Author Archives: sinyaw

Pirating Music

Posted on January 26, 2016 by sinyaw

When I lived in China in the early 2000s, there was this ritual to visit the DVD stores that cater nearly exclusively to the expat community. They were like DVD rental places with an extremely excellent collection. Prominently featured were … Continue reading →

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Day trip to Xi’An (from Beijing)

Posted on January 21, 2016 by sinyaw

You have a spare day while you are in Beijing. You are in the mood for an excursion that is a bit adventurous. Think Xi’An, the city that is a couple of thousand years older than Beijing, home to the … Continue reading →

Posted in China, Tour guides | 1 Comment

Mobile Payment

Posted on January 14, 2016 by sinyaw

It is like the Internet frenzy all over again, all those companies chasing eye-balls by pouring tons of money into the venture. Who is going to pay for all the the infra-structure, R&D, marketing, and the rewards? During the Bubble, … Continue reading →

Posted in China, Get Rich in China | Leave a comment

Switching to Mac

Posted on January 3, 2016 by sinyaw

This MacBook Pro arrived. First time in my life, my primary computer became a Mac. For decades, there has been this teasing back-and-forth among us PC people and them Mac guys. The verbal jousting and teasing aside, I have always … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Reviews, Witness to my life | 2 Comments

3 Days in Paradise

Posted on December 26, 2015 by sinyaw

Imagine a camp site fire pit, where you gather up to tell stories and watch ambers glows warmly and spewing smokes up to the sky. Now imagine that pit 10 times the size of a football field. On our way … Continue reading →

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Intimacy with the Asphalt

Posted on December 7, 2015 by sinyaw

“Oh, sh*t!” There was a loud scream from my right. A blink later, that same screamer was talking to me, concerned probably more for himself getting into trouble than my health, “Sir, are you alright?” I found myself half sitting … Continue reading →

Posted in Witness to my life | Leave a comment

Steeplechase Race

Posted on November 18, 2015 by sinyaw

James Madison, president #4 for the US, lived at Montpelier, VA. It was a fine estate — rolling meadow, probably over a hundred acres. And there is an annual horse racing early November: Montpelier Hunt Races. Fall, on the US … Continue reading →

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On Nuclear Energy

Posted on November 11, 2015 by sinyaw

President Obama formally rejected the Keystone pipeline project, a controversy among Canada, the US economy, energy independence, and environment. No wonder he waited till the last year of his presidential terms to make up his mind. The viable alternative, however, … Continue reading →

Posted in Peek into my mind | 2 Comments

(Pretend to) Learn Cooking

Posted on November 6, 2015 by sinyaw

Among corporate team building themes, cooking is a popular one: everyone must eat (and drink) anyway, the skills involved are manageable, everyone can contribute and must collaborate, and it is not really work related. There are also many professionally trained … Continue reading →

Posted in Management Thoughts, Seattle, Tour guides, Witness to my life | Leave a comment

The Lenovo Screw-up

Posted on October 30, 2015 by sinyaw

Someone recommended “Losing the Signal” for me to read. Put simply, it chronicled the Blackberry screw-up. I am witnessing the same for Lenovo now. It has been the workhorse laptop of corporations for decades. IBM made the most reliable and … Continue reading →

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