Lin Lin's Activities

Fireworks on July 4th, 2011

2011-07-05T00:45:00.000-07:00

Commencement

2011-06-26T11:23:00.000-07:00

I attended the university commencement at the Husky Stadium on June 11 with the hope that this will be my last academic degree.

At Red Square

In front of Suzzallo library

Wearing my UW PhD cap and gown in front of Drumheller Fountain

Walking in to the Husky Stadium

Overview of the commencement

Sitting down and waiting for the ceremony

Walking to the stage

Got my diploma and walking down the stage

Innovation

2011-05-05T23:47:00.000-07:00

Chinese government wants to change manufacturing type of economic to innovation type of economic.

Singapore has wanted to do similar things as well. However, I heard it was not very successful. I'm not surprised, as Singaporean government is almost like an authoritarian government that regulars nearly every aspect of people's life with an education system using engineering like teaching for every subject. In addition, critical thinking is not encouraged.

China is familiar like Singapore, and maybe more severe in certain aspects. Chinese government even regulars what kinds of dramas televisions can broadcast. Being critical is strictly restricted. I don't know how successful China could be either. I speculate that China is and will still be very good at manufacturing and improving products. Total innovation will be very rare in China.

A lesson learned

2011-05-02T22:27:00.000-07:00

On certain thing, I was about 10 years behind than most of the people.

By chance, I finally did it this year.

I knew this would happen. A lesson learned.

UW Kendo

2011-04-03T00:10:00.000-07:00

Saturday was UW Kendo taikai. I forgot to sign up. Thanks for drop outs, I was still able to participate in 1-3kyu matches, even though I don't have any rank. I won one match and lost the second one to the person who won the first place. It was fun to play and watch.

I have to confess: Kendo helped me finish my dissertation!

Salt, sold out!

2011-03-17T00:22:00.000-07:00

Talked to my mother on the phone tonight. She told me that salt was sold out in Zhongshan, China where my parents currently reside. This surprised me and also makes me concerns. Salt is one of the most common things for daily life. If it could be sold out, anything could happen. I have bad feeling about this.

Thanks to facebook and MSN messenger, friends informed me that people are stocking up and buying lots of salt now to avoid buying the new batches of salt which could be contaminated from radiation due to Japan's nuclear meltdown.

Another Decade

2011-02-17T17:46:00.000-08:00

I was signing up for a Kendo taikai last night,
I found that
I am a decade older than most of the participants!

Chinese New Year 2011

2011-01-23T19:25:00.000-08:00

I don't think the new year starts until the Chinese New Year. I really miss the Chinese New Year celebration in China. I haven't experienced it for almost 10 years since I moved to the US in 2001. I miss my family and relatives, the lucky money, the food, the flower and the flower market, and of course the fireworks and firecrackers. Besides, we celebrate the new year for 15 days!

This year, the Chinese New Year is on February 3rd. I hope everyone

一帆风顺 (Smooth)
二龙腾飞
三羊开泰
四季平安 (safe)
五福临门 (blessing)
六六大顺 (smooth)
七星高照
八方来财
九九同心
十全十美
百事亨通
千事吉祥
万事如意！

(Each greeting starts with a number, including one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, hundred, thousand, and ten thousand. However, I don't know how to translate all these Chinese New Year greetings.)

I hope I have a new start in the new year, travel to new places (Tibet, Xinjiang, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Shaolin Temple), and eat authentic Chinese food such as 钟水饺, 夫妻肺片, Sichuan hotpot, Hainan chicken, 冬瓜烫，汤包，etc.

SWAT were Outside My Building

2011-01-04T11:49:00.000-08:00

Last night around 10:20pm, I heard outside someone shout "Police" and "Search Warrant". Then, I heard someone break into a door nearby. I peeped outside my window and saw a SWAT staying on the top floor of the next building with a gun pointing down towards my apartment building. I was terrified, left the window immediately and stayed inside my apartment. Outside, I could still hear people shouting. Around 10:50pm, it calmed down. When I peeped outside the window again, I saw some of my neighbors staying outside talking. When I opened my door, I saw some of my neighbors gathering outside and a few policemen walking towards their cars. It seemed like one of my neighbors was taken away by the police.

This morning, I saw the building manager. She told me Sam, my neighbor, was taken away. The police found robbery items in his apartment. He might stay in the jail for a while. He looked like a nice person! He lived in that apartment before I moved to the building.

I like watching detective dramas. All the actions on TV are exciting. However, when it happens in the real life, it is terrifying!

End of Year Road Trip

2010-12-30T20:29:00.000-08:00

Started driving

Crossing a bridget to Oregon

Welcome to Oregon

Cannon Beach

Somewhere on the Oregon Coast (North of Newport)

Newport, Oregon

Somewhere on the Oregon Coast (South of Newport)

Three of us

Sea Lions

Pictures from a warm sunny island

2010-12-16T15:09:00.000-08:00

Parents Visiting Seattle -- Part 3

2010-11-15T20:54:00.000-08:00

After two weeks in Seattle, my parents and I went to Honolulu on November 4th.

The weather was very nice in Honolulu. However, due to the low immune system of her body, my mother suddenly developed an illness which causes her immense pain. Except for the first day, my mother spent most the time in the hotel room. The foreign language and the unfamiliar medical system made things even more difficult for my mother. Thankfully, my mother is a doctor herself and she diagnosed what illness she was having. The doctor's visit on Sunday (November 7th) in Honolulu just confirmed her diagnosis. In addition to see a doctor on Sunday and request wheel chair assistance at the airports, my parents had to shorten their US visit.

My parents went back last Wednesday. Right after they arrived in Zhongshan, they went to see a doctor again. My mother is taking medications and receiving treatments. Even though it might take some time for my mother to fully recover, things are under control.

I'll remember to buy medical insurance for my parents when they visit me next time.

Parents Visiting Seattle -- Part 2

2010-11-12T20:25:00.000-08:00

The second weekend of my parents' visit, I had to travel to Canada for a few days. My parents were left alone in Seattle. They told me that they went to Woodland Park.

When I came back, it was a couple days before Halloween. My mother and I did pumpkin carving. My mother enjoyed it.

On October 30th, we went to watch a UW football game. Even though UW lost to Stanford 0 to 41, we had a lot of fun.

On Sunday (October 31st), we went to Museum of Flight with two of my friends.

South Beauty

2010-10-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

When I was browsing the gossips online, I found a high-end Chinese restaurant chain "South Beauty". Their website includes menu, which is great. Because I can use it to tell people about some Chinese food.

Parents Visiting Seattle

2010-10-19T22:20:00.000-07:00

Parents came last Friday and will stay for a month. A couple days before, I talked to a couple friends whose parents had visited. All of them said that their parents got bored within a week. It seems like I have to find ways to keep my parents entertain.

First day when my parents arrived, my mother commented my apartment was too small for three people. I didn't want to tell her how much I pay for my rent. My father defended me that my place was as big as our first apartment in Zhongshan.

Second day, my parents and I visited Space Needle. It was my first time as well. We also went to Kerry Park. Then had a late lunch in Chinatown.

Third day, we went to Best Buy at Northgate. My parents already started to think about presents for relatives.

Fourth day, I took my parents to the UW campus. They were excited to see the library in person, as they had seen it online all the time.

Today, my parents met my advisor. My mother felt she couldn't express herself due to her lack of English capability.

My parents walked to my office from home themselves this afternoon. I was a bit relief. However, I still concern if they can explore the neighborhoods on their own. I suggest my parents to go to the Gasworks Park themselves tomorrow. Let's see what happen.

Pictures taken from the airplane to Seattle

2010-08-25T13:38:00.000-07:00

College Station and Houston, TX

2010-08-25T13:29:00.000-07:00

Zhouqu

2010-08-12T17:23:00.000-07:00

For the pass few days, I have heard a lot of news reports from TV and radio stations about landslide happening in Gansu Province, China. However, I had no clue what the news reporters said about the town. I had to check online and found it was Zhouqu(舟曲).

Do I expect too much from the western news reporters?

Wild Flowers on Mt. Rainier

2010-08-07T23:07:00.000-07:00

Wallace Falls

2010-07-31T22:27:00.000-07:00

Housing

2010-07-24T14:39:00.000-07:00

I was invited to lunch with two friends who, like me, came from China for graduate school at UW. One of them is working on her dissertation on housing in China. Inevitably, I asked her about her dissertation, and we talked about how ridiculously expensive the housing in Beijing has become.

