Feb 29 2008
China is hot and sexy, so are the one storey grey brick Siheyuans (quadrangles or courtyard dwelling) and the surrounding hutong, the sprawling and vernacular narrow lanes that lattice the heart of Beijing, 咸鱼翻身 too. Oh well .. don’t throw away your old jeans, it will become fashionable again,
This picture depicts a san jin – three [...]
Feb 29 2008
The tickets to the Olympic games are hard to find and expensive, Jiujiu told me. For the coveted ones. “Beijing said they will populate the arena [w/ plebs] with the unpopular games, such as jump, discus throw.. .. “ I have no doubt. He thought I’m totally out of the loop when I asked him who’s Liu [...]
Feb 29 2008
NY Phil scored huge in N Korea. Maestro’s suggestion that one day some composer might write An American in Pyongyang as he conducted Gershwin’s An American in Paris. (Was this his spontaneity or preconceived?) In any event, music knows no boundary, and America still has it, if not the hard power – the dominance – militarily, at [...]
Feb 29 2008
The Brit has bestowed a new term for middle class: coping class, with the undertone, or political overtone, that this hard working class is struggling. Although the middle class is defined widely, but without argument, it’s the largest block in the western societies, Chidia’s are emerging. Both rich and poor enjoy many privileges that are unavailable to [...]
Feb 28 2008
Chelsea Clinton recently discussed current events with a U.S. soldier. She asked if, as an American fighting man, anything scared him. He told her there were only three things he feared:
1) Osama
2) Obama
AND
3) Yo Mama
Feb 27 2008
Dad in uniform, circa 1950s
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Dad said he went to Korea during the War. “Really?” I could feel my eyes were widened. How cool!
“My 团长 regimental commander liked me so much [as a basketballer], he specifically requested me. ..”
Oh, the Americans have Marilyn Moore or Mariah Carey and we Chinese prefer Yao Ming, for entertainment. Pretty cool n masculine.
“I dropped [...]
Feb 27 2008
Pumpkin is going to see the Wicked with her school mates in May and will have lunch at Mars 2112. Sounds so stale. We saw it last year. And Mars 2112? We’ve been going there since they were toddlers and stopped going, since well, they are out grew it. Can’t school come up with something [...]
Feb 27 2008
What’s this fixation with Tianan Men? Living in the same town isn’t enough, we have to take picture with it all the time. More were taken in 2003, but I dropped the camera in the lake, didn’t get the chance to download that lots. Too bad.
Feb 27 2008
A week of Tylenol did make the pain go away, rather quickly – my scenario was that I don’t use drug, so tiny bit would do well for me. But the tenderness remained. I still play badminton with my left hand, no tennis yet. Swimming has increased, 2 or 3 times a week. usually 60 laps: [...]
Feb 27 2008
Liu Yingfang’s my ganma 干妈 godmother. She and her hubby Chen Chenglu whom I called Dada were Malaysia born Chinese. She’s fm a wealthy family (her father was a rubber baron) and he a working class. They met in London while she was finishing up her piano at the Royal School of [...]
Feb 27 2008
1954-11-14 1984-05-01
Aunt Fu was one of my mom’s best friends. I was pretty close with her younger daughter Yuan. The older sis is, well too old for me, . Whenever our family got together, which was often, Yuan would play with me. Either the sister are older or they lived in the different part of the [...]
Feb 27 2008
I’d claim plausibly and at length that I was born in the year of Fish when I was asked about my 属 zodiac sign. The problem is, the twelve animals showed up at the gathering were all terrestrials
Water sport has to be my most beloved activity, a life long pursue. And [...]
Feb 26 2008
A die hard water bug or what?
Janet Evans was one of the swimmers I liked, Phelp’s another. Her unconventional straight arms was a great blue print that helped my stroke – reach out – for the gold, . I used to grab, a.k.a. my arms weren’t reaching out enough. She won 800m free back to back in [...]
Feb 25 2008
Yang was the concert master of CNSO now living in Texas. After he came out of jail during the Cultural Revolution, his wife Wu Yili, a pianist who divorced him when he was sent to jail, moved back in with him again. As a gentleman, he couldn’t say no, but made it known that he’d rather live [...]
Feb 25 2008
Beethoven’s 9th symphony .. he’s well known for that ..
Actually his given name Kun is double fang 方方 on top and tu 土 on the bottom, but unfortunately my Chinese word processor doesn’t have this character. He was Auntie Jennie’s colleague and his daughter Yan Di was my classmate, we all lived in the same building. Our [...]
Feb 25 2008
Maazel and NY Phil in N Korea .. So yesteryear China
US exchanges have regain the upper hand on tech IPOs in 2007, with Chinese companies in particular choosing to be listed in NY over London. This love affair between China/USA doesn’t seem to subside even as China is gaining [...]
Feb 25 2008
The NY Phil 280-person strong delegation (only 105 are orchestra members) to Pyongyang includes William Perry - the former US defence secretary. Hmmmm .. what will he play? Can’t believe they granted him a visa! So bold, shouldn’t the US send Valerie Palmer or the like?
Back in the 1970s, 中央乐团 now CNSO went to Pyongyang to perform – [...]
Feb 24 2008
HSA is Health Savings Account. It isn’t a health insurance, but a plan – saving a/c - that can be funded by pre-tax dollar pay for your qualified health expenses. Anyone can make contribution that includes yourself, your employer or a generous friends, parents, relatives. There is a ceiling as how much you can contribute each year. For [...]