• Getting kids involved in a team sport, like soccer.  I’m worried about the time commitment, but we generally agreed it’s essential for a child’s development.
• Creating a team web page. Facebook Page is more popular now. However, not everyone is on Facebook – especially the older folks.
• College investment.  Is it worth it to have higher education degree and entry level job is less than $60k?  It may just pay off in the long run.
• More IT jobs are available.  We’re not sure why this is happening, but recruiters are having a hard time finding qualified people in IT.
• Finding jobs in China. With the bad economy in USA, more people are moving to China. Standard of living is rising in China.
• Costco’s American Express has a cash-back limit on gas.  Apparently, the limit is $3000 per year – then it switches to 1% instead of 3%.

This article was posted on Rudy Amid's Blog:

Lunch Bits – Edition 42

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The rest of the world, unfortunately, have no access to clean water.  It actually kills more than 2.2 million people per year, and most of them are children! This is a staggering number.

Fortunately, it can be solved by technology, building basic infrastructure to provide better sanitation, and plenty of compassion.  We all can donate to non-profit organizations to provide clean water to places that needed it the most.

Here’s a wonderful ad by Solidarités International and BDDP Unlimited, spotlighting the need for clean water all over the world:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq9mw8wR-1Q

This article was posted on Rudy Amid's Blog:

Clean Water

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Now, they finally got Osama Bin Laden!  US Navy Seals Team 6 killed him where he stayed in Pakistan.  There is no question on America’s resolve in making sure justice is served, no matter how long it takes and how much it costs.  This is one reason why I’m proud to be an American! This victory is a major step to boost the morale of this nation, and other peace loving citizens around the world.

However, in the months and years ahead, we all must still be cautious.  Peace always has an enemy, and the enemy will not simply stop with the death of Osama bin Laden.  As others agree, the terrorists surely have more than one leader. We must not forget the work that we did to build safer nations, like in Afghanistan and Iraq, are very important to the stability of the region and the fight against terror. Everyone must stay vigilant and continue to push the effort to root out terrorist leads and activities.

I support the troops in their efforts and sacrifices, to keep us safe and making this world a better place!

This article was posted on Rudy Amid's Blog:

No more Osama bin Laden!

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I’m very sure Japan is on the path of rebuilding.  It warms my heart to see this image from East Nippon Expressway Company, showing how they rebuild highways in less than 4 days!  Very impressive.

As a side note, East Nippon Expressway is a private company managing highways and toll roads.  This is another reason why privatization works. No government effort can do it this quickly and efficiently.

This article was posted on Rudy Amid's Blog:

Rebuild Japan

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But for me, personally, the highlights were getting my US Citizenship, my first election vote, trip to China, and the massive rain in winter.

Looking forward, I’m expecting surprises and things to turn around – hopefully, for the better.  That feeling is summarized in the image below.

Happy New Year 2011!

Photo Credit: Frank Chimero

This article was posted on Rudy Amid's Blog:

Happy New Year 2011

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With so much going on in this world, the busyness and hectic schedule, it’s good to know there are still ways to get away from it all. Enjoy the good things in life.

This article was posted on Rudy Amid's Blog:

Walk In The Park

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Locally, I’m waiting in anticipation for Carly Fiorina to win the Senate for California, and Gail Eastman for Anaheim City Council.  I won’t say anything about the Propositions until they announce the resolutions.

[Update Nov 3, 2010]

I’m obviously disappointed Carly didn’t win the Senate.  There are just too many Democrats/Liberals in this State, such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, the most populated (and richest) cities in California.  Interestingly enough, Orange County voted over 60% in favor of Carly Fiorina. We wanted change, but obviously everyone else does not.

The good news is Gail Eastman won by winning 19.4% of the votes for Anaheim City Council.

As for the Propositions, it baffles me to think a liberal state like this would not allow legalizing marijuana (no to Prop 19).

Predictably, global warming measure, which is a Democrat party agenda, gets to be enforced due to Prop 23.  Kinda silly to spend money on an unproven theory – money wasted in government run “green” projects, while the economy is in a major slump.  That money could be used for other worthwhile projects, like incentives for small businesses, or fund schools.

This article was posted on Rudy Amid's Blog:

My First Election Day

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Not convinced she should be the winner of AGT 2010?  Watch the video from her first appearance on the show:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPITHzdUUDk

Official AGT Youtube Link here.

