My backyard easement area runs for 70 feet and is about 6 ft wide. It had the worst grading compared to my immediate neighbors resulting in standing water for weeks in the rainy season. It was a breeding ground for Mexican Petunia. The infestation of these invasive plants spilled into my lawn and provided an ideal home for venomous snakes. After ignoring the problem for a … [Read more...]
The most expensive ice cream
Previous Last Sunday, I paid 60 yuan (USD 8.64 approx.) for a 10-yuan chocolate ice cream cone. I saw one potential customer to run away uttering, "No, no". But I did not. Instead, I boldly paid for the ice cream and started munching on it with a vengeance. What was I thinking? Not much, given that I was about to meet my maker in a few moments. Or, … [Read more...]
Setting Expectations
Previous|Next Once we all settled down in our randomly picked seats, the conversation started. President Du spoke slowly and thoughtfully. “We have some new ideas about this engagement since the SoW was signed”, Meghan, one of our Project Assistants (PAs), translated back to us. Of course! We shook our heads in agreement. This was expected. In fact, our objective … [Read more...]
The Kickoff
Previous|Next Our fifteen-member CSC team arrived at the Pangu Plaza around 9 am on Monday. A brief selfie session in front of the building followed. We then entered the bright and ornately decorated lobby. After a brief wait, we were ushered into a large conference room at the IBM office high up in the Dragon building. The room exuded energy and hope of the … [Read more...]
The Orientation
Previous|Next It took us about ten minutes to walk to the Yuyang hotel. The Pyxera team has reserved a conference room there for our orientation. We walked past the green railed sidewalk overlooking the emerald-colored waterfront of Liangma river. Then jaywalked across the street to enter a neighborhood with rows of neatly ordered buildings along the road. There were … [Read more...]