Choose Strong
For Tim.
博文
(2017-02-11 09:06:38)
Mr.BaiwasourteacherwhenIstudiedattheNew
OrientalSchool(nowNYSE:EDU)20yearsagoin
BeijingtopasstheGREandTOEFLtests.He
realizedourcollectivedreamatthetime,i.e.,
thatheattendedthePekingUniversityandwenton
tostudyinaprestigousUScollegeonscholarship.
Alivelyguyinhisearly30s,heusedtotellus
storiesfromhisdaysabroad.Iforgotthedetails
butonethingheenlighteneduswithwithundisguised
...[阅读全文]
(2017-01-28 11:21:32)
18yearsago,IcametotheWestaPhDstudent.
Butthatwasonlythemeans;mytruemotivations
weretypicalofmygenerationandclassicConfucian:
fameandfortunethroughbook-learning.Iwaswell
treatedbythepeopleofthisland(forwhichIam
eternallygrateful).Curious,Iaskedmyprofessor
oncewhyDoctorofPhilosophyinsteadofsomething
else.Afterall,wehaveMastersofScience(MSc)
andEngineering(MEng).Iforgo...[阅读全文]
Butthatwasonlythemeans;mytruemotivations
weretypicalofmygenerationandclassicConfucian:
fameandfortunethroughbook-learning.Iwaswell
treatedbythepeopleofthisland(forwhichIam
eternallygrateful).Curious,Iaskedmyprofessor
oncewhyDoctorofPhilosophyinsteadofsomething
else.Afterall,wehaveMastersofScience(MSc)
andEngineering(MEng).Iforgo...[阅读全文]
(2017-01-22 14:59:26)
Sincemid-2016,Ihaveexperimentedwiththe
Warrior'sDiet,aformofintermittentfasting.It
workedwellandIwasabletokeepmyweightat
around142lbsbytheendoftheyear.
Butovertime,disciplinestartedtoflag.Onepart
ofitwascomplacency:IfeltIhadthe"budget"
nowtosquander.Theotherpartwasplainold
naturalcraving:Iusuallywouldstartmindlessly
grazingonenergy-densefoods,e.g.,...[阅读全文]
(2017-01-15 20:38:20)
Ireadalongarticlethisweekend,"OneHundred
YearsofArmBars:Afamilyepicspanningthe
GracieJiu-Jitsudynasty'sgenerationsofcombat
andbetrayal,fromtheAmazontoHollywoodtothe
UFC,"byDavidSamuels.
IknewroughlyhowJiu-JitsuspredintotheWest
overthepastcenturyfromlisteningtoMr.Steve
Maxwellonseveralpodcasts.Thearticlewent
deeper,tracingtheGraciefamilyhistoryfrom
early...[阅读全文]
(2017-01-06 21:17:14)
IhaveworkedintheUSfor10yearsand
experiencedfourlayoffs. Thefirstdidn'tdirectlyinvolveme:Ijumped
shiponemonthbeforethestartup,myfirst
employerintheUS,wentbelly-up.Itwouldhave
beenscaryhadIstayedasmysonwassix
monthsoldandIjuststartedworking. Twoyearslater,mygroupinaninternational
conglomeratewassoldtoanotherfirm.Many
peoplewereletgowithgenerousseverance
pack...[阅读全文]
experiencedfourlayoffs. Thefirstdidn'tdirectlyinvolveme:Ijumped
shiponemonthbeforethestartup,myfirst
employerintheUS,wentbelly-up.Itwouldhave
beenscaryhadIstayedasmysonwassix
monthsoldandIjuststartedworking. Twoyearslater,mygroupinaninternational
conglomeratewassoldtoanotherfirm.Many
peoplewereletgowithgenerousseverance
pack...[阅读全文]
(2016-12-31 12:07:46)
Thethirddayintomyheat-offexperiment,I
stoppedeating.Fastingisnothingnew.The
MuslimshaveRamadan,theJewsfastofthefirst
bornatPassover,ChristandtheApostlesfasted,
andmyIndianfriendtoldmethefamilyhadabig
partyafterhisgrandma's30-dayfast.Thesedays,
Iheardaboutitoftenfromthephysical
sub-culturehereintheUS. Thatnight,outdoortemperaturedroppedtoabout
40Fanditwashardt...[阅读全文]
stoppedeating.Fastingisnothingnew.The
MuslimshaveRamadan,theJewsfastofthefirst
bornatPassover,ChristandtheApostlesfasted,
andmyIndianfriendtoldmethefamilyhadabig
partyafterhisgrandma's30-dayfast.Thesedays,
Iheardaboutitoftenfromthephysical
sub-culturehereintheUS. Thatnight,outdoortemperaturedroppedtoabout
40Fanditwashardt...[阅读全文]
(2016-12-28 11:12:33)
Withtheotherfamilymembersholidayingin
Beijing,Ihadthehousetomyselfanddid
whateverpleasedme.Ishutdowntheheaterinthe
morningandthetemperaturedroppedto60Fby
9:30pm.Wearingalightsweaterandaftersome
cheapwine,Ifeltperfectlyfineevenbarefoot.But
mynosefeltthedifference. Thisremindedmeofearlychildhoodwhenmomand
Irentedasmallplace(oneroomdividedintotwo
byafauxwall)onm...[阅读全文]
(2016-12-21 08:48:36)
IstoppedKTBexercisesforamonthsincelate
Nov.Oneweekafterupgradingtothe32kgTGUs,
myshoulders,especiallytheleft,hurtwhen
depressingandretractingintheanterioratboth
endsofthecollarbone.Ibelievetheproblemhas
todowithMark'sdiagnosesofmythoracicand
cervixspinesandmyinabilitytomakea"proud"
chestatRic'sclass.
IknowthedirectionI'dbeheadingifIcon...[阅读全文]
(2016-12-12 11:15:06)
IvisitedthebakeryinSFbutneverreallytasted
theTartineBasicCountryBreadwhichsoimpressed
MichaelPollan(Seehisbook"Cooked")ataparty.
IreadChadRobertson'sfirstTartinebookacouple
ofyearsagoandevenbakedsourdoughonce
(notfollowinghisrecipe,though).Butafterthat,
Iwentontocondemnallcarbsandthewhiteflour
especially.
Recently,however,thingsstartedtochange...[阅读全文]
(2016-12-03 13:25:00)
Icouldonlyimaginewhatwentthroughhishead
whenanemployeechosetojumpfromthe12thfloor
ofabuildingatAmazonHQonNov29(thisandthis).
Asthestoryunfolded,Ilearnt,likeme,hewasa
Chineseprogrammerandwasputona"Performance
ImprovementPlan"beforethejump.Asafellowrecent
PIPsurvivor,IfeltIhadtosaysomethingtohim. Whilechasingthematerialandthesocial,ifyouhaven't,
gives...[阅读全文]