Next see her on the semi finals:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVGrcy8wQHk

Official AGT Youtube Link here.

Now here she is on the Top 10:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ar0r02FZng

Official AGT YouTube link here.

And finally, with her role model, Sarah Brightman:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qecULT01iE

Official AGT YouTube link here.

That’s talent, folks!

This article was posted on Rudy Amid's Blog:

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Nowadays, the country had undergone major changes. The most obvious is the rise of capitalism in the country. Manufacturing is a thriving business, and a lot of Chinese got rich.  Cities, especially the coastal ones, have grown by leaps and bounds.

Last week, I just returned from a family’s vacation in China.  We visited Shenzhen, Beijing, Shanghai, and Hangzhou. We had minor setbacks here and there, but the travel was generally pleasant, educational, and fun.

Shenzhen

We love to visit the city because there’s free accommodation for us¹.  The city itself is brand new and has grown tremendously because of its close proximity to Hong Kong.  I could take the subway to the border and cross the two cities with ease.  Shenzhen is a place for shopping at Luo Hu and Huaqianbei shopping districts.  Shenzhen is also a great commerce center with many big business setting up offices there. There’s also the Foxconn Factory – made famous by the incidents of suicides, allegedly driven by insurance payouts.  Notoriety aside, Shenzhen has wonderful amenities, with access to great subway system, modern shopping malls, and entertainment.

Beijing

Ah yes, what can I say about the capital of China? It has a long history, but the place is somewhat miserable!  There are nice areas like the newly revitalized downtown and Olympics 2008 sites.  Other than that, the city hasn’t changed much.  Most of the people are still rude. Our biggest peeve is they cut in line wherever they want to. The bathrooms stink. Quality of goods (souvenirs and stuff) are shoddy. Customer service sucks, perhaps due to mostly government run enterprises.

Have I mentioned the weather?  It was mostly smoggy, hot, and humid.  Temperatures reached 100F during the day.  We sweat like a factory worker in a warehouse!  Climbing the Great Wall and walking on Tienanmen Square weren’t fun at all.

I also found something weird: My iPhone 3G would not geotag any photos I took in Beijing.  It was as if the mobile phone GPS was blocked in the city. I read this article about foreigners getting arrested, accused of doing illegal mapping of the country. It made sense, China always infringes on personal freedom.  Case in point, their internet access blocked all social networking sites!  So I had no direct access to Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, etc. I guess they don’t want the population to complain about the country!

Shanghai

We arrived in the city to attend the Shanghai Expo 2010.  We instantly loved the city. The government had boldly spent millions to renovate the old buildings², and built more high rise hotels to accommodate visitors to the Expo.  It has a wonderful skyline, with modern and unique skyscrapers.  The amenities are complete and modern, with a very functional transportation system. The people are more pleasant than those from Beijing. Overall, it’s a great city to live – if one can afford to rent or buy a condo there.

Also, the food is significantly tastier here than Beijing.

Hangzhou

I also like this city. It’s a little city located two hours away³ from Shanghai.  It’s near a body of water called West Lake, that’s both legendary and beautiful. Along the lake side, there are restaurants and coffee shops, for those who want to enjoy the view.  The streets are well kept and clean, so walking around the area was a pleasure for me.

I attended the showing of “Impression of the Westlake“.  Breathtaking dance performance, using the lake as the stage.  Click here for the promotional video. As it’s an outdoor event, I have one advice: Go during Spring or Autumn, when it’s neither super hot nor cold.

The Emperor of China, during Qin Dynasty, visited Hangzhou frequently. He also made the “Dragon Well Tea” from the nearby Longjing village famous. We went to a near by tea house called “Feng Qin Yuan”, enjoyed the scenery, and listened through their polished sales pitch for tea packages.

Overall, the trip to China was great. It was a sweet time for family bonding. The travel was pretty smooth overall since my parents and sister can speak Mandarin, so we knew and got exactly what we wanted.  I didn’t have to do much research before the trip because they had local knowledge. I’m glad we went.

This article was posted on Rudy Amid's Blog:

China: Beautiful, Bold, and Banned

1. Shenzhen is my parent’s second home.
2. At least the roofs and walls.
3. By bus.

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The city is crowded, though. Traffic is terrible and some of the mainland Chinese are rude. But other than that, it’s a city worth visiting.

I would definitely come here again in the future.

This article was posted on Rudy Amid's Blog:

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