EveryBody has Blog

游子身上衣，
慈母手中线。
临行密密缝，
意恐迟迟归。
谁言寸草心，
报德三春晖。

“老二，听见吗？他喊我爸呢！”

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(This machine generated translated version is ridiculous. It made me laugh for a good 5 minutes.)



每隔一段时间,我会对自己身在何处有些恍惚.奇怪的是,语言使用的频率和这种恍惚并没有特别大的关系.比如现在,就这个星期,我没见着过一个面对面和我说中文的人,但我觉得自己似乎是活在北京的冬天.两个月前在上海,在地下室的cs里，应该是我上一个周期性恍惚，说不上那时候觉得自己究竟在哪儿，简单的说就是觉得自己在国外，配上张纪华声声悦耳的谢谢，还有政委推心置腹的一番话，一切都有些超现实。很想弄明白，究竟是什么在暗地里控制着我的这种恍惚，相信并不是我自身的，而是我所处在的环境中的那些细节。特别是换季的时候，气温的变化，混上一些季节性特有的气味，轻而易举，我被勾到了另一个时空。

Yuri的新鞋。据说能算是古董鞋了，二手店的老板从一次拍卖会里捞到的。看到yuri慧眼识真金的时候，老板还舍不得了一番。yuri说，这鞋来的正好，赶上鬼节，都不用穿其他什么，光这鞋就够了。yuri说英文的时候，不分手指和脚趾，一律叫手指，她说，这鞋巨大，我的手指才到这儿。


这是给妈妈，还有所有关心我车的人看的。另外如果有不知情人的话，我再透露一下，9月我出了次车祸，车毁人未亡。所以，最近我二婚了，这是我新的亲爱的，为了纪念我那原配，这个新的她叫丑蛋2号。

没准备把这帖子全写中文的，我觉得来这儿的能看中文的人越来越少，很快我就该对牛弹琴了。相信是小小的报复心理作祟。随便吧！

1 - "Bye, yan. Thanks for the clothes!"
2 - "You are welcome! I am glad they are fit."
3 - "Bye, say hi to darcy"
2 - "YAH, say HI to darcy!"
1 - "YAH, say HI to darcy and his FRIENDS!"
.....

We went out for a walk today. I got two pairs of boots and a leather jacket from a vintage store for a very good deal. I swore that was it for the winter. Yuri wished me good luck. While we were in the store, party animals rushed in and out for their last minute costume shopping. Interesting, they were there for something which can bring them a stunning night and probably some Wows, yet I was there for something which can make myself feel good everyday. Does it mean I am living in a life which costumes are my daily wears?
I am sick. Sore throat. I was expecting this to happen ever since I decided to live with no sock before Nov. 3 more days to go. I am that type of person not very easy to get sick. Therefore sickness always gives me a taste of weakness and I enjoy it. No exception this time. I am going to celebrate it on my cozy bed. A halloween party. This year my costume is my pajama.

刚才去把老blog给关了，当然彻底删了是舍不得的，能做的也就是贴个告示，告大家我搬家了。
从头到尾读了一遍在那儿写的东西，把自己给逗乐了。我喜欢自己写的那些小日子。好看。
生活是变化了，进步还是退步，说不上，但曾经那种苦中作乐，安静简单的生活让我经不住有些感慨，还有感动。
梁先生说得没错，我特别容易给自己创造一种情绪，然后就陷进去，难以自拔。这不，这两天又跟自己较上劲了。他说那是个缺点，听到的时候我还有些掰不过劲，满以为那是我的浪漫气息，是优点。今天，现在，我觉得自个儿傻了。
我写中文还有人看吗？自打2006新年伊始，我就很少写中文的blog了，已导致我的中文读者严重流失，我纳闷，我这现在写的中文给谁看呢？我有一老外同学告我说，有天他用网上的翻译软件翻我的中文，试图了解在中文版的精神世界里我在想什么，结果更是看的一头雾水。
我天天大声鼓吹：我讨厌平庸，讨厌重复，讨厌一眼能看到头的未来，我要与众不同，我要做好多好多牛逼的事儿留着将来跟我孙子吹牛时用，我要一生无憾。其实呢，我连跨个门槛都是左思右想，一步三回头的。我有自己假设的那么勇敢吗？当然，我这儿没准备给个定论，要不怎么说人生变幻无穷呢。
暂时要说的就是，我还会继续写，好好写，无论是咱母语，还是人E文。唯一的心愿呢，就是大家还来看看。