Nine years ago when I just graduated from the university, the housing market in China started to become active. People started to own their residential units and purchase condos. Shanghai had the most active housing market in China at that time. I always heard how rapid the housing price in Shanghai increased.

The skyrocketing housing price and struggles of many people in China facing to buy a house made a TV series "Wo Ju", meaning a nutshell of a house, very popular in China last year. Wo Ju tells the story of a white-collar couple struggling to buy a house in Shanghai. They graduated from renowned Chinese universities and have a 2-year-old child. Yet as they could not afford a house in the city, they end up borrowing money from their relatives. Protagonist Hai Ping's younger sister, Hai Zao, rents an apartment with her boyfriend Xiao Bei, in an attempt to save money for their future house and wedding. Hai Zao then meets Song Siming, a 42-year-old government official, and has an affair with him. Song gives Hai Zao money and other benefits to help her sister's family out. Song is later found guilty of taking bribes and dies in a car accident. Hai Zao and Song's child was born premature and died.

I don't always understand why the housing price in Beijing could start practically nothing and caught up with and surpass Seattle in less than 15 years. Economists like to explain as demand surpassing supply. I can't help wonder why there are so much demand. Beijing is the capital. For people who are not familiar with China, China is a country with a very long history of central control. In other words, China is a country with a very strict hierarchical system and politics is closely related with economy. The center of the politics is also the center of economy. If the housing value are determined by location, location, and location, Beijing, no doubt, is the prime city to live. This justifies why housing is more expensive in Beijing than other cities, but it doesn't explain housing is unaffordable for the majority of the residents in Beijing. I don't define affordable as 30% of a household's gross income. Unaffordable here means even a household uses all their income or acquires all kinds of loans and mortgages, they still can't buy a tiny condo.

My friend who is working on housing in China stated a theory. A very small percentage of Chinese people have got rich. They're looking for high return investments. However, Chinese government control all high profitable industries, and no private investment is allowed. Housing market is the only market that the government doesn't forbid private investment. Thus, money is flooring in, which escalates housing price. That's why so many rich Chinese purchase housing in Beijing even though they don't live there at all. That's why housing price in Beijing is unusually high that owning housing is a unrealistic dream for ordinary Beijing residents.

Talapos and Ollalie Lakes

2010-07-19T12:21:00.000-07:00

Food, Eating

2010-07-12T22:54:00.000-07:00

Growing up in China, I was not particularly introduced to a religion or encouraged to take a religion. Some of my friends teased me that I was a communist. Well, I don't have a religion, but I consider myself as a socialist or an unbeliever of capitalist more than a communist. However, I take what I eat and what restaurants I go seriously and adventurously.

Even though sandwich is simple and fast, I don't like to have it for lunch. I don't like American hamburgers or pizzas. Not because they look cheap or unsophisticated, it is because I don't find them tasty. Ordinary meats such as chicken and pork from American supermarkets are tasteless. I have to buy organic kosher chicken and organic pork (I wish I could find organic kosher pork.^_^.). I didn't know how to cook until 22 when I moved to the states. I made international phone calls to my mother to ask how to cook. However, at the second year when I started cooking, I invited ten people for dinner and cooked all the dishes.

One thing I enjoy most while traveling is to try local cuisine. I had an unforgettable time at a local restaurant in Seoul with a friend who introduced me to eat live octopus, a famous Korean dish. I still remember the moving octopus in the plane when the waitress bringing it out from the kitchen. I also love telling people funny stories about food. I have told many of friends the experience my parents and I had on eating larvas. Exploring different restaurants is one of my favor activities.

Not surprisingly I enjoy "No Reservation", a travel TV show on food, and like the TV show host, Anthony Bourdain. I even bought one of his book - Kitchen Confidential. I'm reading it every morning during breakfast. I'm having a good time. I found Bourdain's comments on vegetarians amusing.

Vegetarians are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit, an affront to all I stand for, the pure enjoyment of food.

.... Amoebas, however, are transferred most easily through the handling of raw, uncooked vegetables, particularly during the washing of salad greens and leafy produces. So think about that next time you want to exchange deep tongue kisses with a vegetarian.

4th of July 2010

2010-07-04T23:54:00.001-07:00

Like a Marathon

2010-06-13T09:03:00.000-07:00

Finally sent my first draft out this morning.

Hopefully I can be in time to do defense in July.

At the meanwhile, I'm still looking for a job.

At least, summer finally came.

Travel

2010-03-29T15:14:00.000-07:00

Last week, my parents finally had their first oversea trip to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Apparently they had a good time. My mother can't stopping telling me what they had seen on their trip. My father emailed me some nice fun pictures they took. That's what I like about traveling: seeing new places, meeting new people, and sharing stories.

One of my memorable trips was my European trip a few years ago. I took a plane from Paris to Roma. After I arrived, I found the airport was somewhat small, and not crowded at all. I had to walk a few minutes to the train station where only one clerk was selling tickets. With help from a couple from Eastern Europe, I purchased my ticket to the center of Roma. Within half an hour, I got onto a train. I started to doubt if I caught the right train when I saw the sign of Roma was the opposite direction where the train was heading. I asked a lady sitting close to me if the train was going to Roma. The lady said her English wasn't good and told me to ask other people. Then I asked a young fellow who was reading an Italian newspaper sitting next to her. He looked at me and smiled, and told me this train was coming from Roma. Maybe he felt that he should make me feel ease, he added I didn't need to worry, and I could stay on the train to the terminal and the train would go back to Roma shortly. I relieved and thanked him. When he was waiting to get off the train, he saw me again. He asked me where I came from. I told him that I just flew from Paris. He asked me if I was a Chinese. I said yes. Then he started speaking Mandarin to me! I couldn't even tell if he was a Chinese.

A friend joined me in Roma the next day. After 3 days in Roma, my friend and I planed to fly to Berlin to visit our friend. When we got to the airport, my friend was looking for our flight. After quite some time, he still couldn't find it. He checked the tickets again, and he found that we came to the wrong airport! There are two airports in Roma: Ciampino airport and Fiumicino airport (the main airport). Then I remembered how small the airport when I first arrived in Roma. I didn't remember the name. I guess it was Ciampino. The airport we were at now was big and full of people. I guess it is called Fiumicino or Leonardo da Vinci airport. Neither my friend nor I can speak Italian. The airline tickets we had were booked in Danish. Neither of us doubled check the tickets before we came to the airport. Both my friend and I complained about the Roma airports with such difficult names for foreigners. Ciampino and Fiumicino, they should just call Cappuccino.

We missed our flight and had to purchase new tickets. The worst thing was that my friend couldn't find his luggage when we arrived in Berlin (he got his luggage before he went back home). It was very expensive to buy the last minute tickets. It was priceless to see my friend cursing from Roma to Berlin.

Entertaining News

2010-03-15T21:20:00.000-07:00

While I was running hierarchical models, I checked out the China Daily and found a piece of news "Guangxi nails diary scandal official". Receiving bribery of $71,000 in 8 years, this Guangxi official could face "a sentence of at least 10 years in jail if convicted". Out of curiosity, I did an online search in Chinese. It returned quite a lot of links focusing on his diary detail recording his extra marital affairs with five women. At the same time, quite a few people considered he was not a bad official.

I just can't help bust out laughing in the office.

Rewards from Kendo Practices

2010-03-07T18:08:00.000-08:00

Share of Chinese Box Office

2010-03-05T16:42:00.000-08:00

Korean Wave

2010-02-25T22:45:00.000-08:00

After I came back from the dentist this afternoon, instead of 1 hour, my mouth had been numb for three hours! I couldn't eat despite I was very hungry. In addition, I couldn't concentrate on writing. I also got an email from my senior requesting my research proposal that we have discussed and hope to collaborate on. The draft proposal was only half way done. Nonetheless, What I really wanted to do was to watch live broadcast of women's figure skating.

Before the winter Olympics started, I found out this gold favored Korean figure skater, Yu-Na Kim. After I watched her on youtube, I just fell in love with her performances. I can't wait to watch her skate. Before the game started, I began to search online to see if there was any online live broadcast. At the same time, my mouth finally gained back some consciousness. However, no luck on online live broadcast. I got back to my half-finished proposal. Every half an hour or so, I checked the message updates on the game and followed the scores. Finally, I sent out the draft proposal. I hope my senior finds it understandable........

And then I found Yu-Na Kim did her performance and scored very high! No doubt, the gold is hers. With tremendous pressure and high expectations, it's extraordinary she did an almost perfect performance. I have to find the video of this performance.

