China censors information on the web. They make it difficult to access any sort of information on Tibet, government errors, Falun Gong, etc... This hasn't been too big an issue for me so far. I've been able to go about almost all of my online business pretty much as I would in the States. The most annoying thing was the painfully slow speed that Facebook runs at here. Facebook actually runs so slowly that it isn't really even worth using over here (which may not be a bad thing). Anyways, everything was all fine and dandy until three days ago when I noticed that NYTimes.com was blocked! This is not ok! I really enjoyed reading the news in my email and now its impossible. I'm trying to find a work-around using proxy servers, but nothing seems to be cooperating. I'm stuck in a news-less void :(
- Jon
Monday, December 22, 2008
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Poetry?
Right now I'm reading "To Engineer is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design". The book is relatively dry, but very well-written and enjoyable. I recently came across a poem in the book that I really liked (Disclaimer: I'm usually not a huge fan of poetry. Some of it I find tedious, some of it goes right of my head, but there are some poems that I really enjoy, like this one...)
The Deacon's Masterpiece by Oliver Wendell Holmes
- Jon
The Deacon's Masterpiece by Oliver Wendell Holmes
Love it!Have you heard of the wonderful one-hoss shay,
That was built in such a logical way
It ran a hundred years to a day,
And then, of a sudden, it — ah, but stay,
I’ll tell you what happened without delay,
Scaring the parson into fits,
Frightening people out of their wits, —
Have you ever heard of that, I say?Seventeen hundred and fifty-five.
Georgius Secundus was then alive, —
Snuffy old drone from the German hive.
That was the year when Lisbon-town
Saw the earth open and gulp her down,
And Braddock’s army was done so brown,
Left without a scalp to its crown.
It was on the terrible Earthquake-day
That the Deacon finished the one-hoss shay.Now in building of chaises, I tell you what,
There is always somewhere a weakest spot, —
In hub, tire, felloe, in spring or thill,
In panel, or crossbar, or floor, or sill,
In screw, bolt, thoroughbrace, — lurking still,
Find it somewhere you must and will, —
Above or below, or within or without, —
And that’s the reason, beyond a doubt,
A chaise breaks down, but doesn’t wear out.But the Deacon swore (as Deacons do,
With an “I dew vum,” or an “I tell yeou”)
He would build one shay to beat the taown
’N’ the keounty ’n’ all the kentry raoun’;
It should be so built that it couldn’ break daown:
“Fur,” said the Deacon, “’tis mighty plain
Thut the weakes’ place mus’ stan’ the strain;
’N’ the way t’ fix it, uz I maintain,
Is only jest
T’ make that place uz strong uz the rest.”So the Deacon inquired of the village folk
Where he could find the strongest oak,
That couldn’t be split nor bent nor broke, —
That was for spokes and floor and sills;
He sent for lancewood to make the thills;
The crossbars were ash, from the straightest trees,
The panels of white-wood, that cuts like cheese,
But lasts like iron for things like these;
The hubs of logs from the “Settler’s ellum,” —
Last of its timber, — they couldn’t sell ’em,
Never an axe had seen their chips,
And the wedges flew from between their lips,
Their blunt ends frizzled like celery-tips;
Step and prop-iron, bolt and screw,
Spring, tire, axle, and linchpin too,
Steel of the finest, bright and blue;
Thoroughbrace bison-skin, thick and wide;
Boot, top, dasher, from tough old hide
Found in the pit when the tanner died.
That was the way he “put her through.”
“There!” said the Deacon, “naow she’ll dew!”Do! I tell you, I rather guess
She was a wonder, and nothing less!
Colts grew horses, beards turned gray,
Deacon and deaconess dropped away,
Children and grandchildren — where were they?
But there stood the stout old one-hoss shay
As fresh as on Lisbon-earthquake-day!EIGHTEEN HUNDRED; — it came and found
The Deacon’s masterpiece strong and sound.
Eighteen hundred increased by ten; —
“Hahnsum kerridge” they called it then.
Eighteen hundred and twenty came; —
Running as usual; much the same.
Thirty and forty at last arrive,
And then come fifty, and FIFTY-FIVE.Little of all we value here
Wakes on the morn of its hundreth year
Without both feeling and looking queer.
In fact, there’s nothing that keeps its youth,
So far as I know, but a tree and truth.