some quick notes

Worldwide HIV&AIDS Statisctics Commentary
World population

So the right number is around 0.6% as at the end of 2005

Yuri's friend's friends made the following videos. This group of artists are all from the top Japanese art school. Usually it takes about three years preparation to get into this university. I think their works are brilliant, no matter visual wise or idea wise.


輪派絵師団による絵の変化を追った一週間のドキュメンタリー作品。
A week in the life of "Rinpa," a Japanese art crew based in Tokyo.


daisuke yamamotoモーションペイント第三弾パネルパズル


モーションペイント第二弾、壁バージョン

Reality wins, we are losers. Yet, human beings create reality, we are still the ones in control.
Only nature beats us.

Learning to choose and learning to accept are equally hard.

Boss told me: "When the going gets tough, the tough gets going."
I told myself: "When you look at yourself from a universal standpoint, something inside always reminds or informs you that there are bigger and better things to worry about. - Albert Einstein"

French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004) is often regarded as the father of modern photojournalism - his influence on 20th-21st century photography is incalculable - many of his photographs are hallmarks of photography as a recognizable art form ... he termed his method 'The Decisive Moment' - from the 17th-century Cardinal de Retz: "Il n'y a rien dans ce monde qui n'ait un moment decisif" ("There is nothing in this world that does not have a decisive moment") ... He defined the method as: "... the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as of a precise organization of forms that give that event its proper expression."

In order, these are the persons that appear in this piece:1. Cartier-Bresson2. Truman Capote3. Arthur Miller4. William Faulkner5. Samuel Beckett6. Susan Sontag7. Ezra Pound8. Robert Lowell9. Paul Val ery10. Igor Stravinsky11. Simone de Beauvoir12. Jean-Paul Sartre13. Albert Camus14. Marc Chagall15. Marcel Duchamp16. Alberto Giacometti17. Henri Matisse18. Igor Stravisnky19. Jean Renoir20. John Huston21. Marilyn Monroe and John Huston22. The Dalai Lama23. Martin Luther King, Jr.24. Robert F. Kennedy25. Che Guevara26. Duke and Duchess of Windsor27. Carl Jung28. Edith Piaf

The music is Piaf's "L'hymne a L'amour" (1949) - probably her best known song ...

Robert Doisneau - Happy photos of Parisian life in the mid 20th century.

To celebrate me getting chiudan #2, today my boss is wearing a yellow sweater and a black t-shirt under it purposely to match with chiudan's double yellow exterior and black interior. I love my boss.

Aug 22nd, 2006

7, my favourite number. That day was toughest day during the whole trip, yet my favourite day.


Before we set off, I was worried whether we were still able to hike the tiger leap gorge or not. On the same day, because of the rain, one car flipped over or hit by the rock, someone died from the accident. August is a rain season in that area. The boy in the picture gave us the wrong direction. Well, I still think he is cute with that basket on his back. Tiger leaping gorge, Yunnan.


Mother with two kids. Tiger Leaping Gorge, Yunnan.


Even though the sky clouded over, we were lucky that there was still some sunshine broke through. Tiger Leaping Gorge, Yunnan.


Taking pictures was my excuse to take breaks. hahahaha. Down there is Yangtze River. Tiger Leaping Gorge, Yunnan


On our way, we met this group of very nice people. We thought they were friends, but actually they were straingers to each other as well. They met in Lijiang the night before and decided to hike together. Again, dreaming ties all mankind together. The next day, after we left, they continued their way to Meili snow mountain.


Villages on the mountain. Tiger Leaping Gorge, Yunnan.


I guess cause it was overcast, all the sunflower were facing the ground. Come on, look up and smile at me! Tiger Leaping Gorge, Yunnan.


