2006 Fourth of July Fireworks

2006 Fourth of July Fireworks

Mars and Venus

Men are from Mars, and women are from Venus. To understand how people from Mars and Venus think, I read "Self-Made Man" by Norah Vincent.

It's quite interesting that the book concluded

Women wanted men to be in control, baroguely big and strong both in spirit and in body, but also tender and vulnerable at the same time, subservient to their whims and bunny soft. Women want someone to lean on and hold on to, to look up to and collapse beside, but someone who knew his reduced place in the postfeminist world nonetheless.

Second Hike of the Summer of 2006--Lake 22

Something about Travel

"there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them." -Mark Twain

I can't agree more. 

Freedom

This is one of my favor poems. At 14, when I first read this poem, it was translated into Chinese by 林觉明.
生命诚可贵，
爱情价更高，
若为自由故，
两者皆可抛。

Later on, I found out it was a poem from Sándor Petőfi.

Liberty, love!
These two I need.
For my love I will sacrifice life,
for liberty I will sacrifice my love.

I totally agreed with the poet. Freedom was the most important thing. Sadly, recently I has begun to think that it wouldn't be too bad to give up freedom for love......

Moon Phase

CURRENT MOON moon phase info

Fremont Summer Solstice Parade

Fremont summer solstice parade is to celebrate the beginning of summer in Seattle. Saturdady I finally went to watch the parade first time since I came to Seattle. A great fun! Enjoy the pictures I took during the parade!^_^.

fremont Summer Solstice Parade

Fremont Summer Solstice Parade

Fremont Summer Solstice Parade

Naked bicyclists are one of the highlights of the parade. This year there were 200 naked bicyclists!

I'll be broke

The airline tickets are sooooooo expensive! I think I'll be broke very soon...... Maybe I should marry a pilot? 

Napping in the Bookstore

I went to the University bookstore near campus this afternoon. I bought two books, a Moleskines schedule book, and a blank journal notebook. Then I went to the cafe of the bookstore and started reading one of my books. I felt asleep only after several pages! When I opened my eyes, I saw a very good looking guy! A nice nap.^_^. ^_^. 

Dehydrate

I can't believe I was dehydrated this morning. 

When I woke up this morning around 8am, I felt very dizzy. I thought I was sick, got a cold or something. I went back to sleep again. By around 11am, I finally could get myself out of the bed. When I was eating my brunch, I saw one of my housemates. After I told her what happened to me, she told me I was dehydrated, because of the heat, as another of our housemates turned the heater on to 85 degree last night......  

Mac Dashboard

I just downloaded a few widgets to my ibook. They are super convenient! Thanks David!
 

Bastards

"Men are liars. They are bastards." A guy friend of mine told me this.

I still remember when I first time met him, he told people his stories about he and his girlfriends. I said to him "You're a bastard", after he finished. He didn't get angry. Instead, he corrected my English pronunciation of "bastard", and added "Men are liars. They are bastards."

About Chick magnet

When my first time heard of "chick magnet", it was when a housemate of mine described her brother. Today I just read an article on "How to Become a Guy Magnet." No, no, no, I don't dream or think of being a guy magnet. Yes, yes, yes, I'm looking for advise on relationships and dating. Sure, sure, sure, I'm seeking suggestions how to find out whether a guy is interested.

Why things can't be straightforward. I have asked two of my girl friends' opinions. Yet, both suggested me to hold back and wait for the guy to act. At the same time, I should be within "reachable distance". Is it that bad to say something straightforward? Or men like to have teases and want to have control?

Windermere Cup--Rowing

This morning I watched the Windermere Cup, a rowing race at the UW. The elite field includes Russia, Michigan, Central Florida and UW.

I can't become a Christian

I don't know if I'm an agnostic or an atheist.

A couple weeks ago, I was approached by two Mormon missionaries. They wanted to teach me about "God". They wanted me to believe "God". As a good research student, I wanted to have evidence. However, they felled to provide any. All the time, they said "There is God", "He is like a Father", "He will be always there"...... It was very disappointing.

One of the missionaries also told me that when he needs comfort, or help, he would ask "God", just like asking comfort or help from "father". It seemed like "God" is for comforting. Why not looking for comforting from family and friends? Are they not good enough? A Chinese writer Yutang Lin once said Christianity won't be widely accepted in China because Chinese believe that people are capable to communicate and a third partner is not needed.

