Le Blogger

Congratz to my bro for getting a full scholarship to Berkeley! So he looks set to head to sunny California for grad school. Awesome! There's some seriously cool art exhibits going on in NY right now. The pic above is from a NYTimes article on NY's Asia week exhibits (this week). There's also a cool Hatshepshut exhibit at the MET. I wish I could go check them out. I hope to get a chance to hit NY after prelims are done. Maybe on the way back to Taiwan for a two week vacation. I haven't taken a real vacation since last summer (besides a short trip to Orlando, but that was more exhausting than relaxing).

Had lunch today with this year's London Lecturer, Prof. Frank Wilczek from MIT. He also happens to be 2004's Nobel Prize co-recipient. Great guy, very smart, casual and easy to talk to. I admire the truly brilliant for their ability to choose words to say precisely what they mean, especially when they are talking seriously. Obviously when joking they may not be so precise, but even then, from the many Nobel laureates I have known and observed, when they tell a joke they know how to send across the punch line. Not a word is uttered that is considered to be extra. No more, no less. Almost like a mathematical equation. I hope some day I can speak with such precision, and eloquence. Another thing I find for Wilczek at least is he comes off as very humble. Not all Nobel laureates are humble, and sometimes it's understandable as they have the rights to boast about their work. But of course, it's easier to get along with a humble person. Wilczek mentioned that he completed hi

A friend sent me this... A teacher with thick accent (鄉音濃重) was reading a poem by 陸游 in class. The poem goes like this: 《臥春》 暗梅幽聞花, 臥枝傷恨底, 遙聞臥似水, 易透達春綠. 岸似綠, 岸似透綠, 岸似透黛綠. Students were asked to write down the poem as the teacher dictated. Here's what one student wrote: 《我蠢》 俺沒有文化, 我智商很低, 要問我是誰, 一頭大蠢驢. 俺是驢, 俺是頭驢, 俺是頭呆驢.

Saw V for Vendetta tonight. This character originally came from a comic book series of the same name. Spent some time trying to find the quote from V where he practically uses only words that start with the letter V. An entertaining movie that most certainly has an underlying agenda and message. I think it's pretty clear that the movie is against oppressive and authoritarian regimes. The more interesting idea dealt with is that of justification for terrorist-like activities. The main character in some sense is a terrorist/ guerilla since he goes about blowing things up and killing "bad" guys (who are really just the leaders in the oppressive regime). Naturally these leaders have done some kind of evil, either to get into their current position or to maintain that position. The question is, is the terrorist activity justified? I think to answer, I would say watch Princess Mononoke (which was on TV while I was eating dinner). The message there is clear as well, live in pea

It's hard saying goodbye. A good friend of mine is leaving Duke to return to Paris. He was fed up with the physics program here, and after securing a position in France, decided to return home. It's unfortunate that the department here could not do more to help, as he was genuinely bright; unfortunately he was suffering from depression, probably induced by the stresses of the PhD program as well as the dull boring city of Durham. In general how does one say goodbye? You don't really, especially if you're good friends. You just end up saying hello less often. At least that's my take. Unfortunately, more on goodbyes, it's goodbye to Duke's NCAA hopes for this year. We were outplayed by LSU. Sure the refs were really not entirely fair (from our point of view of course), but they closed our top scorer down. It was a fun run, and I enjoyed watching them play, especially since I thought they played such great team basketball, but it's over. Such a somber posti

My mom and dad have been learning how to make leather craft. They plan to make a wallet, with artwork of our dog and a monkey touching a peach. It's really beautiful isn't it? Keep up the work! I definitely know where my artistic side comes from now, both of you! Addendum: Turns out this is going to be a wallet for me..awesome! Personalized, unique. That's how I like things. We are all special and unique to some people, right!

I'm thankful for loving family and a few close friends that I have..for giving me support and words of advice when needed. I don't ask for much; I mean I don't need hundreds of friends. I want quality friendships and loving relationships, and at least from my family, I know I have that. Knowing that is just the most wonderful and comforting thought ever. Anyways, going to take it easy, in the sense that I'll try not to let the pressure get to me. And I'm not giving up, don't worry (mom hehe). Never a quitter. Press on in the lab! But it's not a stupid stubbornness don't worry. If a way doesn't work, absolutely doesn't work, I'll know to drop it and think of some new way. That's being scientific right? The pic above, btw, shows our doggy absolutely tired out from a mountain climb, or a version of it. Apparently after the walk up the mountain he just completely melted to the ground in exhaustion. Some hunting dog! More philosophizing from t

