Home is where my heart resides

Thank you my dear Sue for giving me a home. I love you.

Why it is always so difficult for me?

I guess it is a sign that I should treasure what I have achieved after I get it done.

2009 Nobel Prize

This year's Nobel winners come so close to me.

I had a brief collaboration with Thomas Steitz but the project didn't go anywhere; I had seriously considered applying for a post-doc opening at Elizabeth Blackburn's lab for telemere research back in 2000; and of course, Charles Gao was the vice-chancellor of my university when I was an undergraduate. Weird.

Suebee honey

'Deed I do

You are always on my mind

The Heaven weeps

For the last brother of the Kennedy. Farewell.

Bar Harbor and Acadia

We went on to Bar Harbor and Acadia. Acadia is no comparison to Yosemite, but with Sue along, everything gets better. We strolled by the coast, amazed by how many people amazed by the Thunder Hole, picked wild blueberries, Cadillac Mountain (only ~1300 feet tall), the huge motel room, the little cabin, popovers at Jordon Pond, the hidden restaurant by the bay, the whale watch cruise, the little sailboat and the lobster traps. I love you Sue.

Happy birthday my dear Sue!

墨子說

墨子說：「君子之道也，貧則見廉，富則見義。」

For those who were killed

A college classmate lit up a candle for those who were killed in Tiananmen Square in 1989 June 4. We would go to the candlelight vigil in Victoria Park together when we were in Hong Kong. The candlelight vigil is why I am proud of being a Hong Kong person. Keep it up, people.

Prison of the State - 趙紫陽口述歷史

節錄自華盛頓郵報中文譯本：

當然將來哪一天也許會出現比議會民主制更好、更高級的政治制度，但那是將來的事情，現在還沒有。基于這一點就可以說，一個國家要實現現代化，不僅要實行市場經濟，發展現代的文明，還必須實行議會民主制這種政治制度。不然的話，這個國家就不可能使它的市場經濟成爲健康的、現代化的市場經濟；也不可能實現現代的法治社會。就會象許多發展中國家，包括中國出現權力市場化，社會腐敗成風，社會兩極分化嚴重的情况。

蘋果日報 2009年5月15日:
鮑彤說：「就我所知，早在 1992年他（趙紫陽）就有這個（錄音回憶）想法； 1993年（趙）先寫提綱， 2000年開始進行錄音。」「當時趙紫陽的情況非常困難，他在三位朋友幫助下，進行回憶和錄音，這些錄音分別保存在三位朋友的手裏。」
「這些錄音都是趙紫陽在六四後，經過深思熟慮而講的，是他作為中國共產黨一分子，經歷幾十年風風雨雨後，心中想要說的話，是他的政治遺言！」
「我認為，趙紫陽的政治遺言，屬於全體中國人，所以我決定，將他的錄音遺言以文字形式，公之於世，這是我的主張，我對此負責！」

The Prisoner of the State is available from Amazon.com.
I have already ordered a copy for myself.

Tiananmen Memorial in Boston

It was hidden in a small shabby park in Chinatown. I only learned about it from the news when a prominent person from Hong Kong came and laid down the flowers. I hope I live long enough to see one set up in Tiananmen Square.

Centralized Science Laboratories Building

Many people say this building is not "harmonious" with the surrounding because of its color glass and wavy shape. I spent over 10 years studying and working at CU so my view should count.

I think being harmonious with the surrounding = boring and making no contribution to the scene. This building occupies the center of the scene if you look up the hill from outside the train station. The architect didn't let the chance of making a good use of this position slip away. If you look closely and think about it, this building is designed to be the focal point of the scene viewed from outside but merge with the surrounding when viewed from the other side.

If you look at it from outside the train station (by the bridge that goes nowhere), this building adds a colorful focal point to the scene.

However, if you look at the Science Center from NA or UC you won't spot this building easily because it merges with the surrounding very well in terms of color and shape from that side.

It is way better than the Hyatt hotel by the train station. This glassy piece of shit destroys the view of the Shatin valley from NA and Science Center, at the same time spoils the landscape of CU viewed from the Racecourse or the highway.

The annoying security locks inside the building is another story. Most likely it has nothing to do with the architect.

Salute to the architect (I can't find who he is in CU's website) and the administrators who approved this design.

This photo is taken by my dear Sue using the camera her dad bought to take pictures of her when she was born.

Getting away

I've spent too much time at work lately. Just want to get away on my own. My colleague was selling a couple of half price ski tickets for Ragged Mountain. It is only 2 hours away. I snatched them without thinking too much. I didn't even bother to get someone to go with me and I spent a quiet day on the snow.

It turned out they have a very scenic green trail. I had 3 runs on it.

The resort closes after next weekend. Perhaps I will go again and use the other ski ticket.

My humble goals

I didn't really go after them, but I managed to achieve my goals: going to CU, then to the US and working at this company specifically, and geting a Golf (ended up with a even better GTI). But I still haven't realized my goal of having a home. Maybe it is a goal too recent and it takes time. Anyways, I am also hoping to get the ultimate mechanical camera: the Leica MP (US$4395 - body only!!)

If only I can go back in time...

The good time that I can leave behind

The cold

It is freaking cold here. The warmest time is -5degC and coldest -20degC. I still remember my first winter here was also very cold and snowy. A very bad snow storm hit in late October, and I spent 1 hour to dig my car out of the snow using my neighbor's shovel. By the time we turned the calendar to December we had already been buried in snow for one whole month. So when I saw the photo of December, which was otherwise a lovely snow scene, I thought they should use some summer scenes for the winter, just to make people who get stuck feel warmer.

Athens, Greece. May 2006

President Obama!

Barack Obama won the white house with a landslide victory!

Senses has defected ignorance and arrogance. American is still the most civilized society of the world.

I am glad that I live in a time when so many histories are made.


p.s. The biggest landslide victory of Barack Obama lies in Washington D.C., the very capital of the country: 94% of the vote went to Obama. McCain only got 4% of the vote.