Random Thoughts about "中庸"--The Doctrine of Mean

"喜怒哀乐之未发，谓之中；
发而皆中节，谓之和；
中也者，天下之大本也；
和也者，天下之达道也。
致中和，天地位焉，万物育焉。"

When joy, anger, sorrow and pleasure have not yet arisen, it is called zhong (equilibrium, centrality, mean).
When they arise to their appropriate levels, it is called "harmony."
Zhong is the great root of all-under-heaven.
"Harmony" is the penetration of the Dao through all-under-heaven.
When the mean and harmony are actualized, Heaven and Earth are in their proper positions, and the myriad things are nourished.
(http://www.hm.tyg.jp/~acmuller/contao/docofmean.htm)

I was reading my text book last night. Man needs self-efficacy. and at the same time, he can't leave social network and social supports. 中庸"The Doctrine of Mean" jamped into my mind.

Human can only comprehend certain frequents of waves, which are in the middle of all frequents of waves.
Human likes certain weather, not too hot, nor too cold; not too dry, nor too wet.
Human likes certain body shapes, not too fat, nor too thin.
......


It seems like "the Doctrine of Mean" holds certain levels of truth.
.^_^. .^_^. .^_^. .^_^.

Maya Lin

I watched a documentary of Maya Lin couple years ago. Her art works are showing at the Henry Art Gallery. I also went to her lecture last Thursday. It was a pity I couldn't see her in person, as the tickets were sold out. I had to watch live video.

I felt like I was like a person who had a very tasty egg, wanted to see the hen who laid the egg.

iBook

I love my iBook. I can't keep my hands off it.^_^.

Doing interview is hard!!!!

I have to do an interview for my homework this week. It was very hard. I felt like an idiot to ask people on campus for interview.

Lucky, I did find two people to interview, however, I couldn't keep them talking for 40 minutes as it was required for my assignment.......

Now I know I can't be a reporter.

Apple ibook

I can't believe I did it! I bought a ibook yesterday.

I was so excited to check out figures in the computer.

Ski

As I told many of you that I started to like ski, this winter season I invested on downhill ski gear. I have used it for three times already. One of my most exciting progress is that I got to the blue runs.

Last Sunday, Amenda and I went to Stevens Pass for downhill ski again. Even it was snowing and rainning. we had fun. Until 3pm in the afternoon, I came to the lower section of a blue route. It was quite a flat area, yet my speed was pretty fast. When I tended to slow down by making a turn, I created a "2-point yard sale". I fell on the snow, with my left ski at least two yards away from me. Amenda who was just in front of me saw me fall. She immediant asked me if I was all right. For a second, I couldn't move. I said to her: "No." I kept laying on the snow. Then I saw two ski patrols come to me. They first checked if I was conscious, then asked me how I fell. They also requested first aid staff. When we were waiting for the first aid staff, Amenda and the two ski patrols kept making sure other parts of my body were all right.

I didn't exactly know how I was taken down the hill. When the first aid staff came, they first put me into some flat equitment used deliverying injuried persons on the snow. I guess it was some sort of slide. They said I was wrapped like a taco. My ski and poles were also wrapped with the flat equitment. The first aid staff then quickly took me down to the first aid room.

I was all right, except that my left ankle was twisted a little bit. I have to rest for one or two weeks before I can do any sports again. Ski season will end within a week. It meant to be my last ski of this season.

Drinking

Here are my best drinking pictures.

The Seattle Idiotarod

On March 18th, some of my friends and I took part in the first Seattle Idiotarod. Our team was called "Village Idiots". It was fun. Yet I was exhausted after 4 miles racing. At the end, we were chosen as the best costume.




More pictures @

http://www.randyjames.net/Idiotarod/index.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/keithandvictoria/sets/72057594087321346/

http://flickr.com/photos/razi/115016604/in/set-72057594084525684/

http://flickr.com/photos/mcburce/sets/72057594085139060/

http://students.washington.edu/dennyt/bike/point83/20060318_Idiotarod2/

http://students.washington.edu/dennyt/bike/point83/20060318_Idiotarod1/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gr8noise/sets/72057594085781953/

Ski boots

Finally, I found a pair of ski boots that fit me today!

My feet are so small that REI doesn't carry my size. My friend Amenda had to take me to the ski stores in Belluvue. I got lucky the store does carry my size and they are on sale, 50% off!

Right now, I got my ski and ski boots. I just need to bind them together. Then I'm ready to ski.

I plan to do downhill ski on 26th of this month with my own gears! I'm very excited about it.

Osytering

I went osytering with my schoolmates again last Saturday. It was fun!

I bought a pair of ski......

I bought a pair of ski at REI today$$!! I can't go to ski with my own gears yet. I still need to find a pair of ski boots.

I'm doing such a big investment$$$$$. I think I might need to buy a season ski ticket next winter.

