Happy Thanksgiving!

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, and my friend Dave and I were invited to Alex's home in New Jersey. Weather yesterday was horrible, and so was the traffic. It took Dave and I almost three hours to drive there from St. John's. When we got there, Alex and her parents were already waiting. Then, we started chatting and eating the snacks made by Aunt Sandy (Alex's mother). Here I want to explain our relationship. Aunt Sandy, her husband Mr. Cale and Dave's mother Aunt Melissa are my mom's old friends for more than 28 years. Dave, Alex and I have known each other since we were very little. Dinner started at 6 pm, and it was my first American traditional Thanksgiving dinner. We had almost every traditional food and the turkey last night is the best turkey I have ever tasted. On the table, we still talked a lot! Well, the only problem was language barrier...See..Mr. Cale, Alex and Dave are American and Aunt Sandy who has lived in U.S for more than 28 years...so the official language last night was English. All English! I tried my best to understand their conversation, but sometimes I still could not follow. However, it WAS a great opportunities for me to practice my English. Mr. Cale and Aunt Sandy went to bed early, at about 10 pm, and left us three in the living room. We watched Alex's favorite series which I forgot what it exactly called together. Its about something like hospital and surgery. After that, we watched "Shakespeare in Love." Dave's major in Brown University is English, so he knew a lot about Shakespeare. In the film, Shakespeare crushed his failed writing into a ball and threw it away...but Dave said that the real Shakespeare would never do that. Last night was an interesting night and I really enjoy being there. Mr. Cale and Aunt asked both Dave and I to make ourselves at home. They also said we are always super welcome to visit them...

Advanture in Manhattan

Yesterday, I met my old friend, Alex, in Union Square at 12:30 on 14th Street in front of the Whole Foods grocery store. Then, Alex took me to a lovely restaurant called Friend of a Farmer to have brunch. The restaurant is so well-regarded that there were many people waiting in line. Fortunately, the line went really fast so we didn't wait very long. I read the menu...everything looked delicious. So I let Alex order. At last, we had pumpkin pancake, egg grow and fantastic coffee for brunch. The area around Friend of a Farmer is very cute! I love that feeling! Its quite, peace....not like Time Square, full of people, ..too crowded, too noisy. After the brunch, Alex took me to a big Barnes & Noble bookshop near Union Square to look for The Lord Of The Rings 50th Anniversary Edition, my dream book! Finally we found it! Aside from my giant LOTR book, I also bought a Mamma Mia soundtrack for my mom, I know she'll love it. Then, we went to shoe shop to find snow boots for me. Actually, shopping was not what I cared most, the most important thing was that we talked a lot yesterday. There were so many things to talk about! I was really nice to see Alex yesterday! This Thursday is thanksgiving, and I'm going to her home in New Jersey. I'm really looking forward to meet her soon!

What's wrong with us?

I had a very good girl friend (not girlfriend). We used to be very close. L could share my feelings and thoughts with her. We almost met each other every day. She was one of my best friends in U.S. However something has changed lately. I have no idea why this happened. But it did. We are not that close anymore, we even have some stupid fights. Sometimes, I heard the words she said, and just became angry. This has never happened before. When I was mad, I shouted at her and this made her unhappy, too. I don't what is going on with us! Now I'm trying to find the answer and fix this problem. Sometimes I feel abandoned! I think that her new friends have stolen her from me! But I don't know what to do. Sometimes I feel that now she cares about her new friends much more. I tried to get use to it, but I finally find that I cannot do that. She is my best friend! I'll keep doing my best to fix our relationship! Also, I want to mention that its all my fault, not hers. I think I have been choleric lately...

I'm sorry Mom!