(This is a moral that runs at large;
Take it. — You’re welcome. — No extra charge.)FIRST OF NOVEMBER, — the Earthquake-day, —
There are traces of age in the one-hoss shay,
A general flavor of mild decay,
But nothing local, as one may say.
There couldn’t be, — for the Deacon’s art
Had made it so like in every part
That there wasn’t a chance for one to start.
For the wheels were just as strong as the thills,
And the floor was just as strong as the sills,
And the panels just as strong as the floor,
And the whipple-tree neither less nor more,
And the back crossbar as strong as the fore,
And spring and axle and hub encore.
And yet, as a whole, it is past a doubt
In another hour it will be worn out!First of November, ’Fifty-five!
This morning the parson takes a drive.
Now, small boys, get out of the way!
Here comes the wonderful one-hoss shay,
Drawn by a rat-tailed, ewe-necked bay.
“Huddup!” said the parson. — Off went they.
The parson was working his Sunday’s text, —
Had got to fifthly, and stopped perplexed
At what the — Moses — was coming next.
All at once the horse stood still,
Close by the meet’n’-house on the hill.
First a shiver, and then a thrill,
Then something decidedly like a spill, —
And the parson was sitting upon a rock,
At half past nine by the meet’n-house clock, —
Just the hour of the Earthquake shock!
What do you think the parson found,
When he got up and stared around?
The poor old chaise in a heap or mound,
As if it had been to the mill and ground!
You see, of course, if you’re not a dunce,
How it went to pieces all at once, —
All at once, and nothing first, —
Just as bubbles do when they burst.End of the wonderful one-hoss shay.
Logic is logic. That’s all I say.
- Jon
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Traffic in China
Traffic in Shanghai (or Suzhou for that matter) can get intense at times. Sometimes cars will be almost completely gridlocked. I have a theory though that this gridlock isn't a result of the sheer number of vehicles on the road, instead it is a result of the "Chinese left turn". I've tried to explain this to a couple people, but words just don't seem to do the trick. So here is a diagram (which, unfortunately, I cannot take credit for creating) that explains the Chinese traffic patterns:
STEP 1:
We see here a typical intersection. The light has just turned green for the east-west streets, and car [A], an enormous black Lexus with pitch black windows, wants to make a left turn into the southbound lanes. Pedestrians wait on each corner. (For purposes of this demonstration, we'll assume no one is running the north-south red light, and no one is jaywalking - a rather large assumption.)
STEP 2:
To make a left turn, it is VITAL that [A] cut off all eastbound traffic as soon as possible. The first few brave or foolish legitimate pedestrians step off the curb; this is of no concern. [A] makes his move.
STEP 3:
NO! Too slow! [A] has managed to partially block [B], a brand new purple and yellow Hyundai taxi, but [A] has only achieved what Beijing drivers would consider a 'weak' blocking position.
STEP 4:
In this detail, we can see why: [A] has only inserted his left bumper and cannot move forward without contact. [B], on the other hand, is in the dominant position - by putting his wheel hard to the right and flooring it, he can fully block [A].
STEP 5:
[B] proceeds to swerve right, cutting off [C], a tiny red Peugeot with a gold plastic dragon hood ornament, spoiler and assorted knobs glued on. Since [B] is just accelerating, and [C] is now decelerating, this has created a low-density 'dead space' in the intersection. [D], a strange blue tricycle dumptruck carrying what appear to be 40 of the world's oldest propane tanks, sees this and makes a move.
STEP 6:
DENIED! [E], an old red taxi with its name sloppily stenciled in white on its doors, has boldly cut across two lanes of traffic, behind [D], and then swerved right, driving [D] into an extremely weak position behind [A]. Meanwhile, [B] and [C] are still fighting for position, with [C] muscling his way into the crosswalk. The only thing between [E] and a successful left turn is a few lawful pedestrians. [E] steps on the gas...
STEP 7:
...and is cut off by [F], an elderly man pedaling his tricycle verrrryyy slooooowwwly with a 15-foot-diameter sphere of empty plastic cooking oil bottles bungee-corded haphazardly to the cargo area. He was part of the lawful pedestrians, but seeing the stalled traffic, decided to cut diagonally across the intersection. Not only has [F] blocked [E], he is headed straight at [B], giving [C] the edge he needs.
