Xiao Tian tossed on the bed and could not sleep, so he got up and wandered along the beach. It was a clear night. Moonlight sprinkled down from the sky. Xiao Tian just enjoyed the romantic atmosphere around the lake.

Suddenly, the moonlight disappeared. Before Xiao Tian understood what happened, he first realized that he was in the air! It turned out that a big Eagle can't sleep either, so he flew out and seek his prey. (If Xiao Tian remained on the bed, he could avoid this disaster. However, he also missed the chance of adventures if he have done so! Of course, I won't tell Anbo the last part.)

The Eagle brought Xiao Tian back to his nest. There are several hungry baby eagles. They pecked Xiao Tian. Poor Xiao Tian was thrilled. He backed up and up, eventually he dropped out of the nest and fell into a very deep valley. It is so deep that the bottom can't be seen.

Before reaching the bottom, Xiao Tian fainted due to scary. Before long, Xiao Tian was awakened by a small read wild horse. The little horse soon befriended with Xiao Tian. He took Xiao Tian back to his tribe -- a herd of 40 or so wild horses.

Xiao Tian was hungry and wanted to do fishing, so he made a leave-boat. He sailed out and the little horse swam beside him. The lake was so clean that the beautiful under-water scene attracted Xiao Tian. Therefore, under the little horse's encouragement, Xiao Tian overcame his fear and learned how to swim. And Xiao Tian succeeded ! While enjoying being surrounded by cool water, Xiao Tian saw two mermaids swam toward hims. They invited Xiao Tian to their palace. Riding on the back of the little horse, Xiao Tian swam behind the two mermaids for the palace.

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

I am quite happy that I can now read faster and faster in English. I finished John Perkins' Confessions of an Economic Hit Man in two days. There are two reasons why I could finish the book fast: the book itself is easy to read and I consciously practice the principles of "How to read a book".

Recently, Chinatimes translated and published a book titled "经济杀手的告白“。Chinatimes put the first chapter on line. After skimming the chapter, I assessed the book would help me understanding better what is going on in this world. So, I borrowed the book from our local library and started reading it. I was not disappointed. The book answered many questions. However many more questions are not answered. I hope Arnold J. Toynbee can help me finding them.

What is the common part between writing software, baking bread, and making furnitures? Crafting would be my answer and quality would be the goal of these activities.

After seeking for so many years, I finally realize what I was pursuing, why I was not satisfied, and what I want to be. A craftsman.

Next day, the Elephant felt much better when he waked. It must be due to Xiao Tian's medicine. The elephant thanked Xiao Tian. The elephant lead all of them to a cool spring water nearby. After drinking delicious spring water, everyone felt refreshed.

The elephant invited Xiao Tian and his father to ride on him. They wandered on the savanna. On the elephant's back, they saw lots of animals on the grass field. There are lions, zebras and horses. Suddenly, animals looked scared and ran away. Before long, the sun disappeared, too. A huge shadow fall upon them. Xiao Tian and his father did not have faintest idea what was going on. The elephant urged them to hold tight since he is going to run away from the flying fire-dragon, Dilon.

The fire balls, from Dilon, almost hit them. Finally, the elephant successfully escaped from Dilon and hide in a narrow cave. Dilon waited outside of the cave and looked angry. In the cave, the elephant told Xiao Tian about Dilon's story -- why and how Dilon turned into an ugly fire dragon from a naughty and bad-tempered boy.

Outside of the cave, Dilon outcried. After the story, Xiao Tian paid his sympathy to Dilon. Both the elephant and Xiao Tian's father thought it is a stupid idea to feel sorry for Dilon. After all, Dilon suffered from what he deserved. Xiao Tian is a good boy and he thought everyone can be changed. He decided to give it a try tomorrow.

At night, Xiao Tian, his father and the elephant slept in the cave while Dilon still waited outside.

Xiao Tian, accompanied by Pink Pig and Grandpa Grasshopper, finally found his father. His father and mother were just back from sailing. On the boat, the father introduced Xiao Tian every level including the deck. In the refrigerator, there were a huge octopus and a big shark. The father told Xiao Tian how he caught these two monsters.

On the deck, the father invited Xiao Tian to fly with him in a small airplane. In the air, both of them saw a poor elephant fainting on a small island. Xiao Tian wants to save the poor one, but his father feared to death and did not want to go. Xiao Tian educated his father that all poor ones are worthy to be saved no matter how they look.

Reluctantly, Xiao Tian's father landed the plane and Xiao Tian rushed to the fainted elephant. The poor one was crying. Xiao Tian checked the elephant, found the problem, and cured him. At night, they camped by the elephant.

Our family had a long trip to Centreville, MD yesterday. We visited there to see the model house and Wenlei liked the model house.

On the way to the Centreville, we went through the Bay Bridge. The blue sky, the sunshine and the reflections of the ocean waves made me feel I was driving in San Francisco, California. Therefore, I had a good mood and driving was enjoyable. It would be better if there are few vineyards there, too. There might have, but I have to find out.

There is one thing special about this trip -- everyone got what he or she likes. Wenlei saw the house, I enjoyed the beautiful scene, and Anbo found his dreamy horses in the farms in Centreville.

It was certainly a nice trip. After all, if a trip, in which everyone got what he or she likes, can't be a nice trip, what else trip can be?

We had our dinner in Prena Bread in Germantown, MD. The pizza there was excellent. I would exclaim it was the best one I've ever had. The nice dinner concluded our nice trip.

Having a peaceful mind seems the only way to realize quality in our work -- no matter the work is to maintain a motorcycle, to design a software system, or to draw a picture.

In the latest episode of "殷媛小聚"，蒋勋 introduced a water-ink landscape drawing, 秋江渔父图，by 许道宁 in Song dynasty. He explains that the drawing is excellent because it merges the outside scene with the inward mood. Depending on viewer's mood, the picture unveils different details. A peaceful mind is needed by the drawer as well as by the viewer. An absent-minded viewer sees nothing but mountains and waters; however, a careful one sees that the painting is not about waters and lands, but about secrets of life and death.


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--peter
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