What I an going to write today is also about the overnight retreat last weekend. We got on the bus at about 6:30 pm. On our way to Frost Valley, my dad called (From Beijing, China). However I didn't answer it because everyone on the bus was sleeping (except the driver of course). I was thinking about calling back when we got there. We got Frost Valley at about 9 pm, and I found something horrible: there was no cell phone signal there At All!!! I was worried because I knew that my mom and dad would try to reach me again and again. Three - day overnight retreat passed. I called back as soon as we got back to school. It was 5 o'clock in the evening (when was 6 o'clock in the morning in Beijing). My mom answer the phone and almost cried when she heard my voice. She told me that my dad and she tried to call me every half hour, but could not reach me. They were so worried that they could even sleep at all! I was really sorry about that! I told here that I won't let this happen again! I promise! Next time, if I have plan to go somewhere far, I'll definitely call her in advance.

Wonderful Retreat!

This weekend, I participated in the Project A.I.M. Mentoring Overnight Retreat. It was a wonderful experience! This retreat provided a great opportunity for me to meet lots of new people and become very good friends with each other. In addition, I liked the Teambuilding held by YMCA. I enjoyed cooperating with friends to accomplish our goal! During the retreat, everything was perfect except that people who lived in Margetts Lodge (including me) did not have heat and hot water at the first night. So we could not take a shower and sleep well all night. Fortunately, the heat was fixed in the second night. Actually, I was considering not going before the retreat because I didn’t think that it would be this much fun. However, after the retreat, I was really glad that I came. Also, I learned how to throw an American football during this retreat. We even had a really match with six people. Well, I was not a good receiver and I dropped the ball often…but I will practice more and I believe I will become a good player J

What Should I Post On My Blog??

Lately, lots of things happened. These things made me upset almost every day. I don't know how to get through it. Every night, when I close my eyes on the bed, these things appeared in my mind. Sometimes, I really wanted to write down my feeling on my blog to show my friends. However, I changed my mind. I am kinda afraid to post my real feeling on the internet. I don't want everybody to see it. Well, here's the problem...I always thought a lot and had many idea to write on my blog, but I always decided to write something else at the last minute. To be honestly, I had never writen things on the net before I went to St. John's. I'm still trying to get used to the blog thing. Maybe next time, I'll try to write something in my mind on my blog~sharing my feeling with other people, not only with my best friends.

My Air Max!!!

Today I went to a outlet in New Jersey with lots of friends. We boys spent a long time in Nike Factory finding shoes. First of all, we focused on basketball shoes. Surprisingly, I found Scottie Pippen shoes on the shelf. I couldn't realize which model they were but I clearly remember that they were absolute classic when I was in high school. Then, four of us tried them on. The appearance was definitely great. However, they were not fit well. So we started to look for something anyelse. All of my friends bought their new shoes, except me. Finally I found the shoes that I loved - a pair of Nike Air Max. Unfortunately, the shop assistant told me that they did not have the size I wanted. This was terrible news! Before leaving the outlet at 6:30 in the evening, my friends looked them for me in almost every sports shop and still couldn't find it. On the way home, I was still thinking about my air max. I want it so bad!

Go Red Storms!!!

Tonight, St. John’s volleyball team defeated Georgetown, 3-0 (30-19, 30-25, 30-25)! This was the first game I watched in Carnesecca Arena, and Red Storms do impress me! However, I enjoyed not only the game itself, but also being part of the red team there. By shouting either "Let's Go Red Storms" or "We Are St. John's", I felt like being in a big family! Ok, let's talk about the game. The Outside Hitter of Red Storm - Hui Ping Huang, a Chinese girl is great! I think she is a big star in St. John's now. In addition, the Libero, Kathleen Yee is great, too! Today is my first time watching a sport game at school. Next, I'll pay more attention on Red Storm Sports. Basketball and tennis are my favorite sports, and I'm looking forward to watch games of them. Well..the only bad thing is...Marcus told me that all games in St. John's are free, except Man Basketball..so I may have to consider if I should buy the ticket......

