinese government. It might trigger curiosity and interest for normal Chinese to dig out his records and that special history. It might arouse ordinary people to start to fight for their rights and make the Charter 08 more publicly. It might provide a breach of China's restricted sensor system. However, what will happen next fully depends on how millions of ordinary people react to this and how much they would sacrifice for the freedom of right.

Key victory to same-sex marriage

2010-08-05T09:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, a federal judge changed the history of gay rights who struck down a California ban on same-sex marriages as unconstitutional. This action might affect all over the country or even the world. Now the Propsition 8 moves to a higher court.

Although this success is not the final victory, it gives people hope after the Prop 8 passed in November 2008, which damped down gay right supporters . In comparison, I did not hear any news from China gay rights advocates. Even one of the famous blog writter turned to other topic. When it comes the time, people have the freedom of believe, they should have the freedom to express their nature.

World cup and the sun

2010-07-11T22:03:00.001-07:00

Walking out from the bar, I found the sky became blue and the sun came out. Everything shined in golden and bright color. Before I came to Santa Monica, I dreamed that I am able to watch sunset and sunrise whenever I want. Although I find out it might not be possible for the sunrise, for the bus service is not provided before 5am, the sunset would be possible. Don't need to beg for anyone to drive me to any place for just 10 minutes miracle or worry about my time schedule conflicted with others.

After coming back from "Cyrus" yesterday, I had a conversation with my roommate about the movies -- "before sunrise" and "before sunset". First, I want to talk about that special theater, it is located opposite to my office on the 2nd street. It is a small theater but only puts on independent movies and art house, not like normal commercial ones. I got this information from Nick on the first day of work. I guess we might like the same type of movie. For those two movies, they are two of my favorite movies in my life, which might be scorned by other people for greedy about romance or not real life. For me, they are real life, just like the movie itself from dream, novel to real life takes nice years.

I need to learn how to finding the center of my life in myself, the sun of my sky in my heart. Then there will be sunshine everyday even those I can't see the sun which is just there on the other side of the cloud or 10 miles away from my location.

love is ....

2010-07-11T21:57:00.000-07:00

Those cute pictures were love letters from a cute couple, which are widely spread to express what is love. Thanks for sharing with me. It made me smile as the sunshine in life in this cloudy day.

Need sunshine

2010-07-09T22:16:00.000-07:00

This is the second week at Santa Monica, a city supposed to be full of sunshine and sea view.
This is the second week that I did not stay in the sunshine in this city.
This is the second week of actually real work.
This is the second week began to receive friends' phone call from South Africa and China.
This is the second week left kaixin001.
This is the second week kept missing sending out the invitation letter to professors.
This is the second week ....
Talked with googler, began to understand their life status and understood what is the meaning between life and work. We could talk about economic statistical model, psychology test, agile programming, all the new technologies, families, cookings. Everyone seems to know what they want in life, which is a quite positive influence.

Miss sunshine and the favor of sun. Before I came here, I thought I could watch sunset and sunrise whenever I want. However, current situation made me homesick....

North California travel

2010-05-16T11:32:00.000-07:00

The trip for North California, I am always expecting.
Still did not get my drive license, still not find a group to join to begin the adventure.
Still dreaming....

One day, I might be on the the Pacific Coast Highway, go to Yosemite National Park for its fantastic landscape and beautiful falls, Hearst Castle for one of the famous castle in America, though I might take long for me to be able to go those castles like in fairy tell in Europe , Napa Valley, the The birthplace of California wine as in the movie of 'Sideways' and San Fransisco, special culture, Victorian architecture, California Academy of Sciences museum and famous bay area and redwood.

uniform random generator

2010-04-12T08:49:00.000-07:00

The last interview asked about the random number generator. The problem is that given a uniform random generator which will generate random number from 0 to m-1, you need to come up with a uniform random generator from 0 to n-1 which n > m. I did the normal way as I started the C++, using

number = (rand() % (max - (min - 1))) + min.

However, the modular operation destroy the uniform distribution.
We need to make the distribution untouched. The interviewer told me that any math operation will destroy the distribution. Think about it carefully. I think he was wrong. There is a way to over come it and using arithmetic operations:

number = (rand() * (float(max - min) / RAND_MAX)) + min.

Another reason of not using modular is that in the pseudo random generator, it uses lower bits in the random value. However the reality is the lower bits are less random than higher bits. If you want a uniform distribution, it is not a good idea to use lower bits.

How to Train Your Dragon

2010-04-09T13:02:00.000-07:00

The side effect of watching this movie is to remind me the intimate feeling with pets. On Wed, a lot of friends get together and hang around. All of suddenly, we started to talk about pets which ringed the bell of Dandan and other pets I had before. This is a great movie, however a little bit too short. Even the story is simple, still worthy watching it, especially the feeling it brought you.

Here is the OST , quite great. They used an orchestra and quite a long of different music element. Enjoy it :)

The Marriage of Figaro

2010-02-28T20:18:00.000-08:00

The collaboration by Mozart and Da Ponte, "The Marriage of Figaro " is a comic opera, which gave me the thought that UCR's students are so great that there are people who can fulfill the ability of the soprano and baritone. Well the result was they adapted it into a play. They combined a lot of modern elements and music style, still quite amazing.

At night, when trying to talk with DD about the play, she did not remember we listen part of the opera when we were at college. Sad..... She can't share my joy.

Well, again confirmed that I need to learn English harder, it was quite difficult to understand them while they trying to talk with expression and kind of sing while talking. I guess if I did not know anything about it before I went to watch the play, it might ruin all my passion.

All right, English learning, you are on my urgent agenda now. Hope I can understand better next time.

Don't give up - google

2010-01-16T11:35:00.000-08:00

I am kind of surprised about the Google China's decision, because a lot of global enterprises, once they decided to enter the important emerging market of China, need to be ready to adapt to all kinds of invisible rules or laws, such as the censorship and taxation. I heard that one friend was curious about my attitude about it, and some lab mates discussed it in lab as well.

From my opinion, firstly, I have the same feeling with ZZ. Google China does not set up firmly and positive image in China, because of the scandal of plagiarism of the Chinese input product - Goolge pinyin. And as far as I known, Google China did not release any popular, useful products respect to Chinese market which can actually efficiently change Chinese user's surfing habits. And most of the things they did, according to a lot of people's eyes, just translate all the popular products into Chinese. But Google China still is one of the best dream working places for all computer science college students. Even though, a lot of them felt disappointed about those scandals comparing with its famous slogan - "Don't be evil".

As for the censorship, I remember a lot of web sites we can't get access. However, some of them might have cached page in Google search engine. That's the first time, I felt that there were still some people fighting against it. And I appreciated it. Now it announced to quit Chinese market. I don't know it is the sorrow of Chinese people or the giant company.

Last year, Chinese government enforcedly blocked a lot of Google's service during the insurrection of Urumqi and the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square event, as well as a lot of other websites, such as Facebook and Twitter. Even the e-mail services were sacrificed during certain period. As a company, facing those unfair situation will affect their efficiency of operation. But all the Chinese people are standing at your site.

China has more than 300 million people on-line everyday. If they can just get all the information from the filtered news or stories. The fairy tell - The emperor's new suit, might the most suitable description for the situation. I hope Chinese people would have more speech freedom, but there should be a way to give their channel to express. Right now the organism of Chinese government is kind of loss this function. Even though the media power is not the pivot of solving these problem, at least, it will arise public attention for those are still willing to devote themselves on the current Chinese situation.

Riverdance

2010-01-10T14:58:00.000-08:00

If only using one word to describe, it is fantastic. Quite incredible marvelous, the performance is. Although it does not include all the traditional sounds, still excellent for its dancing, orchestra and singing. All those three elements combines quite fluently. While I guess there is misunderstanding for Riverdance that most people think it is just about Irish step dancing, excluding fast-paced step dancing Riverdance actually contains passionate and powerful Spanish flamenco dancing, elegant ballet, and emotional modern dancing. The orchestra has a lot of my favorite instruments well, such as violin, tambourine, scottish bagpipe, flute. Moreover the stage scenery is amazing too.

Although driving to San Diego back and forth is painful, it is quite worthy. Thanks DC :)

The side effect is quite hard to fall asleep after coming back. While closing my eyes, I can still see those passion steps and dreamlike blue stage scenery.

Walking

2009-12-19T13:34:00.000-08:00

It is Christmas season again. After dinner, wondering around the apartment, I walked alone. It is quite different. Because most of apartments are empty, no lights, no sounds, no people. Stepping on the fallen leaves, I was in enormous homesickness. Normally, in this situation, I might just fill myself with movies, music or novels, which did not work last night. Simple letter and greeting ignite the homesickness from bottom of my heart, wantonly expanding everywhere.

It snowed in my hometown and the fragrance plum blossom might penetrate the whole city. Quite strange, last week, when I was in botanic garden, I seemed to smell it. Effect of my subconscious, could be.

Avatar

2009-12-18T23:40:00.000-08:00

Quite excited to watch the premiere, I was. The more I heard about it, the more I desired to watch it, not only because it is a ten years' masterpiece James Cameron, but also for the sound track. I guess this movie is quite suitable for theater or the people have a really fascinating sound studio at home.

As for the story, I might be just so so. This kind of material or story definitely was used before, though I can't remember the specific name. From the beginning, you probably know what will happen next. The whole point of movie is not the story, but all the CG effects with quite harmonious music to create a whole new world, a spiritual world.

Sometime, it is really hard to decide to be the people we want or just ourselves. One might come from the requirement of race, country, society, family or friend; one comes from our heart. How many of us can really tell the reality from dream and have real action, not just wait to be waken up.

PS. I was surprised of the release speed of the OST and thanks for those people who share this fabulous CD.

Inland Etude

2009-11-29T18:56:00.000-08:00

This is something, of which if you don't do now, you won't do it forever.

This is a quite famous line from the independent movie Inland Etude, which I like a lot, not only because of the sea, music, story, but also for the soul. It is a kind of idea of mini-retirement, which allows you to do the things you desired to do. If you just plan it without any real action, it will just always stay in your dream. Don't be too lazy or negative for your short life. Make it colorful and different.

There is the trailer for the movie, quite a powerful movie for your soul.