转载 “我真的不知道梁思成和林徽因是不是幸福”

2010-01-23T00:48:00.000-08:00

一个朋友是梁家亲戚，回忆起家人谈梁林，那种羡慕与略带醋意的语调，即便隔了几十年仍然让人感觉扑面而来--林徽因在建筑设计上有着过人的敏感，然而，只有她的家人知道，这位才女在和梁思成一起工作的日子里，从来只肯画出草图便要撂挑子。后面，自有梁思成来细细地将草图变成完美的成品。而才女林徽因这时便会以顽皮小女人的姿态出现，用各种吃食来讨好思成。

　　这段轶事，是2003年的时候才知道的，以之询于中央美院参加过人民英雄纪念碑设计组的教授，那位一贯艺术家风度极强的老先生，脸上露出的是孩子气的微笑：

　　梁思成不在的时候，林徽因的图并不是不能自己画。

　　也许，她要的就是这种被思成宠着的感觉。而宠着林徽因，只怕也是梁思成最大的快乐。

　　女人，有时可以不讲理一下？

　　女人，有时可以不讲理一下。

徐志摩在紧追林徽因时，发现前来寻他的张幼仪已经怀孕，便说：“把孩子打掉。”那年月打胎是危险的。张说：“我听说有人因为打胎死掉的。”徐说：“还有人因为坐火车死掉的呢，难道你看到人家不坐火车了吗？”

　　从这一段对话，也许可以看出徐志摩和梁思成最不同的地方。

　　当因了陆小曼的一个个烟泡而为钱奔忙不堪，随飞机坠落的那一瞬间，徐志摩可会想到张幼仪？

　　张幼仪终身不曾言徐之不是。

　　男人，委实没有不讲理的权力。

　　梁思成也罢，金岳霖也罢，都是那种有一副宽厚温暖的胸怀，可以让女人靠一下的男人。林徽因在北京城墙上的坚持，尽显一个建筑学家的执着与刚烈，但是，再刚烈的女子，恐怕也无法避免对身后有一副坚实臂膀的期待。这种说不清的东西，就是一个男人的责任。

　　有时候，放弃也是一种对爱的负责，比如金岳霖最后一刻的弃权。

林徽因对徐志摩的感情，可以从很多地方看出来，一如我们每个人都可能有自己曾经深爱而又终于未能相守终生的人，即便几十年的风雨过后，依然在你心中一角深深埋藏。关于林徽因和徐志摩的评价，大概还是要用梁从诫先生的话来说吧，我以为那是最贴切的说法-- “徐志摩的精神追求，林徽因完全理解，但反过来，林徽因所追求的，徐志摩未必理解……”

　　一个男人面对一个远比自己成熟的女子，就算他是中国的雪莱，在恋爱的季节，也不是一个乐观的兆头。

　　所以，林没有选择徐，几乎可说是命中早已注定的事情。

当胡兰成用一块砖头把张爱玲变成被砸晕了的快乐女孩的时候，梁思成正在为林徽因清理前面路上所有可能绊倒她的杂木乱石，有时候，还会被林徽因用砖头砸一个两眼发黑。

　　婚姻是一座城，它可以围困你，也可以守护你。

梁思成究竟因为什么原因使林徽因最终投下终身？林徽因自己没有回答，她说，会用一生来回答这个问题。

今天的日本，最美丽的旅游城市，就是京都和奈良，一个世俗，一个出尘。

　　如果没有梁思成，早就没有京都，也没有奈良了。

　　1944年，时任中国战区文物保护委员会副主任的梁思成，奉命向美军提供中国日占区需要保护的文物清单和地图，以免盟军轰炸时误加损伤。这份材料，是梁思成历尽心血完成的。

　　但梁思成希望美军能将另外两个不在中国的城市也排除在轰炸目标之外--日本的京都和奈良。

　　1932年，上海淞沪会战中，十九路军抗敌的前线，一个清华大学出身的年轻炮兵军官在激战中因无医无药殉于阵中。

　　梁思米，吃大米，梁思忠，吃大葱……

　　这是后来的火箭专家梁思礼先生当年写下的句子。梁家，大体就是这样一个快乐的地方。

　　这个年轻的炮兵军官就是梁思成的亲弟弟梁思忠。

　　1941年，在成都，日军利用恶劣天气，以诡异的云上飞行方式奇袭中国空军双流基地，一个中国飞行员不顾日机的轰炸扫射，冒死登机，起飞迎战，在跑道尽头未及拉起就被击中，壮烈殉国。

　　三年后，林徽因依然为这个战死的中国飞行员写了一首哀婉的长诗，叫做《哭三弟恒》。

　　这个中国飞行员，就是林徽因的三弟，“在北平西总布胡同老宅我们叫做三爷的那个孩子”--林恒。

　　因了国恨家仇，梁思成先生进入营造学社后从不与日本人交往。在长沙大轰炸的烈火中，谦谦君子的梁思成怒吼出：“多行不义必自毙，总有一天我会看到日本被炸沉的！”

所以当梁思成提出保护京都和奈良时，在当时的人们看来是一个难以理解的决定，而且，也超出他的工作范围。但是，他依然这样做了，而且并不是临时起意而已。他的弟子罗哲文这样记载他们从事这项工作时候的情景：“他们住在重庆上清寺中央研究院……每天，梁先生拿过来一些图纸，让罗哲文根据他事先用铅笔标出的符号，再用绘图仪器绘成正规的地图。罗哲文虽然没有详问图纸的内容，但大体可以看出，地图上许多属于日本占领区的范围。而梁先生用铅笔标出的，都是古城、古镇和古建筑文物的位置。还有一些地图甚至不是中国的。当时罗哲文虽然没有仔细加以辨识，但有两处他是深有印象的，那就是日本的古城京都和奈良。”

　　梁思成这样解释他提出这个建议的原因--“要是从我个人感情出发，我是恨不得炸沉日本的。但建筑绝不是某一民族的，而是全人类文明的结晶。”

至今，依然有日本人认为当年侵略中国，是文明对野蛮的战争。

　　那么，有梁先生这样的中国人，就是在无言地告诉后人，日本人那时是在戕害一个怎样高贵的民族。

林徽因选择的梁思成，是怎样的一个男人。

他不一定有徐志摩的才华，也不一定有胡兰成的浪漫，但是，梁思成，是那种胸中真正有一个大海的男人。

　　谁能看到这片大海，谁才能配得上梁思成。

　　有人问梁思成和林徽因在一起幸福吗？

　　我不知道。

　　我只知道在抗战中，他们曾共同守在贫穷的李庄。那时，梁思成的脊椎病使他必须穿上铁马甲才能坐直，体重降到四十七公斤；那时，林徽因在日日咯血的生死线上挣扎，“几个月的时间就毁灭了她曾经有过的美丽”。那是真正的受难，没有电，没有自来水，每日伴随他们的是臭虫和油灯。

　　然而，当外国友人邀请他们定居美国的时候，这一对苦难中的人拒绝了。他们说，中国在受难，他们要与自己的祖国一起受苦。

　　林徽因在回答“日本人来了怎么办”这句话时，平静而言：“门外不就是扬子江？”

　　而另一件值得一提的事情，是由于奈良附近的军事目标众多，1945年，盟军不得不作出对其进行轰炸的准备。而为了最大限度地保护奈良的历史遗迹，盟军需要一张标明详细文物地点的地图。

　　这一次，画这张图的，是林徽因。

　　当抗战胜利的时候，人们才知道，他们竟然在李庄写出了十一万字的《中国建筑史》，两个人那时每天为了这部书工作到夜半，竟然“欲罢不能”。

　　我真的不知道梁思成和林徽因是不是幸福。

有的男人是真丈夫，当得起让人生死相许

　　海的梁思成。

Internal Peace

2010-01-16T01:10:00.000-08:00

One of my friends' birthday wish is to gain internal peace.

Since college, people around me have completed their post-graduate studies, promoted to a new position, got married, become parents, bought a new house, etc., while I'm still working on my degrees and being at the same life stage as before. I would question myself why my life is stagnant. Anxiousness has started to grow inside me.

Internal peace will be my birthday wish as well.

Be happy who I am,
Enjoy what I do,
Content what I have, and
Be confident what I can achieve.