Mock Interview

I had my Mock Interview on October 23th. However, I did not do it well. Actually, I think I was like a fool in there. When the interviewer asked me the first question, I was a little shocked, and I did not even know how to start. Also, the video camera in front of me made me uncomfortable. When the interviewer was asking me questions, I had already be aware that the ways I answered them were terrible. However, I did not know it was that bad until I wathced the video tape with the interviewer. The interviewer was a very nice lady, she patiently pointed out the mistakes I made and taught me how to fix them. I also noticed that I looked really funny in the video. The suit and tie on me looked weird, my face looked werid and my hair looked even worse. Although my Mock Interview was a very embrassing experience, I did learn a lot from it. In addition, in reminded me that it is time to take a haircut!

Let's Go Rocket!!!

I am an absolute Houston Rocket fan. Last season, Rockets didn't play well due to Tracy Mcgrady and Yao Ming's injury. This summer, I really focused on NBA draft 2006. Now, I strongly believe that Rockets will play perfectly in this season. There are few main reasons. First of all, Yao Ming is becoming the best center in the alliance, and Tracy Mcgrady has recoverd from his terribleback pain. Now, the core of the Rockets - MMs is back. In addition, Rockets also recruited a few talented players: Shane Battier, the best defender in the alliance, and also a good 3 pointer; Bonzi Wells, a powerful player who can play both inside and outside; Steve Novak, a great shooter that can always make the 3 point shot in the free position; Krik Snyder, a player filled with energy; and Vassilis Spanoulis from Greece who is a good fullback. This season, the Rockets uses lots of young players to make the whole team faster and stronger. I believe that the tactics around MMs will become much more aggressive, with the new great players recruited this season. This season is going to start soon and I'm looking forward to see a fantasy of Rockets. Let's go Rockets!!!

A Cup of Coffee

By now I have been in US for two months, and I found it that people here always drink coffee. In campus, I always see people grabing a cup of coffee. In classrooms, I always see students have a cup of coffee on the desk. In Soho, I found people grabing a cup of coffee, standing near the windows and talking. In the begining of film "You've Got Mail", Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan also buy a cup of coffee from Starbucks. What Tom Hanks said in that scene is very interesting. He said "The purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making abilityto make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, lite, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, nonfat, et cetera.....So people who don't know what the hell they're doing or who on earth they are can, for only $2.95 get not just a cup of coffee, but an absolutely defining sense of self." Now I'm thinking about what these people pursue. Do these people really enjoy the coffee itself? Do they enjoy the talk with a cup of coffee in hand? Or...they just enjoy it as a life style. I went to Soho this afternoon and I even tried it myself. Well, it was pretty good. The hot coffee was good, the chatting was good, and its really enjoyable. However, I don't think I will do it everyday....

best birthday party ever

Today is my birthday, and I just had my best birthday party ever! I have discussed about it with my best friends and decided which restaurant to go a week ago. However, they told me that the plan had to be delayed becuase everybody had midterm exam next week. Honestly, I felt very upset when I heard that. But I could not do anything about it...This morning, I wanted to go to Flushing to buy a new blanket with them, but they insisted to go at the afternoon. Well, I really did not care the time, so we went to Flushing at about 4:30~It took me not a very long time to choose my blanket, and I suggested having dinner at KFC. But they decided to go to the restaurant we discussed last week to take a namecard. By then, I didn't find anything unusal. We got to the restaurant, opened the door..I took a namecard and was about to leave...Surprisingly, then went straightly into the restaurant! Finaly, I found out that all this were under their big plan...It was too good that I almost want to cry! We did had a wonderful time there! I want to say that, "Thank you my friends (FAMILY), You are awesome! I love you all!

