By Emma Zhu - July 21, 2009
(credit: Google China)
Just a few minutes, we experienced the full eclipse in Shanghai. Though it was raining and too cloudy to see the sun by myself, I was thrilled by the 5-minute-long experience from daylight to darkness and back to daylight.
The eclipse today was reported the best chance to observe as once in 300 years in Shanghai. It's very rare that the eclipse would move along most of the populated areas in China, from Tibet to Shanghai. Thanks to the modern media technology, the eclipse event is being broadcast live to the nation, covering different local cities, where the eclipse can be seen, one after another.
Here are a few photos I took at the moment of full darkness. Now I must run to work since the daylight is back on :)
By Emma Zhu - June 24, 2009
I know, I know. The word of openness has been blended with too much flavor from the fast-changing mobile and software times to be self-explanatory any more. As we all attempt to solve the puzzle of openness, we unintentionally add more complexity and mystery to the word. Today's post could be read as a necklace of pearls by which I want to share a few random thoughts around openness to record my recent footprints, and hopefully, invoke more conversations on the buzzword.
By Emma Zhu - June 15, 2009
Yesterday I stumbled upon a serious 7-page long Do You Belong to New York quiz on Time Out. It includes all the seemingly meaningless but nitty-gritty questions about living in the City, such as "What's the most you're willing to pay for a beer?". I have no clue how the score percentile would look like. My wild guess is that if you can nailed half of the questions down, you can live in the City happily ever after.
I didn't start the quiz yet. I even failed a random converstaion about DUMBO. When a friend asked me about the place I solo wandered last afternoon, what came up in my mind was that little cute flying elephant I adored in the kindergarten.
(If you already know what DUMBO is, you can take the quiz now instead of clicking in to read more...but if you don't, I'd like to babble a little bit further...)
By Emma Zhu - June 13, 2009
When I was awoken by the morning sunshine today, I decided to get out of Manhattan after week-long changing weather. Since I arrived in the city two months ago, I've stepped out of the island for only a few times, partly because there are too many exciting things in Manhattan to get you bored and partly because it's kind of a "big" plan you have to make for seeing around outside the city yet without a car. But each of the few times was worthwhile and refreshing experience.
By Emma Zhu - June 8, 2009
Where is this place? What is going on there? Emma, are you still in the City?
By Emma Zhu - June 2, 2009
A big part I love about the City is its magnetic nature of attracting different kinds of talents and hosting an open stage to stimulate new insights out of a diverse community.
Yesterday and today I spent a fair amount of time at the Hudson Theatre attending Conversational Marketing Summit, which is a part of the Internet Week saluting New York's thriving Internet industry. As the media industry plays such a strategic role in the city, the Internet Week here has an inherent focus on how to use technology and internet to reach and engage audience in the new media arena.
The two-day summit was mainly comprised of 15-minute case studies, which made the whole conference fruitful and efficient. With exponentially growing user base and user-initiated activities, conversational marketing is gaining more and more popularity among a myriad of entrepreneurs and marketers. Just think for one second about Elieen Naughton's statement: Youtube could be the third largest country in population if it were a country. Not to mention another fact: 51% of registered citizens go to this 'country' weekly or more often.
By Emma Zhu - May 31, 2009
Benjamin Franklin Parkway is one of the must-see places in Philadelphia, from a visitor's point of view. If you have only one day planned in Philly, go spend a few hours in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. If you have one day plus available in town, I suggest you schedule a whole day for the Parkway, including enough time enjoying your favorite genre of art in the museums and strolling around Fairmount Water Works.
By Emma Zhu - May 30, 2009
I should have continued my Philadelphia trio at this post. I wanted to find a nice outdoor place to write, so I came to Bryant Park. But as soon as I arrived here, I couldn't help indulging in this not-big yet culturally rich park. Thus I decided to report some fresh thoughts in the park.
Urban life has a lot in common no matter where you are. People recognize a city when they walk on the streets hugged by skyscrapers and a variety of retail stores. But a real city is more defined by millions of trivial details than by a mile of landmarks. It is the trivial details that make people remember a city as itself. The trivial details may be a local stranger giving you a token when you get lost in the subway station at midnight, or a clean public toilet with baby change tables and toilet covers, or you enjoying a pleasant afternoon peacefully in a lively park in the center of the city.
By Emma Zhu - May 29, 2009
I think it is interesting to visit historic places in some special days. For example, foreign visitors should come to Beijing to see the military parade for the country's 60th anniversary on the coming October 1st, or to be overwhelmed by deafening fireworks during the spring festival.
By Emma Zhu - May 26, 2009
There are a thousand New York City in a thousand people's eyes.
In someone’s eyes, the city is the playground of dream chasers, some of whom drag their suitcases to look for purposes in the city and start with an affordable apartment on avenue Q. In someone’s eyes, the city is the paradise of shoppers, walking non-stop from the world’s largest department store at Herald Square to boutique shops at SoHo. In someone’s eyes, the city is an endless feast table, on which are presented all kinds of authentic cuisine in different forms from open market food festival to fancy fusion restaurants with great ambience.