Something about expectation

2009-11-28T21:18:00.000-08:00

It has been a quite since I changed the online statement to "lower expectation or no expectation". I think it is a great to learn to be appreciated others no matter what they do and a kind of secret ingredient to become happier. Think about it clearly. It is true indeed that when people get upset or sad, for most cases it is because what they expect does not happen. As for me, I just take everything serious including whatever people tells me. Therefore I need to keep reminding myself to lower expectation or no expectation on others because when they say something or do something, they might not be sure or take it serious enough as me. Well we might be able to take it as another way to become more independent. But after trying for a while, when things happened, I guess I still can't do it for most of time. It is so hard to change the way we used to think.

When I was kids, my mother always told me to lower expectation on myself. I guess it is quite different from other parents especially when it comes to the grade or performance in school. Well I appreciated it a lot, because I know she just didn't want to give me a lot of pressure and wanted me to choose the right thing to do not just aimed at one target. For some cases, grade was nothing but a number on your school report. Different interpretation will give definitely various results.

Therefore I guess I might have lower expectation on others as well. But it is not the truth. Because from DD and ZZ, I confirmed one thing that I did have a lot of expectations on others especially those people who are important for me. Therefore it is easy to them to turn me into upset comparing with other people. That's the reason people keep saying that it is easy to get hurt by the people who are close to you. For most of cases, I think it is just like that double-edged sword which will hurt all of us which is the situation I am working so hard to get prevented from.

I guess I owned a lot of apologies to those people who love me and care me. Even if they did something wrong, they were not desired to get sad or upset because of me. As a human being, learning to be appreciated of others is a great way to become happy which will do good to others as well as himself. Then why not? :) I will Keep on working on it.

metamorphoses

2009-11-28T20:16:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time since I watched the stage play in China. From the campus newspaper I Just known that the UCR theater department would offer a lot of plays during quarters. A lot of those are quite great, while the only difference is that watching player here seems quite official. They sells tickets just like watch movie in the theater and it costs more than watching a movie.

It was quite lucky that day, because it was the last show, for some reason they reduced the number of shows. And we went to the wrong theater, so almost missed it. But quite luckily, we got some company and figured out the right place.

The stage and the decoration were quite amazing. There was a small pool in the middle of stage for the play is related to water a lot. It is a fantastic idea to have a small pool, quite consistent with the original play.

As to the "Metamorphoses",it is a play by American playwright Mary Zimmerman adapted from the classic Ovid poem, Metamorphoses (poem). I read some of those story from the original Metamorphoses when I was kid, and some of those from GRE worlds. Well the first time to watch the adapted version, kind of out of expectation.

From all the vignettes, I liked the one about Eros and Psyche best. Even though those two main actors did not speak any words, the whole story was narrated by "Q" and "A". Eros and Psyche stands for love and sole, which are quite appropriate explanation of the relationship between those. And only through blind yourselves, you can finally fall into a deep love.

And another things, watching the play seemed to be the requirement for some courses according to the survey after the play which is sad ....

Wake Me Up When September Ends

2009-10-05T13:21:00.000-07:00

It has been long since I updated it last time. Now in the middle of the Chinese National Day and Mid-autumn Day, suddenly found that I am in Oct. I really need to be waken up.

Thanks for all my friends who wrote me letters during this special holiday and help me a lot. Summer is over and new school year begins. New journey and adventure are waiting for me. I will always carry on with my smile coz I have all your supports. Really appreciated.

"Wake Me Up When September Ends"

Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
wake me up when September ends

like my father's come to pass
seven years has gone so fast
wake me up when September ends

here comes the rain again
falling from the stars
drenched in my pain again
becoming who we are

as my memory rests
but never forgets what I lost
wake me up when September ends

summer has come and passed
the innocent can never last
wake me up when September ends

ring out the bells again
like we did when spring began
wake me up when September ends

here comes the rain again
falling from the stars
drenched in my pain again
becoming who we are

as my memory rests
but never forgets what I lost
wake me up when September ends

Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
wake me up when September ends

like my father's come to pass
twenty years has gone so fast
wake me up when September ends
wake me up when September ends
wake me up when September ends

consciousness

2009-08-08T14:53:00.000-07:00

There will be no two peoples who explains the situation in the same way. Most of those opinion or consciousness comes from your previous experiences, knowledge, memory, current requirement, value, belief or future target, therefore none of them would be same and people will form their special and personal views for current situation.

What kind of mental development we really want and we are willing to have?

society and economy

2009-08-08T13:33:00.000-07:00

A about a week ago, while some friends asked me about my opinion about the future of China and the attitude toward Taiwan, we seemed to have quite a different perspective.

For most Taiwanese, they supported that Taiwan is an independent country. But surprisedly, one of them agreed with me that Taiwan is a part of China. Though I am not sure whether or not he will claim himself as an Canadian, therefore he could just say that because it is none of his business to participate in this embroilment. But I did appreciate his agreement. For the other question most of them just agreed that China will have a prosperous future and will be stronger and more powerful.

While in my opinion, I do a agree that Taiwan is definitely a part of China and is an indispansible part, however it is part of China not part of Republic of China. And for the second question, I am not sure whether or not China will become stronger and more prosperous, but I do believe that if it develops along the same way it goes not without dramatically change, the distance between rich and poor will becomes increasingly larger. And the society will become more corrupt, then it will give birth to disaster to the whole society as well as the culture and the future.

For long time ago, I always consider corruption as an individual moral issue. Recently, I do agree with the Venus project that corruption is just a kind of the basis of this society manipulated by the current monetary system. No matter how harder we try, we can not cope with those latent and underlying rules driven by the profit and the nature of the structure of this system, as well as the nature of the greedy and pursuit of the power and benefits.

Looking at current society, most the politicians wear expensive suit, talking about all kinds of notions what a society will be or promised to be. They seldom care about the basic education in rural area or the sustained environment. The most they care is how to maintain their position or the profit of their company by whom they are supported. Maybe for Adam Smith, a society promoted by the profit will become a wealth nature, but some part of those idea society is falling because of those corruption and nature of the persistence of the current system, which makes innovation much more difficult and hopeless. A lot of social issues, such as energy, education, crime and even religious issue, maybe from certain perspective, all can be considered as an corruption which is the sources of evils of this monetary system.

Mad World from Alex Parks

2009-07-21T14:36:00.000-07:00

During these days, a lot of sounds which were in my listening music lists long time ago keep jumping into my ears. Talking with my friends, he told me to be more sensitive, while he is in a kind of mass situation, considering talking with friends as an addictive medicine to heal his soul and heart. After that, I randomly heard this sound.

Then suddenly, it rang the bell of the movie -- Donnie Darko.

This is the epilogue track of that movie. Even I heard this sound before I watched that movie, the first impression was just that movie, also including lots of sad news I read from google reader, about the real situation of Chinese and those infinite people who are at the bottle of the society which looks like rich and prosperous.

The signature line of one of my friends was that a government with a lot of people who know nothing about laws prevent those people who is professional of laws to do there business. I know he refers to the news that several lawyers who handle difficult human rights causes have been unable to renew their licenses.

What a kind of mad world ......

A special day

2009-07-07T22:33:00.000-07:00

This is a day that we said farewell to MJ once the king of the pop star in primary and junior school.

This is a day that the news about the armed forces of Chinese government randomly shot citizens to suppress the riots in Xinjiang and all the ways of communication were cut off were reported worldly.

This is a day that 72 years ago, Japan invaded China, but I heard nothing monumental activities in China.

What a special day! What a special government!

Knowing & Public Enemies

2009-07-07T11:28:00.000-07:00

Because of Johnny Depp, I went to watch Public Enemies.

Actually, this movie has a lot of famous stars, such as Marion Cotillard and Bale. I can't imagine the changes between “La Môme” to this elegant and beautiful and loyal lady of Marion Cotillard. Their love story is a kind of unreal. But the sound and movement effect is quite great, especially the scene of the old 30's America. And Depp is so cool as usual, well performed as an bank-gangster. The whole story is kind of sad with the ending. That loneliness and betrayal will stay for a long time.

Because of Nicolas Cage, I downloaded Knowing.

After watching this morning, the greatest impression comes from the Beethoven's Seventh Symphony movement 2, in the part that Cage was in memory of his wife with a glass of wine in the basement.

And this topic originally roots in the 2012 doomsday prediction of the Maya civilization, quite famous for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. The Mayan calendar precisely predict the earth geomagnetic reversal and the eclipse in 1972. And those two accidents in the movie actually were real just with time shift. But the whole issue lies in whether or not you believe life comes from other planet with the help of aliens not just a series of coincidences. Well if it really happens, just do as what Cages did in this catastrophe -- holding the people you love.

Simple Life

2009-07-06T13:14:00.001-07:00

Suddenly a line comes from my mind.

Life is nothing but life is everything.

Quite true, just the way, the time, maybe the people you with are different, the answer is diverse.

For me, life goes back to simple since today, and even not, I will let it be a cup of tea, music, movie, yoga, badminton and papers of course.

Back from the trip to China, to home, it seems leave me some kind of thoughts, lingering around me for days.

A lot of things happened long time ago, but I just knew them. A lot of things were planned for so long and will happen in near future, but I just got it. Maybe the jet lag is not just for time, but also for life.

Architecture with Math From guardian.co.uk

2009-07-06T13:03:00.000-07:00

The Chandigarh Legislative Assembly building in India. French architect Le Corbusier used, you've guessed it, Fibonacci numbers to create interesting geometry

From Here I am in a real world....

The GCHQ-Government Communications Headquarters building in Cheltenham. The aforementioned torus

From Here I am in a real world....

The Villa Rotonda, Vicenza, Italy, designed by Andrea Palladio. The proportions perfect whole number ratios like harmonics, giving rise to the phrase 'frozen music'

From Here I am in a real world....

City Hall, headquarters of the Greater London Assembly. Not just a favourite hangout of Boris Johnson, but also a distorted sphere

From Here I am in a real world....

Grande Arche de la Defense in Paris. Shadow of a 4D cube

From Here I am in a real world....

La Geode in Paris. A huge silver sphere

From Here I am in a real world....

the Grand National rollercoaster at Pleasure Beach in Blackpool was a möbius strip

From Here I am in a real world....

The Frank Gehry Guggenheim museum in Bilbao. An example of Riemanian geometry

From Here I am in a real world....