Bizarre

2009-12-22T17:56:00.000-08:00

I met one of my neighbors when he was walking his three dogs. At that time, all his three dogs were small and very adorable. Three months later, when I saw him again, he had two small ones and one big one. While I was wondering where the his third dog went, he told me the big one had grown from the size when I first met him. He also mentioned he was a Tibetan mastiff. I had no idea what Tibetan mastiff was. Only until a couple weeks later, one of my Chinese colleagues told me that Ma Junren, who was a coach for long distance running in 1990s, was breeding Tibetan mastiffs nowadays. And Tibetan mastiff is a very expansive dog in China. I got to know the level of expansiveness today. A piece of news on a young Chinese woman from Xi'an paid $600,000 for a Tibetan mastiff was in USA Today.

When I was browsing the online news, I was shocked to see one on how South Koreans think about height of a person.

The prevalence of extreme, bizarre news in the main stream media astonishes me. Furthermore, media report news as if they are advertising some Hollywood movies.

Thanksgiving weekend

2009-11-29T20:00:00.001-08:00

It was on the way back from a Korean restaurant that my friend's girlfriend, who moved to the US in the middle school and became a US citizen recently, started the conversion why fewer Chinese were in the management positions in Microsoft than their Indian counterparts. Then the discussion extended to the overall social status of Chinese in the US. Chinese who have climbed up the social ladders in the states were admired and celebrated. When she further asked how to achieve fortune and fame in the states, I realized that she still thought the US was the most promising country in the future. I replied right now China is the biggest lender to the US. It might be more practical to know how to achieve fortune and fame in China.

The next day was Thanksgiving. I was invited to a friend's for dumplings. Her boyfriend who liked to create different ways of wrapping dumplings suggested that we could cook the dumplings like doing hotpot. I didn't like the idea. But my friend took her cooker for hotpot out. We cooked dumplings like hotpot.

It was black Friday. I went grocery shopping in the afternoon. My friend who drove me went shopping in the morning as well. She said the peak hour was 6-7am. She went at 8am. In the evening, we went to the Evangelical Chinese Church. It was my second time going there. After free dinner, a guest speaker did a missionary lecture. Frankly, I didn't like the speaker. He disliked everything unchristian. Even though my friend just officially claimed that she became a believer, I felt like she was ordained.

Yesterday, I had dim sum with some schoolmates in Chinatown. Before going home, we went to Uwajimaya. When I was at the book store, I browsed a very funny book titled "The Big Bento Box of Unuseless Japanese Inventions". I couldn't help laughing out loud in the store.

This afternoon, I saw "Red Cliff". The story is widely known. It was not only made into part of a popular TV series in mainland China a few years ago, but also included in my high school Chinese text book. However, the movie was OK. I didn't remember much. In addition to the bloody battle scenes, I could only recall a couple things such as making bombs and playing soccer, and a few sentences such as 以我多年种田的经验 (based on my many years experience of farming).

A fun picture I created online

2009-11-14T01:40:00.000-08:00

Wednesday Morning

2009-11-07T12:35:00.000-08:00

On Monday, I finally submitted a paper with my second revision. One of the reviewers seemed to find something that s/he didn't find during the first round of review. On Tuesday, I started revising another report. I still had to prepare data for my dissertation analysis. I have been in the PhD program for a while. It is time for me to graduate. I should also look for jobs. I want to stay in the academia. Universities have gone under budget cut. Job postings are fewer compared with a few years ago. At a conference in October, I saw quite a few newly graduated PhDs looking for jobs.

I decided that I should get up early to work on the report on Wednesday. After my morning routine of a glass of warm water, I started eating breakfast. I picked up, Flight, one of the books that I have piled on the table. It was the 11th chapter. Zits was in one of the Indian battles. He got into the body of an old soldier who killed Indians. I finished half of a sandwich. The avocado was so creamy. I couldn't have enough of it. The battle scene was vividly described, bloody and brutal. I was glad that I was not eating meat or anything red in the morning. Maybe it was not a good idea to read such a scene in the morning. Then I read

...Without stopping, that white soldier reaches down and picks up Bow Boy. Cradles the child in one arm. And the while soldier keeps running...That white soldier, a small saint, is trying to save Bow Boy...In the midst of all this madness and murder, one soldier has refused to participate. He has chosen the opposite of revenge...

Tears started to fill my eyes. I almost expected to see the five year old boy being brutally murdered. How courageous the soldier is! Against the order to save lives! While I was crying, I couldn't help keep reading. I didn't want to finish it so fast, but I also wanted to know how the story developed.

When I managed to finish my breakfast, the clock showed it was 9:30. I had to catch my bus.

Montreal and Quebec City

2009-10-06T00:27:00.000-07:00

I went to Montreal and Quebec City for a week towards the end of September. I wish my French is better. I did enjoy both cities.

Fictions

2009-09-16T20:49:00.001-07:00

Most of books in English I read are non fiction. It's not that I don't like fictions. I enjoy Chinese Ku-fu fictions, Chinese romantic novels, Chinese history novels, etc. Well, I guess I like Chinese fiction. Fictions, like jokes and humors, demand culture, history, value, even religion understanding to be entertained. In addition, fictions bring something that people can relate to or fantasize with. As a Chinese born and raised in China, I can't relate many things in the US, even though I have been living in the US for almost eight years. Or it also might be everything in the US is (or encouraged to be) individualized that collective identities are understood or interpreted differently.

Crater Lake

2009-08-24T12:54:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, I went to Crater Lake National Park with a friend of mine. The lake is very beautiful. The water is super clear and blue. Of course, I couldn't resist to swim in the lake.

Crater Lake

I'm at Crater Lake taking pictures

nearby the boat tour dock

The water, the lake

close look at the water where I swam

Fortune Telling

2009-08-20T22:55:00.000-07:00

My parents told me that some fortune teller had foreseen that I would have high education when I was still a baby.

In college, I was stopped by a palm reader after I visited a temple. He said I would marry late.

A few years ago, I did palm reading to a person I didn't know. I told him that he would be a bachelor until when he reached 40. He told me later that he got married at 39.

I remember in a documentary about a woman looking for her biological parents in Cambodia. The woman did some fortune telling to see if she could find her parents during her trip. The fortune teller told her that she wouldn't find her parents, but she would find a husband. At the end, she indeed couldn't find her parents, and found a husband instead.

Fortune telling is very fascinating. Or I just choose those tend to be true to remember?

Olympic National Park

2009-07-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

I went camping at the Olympic National Park two weekends ago with some friends.

Here are some pictures taken by my friends.

Urumqi

2009-07-10T00:33:00.000-07:00

In the afternoon, I saw a friend of mine who lived in Urumqi to study Uyghur traditional medicine last year. She has been very upset since she heard the news of the riots. She lived at the street where the riot happened last Sunday. She taught classes at a university in Urumqi with both Han and Uyghur students. She has both Han and Uyghur friends in Urumqi.

On the other hand, I haven't been to the region. I don't have any Uyghur friends. Thanks to courses that I have taken at the school of international studies and the experience of living in the US and China, I understand things always have more than one perspectives. I'm standing in the middle of chaos.

Both of us agreed that it was very strange for the Chinese government to finger Rebiya Kadeer responsible for the riots in Urumqi. It is like the Chinese government wants to create a leader for the Uyghurs, like Dalai for the Tibetans? Or there are something needed to be covered up?

Lake Serene Revisit

2009-07-05T22:15:00.000-07:00

One of my first blog entries is about Lake Serene hike in July 2005. I enjoyed the hike a lot. The only thing I didn't try that time was swimming in the lake. I finally did it today!

The weather was sunny and warm today. Even though half of the lake is still covered with flowing ice, there were a few people before me jumping into the lake. All of them came out of the water speechless. The person just right before me said even his teeth felt cold. I'm very glad that I finally swam in Lake Serene.

2009 Seattle Gay Pride Parade

2009-06-28T20:56:00.000-07:00

Waiting for the parade.

Watching the parade.

People in the parade.

TV

2009-06-26T23:55:00.001-07:00

Do you know that recently CNN reported that a study found that teens who watched more TV were more likely to be pregnant?

Really?

Do you watch TV?

I even don't have a TV at my apartment.

No wonder at 30 you're still single without a kid.

Kendo

2009-06-26T23:52:00.000-07:00

For some reason, I think I can excel in Kendo. I'll start my first ever Kendo class next Wednesday!!

Yosemite

2009-05-26T20:11:00.000-07:00

Six years ago, I went to Yosemite first time with one of my good friends, Sylvia. We bought train passes and took a ten-day trip to California in September. Yosemite was our second stop. It was beautiful.

