Loud Thoughts

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Steven Spielberg 22 May 2008

Why do I watch this? Cause I must! I just have to watch all Indy movies. After all, it is Harrison Ford, how bad can it be?

It is not bad.

For an Indy fan, that’s a big let down. I was not thrilled, I was not fascinated, I was not moved. I was entertained. This is not Mummy 3. It is definitely worth the ticket money. But not worth as Indy 4.

I don’t know what went wrong, though. Was it Spielberg losing his touch? Harrison Ford lost his charm? Or simply that there is no way anything can measure up to my youthful memory? I don’t quite know. My daughter told me to watch it, “Daddy, it is funny.” My wife plainly refused, “I don’t see the point.” I was, well, on an airplane and it is on the video choice. Sigh…

They shouldn’t have brought back Merion (Karen Allen). She is not the same girl in the original Indy anymore. Years were not kind to her and the feistiness feels fake. She is more a desperate housewife than Lora Craft. Yeah right, why didn’t they bring in Angelie, that would have been great.

Is this too juvenile for you? Am I not Indy 4’s target customer exactly: a geezer who reminicses? Spielberg ruined it.

Wow! I will be quite happy with much less.

先看基础篇，再往下读。记住：成功不在点子，而在执行能力。全世界都能看这博志，你赢在更好地执行能力。没错，别妄自菲薄。再去读一遍基础篇。如果你准备好了，你一定行，也一定会赢。

中国的最大机会是教育。我们有求知的民族性，但改革开放忘了教育。全中国还在以15年前的方法教学。中国在世界舞台的成就，全靠好学的民族性，及惊人的淘汰率。太太可惜了。如果好好做，可以提高全国生产力十倍以上。

办学从高中做起，全国招生，集中生活。高学费，但给充分的补助。只要资值好，一切可以减免。目光放远，学生的成就，日后会有无限大的回收。

现代中国，有无穷无尽的机会。除了我写的五篇，还能做法律咨询，旅游，等等。要下海的，招呼我一声。

Forgot to clear the alarm clock, I woke up at an ungodly hour. So I fired up mapping site, memorized the route, and went for a jog. Bangalore changed since I visited late 2005. The city is now called Bangaluru. There is a new airport. M.G. Road (Mahatma Gandhi Road) is under construction for Namma Metro, a rail-based system. Oberoi hotel walls separated the city into two worlds: meticulous on one side and a bit ruinous outside. Bangalore has many walled islands of niceties. The trick is to hop from one to the other without stopping.

But I was in a defiant mood. Around lunch, I went for a walk. Srinath advised me to explore Cubbon Park and I was interested in Ulsoor Lake. Armed with a simple hotel map, I strolled out of the gate, into the other universe.

Immediately, someone insisted that I should step into his auto-rickshaw for a city tour. He wouldn’t take no for an answer and stalked me for about 100 meters before giving up. M.G. Road is a busy street. I have 1000 Rupees (about US$20) in the pocket and am in the mood for adventures, on foot.

Not again! A young man insisted that 10 Rupee for an hour is a great deal that I cannot refuse. I shook him off into a narrow, yet busy street. Quickly, I found myself lost. Hmm…

I bought a fresh Coconut for 15 Rupees. Drinking the juice, I noticed those giant Gulmohar trees. They connect mid-air to form a huge green canopy. Those trees gave me endless hours of entertainment when I was a kid in mid-Taiwan. The street turns narrower and I found myself in a market: furniture, clothes, food vendors, etc. I noticed that every vendor has a portable electric generator — so economically inefficient and bad for the society.

India projects to have about 20% power deficit this year (the country can only generate only power for 80% of the demand). Their admittance into NSG (Nuclear Suppliers’ Group), after 30 years of waiting, now cleared the way for them to build nuclear power plants. The government promptly order about a dozen. That’s why Congress will no doubt approve India’s membership soon.

I exit Commercial Street and took the bombarding head-on. Every motorcycles, auto-rickshaws, or cars honks, beeps, or rings constantly. It seems to be a kind of language among those moving vehicles. Locals are completely oblivious; they are deafening to me. So I escaped into a even narrower street, also full of vendors. What, a small mountain of Guavas? Hmm, I am a bit hungry. He sold me 3 for 20 Rupees and let me take a picture.