Introduction

I just finished the introduction of my individual research paper for operasions management, and I'm posting it here:
The competitiveness of the technology industry entirely depends on its ability of creating and updating the industrial innovation. Industrial innovation indicates a series of operations and processes whereby technology or knowledge is created, disseminated and distributed, then utilized (Hsu, 2005)owledge which may come from different sources including industry, enby technology or knowledge is created, disseminated an. The process of innovation requires various kinds of technology and knowledge which may come from different sources including enterprises’ own R&D laboratories, universities, research institutes, governments, and foreign technology transfers. This process is usually analyzed under a framework of innovation system, and the purpose of this paper is to give an analysis of the formation of the Taiwanese Innovation System initiated by the set-up of Hsinchu Science-based Industry Park (HSIP). The author assumes that the Innovation System in Taiwan is successful due to the interacting functions of three important factors: the government support on aspects of policy leading and infrastructure provision, the research consortia established mainly through the Industrial Technology Research Institute (Taiwan’s largest research organization) in cooperation with private sectors, and the global network through which Taiwan’s technology industry builds up links of cooperation with companies in advanced countries.

three editions of The Lion King soundtrack

I am listening The Lion King - Hans Zimmer Expanded Score! This is the third edition of The Lion King soundtrack I got. Since I decided to go to see The Lion King musical show after midterm exams, I started to review my three edition of The Lion King soundtracks - The Lion King original soundtrack; The Lion King - Hans Zimmer Expanded Score and The Lion King Original Broadway Show soundtrack! I listened to them very carefully! Again and again! I tried to find out the differences among each edition. Finally, I found that the Hans Zimmer expanded edition is much greater than the original one. Its more completed! The link between each songs is much closer. In addition, the broadway show one give me a bran-new feeling. Whereas the songs in these three editions are almost the same, the performance in the broadway show one represents more African styles!!! The music editor reduced the symphony part and increase more human vioces! This truely adds much energy in the music! The music can even construct a scene of African llano in my mind!

I'm sure The Lion King musical show will be great! I cannot wait!!

Carmine's

Today, we cant to Carmine's, a well - regarded Italian restaurand, to celebrate Lina's birthday. We got to 200 West 44th Street, where Carmine's was located at 1:30. After a little discussion about the menu, we started to order. We chose Caesar Salad as our appetizer. Then, we ordered Mixed Seafood Pasta with Red Souse, Chicken Parmigiana and Porterhouse Contadina. I have to say that the food Carmine's served is fantastic!!! Oh, we also ordered dessert even though everyone was already full...(I cannot remember the name of the dessert). Ok, I'm done talking about the food. Now I'm going to talk about the dress. Well, since that Carmine's is quite a fancy restaurant, so most of us were kinda dressed up. However, one of my best friends went there with her pink flip-flop on. She was a little embarrassed...But I thought she was really cool!!! I like her flip-flop!!! We had a really great time at Carmine's. At last, I want to say "Happy Birthday" to Lina again:)

My new shoes

I have been thinking about buying a new pair of new shoes for weeks! This Friday, I went to Time Square with a friend to look for the shoes I love. This time, I decided to buy skateboard shoes rather than basketball shoes. So we went into the ELEMENT store. I found a pair that really attracted my eyes in a very short minute and was about to pay. However, my friend stopped me and asked me to look more in other stores. So, we went to SHOE LOCKER across the street. Then I found a Adidas pair which was equally good as the previous pair. Now, I had to make a decision between the ELEMENT pair and the Adidas pair. The Adidas pair was cheaper but common...while the Element pair is more unique. I discussed with my friend for a long time, we even went to have dinner first and THEN made a choice. Eventually, I picked the Element pair which is covered by black, with some red and white part on it.
I really like my new shoes!

terrible night!

I had a quiz for my operations management class on Thursday night. The quiz is really not that big a deal, but I wasn't able to understand the whole class before the quiz on that night!!! Not even a sentence!! When the professor asked us to separate into groups to discuss the questions on the textbook! It was a much more tough time!! I could just sit there, see everybody talk, and do nothing for the group. I tried to follow their conversation and see if I can understand the solution to the problems they figured out…but it didn’t work…I thought maybe it was because I kept thinking about the content that would be shown in the quiz instead of focusing on the class. After the class, I went to Brooklyn Bridge to see the night piece of Manhattan with my friends. However, I could not stop thinking about the class. And it annoyed me so much that I didn’t even have to mood to enjoy the great view there…
Sigh…
I have to go now…to work on my textbook!