The guy walking ahead, I call him Xiaopang (means little chubby in Chinese). He was hilarious. Along the trail, there were some locals try to get people ride horses instead of walking. As soon as they saw xiaopang, they believed he would become one of those who give up halfway and choose to have an easier life on the back of the horse. So that they followed xiaopang all the way. Everytime xiaopang stopped to take a break to catch his breathe, they just rested next to him and waited. This made me laugh all the way. It was funny that both sides were pretty insistent till the night fell. The locals were right. Xiaopang turned in and ended up on the horse's back.


I believe this is the same village as the one in the previous pictures. Tiger Leaping Gorge, Yunnan.


You can see the change of my poses in the pictures. I think at that point, I didn't want to miss a single chance to sit my ass on something, anything.


While he was having his fun, I was taking breath.


Frog? Toad?


I like this one. Me looks like only 13. hahahaha


Mountain, I miss you, miss you so much!


This is last picture from that day. After 8 hours hiking, we made it to the Halfway hostel at 10:30 at night. Shortly after I took this picture, a flashlight became our only source of light. At one point, the light reflected on a pair of dog's eyes while the only sound we could hear was the dog's barking, for sure not in a friendly way. In the end, we ran into the same group of nice people and found our way together to the hostel. By the time we got there, everyone was very happy. That was the sense of achievement. The owner of the hostel honored every single one of us a cup of baijiu (chinese rice wine) to show his appreciation. That was a good day indeed. Tiger Leaping Gorge, Yunnan.

Aug 21, 2006


Lijiang, Yunnan


Dongba paper factory, Lijiang


Lijiang, Yunnan


Lijiang, Yunnan




Old town, Lijiang, Yunnan


Clearly she was not happy with me taking picture of her. I feel bad.


Getting 1.5kuai coffee


Lijiang, Yunnan


Naxi folk music, Lijiang, Yunnan


Wow,look how crowded it was. Lijiang, Yunnan


She sold me flower. I took a picture of her.


The rain blurred out everything. The next day was a tough day.

China's New Leftist

I enjoyed this article. I am glad to know there are such intellectuals in China and I agree with them mostly. To me, we need more of them rather than those who chose to stay in Taiwan or the states to advocate, basically only to the western world, how important it is to have democracy in China. I grew up in a city which you can say benefit from the "let some get rich first" policy the most. I have never been to the kind of rural area which was mentioned in the article. What I saw was more and more migrant worker rushing into cities. A thriving and prosperous Shanghai can't represent whole China, like it says in the article, China is still one of the poorest countries in the world. Be honest, Shanghai doesn't look like part of China anymore. I will be more willing to see a poorer Shanghai, yet a more advanced China as a whole.

I had a very hard time last week at work. I was perplexed with my situation and lost the courage to keep going. An older colleague told me this. "Thinking as this company is very sick, filled with viruses. What you need to do is to make sure yourself don't get infected by it since you don't have a choice to leave." Today, I finally figured out a way to interpret it which convincing enough to bring my exuberant side back. It's simple. I have one year time left in this company and I will kill as much virus as I can. I don't care how I will be treated anymore. All I care is how much heathier the company can get to by the time I leave. This idea excites me.

Happiness doesn't just walk to you. Meanwhile, you will never find it if you try to look for it. It only shows up when you deserve it!

The Lounge

I am that type of person has to rely on the images in my mind to code. Back to school days, it was those images help me go through the programming assignments. Remember that token ring assignment from 311? I was sitting on the toilet in the washroom in Thornbrough (since there was not much girls around, it was usually quiet there.), holding a pen and a piece of paper, trying to generate this image in my mind, for the hell knows how long. Once that image was complete in my mind, I finished the assignment.
My image of the weekdays is based on the layout of a chinese TV Guide-like paper. Only grandma subscribed this paper, probably she still does. My parents were very strict about me watching tv. Usually they treat it as a reward for me, letting me watch tv when I achieve something or they think I have worked hard enough. Kids tend to rebel, to do things which they are not allowed to. Me, no exception. Every weekend, I went to grandma's house, read that TV guide over and over, and tried to remember the showtimes for all my favourite ones. Back to home, picture this, as long as my parents were not there, I would stand in front of the tv, leave my hand on the switch, watch whatever I remember was on from that paper. I had to constantly check outside the window to make sure I was safe. As soon as parents appeared in my sight, I quickly turned off the tv, ran back to my desk and pretended working on whatever I was supposed to. Parents are smart. I was caught more than of the time. They figured they could tell whether I watched tv behind their back or not by feeling the temperature of the tv. If by the time they got home, the tv was warm, obviously, I had been a bad kid. This game had been played till I graduated from high school. Anyway, yah, this is how the image of the weekdays printed in my mind.