Last weekend, another good friend of mine, Guilan, invited me to go to Yosemite again. I have to go of course. Not only because it is Yosemite, but also it is spring! There will be famous waterfalls I missed last time! We even hiked up to Half Dome!

清明

2009-04-03T23:06:00.000-07:00

下午打电话给家里的时候才知道今天是清明节。这几天西雅图正是雨雪不断。联想起杜牧的一首诗。

清明时节雨纷纷，
路上行人欲断魂。
借问酒家何处有？
牧童遥指杏花村。

Movies

2009-03-22T17:09:00.000-07:00

I love movies. I like watching other people's stories.

Last month, I saw "Slumdog Millionaire". When I got back home from the movie, I couldn't help searching the related information/comments/movie critics online. The scene the young Jamal holding the picture of Amitabh Bachchan and jumping into a pile of excrement to seek Amitabh Bachchan's autograph has stuck in my mind.

Three weeks ago, I saw "He's Just Not That Into You". After the movie, my girl friends and I couldn't stop talking about the movie.

About two weeks ago, I saw "Watchman". I didn't remember the movie very much, except a sentence by one of the characters.

When you left me, I left Earth.

Yesterday, I saw another movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". I was very touched.

Am I also looking for myself in the movies?

Lost and Found

2009-03-07T15:15:00.000-08:00

It happened yesterday.

I was reaching out to my belt to get my house keys. I didn't feel my keys. I turned around and found that there was only a key holder hanging on my belt. My heart started to sink. I had a very quick flashback what I did. I just finished a class about one hour ago. I took the bus to school in the morning. I said to myself I must have lost my keys in the classroom or in the bus. Somehow I felt like the chance that I lost my keys in the classroom was bigger. I graped my lab keys and put on my coat, and left my department building to the classroom where I had a morning class. There was no keys in the classroom. Then, I went to the lost and found desk in the HUB. No keys were turned in the morning. My heart sunk.

On the way back to the Gould Hall, I played back in my head what I had done in the morning. I remembered when I closed the door behind me, I put my gloves in one of the pockets of my coat, the same side I hanged my house keys. My handbag was just sitting on the pocket. Was it possible I lost the keys on the way to the bus stop? The chance of recovering my keys was getting slimmer. I started to feel a bit of panic.

I was very glad that I called Susan. She suggested me to call my property manager first. She also gave me a few numbers of locksmiths. I didn't have the phone number of the property manager with me. I had to call the locksmiths. The first one asked for $100 to open my door. The second one asked for $80. The third one asked for $100 as well. Hearing such high cost of the locksmiths just made me feel bad that I lost my keys. I said to myself at least I found out I lost the keys early. It would be worse if I had found that out at night.

I decided that I should go back home first and then asked the locksmith who asked for $80 to come open the door for me. On the way home, I got a phone call from the third locksmith I called. He said he would offer me the lowest price. I told him that I would call him when I got back home.

When I got off the bus, I started to search around as I walked home. I couldn't find any keys. When I was crossing the street and got closer to my apartment, I started to get nervous. For a second, I wish I would find my keys by the door. Standing in front of my door, I was stunned. My keys were hanging on the door. One of the keys was still in the lock on my door!!!

30

2009-02-15T22:55:00.000-08:00

I turned 30 a few weeks ago.

I still remember 4 years ago when I was chatting with my housemates about what I wanted to achieve before I turned 30, I said I wanted to have a publication, travel to some places in Europe, and getting a boyfriend. At that time, I thought the easiest thing was to get a boyfriend. The most difficult one was going to Europe. It turned out I went to Europe the next summer, I had a first journal article as a second author last year, but I am still single.

Confucius said: "At thirty, I established my stand." It seems like I am still establishing my stand.

Gaza, Palestine, and Israel

2009-01-17T22:51:00.000-08:00

If I didn't have any friends from Palestine and Israel, I wouldn't have felt so much for the people who live in that region. Specially what has happened for the last three weeks there.

If my Palestinian friends hadn't told me the situations in Gaza and the West Bank, I wouldn't have any idea that Palestine dose not have their own currency. People who live in the West Bank have to use different kinds of foreign currency the region. I wouldn't have known that Gaza is like a concentration camp, etc. Even though my friends have filled me with information about the region, I still can't image the life in Gaza and the West Bank.

When I asked my friend who is from Israel the population of the state, I was very surprised to hear it only has about 7-8 million people. On the other hand, my friend was shocked to hear I said that it was just like two median size cities or one large city in China. Just Shanghai alone has more population than the whole state of Israel.

20 years, 50 years, 100 years and many years later, I hope I can still see Palestine stand in the region.

Two-Week Vacation in Zhongshan

2008-12-27T18:03:00.000-08:00

I got back to Seattle yesterday. I finished a two-week vacation at home with my parents. It had been a very relaxing time. I attended one of my cousins' one-month "anniversary" celebration, but missed my high-school's 100 anniversary celebration. I also saw some of high-school classmates and visited Macau.

I booked the discounted airline tickets. I had to get back to Seattle on December 26th. Meanwhile, my high-school was having 100th anniversary celebration on December 27th. I missed it just by one day. I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of the celebration.

On the other hand, one of my cousins got married last month. Somehow he and his wife and their families decided to celebrate their one-month "anniversary". They had a grand wedding ceremony with more than 500 people attending. Since I was at home, I was invited to their anniversary dinner.

I graduated from high school for more than 10 years. We are doing different things. I saw some of my classmates from high school during my visit. Surprisingly, I heard another two of them got married with each other!

Macau is just south of Zhongshan. It takes less than one hour to get there from Zhongshan. I finally visited it on December 18th with my parents. Here are some pictures.

Grown-Up

2008-12-02T23:30:00.000-08:00

My friends say I have grown up.

I just moved to a one-bedroom apartment last weekend. I have the whole apartment to myself. It's my first time living alone. My friends said I have finally "grown up".

Baby Formula

2008-12-02T20:03:00.000-08:00

I still remember the milk disaster in China back in September. Two weeks ago, I got an email from a high school classmate out of blue. He asked me to buy 12 big cans of baby formula from the US. They're so heavy that I had to take two trips. Last week, I bought 6 cans. This afternoon, I bought another 6 cans. The 12 cans of baby formula weight 20 pounds. I have to use EMS to send them back to China. It'll cost more than $120 on shipping!

Maybe I should open an import/export business on baby formula?

November 4, Election in the US

2008-11-04T18:36:00.001-08:00

I found this picture online.

Steamed Eggs

2008-11-04T00:24:00.000-08:00

I have decided that I should cook more often. Since the beginning of this year, I had been eating out a lot. If I cooked, I would just cook Korean spicy instant noodles. I have gained about 10 pounds. During the summer holiday, I went back to China to visit my parents and friends. My mother told me I should do more exercise. I knew she wanted to tell me that I should lose some weight. One of my parents' friend, who cares about me a lot ever since I was little, saw me again in August. She gave me tips on how to lose weight, even though I didn't ask for it!

Last week, I wanted to cook steamed egg, a simple dish that my grandmother used to make. I also had it at a friend's before she went back to China for her field trips. I stirred three chicken eggs, added some water, and put it on the stove to steam. It turned out not tasty at all! I called my parents and asked them how to make steamed eggs. Then I found out that I forgot to add some oil, but I added too much water. The good thing is that the dogs aren't too picky. I tried a second time. This time, it was only eatable. I think I have to try several times before it tastes good.

Zhang Danhong Incident

2008-10-21T23:11:00.000-07:00

I didn't know Zhang Danhong. I had never heard of her name before. I found her name tonight when I was reading online Chinese news. Of course, I have a lot of things to say about Chinese news that is available in the newspaper and on the Chinese websites in China. I won't focus on this today. Instead I want to focus on Objective and Unbiased of news report in the western media in general.

According to some news, Zhang Danhong, who was the deputy editorial director of the Department of Chinese radio of the Deutsche Welle, was suspended for saying "too many good words for China". One of her "good words" for China is

The Communist Party of China has more than any political force in the world implemented Article 3 of the Declaration of Human Rights

Which is referring to the Chinese authorities pulling more than 400 million people out of poverty.

There are many people supporting Zhang. An open letter signed by 49 German scholars is a good example. At the same time, there are some people supporting the Deutsche Welle, such as another open letter by "a group of Chinese freelance writers and journalists living in different parts of the world".

Personally, I think the act of the Deutsche Welle is very silly. First of all, I believe an objective and unbiased news network has to have a variety of views according to the western philosophies.

If a media, or a nation couldn't tolerate different opinions, what will they be called?

