* Asia, Asia: 亞洲印象

Here are mainly about our trips to Thailand and Japan. We went to Thailand with my family in 2000. It was a very happy and memorable holiday. However Japan was a very different story. We went there for a conference in July 2006. We met up with Gary's students in Tokyo and it was a really special occasion. Unfortunately Gary fell seriously ill the next day which was the day before we were to leave Tokyo for Beijing. He was rushed to a hospital in Nagameguro for a major surgery in the middle of the night. As a result, we had to cancel all our subsequent travels and stay in Tokyo for extra 10 days. It was an extremely difficult time for both of us. Thanks to Ichiko and Katsumi for their friendship and support so that I wasn't completely alone in a foreign country with a patient to look after. Gary and I pulled through and we now can look back with an odd affection and intimate feelings towards Tokyo. I certainly get to know Tokyo from a very different perspective when I tried to live a