It's been a while that I've written an actual blog post here. Most of my posts have been microblog updates on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, and since I use ping.fm, some of them may have shown up on my blog. To be frank, I really do not blog as much as I used to, I just find microblogging much easier and faster than having to think about what exactly I should write (like writing a paper or article, which takes much more thought and time). But anyways, I thought I should write at least one blog post here on the last day of 2010, New Year's Eve in Beijing.
As I reflect on this year, I've done so much and I'm very grateful that everything has been successful and very good. Workwise, research wise and family wise. As everybody knows or now knows, I moved to Beijing to work with Nokia Research Center about 2.5 years ago in July 2008 right before the Beijing Olympics. I'm now adjusted to living here, accustomed to the food (mind you the Beijing style of food is not much to my liking, I love Cantonese food much better and love going back to Guangzhou and Hong Kong :)). My wife and I have met wonderful new friends along the way, both Chinese and foreign, and life here is just great.
Research wise, you can see my list of research achievements with publications, workshops and presentation from my web page. My Chinese Mandarin is much improved as much of my Chinese friends here in Beijing would say, and now I can carry on a meeting with my teammates completely in Chinese. Writing, on the other hand, is still not as good, but at least now I can start to write SMS messages in Chinese (surprising a lot of people, but it's nice to know pinyin so you can write).
I'm still busy as always, organizing monthly dinners in Beijing for colleagues and friends, and organizing research seminars in the Nokia Research Center Beijing office, as well as workshops at conferences, reviewing papers, as well as writing papers, giving presentations, and leading mobile social networking projects in NRC Beijing. I even wrote a mobile social networking article (English but translated into Chinese) for NRC Beijing's Sina blog. I'm particular proud of Nokia Find & Connect, a project which I started and am leading, there is a video of this here.
On the personal side, my wife and I have three rabbits at home and two female rabbits gave birth to 20 baby rabbits! It was the first time that we raised rabbits from birth, but it was very special indeed. Not sure that we would do this again though. Pictures of the rabbits can be seen on my Facebook page.
Despite being busy, one has to always remember that family comes first, so I always try to find activities and trips for my wife and I to go to. My wife means the world to me and I love her so much. As well, I am regularly participate and sometime lead the bible studies at my Catholic Church here in Beijing, as well as am the lector.
As for New Year's resolutions, I have three. One, to regularly do exercise and get back to the gym (which I've done on and off). Two, sleep earlier, I right now sleep way too late and get too little sleep. Three, to start a family.
So, all in all, it has been a wonderful 2010 year. I hope 2010 has been good to you as well. Cheers to 2010 and let's welcome 2011 with an even success, prosperity, happiness and most important peace in this world.
You can catch up with me more frequently by adding me to Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
God bless you all for 2011.
