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| 259 |
NBC Interview at my Home Exciting stuff! Yifan looks like a natural in front of the camera --I bet he will be a big hit! (You and Wendy too, of course :-) ) |
| 258 |
Attended Shanghai 5G in Our Office Today is "Father's Day" in the US, Jian Shuo. I will be thinking about you and Yifan :-) |
| 257 |
Review at Yifan's 1st Birthday A wonderful review, Jian Shuo. It seems this year has gone by so fast! He really does look much more like a "real person" now. You are right -- in your eyes, he will always be more handsome than ever before. We just spent a week visiting our own gorgeous grown-up (grey-haired!) first-born son. It seems like only yesterday he was Yifan's age! |
| 256 |
Hey! It is Yifan Again! Great comment, Dihua! :-) I look forward to seeing more of these "weekly walk" posts! |
| 255 |
Happy Birthday to Yifan WOW! How has it possibly been a year already??! He's growing up so fast. I love that the birthday hat is in English. And his presents included a new mouse and a calculator?? Perfect! Please give him a big squishy birthday hug for me, OK? |
| 254 |
Yifan has His Haircut (11th Month) Good heavens! I completely missed his second one!!! He looks very content and wise in these pictures, Jian Shuo -- someday soon I think he will be ready to stand beside you in a business meeting :-) |
| 253 |
Earthquake is Much More Terrible than I Thought Thanks for letting us know, AussiePB. I'm relieved and happy for you and your friend, but still so very sad, for the many thousands who have not been so lucky :-( |
| 252 |
Earthquake is Much More Terrible than I Thought AussiePB, any word yet from your friend? |
| 251 |
Earthquake and Flee from 18th Floor AussiePB, any word yet from your friend? |
| 250 |
Earthquake and Flee from 18th Floor 7.8 is a HUGE magnitude for an earthquake! Sadly, I suspect that these early reports of damage and lives lost will multiply many times in the next few days. That said, AussiePB, keep hope for your friend and his family! Effective communication will be impossible for a long time from that area. As joe.shuren just said, hand-radios will be helpful, but most telephone systems will be completely ineffective for quite a while. I will keep all those affected in my thoughts, and of course, Jian Shuo, it goes without saying that we are all very glad to hear that you and your family were not affected by this disaster! |
| 249 |
Introduce Yourself We've met in person, but this is a wonderful opportunity to get to know your other readers! I'm the proud mom of two wonderful young men about your age, happily married for 40 years this coming month, living in Cupertino CA, and hoping someday to have a chance to visit Shanghai. Until we have grandchildren of our own, it gives me great pleasure to think of myself as Yifan's unofficial "Honorary American Grandmother" :-) |
| 248 |
Photos of Shanghai in May, 2008 I actually find the trees more impressive than the power lines :-) To me, it makes a big difference when a city has managed to save room for some trees. It looks like there are a lot in the neighborhood near your office. |
| 247 |
Train Collision in Shandong It's very sad when major disasters happen, no matter where in the world they occur. Seems like no matter how hard we try, there's always a war going on, or a famine, or a flood or tornado or earthquake or hurricane. Natural disasters are one thing, and we can't do much about them. But war, and acts of terrorism, and human error or faulty mechanics causing things like plane crashes and derailments like this one...we humans just don't quite seem to have all the way figured out how to go about this business of living without problems yet. I like the little flower you made, Jian Shuo -- one small remembrance for those who died today. |
| 246 |
Four Types of Consciousness And just today there was a letter to the Editor of our local paper (San Jose Mercury News) written by an American expat living in Suzhou Jiangsu province in which the writer states: "...(I) observe daily an immensely peaceful and prosperous society where the vast majority of families are intact, people worship freely and openly, and there is an overwhelming feeling of excitement and optimism for the future. I myself feel greater freedom here, in China, than I do in the United States. China's workforce is happily working toward the future with a fervor and motivation that the United States hasn't seen since the Industrial Revolution. Quite simply: China is poised to become the next world superpower. From where I stand it seems certain and well deserved." I do not know this writer, or the circumstances for their being in China, but I was happy to read one person's opinion which seems to support the hope and optimism Jian Shuo has described among the Chinese people :-) |
| 245 |
Flight from Shanghai to Nanyang, Henan Have a good time with your family, Jian Shuo -- I bet Yifan will be the star of the visit :-) |
| 244 |
Yifan in His 9th Month You know me well, Jian Shuo :-) But believe me, if he wasn't truly such a cute little guy I would be far more "restrained" in my comments. He's just so darn chubby and adorable though -- I really want to reach right into my monitor and pull him toward me by those well-padded arms for a good long snuggle! |
| 243 |
Yifan in His 9th Month Oh, LOOK how cute he is!!!! I can't stop smiling when I see these pictures and read your proud words about how he is developing. So very happy for all three of you (and your parents!) :-) |
| 242 |
Friends Started to Boycott French Products I agree with Wayfarer -- imagine if the games were being held in the US this year how many protests there would be around the world. Such demonstrations, however, very rarely represent the feelings of the majority of people in a country toward the everyday people of another country. I happened to travel in France during a time when relations between our two countries, politically, were quite strained. Although apprehensive as to how I might be treated, without exception the French people I met were cordial and helpful, and we both expressed and readily accepted each other's feelings of embarrassment and distress about how the politicians in our countries were dealing with their differences. I hope that were you to travel in France today, Jian Shuo, you would not be viewed as "representing China", but would be welcomed as just being yourself. Of course it is different for official delegations, dignitaries, etc., and there are antagonistic and narrow-minded people all over the world as well. But in my experience, the vast majority of people are just, well, *people* -- people with families and friends who are trying to do the best they can to raise their children, work hard and have a successful and meaningful life. Except for a very few, no one really *wants* to go to war, or to hate other people for no good reason. Please do not lose your high regard for your fellow citizens of the world because of the actions of a few! PS: It is several hours later now, and I can see the whole post and all the comments :-) |
| 241 |
