Had this gorgeous phalaenopsis orchid (one of my favorites) as gift. Love it, love it, love it! This is one nice thing about sunny California~ 

  

          

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

     Dinner dishes included --

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

在mitbbs的精华区研究了半天，初步制定了和Transmitter由东至西横越美国的路线：

 

Durham, NC - Nashville, TN - St Louis, MO - Kansas city - Denver, CO - Salt Lake city - Lovelock - SF。

全程3000mi。 开7－8天的话，可以去Denver附近一两个NP。再有时间的话，还想看看SLC的摩门大教堂，还有Carson city的Lake Tahoe.

对我这样不太会开车的人来说，这漫漫三千里路云和月，不亚于去西天取经哪。 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheese 狂人怎么会错过每个说Cheese~的机会？

 

Wallace and Gromit in the curse of Were-rabbit 很好看啊。撇开剧情不说，光是那些小细节就有趣又可爱得紧， 让我回味无穷。比如，影片开头有一组温馨的Wallace和Gromit的合影：Wallace 送给Gromit 的生日蛋糕呈现骨头的形状；而Gromit 的那张英姿飒爽的毕业照显示他毕业于鼎鼎有名的Dogwarts University （Harry Potter同学毕业于Hogwarts嘛)；牧师爱看的杂志是Nun Wrestling；热爱花花草草的Lady Tottington 的所有头饰衣裙都有瓜果蔬菜的图案，很滑稽（最喜欢她最后一身玉米装）。

还有最精彩的几幕是“戏仿” 经典电影。Lady Tottington 向Wallace（不是Forrest）喊出那句著名的台词：Run！Rabbit，Run！Were-Rabbit 象King Kong一样捶着胸，仰天长吼，还抱着惊恐万分的女主角登上高楼； Were-Rabbit 的概念脫胎自恐怖電影《Cure of the Werewolf》- 既然对付Werewolf 用银子弹，射杀Were-Rabbit理所当然只能用24 “carrot” 金子弹啦。

片中男二号小狗Gromit 魅力四射，已一跃成为我最喜爱的卡通形象之一 （其它的包括Nemo, Totoro 和 Spirited away 里的 Soot sprite）。Gromit机智，勇敢，勤劳，却不象Snoopy那么威风神气。它每天负责主人的饮食起居，配合主人工作出勤。爱看报，打毛衣，会跳妩媚的舞，还擅长Gardening，培育了个大西瓜。他对自己所种的瓜瓜温情脉脉，体贴入微。不但充满爱意地给它铺上电热毯，还给它听音乐The Plant Suite （行星组曲名字是The Planet Suite，难道Gromit 希望他的瓜瓜长得象星球那么大？）；最感动人的地方是他对Wallace的无比关切和忠诚。常常舍身救Wallace于危难水火之间。更可贵的是，他在任何时候都绝对任劳任怨，毫无怨言 - 因为可怜的Gromit不会说话。

如果Gromit 是会说话的人类的一员，他将是世界上最最最完美的“家庭主男”。

所以呢，我评选Gromit为最最最称职的“家庭主狗”！ :P

  

Gromit 织毛衣时总是这么悠然自得 

 

 

Gromit 对瓜瓜的款款深情 （远处有唱片 The Plant Suite）

 

 

Nick Park 真是天才般的人物啊～

  

 

上星期某一天，突然心情很好。想起冰箱上层还有一条Tilapia 就兴致勃勃地准备做剁椒鱼（心情不好的时候是决计不会做全鱼这种麻烦的菜的）。第一次吃剁椒鱼是两年前。HJ做的湖南菜。那鱼皮又鲜又脆，别提多下饭啦。两个月前，她的baby shower party。很有口福的又尝了她妈妈做的版本。当然也是超好吃。真的，现在想起来还流口水呢。

可惜party时只顾逗她的小宝宝玩，忘了问她recipe了。只好趁着鱼化冻的时候，google了一圈，综合了好几个菜谱，才欣欣然开工。从清洗，沥干，到腌，煎，煮，淋汁，挥汗战斗了整整40分钟。

大功告成，来张特写吧。原来想着这么一大条鱼够吃两顿的吧。可Transmitter和我边看电视边吃，不知不觉就把它消灭得干干净净了。吃完后，Transmitter问，你就做了一条啊？我晕！

小结：鱼皮煎得还可以，咸鲜入味，连一同煎的姜丝也蛮好吃。不过还是不如HJ做的好。糊弄糊弄Transmitter嘛，就绰绰有余了。 : P

 

      

 

