Harry Chen Thinks Aloud

In the past couple months, I have seen at least 2-3 CFP (Calls For Papers) announcements for events (e.g., DC-2004, SAG’04, and ER2004) that will take place in China. Maybe I’m just too sensitive about these events. Nevertheless, it feels like more Westerners are interested to go visit China. Maybe it’s cool to tell people that you have visited China these days. The increasing number of conference events that take place in China perhaps is an evidence that validates my thinking.

Tonight we went to BN for a short stop. While I was there, I read bits and pieces of Bill Cliton’s new book — My Life. Overall, I like this book. The writing is very readable, and the style is very charismatic. The Bill Cliton in the book does match the image that I have about him in my head — the kind of person who can always make you think he is your best friend; a very social and charismatic person.

I don’t believe all of his writing tells the real truth about everything, but this is not very important to me. History is made by the humans and is written by the humans. Unless the truth about some past history is really important to some decision that I’m making, I read history books, especially biographies, as if they were stories book. For that said, I think Bill Cliton’s My Life is a very good story book.

Talking about Bill Cliton. This afternoon I saw the movie trail of a new documentary called The Hunting of The President, which is about to come out. This movie focuses on the politics behind Bill Cliton’s sex scandal in the late 90’s. I definitely will go watch it.

Next week I will go watch Fahrenheit 9/11

I have been waiting for the Ghost in the Shell 2 to come out for a long long long long time. It’s finally here! Can’t wait.

Just signed up for an account at the Bloglines. An intertesting web-based RSS application. Not only it funcations as a RSS reader, but it also provides some kind of blogging features for saving individual RSS items for a later retrieval.

Now I better get back to work. The Web is addictive, I’m telling you. Too often I find myself browsing in the Web when I really should be doing is working.

While Gigi was watching the Hong Kong TV shows, I watched L’Auberge Espagnole (The Spanish Apartment). A great movie about the life of foreign students living in the same apartment in Barcelona.

I can relate myself to the movie in many different aspects. 1) I’m a foreign student and was an exchange student. Experienced the life living in a foreign country where the culture is completely different my own. Getting to know the local people. Finding my identity in a strange world. 2) When I was doing my internship in California, I lived with a bunch of Europeans. 3) Back in the East Coast, I have a big group of international friends.

When hanging out with people from other countries, the following is often true:

• People drink more wine than beer.
  
• People always cook and eat dinner together.
  
• People often talk crap about the culture differences between the American s and people from other countries.
  
• People always make fun of the stereotypical people from different countries, especially the local Americans.
  
• Single males often discuss the US dating protocols and ask relationshp advises from the American girls.
  

Okay, since this movie has motivated me to write this much. I guess I will give it 5 out of 5 stars on my Netflix rating.

I came home around 6:00 PM. After dinner, Gigi and I went grocesry shopping at the Sam’s Club. We bought a pack of croissants, coffee and other misc. stuff. Sam’s Club is great! Not having to pay for the membership fee is even better.

Borrowed a lot of Hong Kong TV shows from a friend. This is going to keep us busy for a while.

Yesterday I went with a group of eBiquity people to visit a research company in Delaware. It was a pretty good trip. The goal of our visit is to discuss the use of policy in knowledge management and information sharing. I’m very happy to see other people are interested in this topic.

On our way back, it rained pretty hard.

We watched Reagan’s state funeral this morning — feel like I’m part of the history. When I get old, I will be able to tell my grandchildren that I watched Reagan’s funeral and tell all sorts of stories about his legacy.

I thought George H.W. Bush had given a pretty good speech. Especially the humorous stories that he had told about the President Reagan.





GB: How did it go with the visit to the Bishop Tutu?

RR: So so.





Also, I’m surprised to see Margaret Thatcher and Mikhail Gorbachev had attended the funeral.

As far as I can remember, Ronald Reagan was the first US president that I had known when I was growing up. Although I have learnt about other famous presidents such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln later in time, for some reason everytime when I think about the United States of America the name Ronald Reagon would the first thing come into my mind.

BTW, if I’m eligible to vote, I will not vote for G.W. Bush this year for sure.