Friends Started to Boycott French Products Interesting...I wonder if you are being c*nsored a little bit today, Jian Shuo. I can only see a portion of this post (it stops in the middle of a sentence) and although I can tell that you have had some previous comments, I cannot see any of them. Anyway, what I was going to say is that it makes me very sad to think that the Olympic games are being so tarnished by political upheaval. To me it seems as though this wonderful world-warming event should be all about (and *only* about) the athletes, regardless of in what country it is being held, and what other countries may think of that country's political policies/problems. I know that there have been problems of one sort or another like this for many years now. but I keep hoping that the harmonious thinkers of the world will eventually win out over the antagonists. Very too bad for all concerned :-( I'm sorry if this comment does not fit with the rest of your post or has already been expressed by other commenters. |
| 240 |
Beijing Airport Terminal 3 (T3) Opens It sounds like the Disneyland of airport facilities! If I am ever fortunate enough to fly in to this destination, I will be sure to leave at least a half day to explore the airport -- as much a tourist attraction as the rest of the city, for sure :-) |
| 239 |
Beijing Airport Terminal 3 (T3) Opens Good heavens! Two completely brand new terminals in one day? You are a pioneer!! This building looks simply amazing -- even more astonishing than the one in Pudong. I would be interested to hear what they are planning to do on the top of the parking structure where it looks like they are planting long rows of grass and shrubbery. A giant urban garden space perhaps? And, are the white sections between the green areas solar panels? Or possibly just lightly-covered open sections in the roof to allow natural light in to the top level of the parking garage? It's very intriguing! A very exciting day for you!! |
| 238 |
Shanghai Pudong Airport Terminal 2 (T2) Wow! It looks spectacular, and very user-friendly, even for English-only travelers. How exciting to have been among the very first people to experience this beautiful facility :-) Safe travels, Jian Shuo! |
| 237 |
Taiwan Election - Ma Wins Impressively (at least to me!) Mr. Ma is the only head of state of any country whose hand I have actually shaken! I happened to be in Taipei during the time he was running for election as Mayor. He was campaigning at the Night Market when our group was there, and since his sister happens to live in our city, we had a delightful and extended conversation with him. I am not well-versed in the politics of his country, but I can attest that he was a very nice man, and extremely cordial to a group of international visitors even though we were not going to generate any votes on his behalf :-) |
| 236 |
From Shanghai to Sydney Zoo You look just like the gorilla! ;-) (Note to anyone reading this comment without having seen the pictures...I love Jian Shuo dearly and do not really think he looks like a gorilla!) |
| 235 |
Are American Economically Family-Independent Oh, I have so much to say on this subject, Jian Shuo, but we are still away from home and on a fragile internet connection. In two days I will be back at my own computer again, so look for a belated comment from me then :-) |
| 234 |
Culture Matters from ICS Pretty exciting experience, Jian Shuo -- I look forward to seeing either the program or your additional comments about it in March. Aloha! <--(Do you know what that means? It's English, but a special kind. Here's a hint...we are still in Hawaii :-) |
| 233 |
Happy Valentine's Day Happy Valentine's Day to you, Wendy and Yifan! Your roses are perfect, Jian Shuo -- both the home-grown and the "professonal" ones. And I think that those lillies (the long pink blossoms in that bouquet) must smell very wonderful! The rose in your garden is very similar to one of the roses we have planted as well -- I will think of you when ours starts to bloom :-) |
| 232 |
Yifan's New Year Photo Oh my goodness! He is so completely huggable. And he already looks very wise :-) Happy New Year to you and your family, Jian Shuo!! |
| 231 |
Snowing in SJTU (with Kijiji Logo) I'm very sorry to hear on the international news, what devastating effects this weather has had throughout China. It was so helpful, when listening to news reports, to have already had your perspective about those people waiting at train stations, etc. And how cool (a pun!) that you made the kijiji promo in the snow like that. What fun if it happened to become visible by something like Google Earth :-) |
| 230 |
"I Will Follow All the Rules!" Merry Christmas, Jian Shuo! May you and Wendy and Yifan have an abundance of love and all things that make you happy at this festive time of year :-) |
| 229 |
Current University Students are Different Wow. What a sad commentary on the current educational system there, Jian Shuo. I feel so sorry that the excitement for learning has perhaps (at least according to your observations) been lost in the quest for good scores on yet another high-pressure exam :-( My job involves working with many international students who are studying at our local community college and are applying for transfer to 4-year universities. Without exception, they are engaged, excited, and eager...and so very appreciative for the educational opportunities they are experiencing and for the help they receive from people like me in the process of achieving their goals. I never fail to be impressed by their accomplishments. Here they are, thousands of miles away from home, doing college level work in a language they were not born speaking. Simply amazing! What a shame if what you are seeing is true :-( As mentioned by commenter wy, I understand the need for an educated work force, but such intense and focused education, at the expense of a well-rounded personal life, seems very short-sighted to me. Hopefully this interesting dialog will include additional input from other observers. It's probably too much to hope that very many current university students actually take time off from their studies to read your blog, but it would be most informative to hear from any readers who are in that category! |
| 228 |
Yifan Starts to Sleep Alone Oh, this brought back so many memories of my own long-ago little ones! The thing that is really amazing is that we never know the "last time" something happens. There will be a last bottle or breast, a last diaper, a last sleepless night...even the last time he holds your hand while crossing a street will go unnoticed...until you realize it hasn't happened for a while, and oh, my goodness, he's taller than you are all of a sudden! Truly each moment is something to treasure. As you realized yesterday when writing about the gas station explosion, life is precious. Give him a kiss for me please, Jian Shuo -- and one for Wendy too :-) |
| 227 |
Yifan Fell Asleep in IKEA Count me firmly in the 100% category whenever you "bring him out" here on your blog!! :-) But, Jian Shuo -- after the last post when you wrote about how tired Wendy is right now, I'm surprised you didn't say that she fell asleep on the bed right next to Yifan in the middle of IKEA ;-) |
| 226 |