"We don't need words and promises, all we need is the steady accumulation of reality"

The reality is be true to yourself and be happy! Tonight, we are two burning candles!

2006 seems like a year for saying goodbye. Friends are going home for good one after another non stop. Here comes one more.
I am a only child. I am used to being alone. But I am more used to think friends as my brothers and sisters since I don't have any of my own.
Sooner or later, after everyone is gone, I will be like a kid left alone on the playground. All the fellows go back home and have dinner with their families. Me, sit on a seesaw and enjoy the sunset. Who wants to join me?

Top stories of the day

• North Korean official warns US actions could prompt missile attack
• Google Acquires Online Video Site YouTube for $1.65 Billion
• Officials urge Canadians to throw out carrot juice

In another news today, Yuri and Yan are going to get a turtle as their beloved pet. According to Yuri, turtle is a green animal living in water and never dies.

Aug 20, 2006


An overnight bus took us to Kunming, the capital of Yunnan pronvince. At the bus station, we brushed our teeth, reorganized our baggage, fooled by a crook (Since the crook speaks chinese, I'd say I was fooled.) and got on another mini bus, a tour bus turned out to be, to go to Shilin (Stone forest) which was supposed to be our only stop in Kunming.


The first unexpected stop was a jade market. While others were shopping in the market, we spent a good 20 mins, maybe longer, whinning and watching this lady picking vegetable.


Another stop which I even cannot recall the name of it. Something to do with Yuanshikai's favourite mistress I guess.


We were told not to have any physical contact in this picture which was taken by a nun. Naive Yan almost believed this warm hearted nun was sent to make our horrible day slightly better. Naive Yan was wrong again. Another crook! She not only asked money from us after her enthusiastic explaination of the statue and those whatever were there, but also at the moment we turned around she started complaining to others how cheap we were for leaving her just 1 kuai. I speak chinese, I understand chinese, we were talking in chinese and I can hear you!


Finally we made it to Shilin at Beijing time 3pm. A park filled with artificial looking gigantic stones where security guard oversees everybody and makes sure there is no imappropriate behaviour. This was my first impression of shilin.



As you can see from the pictures, I got my smile back once we were away from the crowd and enjoyed this amazing creature made by nature peacefully.

Aug 19, 2006


Sunday market in Menghun. It was a Sunday.


This is where locals buy fabric to make those fabulous clothes.


As soon as they found out I was taking picture of them, they turned back.


Bargaining with Hani ladies. The conversation between me and them comprises only two sentenses, the price they asked and the price I offered. But how many times this simple conversation was repeated? I lost track. Believe me, don't ever mess up with Hani ladies. They will never let you go. In the end, I bought two hats. Now they are displayed on my elliptical which also is wrapped by the ribbon I got from the same market.


Young monk


The funny thing is that I found almost all the foreigners who I saw on the streets in Jinghong in the previous couple days were there in that market that morning. Hehehe, probably cause we all use the same guide book: Lonely Planet. They are not in this picture though.


On a taxi to Menghai, a city famous for Puer tea. And according to what I just found through google, Menghai is the smallest county in Xishuangbanna.
The view along the way was so beautiful that we had to ask the driver make a stop and let us take some pictures. Those are all tea trees planted on the mountain.


After got a full load of puer tea in the city, we decided to take a close look at those tea trees.


We were haunted by rain. It always got its way to find us. Here it came again.

Aug 19, 2006


The bike we rent broke. They helped us. Why both of them didn't look at the camera?!


Our orginal plan was to ride the bike to see those nearby villages. But it turned out that those villages were way farther than we expected, well, than I expected at least. I admit my lack of exercise pulled us back. Anyway, we left our bike at this fruit stall and switched to bus.