The Parthenon in Athens uses the golden ratio. To stunning effect

From Here I am in a real world....

The Sage Music centre in Gateshead is made from 27 pieces of a torus

From Here I am in a real world....

Egypt: pyramid

From Here I am in a real world....

Great inspiration sometimes comes from the beauty of Math

block all google service :(

2009-06-24T08:58:00.001-07:00

Back from the movie "Transformers", I found all the google services
were blocked by GFW, even including gmail. I have to use tor or other
methods to check email.

Early before, all the news about the Green Dam and the block of google
abroad searching service flooded all Chinese web sits , as well as
forum and blocks. Now it seems upgrade into another level :(

After the movie – "transformers", my friends just talked about some
scene about China was cut by the authority. None of them are related
about eroticism, violence or politics. Then why? Is it just to
remember us their existence and their power or right to choose what we
can see and what we can accept?

GFW …….. So disappointed.

google gears & douban API

2009-06-23T21:16:00.001-07:00

Douban is the place where I used to search books, music or movies. I guess a lot of people might have the same problem that after searching, downloading them, a great category strategy and a huge disk are the things you need for them. And most people want to set up an mapping between douban searching results and local files.

Then douban API can be used to reply the request of searching. The relation of the mapping between search results and local files will be stored in the database, as well as the files themselves. The Google Gears will supply an local link referred to the file. This is a quite great and convenient idea and application.

It seems web application will definitely become the new power of the software evolution. This might be the beginning of the new era, since the google app engine published, increasing applications appeared to change the life of surfing Internet.

H1N1 In China

2009-06-23T01:01:00.001-07:00

Before I flied back, I heard a lot of the emergency strategy for H1N1. I was examined temperature twice on plane, and filled a table of my detail address and phone number, even my future seven days plan. Actually, long before that, there was some one visit my parents and asked them to make me stay at home for seven days. Except that, you can find the propaganda for H1N1 everywhere. There are some Leaflets at the first floor.

Maybe due to the reason of SARS, China has raised the level of protection. There is an saying populated from the China civil war, quite suitable to describe this situation -- Preferring to kill 300 people by mistake, not let anyone escape. If there is only one people on plane had abnormal temperature, all the people on plane will be quarantined.

A lot of people comment it as a political show and overdo for the reality. And in Chinese medicine perspective, the H1N1 is related to the change of weather, nothing big deal. And people should be peace with it as well as with nature, no panic no trepidation.

From today's newspaper, there was a news that duet to the huge cost of quarantine and treatment. The government changed the policy. Government will only take care of the people who is serious sick. And the other people should be cured by local hospital, quite ironical comparing to the attitude before.

Up

2009-06-09T20:25:00.000-07:00

The first time to watch the preview was before the movie of "Coraline", with fresh impression of the blue sky and colorful balloons. From the same Pixar for "Wall-E", the movie is quite cozy but sad at the beginning part which is about 10 minutes flashback of memory. Their life is simple without the adventure they expected when they were kids, but that's real and happy life and actually I am sure that it is the life the lady wants. When the house is not just a house, which is full of memory and love, once you can just say "It is just a house" without any regression and lost when it falls down, it is time to begin the new adventure.

Another thing needs to recommend is the short animation before the movie about the cloud artist and a bird, lovely friendship. You can't miss it.

block is the only thing you can do ?

2009-06-09T20:18:00.000-07:00

I planed to write some thing for the 20 years anniversary of the famous "6.4" Tiananmen square. But days before June 4th, many my friend told me that they can't get access to this blog, even Twitter. Sorry for it, but it is kind of my expectation.

Maybe China is still not ready to face the challenge of truth, or at least they don't want it now, since the economy condition keeps decreasing. This might not be a good time for it. But I believe maybe next 10 years, there still be some issue it needs to concern. It is easy to find all kinds of alibi to escape from this difficult time to face its own fault. Blocking is the easiest way to do it.

Feel so sorry for it. Maybe less hope, more silent.

I can't think straight - fairy tales for LES

2009-05-29T22:19:00.000-07:00

When this movie came out, it was during the time that California is in the vote of California Prop 8. Finally, I got this movie.

First, I really like the color - blue at the beginning. Blue seems to be everywhere in this movie, especially two blue dresses of the two heroines.

Actually, felt kind of disappointed, after watching this movie, cause it is too perfect and smoothly. That's not reality. It is great for the fairy tales, but....

Two families, especially in religious and high social status, might not be easy to accept this.

Anyway, as a movie for fun, it might be a good choice.

collective subconsciousness

2009-05-07T17:11:00.000-07:00

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Collective subconsciousness is the kernel theory of Carl Gustav Jung, a famous psychologist. As one of the part of society, most people will have this subconsciousness, even he is a quiet person. The collective subconsciousness will make people feel relaxed, safe and even happy, just like the people in the video, while they are in this kind of informal collective activity.

However, nowadays, because of high technology, people would prefer to use the indirect communication, part reason of that is because indirect way sometimes makes people feel safe for themselves. But according to the nature of this collective subconsciousness, we need this kind of collective activity to make ourselves feel less lonely and find our identities as a member of the society. I hope I were there.

As for the song, I really like it, I remember I wrote a poster about it long time ago. Hope you like it. Thanks to zhuzhu to share it with me.

Life is sharing :)

Into The Wild

2009-05-04T15:43:00.000-07:00

Long time ago, ZhuZhu recommended the movie Into The Wild. After the mid-term week, finally I can watch this movie. Although I had some preview of what kind of movie it is, still feel so sad at the end of the movie. I do quite agree that we should go back to the wild some time, because we lost ourselves inside the so-called civilizaiton and technology, but as a human being, we suppose to live in a society. We suppose to share our feelings and inspirations. We suppose to love each other and forgive each other. Life is so short and vulnerable. Don't make ourselves regret of saying "I love you" to the people you love, especially your parents, brothers and sisters, friends and lovers.

contradiction between local government and central government

2009-05-04T15:24:00.000-07:00

While walking toward compus, I heard some ridiculous news from China. In Wubei, one of a small city, local government announced a regulation to require local people consume a certain number of cigarettes including school and enterprise and public institutions, because the annual tax revenue of the local government has been dropped for a long time, and 10-15 percent of which comes from local cigarette company. Therefore, they just forcely published such ridiculous and foolish policy to promote the badget for local government.

Even ludicrously, government official will patrol randomly the institutions, to check their trash and ashtrays to find whether there are some non-local cigarette butts. If found, the institution will get a fine or be cut the financial budget next year. They even require school to consume certain mount of cigarette without any specification who has to consume them, no matter teachers or high school students.

Even central governemnt warned their citizens smoke would be dangerous for their health and try to ban the cigarette advertisement in TV. But it just keeps silent to this absurd policy from local government. What a kind of world it is!!!

Although, local governments have their authority for their tax revenue, this kind of local protect policy will just distroy their cigarette industry. The reason why local people would like to choose other brand is because they have better quality not because they want to give their contribution to the revenue of other local government.

Even I believe that maybe some the governemtn official have any sense of ecoomy would not propose this policy. Where are those so-called experts and economists?

Snow Patrol - Run

2009-05-04T15:20:00.000-07:00

I'll sing it one last time for you
Then we really have to go
You've been the only thing that's right
In all I've done

And I can barely look at you
But every single time I do
I know we'll make it anywhere
Away from here

Light up, light up
As if you have a choice
Even if you cannot hear my voice
I'll be right beside you dear

Louder louder

And we'll run for our lives

I can hardly speak I understand

Why you can't raise your voice to say

To think I might not see those eyes

Makes it so hard not to cry

And as we say our long goodbye

I nearly do

Light up...

Slower slower

We don't have time for that

All I want is to find an easier way

To get out of our little heads

Have heart my dear

We're bound to be afraid

Even if it's just for a few days

Making up for all this mess

Don't cry, Winnie

2009-04-27T18:40:00.000-07:00

Because of blue, sea and Winnie, I started to read this book - a sad and graceful love story with lots of photos about traveling in Hawaii. Those words and pictures originally just posted on the web site as a diary, and because of great popularity, the author published it as a book.

A journey, planed 7 years, finally being brought about, but alone, the words and pictures are another way to give a closure of a 6 year's love story.

Really likes the picture with Winnie's back sitting in front of sea, with blue sky.

All The Seasons of George Winston

2009-04-26T15:44:00.000-07:00

Sunday, shinning day

Though I am in a city with not distinguish difference between seasons, but still with the great memory with my hometown.

Maybe this album can express the feeling for it :)

Amazing photoes without PS, fantastic creations

2009-04-24T13:01:00.000-07:00

The eyes of a great photographer would be different from others for they can sense the subtle change in lights and color, especially the instant moment in life, which will give birth to those amazing photos with out photoshopped. These are really talented masterpieces.

Maybe in real life, we should sometimes look at things in a photographer's way, trying to make this world filled with miracle.

Life itself is a miracle, but just lack of the person who can find it.

Air Supply - Making Love Out of Nothing at All

2009-04-22T15:42:00.000-07:00

While reading paper, the lyrics of this sound just flies into my mind. Stop reading, try to find it on yobo, it gave me a version by Tingfeng Xie, which was a live version in his concert which reminded that it was for Fei Wang, although not great as original, but quite touch. The reason might be that Fei Wang was sitting in the audiences. Before singing this song, he said "this is for you". I guess at that moment, tears will be in her eyes.

His attitude toward career, family and love changes my mind of him. Maybe in the public eyes, he is a kind a extraordinary example, devoted to his work while being a good husband and farther. The time of frivolous, arrogant, emotional has gone. Now his mature might come from his experience of growing. But the memory of love just liking the tattoo will always follow him, as this song will always be found while people search "Making love out of nothing at all".

Just wandering what he would think while listening to this song?

Making Love Out of Nothing at All

2009-04-22T15:40:00.000-07:00

-Jim Steinman

I know just how to whisper,
And I know just how to cry;
I know just where to find the answers;
And I know just how to lie.
I know just how to fake it,
And I know just how to scheme;
I know just when to face the truth,
And then I know just when to dream.
And I know just where to touch you,
And I know just what to prove;
I know when to pull you closer,
And I know when to let you loose.
And I know the night is fading,
And I know that times gonna fly;
And Im never gonna tell you everything
Ive got to tell you,
But I know Ive got to give it a try.
And I know the roads to riches,
And I know the ways to fame;
I know all the rules
And then I know how to break em
And I always know the name of the game.

