Nov 30 2009
One of the strangest hotels in the world is the Tianzi Hotel 天子大酒店 Son of the Heaven in the Beijing municipality in China.
It was completed and opened to public in 2003 and is 10 stories high. The hotel is built in the form of three traditional Chinese gods:
Happiness, Fortune and Longevity.
The hotel is in [...]
Nov 30 2009
Beijing, China (CNN) — Secret, illegal “black jails” exist in China, a state-run weekly has confirmed, despite official denials otherwise.
Chinese citizens in search of justice often end up in such detention centers when they file complaints against the government, the state-run weekly magazine Outlook reported last week.
A network of such jails awaits the petitioners when [...]
Nov 30 2009
The original title of the article is Some Indians Find It Tough to Go Home Again. It’s true for Chinese too. The haigui 海归 returned students with Western degrees, trainings and working experience (returned expatriates – repats) do not necessary find China an ideal home, even they speak the language and grew up [...]
Nov 30 2009
Finally!! Here is a recourse for us. Years ago, a meter maid ticketed me while I parked legally on a street. When I asked the traffic judge to compensate me for time wasted (going to court), he dismissed me claiming there wasn’t precedent.
~ . ~
The phone rang. A woman from a law firm [...]
Nov 30 2009
Beijing, China (CNN) — “We can be friends, and we can offer you a good life,” the woman said to the class filled with new investors.
If any were skeptical, they didn’t show it. Next came the young man, neatly dressed wearing a tie. He stood at a chalkboard writing mathematical equations that he said explained [...]
Nov 29 2009
41 St Marks Pl @ 39th Street
New York, NY 10003
(212) 777-1447
A neat little place in the east village, friendly and casual, good food with a comfortable surrounding. We wanted to go for sushi but the reservation was already made there. Not too disappointing.
Nov 27 2009
This past Wednesday: I was home alone and just finished a phone conversation. Then I heard a soft pop.
Like a glass busted.
Following the sound, I wandered over to my trio candle holder set. It turned out, one of its base just got ’separated’.
Isn’t odd?
I used crazy glue to put it back in one [...]
Nov 27 2009
Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Stealing a little time here and there to post. This year’s Thanksgiving was uneventful like last year but is very busy nevertheless. Played some good tennis on Wednesday, hot pot for dinner with friends. Yesterday turned out to be nice so more tennis in the early [...]
Nov 27 2009
I went to a little retreat last weekend with the girls at the Residence Inn. I’ve never stayed at RI @ Marriott before and found it to be very pleasant and comfortable. There is a little kitchenette in the room (a suite) and the breakfast is American.
Hmmmmm … thought [...]
Nov 27 2009
Someone made this interesting analogy about complicated music that’s difficult to listen to versus easy-listening pop music. Dream Theater is one of the bands Golfer listens to ..
Re: When do you think Dream Theater will have their major breakthrough with mainstream media?
Pop music hasn’t changed.
It’s gotten worse.
It’s musical Mcdonalds.
Dream Theater is [...]
Nov 26 2009
By Nien Cheng, 鄭念 Zheng Nian.
I’ve heard about this book often when the subject turned to the Cultural Revolution, among the non Chinese. The author had just passed away recently. Today in the library, as I was looking for my target and saw this book. I grabbed it and went to the [...]
Nov 25 2009
It’s so odd this morning: one of my candle holders (3 in a set) decided to make a little noise.
It just happened I was near by and heard this popping sound.
I went over to investigate …
and saw this …
???
Despite of this the candle holder is still standing pretty
What’s happening?
Nov 24 2009
The Internal Revenue Service recently released a list of 9,176 New Yorkers who are owed a tax refund but have not yet received it because of a mailing address error. You may be owed part of the $14.5 million the IRS has identified in refunds owed to New York residents. To check [...]
Nov 24 2009
Wang Zhaojun Departs the Frontier. The title isn’t quite fit but for some reason it’s the first thing came to my mind. You get it, you got it.
My first match on the USTA league was last Sunday at World Gym at Setauket. 42 miles. As #2 Doubles my partner and I [...]
Nov 24 2009
Spots of Tranquility Amid the Bustle. This isn’t the 36 Hours in xx .. on the New York Times but it gives someone who would want to venture out their comfort zone to China Flushing a little heads up. It even provides detailed street map with dots.
Flushing is firmly on the map. [...]
Nov 24 2009
In cozier times?
Who Fears a Free Mikhail Khodorkovsky?
Mikhail Khodorkovsky, once his country – Russia’s richest man, has resided in “gulag lite,” as he calls the Russian penal system under Vladimir Putin, for six years.
Prior to his arrest, Khodorkovsky wasn’t a flashy man like his peers. Money, swanky resort, yacht and girls were not his [...]
Nov 24 2009
Federal investigators reported on Monday that a “strong association” exists between chemicals in Chinese drywall installed in thousands of homes during the housing boom and electrical problems in those homes.
I read about the drywall made in China that causing problems in Florida a while ago. Oh well, what can I tell you when money [...]
Nov 22 2009
Thomas Friedman thinks there are two things distinguish a great nation: good governance and imagination. And USA still has the later.
President Obama’s visit to China this week inevitably invites comparisons between the world’s two leading powers. You know what they say: Britain owned the 19th century, America owned the 20th century, and, it’s all [...]