Dai village in Mengyang, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan


In China, the minority groups are not bound to the one child policy. In Yunnan, especially in Xishuangbanna, the minority is actually the majority. This slogan was saying in your early years have less kids, you would have pension when you are old. Does it mean the trade-off of having more than one kid is to give up your pension?


The dog followed us for a while. It was the only one didn't bark at us in that village. Cute.


On the same day, Iain had a small operation in a local hospital and had his toe nail taken off for 25 kuai (about 3.5 dollar). In that hospital, Doctor Bethune's name was on the wall.



YES, WE ATE BEES! (Be honest, now I look at them, I think they are gross. hahahahah)
Night market in Jinghong.

Me and myself with a sore body
Crouching in my red armchair
a bottle of smirnoff
a pack of zhongnanhai
Haruki Muraka's South of the border, west of the sun, one of my favourites
Norah Jones in the background
solo night, not bad, not bad at all.

Found this on Torontoist today.

"Overheard on the 211 bus, Montreal, highway 20, direction Ouest.

Sandy-haired teen: At the last Just For Laughs, this comic told this joke. He said:
"I travel in America and people ask me, 'what's the story with Toronto and Montreal?' So I tell them, it's like you have two brothers. One is an accountant. The other is a womanizing alcoholic."
And before he gets to the end of the sentence, the crowd starts cheering, so he tells them "Well I guess we know which one you are."
He swears he tells the same joke the same way and gets exactly the same reaction in Toronto.

Red-hoodied teen: Why? People in Toronto think they're the womanizing alcoholic too?

Sandy-haired teen: No. Toronto knows it's the accountant. And it's really proud it's not the womanizing alcoholic."

Originally, I was planning to sum up the trip by picking three favourite pictures from each place we travelled. But believe me, from 1500 pictures, it's not an easy job. Hense, obviously, the plan failed. I am not sure how many parts this photo journal is gonna end up with. Hopefully by the end of this long weekend, they will all be here.

Aug 18, 2006


Flying to Xishuangbanna. Our first stop.


The hostel we stayed in Jinghong, the capital city of Xishuangbanna. While we were there, I was the only chinese in this hostel, of course except the owner. I guess cause here was recommended in Lonely Planet.


Street vender


Iain and Lonely Planet


We spent the rest of the day wandering in a Dai village.


FIGHT CHICKEN! They are not for eat, they are for fight!



Adorable kids!


A 45 cents hair cut. 3 kuai! But sadly she doesn't who Elvis, the king of cat, is. AIYA!


FISH FISH FISH!

Aug 16, 2006


Shanghai, somewhere close to Xujiahui. People play xiangqi (chinese chess) on the street.


Dude Yan. A long time friend, all the way back to high school. He is dude Yan, I am chick Yan.


We ran into this park where people gather and dance. I remember I heard someone was saying they paid to dance there. Not too sure though. I am getting old and memory is not reliable sometimes.


While Iain was drinking beer in a park by himself, I was watching N4A singing Chinese rock songs in a karaoke.


This is the exact color I remember that night. Beautiful.


An old apartment building in Shanghai. I was amazed by those old western style buildings in Shanghai. Before I knew I liked them, but I didn't know I would love this much.


Okay, I was pretending.


Drunk and found myself drown in a beer bottle


Jz. A place opened for foreigners, I think. rum and coke, 55 kuai!


4 am. shhhh! Time to go home. Surprisingly, no more dad sitting in the living room and waiting.

Here it is, my new blog, a red one, which I always wanted.
I guess I will still keep the old one. But how can a lazy person like me update two blogs at the same time? I doubt myself. We will see.
There were complaints about not being able to comment on my old blog. Meanwhile, for some reason (I feel too shame to actually give out the details of the reason), I cannot post pictures on my old blog anymore. So, this one kicked off. So, I will see comment here, a lot of them, better be. So, I will be able to put photos here, hopefully good enough to give you an idea of what is going on in my life by just reading them. Yes, READ the photos.
New things always make me excited and unconfortable at the same time. This is exactly how I am feeling right now. I need some ink stains or foot prints to ease me up here.