Year 2005 in Review

For Lei and Jimmy, year 2005 has been eventful. In mid October, we both took a two month leave from work and trotted around in China. We enjoyed Shanghai’s saut?ed river shrimps, Chendu’s deadly hotpot, Jiuzhai’s lakes, Lijiang’s sunshine, Hutiaoxia’s adventurous hike, Beijing’s hutong, Yangshuo’s bamboo rafting, Hong Kong’s dim sum, and Taipei’s 24 hour bookstore. We wrapped up the journey around mid December, and were both thankful to be back in New York in one piece.

Jimmy continues to work as an IT manager at CSFB. He finished a multi-year development project in May for the Mortgage Backed Securities business. Jimmy successfully promoted someone, which was a big deal for him because it took a lot of work to convice the committee. He also joined Toastmasters International to learn to be a better public speaker. Jimmy’s two month paid sabbatical was approved with strong backing from his manager, making the China trip possible. Jimmy is now back at work running the database team as part of a new data-warehousing project.

This year, Lei has topped over a 26 story residential building in Battery Park City for Bovis. She was the project manger for the core and shell program, as well as the lobby interior program. She also was licensed as a NYC site safety manger and a green building professional. Honestly, she doesn’t know much about both. She was just good at taking tests. Lei has been perplexed about quitting work. She aspires to be an entrepreneur but can’t gather enough courage to face the uncertainty. As 2005 comes and goes, the question of “to be and not to be” shall continue.

In January, we helped Jimmy’s parents finish a renovation of their apartment in Queens in time for Chinese New Year. For the second year in a row, we went on the 42-mile New York City Bike Tour of the five boroughs in May with friends. In July, we both attended a 10-day meditation retreat conducted by Master Sheng Yen in Pinebush, New York. In August, we bought a real estate investment and Jimmy’s mom helped managed the renovation, the day after which it was rented out. In September, Lei helped her father sell his apartment in the East Village, saving him the real estate agent commission. Finally, Lei received her green card, three years after we applied for it when we got married.

Lei is particular proud of her younger brother, who was recently accepted into China Airlines’ pilot program. Equally, she is proud of her father, who got his master degree from National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan.

We both started our own blogs this year, and find them very useful for keeping in touch with families abroad. We are thankful that our parents are healthy, and grateful for our good friends whom we shared many good memories throughout this year.

Happy New Year, Everyone!!!
Lei and Jimmy.

病了

這陣子玩得太瘋，剛到家就病了。連續咳了三四天，去看醫生，居然是肺炎。這幾天稱大小老板都不在，請了ㄧ星期的病假，在家休息，現在恢復的差不多了，謝謝老弟老爸的關心。

上海 vs. 台北 vs. 香港

對台北是有私心的，
在大中國地區的幾個城市跑了一圈,
不管上海的摩天大樓有多高，
北京的廣場多有氣派，
香港多有效率,
灰灰但有人情味的台北市永遠是小米的最愛。
轉貼一篇頗有同感的訪問。

陳文茜專訪馬英九:
陳文茜：在兩年前的時候，《新聞週刊》，曾經對台北市做了一個報道，這一位寫文章的記者曾經在台北的《中國時報》任職，經過幾年他後來派駐香港和北京，他寫過一篇《台北是一個比過去太可以居住的城市》、這篇報道?面他特別提到一些軟體，這幾年北京和上海的硬體大幅度的超越了台北，但是在軟體部分台北還是有它的優勢、我想請教一下馬英九市長，你自己作為一個台灣的最大城市的市長，而且你是國民黨現在的黨主席，未來很多人期待你成為這個地區最主要的領導者，你看到大陸的進步，你自己的感受是什麼？

馬英九：一方面我當然為他們感到高興，因為他們經過一段很長時間停滯不前，改革開放以後差不多20年的時間有這樣的，在整個中國歷史上來講都是非常難能可貴的。另外一方面台灣快速發展的階段大概過去了，現在進入了著重文化、著重生活品質的城市，換句話說，硬體的建設還是要繼續，但是步調已經趨緩，現在強調的可能是這個城市的文化、城市的溫馨、人與人之間的關懷，居民能夠犧牲一點小利，成全大我的一種公民意識，這些方面我們要花很多時間去培養。因為一個城市的偉大，其實不完全是靠它的建築，建築可以使城市變大，但是只有這種文化、溫馨才能使城市變偉大？

Time to go home

阿媽一家

老爸生日

Oh boy, time really flies. Going back to NYC next Tuesday
....... or maybe Thursday.
真的捨不得離開台灣...
本來禮拜二的飛機延到禮拜四,有點貪玩,
機會難得,就放縱到底吧!

Back in Taiwan

Bibo

My favorite thing to do: 逛夜市＆看壹週刊

鼎泰豐小龍包...口水流ㄚ流

We are approaching the tail end of our long journey. Back to Taiwan. Have been resting in grandma's house in Keelung, watched upsetting election news, and eat night market evreyday.... no agenda.... no plan....

Got a cell phone number. Feel free to call us. Receiving phones are free. We have limited internet access here.

+886 961 162 226