Diana要求贴receipt。

呵呵，我的剁椒鱼＝红烧鱼＋剁椒。很不经典啊～

大致做法：

鱼洗净沥干。在鱼腹中抹少许盐；在鱼身上浇料酒若干，撒淀粉少许。腌10-20分钟后入油锅煎。加水，料酒，姜和老抽，盖上锅盖，小火慢慢炖。大概10分钟。剁椒和葱花，勾芡，淋在鱼身上。Done！

 

 

 

Graduation weekend，刚心满意足地还了cap and gown, 提着一条金黄的穗穗回到家，就乌云压城城欲摧了。善哉，善哉。蹬着高跟鞋从Football stadium 到Chapel，再绕Duke garden一圈真不是闹着玩的。Transmitter 当了一整天御用摄影师，更是辛苦。一回到家我们就昏昏沉沉睡去了。一觉醒来，窗外raining cats and dogs。到7点，都饿得不行啦。雨刚一停，就快马加鞭向35奔去。一路水气弥漫，白茫茫一片。一抬眼，竟看到天边挂的彩虹。宽宽的，隐隐约约露了半边。细想来，这好像是在Durham的5年里第一次看到彩虹，不觉有点小小的惊喜。

忽儿想起最近看的吴越的网络小说“最寒冷的冬天是旧金山的夏季”。书里的程明浩问关璐想要什么礼物。关璐说，那就要下完雨以后挂在天上的那条彩虹吧。程明浩就在旧金山的渔人码头买了七色的海盐，一层层在很精致的玻璃瓶里拼出一条彩虹送给她。当时读到这段，还是蛮感动的。总得来说，这是一本挺有意思的书。浪漫，轻松，搞笑，还有点小小的愤世嫉俗。算是不错的网络文学了。（这里跑一下题：她的“青涩摇滚”的前半部很精彩。看得我时不时泪水涟涟。可惜故事的后头，女主人公变得越来越现实，终于不忍追看下去）

等过几个月搬去Stanford，一定要拉Transmitter去SF的渔人码头看看这些被描述成清香袭人，五颜六色，又晶莹剔透的海盐。希望可以拼出一瓶彩虹放在床头。想象中它该像雅诗兰黛的这款beyond paradise。 :P

 

   

  

"Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true"

 

 

 

周六去Jordan Lake BBQ。 风和日丽，天气好得一塌糊涂。一路上看到油菜花一片，小马小鹅数只。田园风光让人惬意，令人陶醉。听说Seattle 此时正遭受寒流侵袭，大家在同情zzh 的同时，很想挨个打电话刺激他一下。后来深感良心谴责，于是作罢。偷得浮生一日闲啊～ 我们这一整天FB 得够透亮，够彻底。在春花烂漫处，我们吃完美味的烤鸡翅，羊肉串后，打牌；打完牌后，“杀人”；“杀”完人后，继续大快朵颐；晚饭后还在湖边悠闲得散步，打水漂。悠哉游哉～

在花粉密集的野外expose 一整天的恶果也是显而易见的。Transmitter 昨天吃了3片应该管24小时的Claritin 后，眼睛还是又肿又痒。而我这不过敏的，也连打了几个大喷嚏。如梗在“鼻”，难受啊难受！

 

终于在闷闷的一上午后，昏天黑地，电闪雷鸣，大雨倾盆。我那从BBQ带回的昏昏沉沉的脑袋霎时变清爽了。

特此纪念今春第一大喜雨！痛快淋漓！

 

 

 

 

 

   

   

 

 

 

 

一般做完这样的测试， 我就不知道自己是谁了。 :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pairs - Zhang and Zhang

It’s interesting to see that NBC articles put a note there - "Zhang and Zhang (not related)" : ) However, it’s a big pity that I missed their performance and still couldn’t access the video clip yet. Watching their performance (especially their short program) 4 years ago at Salt Lake City had already excited me to tears though.

 

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It’s hard to tell that I was more impressed by his performance or the touching story behind him. Last night, before his performance, there was a little story presented on NBC about the humble beginnings of Plushenko - at the age of 11, he left home with his mother and move to St. Petersburg for better training. There, he had to collecte old beer bottles for recycling to earn money for bread for himself and his mother.

Years later, yesterday, his performance was just brilliant. Although a little bit lack of emotions, the movements were incredible and flexibility unreachable.

As everyone expected, he owned a gold medal for himself and his parents, who have thrown everything they have to support him all these years.

It’s like a real Cinderella man story, isn’t it?