Toughest Time for Me and Wendy Sending my most giant hugs to you and Wendy tonight, Jian Shuo. It definitely does get easier...but I have to be honest and say that doesn't happen for quite a long time. We all need sleep, and young parents, especially hard-working young parents, not to mention young parents whose own parents are having problems, are the most sleep-deprived people in the world! Be good to yourselves, cherish each other, and tell your parents how much you love them. They are so lucky to have you and little Yi Fan in their lives! |
| 225 |
Hospital in Shanghai So glad to hear that all is well! I will keep your whole family in my thoughts and am wishing her a speedy and comfortable recovery!! |
| 224 |
Bobo's Playing Two-Section Stick Wow! he makes that look so easy, but I have a feeling it's not easy at all!! |
| 223 |
More Detailed Shanghai Future Metro Map How fun to be so famous that people recognize you on the street :-) |
| 222 |
Hey, What's This on Shangzilla? How funny! I love the part about the LED displays from your eyebrows. You know you have really become famous when humor sites begin producing parodies and jokes about you, Jian Shuo :-) |
| 221 |
Yifan has His Hair Cut Hahahahahahaaa! So, if for some reason your venture with Kijiji is not a success, I think you have found an excellent "back-up" profession, Jian Shuo. He is SO CUTE!!!!! I want to reach right inside my computer monitor and squeeze those chubby little cheeks. Please give him a kiss for me, OK? Much love from California! |
| 220 |
Special Birthday Gift from MovableType Team "Friends Around the World" That says it all :-) |
| 219 |
Happy Birthday to Me Happy Birthday Hugs from here, Jian Shuo. May the year to come hold good health, good fortune, and much happiness for you :-) |
| 218 |
Beijing Impression - Part II I like the modern design of that stadium a lot! These are very interesting posts, Jian Shuo. Of course the whole world will be watching that city a year from now. To be able to do so with your early insights about the infrastructure, air pollution (fake clean air -- how funny!) and the impact it all is making on the people who live there will add a great deal to our experience of the event from afar. Thanks |
| 217 |
Yifan's Recent Photos Ohhhhh, so sweet and happy looking :-) It seems I have missed some of the previous pictures, Jian Shuo. I am going to have to go back and enjoy a "feast" of all of Yifan's pictures now. He really is growing fast! |
| 216 |
Many Events in Shanghai An exciting time to be in Shanghai! |
| 215 |
Happy Moon Cake Festival I wish you and your family a most festive celebration, Jian Shuo. Yifan's first Mid-Autumn Festival :-) |
| 214 |
Don't Leave, AussiePB My goodness -- if only the politicians of the world could follow this good example of people-to-people diplomacy and consideration for other people's feelings, just think how much better off we all would be. Jian Shuo, I really think you should offer your services as "Chief Executive of the World" someday. Not too soon though -- you probably still have a few more years of learning and opinion-forming/changing to do. But I believe you are well on the way to having just the kind of world view that would be needed for that position :-) |
| 213 |
Baseball Game (San Francisco Giant v.s. Arizona Diamondbacks) Hah! The seats we have been in are on the same level, Gate 208 J1 & J2. You were just a little closer to home plate which is perfect. I was thinking it would be a great coincidence if our friends happened to sit near your benefactor all the time, but with a whole section in between them they probably have never crossed paths. |
| 212 |
Baseball Game (San Francisco Giant v.s. Arizona Diamondbacks) Wow, if that 9th picture was taken from where you were sitting, I think it must have been almost exactly where we sit when we go up there with friends who have some season tickets. I will have to ask them if they know Andrew! |
| 211 |
Wrapping up My Trip in San Jose Jian Shuo, you are very lucky to have such a long list of people who you consider friends so far away from the place you call home. It reminds me of our older son who is in a business where he considers the main part of his responsibilities to be "making memories for other people". You are fortunate enough to be making memories not just for yourself, but also for people halfway around the world. Such a good thing! |
| 210 |
Five Years of Blogging What a happy post, Jian Shuo. Many congratulations for this accomplishment. What you have done ("juggling" your job, your family, and your personal time along with the blogging) is not easy. I'm very glad to hear that you also plan to blog about little Yifan's life from time to time. Just as your long-time readers have watched *you* grow and mature over the past five years, we look forward to watching him grow and mature as well. My goodness...five years from now you will have a little boy instead of a baby. Hard to imagine, isn't it! |
| 209 |
That is Easy - Easy Solution to Complicated Problems Coincidentally, we were talking about several of these interesting issues with a good friend just last night :-) |
| 208 |
Top Commenter of the Month (2007H1) Shame on me for falling so far behind, Jian Shuo! I'm sure that all it would take is more posts from you about your beautiful baby boy to land me right back at the top of your list again :-) |
| 207 |
Highly Recommend Book - China Road Adding this one to my "must read" list immediately. |
| 206 |
Yifan in His Two Months A perfectly beautiful combination of your both. Such happy days for your family :-) |
| 205 |
Strengthen the Control of Speech "so police know who to arrest when you post something "unhealthy or harmful"." Jian Shuo, we don't want anything bad to happen to you!!! I'll be doing a little motherly worrying here in California until we hear that you have not suffered any negative consequences from this post. Be careful, my friend! |
| 204 |
I Created a Photo Gallery Well, of course I went directly to the ones of Yifan :-) He's soooo cute, Jianshuo!! He's already getting so chubby looking (well-fed). Lucky baby to have found you for parents, and lucky you to have such an adorable and contented little one!! |
| 203 |
Foreign Language Only Signs? Oh, does this sound familiar! Where I live there has been a small local "controversy" over the fact that some of the stores and businesses run by various newcomers to our area do not have English on the signs -- only Chinese, or Korean, or Vietnamese, or whatever the language that those proprietors choose to advertise their business. Many people who have lived here a long time are horrified that "those people" (and please note my use of quotation marks to indicate that this is something other people have said, not me!) are "taking over" the area. As you know, my personal feeling is that the more we can "mix" internationally with each other's cultures, the better off the world will be. Since I cannot read Chinese, maybe it's a good idea for the sign at a Chinese bakery in Cupertino to have some words in English that I can see when I want to buy a good cake or pastry, but I don't worry too much about it. I know that when the people who run that shop have been here long enough to learn good English themselves, they will probably display the words in English *and* Chinese with great and justifiable pride! Until then, I can just smile, point to the item I want, and try to make them understand that I am glad to have them in the neighborhood. |
| 202 |
