Saturday, September 13, 2008

AI2V workshop (1)

I took quite some small trips these days. Our design team recently went to University of Illinois, Urbana- Champagne (UIUC) for a 4-day workshop called AI2V. It's basically to guide you through the process of getting your innovation idea/ prototype device to market and the real business world. We see this as a team retreat, thus 6 of us all managed to go.
Most (entire) my life in the u.s. was around the east coast. It was my first adventure to the middle west state. It was really different, and fun. :-) Design team 9, which is Tjensin's team went with us as well. That made the trip even more fun. :p
We got there at Sep 7, which is a Sunday. It was really shiny, and bright. The sun lighted up all the fields along the highway from Indianapolis to Urbana. Nimra was still fasting that day. Harry and she were sleeping at hotel, while the rest of us all fit in TJ's rent car and went Steak N Shake. As title, Steak N Shake is a famous middle west thing that has delicious steak hamburger and milkshake. :") We had the most delicious frisco melt I have ever had. Hmmm~ Trade secret. :p I love the onion rings and the raspberry vinegar sauce for salad, as well as the chloride-flavored water.



So we went there the next day. :p

Harry, me and Bryce.
Somehow I don't really want to describe in detail what I've learned from the workshop from business' perspective. I did learn something, but the business terms were overwhelming. :"( The best part for me is that we came up with this 90- second elevator pitch, which is very concise, compact and LOUD. The pitch begins with:

"You have all seen someone collapse and stop breathing. The ambulance arrives and CPR is performed by forcing air into the lungs. But what you don’t know is that this current method of CPR actually kills patients faster. This forced air creates unnatural pressures in your chest that ultimately block blood flow to your heart and brain. In patients with traumatic brain injury, this can easily be fatal."

The pitch can be really useful when you try to sell your idea and catch VC's attention, within a very limited time. We all should memorize and use it when this chance comes by.

Group picture can never be missed. Harry took this picture when 5 of us were sitting (& Posing) on the 1900 bench. We were doing self guided campus walking tour in UIUC that evening.


Saturday, August 2, 2008

你去 (徐志摩)

你去,我也走,我們在此分手;
你上那一條大路,你放心走,
你看那街燈一直亮到天邊,
你只消跟從這光明的直線!
你先走,我站在此地望著你:
放輕些腳步,別教灰土揚起,
我要認清你遠去的身影,
直到距離使我認你不分明。
再不然,我就叫響你的名字,
不斷的提醒你,有我在這裡,
為消解荒街與深晚的荒涼,
目送你歸去‧‧‧
不,我自有主張,
你不必為我憂慮;你走大路,
我進這條小巷。你看那株樹,
高抵著天,我走到那邊轉彎,
再過去是一片荒野的凌亂;
有深潭,有淺窪,半亮著止水,
在夜芒中像是紛披的眼淚;
有亂石,有鉤刺脛踝的蔓草,
在守候過路人疏神時絆倒,
但你不必焦心,我有的是膽,
凶險的途程不能使我心寒。
等你走遠,我就大步的向前,
這荒野有的是夜露的清鮮;
也不愁愁雲深裹,但求風動,
雲海裡便波湧星斗的流汞;
更何況永遠照徹我的心底,
有那刻不夜的明珠,我愛──你!

情婦 (鄭愁予)

在一青石的小城,住著我的情婦
而我什麼也不留給她
祇有一畦金線菊,和一個高高的窗口
或許,透一點長空的寂寥進來
或許‧‧‧而金線菊是善等待的
我想,寂寥與等待,對婦人是好的

所以,我去,總穿一襲藍衫子
我要她感覺,那是季節,或
候鳥的來臨
因我不是常常回家的那種人

雨絲

雨絲 (鄭愁予)

我們底戀啊,像雨絲,
在星斗與星斗間的路上,
我們底車與是無聲的。
曾嬉戲於透明的大森林,
曾濯足於無水的小溪,
──那是,擠滿著蓮葉燈的河床啊,
是有牽牛和鵲橋的故事
遺落在那裡的......
遺落在那裡的──
我們底戀啊,像雨絲,
斜斜地,斜斜地織成淡的記憶。
而是否淡的記憶,
就永留於星斗之間呢?
如今已是摔碎的珍珠
流滿人世了......。

我最愛的天氣,是雨天。滂沱大雨的時候,最好躲在家裡。
我喜歡的是小雨,飄著漂著,染得空氣都沁涼。
細雨點拂在頭上臉上身上,輕輕的。

在荷蘭的時候,有一天我們去Delft,那是個產藍瓷出名的小鎮。
小鎮靜靜的,被雨給籠住了,朦朧卻又清晰,很可人的。
石鋪的地板上,踩著三兩遊客溼溼的腳印,
彎彎的小路,路盡頭的教堂看起來都斜了。

我特別喜歡那天的荷蘭,就算運河與成排的荷蘭房屋,是每處可見的。就算氤氳的天氣,跟薄薄的pancake,也是每處可見的。
軟軟的雨就是風情萬種,整個小鎮都打點的細緻起來。

現代與古典那麼交錯著的荷蘭,是一幅有致的圖畫。
沒有陽光絕對不打緊的。

關於鄭愁予的詩,璧名老師說,是有性愛的暗示的。
詩的美麗在於詮釋,端看個人。

愛情是存在於自然裡的。就像人也在自然裡一樣。
就像希臘的人物雕像,又像窗邊的小荳荳上電車學校的游泳課,
孩子們都是裸泳的。
Humanity,人可以多麼赤裸,在彼此單純的眼睛裡,
單純的嚮往彼此,嚮往自然。

夜晚的森林開滿巨大的玫瑰

夏季的夢境開的瑰麗繾綣,透明的森林開滿巨大的花朵,襯著深深淺淺的綠葉繁複。是個有愛情的夢呢。

<攝於Avignon市集旁的花店>

早上五點,被沉沉隆隆的雷聲敲醒,雷聲敲醒地面,像是有什麼巨大的生物/船艦轟地降落在Baltimore北邊,而且是陸陸續續的。如果是太空船,那大約有6-10艘,中型的。雨嘩啦啦的下,自然的鼓聲略為平息之後,我的夢,又輕柔又強烈的降臨。

鳥唱著,樹梢交織著枝柯,── 白雲
卻是我們,悠忽翻過幾重天空!