Cross-Country Ski for 14km

I can't believe I skied for 14 km today! I enjoyed it. Yet, I know I'll feel my body very sore tomorrow.

Haircut

Last Saturday I had my hair cut.

I had very short hair when I was in middle school. Once I was even mistaken as a boy. Since my Junior year in college, I started to keep hair. Even since, my hair style hasn't changed much. It had always been long and straight. Two years ago, my hair had gotten so long that many of my friends started telling me how long my hair was.

After I had my hair cut on Saturday, I felt my head so light.^_^.


Before




After

By the way, my schoolmate, Yan, did my hair cut. She is very good. If you need hair cut, keep her in mind.

High-Heel Boots

It was a sunny day today. I wore my new high-heel boots (3.5 inches). I could tell some of my schoolmates noticed my high-heels. I even was invited to lunch by one of my labmates. Yet, it came with price. At the end of the day, my feet are sooooo in pain......

Women wear high-heels because men like to see women wearing them. No wonder Chinese say: "女为悦己者容". It means: "Female accommodates for the pleased oneself".

I still feel pain from my feet......

Happy Lunar New Year

Happy Lunar New Year!

I celebrated lunar new year and my birthday with some of my friends. My adviser also came. She bought me several bags of nuts, as she knew that I love nuts.^_^. My housemates bought me a birthday cake. I also got flowers for my birthday.

I bought wraps. Two of my friends help me prepared three kinds of fillings: pork with leeks, shrimps with tofu, and vegitable and mushroom mixed. We made dumpling together. It was fun. We had a good time.

Pedestrian Safety Summit

I attended "Pedestrian Safety Summit" on Thursday at Southwest of Seattle. I have to say that I was disappointed. I nearly ran over by cars crossing the street to get to the "summit"! What a "Pedestrian Safety Summit"!

To get to the "summit", according to the Metro online planner, I have to take two buses, and transfer from downtown. It would take me one and half hours to get to where the "summit" was held. I woke up very early that morning to catch bus to downtown. After more than 1 hour and 40 minutes on the bus, I got off at a 2-lane street full of cars passing by me at very fast speeds. A lady who took the same bus also got off here. Based on the map I printed out from Google, I need to cross the street. The lady seemed like she wanted to cross the street too. However, I noticed there was no sidewalks, nor cross-walks. The lady and I were standing on the street, scared. She and I waited for about one minute, and found a time there was only one car coming. We seized that moment, and ran to the middle of the street. Almost at the same time, two cars were coming from the other direction, and we had to stop and wait the cars passing. Thankfully, we successfully crossed the street without getting killed. I felt like I was a survivor.

What a wonderful location "Pedestrian Safety Summit" chose!

On the way back to Seattle, I learned that I was not the only person who took the bus to the "summit". There were two other persons. One is the lady who was on the same bus as me. The other one was a young fellow. The reason I took the bus is that I don't own a car. The reason that the lady took the bus is that her health condition doesn't allow her to drive. And the reason the young fellow took the bus is that he is blind. He even had to take the bus to the terminal first, and then take the bus back, because there is no cross-walk, and he couldn't cross the street. At the end, three of us were picked up by David, a pedestrian advocate, back to downtown Seattle.

My new year’s wish: get a boyfriend

My new year’s wish is to get a boyfriend.

I’ll turn 27 on January 29 this year. I’m getting “old”. My mother started telling me I should start thinking about “my personal life” ever since I handed in my thesis in August 2004. One of my cousins, who is three years younger than me, and I’m very close with, sent me a new year card saying that what he and a lot of our relatives wish to see most is that I’ll have a boyfriend in 2006. One of my labmates, who is like my big brother, started to tell me I should find a boyfriend last December when he was upgraded to be a father.

I think I’m getting old. I should start thinking about “my personal life” as my mother said. I have some guy friends here in the states, but somehow they never attract to me. At least, they never express their interests. Wait, most of my guy friends are either married, or with long-term girlfriends.

As a person never has a boyfriend, I think I need to take a course or some sort of certificate program to learn how to get a boyfriend. So I asked tips from my guy friends and girl friends on how to get a boyfriend. One guy friend told me I should join different clubs/associations, like hiking, climbing, something like that to make new friends. Another guy friend told me I can go to café/tea shop to meet people. He also told me I should be confident, as guys like girls to have confidence. In 2006, I’ll go to café/tea shop more often then. As for different clubs/associations, I’ll look into that. All my girl friends, who have boyfriends, are very feminine. So I think I should be more feminine. I’ll wear feminine clothing, and some makeup more often.

My friends, more suggestions/advise are welcome.^_^.