Chinese Characters "...the written language of the whole China is the same. No matter how different people pronounce, when they write it down, it is the same language!" Wow, this was really very interesting to learn, Jian Shuo. Even though I live in an area where many Chinese families have settled, and I have many friends whose first language is Chinese, I never before knew this important fact. I feel sure that your theory about the way European languages have developed, and how Europe is composed of so many different countries, has merit. A very long time ago I studied French and Spanish. Because of this, I can somewhat understand both Italian and Portugese. But even though I can neither understand nor speak German, I could at least read the maps and street signs when I was traveling in Germany. However, a few years ago when I visited Taiwan, it was the first time since I was a small child when I found myself unable to read! I'm sure that the reason "Esperanto", which was an attempt to develop a common "world language", never caught on is because it was based on both romance languages and Western characters. So much of the world reads and speaks some form of Chinese, it would be difficult to combine those two linguistic sources into a truly usable "world language". If someone in your generation can find a way to overcome these difficulties so that everyone in the world really could communicate easily with each other, I think that would be a most important step toward world harmony! |
| 201 |
Yifan has Hukou Today That sounds like a wonderful strong name...and I'm glad to hear he isn't married yet! |
| 200 |
Wonderful Night with Mayors from U.S. I'm sure if you look back at the pictures from when he was brand new, or only one day old, you will be able to tell the difference. My youngest son turned 30 yesterday, and truly, it seems like only yesterday when he was a baby. There's a *big* difference in how he looks now from how he looked then, but I don't remember seeing it happen from day to day either. Of course I don't remember changing myself very much since then either, but I'm sure the mirror must have a different opinion! |
| 199 |
Happy (New) Father's Diary No one can possibly prepare an expectant parent for what happens to your heart when that baby arrives. You found exactly the right word for it, Jian Shou -- sweet. Enjoy every minute! |
| 198 |
Name of the Baby Jian Shuo, he is absolutely adorable. I'm so happy for all three of you :-) I can understand the dilemma you face in choosing a name. When our second son was born, we had a name all picked out ahead of time, but when we actually "met" him, it was immediately clear that he was not a Jonathan. It took a while for him to let us know the best name for him. When your baby boy is ready to claim his identity, you will know, and it will feel right to both of you. Enjoy every single minute you possibly can of holding him in your arms -- he will be taller than you are before you know it! |
| 197 |
My Baby Arrives Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!! Such exciting news, Jian Shuo. I am wildly excited for you. No one could possibly prepare you for what will happen to your heart in the next few months. It's simply impossible to understand until it actually happens. You and Wendy will be wonderful parents, and that little baby is blessed to have found you for his family. Please give Wendy a hug from me, OK? And gently rub the top of his head on behalf of his Honorary Extra Grandmother in California. Much love to you all! |
| 196 |
Congrats to George! Wow. Name recognition! You're a bonafide celebrity now, Jian Shuo :-) |
| 195 |
OOB Tonight Give that girl a hug from your old lady friend, Jian Shuo, and enjoy your "date" :-) |
| 194 |
4 Year Anniversary of Wedding 4 years! My goodness, Jian Shuo -- it really doesn't seem as though it's been that long. I remember very clearly how happy I was when I read your account of that very happy day. I even remember some of the pictures you posted afterwards of the formal wedding ceremony. Congratulations to you both on another milestone in your lives :-) |
| 193 |
New Phone - Dopod D600 Congratulations on your new phone, Jian Shuo. But, perhaps even more importantly -- Happy Birthday, Goudaner!!!! :-) |
| 192 |
Grocery Cost in Shanghai, 2007 The vegetable you were unsure of looks like what we would call "lettuce" -- specifically "loose leaf lettuce" (as opposed to something like "iceberg lettuce" which has the leaves formed tightly together in what's called a "head whihc is also the way most cabbage grows) No worries though, Jian Shuo -- it's all "rabbit food" to you ;-) |
| 191 |
The Scar in People's Heart What a wonderful opportunity to learn from the previous generation. I'm sure Wendy's parents appreciated your interest, and the chance to tell you in depth about their own life experience. All we want, as parents, is for our children's lives to be better/easier than our own. It must give them great pleasure to see you and Wendy living in a prosperous and happy period of time after such a difficult season in the history of your country. |
| 190 |
I Got a Tax Summary! Wow, a bureaucracy that says thank you. Amazing! |
| 189 |
The Great Well in Jinmao Tower Wow! that's about all I can think to say, JS -- just really wow!! You do such a good job capturing photos with interior light. These really convey the feeling of looking up and saying "wah!" |
| 188 |
Friend's Dog Killed Such a sad commentary on the hard hearts of the officials, and perhaps also the desperation of people in the villages. |
| 187 |
Friend's Dog Killed OMG, such a *horrible* thing! I'm not too surprised to hear about the criminal theft and then sale of the dead animals for profit, but I had no idea there were official policies like the ones you also describe. To kill a pet in front of the family that loves it is almost like killing a child -- and it would be so traumatic for any children in the family who might witness the event. Ghastly! Is there public discussion of this situation, Jian Shuo, or is it another of those things where people are too afraid to speak out against officials? Also, I might have imagined that a dog running lose on the street could be kidnapped and killed by people in need of the money it might bring as meat (or in need of the meat for their own sustenance) but for the value to be high enough to risk entering a home? Unthinkable! Do the people who break in and steal dogs also steal other valuables from the home? Is the dog just an "incidental" addition to the theft, or is it just the dog that is wanted? I can't imagine that a dog, dead or alive, unless it is of a very special breed that might bring a great deal of money if re-sold alive, could possibly be considered more valuable than something more easily stolen such as jewelry or money. I'm not someone who is "shocked" very easily by most things in life, but I admit to finding this extremely shocking. And very sad. To think that you might (with every good reason!) refrain from having a pet you would love and who would be so fortunate to find a loving home in your good care -- very very sad, indeed :-( |
| 185 |
OOB for Saturday Merry Christmas to you and Wendy, Jian Shuo. I have a feeling that the year ahead is going bring good things to you both! |
| 184 |