STEP 8:
[B] concedes to [C], who drives in the crosswalk behind [F] and blocks [E]. Meanwhile, [G], a herd of about 20 bicycles, mopeds, pedestrians and wheelbarrows, sensing weakness in the eastbound lane and seeing that much of the westbound traffic is blocked behind [D], breaks north against the light. [F] pedals doggedly onward at about 2 miles per hour, his face like chiseled marble.
STEP 9:
Now things get interesting. [C] has broken free and, as the first vehicle to get where he was going, wins. [E] makes a move to block [B] but, like [A] at the start of the left turn, only gains a 'weak' block. [A] has cleverly let [F] pass and guns into a crowd of [G], which both moves [A] forward and drives some [G] stragglers into the path of [D], clearing [A]'s flanks. Little now stands between [A] and a strong second-place finish.
STEP 10:
Except for public bus [H], one of those double buses with the accordion-thing connector. [H] has been screaming unnoticed along the eastbound sidewalk and now careens dangerously into a U-turn. This doesn't appear to concern the 112 people packed inside and pressed against the windows (although that could be due to a lack of oxygen.) [H] completely blocks both [A] and [D]. On the other side of the intersection, [B] has swerved into the lawful pedestrians (who aren't important enough to warrant a letter) and has gained position on [E].
[E] has forgotten the face of his father: He was so focused on his battle with [B] that he lost sight of the ultimate goal and is now hopelessly out of position.
This clears the path for dark horse [I], a blue Buick Lacrosse, to cut all the way across behind [H] and become the second vehicle to get where he was going (and the first to complete a left turn), since [F] has changed his mind again and is now gradually drifting north into the southbound lanes. But everyone better hurry, because the light is about to change...
STEP 11:
STEP 12:
And we're ready to start over.
Amazing!
- Jon
STEP 1:
We see here a typical intersection. The light has just turned green for the east-west streets, and car [A], an enormous black Lexus with pitch black windows, wants to make a left turn into the southbound lanes. Pedestrians wait on each corner. (For purposes of this demonstration, we'll assume no one is running the north-south red light, and no one is jaywalking - a rather large assumption.)
STEP 2:
To make a left turn, it is VITAL that [A] cut off all eastbound traffic as soon as possible. The first few brave or foolish legitimate pedestrians step off the curb; this is of no concern. [A] makes his move.
STEP 3:
NO! Too slow! [A] has managed to partially block [B], a brand new purple and yellow Hyundai taxi, but [A] has only achieved what Beijing drivers would consider a 'weak' blocking position.
STEP 4:
In this detail, we can see why: [A] has only inserted his left bumper and cannot move forward without contact. [B], on the other hand, is in the dominant position - by putting his wheel hard to the right and flooring it, he can fully block [A].
STEP 5:
[B] proceeds to swerve right, cutting off [C], a tiny red Peugeot with a gold plastic dragon hood ornament, spoiler and assorted knobs glued on. Since [B] is just accelerating, and [C] is now decelerating, this has created a low-density 'dead space' in the intersection. [D], a strange blue tricycle dumptruck carrying what appear to be 40 of the world's oldest propane tanks, sees this and makes a move.
STEP 6:
DENIED! [E], an old red taxi with its name sloppily stenciled in white on its doors, has boldly cut across two lanes of traffic, behind [D], and then swerved right, driving [D] into an extremely weak position behind [A]. Meanwhile, [B] and [C] are still fighting for position, with [C] muscling his way into the crosswalk. The only thing between [E] and a successful left turn is a few lawful pedestrians. [E] steps on the gas...
STEP 7:
...and is cut off by [F], an elderly man pedaling his tricycle verrrryyy slooooowwwly with a 15-foot-diameter sphere of empty plastic cooking oil bottles bungee-corded haphazardly to the cargo area. He was part of the lawful pedestrians, but seeing the stalled traffic, decided to cut diagonally across the intersection. Not only has [F] blocked [E], he is headed straight at [B], giving [C] the edge he needs.
STEP 8:
[B] concedes to [C], who drives in the crosswalk behind [F] and blocks [E]. Meanwhile, [G], a herd of about 20 bicycles, mopeds, pedestrians and wheelbarrows, sensing weakness in the eastbound lane and seeing that much of the westbound traffic is blocked behind [D], breaks north against the light. [F] pedals doggedly onward at about 2 miles per hour, his face like chiseled marble.