But I dont know how to leave you,
And Ill never let you fall;
And I dont know how you do it,
Making love out of nothing at all
(making love)
Out of nothing at all,
(making love)
Out of nothing at all,
(making love)
Out of nothing at all,
(making love)
Out of nothing at all,
(making love)
Out of nothing at all
(making love)
Out of nothing at all.

Every time I see you all the rays of the sun
Are streaming through the waves in your hair;
And every star in the sky is taking aim
At your eyes like a spotlight,
The beating of my heart is a drum, and its lost
And its looking for a rhythm like you.
You can take the darkness from the pit of the night
And turn into a beacon burning endlessly bright.
Ive got to follow it, cause everything I know, well its nothing till I give it to you.

I can make the run or stumble,
I can make the final block;
And I can make every tackle, at the sound of the whistle,
I can make all the stadiums rock.
I can make tonight forever,
Or I can make it disappear by the dawn;
And I can make you every promise that has ever been made,
And I can make all your demons be gone.

But Im never gonna make it without you,
Do you really want to see me crawl?
And Im never gonna make it like you do,
Making love out of nothing at all.

(making love)
Out of nothing at all

P.S. I Love You

2009-04-07T19:29:00.000-07:00

P.S. I Love You is a movie deserved you to watch to learn and even to love.

Life is not simple, but love is simple.
It is just a kind of feeling, a kind of habit.

While with you, getting up early is happiness for I can kiss you while you are still at sleep.

While with you, dinner is happiness for I can eat whatever I like in your dishes.

While with you, going to sleep is happiness for I can hug you while waking up because of night mire and comforting me to tell me I am silly to be sad and for I can fall asleep while you reading for me, without worry to turn off lights when wake up in the morning.

Life is just like a cup of water, a piece of bread and a sentence - I love you. But that cup of water is hold by you. And bread is cut by yourself and that sentence comes from you every morning when I wake up and every night when I go to bed.

Love is simple, you can p.s. it everywhere, every time.

memory one of my favourite singer - A Sang

2009-04-07T18:45:00.000-07:00

Quite shocked when getting the news that A Sang was passed away. Maybe we can just remember her through her songs. Most of her song was quite sad, just like the style of "city of angel". Her voice, just like an angel singing in the dark night expressing her lonely and sad.

It was on the radio of , I first heard her song, during a cold winter, with chilly wind or maybe rain. When she became popular as normal stars, I just let her fade away with those lightly sadness. I remembered I missed one of her concert during a summer. And talking with one of my friend about the feeling between her and another great artiest Qi Yu. That's all my memory about her. Just want to memorialize her.

Earth hour - the March 28, 2009

2009-03-29T10:25:00.000-07:00

When people get used to the night day, one-hour world-wide darkness presents millions of people's action to fight global warming.

This world-wide activity started from New Zealand. Then all time zone area became dark in their local time 8:30-9:30 pm. Though I did not feel anything in Riverside, whiling running around the campus, I am still glad that my hometown - Wuhan was in this activity. I can imagine the Yellow Grand Town became darkness and all the lights along the Yangtse River which I missed much, were turned off. This morning, reading BBS, I knew many students in WHU used their own way to memorize this special hour. I wished I would be one of them, holding candle and giving my best wishes to the earth.

Something happened yesterday, we named it an event. Today, it becomes words. In future, we call it memory. Only in memory, I will never forget it, just like some feeling, some missing, some hope, some wishes. Sometimes, we just need an hour to get away from modern civilization, such as computer, TV, to stay together to join an hour being together, to give each other the power to move, to feel, to love. While reading the news and pictures from yesterday, it feels so great, when millions of people doing the same thing for one purpose, which we can call miracle, because of that, we should keep the faith that we will be better tomorrow.

Thanks ZZ, helping me to rediscover the passion of my life and share the life experience.

one favourate song

2009-03-28T23:11:00.000-07:00

Amazing voice and composition. Saint-Preux as a genius since child, created this concerto for the angel (not quite sure how to translate it)

effective governance model and financial-services industry revolution

2009-03-28T20:29:00.000-07:00

Encountering the global economic crisis, people begin to doubt the free economy policy. Then for China, on one hand, they obviously need revolution in their financial-services industries. While on the other hand, in those applause of efficient governance to prevent the swap transaction in credit-derivatives markets, last year, China has achieved low radio of low bad-load radio and solid profit profits and rapid growth, and at the same time, it possesses more than $1.4 trillion total assets. All these performance might make it lose their direction in the revolution and doubt their original purpose of it.

But is that true? Or there something wrong with the reality. From the basic guide line of Basel Committee, it is essential for both the stability of the financial industry and the economy growth that the requirement of the efficient governance will guarantee the construction and the maintenance the qualities that are the foundation of all commerce, which is also the pivot of the confidence and public trust. But even China has achieved a great mark in the current global financial crisis, the governance is not the efficient model. It still contains a lot of bug in the basic construction of the economy system. The system is too huge and overstaffed, just liking a running machine with enormous mass which would be difficult to turn or to modify the direction.

There are a lot of rumors or reality that millions of migrant workers in city will be out of job and China's booming myth will be locked in a downward spiral. According to the conversation with my friends, it seems the side effect is emerging.

China has its history of central control, which means the culture supports such single model of governance, just like most Asian businesses are controlled by a single family as in the media displaying. Sometimes, this model will show its efficiency but each model has its strength and weakness. What kind of model is suitable for China? China can not afford the bill of failure test. There are a huge amount of low-income classes, which suffer the risk of losing the opportunity of education, health care and even basic living ensurance.

tulip scarlet

2009-02-15T21:27:00.003-08:00

Just like in college, I want some plant to accompany with me on my table. So I found it on Kmart and brought it back.

I like tulip, the more the better. I wish I could travel to the Amsterdam which is famous for its tulips, with various colors and types. Maybe one day.... :) But now, I can have my own tulip, just like the rose for the little prince. I will tend and make it special. Make it into my tulip.

Happy New Year

2009-01-27T09:47:00.003-08:00

The first Chinese new year here, while receiving those greeting messages and calls from you, makes me feel better :) Thanks you guys.

Actually, from the first day of new year, the sky turned back to blue and the sun smiled since morning.

MoreoverI found the English version of Sophie's World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy, the book I read when I was in junior or high school, and another one I really want to read - Mankiw's Macroeconomics.

Before the new year, I forced to return the book I want to read. Now I found new treasure.

Happy new year to all my friends. No matter where you are, I hope you can be healthy, happy and with a simple life with full of surprise :)

a terrible day

2009-01-22T23:24:00.004-08:00

Since morning, feeling not well, I found myself even can't concentrate. After checking email, I found the book -The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order , which I checked out from library was assigned as reserve book for some course which means I have to return it today. Without choice, I had to went back even I felt so sick.

After computer architecture and distributed system, I felt exhausted and helpless. Jacob tried to cheer me up, so we went to getaway cafe, with talk and walk which might do good to me. Maybe for most people, a large of time they would talk about work, game or daily life, but seldom find people you can talk to about anything or any thoughts. Though not easy to find a people to be so freely to talk about anything, but once you find that might be your life-time friend. BTW, although I have been there for several times, I just figure out why it called getaway, just like some kind of secrete garden. Nice name :)

Whole afternoon, trying to keep myself breathing, eating chocolate and drinking hot water, that's the only thing I can do to make self feel better. Quite missing DD and ZZ, I know at this time, they can hold me and try to make me sleep,

New year comes, in this special time, special case, I seemed so vulnerable..........Hope tomorrow, it will be sunny with blue sky.

inaudible screaming

2009-01-18T20:31:00.003-08:00

Recently, the news about high and persistent unemployment flushed all media. Though most west media claimed that because of the restrict economy policy, China experienced less shock, when the real truth below the appearance revealed, it is just like the inaudible screaming, always being ignored by big wave or event with devouring a generation of the working class.

While the first time, I went to Shenzhen to visit dd, passing through Dongwan, a world factory of clothes, shoes, toys, covered with just factories and high density low-skilled but workers, most of them are female and forced to drop from junior school. I heard a lot of truth report of their life. Every time I felt quite low and helpless, because I can't change their live or even little their situation.

For the owner of the factories, they are just a group of labors which can be replaced anytime. For the city, they were just barbarian visitors, though contributing to the prosperity of the city, not belonging to here, without corresponding respect and protection but being controlled and repelled. When they going back to hometown, although they feeling the status change, such welcome most comes from the money they bring back not means the warmth from family, and along with tedious and restriction.

They envy the city life style but can not be easily assimilated or identified. They were just in the middle of two different world, none of which belongs to them any more. They are lost in the fast moving economy machine and development of cities.

Most of the time, China's fast development is explained by the successful transformation from planned system to market system. In reality, what it does is just taking the example of the Capitalism in 19th century, combining the political power and market force to fast the process of capital transformation of labor, land, environment and all kinds of resources. But it takes two hundred years for Capitalism to complete this changes, when it squeezes into thirty years, you can imagine what kind of social reform it would bring to China.

The most grief thing is that they are trying to scream but ignored because they are just considered as the inevitable sacrifice of the success of economy. Now they face more serious situation, an economic crisis. Before they need to fight for their right. Although China has issued the new labour laws which would protect vulnerable workers and improve working conditions, because of this economic crisis, this agenda has been postponed. Moreover, most factories owners just close their factory and terminate all their workers, who need to struggle for survival.

While reading those news and watching pictures, I want to know what I can do for you.

Freefall from Nu NRG

2009-01-09T11:20:00.004-08:00

Nu NRG from Italy are formed by Andrea Ribeca and Giuseppe Ottaviani. A very special mix of melody combined with a pulsating energy and with a strong passion. The new age lovers would be familiar with Prog Trance. Then you should not miss this album. It started from classic string music, with amazing feeling of space and floating. From the name of this album, I think, you are probably able to feel flying in music. Enjoying it.

While going through a quite disappointed day, listening this kind of music refreshes my wet feeling. Trying to stay clam and balance. :)

Jazzy Sexy Soul

2009-01-07T19:33:00.002-08:00

The first thing, after I got up, was to check out whether this album has been downloaded.