Busy Recently Sounds like you are keeping a level head, and a good attitude, in the midst of it all, Jian Shuo. From what we are seeing on Google news this morning, all is well for you and Kijiji. Hopefully whatever is motivating anything unpleasant for you will die down soon. Take care! |
| 183 |
Did I Change in the Last Four Years? I bet you haven't changed all that much, Jian Shuo (except for your professional circumstances, of course) It's just that over time you have revealed so much more of yourself. We know you better now -- and maybe you know yourself better now too :-) |
| 182 |
Going Back to Shanghai It was our great pleasure to have you again, Jian Shuo. I think we must make a point of scheduling our annual party around your annual trips from now on :-) |
| 181 |
Hello from San Jose, Dec 4 Any bets on how long it will take him to get lost *this* time, folks? ;-) Just teasing you, Jian Shuo. I'm sure it feels good to be able to find your way around our crazy freeway system. Here's to a good day's sleep! |
| 180 |
The Blind Men and The Elephant Fantastic post! And the "Six Blind Men and China"? Pure brilliance!! Nicely done, Jian Shuo :-) |
| 179 |
Jian Shuo Visits San Jose (Again) I'm glad you're feeling better, Jian Shuo. Sleep seems to work all kinds of miracles for you! |
| 178 |
OOB to Take a Pause With all the traveling you do, it's a miracle you don't get ill more often. Feel better soon!! |
| 177 |
Happy Thanksgivings A collection of friends is one of life's most treasured posessions. You are wise indeed to appreciate that at such a young age, Jian Shuo. Happy Thanksgiving to you too, my friend! |
| 176 |
Rumors after Rumors - Part II Too bad there are so many "hassles" that go along with being a more public figure these days. I feel privileged that we blog-readers have an opportunity to know the more personal side of you, Jian Shuo. Hang in there! |
| 175 |
Heading Back to Shanghai I thought it might have been Chaminade when you described the hotel on the "mountain" in Santa Cruz. What a beautiful place to hold a retreat :-) I look forward to reading your reflections on the experience after you've had a chance to "process" everything. Good luck with the jet lag!! |
| 174 |
Photo: Dog under Sunshine Hahahaha! That's what (one of the things, at least) I love so much about this blog, Jian Shuo. We never know what to expect. Dezza, I'm with you -- looks like a real dog to me ;-) |
| 173 |
Where are You - Part II Wow, this is really interesting to see where so many of your readers are from! I live in Cupertino, California, and have been fortunate enough to host Jian Shuo when he has visited Silicon Valley on business a few times in the past. I think next time you come, JS, we should have a big "meet-up" for all your fans in the Bay Area. And, to Anna from Boston: I grew up there, and your description of all that area has to offer has made me homesick! |
| 172 |
Suggest a Topic Interesting discussion. I think if I am ever so fortunate as to be able to visit Shanghai, I will have to ask Jian Shuo to suggest a good Chinese name for me to use while I am traveling in your country! :-) |
| 171 |
I am not a Big Fan of Hate... Jian Shuo, this is one of the very best descriptions of true patriotism I have ever read! To love one's own country, in no way should necessitate or cause hatred of someone else's. If I love and am proud to be a member of my own family, does that in any way imply that I should despise other people's families if they are in some way different from my own? We are all "just people", after all. Whether the people of any country agree or disagree with the politicians who are in charge of some of the decision-making and policies, does not mean that we should not be able to get along with the people of anothr country whose politicians and policies differ from our own. Far better, I think, to join a movement in *support* of something about which you feel enthusiastic, rather than to spread negative energy in the world by joining a protest *against* something. Just let the positive energy (love) become bigger and stronger than the negative energy (hate) and the "regular people" will get along fine no matter what the politicians are up to! |
| 170 |
Happy Birthday to Me Oh, and it's already "tomorrow" now where you are, so I'm late with these good wishes! Belated Happy Birthday, Jian Shuo -- I am sending you 29 smiles, and 29 hugs, and 29 hopes for a very happy year ahead. And, I have a funny story to tell you. Today when I met with a group of International students on the campus where I work, we started talking about food from their countries, and how they felt about the food we have here. One girl from China commented that it has been difficult for her to get used to eating uncooked vegetables like we always have in salads. I told them about my friend in Shanghai who accused me of feeding him "rabbit food" -- they laughed for a very long time about that! So, at least I was thinking about you today, even if I forgot to wish you a good celebration! |
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Life in Remote Places Ohhh, have a GREAT vacation trip, Jian Shuo. That's a wonderful country to visit. If you like fish, be sure to try some Barramundi. Yummm! :-) |
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Four Years of Blogging Belated Happy Blogiversary, Jian Shuo! Haagen Dazs is certainly a great way to celebrate :-) |
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Top 3 Issues of Shanghai Tourism Although I have not yet had the pleasure of visiting Shanghai, my experience as a visitor in Taiwan may be of some relevance. For me, a most interesting part of that adventure was being, for the first time in my adult life, in a place where I was unable to read. I would not have known whether I was in front of a hotel or a hospital were it not for an ambulance or a limousine pulling up to the front door. This problem must be similar for all travelers who are unfamiliar with the written alphabetic characters of a place they are visiting. For this reason, the suggestion someone made above for a map, with recognizable landmarks such as parks, transit stations, major hotels, etc. might be useful if those landmarks are also identified at the site with some sort of symbol that might be easy to understand for travelers from *any* country (not just those who read English). In fact, why not make all major urban areas more globally friendly with some sort of consistent, internationally understood system of coded signs and symbols intended to assist travellers? A map, in English, with words such as "Center Street" or "Grand Hotel" will not help me if the signs on the streets and buildings are in Chinese characters which I cannot understand. Mind you, my own brain is no longer limber enough to devise any workable sort of system for this, but I am thinking things like major streets, regardless of their actual name, could also have some sort of small numeric code on the sign (such as "N12/s" meaning "the southern portion of street number 12 which runs north to south") so that when a visitor is standing on the corner of two major streets with Chinese (or Italian, or Russian, or...) words on the sign giving the actual street name in the local language, they could consult their Visitors' Map which would be marked with the codes instead of the names and be able to figure out where they are. Does this make sense to anyone, or am I simply an incurable optimist to think that such a thing could even be possible? |