STEP 9:
Now things get interesting. [C] has broken free and, as the first vehicle to get where he was going, wins. [E] makes a move to block [B] but, like [A] at the start of the left turn, only gains a 'weak' block. [A] has cleverly let [F] pass and guns into a crowd of [G], which both moves [A] forward and drives some [G] stragglers into the path of [D], clearing [A]'s flanks. Little now stands between [A] and a strong second-place finish.
STEP 10:
Except for public bus [H], one of those double buses with the accordion-thing connector. [H] has been screaming unnoticed along the eastbound sidewalk and now careens dangerously into a U-turn. This doesn't appear to concern the 112 people packed inside and pressed against the windows (although that could be due to a lack of oxygen.) [H] completely blocks both [A] and [D]. On the other side of the intersection, [B] has swerved into the lawful pedestrians (who aren't important enough to warrant a letter) and has gained position on [E].
[E] has forgotten the face of his father: He was so focused on his battle with [B] that he lost sight of the ultimate goal and is now hopelessly out of position.
This clears the path for dark horse [I], a blue Buick Lacrosse, to cut all the way across behind [H] and become the second vehicle to get where he was going (and the first to complete a left turn), since [F] has changed his mind again and is now gradually drifting north into the southbound lanes. But everyone better hurry, because the light is about to change...
STEP 11:
STEP 12:
And we're ready to start over.
Amazing!
- Jon
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Case of the Missing Wallet
Yesterday evening, Jon and I hung out with Robin for his last evening in Shanghai before heading back home to the US of A. We had a great time sumo wrestling with his rambunctious 9-year-old cousin, eating delicious food, drinking yummy wine, and relaxing. We were having so much fun that we ended up leaving on the late side to make our train back to Suzhou….we had to seriously book it. We sprinted through the streets, through the subway, to the train station. When we got there (with 4 minutes to spare), I was completely out of breath, my throat burned, and I was all in all exhausted. I passed out easily.
After an easy cab ride, we finally made it back to our dorm. As I unpacked, I started to panic…where was my wallet?!?! I checked, double-checked, triple-checked – nowhere to be found. Did it fall out of my jacket? Did someone take it from my pocket? I was freaking out, and quite angry with myself for losing my wallet. At least there was no money in it (good thing I’m poor, right?).
I immediately called the credit card companies to cancel everything and get new everything sent to my NY home. I still had to get a new license, and cancel my Chinese bank account, but that would have to wait until the next day.
Then this morning, I was in my coordinator’s office planning to meet later on to cancel the Chinese bank card, when she got a call…the most fortuitous call ever! Apparently, my wallet had fallen out of my jacket in the cab, and the kindest man in the world remembered us and where he had taken us, and returned it to the school (everything intact). Hallelujah!
He left his number, so I contacted him and, with scripted phrases, I thanked him for being completely awesome.
Hooray for Chinese taxi drivers!!!
Over and out,
Em
Coach Carter
Last night, we watched "Coach Carter" with Samuel L. Jackson. At first, I wasn't too thrilled about the idea of watching this movie. I even started it halfway (Jon had already watched the first half) because I didn't think I'd miss anything too important. Well, I was much more touched by the characters than I would have thought. Maybe I'm a sucker for this stuff (like Coach Carter's mentality and dedication to helping kids even when the system doesn't believe in them and they don't believe in themselves), but it was still good. Here's a quote that one of the kids on the basketball team who, at first, was antagonistic towards Coach and then found him to be a guiding light in a time of need (it's originally by Maryanne Williamson):
Over and out,
Em
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our dark that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people don't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.Pretty moving...and deeply inspiring.
Over and out,
Em
Monday, December 15, 2008
Christmas ala China
Christmas in China is an interesting phenomenon. The only evidence of merry-ness festivities is centered around foreigners. In Shanghai, there are a bunch of fancy schmancy western stores, like Prada, Escada, Zara, Louis Vuitton (sp?)..., that have tons of lights and fake xmas trees and giant signs with oh-so-jolly Santa Clauses and "Merry Christmas" outside. It feels really bizarre, like the only way to celebrate xmas is through super expensive shopping...in a removed westerner way. Not that I'm into the religious aspects (AT ALL), but I'd rather focus on family, friends, and spending warm quality time with one another. It's a little hard to do in this atmosphere. But I'm doing my best. I an giving in to the gift-giving aspect this year, which I'm normally not that good at (I'm more of a spontaneous giver), but I figure I can give my "tourist" gifts as xmas gifts (2 for 1, baby).