Languages and Nations

2008-10-20T20:52:00.000-07:00

I was talking with one of my schoolmates who will have his first baby soon. I asked him if his children were going to be multilingual. He replied that was for sure. Both he and his wife speak English and French fluently. In addition, his wife speaks Vietnamese fluently. So my schoolmate said his children would speak English, French, and Vietnamese.

I have some European friends as well some friends from the US mentioned that many people in the US only speak English. I think this might relate to the fact that all people in the US except for the native Americans were/are immigrants. Integration was the supreme task for families from different backdrops. The trade off is that people became monolingual. You might have known that my schoolmate and his wife are not from the US. They are from Canada.

Last Saturday evening, I went to the farewell party of the couple. At the party, one of their friends did a quite survey on "what is your favor thing(s) about Canada?" as the couple are moving back to Montreal.

Even though I haven't lived in Canada, there are a lot of good things about Canada. Canada is a neighboring country to the US. Yet, the country has two official languages. It is a part of the Commonwealth. It has universal health care.

In the early of this century, when people from the US traveling in the Europe, they liked to say they were from Canada. Thanks to the 2008 presidential election in the US, people started to be excited about the US. Two of my housemate's friends who were visiting from Vancouver, BC said they wished they would vote in November.

P.S. Trying to be more politically correct, I use "the US" instead of "America". As "America" includes north and south. North America includes the US and Canada.

Maple Valley Loop, North Cascades

2008-10-13T21:00:00.000-07:00

I went hiking with two of my friends to North Cascades last Sunday. It snowed already! I still remember it covered with snow in the mountains in July.

Insider and Outsider

2008-09-28T22:58:00.000-07:00

After graduating from college, I went back to Chengdu last month first time in seven years. I was lost in the city, and I couldn't find the gate of my college! The real estate has doubled its value in less than five years in Chengdu and where my parents currently reside. I sometimes read about how the maps of some cities in China have to be updated in every few weeks. I also heard how people outside of China were amazed by the pace of developments and changes in China. Every time I went back to China, I felt like I had to catch up so many new things, and sometimes I even felt myself like a person who was coming from the countryside visiting the big cities.

For the first few years in the US, I was so occupied by experiencing the US: studying in English, making American friends and friends from all over the world, doing part-time jobs, traveling in the US, etc. Then I was trying to understand the US and Americans. It was then that I recognized there were so many things different between the US and China. I grew up in China immersing in Chinese culture, Chinese education, and Chinese values. I have taken them for granted and haven't thought about them intellectually, or at all: how the Chinese think and behave, how those thoughts and behaviors relate to Chinese values, culture, history, etc. The feeling of ignorance of China and the Chinese was frightening. I borrowed a book titled "My Country and My People" by Lin Yutang published in 1930s about China and the Chinese people. This book is a little bit outdated. However, I still found it useful.

When I started the PhD program in urban planning three years ago, I saw studying China and Chinese become popular in the US and other parts of the world as China has gradually emerged as an important international player thanks to her fast economic development. More and more news on different aspects of China could be found in the US major media. I got to know the changes in China through different media both from the west and the east. However, the gigantic size of China often results in grasping information/facts on China uncompleted. The reports in the media only reflected part of truth.

Bailout and Milk

2008-09-25T22:55:00.000-07:00

For the last several weeks, the economy in the US and Chinese milk quality have been two of the major concerns in my family.

My father has been quite concerned about the economy in the US. Not because he has money investment in the US banks. It is because his only daughter is in the states right now. He is concerned if her research funding for her study will be secured, and her monthly stipend from school will be enough.

There are nearly 53,000 children in China ill due to the the tainted milk. The scare spreads to Europe, and other parts of the world where Chinese milk products were imported. The food safety has been a concern for a quite a long time in China. I think ever since environmental pollution has been concerned, or even earlier when piracy widely spread in China. Both my uncle's family and my parents' friend make their soy milk from the scratch every morning. My parents started to do that last week as well.

Seven Year Itch

2008-09-23T01:05:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, it was my seventh anniversary in Seattle. I have lived in five cities until now.

Han Yuan --3 Years
Lu Zhou --8 Years
Zhongshan --7 Years
Chengdu--4 Years
Seattle--7 Years

I wonder how much longer I will still be here.

Visiting Sichuan, Summer 2008

2008-09-11T02:44:00.000-07:00

Last month when I went back to China, I visited Sichuan. I was born in Han Yuan, a small rural county in Sichuan. I went to college in Chengdu, the provincial capital of Sichuan.

Beijing Olympics

2008-08-17T09:09:00.000-07:00

I have been watching the Olympics these days. One thing I noticed is that the US media counts the TOTAL medals in their medal table, while the rest of the world count the gold medels. It's also interesting to find other people have similar observations as I do. A message left on BBC online is about this.

with the official olympic medal table, i assume that it is compiled firstly on the number of gold medals, then a mix of the silver and bronze medals? as on the official olympics website, and on the bbc site also, the table is assumed on this theory.

whereas on espn, sports illustrated etc. in the states, they focus on the TOTAL medal haul. is this because they know they will win the most medals (gold, silver and bronze) and thus ensuring they finish (in their minds) top of the medal table. because as it stands at 13:41 CET, china lead the table in the worlds eys, but team usa lead the way in those rose tinted lenses that the americans wear.

Mt Adams and China

2008-08-04T15:42:00.000-07:00

I summited Mt. Adams, the second highest peak in the Washington State, last week. The weather was very nice and the view was great.

My friend, Amenda, organized it. We have a team of seven. We left Seattle at 4:30 on Saturday morning. We camped at the 9000 ft the first night. The second day 5am, we started our summit attempt. It was my first time to use crampons. Surprisingly, it wasn't bad at all. We summited at 10:45am. Going up was easier for me than coming down hill. We got back to the car around 6:30pm.

By the time we got back to Seattle area, it was almost midnight. I had to take a flight to China at 2:20am. My schedule was so tight that I didn't have time to go back home to have a show before I went to the airport.....

Chicago Millennium Park

2008-07-23T21:53:00.000-07:00

I was in Chicago from July 7-11 for a conference. It was my second time to be in Chicago. Chicago is a very nice city with fantastic architecture and great parks. The Millennium Park is one of the many parks in Chicago.

Summer/Winter Hike

2008-07-23T21:43:00.000-07:00

I went on a hike with two of my friends on the first weekend of July. It was an area we haven't been to before. The trees were beautiful. The weather was not great. You might see the snow covering the ground. We all had to wear long sleeves and rain jackets. In fact, it was cold and foggy. One of us even said "we should come back when it is summer"!

Seattle Skyline

2008-07-23T18:03:00.000-07:00

I went to a park at Queen Anne with a friend of mine on Sunday. The weather was very nice. Seattle downtown skyline was quite pretty, wasn't it?

Three dogs and one cat

2008-07-02T00:47:00.000-07:00

Summit View on the Granite Mountain

2008-07-01T23:59:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, Amenda and I hiked up to the Granite Mountain. One third of the hike was still covered with snow. The weather was very nice. We had great views on the summit.

Mt. Rainier

Video clip of the 360 degree summit view

I'm in my heavy hiking outfit.

Amenda in front of half-covered waterfall

New Chief Economist of the World Bank

2008-06-10T11:59:00.000-07:00

I read the news that Justin Yifu Lin, who is a Chinese economist, began as the new Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of the World Bank in June. I believe that the rapid economic development in mainland China for the last 30 years might be one of the reasons the World Bank appointed a Chinese economist.

I didn't know much about him. I searched his name online. It turns out that he has so much interesting experience. He was born in Taiwan and joined the army of Republic of China (Taiwan) in 1971. In 1979, he swam across the water to the People's Republic of China (mainland China). He went to study at the University of Chicago in early 80s and went back to mainland China after he got his PhD in economics. Another interesting thing is that he may face arrest on charges of defecting from Taiwan's army 30 years ago if he visits his hometown in Taiwan.

Visa

2008-06-07T23:44:00.000-07:00

I went to renew my US visa on Thursday in Vancouver, BC. I took a 3-hour bus ride to Vancouver from Seattle the night before. I waited in line for more than 2 hours to get my interview. The interview only took one minute. I waited another hour in line to get my passport back on Friday afternoon. On the way back to Seattle on Saturday, it took me more than more than 6 hours because my bus had to queue up at the US border for more than 3 hours.

Well, I should think that I went to Vancouver, at least an interesting city with a lot of things to do. At least I visited a friend who I haven't seen for a long time and we did some catch-up.