By this time, the sweats are dripping down my pants and I started to long for the air-conditioned room. I cut to M.G. Road and back to the alternative universe inside the hotel walls in no time. Enjoying the Guava in the room, I thought of my life in China. Was I “nicety island hopping” during those 3 years?

That’s when I realized that I did not see Cubbon Park or Ulsoor Lake.

Republicans clearly achieved their goal: grabbing attention. Obama was enjoying all the media coverage and McCain was fading from people’s memory. Now media just cannot get enough of her, a very distinct person. She is not ambiguous on anything. Maybe that’s something we should worry about? Politicians are supposed to be subtle and inscrutable. Aren’t they?

Her Nightline interview was boring. The only fun part is when she does not really know what was the “Bush Doctrine.” Charlie Gibson almost explained to her.

Remember how Hilary won New Hampshire by showing a bit of herself? Somehow, Sarah Palin is losing her personality and becoming a political drone. This will lose the effect McCain designed her for.

Somehow, I don’t see a person with strong and distinct stances on many issues succeed in Washington, D.C. Maybe Sarah Palin will be a great help during the campaign, but a liability as a VP?

聞名甚久了,但也沒什麼真正的興趣.畢竟是聽不大懂得東西.朋友邀去看”廳堂版”,打聽是90分鐘,帶吃飯.就去唄.在保利斜對面,南新倉.六點半吃飯,東西不錯.7點半開演.

演出極好.現代化的舞台設計,30多人的場地,演員完全是自然聲.身段表情,竟收眼裡.散場後可以合影,工作人員第二天就寄來了照片.很愉快的一夜.

牡丹亭劇情大膽開放,出乎我意料.人鬼激情,可以拍個好電影.會比”色戒”好看.

Cross posted.

Leaving a place is a process of being stripped. Piece by piece, something that used to attached to you was forcibly removed. I experienced this process for the past several months. This trip, I can feel it, removed the last part. Beijing is no longer my home.

What are the names of those emotions when you come back home? Six weeks separated me from Beijing, now I am visiting, instead of returning, according to China custom. The taxi did not stop at my apartment and took me to the hotel instead. Felt so weird.

People asked me to compare and contrast. My readily made answer is, “Beijing is stressful socially and easy at work. The US is the other way around.” Much of what one need to accomplish requires extensive personal network, so called GuangXi, or special assesses to information not widely available. Living in Beijing is hardwork, at least for those who want to make things happen. Work, on the other hand, is relatively straight-forward. I was blessed with staff and employees that are diligent, detail-attentive, smart, and motivated. They usually carry out my decisions smoothly without much over-sight. They exchanged my trust with effectiveness and efficiency.

In the US, or silicon valley, work decisions and their implementations are more complicated. The data collection and interpretation take longer time. The conclusions are usually not obvious and decisions, therefore, harder to make. This translates to longer planning cycle and working hours. Socially activities, though, are simple. Crack open several cold beers, fire up the BBQ, turn on the TV, bring out the food. Everyone just have a good time.

Beijing’s bright blue sky shocked me. I don’t remember seeing white clouds in the entire 3 years. The traffic is eerily light. The always brisk hotel lobby is quiet and subdued. What did they do to Beijing? Oh yes, Olympics.

Many told me stories: she got married, so did she. She is pregnant and he divorced (and married again). He left the company and he got a new boss. And, the usual, so-and-so bumped into so-and-so while interviewing at that company. It feels like watching your family through a one-way mirror. I care so much yet can do so little.

Maybe it is enough that I listened. I hope.

百年好合，早生贵子

大家快去要糖吃。

Last year, I reminisced on a summer BBQ, an impossibility in a highrise Beijing apartment. After moving back, among the first things we went shopping for is a grill. What we ended up is a free one donated by a close friend. Their Weber Round Grill is pristinely unused — cheap price for an invitation to the World-famous Wang family BBQ Ribs.

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