This is an amazing album, especially for the fans of jazz and new age music - it combines both elements. It is quite great for the people who would like to spend a whole afternoon under the sunshine reading novels, enjoying life.

The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order

2009-01-05T11:37:00.003-08:00

Although I try to find this book before, years after that I still have a lot of books in my waiting list before that, suddenly, when I got the news that the author Samuel P. Huntington passed out, I just can't wait. Some times, when it vanishes, you can just find out how precious it is in you life, which ordinary people always do in their life.

Though in quite madness of time schedule of this quarter, I still want some thing outside engineering. On the first day of school, I finally can check out it. Enjoying it :)

Lost and meditation

2009-01-04T15:28:00.004-08:00

The last day of vacation, I finished the book "predictably irrational". Just as the author said in his book - "In the end, and with all my foreknowledge of the difficulty in this decision-making process, I was just as predictably irrational as everyone else." - according to the situation I am in, I think, most of the time, I probably make the same irrational decision.

Having interests in reading psychology or economy books, not only for interests, but also for the desire to known myself. I remember to think about it question while preparing for the GRE issue - "The most elusive knowledge is self-knowledge, and it is usually acquired through solitude, rather than through interaction with others." This is a kind of knowledge that you can only gain it by yourself, no matter from reading books or practical experiments, only after meditation of self indeed, then you can find it, which is so hard and might take a life time to search it, acknowledge it, which may be the reason the sagacious ancient Greeks inscribed the aphorism - "Know yourself" in the pronaos of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi.

Even if you know yourself well, it is not easy to prevent yourself to fall into the same irrational behavior, I mean, routine thoughts or actions. If your life span is as long as vampire, you can start again at any time, if you want. But in reality, how many chances can we ruin in our life time? I remember the last time I felt lost, I ended up making decision to apply to PHD program without clearly solve the mess situation. Now encountering the same crossroad, what am I going to do, especially with taking into account the consequences of not deciding?

But there is one thing for sure, I will try to do something different, as my new year resolution, though not easy but worthy trying, and keeping myself on the journey of finding passion :)

Wanderful experience

2008-12-28T12:33:00.005-08:00

For these days, I tried to write something, not just because of Christmas, New Year, also for myself.

Last night before bed time, while drinking wine, I started to recall the experience to stand still with eyes closed for more than 20 minutes. trying to figure out why when standing, I feel some kind of energy flowing through my fingers, though at first I feel warm then numb, then nothing. That feeling is so wonderful. Actually, I was not surprised that I can do it. As a child, I can stare at sky for hours. Maybe in most people's eyes, I was quite a strange child, with such silly action, without talking or asking for candy, just sitting there, wandering and wandering, in a sunny afternoon at balcony.

I am crazy about blue such as blue sky and sea, also about the constantly shaping clouds, only with cloud, the sky can present its most beautiful, serene, peaceful, as the glamour of sapphire, attracting me to deeply breath with it and feel it.

The other day, when hiking the san gorgonio snow mountain, with a lot of talking about Yoga, Taiji and Zhanzhuang, it makes me feel so happy. Because I can seldom have those conversations with others. Most people will feel strange about I am talking about how to breathe, how to feel self, how to feel dedicated to something.

I know in my personality, there exists some kind of hasty and emotionality. Then I can use Yoga to balance myself not physically, but also mentally. I believe in every body, there exists Dr.jekyll and Mr. Hyde - man is not truly one, but truly two. First we need to acknowledge it and balance it and sometimes conquer it. For the same reason, sometimes, I will do calligraphy at home when my mother does her painting.

For Christmas, it is time to reunion, and visit family members, for all these days, I keep dreaming about going back home, dinner. So this morning I made pancakes - as I learned here - pancakes make you feel at home. Now sitting here, wandering in front of big window, feeling the sunshine outside, listening to the Lene Marlin, counting the end of my first vacation here, this is my life -simple and I will love it, every day, every hour, every minutes, every seconds with smiling even in painful.

daily venture

2008-12-27T17:25:00.001-08:00

Looking from one emotional state to another is difficult. It's not always possible.
But to make informed decisions we need to somehow experience and understand the emotional state we will be in at the other side of the experience. learning how to bridge this gaps is essential to making some of the important decisions of our lives.

daily venture

2008-12-24T13:34:00.000-08:00

The unexamined life is not worth living. - Socrates

cloudy day

2008-12-22T21:28:00.003-08:00

This sound is really good for this cloudy and chilly day.
Staying at home, keeping listening to this sound again and again, reading psychology books, for so long time, I have not done things like this.

daily venture

2008-12-22T17:40:00.001-08:00

From movie about the passion toward life, love and ideal.

Sometimes love is hiding between the seconds of your life.

Time flies, but the good news is that you're the pilot.

Once upon a time, I wanted to know what love was. Love is there, If you want it to be. You just have to see, that it's wrapped in beauty, and hidden away between the seconds of your life. If you don't stop for a minute, You might miss it.

Knowing what you want is half the battle, most people go through their whole lives not knowing what they want. It's easy to find if you know what you're looking for.

daily venture

2008-12-22T01:09:00.002-08:00

Helping dd to find a song, unexpectedly found a movie. There is an answer of the interview to the director really touches me - 面对荒谬的人生，我能够不断地从电影创作中获得力量、获得感动，这是我深感奇妙并真心感谢的地方。 ( Translation would be - Facing the ridiculous life, I can keep gaining strength， inspire， touching from the creation of movie, which is reason I felt fantastic and entirely thankful toward it)

As a movie fan, movie might be of a kind of religious, the source of power of love, movement, strength, that's the reason I love movie.

ballet - The Nutcracker

2008-12-21T23:47:00.004-08:00

Comparing with the theater in my hometown, last time I watched , this Riverside Municipal Auditorium seemed more traditional, without great audio and lights system, comfortable chairs and no 32 fouettés en tournant, but with the same passional spectators.

Maybe most people went to watch ballet, not because of they can totally understand those special terms and how difficulty they can perform it, just because of the pursuit of beauty, elegance and fancy stage .

“The Nutcracker” is a novel written by E.T.A. Hoffmann, original named of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. And then adapted into ballet and music by the famous romantic era composer

Tchaikovsky) , which is a fairy tale-ballet in two acts, three scenes and also is one of the most popular ballet, especially during Christmas time.

In Act 2, the featured solo instrument in the “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy”, really special. After coming back and further studying, I finally know it is celesta. It seemed I did not notice it before while listening to this symphony. It might lie in that only when you feeling things in different way, you might find new things, just as the daily venture - “Nothing is what it seems” which makes me more desired to watch the musical “The Phantom of the Opera”, by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Overall, just as the most famous part, the Spanish dancers (sometimes Chocolate), the Chinese dancers (sometimes Tea), the Arabian dancers (sometimes Coffee), the Russian dancers (sometimes Candy Canes--their dance is called the Trepak), Mother Ginger and her Polichinelles (sometimes Bonbons, Taffy Clowns, or Court Buffoons in Baryshnikov's production), the Reed Flutes (sometimes Marzipan shepherds or Mirlitons), the Sugar Plum Fairy, and the Waltz of the Flowers are the greatest part. Especially the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Waltz of the flowers. And the kids in the Mother Gingers and her polichinelles gave me great impression.

Living in an apartment, really can't feel anything about Christmas. Hope this ballet would bring me into my first Christmas here.

daily venture

2008-12-21T23:47:00.001-08:00

Nothing is what it seems

daily venture

2008-12-18T11:57:00.003-08:00

The history of a science is the science itself.

Thoughtful people cannot but try to understand the variety of natural phenomena, to solve the mystery of how human beings cam eot dwell on this earth, to discern waht purpose life should serve, and to discover human destiny.

In all early civilizations but one, the answers to these questions were given by religious leaders, answeres that were generally accpeted. The ancient Greek civilization is the expetion. What the Greeks discovered - the greatest discovery made by man - is the power of reason.

Juno - OST

2008-12-17T15:59:00.005-08:00

I have recommended the movie "Juno" before, part of the reason for the music. Finally, I found the OST on emule.

Can't wait to share it, especially the sound "Anyone else but you(original one in the movie)", "the swing", "all I want is you", "Tree hugger", "me and you" and so on.

While listening them, I felt I want to watch the movie again. Cute sound, nice movie, perfect match.

Il Divo

2008-12-16T10:41:00.002-08:00

Il Divo is a band with four different nationality singers - American, French,Spanish and Swedish. They seem to successfully and seamlessly to combine pop music, good old days music and new music together.

This album contains a lot of familiar songs, such as "Nella Fantasia","Unbreak My Heart". And because of their nationality, they sing not only in English, also in Spanish and Italian.

After raining, the sky seems so blue. On this sunshine morning, listening such album would be a perfect choice. :)

predictably irrational

2008-12-15T14:17:00.002-08:00

I have heard about this book long time ago. Finally, I borrowed it from library. This would be a funny vacation. :)

The Celestine Prophecy

2008-12-15T10:25:00.003-08:00

Destiny, this would be the perfect word to describe this movie. Some time, I will ask myself whether I believe destiny. When people feeling that they can charge everything, they won't believe destiny, because they think they can do anything according to certain effort or other methods. In another world, when in inferior, people would like to resort to some kind of super power to other kind of strength. Some people even consider destiny is self-console medicine. Though I am not sure whether I believe destiny, I do for synchronicity and consequence, which is the realization that coincidences may have deep meaning. And I do think we need to keep a different state of mind to see this world in a different way, not as divine as in this story, but with connection with the nature and the beauty of this world.:)

Although only the ninth insight appeared in the movie in the form of words, all the others was presented according to the experiences of the main character. Quite strange feeling, while watching that movie, I tried to remember another movie "Donnie Darko", though they are quite different types of movie - about tangent universe.

Nine Insights

* The First Insight... A Critical Mass

A new spiritual awakening is occurring in human culture; an awakening brought about by a critical mass of individuals who experience their lives as a spiritual unfolding, a journey in which we are led forward by mysterious coincidences.

* The Second Insight... The Longer Now

This awakening represents the creation of a new, more complete world view, which replaces a five-hundred-year-old preoccupation with secular survival and comfort. While this technological preoccupation was an important step, our awakening to life's coincidences is opening us up to the real purpose of human life on this planet, and the real nature of our Universe.