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Stanford Dream Well, you know I'm very partial to this idea! :-) |
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Kijiji New Platform Went Online Big congratulations to you and the Kijiji team, Jian Shuo! That is a tremendous accomplishment, and I look forward to hearing ongoing stories about the success of that venture. They sure picked the right person to get it off the ground :-) |
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Badminton Made Me Feel Good Good intentions are the best way to start a fitness and fun plan :-) |
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Back to Blog of My Own I'm with you, Jian Shuo -- it's one of the main reasons I'm not a blogger. One needs a very thick skin. Sometimes people will comment on a blog by making remarks they never would in face-to-face conversation. Or, if they are rude enough to speak like that in person, then their listeners have the ability to turn away and not spend time in their company again. On a blog, we can just scroll quickly past the offensive comments, but still, it changes the atmosphere in a way that can be quite uncomfortable. Anyone who has been reading your blog for a while is aware that you absolutely have welcomed disagreement, discussion and dialogue on a very wide range of topics in the past. I think both you and your readers have learned much from that kind of *healthy* disagreement. But the arguments just for the sake of "grandstanding" (getting attention, or "stirring the pot" -- intentionally stirring up negative disagreement)? Those have not been productive, informative or helpful to anyone but the writer's ego. I think you've done a really good job of ignoring most of that in the past, and of welcoming constructive dialogue between readers with differing opinions! But in the end, it is *your* blog! You have every right to write about what interests you, and to avoid writing about things that foment unproductive arguments. It's a shame if the minority of trouble makers feel that they have "won" by turning off your desire to write about controversial subjects, but I for one will be more than happy to read about your personal life for a while and give the rabble rousers some time to move on to other platforms. Good luck with the air conditioning. And yes, when you and Wendy have time to be together, since you both work such long and pressured hours, my guess is that it would be better-spent in relaxation and play time rather than work discussions! |
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Pictures of the Bund Wah! Those are spectacular pictures, Jian Shuo. What a great venue for a birthday party! |
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"The Right to Refuse Service to Anyone" Oh! I forgot to explain this when you asked before, Jian Shuo. Sorry!! You are right that it is common to see these signs in the US, and it relates to the freedom of the person who owns the business to set the "rules" for who they are willing to serve. Do you know the "decision game" called "Rock/Paper/Scissors"? It's sort of like saying the right of the business owner "beats" the rights of the customer. Some examples might be: A bar (or an airline) can refuse to serve additional alcoholic drinks to patrons who are "drunk". An "up-scale" (high class) restaurant can refuse to admit customers who are dressed "inapropriately" (for the atmosphere of the restaurant) in shorts and t-shirts. Even some "casual" resturants will post signs that say "no shoes, no service" , or "no shirt, no service" which means that you cannot come in if you are barefoot, or wearing only shorts or a bathing suit. This would most likely be for reasons of hygene, or the aesthetic comfort of the other customers who might not enjoy eating next to someone else's hairy bare back. So, those places which state "we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone" mean that they wish to be free to determine if a customer is "appropriate" for their place of business. You might even see such a sign in a place like a convenience store, which is generally assumed to be open and welcome to every possible kind of customer. But, if someone comes in drunk and disruptive, the sign advises everyone that the owner or manager of the busines has the right to tell that person to leave without being served. It might also apply to a "gang" or rowdy group of teenagers. Most places welcome the money that teenage customers bring to their business, but sometimes stores have trouble with poorly behaved teenagers disrupting their displays or upsetting more mature customers. In that case it could easily be considered a form of "age discrimination" (illegal in the US) but for the protection of the business (ie: the comfort of the other customers who might otherwise leave without buying anything) the owners may decide to ask the teenagers to leave. I believe that the rights implied by such a sign do not "beat" (or supercede) the rights involved in the basic freedoms of our country. It would be wrong and not legally allowed for a business owner to refuse service to a customer just because they are of a certain race or ethnicity, for example. Even the sign would not permit a business to turn away a woman wearing a head scarf because she "might be a terrorist" or someone of a racial minority because "we don't serve "those" people". But, if a person of any ethnicity is causing trouble, (might be intoxicated, or on drugs, or even just arguing loudly and disruptively with a companion) they may be asked to leave based on their behavior (not their appearance) , and the next step would be to call the police to report some sort of public disturbance. Other readers may have more to add on this subject, but that has been my experience. For the most part, everyone really is free to shop or do business wherever they wish. But it is also fair to give a business owner the right to refuse to serve someone who they feel would be bad for the business. Does this make sense? |
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Hello, I am OK now Good news! I'm so glad you got the care you needed, Jian Shuo. It must have been a bit frightening for you (and Wendy!) to deal with such a high fever. Happy to hear that you are OK! |
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Got Fever - 38.4 C This does sound very alarming! Please clarify for your concerned readers!! Hoping you will be feeling better soon :-) |
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Getting U.S. Visa in China Kevin, well said! And, Jian Shuo, on those days when you may wonder whether it is worth your time and energy to continue this blog, think about passer-by being helped by Julia, and the young woman waiting for a kidney transplant who was put in touch with my young friend through you. Your site brings people together all around the world, and I feel sure it is doing much to reduce the barriers between "regular people" that our governments both seem to be so intent on maintaining. So, "Yay for you!" I say :-) |
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It is Pouring! Pouring! Ahah! A very sensible system, especially for such a large metropolitan area. Some of our major US cities could learn from that example! |
