wanderer

I have been with two kids visitors for the past few days. The big revelation is that kids are totally different species. Some reports say raising a kid roughly costs a family about hundred of thousand of dollars to the least. That is only the economic expense. A new born in a family completely shapes the lifestyle of a couple. New diet for the new species, new rules for preparing for food and clothes, hygiene has to be on highest level. No leftover, no spicy seasoning, milk has to be organic whole milk, fruit has to be peeled, clothes has to be washed separately and the material has to be clothing and fluffy. When the little queen claims she needs pee, it means 'right now!', whether you are on a remote section of highway, or in a hustling downtown street. Then there is constant rambling, giggling, running, they stop only after their mom uttered something in a authoritarian tone for three times. From time to time, there is shirking, crying, and a simple line, either a question or a statement, being repeated three hundred time within twenty minutes. The only time when they are quiet, it is when they are engaged in a TV show or a book, but this mostly happens just before lunch or dinner time. The persuasion process would usually last to the full length. Bearing a newly titled 'Uncle' before my name, obviously I am no good at dealing with the 7-year-old and the teenager. Reasoning doesn't work, giving suggestion or order doesn't apply, the lying or tricking only make me look silly in retrospect, they don't buy it. The experience  makes me appreciate all the mothers and the school teachers. It is a highly demanding job to take care of those littles. To me kids are outrageously anti-adult society.

Or I am anti-children?

Either way, I have to deal with them at all ages, sooner or later. I like toddlers dearly, their wavering poise on the ground glue my attention and fondness whenever it happens. But I can't cut off the kid being a baby or being more juvenile if I want to have my own child. Kids are species no one can look at lightly, because they are the master-lings of the future.

Give perpetrators a second chance is probably one of the finest in American culture. It exhibits tolerance, it encourages humanity. For those high-profile individuals, the come-back twist is a great story. Robert Downey Jr. made plenty of entertainment news for his drug abuse and numerous jail visits in late 90s. 'He is done.' Everybody would think, but Robert returns to the film business and rebuilt his career as a prominent actor. 'The Soloist', 'Tropical Thunder', 'Iron Man', etc. if we count backward just a few of his movies, he had shinning performance. Hollywood is not the only conglomerate that loves comeback hero, this year it is NFL that welcomes back Michael Vick.

Who is Michael Vick? Vick used to be the most expensive player in NFL history, 10-year contact worth  130 million dollars with Atlanta Falcons. Vick is a great athlete in that not only he shattered quite a few record books in NFL, but also he can play positions more than a quarterback. He could play a running back, wider receiver owing to his excellent speed, power and agility. Major League Baseball team Colorado Rockies believes he can play baseball professionally and actually drafted him when he graduated from college. Needless to say, the difference between football and baseball is like swimming and running. His versatile sport talent seemed to guarantee him a luxury life and superstar status--'Vick 4 president' is not a uncommon sign on Atlanta's stands back then--but there is only a tiny problem in his hobby, Vick loves dog-fighting.

The rest of the story is all well-known, Vick is convicted in federal charge for running a brutal dog-fighting ring and served jail time of about 2 years. Contrary to some Asian culture, animal abuse is a big deal in the US. Killing dogs is more than uncalled for, it is criminal enough to wreck a celebrity's life. Vick spent his last two years in federal jail in Kansas and filed bankrupt later. Till weeks ago, he regained his freedom after finishing home containment probation on top of being behind of bar. With some process, NFL conditionally reinstated his status for playing the game. And yesterday, unlike suitor Philadelphia Eagles signed him.

It is not a sure thing that Vick would fly eagle-high as he could otherwise, it is sure that NFL fans, as well as the coaches, fellow players, are all expecting to see his play. I do wish Vick success, because this would be so inspirational to many people who are in their own battle ground. Ten years ago, one of my best friends, who worked at then Legend, now lenovo, Computer Corp.,  was sentenced 7 years in prison for taking bribes from his business partners in Shanghai. He got parole four and half years later and went direct to the VP at Legend for the second chance. As excellent in technical and gifted in communicating with people, he was allowed to work at the company from the bottom. In the summer of '99, the last time I met him, he got off work by a bike, a not-so- glamorous sign for a business man. He politely declined my offer to have dinner together as I had companies he didn't know. I never heard of him again. In hindsight, how badly I wish he could have been doing great in his life.

mindset is there, motive can be constantly invoked, the targets have been long hung up there, the only missing piece is this: action.