* The Third Insight... A Matter of Energy

We now experience that we live not in a material Universe, but in a Universe of dynamic energy. Everything extant is a field of sacred energy that we can sense and intuit. Moreover, we humans can project our energy by focusing our attention in the desired direction, in that where attention goes, energy flows, influencing other energy systems and increasing the pace of coincidences in our lives. It is possible to see this energy enveloping all living things.

* The Fourth Insight... The Struggle For Power

To gain energy, we tend to manipulate or force others to give us attention and thus energy. When we successfully dominate others in this way, we feel more powerful, but they are left weakened and often fight back. Competition for scarce, human energy is the cause of all conflict between people.

* The Fifth Insight... The Message of the Mystics

Insecurity and violence ends when we experience an inner connection with divine energy within, a connection described by mystics of all traditions. A sense of lightness or buoyancy along with the constant sensation of love are measures of this connection. If these measures are present, the connection is real; if not, it is only pretended.

* The Sixth Insight... Clearing the Past

The more we stay connected, the more we are acutely aware of those times when we lose connection, usually when we are under stress. In these times, we can see our own particular way of stealing energy from others. Once our manipulations are brought to personal awareness, our connection becomes more constant and we can discover our own evolutionary path in life, and our spiritual mission, which is the personal way we can contribute to the World.

Here the four main "control dramas"—the Interrogator, the Intimidator, the Aloof and the Poor Me—are discussed. Each person unconsciously prefers one of these four to suck energy out of others (as described in the Fourth Insight). A way of getting these under control is disclosed.

* The Seventh Insight... Engaging the Flow

Knowing our personal mission further enhances the flow of mysterious coincidences as we are guided toward our destinies. First we have a question; then dreams, daydreams, and intuitions lead us towards the answers, which usually are synchronistically provided by the wisdom of another human being.

* The Eighth Insight... The Interpersonal Ethic

We can increase the frequency of guiding coincidences by uplifting every person that comes into our lives. Care must be taken not to lose our inner connection when we have become part of romantic relationships. Uplifting others is especially effective in groups wherein each member can feel energy of all the others. With children it is extremely important for their early security and growth. By seeing the beauty in every face, we lift others into their wisest self, and increase the chances of hearing a synchronistic message.

* The Ninth Insight... The Emerging Culture

As we all evolve toward the best completion of our spiritual missions, the technological means of survival will be fully automated as humans focus instead on synchronistic growth. Such growth will move humans into higher energy states, ultimately transforming our bodies into spiritual form and uniting this dimension of existence with the after-life dimension, ending the cycle of birth and death.

unforgettable moment in life

2008-11-29T22:26:00.001-08:00

"伤心桥下春波绿,曾是惊鸿照影来." This is an ancient magnificent poet who try to reminisce his wife, a pair of love birds separated by times and society just as “Becoming Jane”. While looking at those poem, I can't stop my mind to recall those previous moment in my life.

Scenario 1
When in 1995, the first time went to Beijing, liking taking picture of view or special moment, Monday on Tian An Men square, raising a flag at about 5:30 in the morning, with extraordinary hundreds of thousands of people, crowded without standing space, at the last moment, my mother raised me up because I was too small at that time and I can't see anything but all heads. My mother's health condition is not well. I can't believe how she had such strength to do it. I know when facing danger or special situation, the love from mother will always create miracle. Although I know that many relatives told me that I am the spirit of my mother and also the source of living , only from that moment, I just know that what it really means.

Scenario 2
When in 1998, the first time of get-together with classmates in junior school, not felt well that day, after departure, I got trapped in traffic. Quite late, my parents were too worried about me and called my friends. All my friends went out to find me, they tried all the places I would like to go to. That is the first time, I knew that I am so important to my friends.

Scenario 3
When in 2001, right before the entrance exam for college, I was so lost of myself, with lots of unbelievable low score of many subjects, one day after school, being alone outside the classroom starring at Magnolia Denudata. My deskmate - WJS Quietly showed up and said "I know what you are thinking. Only at night, can Magnolia Denudata reveal its elegant and graceful.You are just like it. Give it sometime.Be patient."

Scenario 4
Right before the exam, WSM and I crazily and recklesly yelled at the playground and laughed out loudly.

Scenario 5
A winter in college, being sick, I can't go to sleep and even breathe whiling lying in bed. DD just sat and held me in arms and let me lean on her and made quilt covered me fully. Finally, I felt asleep. After a while, I woke up and found that her back was so cold without quilt on the back of her. Of course, next day, she caught a cold.

Scenario 6
Christmas Eve in sophomore, both of us in disaster financial problem, she only had little at that time.But she used it to buy me a present - a cramp for my CD player which cost her all she had. At that moment, I know whenever I need, she will sacrifice all to help me. Holding her hands in her pocket, though in snow, I felt so warm and happy.

Scenario 7
During the final exam week in 2007, on a windy and cold night, I felt stomachache. After studying at the classroom, ZZ called me and gave me a cup of hot milk from KFC. Because you knew that is what I most need at that time, but for him, he waited for hours in the rain after being drunk.

Scenario 8
Right before I flied to Riverside, MKW, XJ and DD flied back to Wuhan to see me off.I know they are at work and in busy time schedule. SSL accompanied me to walk Yangzi River bridge at mid-night and waited the airplane for DD.

Scenario 9
After encountering so much unexpected situation, felt so disappointed and upset. The casual conversation - "what can I do to make you happy?" from DC made me feel that I have the faith to go on, because I know no matter how crazy, you will accompany me to do it.

The meaning of life might lie in adding those special moment in our memory. Those just came out at moment, still a lot of coming out, suddenly, I find I can't written them all down, because the time I try to write them, the new one will happen - life is going on :)

Definitely, Maybe

2008-11-27T14:13:00.007-08:00

Since it came out, this movie was in my waiting list. I even downloaded at my home desktop, I did not have the chance to watch it.

I love such little girl, lovingly, smart genius, who is that girl in "Little Miss Sunshine", who really act as Shirley Temple, with vivid eyes and cute expression .

And also I love “April”. Her name just like my most favorite season, with sparkle, vigor, whimsical,like traveling, reading, working in a book store and the band of Nirvana and the artist Kurt Cobain. Accidentally, Cobain died in April, this might be the reason of the girl's name ( I guess ) which makes me feeling like listening to that album. The way she smoked is so elegant and the way she smile so sunshine.

And the whole story, also has another clue. A hard copy of "Jane Eyre", might that is another reason I like her so much. When I was child, my mother gave me a lot of books, most of which are novels about fairytale or animal story, such as , many years later, I just found out how popular it is in western country. At that time, It seemed I have no other toys, but books. But the first novel about love came from her is , the last year of my elementary school I think, I remember I spent the whole day from morning till next noon to finish this book. Always like this, once started, never stop. Maybe I should find a copy in UCR library and read it again. :)

Don't need to tell, I like this movie. Actually, this morning, after waking up, the first thing is to sit down and reply the movie and write down all my feelings about it.

Although most of time, people might be lost in relationship, and can't who is his true love and who he really love. Just like a complicated psychologic game theory, it is painful. Especially the part, April told the story of “Paco”,which is the whole spirit of , they speak different language. Sometime, you need a child to tell you the truth. So it is difficult to tell who is the girl in love with you for years and you can't even feel it. At that part, I hardly stop my tears, which is so real just like in daily life. That line "definitely，maybe", from the moment, he practiced proposing with her, she already gave her answer.

“The human heart has hidden treasures, in secret kept, in silence sealed, the thoughts, the hopes the dreams, the pleasures whose charms were broken if revealed”, this quote might tell us although painful, it is still sweet.

So much about movie, by the way, yesterday was really special. It rained a whole day with sun shined now and then. The cloud was quite beautiful as well as sky with different blue level and clear view of mountain. Maybe it will turn green in a few days, which would be the magic for me to stay in a place, mountain will be green in winter :).

Also a special Thanksgiving Day for me, it is.

Happy Birthday

2008-11-26T00:41:00.002-08:00

Try to leave yourself precious memory. Every day would be different, just the way you look at it.
Wish you would have a special birthday.

Hiking to the C

2008-11-25T23:57:00.004-08:00

Try to hiking to the top C of the mountain in the special day, should be a crazy thing, but I did. Actually at the midnight, and lost back way down hills, but with lots of fun, and with shining Orion on top of us, even the darkest one in Orion can be seen clearly. From mid-northern latitudes, Orion is visible in the evening from October to early January and in the morning from late July to November. It is quite easy to recognize and remember, just like some one can always show up and guide you and tell you the direction.

Because of the Roma and Greek mythology, friends and precious memory, I like constellation. Every time I looked at them, I know there will be some one staring at the sky and trying to find the same stars with me but within different time zone. Living in a city, only on the top of the mountain, you can get rid of some city lights to find those fairies behind dark screen. That's the reason I like to climb mountain at night. Moreover, it is fun to really climb a mountain not just following steps or routine. If DD can be here, she is gonna love it, and we can bring a telescope with us and stay at the top finding every stars we recognized.

From mountain view C 11-22-08

Avant La Pluie

2008-11-19T11:27:00.003-08:00

After the first song of Avant La Pluie, I decide to download the whole album. Whiling walking in the morning sunshine, listening to this kind of music will make you love your life.

Occasionally, leave yourself alone, trying to recall the old days, lounging on the sofa, reading novels, listening music, being bathed in warm sunshine in winter.

Looking forward to go back for our traveling plan. Miss you DD.

Disappointed about the Proposition 8

2008-11-19T11:16:00.002-08:00

What is Prop. 8? It was a California State ballot proposition that amended the state Constitution to restrict the definition of marriage to a union between a man and a woman. It overrode a decision of the California Supreme Court from earlier in the year which recognized same-sex marriage in California as a fundamental right by overturning the California defense of Marriage Act

Before the presidential contest, I have seen students holding signs to present their disapproval of the passing of Prop. 8, as well as some other people doing the same thing standing besides speedway to persuade people approval Prop. 8, most of which, I thought, might be related to church.