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It is Pouring! Pouring! Well, if that typhoon hits, you may have a chance to experience life without electricity for a while, Jian Shuo! Stay safe!!! |
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The Tree in Water Wow! That's a really spectacular perspective on something that many people probably passed right by without even noticing. Very lovely, Jian Shuo! |
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Hotmail Blocked in China Interesting that you are having this experience immediately following your post about how things can be difficult, but not impossible :-) |
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My Boat Sunk in Dishui Lake Stephen, that's a great idea! Jian Shuo, you would totally love building one yourself!! Do you remember the big remote-controlled airplanes that are hanging on the walls in our living room? Those were made by our boys, and I know they have similar kits for boats. I have a feeling this is a hobby you would find both relaxing and enjoyable for your "spare time" (as if you have very much of that!) The only problem is that Wendy might not appreciate it very much. The process of putting one together would require quite a bit of space in which to spread out all the materials...and they would probably remain "spread out" (a euphemism for "a big mess"!) for quite a long time until the project could be completed. Maybe if your apartment is not very large it would be best to start with a fully-constructed one after all :-) |
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My Boat Sunk in Dishui Lake One of the things I really love about you, Jian Shuo, is that even though according to the calendars you are a "grownup" you've never stopped playing. Long may that "joie de vivre" (how's your French? ;-) continue!!! |
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From Shanghai to US - A Handbook What a great project! Be sure to include a warning about all the "rabbit food" we eat over here ;-) Happy May Day to you and Wendy!! |
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Tulip Blooms in my Garden Jian Shuo, they are beautiful!! We have been away for two weeks on vacation. I was so happy to see our dog again when we came home tonight, and can hardly wait to go outside when it is daylight tomorrow to see how things have changed in the garden. I checked your blog first thing after turning the computer back on just now, and will try to catch up very soon on all the entries I missed. Happy Spring to you and Wendy!! |
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Happy Birthday to Goudaner (2nd Year) I love your stories about Goudaner! Happy Birthday to a most faithful friend :-) |
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New Year for Everyone in the team I'm excited for you, Jian Shuo! Your adventure with this exciting young company reminds me of so many stories from when start-ups were happening all over Silicon Valley. The energy and enthusiasm of the people involved has such an impact on the success of the enterprise. I know your teams will do well, and they are so lucky to have you with them! Congratulations on the success of this first year, and here's hoping you have many many more :) |
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20 Years of Professional Managers in China Oh! Very different from a resume, then. But exactly like the big envelopes I have kept for each one of my children since they were small. Although probably your Dang'an does not include any of the small pictures they painted in nursery school, or the letters they left for Santa Claus, and notes to them from the Tooth Fairy ;-) Thanks for explaining this to me! |
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20 Years of Professional Managers in China Thanks, Jiguo! I really appreciate the opportunity to learn new things from this very helpful community of readers. So, does that mean it is something like what we would call a "resume"? A piece of paper listing your education, your work experience, your job objectives, that sort of thing? This is something, along with a "cover letter", that we would normally submit to the employer for their consideration when applying for a job. |
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20 Years of Professional Managers in China This is a very interesting post, Jian Shuo. If you have time, could you please explain what is meant by the phrase "keeping the Dangan for its employees"? I looked up "Dangan" on Google but was not able to find anything that really clarifies the term. |
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Happy Valentine's Day Special hugs to you and Wendy on this special Day, Jian Shuo!! |
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Tulip Wakes Up in my Garden How exciting! One's first gardening experiences are especailly meaningful, Jian Shuo. I'm happy to hear that your sleeping tulips are starting to wake up. In a few weeks we will see pictures of the lovely healthy flowers they produce, and you will know that your efforts in November made a real contribution to the coming of Spring! |
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The Last Day of Vacation Oh, poor Goudaner! I'm glad they are fixing the problem for you, though and he will be good as new, as well as shiny, clean, and well maintained, and at no cost (except the inconvenience) to you. Not a bad ending to a happy holiday week, after all. I never thought before about how things in nature "take a break" for rest from time to time. Surely we would not appreciate spring flowers, or the moon, so much if they were always there. Happy to hear you have had a restful vacation! |
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New Year's Eve - the Year of Dog Happy New Year to you and your family, Jian Shuo! Safe travels :-) |
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I Don't Drive Well After Back from San Jose Heh -- when I first moved to California, I almost caused a huge traffic accident in San Francisco by stepping off the curb (as a pedestrian) one moment before a taxi would have whizzed by. I learned my pedestrian skills in Boston (a terrifying place to walk or drive) where it was common practice to lean forward from the side (or middle) of the road as a car went by and then leap between it and the next one (coming fast) in order to make it across. In San Francisco though, the moment I stepped off the curb, all the cars screeched to a halt to let me pass. I was amazed (and horrified)! Who knew? |
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Happy New Year A very happy, healthy, and joy-filled New Year to you and Wendy and your families, Jian Shuo! |
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Merry Christmas for My Friends and Family What a beautiful way to express your love and friendship for others, Jian Shuo. I have no doubht that 35 years (and more!) from now many of those same names will continue to hold a special place in your heart. Holiday Hugs, |
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Age of Crazy Ideas Merry Christmas, Jian Shuo! It's already Christmas Eve where you are. May you and Wendy have a wonderful day tomorrow, and I wish you all the best for the year ahead :-) |
