Monterey Bay Sustainable Manifesto 2012 - found an interesting old doc I wrote

Businesses, local governments,  non-profits, education and research institutes and communities of greater Monterey Bay region have come together and declare the support of the

Monterey Bay Sustainable Manifesto

We have decided to work closely together to take better care of the environments, the nature resources, residents and visitors of Greater Monterey Bay Region.

To make Monterey Bay the best place to live, work and visit for the generations to come, we recognize that being sustainable has to be a central theme of every effort. We understand sometimes we are the problem, we know changing our own practices are challenging, we are working hard together to be part of the solution.

We believe through innovation, education and collaboration, sustainability is achievable and will contribute to long term economic success.  We have started the effort and we are looking for more people concerned with the region’s future to join us.

Furthermore, we believe sustainability is crucial for Hospitality Industry: Monterey Bay is our community that we share with visitors from around the world. As the international standards for event planning are being created to support sustainability, we recognize that such standards enrich both the economic and environmental viability of the Monterey Bay area as a destination that promotes our hospitality industry. We believe that supporting our hospitality industry is everyone’s business that will require cooperative initiatives, creative collaboration, and ongoing dialog. We, therefore, commit to supporting this continuing endeavor.

Eric Y. Tao, Ph.D. - 2012, Carmel

Long drive with Yuan to San Diego and Piano competition

Right after the last rehearsal for the piano competition, I picked up Yuan and start the long drive to visit UCSD.  Yuan drove the first leg, in the dusk and light rain.  She was cheerful when we pull into the best burrito shop in King city.  She spoke with the shop keeper in Spanish.  Against my best judgement, I ordered a huge super burrito with a extra sweet hochata.

We left the King City around 7:30PM, arrive around mid night to the Taiwanese shop in Irvine for a light supper as a reward. Yuan talked about in the trip, I enjoyed it, probably the last few trips I could spend time with her alone.  She has the who day visit planned out, I was happy that she has a goal and a plan.

Arrived at UCSD around 8:30AM as planned on Sat.  The warren college presentation is great.  I believe it is a good idea to have a smaller, social oriented colleges in a huge university.  Other presentation, such as one by economic department, which has the worse dept building I'd seen, and the parents conference, was, as I expected from a public university, mediocre.

Had an another burrito in Warren college restaurant, under the sun and overlooking the canyon, we are lucky the looming el nino storm was delayed.

One the way back, we visit Script college where Yuan got a very generous scholarship, the girl's only private school is rustic and beautiful, feel like Carmel.   But Yuan wants the environment that is richer and more bustling, since she has spent years in the quaint Carmel.

We dropped by the dealer ship to check out a Lx570, the Lexus version of Land Cruiser.  Our trusted land cruiser is over 20 years old and served us well.  It is time for her to retire.

Yuan was quite excited to drive back from L.A., specially during the storm, the rain drops seemed like shooting stars in the high beam.  A great trip, especially she go a few hundred miles of experience.

Fang and Yuan participated the Monterey Bay Piano Competition, Yuan has pick pieces that are too easy so we know there is little chance of winning. Fang played brilliantly, but the competition is severe, the winners did performed better so even though we were disappointed, but the results are accepted.

I felt drained after the long SD drive and the competition and did not do much in the weekend.  I felt bad that I took on many projects be could force myself to put in extra time during the weekend to work on those.

Butterfly in the storm

Butterfly in the Storm
- short poem

They instill the believe in the young us
Having passion and patient
Sky is the limit where all promises and bliss met
We try, strive and persist
Flipping our used to be fragile now frail wings

Oh how we've tried
Believe the tears and sweat would build a ladder to the sky
Before long we would rest on the clouds of eternal happiness

But we are just butterflies in the storm
With strong believe
We are just butterflies in the storm
With frail wings
We are just butterflies in the storm

Trimming the projects

Spend an hour talking to Her Guan Univ on their strategy.  Not sure I should do that, but since president Wang is an acquaintance, I felt obligated.

I thought not directing SCD will relief me, well it does, but not by much.  Current projects, from major to trivial:

1. Help kids select a college
2. CS Online
3. CHU acquisition
4. IIED
5. CalGE summer camp
6. CalGE research symposium
7. IIED CodeCamp
8. CalgGE boy scout camp
9. Digital Otter
10. CUST ESL project
11. Teaching in China project
12. Marina Asian Business Consortium
13. Seaside Tennis and Swim club acquisition
14. Stock investment
15. Real estate investment
16. Book writing
17. eat, sleep and live

Need to trim something.

The old ones die and the young one leave

It's the time in life that people close to me start dying. God father Jiang Zhu ping and dear college buddy Wang Lin zhen both passed away last few days. Yuan will for sure leave for college soon, maybe as close as Berkeley or as far as east coast. 

Did not felt too much, since all these are expected. Still, the sadness lingers in a beautiful sunny Carmel day. 