The result made me so sad. Maybe for gay, it was a great regression for their right. The result might not just infect California, but also the whole country, even whole world. In China, there also many people would stand out to give proposal to amend the civil law, but every time, they just ignore it. Some avant-courier even got blackmail for it. If people should care about their right, why not let gay or lesbians insist their right.

Maybe, to some people, gay would be such disgusting thing, even not bothering to imagine. But that’s the most natural thing in the world. Even in animal world, there exists a certain percentage gay. That would be the same situation of left-handed or right-handed. If in the classroom, both tables can be supplied to students. Why not give the same option to the other people?

I admire that US is a great country, which would like to spend a lot of money to support foreign students to pursue their study in its country even its adversary. But it does not as free as Britain or even Australia. In high educated group, gay would be in higher proportion than in other group in Australia. Or in , gay will learn how to be a gay. That means they are not so special, and they are as normal as us. Their rights would be protected.

Maybe I am so disappointed about the people in California, even this country. They would be more tolerant.

My Neighbor Totoro

2008-11-17T22:59:00.002-08:00

Can't imagine even at midnight, in the theater there will be full of people watch this animation, even my elders couples will sit among those young groups. That is the fascination of this cartoon, without complicated script and fancy CG animation, but the claps at the beginning of the movie already proved its worth and status.

Just with simple serene pictures, childlike innocence conversation and well-known music. When I was a child, this rhythm was familiar with most children, we just did not know it came from this movie, until college.

This time, being in a different country, even driving an hour close to mid-night to LA for it, I really don't think it is crazy, but a way to express our respect and love. Every time, I saw Totoro and two sisters dancing on the top, I can't help being exited and feeling happy.

This is a kind of movie the same as -- a treasure you can always collect for the time you need love and equilibrium.

How far can you fly

2008-11-11T18:20:00.003-08:00

This is a piano solo from the talent jazz composition and pianist, Luca Flores. in the 20th century. From the first moment I saw the poster, I ask my friend to download it for me, just like to fall in love at first sight.

Although the story is about a talent but miserable pianist, but the picture and music can be commented as aestheticism and the performance of the actor is fabulous and fantastic, I like the way he sitting in front of the piano and the expression in one's eyes when he composing. Comparing to the other same topic movie about famous talented with mental disable, this movie contains more colorful, serene, love, with enthralling street view and gentle light and classical jazz bar.

Perhaps part of the reason comes from the city –Florence, a famous city especially during the Italian Renaissance, gave birth of those brilliant artistic - Giotto, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Dante, and Raphael. I wish one day, I can make a journey to that city.

At the end, the pianist chose a way to express his confuse about life but left those famous piano solo “How far can you fly”. In such complex society, maybe most of us need to ask ourselves, how far can we fly.

Your comment would be my best encouragement

2008-11-11T18:00:00.002-08:00

Thanks for your comment.

It seems I put all my attention on my Chinese blog, seldom update this blog.
This morning, after I received someone's comment, rereading my posts. Amazing, even I can’t believe that came from me. Then I realize that the one reason I would like to update my Chinese blog lies in that’s my mother language, I would prefer it to express my feeling or in other words, I can freely express myself, but another important one might be there always my friends will read it and give me response which is the greatest encouragement of my writing.

So I will keep on writing my English blog, although I feel a great regression on my writing skill. You comment will support me to insist on. Thanks.

UCR's botanic garden

2008-11-10T00:31:00.002-08:00

It is great to find out there is an open botanic garden in UCR. Although, I have been to many botanic garden in big cities in China, even during the time of biology training course. But this one must be the most funning, with lots of special experiences, though without experts to explain everything.

It definitely will become my special paradise just as the .

From botanic garden 11-009-08

Wall-E

2008-11-09T20:20:00.004-08:00

I like Andrew Stanton, since the movie . All his movie are full of feeling, hope, love and friend.

Wall-E is short for Wall-E Waste Allocation Load Lifters - Earth. Although there are seldom conversations, only with simple calling "Wall-E" and "Eve”. But every clever, shy, lovely, humor gestures and movements remind us that love itself is simple. Holding each other's hands as in the scene of , or hugging each other as in one chapter of , there are simple but meaningful, even at the end, which becomes the key to wake Wall-E.

The whole story is kind of routine, but I still love it, especially the scene of Wall-E hold umbrella for Eve in a raining day, and the part they dancing in the outer space.

And another thing which touches me deeply is that Wall-E is so optimistic, even on the whole earth, it is the only one alive, but still with happiness and full of interest to finding new things in life, making friends and going on his special collection and work hard.

Wall-E is not fancy but persistent, not strong but considerate, tiny but reliable, not advanced but clever.

trouble

2008-07-27T06:51:00.001-07:00

I am doing what I can, even though it is a relatively passive way of tackling the problem

From Movie -

2008-03-21T07:00:00.001-07:00

what haunts me is that in all the faces of all the bears that Treadwell ever filmed, I discover no kinship, no understanding, no mercy. I see only the overwhelming indifference of nature. To me, there is no thing as a secret world of the bears. And this blank stare speaks only of a half-bored interest in food. But for Timothy Treadwell, this bear was a friend, a savior.

Although these words came from the documentary - <Grizzly Man>, to some extent, I do feel the same way. Maybe sometimes when we share the same feeling with the movie, we do can not separate reality and imagination.

daily venture

2008-01-20T20:26:00.001-08:00

man's life

There are only three events in man's life:
Birth, life and death;
But he is not conscious of being born,
He die in pain,
and he forgets to live.

- one of my favorite movies

2008-01-19T02:13:00.001-08:00

This movie might remind me one of the movie I watched about years ago - <Quinceañera>, which is about the same topic, the high school pregnant girl. But this one might be more whole and happy.

Both movie take the picture of family love as the background, and both girls are dependent, courage, cunning, special. But this one is much more cute. From the beginning to the end, the dialogue , music and the people, to tell the truth, I think, the action of the boy accounts more for my judgment. Although, this is quite unfair, for < Quinceañera> is more realistic, I can't control my feeling of favor.

I really like the personality of the girl, and the family. Just a few of words and more forgiveness, as adolescents, which is the most important thing they need on the way of their growing up. That situation will definitely not happen in China, even beyond the imagination of any adults even with high education. The simple reason is the the pregnancy for women might be the reason of their inferior factors when looking for real love. Just as the words in Juno, you don't have to have the evidence under your sweater. Maybe, for some one, having a baby is a miracle thing from God, however for the others might be the most disaster ever in their life.

The happy ending should attribute to the whole support from her family members and friends. And they will always be the power source of anyone's life no matter in how bad situation.

Here is the song at the end of the movie. I really like it for the reason just as the words from her father, the best thing is to find the person who loves you for exactly what you are, good mood, bad mood, ugly, pretty, handsome, whatever.

You're a part time lover and a fulltime friend
The monkey on your back is the latest trend
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else
but you

Here is the church and here is the steeple
We sure are cute for two ugly people
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else
but you

We both have shiny happy fits of rage
You want more fans, I want more stage
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else
but you

You are always trying to keep it real
I'm in love with how you feel
I don't see what anyone can see, anyone else
but you

I kiss you on the brain in the shadow of a train
I kiss you all starryeyed, my boby's swinging from side to side
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else
but you

The pebbles forgive me the trees forgive me
So why can't you forgive me
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else
but you

Du Du Du
Du Du Du
Du Du Du

I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else
but you

And if you listen very hard, the tune will come to you at last.

2007-11-02T20:52:00.001-07:00

;

This is the lyrics of <Stairway To Heaven> from the famous rock band - Led zeppelin, which always makes us feel the quiver of emotion. What will you get after passing through the stairway to heaven? What will you lose for it? What is your real target for pursuing?

For the last two sentences, they seems to come out from the great Chinese philosopher, all for one and one for all.

Theres a lady whos sure
All that glitters is gold
And shes buying a stairway to heaven.
When she gets there she knows
If the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for.
Ooh, ooh, and shes buying a stairway to heaven.

Theres a sign on the wall
But she wants to be sure
cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
In a tree by the brook
Theres a songbird who sings,
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it makes me wonder.

Theres a feeling I get
When I look to the west,
And my spirit is crying for leaving.
In my thoughts I have seen
Rings of smoke through the trees,
And the voices of those who standing looking.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it really makes me wonder.

And its whispered that soon
If we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason.
And a new day will dawn
For those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter.

If theres a bustle in your hedgerow
Dont be alarmed now,
Its just a spring clean for the may queen.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by
But in the long run
Theres still time to change the road youre on.
And it makes me wonder.

Your head is humming and it wont go
In case you dont know,
The pipers calling you to join him,
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow,
And did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind.

And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul.
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How evrything still turns to gold.
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last.
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll.

daily venture

2007-10-24T07:01:00.001-07:00

Generosity is not in giving me that which I need more than you do, but it is in giving me that which you need more than I do.

We often borrow from our tomorrows to pay our debts to our yesterdays.

daily venture

2007-10-04T19:52:00.001-07:00

There is a space between man's imagination and man's attainment that may only be traversed by his longing.

Paradise is there, behind the door, in the next room;
but I have lost the key.

Perhaps I have only midlaid it.

daily venture

2007-09-30T07:30:00.001-07:00

Inspiration will always sing; inspiration will never explain.

How can you sing if your mouth be filled with food?
How shall your hand be raised in blessing if it is filled with gold?

complex or simple ephemeral or permanent

2007-09-27T10:39:00.001-07:00

Human beings, such a complex creature, sometimes can just think things in its most simple way. However in other time, they may twist themselves up.

Just at the beginning of this week, I felt so happy, not for myself, because obviously I am in such confusion about my future or my life, but for SSL, who just got the offer from the company he is always dreaming of. Along with such ephemeral happiness, suddenly, another fact jumped into my life. In less than a month, he will go to Shanghai for his internship at that company, together with another team member of the lab. Maybe such feeling of leaving is so familiar or maybe I am such a kind of people who will not be used to leaving people who has been part of my normal life, this is the season of beginning of school, but at this moment, just as the leaves following from trees, all the feelings and thoughts still remain in the last season - the graduate time. Why I am feeling so sad?