Mostly, the part of xmas that has been occupying the most time for me is the xmas performance that my class is doing with the rest of the International Department at my school this coming Friday. I wrote a short play called "A Marshmallow Season" about a girl who really wants it to snow, who feels that the air is so magical this year that it will snow, about classmates' doubt of snow coming (since it rarely snows here in Suzhou), and about the snow that does ultimately come, bringing joy to all (holy corniness). Then they sing Let it Snow, singing along with music....and then 4 students have piano, saxophone, and flute solos, which is pretty cool. I thought it was going to just be awesome all around. But painful and difficult organization and planning has gone into these shananigans. I always seem to do that...make more work for myself. Right now, I can't wait for it to be over!!! I usually shy away from the cheesy xmas festivities and Santa coloring pages and mundane activities centered around a religious holiday masquerading as a Hallmark profiting scheme....eh, the two excuses get intertwined in a whirlwind. But here I had no choice. Well, I guess in reality, I like a little bit of xmas cheer, and I'm excited to see my students perform...I think they're gonna be great. And then afterwards, I can really kick my feet up and relax. Mmmmm....
In other randomness, I've been feeling sick after almost every Chinese meal that I have. Not hurling bad, but gripping-my-stomach bad. I think it might be the pans that they use....or the unclean ingredients. Either would do it. I hope it gets better....but for now, I'll make most of my own food, thank you very much.
Later friends!
Mostly, the part of xmas that has been occupying the most time for me is the xmas performance that my class is doing with the rest of the International Department at my school this coming Friday. I wrote a short play called "A Marshmallow Season" about a girl who really wants it to snow, who feels that the air is so magical this year that it will snow, about classmates' doubt of snow coming (since it rarely snows here in Suzhou), and about the snow that does ultimately come, bringing joy to all (holy corniness). Then they sing Let it Snow, singing along with music....and then 4 students have piano, saxophone, and flute solos, which is pretty cool. I thought it was going to just be awesome all around. But painful and difficult organization and planning has gone into these shananigans. I always seem to do that...make more work for myself. Right now, I can't wait for it to be over!!! I usually shy away from the cheesy xmas festivities and Santa coloring pages and mundane activities centered around a religious holiday masquerading as a Hallmark profiting scheme....eh, the two excuses get intertwined in a whirlwind. But here I had no choice. Well, I guess in reality, I like a little bit of xmas cheer, and I'm excited to see my students perform...I think they're gonna be great. And then afterwards, I can really kick my feet up and relax. Mmmmm....
In other randomness, I've been feeling sick after almost every Chinese meal that I have. Not hurling bad, but gripping-my-stomach bad. I think it might be the pans that they use....or the unclean ingredients. Either would do it. I hope it gets better....but for now, I'll make most of my own food, thank you very much.
Later friends!
C.R.E.A.M.
For those who have not been to the 36 Chambers, C.R.E.A.M. is a Wu-Tang Clan song and an acronym that stands for Cash Rules Everything Around Me. It also reminds me of one of my favorite frisbee cheers (thanks Luke!) Anyways, it's late here in Suzhou and I'm exhausted from my weekend in Shanghai, but I wanted to make a quick note of a recent discovery of mine. A good friend in Suzhou told me that money could be made on blogs by displaying a small google ad on the side. At first, I was skeptical, but I figured that any shot at earning money without doing any work was worth a shot, so I signed up for AdSense and am now displaying a google ad (which you can see on the right side of your screen) on my page. I've been trying to convince friends to click on the link whenever they visit the site and so far their clicks (16) have generated $5.33. Pretty cool! I'm planning on using on pay for all my vegetables using only earnings from my AdSense account :) Haha. Free money is awesome. Please keep clicking!
I anticipate that some of you might have some questions about payment details. Unfortunately, Google is painfully vague about how much each click is worth. From what I can gather, different ad words cost different amounts (the more unique, the more expensive). As a consequence, each click on a "more unique" ad will generate more money for my account. So far, it looks like I am averaging around 30 or 35 cents per click. I like to think of that as 1 lb of tangerines per click. Yum!
- Jon
I anticipate that some of you might have some questions about payment details. Unfortunately, Google is painfully vague about how much each click is worth. From what I can gather, different ad words cost different amounts (the more unique, the more expensive). As a consequence, each click on a "more unique" ad will generate more money for my account. So far, it looks like I am averaging around 30 or 35 cents per click. I like to think of that as 1 lb of tangerines per click. Yum!
- Jon
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