Thursday night

Last Thursday night was a great night! After the last class of a week, we decided to go to Manhattan to have fun. We got Time Square at about 11 pm and happened to meet lots of people who just finished the well-regarded broadway show - The Color OfPurple! I've seen two broadway shows, Fiddler On The Roof and Phantom Of Opera, when I came to NY during 2004 summer. Both of them are fantastic! I've heard that some musical show displayed by Disney such as Lion King is also very good. Now I have to consider which one should I see next...However, we couldn't not just walk around Time Square, we have to find something specific to do. Thus, after a short discussion, we took subway to a smll but nice Japanese restaurant in eastern village. We ordered Tako烧 and Sapporo! Surprising, we found that Sapporo tasted much better than Budweiser beer, although its a little more expensive! That night, we talked, drank great beer, and had a really wonderful time!
I love my friends! Going out with them is a great thing to do! I'm looking forward to next crazy night :)

no need a title

It was 2:15 in the afternoon. The weather was good. Sunshine spreaded throught the leaves. I was jogging, with my IPod, around the place I live. Suddenly I noticed a woman standing next a van looked really nervous! I ran toward her to see if she needed any help. I found that she was in trouble removing her husband, who is sweating and even not able to move himself. The woman told me that she had called the emergency center but she was told that her husband needed lie down before the ambulance came. So I helped the woman to remove her husband. The man looked really terrible! Every time he was about to close his eyes we woke him immediately!! I was really worried that he would pass out!! We moved him out off the van, and made him lie down. Fortunately, the ambulance arrived soon, and took the man to the hospital.....
I really hope he's all right.

Worst on-line game ever

Have you ever played on-line game? You might heard about either World of Warcraft or EVE...the most famous on-line games in the world. However, the game I'm going to show you, called "FX Game", is THE WORST on-line game ever!!!My International Finance professor, a old Canadian guy, asked all students to play FX Game on-line on my last semester in Peking University. FX Game is actually a simulated foreign exchange trade game. I opened my account this Apr.17, and I chose USD as my account currency. The trading was closed out this Apr.26, with the account balance of $140,873.12. To make right choices on my major trade - EUR/USD, the professor also asked us to review lots of economic journals, which might provide some help information for our decision. This game really took me too much time reading business journals and arranging my portfolio. I really didn't learn a lot from this game! The most important thing I leart is that FX Game is the most horrible on-line game ever!!! If you don't believe me, please try yourself on http://fxgame.oanda.com/

Two weird ladies

Today I'm going to tell you a story about two weird ladies who did two different things on my way home, from Mahattan, last Saturday night. I met weird lady number one when I was waiting for R train at the subway station on 42St. I noticed that she kept s smiling at me although I wasn't really sure if she Was smiling at me. Then, she got on the subway (I'm not sure which train it was, but it was definitely not R train). The door was not shut yet, and I found that she was still smiling at me...Soon, the train left, and I got on my R train. Surprisingly, I met this weird lady again, at Jackson Hts where I was going to transfer to F train. This time, she walked toward me, and said that she had noticed me at Time Square (how weird is that!).
However, we did not talk a lot and I took F train back to 169St. On Q30 to 210St, I met weird lady number two, who was sooooo mean that I've never seen, seriouly! I got on the bus, and I sat down on the seat behind here. Suddenly she started yelled at me, she said that I could not sit behind because that way I would hurt her. Well, I didn't want to get into trouble so I changed my seat, but she was still yelling. A friendly black guy sitting behind me told me not to be upset and he moved to the seat behind weird lady number two. This act really enraged the woman!!! She started saying lots of dirty words to the blakc guy in a very loud voice!! She also said that the black guy was drunk and something like "FBI will catch you!!!!". Well, I really didn't care much about her yelling. However, these two weird experiences will be kept in my mind for a long time, I believe.