From the perspective of life, in a way, there will be three kinds of people who will be appear in our life. The first are the ones who will be thought of when in sad, helpless and suffering. The second are the ones who deceive you or make use of you. The last are the ones of strangers. However in my point of view, I really think that there will another kind of people between the strangers and the ones who will be in great position in your heart - the one who just has walked into your life and accompanied for a time, but finally they will walk out and leave away, only leaving you some special memory or nothing. In such kind of person, there are your mates of kindergarten, junior school, high school, former co-worker, teacher or the travelling companies and so on. It might be possible that you can't even remember their name. I believe, in most people's life, the number of the first and second kinds person would be much smaller than that of the two latter ones, just as the brain to choose tiny part of everyday happening to turn into memory. That 's also the reason why those two kinds of people will be special in our life.

Maybe it is time to move on, just as the end of the travelling. However I still believe if some one already as one of the fist categories people in my life, the relationship will definitely not be degraded. But others might not think so. Then such uncertainty or the feeling of losing some precious things or feelings make us so anxiety then it will become sad. In another word, the fear of changing is the main reason.

Nonetheless, just as the old saying - if moving tree, it will die; only if human changing, he will be survive, people need to change themselves or the environment for the better improvement. So maybe the best way to let some one still be in the most important person in your life, is to hope him to change into the way he wishes to be and be there if he is in need even he doesn't know that there will be some one.

chasing cars

2007-09-23T05:06:00.000-07:00

Snow Patrol Lyrics

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me
and just forget the world?

In such a busy city, to find someone who would like just lie here with me , watching season change and experiencing growing pains, that will be the most happiness thing in life.

Advice for Prospective Research Students

2007-09-22T20:29:00.000-07:00

After these days of finding proper advisors and research groups among tons of web pages, I felt so exhausted and lost. Some kindly schoolmates gave me some advices, including such document. I really think it is worthy to share it, especially for those having the same experiences currently or in the future.

Advice for Prospective Research Students

Like most professors, I get several hundred emails a year from prospective students interested in coming to UVa for graduate school and joining my research group. I try to reply to all messages that are not obviously spam, but find most messages I receive make me less likely to want to accept the students sending them. This page provides some advice for prospective grad school applicants considering emailing me, but most of it probably applies to any other professor you want to contact also.

Who To Contact

Its a really bad idea to send spam emails to long lists of professors. These emails will never help you, and some professors will maintain blacklists of applicants who do this to make sure their application is rejected without consideration.

Your goal in sending email is not to contact as many professors as you can, but to identify a few professors who you might want as your research advisor and then to find which of those seem most promising as advisors and convince them that you would be a worthwhile student.

You should only contact professors with whom you have a genuine interest in working based on knowing something about them and what they do. You can find out about professors' research by looking at their web pages (professors who don't have web pages about their research are either not interested in recruiting students, not doing any research, or so famous they probably have someone to filter their email for them).

Do Your Homework

Before contacting a potential advisor, do your homework: read the advisor's home page (mine is http://www.cs.virginia.edu/evans/) and at least one recent paper (links to my papers are available at http://www.cs.virginia.edu/evans/pubs/).

If doing this doesn't give you any interesting ideas, this is probably not someone with whom you want to do research so you shouldn't waste time contacting her or him. If it does, send a short introductory email.

First Email

A typical message should go something like this:

From: Flipper Wordsfish Subject: Prospective Student Interested in TSU Problem	Make sure your from address and subject lines are useful
Dear Professor Nemo,	Greeting: its safest to be a bit formal here.
I will be finishing a BS degree in Underwater Mathematics at the Atlantis Deep Ocean University this year. I am considering applying to UVa's PhD program and would be interested joining your Octople Cryptology research group.	Briefly introduce yourself in at most two sentences. Don't tell your whole life story. Be direct and clear about applying to grad school.
I found your paper, "A Linear-Time Solution to the Travelling Sea Urchin Problem", on your website (http://www.smith.org/urchin.html). I was fascinated by your result, especially as I have spent several summers studying the similar travelling sea cucumber problem as an intern at Microshifty Corp in the Attle Sea. (You can find a paper about my work on this at http://www.flipper.com/research/tscp.html)	Explain specifically what you read and where you found it (people sometimes publish several papers with similar names and forget which is which). A touch of flattery never hurts, but don't go overboard. If appropriate, relate it to your background and interests and briefly plug your work.
I believe your result is even more important than your paper implies, since it can be extended to solve the Travelling Salesman Problem and thus to prove P = NP.	Concisely describe your insight or why you are interested in the work.
Do you think it would be worthwhile to pursue this line of research? If you are interested, I can send you a proof sketch.	End with a clear, simple question. Offer a suggestion on how to proceed.
Regards, Flipper Wordsfish (flipper@adou.edu)	Closing — make sure to include you name and email address.

Of course, your insight isn't likely to be so significant as Flipper's. But, you should make an effort to raise an interesting question about the work described in the paper, to suggest extensions or applications of the work, or to relate it directly to something you have done.

It is definitely worth taking time to write clearly and consisely using correct spelling and grammar. As with all emails, the message should be broken into short paragraphs, the sentences should be simple and straightforward, and no line should have more than 80 characters.

What Not To Do

Never do any of these:

· Don't send information about your GRE scores, GPA, class rank, cholesterol levels, favorite movies, etc. and ask what your chances of admission are. Standardized tests and grades have minimal influence on your chances of admission and reveal very little about your potential as a researcher. No one can or should tell you anything about your chances of admission based on an email.

· Don't send a first email longer than one screenful (about 60 lines). You should be able to get across everything you need in a first email concisely and use longer emails if technical depth is required in follow ups.

· Don't waste space and time telling me how hard-working, creative and smart you are — demonstrate it with the contents of your message.

· Don't waste space and time telling me how brilliant I am. The fact that you are interested in joining my research group is flattery enough.

· Don't make generic statements about being interested in my work or how well it relates to your interests. I have projects in several different areas and can't figure out what you mean unless you describe a specific connection or interest.

· Don't attach anything to your email. If you want to provide additional content, you should do this by sending a URL (as plain text, not a link). If you are not able to create a web page, you may mention that you have a relevant paper and will send it to me if I request it.

· Don't use HTML encoded email or non-standard character sets. If you are a non-native English speaker, make sure your "From:" address appears using the English alphabet. If you have a common or difficult for English speakers to pronounce Chinese name, it is to your advantage to use a name that English speakers can pronounce and remember. I do realize it is very unfair for us to expect you to change your name for our convenience and cultural ignorance! But, once you get admitted you can and should tell people what you want them to call you.

· Don't use any fancy formatting in your email (including your message signature).

Follow Up

Since most professors get lots of email, there is some chance that even if you do everything right, your message will get lost in my inbox and you won't get a reply. If you don't get a reply after about a week, send a follow up email that politely asks if the message was received and includes the previous message. If you still don't get a response, that's a pretty good sign that the potential professor you are contacting is not someone you want as your advisor.

Conclusion

Getting into a good PhD program is extremely competitive and professors are strongly motivated to identify and attract the best possible research students to their group. At any department you would want to go to (including UVa), the acceptance rate is usually in the single digit percentages. At the most competitive departments, only a few slots every year are awarded to students without recommendation letters from people the faculty know well.

It takes work to find the right PhD program and advisor, but contacting potential advisors directly is your best way to find a research group that matches your interests and goals well and possibly to improve your chances of being admitted.

Once you've read and followed these directions, please feel free to contact me about coming to UVa to do a PhD in Computer Science. Your goal is to start an interesting email conversation about research ideas.

If you find that my research does not fit well with your interests, feel free to contact me for general advice and suggestions on other professors to contact. If you follow the suggestions above, I am likely to reply, especially if you ask questions that are not answered by http://www.cs.virginia.edu/WhyUVA/.

daily venture

2007-08-14T20:40:00.001-07:00

You mind and my heart will never agree until your mind ceases to live in numbers and my heart in the mist.

We shall never understand one another until we reduce the language to seven words.

daily venture

2007-08-13T09:03:00.001-07:00

You are free before the sun of the day, and free before the stars of the night;
And you are free when there is no sun and no moon and no star.

you are even free when you close your eyes upon all there is.
But you are a slave to him whom you love because you love him,
And a slave to him who loves you because he loves you.

2007-08-08T00:09:00.000-07:00

This one is my favorate. Tonight I will go to Guangzhou for TOFEL ibt. Maybe after my return, I will go to somewhere and leave lots of great picture too.

phenix city in China

2007-08-08T00:06:00.000-07:00

This picture is from my friend who just came back from phenix city locaded around by mountains, also the destination of my graduation trip in colledge about two years before. With this picture, those happy days ring the bell. Wish to see it again one day.

daily venture

2007-08-07T22:34:00.001-07:00

A pearl is a temple built by pain around a grain of sand.
What longing built our bodies and around what grains?

When God threw me, a pebble, into this wonderous lake I disturbed its surface with countless circles.
But when I reached the depths I became very still.

daily venture

2007-08-05T21:04:00.001-07:00

Inspiration will alreays sing; inspiration will never explain.

How can you sing if your mouth be filled with food?

How shall your hand be raised in blessing if it is filled with gold?

daily venture

2007-08-05T08:00:00.001-07:00

The most pitiful among men is he who turns his dreams into silver and gold.

We are all climbing toward the summit of our hearts' desire. Should the other climber steal your sack and your purse and wax fat on the one and heavy on the other, you should pity him.

The clibing will be harder for his flesh, and the burden will make his way longer.

And should you in your leanness see his flesh puffing upward, help him a step; it will add to your swiftness.

daily venture

2007-08-03T19:31:00.001-07:00

Every man loves two women: the one is the creation of his imagination, and the other is not yet born.

Men who do not forgive women their little faults will never enjoy their great virtues.

Love that does not renew itself every day becomes a habit and in turn a slavery.

Lovers embrace that which is between them rather than each other.

daily venture

2007-08-03T08:44:00.001-07:00

The significance of man is not in what he attains, but rather in what he longs to attain.

Some of us are like ink and some like paper.

And if it were not for the blackness of some of us, some of us would be dumb;

And if it were not for the whiteness of some of us, some of us would be blind.

daily venture

2007-08-01T19:24:00.001-07:00

children

You may give them your love but not your thoughts, for they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls, for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you, for life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

daily venture

2007-07-30T19:36:00.001-07:00

Only great sorrow or great joy can reveal your truth.

If you would be revealed you must either dance naked in the sun, or carry your cross.