He's grown a lot! I've changed a lot recently too, I feel. I don't seem as outgoing as I used to be...I think I'm becoming dull, really dull. At get togethers these days I just sit there and don't really do much. Think too much. There's just too much on my mind: work, lab, prelim, life. I guess I really need to learn to successfully separate all these things. There are times to just relax and chill. I don't even feel like playing games anymore. But as you get older responsibilities grow, and there are expectations to meet. Not really what others expect of you, though that's part of it, but what I expect of myself. And when you fall a little short, or haven't really met the success you are looking for, it's well, kind of depressing. It's just that it's been nearly three years here, and I've yet to obtain any really new results, in lab or life. How do other people do it? Keep trying I guess, but it can get tedious, especially the lab wo

I heard an interesting quote I caught from snippets of Bruce Almighty on TV. It's a conversation between Bruce (played by Jim Carrey) and God (played by Morgan Freeman). "How do you make someone love you without affecting free will?" asks Bruce. "If you find an answer to that, let me know." God replies. I really like that quote as it sort of resonates with how I think God, if God exists, wants us to form a relationship with Him/Her. He (pardon as it makes me type less) is the ominscient and omnipotent, but what is great is He allows us the opportunity to explore, and hopefully, come to love Him. I'm not Christian, but I think if a God did exist, this would be His way. It's almost human, in a way. After all, I don't think most parents would force their children to love them. But by actions and words, a successful parent will have children who love them because they loved their children to begin with. Similarly, in any relationship, one cannot force an

Here's my attempt to make chicken cordon bleu. Not too successful from the looks of it, though taste-wise I think it was pretty good.

I find fashion shows to be funny. There are some designs which are obviously not suitable to be worn anywhere but at a show. Then there are some that might be seen, but only by grunge at the extreme people. Then there are just normal beautiful clothes! pics from Reuters.com

The maddening pace of work will come to a slower trot now that we've decided not to push for coming up with the most wanted data for next week's March Meeting. There still is data to present, just not the one we wanted to actually get. That will come in time, I hope, and that means I don't have to work like crazy. But I'll still be working next week, even though it's spring break. Just at a much less killer pace. Breathe! Research is a long and lonely road. I'm not the first to say it and won't be the last. Many famous scientists have said it, and I've had been warned before going into physics. I still chose it; call me stubborn then. Taurus is the bull after all...known to be stubborn. I find it funny my parents are desperately trying to introduce me to a girl in Taiwan. Haha. I am such a loser! I appreciate mom and dad's efforts though, but I already told them if they want grandchildren anytime soon they need to look to my bro. He has always been s

I'm really getting drained with these last two weeks of intensive lab work. We are so close to making this damned thing work, but somehow success continues to evade us. I think I'm working very systematically and carefully, but somehow luck is not on my side. I just pushed through two more samples, and before I can even think about measuring anything, both are already dead. Don't worry fucking animal rightists, I'm not dealing with anything that was alive to begin with. I am getting closed to needing a real get away/ break where I don't see or think any physics for a day or two. Fortunately spring break is coming up, but I don't know. I can't really get away cause I need to start work on my prelim exam... I think the posts are going to be dark for a while heh. I'm thinking of moving to a single...I realized although I have roommates now, I practically never interact with them. So it's like not having roommates at all. And though the apartment is rela

Happy Bday to my bro and fav couz (and richest too, probably)! The 1st and 5th. Sorry to couz for not sending an email or something, but I guess blogging it makes up for it. We had a final farewell for our last TSA president, Jerry today at China One dim sum. He's leaving tomorrow for Taiwan, and that'll put to an end his time here at Duke and Durham. It's kind of sad as this is signalling the first trickle of friends that I have hung out with for considerable time over the last two years will be leaving. It's harsher for the PhD's I guess, since we are a minority in the Taiwanese students community. Most people come here for Masters and leave in a year or two. Best of luck and wishes to Jerry in his future endeavours. I think I'm finally coming off this cold. Throat is still slightly sore, but I feel a lot more energetic. I mean, I worked till nearly 1 am tonight with no dinner. What a loser. Actually I was feeling like a loser...not because I'm not excited

Haven't posted in a while. I've been sick for the past couple of days. Still slightly down under the weather, but I'm on the road to recovery! Here's pics of a dish I cooked last Sunday. Yummy.