Biking in style

   Lately, I can't help but notice that there're lots of bikers on campus.  This is after the realization from last year that nearly every professor who does cardiovascular research @ CVRTI bikes to work.  Today, I was walking on a trail behind the HCI, and there're bunch of bikers unloading their bikes (and dogs) from their cars, and putting on their helmet and other gears. These guys all look hard core a la Lance Armstrong, yes, I mean tight shirt and tight pants designed for the sole purpose of mountain biking.

    Just the other day, my Swedish colleague remarked that it's interesting to see that American bikers are so geared up and adrenaline-charged when it comes to riding a bike.  Apparently, Europeans who commute by bikes don't really care about the number of gears and other gadgets on their bikes.  Partly because lots of ppl there started using the bike share rental system, so the bikes you get are not going to be specialized ones like mountain bikes.  I gotta say, those Europeans know how to bike in style and in leisure, quite different mentality.

                  Copenhagen

Sweden

France

     

I want to bike around town in heels now. :)    It's one of life's simple pleasure.

Reminescing about 佛山

  Tonight I was watching the HK blockbuster 葉問, and found out that the town, Foshan, where I grew up in China was once known for the art of kung fu.  I was surprised, because I thought Foshan was only famous for its culinary and ceramic art.

  佛山 (Foshan), literally means Buddha mountain, I think they named it so because way back people thought the place was home to the Buddha spirit.  I googled the town, and found picture of 祖廟, a Buddhist temple that has always been a tourist attraction, and a place I would always visit with family during Chinese New Year.  Apparently they repainted the front gate and hung up new lanterns.  Looking at the temple just brought back so many fond childhood memories.  According to info on google, construction for 祖廟 began during the Song dynasty and was open around 1451.  I didn't know the temple was that old until now, which is odd because I don't even live there anymore.  

   And another place that I'd like to visit is the Lotus world.  I don't think this was there when i was in Foshan.  But it looks pretty neat, with lotus flowers all over the pond.  I wonder if there're restaurants nearby with lotus dishes...

  Another picture I found, showing the typical high-rise apartment complex so ubiquitous in China.  My friends and relatives in Foshan all tell me that when I come back to visit, I would be so surprised by all the changes.  At least I can be sure 祖廟 will still be there.

The thing about pessimism...

I was reading Gwyneth Paltrow's webiste GOOP, and found this wonderful newsletter addressing the psychology of pessimism from different people's point of view.

"By analogy, when you see your friend, you meet her at a given moment, but she is sailing through her life fully loaded with past influences – all of us express our entire lives in this very minute. The minute is fleeting, but the momentum carrying us forward is immense.
Your friend’s pessimism isn’t about what’s here and now. It’s about the fully loaded cargo she’s carrying. Here and now you are tempted to say, “See? There’s no reason to be suspicious or negative. It’s a beautiful day, we all love you. Be happy.” This approach never works. Not because your friend is stubborn but because this beautiful day and your loving feelings are a tiny fraction of her reality, her fully loaded cargo [...] She and you are both on a journey, and if it happens that you exchange a burst of light on the way, appreciate that and be alert to the next time you can share a moment of clarity."---Deepak Chopra

" What we see is who we are. When we are in a good place, we see goodness all around us. When we are in a bad place, we see darkness. We might think we’re picking up these flaws in others because we are smarter or better. But the deeper truth is our judgments are merely an indication of where we are at spiritually."---Michael Berg

"First the eye of the heart must open, and only then will one see confirmation in the external world. As long as suspicion and pessimism are being projected, suspicion and pessimism are what the cosmos will confirm."---Cynthia Bourgeault