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The 8-Day of Nightmare Wow, what a lot of work for you, and what a "pain" for you to have to do it now when you are also busy with so many other things! I will keep my fingers crossed that all of the good information you have accumulated here during the past few years can be maintained without too much trouble for you from now on. Merry Christmas to you and to Wendy from your "old" friend in Cupertino :-) |
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Sorry for Outage 8 Hours Safe trip, Jian Shuo! It was so great to have you here to meet our friends last weekend. I feel truly honored that you were able to fit that visit in to your busy work schedule. And yes, I did see the outage here at your blog today. I was worried that maybe for some reason the recent "controversial" comments you've been getting had triggered some sort of shut-down. So, it's a relief to hear it was "only" a relatively temporary mix-up. The other day I experienced something similar due to a typo while I was going to hotmail. Someone has obviously purchased the rights to "hotmial" and I'm sure they get a ton of hits from careless fingers like mine. Please give Wendy a hug from me when you get home, and come see us again any time! |
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Flying to SFO And your drivers' license! Don't forget your drivers' license!!! :-) |
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Craigslist's Success Craig'slist is great for so many reasons, but the feature I value most is how easy it is to sort the listings geographically. I live about an hour south of San Francisco, and the Bay Area is really very spread-out. If I want to find volunteer opportunities, or activities close to home, I can sort by neighborhood and not have to scroll through listings that would be too far to drive. But, if I'm going to be in another location on a particular day, I can sort for that neighborhood and find out if there is anything especially interesting going on. Or, if I need to buy something and would not mind going farther afield to acquire the right item (something like a car, or a musical instrument, or a dog :-) I can look through all the listings for the entire area. So far from Craig'slist I have found our dog, a person to take care of our dog when we are away traveling, a job for my good friend's son, a young woman from Korea who needed help proof-reading an academic essay which I was able to provide, the crew of workers who are repairing our roof this very minute, people to paint the outside of our house, people to do some concrete work for us, volunteers to help drive cancer patients to medical appointments, and a free place to store a large amount of building materials for a community project. Craig'slist is absolutely amazing! I will be eagerly following the development of Kijiji, Jian Shuo. If you can do for your community, even a fraction of what Craig'slist has done for ours, you will have made a huge difference in life! Personal note: I still did not receive that message back from you about your San Jose plans, Jian Shuo. Do you still have my "real" e-mail address (not the hotmail one)? I'll send you another test message so you can capture it from there if you want to. :-) |
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Jian Shuo Wang in San Jose in Dec Just FYI, nothing visible arrived yet on this end. I just sent you another to hotmail. |
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Jian Shuo Wang in San Jose in Dec Check your hotmail, Jian Shuo! :-) |
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Boing Boing's Five Year in Blogging Jian Shuo, I completely agree that one great value of your blog is the personal perspective you are able to give on issues of a broader nature. I first "found" you back when the SARS epidemic was causing world-wide concern. By reading your personal stories about conversations you had with taxi drivers and others in Shanghai during that period, I was able to form a much better understanding of what was actually going on "behind" the official news stories. It was very helpful to be able to find information of this sort that I would not have had access to otherwise since I didn't know anyone personally who lives there. My husband still remembers the day I was reading your blog and suddenly said "Hey, it's snowing in Shanghai right now!". And who else would we have been able to follow from Starbucks to Starbucks in such a big city? :-) But the most important reason to keep it personal is that you enjoy writing that way! So, thanks for being you -- it certainly works for me!! |
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Mao and Hengge in my Home I'm so sorry! It's early in the morning here inside my head!! Feel welcome (my goodness! This comment failed due to "questionable content" when I originally used the word "fre*" instead of "welcome") to delete that second post (and this one) But what a great excuse to send more birthday hugs!! ;-) |
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Mao and Hengge in my Home Osmanthus! Years ago I pinched a cluster of flowers from one of those lovely fragrant trees while I was traveling, but by the time I got home the flowers had dried and crumbled and I was not able to identify the plant. Thanks to you, I know now that it will grow in our area! As soon as I can find one I will plant a "Chinese Tea Tree" or "Chinese Sweet Olive" in our yard and it will always make me think of my friend in your country :-) |
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Mao and Hengge in my Home Osmanthus!!!!! Jian Shuo, I remember pinching a cluster of flowers off one of those trees years ago when I was travelling someplace in hopes of finding out what it was and if it could grow where we live. But, by the time I got home the flowers were dried and crumbled and I was not able to identify it. Now I know! And it looks like we *can* grow them here. I will plant a "Chinese sweet tea tree" or "tea olive" as soon as I can find one, and it will always make me think of my friend in your country :-) Thank you so much for helping me figure this out at long last! |
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Happy Birthday To Me What a year!! Birthday hugs heading your way from California -- lots of them!!! |
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Happy Autumn Festival Jim and I watched the moon come up from behind the far hills last night. I will think of you and Wendy when we admire it again this evening :-) Happy Autumn Festival to you and your friends and family! |
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Three Years of Blogging Wow! Happy Anniversary, Jian Shuo. those numbers you've compiled represent such a huge accomplishment -- Congratulations!!! |
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Different Views on Typhoon Jian Shuo, I've been reading faithfully ever since you were here for that visit -- just haven't found much to add to any of the recent topics until this one. As you know, your quest to make the world a better place by conducting open and honest discussions about things like this is a big part of what I love most about your blog. I feel sure that you have o |