 

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Ice dancing - Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto

I wouldn’t have paid much attention to ice dancing if not because of them. I started watching ice dancing in the end of last year, when Belbin and Agoto won their 3^rd U.S. champion and qualified themselves for the U.S. Olympic team (interestingly, Belbin got her American citizenship on New year’s Eve).

They have almost everything a pair of ice dancer eager to own – figure, beauty, flexibility, strength, choreography, harmony. But on top of all these, they are gifted with artistry and passion, something many figure skaters are trained for years to earn. Their dances, full of emotions, excitement, and fireworks, have to magic to compel admiration from you at the very first sight.

I’m a little surprised to know that they only stand at the 6^th place after compulsory dance. Look forward to watching their performance tonight.

 

 

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一个小女孩和非洲野生动物共同演绎的美丽童话。(more photos: Tippi 瞬间 in Photo Album)

 

“Tippi was born in the newly independent Namibia, where her parents worked as freelance wildlife photographers. At 10 months the toddler was exploring the Namibian bush and desert, and befriending animals like Abu, a 28-year-old elephant. Although Abu was perfectly capable of crushing the tiny girl under his foot, he would curl his trunk around her waist and sweep her up onto his back, or lie down and use his trunk to blow away flies as she slept in the shade of his massive body.

As the family wandered the bushland, Tippi picked up other friends. She would splash in rivers with crocodiles and cuddle giant bullfrogs, lion cubs or chameleons; and she developed a knack for persuading giraffes to bend down to her level.

Her best friend, she tells me, was a leopard nicknamed J&B. It had been adopted by a desert farmer after its mother had died in a trap and, Ms Robert says, was "mild as a household cat when Tippi was around, but never lost its killer instinct". When it attacked another child, the little girl marched right up to the animal, gave it a sharp slap on the nose and told it to "Stop that," at which it ran away.

Tippi also befriended the bushmen and Himba tribespeople of the Kalahari, who taught her how to survive on roots and berries and to speak their language.

Life as a bush baby came to an end when her parents moved to Madagascar and then to France.

For her first two years in Paris Tippi attended a local state school, but had little in common with the other children and is now educated at home.

The small flat where Tippi lives with her mother is filled with African souvenirs and pictures, but it is clear that she is caught in a cross-cultural limbo. One minute she says she has ambitions of being an actor or singer; the next she wants to go back to Africa - "my home".” (Resources)

 

 

 

 

 

         收到两封期待已久的信。在朋友家美美地吃了一顿朝鲜菜。平生第一次打牌通关。

 

 

Last night, I happened to watch a TV program at TLC channel and it struck me.

It’s a story about “the boy whose skin fell off”. His name is Jonny Kennedy and he was born different from the norm, with a terrible genetic disease called Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). That means his skin would literally fall off from his body at the slightest touch.

The story started about 3 months before his death, when Jonny was planning his own funeral (without treatment of EB. his battled skin finally gave up to tumors). He sat in a wheelchair, with a peaceful smile on his face, ordering coffin and having the symbols of his life etched into it. Although he was 36 years old, he looked like a 10-year-old boy. His large eyes caved in his pale face, kept reminding me of the wretched soul Gollum in the Lord of the Rings. Due to this devastating disease, Jonny's whole body had been wrapped in bandages and all his fingers had healed together. There were areas of his body, not covered by his shirt or hat, red and rotten. His mother said that if she had known how much her baby would suffer, she would have terminated her pregnancy and not feel guilty.

What made the story even sadder was that Jonny had such a beautiful mind, a witted sense of humor, a strong spirit and a caring heart. Whenever his old, sticky bandages had to be peeled, together with his skin, for new ones, or when pain kept him awake every night, he would think about his imaginary place. There was blue skies, soft breeze, sunshine on his face, and clear river singing along…

Right before his death, Jonny finally got his chance to meet the wife of British prime minister, to raise fund for medical treatments of other E.B. patients.

At the end of the story, the music played at his funeral (his favorite) was so joyful that everyone believed that Jonny had escaped from his pain and flew to the clouds...

After watching the film, for the first time, I felt so strongly that we ought to have a next-life. People like Jonny had suffered and struggled so much in this life that they deserve a happy and peaceful life next time.

 

 

 

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Since I had spent so much time online reading papers and blogging, my eyes showed redness yesterday. I had to keep myself from my laptop a whole day. :(

 

Yesterday afternoon, we watched the greatest basketball game even this season: No.1 Duke beat No.2 Texas 97-66! Whenever JJ hit a 3-pointer shot, I couldn't help screaming. He was totally on fire and got career highs of 41 points and 9 3-pointers. Breathtaking!