Pending change is tingling. Inner struggle moves the soul forward, for better or for worse. Wasn't I used to having a slogan for my screen saver: Will will will the way? Now will is not made of adrenaline, testosterone or endorphin, it is largely made of actions, many logged hours.

Remember all I have been in love and all I have pitied, a great reminder to be on track, no matter how disruptive the life is.

Chinese language lost in translation is an old joke. Many foreigners were actually enjoying the mis-interpreted signs across the streets and parks in Beijing and other cities in China. They were having so much fun taking photos and spread their revelation on the Internet. For example, check flikr.com and search for 'Chinglish', you get nearly thousands of funny translations. Engrish.com, on the other hand, is solely devoted to (bad) Japanese English. Like happiness, notorious glory doubles when shared. About one or two years ago, some online posters squirmed at the news that Beijing launched a so-called bad english sign crusade campaign before the Beijing Olympic Games last year, headed by reverent linguistics professor Chen Lin, it took away a lot of joy from them. But the laughter is not amusing to the authorities. It is not known how much better Beijing is becoming in this regard, but bad translation has already cleared the border and influenced on a global scale. How? massive products made in China, with english labelings.

Take this as an example. As a native Chinese speaker, I can hardly figure out what this sign means. It takes an American guy, who spent months in Beijing studying Chinese and has the incredible ability to decipher the intended meanings, to explain what it meant to say.  For the record, the label tries to say the product features safe (to use), quick drying, not fade in color and waterproof; applicable to CD surface, etc.

Sure this is not the only one. From the local Chinese grocery store, I can easily snap pictures of the items imported from China for entertainment. (Should I do that? I should not.) Hopefully, in the not far future, more and more Chinese manufacturers would realize that it is worth hiring a pro to do the product translation for better marketing. At this stage, this is a work in progress, don't bother to advise, or interfere. By a classic Chinglish entry, the sign to discourage your advice would be, 'Under Construction, Please go away.'

For the last two consecutive weekends, I have been on the road traveling to Chicago and Washington, DC separately. Only this time did I put the museum visit on top of the agenda, rather than rushing to Chinatown for better meals. That's the benefit of being laid-off, I comforted myself, half smug and half snarky. And I did marvel at the exhibition of art, science and technologies. People were struggling in the past days. A lot. The nature of life is blend with suffering and enjoying, and our current life is still in the same theme. It is good to have some realistic perspective towards life and the whole world. Travel is a book, only people read it not by eyes.

Now some trivia from the road, far off the high ground of museum inspiration. First some lessons. 1) Get a good travel company. Ke and I drove in turn to cover the whole trips. We were in good terms, still we argued on things out of anxiety, due to the miss of turns, due to the sudden change of choosing a restaurant. Now imagine you are with a person you don't even get along, and spend hours in a car. That's a surefire for disaster. 2) Don't try to choose exotic cuisine on the road. GPS, as amazing as it can get, is not a good consultant to ask for Vietnamese Pho in Harrisburg, PA, or Hunan Renaissance in Cleveland, OH. It only brings frustration when you are most likely being directed to a slum-like downtown corner. Fast food is the best bet. 3) Settle for a free parking. One night we stayed in a downtown Washington hotel that was 8 minutes walk away to the White House. We were very lucky to find a free street parking spot right opposite the hotel room (hotel garage overnight parking, $35). However, I felt the car was a bit too far from our sight, Ke thought the gap between the cars front and rear were too tight to be scratch free. We decided to move the car at 11:30pm. The stupidity led to instant occupancy of the vacant spot by party goers---never expected that the heart of American Capital is a hustling, sleepless night club zone. We ended up circling around the blocks more than twenty times and finally got an opening at 12:40am.

Then there are many unforgettable that tingle us to travel. The scene along the road, the occasional crazy bumper stickers on the moving cars, the 'whoa' at the museums, the boys and girls playing the water, the chance to try new food in other places, The 978-yard long Appalachian Trail (AT) we hiked in the park, which actually stretches 2200 miles long, and the people we met who fakes southern English accent for entertaining, who speaks Korean and who has fake Taiwan mandarin, the friendly park rangers, the scenic outlook onlookers. It's all in good memory. Great books record the experience on the road, John Steinbeck traveled the old US route 60 from Oklahoma to California and wrote about Tom Joad's family; Jack Kerouac's 'On the road' was still reprinted for summer book club, while Bill Bryson tortured himself to walk on AT for two months, didn't finish it, but had amusing account of his experience. Surely, I wish my much shorter trip brings me not only some cliche adjectives, but also refreshment and enlightenment.