Winter in June

2008-06-06T09:32:00.000-07:00

It was below 10 degree Celsius and raining heavily for the last few days in Seattle! It is June already! Where is my sunshine? Where is my summer!!!

Karma?

2008-05-28T02:39:00.000-07:00

I just came back home from a dinner gathering and turned on my computer. My MSN was logged in. I saw a very strong comment against a Hollywood celebrity from a friend on MSN. I was puzzled. When I checked the Yahoo! entertainment news, I found out what happened. Sharon Stone's comments on Sichuan earthquake were indeed infuriating. What a Chinese TV host wrote in her blog reflects what I thought about Sharon Stone.

For those who can't read Chinese, here is a brief summary of the blog post.

What kind of Karma will Sharon Stone's comments on Sichuan earthquake bring to her?

Hundreds and thousands of people have died in the earthquake. Many more are and will be suffering for years to come. Sharon Stone's comments show she is insensitive and indifferent to life to people. This is frightening!!! Based on her logic, it could be that the Katrina in 2005 was the result of "bad karma" over the US government's invading Iraq. I'm certain that she wouldn't say that to her American fellows, even in her private home. However, she said in a public TV interview that the devastating May 12 earthquake in China could have been the result of bad karma over the government's treatment of Tibet. This shows she is not only ignorant, but also arrogant and biased.

Earthquake Prediction

2008-05-22T00:05:00.000-07:00

It has been more than one week since the earthquake devastated Sichuan, China on May 12, 2008. I'm still searching and reading the news on the earthquake constantly. Am I having PMS right now?

I found an article on Wikipedia titled 2008 Sichuan Earthquake. It mentioned two academic studies that predicted possibility of a big earthquake in Sichuan in 2008. One study published in 2002 in a Chinese seismology journal "Recent Developments in World Seismology" analyzed the frequency and intervals of earthquakes happened in Sichuan since 1800 and concluded that

"Beginning with 2003 we should pay more attention to the possibility of an earthquake of M ≥7.0 occurring in Sichuan Province"

The other study published in "Journal of Catastrophology" in Chinese in 2006 analyzed all the M>6.7 earthquakes in Sichuan and Yunan region and found the trend that every 25 years a M≥6.7 earthquake would occur in the region. The article predicts that the Sichuan-Yunnan region may experience a M≥6.7 earthquake in 2008!!!!!

Note: The links to the full articles are embedded in the text.

On the Way to School on a Sunny Day

2008-05-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

Mixed Feelings

2008-05-15T02:50:00.000-07:00

I became very upset every time when I read the news about the earthquake in China. It is very sad to see people, specially the young ones suffer.

Parents are still desperately waiting for helps to get their child out from the rubbles.

A nurse is saving other people's life while her own child is still under the rubbles.

A teacher saved 13 students, but died on the way out.

Soldiers are crying because they couldn't save school kids under the rubbles due to the late arrival of the proper equipment.

However, I don't think I can just simply not read or watch any news about the earthquake. It happened at where I was born and raised. I have friends and family live there. My parents haven't heard back from all of their friends in Sichuan. We still have relatives who still spend nights in the big open space. How can I ignore it? How I can pretend it didn't happen.

It is great to see and hear the prompt response of the Chinese government and military. Prime minister Wen Jiaobao flew to Sichuan very soon when the disaster happened (with only 5 casualties reported at that time). NPR and NYT reported that the Chinese government handled the disaster as if they were the public elected officials. Comparing the response of George W. Bush to Katrina, who received the news from his assistant in a DVD the next day, I can say the responses of Wen have been way much better. A reader's comment on a Editorial in Washingtonpost put it in a much better way.

Looks like the Chinese have a pretty effective FEMA. I wonder why they didn't come over and help with Katrina. And if our paranoid jingoistic government objected, I am sure the UN would have authorized sending them in anyway.
Hopefully. they will next time.

However, one thing that strikes me the most is the school buildings and lost of student lives in the towns and cities nearby the epicenter of the earthquake. I'd like to see the investigations on those school and hospital buildings after the disaster relief, as I haven't heard many reports on the collapsed of the governmental buildings.

Random thoughts

2008-05-13T09:26:00.000-07:00

My parents were traveling in Sichuan for 2 months last year this time. They have friends and family live in different cities in Sichuan. They went to Chengdu, Doujiangyan, Mianyang, Ya'an, etc. Earlier this year, they were planning on going there again in May. They changed their plan because I'll visit them and they want to wait for me to go there together in August.

A few days ago, when news reported that cyclone devastated Burma, I treated it as a piece of news. On the other hand, when I heard the news of earthquake in Sichuan yesterday, I was shocked, and started to worry, and became upset. It is true that I was born in Sichuan. I have spent more than 15 years there. I have been to most of the cities reported in the news. I have friends and family there. Personal connections dramatically change my attitudes, feelings, and behaviors. At the end, I'm still a selfish little human.

Earthquake in Sichuan--Part 2

2008-05-12T15:28:00.000-07:00

I talked to my parents. They are safe.

My parents couldn't reach my mother's relatives who live in Sichuan until this morning. Those who live in Fulin, Sichuan have some impacts. They had to spend one night outside their home. Their houses might have some damages as well.

I'm relief. They're all safe at least.

Earthquake in Sichuan

2008-05-12T13:17:00.001-07:00

When I got to the lab this morning, one of my labmates asked me if I heard the news about the earthquake in China. My heart was immediately hanging in the air. "Which region?" I asked. "Sichuan." I was a bit relief because my parents live quite far away from Sichuan. At the same time, I started to worry since many of my mother's relatives live in Sichuan. The first thing I did when I turned on my computer was to check the news.

NPR:

The deadly 7.8 magnitude quake hit China Monday afternoon — Xinhua News Agency reports that more than 8,533 people have been killed in the devastation. The quake flattened at least eight schools and one hospital, and its force was felt hundreds of miles away in Beijing and Shanghai.

I can't wait to call my parents......

Foreign Policy of Modern China

2008-05-01T23:47:00.000-07:00

I'm finally taking a class whose context I'm familiar with. I have experienced or known all the events included in this week's reading for the class, Foreign Policy of Modern China.

I was an elementary school student in 1989 when June 4 accident happened. I was in high school in 1996 when the book--China can Say No--became popular. I was a sophomore in college in 1999 when the US bombed the Chinese embassy in Balgrade. I was about to graduate from college in 2001 when a Chinese F-8 jet fighter and an American EP-3 surveillance plane collided over the South China Sea. I have witnessed some of the reactions of the Chinese people towards all the events mentioned above.

Beginning the new school year right after June 4 event in 1989, all freshmen in college were required to have military training before the school started. That was still going on even in 1997 the year I entered college.

Of course, I heard of the book, China can Say No. People talked about it all the time: on TV, at work, in their spare time, etc.

In 1999 when the US bombed the Chinese embassy in Balgrade, my college schoolmates were so infuriated that many went to the protest in front of the US consular in Chengdu. I remember there was an English teacher who was from the US in my department in 1999. He was quite frightened. When he got into the classroom, he was so relieved that we didn't show that we wanted to beat him up. Even though the western media claimed that the protest was organized by the government, I believe it is very likely that the western media was fear of the popularity of Chinese nationalist.

When a Chinese F-8 jet fighter and an American EP-3 surveillance plane collided over the South China Sea and the secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld went crazy in 2001, many people I know were enraged. If the government had permitted another protest, I believe similar things like those in 1999 would have happened.

It was quite interesting for me to read articles and books discussing all the events and the Chinese public reactions to those events.

Korean Wave

2008-05-01T20:46:00.000-07:00

Rain was ranked second on the TIME online poll on "who you thought should be on the list of the 100 most influential people of the year". His votes are much ahead of the number three: Stephen Colbert. Time described the result as a surprise. Well, Time is an American magazine and almost all of people listed in the Time 100 are Americans.

I bet most of Americans or Europeans do not know about or even have heard of Rain. Since I have lived in the US for a long time, personally, I don't know much about Rain either. However, I have heard of my Korean friends, Chinese friends, Taiwanese friends, etc. enthusiastically discuss Rain's TV dramas, songs, concerts, etc. If the director of Speed Racer have given the leading role to Rain, I believe the movie will attract much more worldwide audience, particularly more Asian audience.

Double Standards

2008-04-15T22:56:00.000-07:00

I got back to be more social after my general exam. I felt I was self-isolated for a while. Now I started reading news again, beginning to meeting friends again, and resuming "求索" other than my graduate research focuses.

