近年的研究领域逐渐由肿瘤转向中枢神经系统，特别是脑神经退化导致的痴呆和记忆缺失。
也因为如此，人到中年，开始害怕记忆的流失，担心记忆的不辞而别。我迷恋那已经逝去的青春，不舍那终将远去的当下。
于我，最有意义的人生始于世纪之交；由此我承蒙岁月眷顾垂怜。我感恩，我怀恋。
这里不会是故事开始的地方；记忆在这里重生，在这里启航。
I certainly visited more US states (a place I still reluctantly call home) than provinces in China.
Countries I visited (mostly in the last 10 years):
Asia: China, S. Korea, Japan, India, Thailand
Europe: France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Vatican
America: USA, Canada, Mexico, Jamaica, and Peru
Oceania: Australia, New Zealand
Still a lot more to fill – looking forward to the next chapter hopefully starting in three years.
48岁刚好过完一半。
翻出来10年前，20年前这个时候照的照片，百感交集。
2024年6月4日在家乡瓷都景德镇所拍。和十年前的照片相比，消失的是体重和腰围, 减少的是头发和皮肤的胶原蛋白。所幸头发尚黑。
2014年6月在意大利的Verona, Venice.
学过英国文学的人大多数都知道Verona这个地方。不知怎么我没有找到在Juliet’s Balcony处的照片，尽管我在那个庭院住过。Verona的Arena比罗马斗兽场还要早50年，因为一直在正常使用的原因，保护得非常好，是夏天露天表演歌剧的地方。我在这里第一次欣赏歌剧的live performance, 也是在这里爱上了意大利歌剧。
这些照片中的我大概正处于人生体重的颠峰。
Venice当然更是举世闻名。
20年前的我青春，稚嫩。那时尚未开启周游世界的模式，还只是到过中美两国而已。2004年5月30日，于美国加利福尼亚州的17 Miles.
这些照片照于美中意三国，也正好是过去二十年我待的日子最多的三个国家。
剩下的时光里一直在追求更完美的人生目标，至今还在追求的路上。
人生不长，长的是有遗憾的人生。
忙碌但意外的平静的一天 – 没有激动也没有眼泪。三年后，同一个地方，同一个典礼！
Yesterday was a bittersweet day for me, the official beginning of the end for an important part of life journey. Indeed you never understand the value of a moment until it becomes memory.
Graduation ceremony is next week.
I can almost hear Andante Spianato playing in the background as the overture for the next act of our life, which I believe will be GOLDEN.
I was finally able to get my hands on this long awaited Turandot recording from my library. Although I still prefer the 1972 legend Sutherland/Pavarotti recording better, this recording was still a “wow” moment for me. Stunningly beautiful! 
Not even an amateur by any standard so just a few personal impressions. In my memory, this is the only “full” version of Turandot I ever heard which by itself brings a lot of freshness to this probably most recorded opera. Kaufmann has been in steady decline in the last ten years, his performance in this CD was OK but reconfirmed that – not sure why his voices is now on the darker side (compare to Pavarotti’s charming). The two female singers are the real assets for this recording, bright, brilliant and touching. This “full” version has more orchestral component and thus gave Pappano more room to shine. He nailed it but he also undoubtedly benefits from the advancement in digital recording as the latest major recording of Turandot – I am never a fan of Maria Callas (just can not tolerate the poor recordings from 50s).
I now have a digital copy so I can play in my Tesla too.
Update 5/11/2024:
I have spent last a few days listening both this version and the 1972 recording and now have a better understanding of the criticism toward Joho. It was hard to imagine the 1972 recording gathered so many super stars that were still relatively new at that time.
My LOVE to opera originated from a performance at Verona Arena. Unlike any other opera, my love to Turandot is special and multifaceted. One is certainly Nessun Dorma, whenever I hear the music I have an imagination of countless of fireworks blooming and shining in the dark sky. I had it as my ringtone for a long time before it was taken over by Canon; the other is due to its deep root from Chinese children song “Jade Flower”, （Là, sui monti dell’Est) repeated countless times; and the other and probably the most important is the character of Liu.
For the entire opera, the only respectable human being to me is Liu (sorry Turandot and Calaf lovers). She is kind and selfless. My heart is always broken when she sings “Signore, ascolta!” for her unrequited love. Her joys of love is the ultimate sacrifice for her love. Joho’s voice is less glamorous than Caballé’s, but soft and beautiful, which to me is a more appropriate reflection of Liu’s feeling: desperate, sad, but at the same time feeling belittle as a slave (thus also the tremble in her voice). I am infatuated with her “Signore, ascolta!”.
