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Running Water Stays Clearclear enough to see the bottom... February 12 My blog in ChineseI've been asked a lot of times why I blog in English. I've also been asked many times why I don't write my blog in Chinese. To me these are two different questions. To question No.1, I blog in English to practice, also to share some thoughts with those who don't read Chinese. And to question No.2, yes, I do! The Chinese version is at http://ysquarespace.spaces.live.com (which isn't updated frequently either). Anyway, I am never thinking of having these two sites synchronized. So always expect different things from the two if you read both. This is not because I failed the interpretation test. (I never managed to repeat that long paragraph, I can't even exactly repeat it in the SAME language... Why should I?) :P I don't translate as I think it boring. Thoughts in different language are comparable but never accurately matched. Instead of thinking something similar twice, why don't we just create something new? To make it easier, I also point my sub-domains to both of my blogs: http://blog.yanfang.net to this one. http://ysquarespace.yanfang.net is pointed to the Chinese one. Maybe I should add cross-links on the two sites. It's too late, let me do it later. November 28 Around SeattleIt's quite interesting to see some different styles in the HQ of the company. A lot to learn... October 25 Add some updatesSeems the blog has become a monthly check... Anyway I will try to see if I can write something more. I am now on a different project. A lot of new information to catch up. OK, gonna back to work. September 19 Writing right after Mid-Autumn DayHad a good time in the evening with a gang of friends sharing moon-cakes and playing killer game. So I was not able to blog this before midnight of Mid-Autumn... what a pity.
Among the first few poems I studied in my childhood, I remember Li Bai's masterpiece very clearly: Looking up to see the moon, while thinking back to miss the hometown. (Well, I agree I'm not a good translater. But that probably reminds you of the original words, doesn't it?) I have always been confused how the poet linked the two together - why could the moon remind him of the hometown? I explained to myself that both the moon and the hometown are something beautiful, and the artists always tend to associate things like these together, e.g. lakes or streams with beauties, mountains with heros, and plants with some people with specific charateristics. In the poem "Jing Ye Si", the poet simply put the two together in the sense that they are both beautiful, thus he was also able to construct the poem neatly aligned.
But I reallized that this may not be the whole story, when I looked upon to the moon, faraway and alone. Through the moon, I started to imagine the last time I saw it, the last last time, and the last last last... All happened when I was at home. At that time I needn't worry about the work, the life and the time. Never too much work, easy and happy life, and always enough time to do anything. I needn't worry about where and what to eat, as they are always there, well cooked and nutrition balanced. So I'd say the moon is really magical to bring up so many fancy moments in my mind. Isn't it the same way that got the poet see his home and his family through the moon? Could be...  August 15 God Loves Unskillful PeopleI admit I am not a hardworking guy all the time. Occasionally I use some little tricks to keep the life easy and happy. People like this are referred to as "little smart"... However we should always be aware that this is not real smart. Eric told me a Taiwan saying that the god will help those who are dilligent all the time though unskillful to impress the others. It reminded me of the words by Steve Jobs: "Stay Stupid, stay hungry". Yes, maybe this is what I've been looking for.  July 31 Semi-anniversaryI've been here in this company and this city for exactly half a year. Great that I survived, and of course I will live even better. Congratulations to myself!  July 21 Shocking news is just so soA very senior guy in our company left for a competitor. The corporate GM sent a mail to tell it to us. I didn't feel much different about the mail, but somebody told me it was written overnight. Then I read it twice... Yes, it WAS written very carefully on every piece of words. So what? He who left has left... July 19 Living aloneI was seldom aware of the advantage of staying with family. When I lived with my parents, I complained about Daddy's endless instruction on whatever important in the world, mother's ubiquitous rules on each single minute in daily life. I was told to eat a lot of nutritious vegetable/fruit/drink or even pills, I was not allowed to go to bed later than eleven, and if I want to stay in bed after nine on weekends, I get a restless and powerful alarm clock. So when all these disappeared with my decision to work in a different city, I get a chance to practice a different life. No instruction, no rules. (Parents call me from time to time, but I'd rather take it as some free chatting than the old instructions.
)I thought I became alone and happy, until Mama came for a short visit last week. Then I was reminded of how easy it used to be when I was at home. And I got to tell the difference between restaurant tasty and hand-made delicious. And I learned that living alone is not kind of enjoyment, but sort of tough exercise. I realized why parents agreed to send me away for a separated life even though they said they didn't want me to leave...
After couple of months of stand-alone life, I find myself changing little by little. Maybe it's time for me to think seriously about something important... (Definitely I am not thinking about going back, don't worry about me).
Somebody's comment just came into mind that a man has to leave his home before he can achieve something great. OK, let me hold it as a motivation. June 14 ConnectedIt's fantastic to be connected with a group. They may not agree with you, and they don't even talk to you a lot. But in some way, you just know that they are with you. You needn't express your feeling word by word, they've got it once you got it. You don't fight a battle alone, as the group is supporting you, you know it. Yes, this is so-called connection. It's magically cool! June 12 Ate a ScorpionA fried scorpion. Actually I didn't mean to do that, but the cute lady beside me kindly put it into my plate, and looked at me with encouragement. She told me it tasted good. So I tried. Well, it is good. But I really don't want a second try... And they said there're also grasshoppers, and pupas of silkworms, and ants, and spiders. Gosh, how did people get to eat them? |
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