At the gathering last week, one of my American friends asked me about how I thought about Tibet, as Dalai Lama was visiting Seattle at that time and violence and protests in Tibet just happened. Coincidentally, I just read "The Snow Lion and the Dragon: China, Tibet, and the Dalai Lama" by Melvyn C Goldstein. Tibet issue is not as simple as it is reported in the news. Some media, for example BBC, when it reported news about Tibet. The short information included in the news about Tibet was that Tibet was independent, etc. However, it never mentioned UK's ambition towards Tibet last century, the bloody slaughter of thousand Tibetans at the beginning of 20th century, or the treaty (agreement) signed with China on Tibet in 1904. Too sad, people in the western countries believed that they have accessed to more objective media report, and Chinese or people in the "Communist countries" only received government controlled news.

I have to say that when the west prise equal and just, their actions always are inseparable with double standards. Leaders from many countries said they would boycott the commencement of Beijing Olympic games. When the US invaded Iraq, even though people in many countries condemned it, no one said they would boycott anything or any event happening in the US. The west condemn China doing business with Sudan. However, it never mentioned in the western media that Japan was also buying a big amount of oil from Sudan.

Ticket

2008-04-15T19:46:00.000-07:00

I reserved a free ticket online for a event on campus. The ticket was delivered to my house in an envelop with "Ms. Lin" on, but without postage or my mailing address on! One of my schoolmates who also attended the event told me that he got his ticket in mail with his full name, mailing address, and of course postage on.......

2008 Cherry Blossom

2008-04-12T17:47:00.000-07:00

Three weeks ago, it was snowing in Seattle.

Today, it reached 24 degree Celsius (76 Fahrenheit). The cherry blossom on campus has attracted many people.

In the afternoon, I went to Magnuson park with a friend for Seattle library book sale. The dogwood trees (according to my friend) are blossoming as well.

家事国事天下事事事关心

2008-04-08T23:38:00.000-07:00

古人云：

风声雨声读书声声声入耳
家事国事天下事事事关心

I started to realize that my parents have done something extraordinary. My parents had eight years long distance relationship and they are still together. They just had their 30th anniversary last year. My mother took care of me by herself until when I was 3 year old. Then it was my father's turn. He had taken care of me by himself for 3 years (between I was 3 to 6). I have always known these things. However, I took them for granted. I expected that under the same circumstance, every parent would do the same thing. It was until recently that I realized that what they have done were something extraordinary.

I'm taking a course on Foreign Policy of Modern China from the Department of Political Science. I think I will have a better idea of foreign policy of China from a western perspective.

Last week, I went to a lecture on the latest Taiwan presidential election. I found it very helpful to understand political and social situations in Taiwan.

Lately, news on Tibet and Beijing Olympics has overwhelmed every major newspaper in the US and Europe. I think boycotting Beijing Olympics is a very naive approach to address human rights issues, or Tibet issues for that matter.

When I was in China, I wanted to read western literature, watch Hollywood movies, and speak English. After I came to the US, I would read books on China, go to see Chinese movies in the theater, and teach people speak Chinese. I realized I was a Chinese after I came to the US. I got to understand more about China and Chinese after I came to the US. The comparison between China and the US, Chinese and Americans help me identify the difference. I guess the differences define who we are.

General Exam--Part Two

2008-04-08T20:49:00.000-07:00

I passed my general exam today!

After the oral exam this morning, my committee told me that I passed. It was great to hear that.

General Exam--Part One

2008-03-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

I just emailed my general exam to my committee!!!

I have spent the last four days working on it. I stayed home most of my time during the exam. I took two walks in my neighborhood. Other than that, I was just writing, eating, and sleeping. I did sleep well. Except the first day, I woke up at 4:35am. I slept 6 hours a day.

Elizabeth proofread my exam before I handed it in. Sun brought me Korean noodles during my exam. My housemates had to keep their voice down the whole time......

The second part, oral exam will be on April 8th.

A very funny YouTube video

2008-03-13T19:33:00.001-07:00

1,500 plus CPDRC inmates of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, Cebu, Philippines at practice for Michael Jackson's song "Thriller"!

My name is 林琳 [Lin Lin].That is my full name.

2008-02-25T20:20:00.001-08:00

What is your last name?

Lin. L---,I---, N.

What is your first name?

Lin. L---, I---, N.

What is your last name?

Lin. L---, I---, N.

What is your first name?

Lin. L---, I---, N.

My last name and my first name have same spelling.

Your last name is the same as your first name?!

My last name and my first name have same spelling.

This is the phone conversion I have every time if I call my bank, my insurance, or anything that requires my name.

What is your full name?

My name is Lin Lin. That is my full name.

This is another typical conversion I have when I meet people.

Please enter your real name.

Please enter your full name.

This is also a common situation I encounter if I register for some online social network such as Facebook.

I have no complain about my name. Even though I have a relative and a schoolmate from high school whose names are the same as mine, I like my name. Beside it has beautiful meaning, it is easy to remember and pronounce.

By the way, did I tell you that my name is comprised by two different Chinese characters? They just happen to have same pronunciation.

Happy New Year

2008-02-06T08:32:00.001-08:00

Happy Lunar New Year!

By the way, I just scheduled my oral exam on April 8th! I'll take the written exam on March 25th!

Virtual Tour

2008-01-09T16:01:00.000-08:00

Virtual Tour of UW cherry blossom

Christmas Parties 2007

2007-12-25T22:04:00.000-08:00

Identity Theft

2007-12-20T15:50:00.000-08:00

Someone was using my debit card yesterday and this morning buying grocery! I encountered identity theft!

Last night, I checked my bank account online and found there was $97.65 unauthorized transaction with Trader Joe's at U-district. This morning, there was another $58.77 unauthorized transaction with Safeway Store at U-district. I went to my bank and filed for a report in the afternoon. In addition, I reported to the Seattle police. My bank advised me that I should check my bank balance every day. This means one more thing I have to do every day besides emails.

West vs. East

2007-12-17T18:15:00.000-08:00

I was TAing last quarter. I'm not very good at remembering the names of all my students. Coincidentally, most of the students are Caucasians. The professor who is a Caucasian himself would joke that I couldn't differentiate "the white people".

When I lived in China, all my family and friends are Chinese. I couldn't tell the different ages of non-Chinese. It shouldn't be surprising, as I often heard non-Asians complain that it was hard to tell the age of a Asian.

Even though the East doesn't completely understand the West, the East loves the West, and vice versa. Westerners might see some serious Asian grannies wear T-shirts with English letters such as "Kiss me". Chinese or Japanese might see some very "cool" looking young western with Tattoos in Chinese characters like "壞孩男". If the young fellow wanted to say "bad boy", he got the sequence of Chinese characters wrong unfortunately.

Holiday Seasons

2007-12-16T11:28:00.001-08:00

At a free Jazz concert with Sahera, and Alessandro

At a free Jazz concert with Sahera, and Shumei

At a bar after the concert

Summary of November 2007

2007-11-30T00:21:00.000-08:00

My November is full of events.

I had neck pain from the end of October to the beginning of November. I had to visit a chiropractor three times to relief my pain.

The second day of November, I lost my wallet. I had to cancel all my credit cards, get new driver license, and replace my student ID.

The second week, I had my wisdom teeth taken out and paid $11 to the person who "found" my wallet to get it back.

The third week, I got a cold thanks to the pain from the dental surgery.

The fourth week, I had my first supervisory committee meeting.

All these are due to the sick crying pig illustrated in my November calender on my desk.

Tennis

2007-11-20T22:04:00.000-08:00

Last summer, I developed interested in tennis. I took two tennis courses during the summer. There was also a very small and short romance at the end of the tennis course. It became a nice cute memory every time I play tennis;)

head coach of the national women's volleyball team of the United States

2007-11-20T21:39:00.000-08:00

Recently I found out that the head coach of the national women's volleyball team of the United States is Ping Lang.

She is one of the most famous and respected individuals in the history of volleyball. She steered the Chinese team to the first world title at the Third World Cup Volleyball Tournament in 1981, before they swept three more major world titles in the 1982 World Championships, 1984 Olympic Games and 1985 World Cup for four straight wins in five years. According to Wikipedia, her name is immediately recognizable among Chinese over 30. My parents love her, so I have watched her play. I also watched the games of the Chinese national women's team she coached.

I haven't watched American women's volleyball. I guess this time I'll pay attention to the women's volleyball schedule.