Have only my dreams

Love this simple poem: HAD I the heavens’ embroidered cloths, Enwrought with golden and silver light, The blue and the dim and the dark cloths Of night and light and the half light, I would spread the cloths under your feet: But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.  - Yeats

Digital Otter Center for Community Services

http://digitalotter.org/

Issue: Describe the community issue your service-learning organization addresses and how it addresses that issue.

Many Monterey Bay area community members, especially those underserved, need technology support, such as learning basic internet, using basic software, troubleshooting of problems with their computers, and maintaining their system software and hardwares.  There is currently no consistent, organized effort to support the needs.  We establish the “Digital Otter Center” or the DOC, for Community Service to provide drop-in computer hardware/software troubleshooting, technology tutoring, technology advising to local students, small business, non-profit organizations.

Site supervisor's personal connection to issue: Describe your service-learning supervisor’s personal connection to that issue.You will need to ask your site supervisor this. That is, you should not guess or make something up.

“Apply technology to better the world” is one of the Dr. Eric Tao’s missions. Over the last 20 years, he founded and developed several programs in the Monterey Bay region to achieve that mission - the BS Computer Science program, Institute for Innovation and Economic Development, California Institute for Global Education, etc.  Dr. Tao believes that access to technology opens the door for everyone, especially the underserved, to education, career, and economic opportunities.  Digital Otter will empower the underprivileged to gain access to the powerful computing technology. 

Have to live close to the ocean

Walked yoyo in Carmel River State Beach this morning at the break of dawn.  Wonderful experience.

Have to live close to the ocean
where all lives are coming from
where the waves are changing yet eternal
the shoreline belong to none but all
the wind and air flow unimpeded by natural or artificial berriers
so you can see, breath and feel forever, in both space and time

Its can be peaceful or raging
can be beatiful or terrorfying
can bring and destroy live
make you think, sing and cry

have to live close to the ocean

Best Job - Monday Morning

There are two best jobs, it seems to me, entrepreneurs and professors.  Both of them essentially work for everyone yet no one.  Both of them have a lot of freedom and take major risks.  In these line of "work", there is no vacation, clock-in or out, the failures are considered learning and winning can be huge.

I am so happy I can be both.

Often, like today, it is hard to get out of bed, after all the parties, meals and tennis yesterday.  But once I got up, I can't wait to get to my office and start another day of learning, teaching, planning, developing, research and helping colleague and students.

Although sometimes I complain that I put in top 1% effort but just receive top 3% income, but overall, I have to say I am extremely lucky.

Back to work.

Lack of Vision

Participated a full day retreat as a faculty member.  People are working hard, their hearts are in the right place: educate the students.  But it hurts me to know their vision of the program is so petty - to conform to the external common standards.  I always promote the ideas that we should the best or the first.  If our ultimate goal is the conform to a common standard, we are just a factory.  Might be shiny, efficient factory that produce a lot of coders. But a factory still.

The lack of big passion and courage and innovation saddened me.  Especially I pick and mentored most of them over the years.  What is the difference between a our university and a truck driver training school?  It hurts me to just thinkimg about this.

The new building is done, young faculty are ready to take over the wheel.  If the vision is no longer grand, exciting and courageous, maybe I should take a back seat now.



epilogue (my email to SCD college March 2016

It is indeed a paradox - we all believe better skills should lead to better jobs yet as a country, better skills workforce does not always lead to better economy.

Why?

I submit to you, my dear colleagues, the skills we can measure are the skills of today.  What we should prepare our students are the skills of tomorrow.  But, you said, what are those?  Well, we don't know.  But we know the US is built first on dreams and innovations, second on knowledge and skills.

Are we instilling inspiration and innovation in our students?

Or we are so focused on drilling them on job skills which might result in they going to a first world university but getting a third world education experience?

Are our students completing the degree with excitement of changing the world?

Or they will be very satisfied with a just-above-average paycheck?

How do we balance, what I often lamented, between "timely training for today and timeliness education for the future"

Well, we all have a Doctor of Philosophy, let's find out.  I am not sure we will reach a conclusion, but the process is so much fun.

Eric

on a windy Sat morning

Clarity

Played tennis Sunday against Ken, an advanced player with a flat fast first serve.  Over the last few months, I have been developing a habit of focusing on the return of serve that bring me a refreshing mindset. After I position myself according to the condition of the serve, and

1. I make sure my grip is a proper forehand grip, that is my less reliable side 
2. I touch my tip of my racket to the ground slightly to make sure I lower my weight
3. I decide where I plan to return the ball to
4. I go thru the split step just when the server start his back swing;
5. This is most important step, as it leave the servers hand.:  I focus on the fuzzy yellow ball so intensely that I see nothing else
6. When the ball is coming to me, I don't think much, just let my instinct play the ball (since the ball is coming so fast, there is no time for analysis)

I found out not only I return the ball better, I start to enjoy the return and make it a part of my weaponry. 

The level of clarity feels wonderful.  Now I should apply it to other area of my life, instead of worry and avoidance, if I prepare intensely and stay focus, each of those challenge is an opportunity to shine, to win.