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A celebration of Harrison Chen’s life Harrison Chen

A celebration of Harrison’s life will be held this Saturday December 12th, 2015 at The Lord’s Grace Christian Church from 10am-12pm. The address is 1101 San Antonio Road, Mountain View.
Anyone who wishes to say final good-bye to Harrison, there will be viewing afterwards to be held at Cusimano Family Colonial Mortuary from 12pm-4pm. The address is 96 W El Camino Real, Mountain View.

感恩节那天,Harrison Chen突发脑溢血。一个14岁的生命,突然间,他走了。

十几年前Harrison 的父母洁云一家和我们一个团契慕道。我们看着Harrison和他弟弟长大。他总是那么可爱,那么聪颖。依然记得他读书,做功课,编程的样子。上周五我还在看到他均匀的呼吸安然睡着的样子,还抚摸着他热乎乎的手,一直期待奇迹的出现。从此,再也听不到他说再见的声音,看不到他的身影。只有等待天家我们再见。

他们全家需要我们继续用祷告支持。

下面是Harrison当助教的数学老师Mr. G 写给学生的信。

Dear TA’s,

I write this email with a heavy heart.

While vacationing with his family in Monterey during Thanksgiving, Harrison felt a sudden pressure behind his eyes.

One of the blood vessels in his brain had ruptured.  He died the next day.

His mom emailed on Sunday while she and Harrison’s dad were keeping vigil at the hospital.  I met up with them at 1:00 Monday morning, then again at 1:30 Wednesday afternoon and once more at 10:30Wednesday night, doing what I could to console them in their time of grief.

I cannot imagine the anguish a parent goes through losing a child, particularly a 14-year-old in excellent health.

Harrison’s parents asked me to write something about their son which would be given to the families that would be receiving his donated organs.  I have included that note below.

I would also like to share with you what I said to Harrison’s class last night, as that message applies to all of you as well:

Parents: do not take your children for granted.  Tell them that you love them and are proud of them, not because of their grades, or their success at sports, or their abilities in music, but simply because they are your kids.

Students: do not take your parents for granted.  Tell them that you love them and are thankful for them.  Tell them that you appreciate them for providing a place for you to live, a safe environment for you to learn, and a loving home for you to thrive.  Remember that many kids do not enjoy these same advantages.  Indeed, many kids do not even have parents.

Parents and Students: remember that tomorrow is not guaranteed.  If you have something good to say to someone, don’t wait until the next day: you may not get another chance.

I will be working with Harrison’s family in the coming weeks to help with whatever they need.  If there is to be a public memorial service, I will definitely let you know, and I hope you will be able to attend and stand in solidarity with his family.  I am devastated — physically and emotionally spent — but my suffering is inconsequential compared to Harrison’s family.

Please share this message with your parents.  They need to know too.  Thank you for doing so.

Respectfully,

Mr. G.

Remembrances of Harrison

Quiet leadership.

If I were to summarize the life of Harrison Chen in two words, it would be just that: quiet leadership.

It didn’t matter what he was doing.  Harrison’s gentle, caring, and observant spirit was prevalent in his interactions with all people: adults and children, classmates and family members, long time friends and people he had just met.

Harrison loved math.  He devoured math contests as if they were an extra meal, scoring so consistently high that he earned a Teaching Assistant position in Math Olympiads class.  As a TA he positively impacted the learning process of the students whose papers he dutifully corrected.

Harrison led by example.  When the Students trailed the Parents in the final round of Games Day II, Harrison calmly walked up to take his shot with the ping pong ball, and deftly bounced it into the Instant Winner box, sending the Students team into wild celebration.  He remains the only student to have accomplished this feat in the history of the event.  You wouldn’t know by talking to him, though: when asked about the experience, he would simply shrug his shoulders and explain that it wasn’t that hard of a shot.

He probably felt the same way after the 2014 Simultaneous Chess Exhibition, when he was the only student out of 25 participants to defeat Mr. G.

Now, as Harrison enters the next phase of his life journey, his influence will continue to be felt.  You won’t hear him talking loudly.  You won’t see him raising his arms in the air shouting at other people.  You won’t see him in person.  But make no mistake: Harrison Chen will be as alive in the hearts of his students, family, and friends — as well as physically alive in the bodies of fellow men and women who will owe their lives to his generosity — as if he were in the classroom himself.

Quiet leadership.  Harrison wouldn’t have it any other way.


浪子回头的故事(1)

他10岁时父亲走了,再也没有回头。只留下了母亲和姐姐。他如今也不能明白父亲为什么会离开他们,不再回头。他常常问自己,是不是自己做错了什么事,让父亲离开这个家,没有再回头。

身为大学教授的母亲工作非常忙。在他的印象中,母亲真的特别忙,每天都特别特别忙。他知道母亲的忙都是为了爱他和姐姐,让他们能享受优越的生活并得到良好的教育。 Continue reading


巧遇语言学上帝乔姆斯基

Seeing Noam Chomsky when visiting MIT.
There was one minute three of us (my wife, me and Chomsky) were confined to the elevator when my wife reminded me that this old prof must be Chomsky (in Chinese). Totally unexpected. I was debating whether to say hi to him, but thought it might be too abrupt, especially in such a narrow space. So I only shot a few pictures of him leaving the building to pay my silent respect to one of the greatest men of mankind of any time. Among all scholars alive, he is the most quoted man in this world, living god of linguistics.

MIT 掠影 记述了我与领导的MIT之行,话说我们在校园溜达两圈,领导说:这 MIT 名头多大,却好生无趣,不如归去他玩。我忙说,不急,至少得去看了语言学系才好离去,一边解释,不仅仅我是语言学家要去看看语言学系,而是因为MIT语言学系是乔姆斯基的宝地。 Continue reading


86岁乔姆斯基新婚一周年接受采访,谈上帝礼物

特大新闻:乔姆斯基(乔老爷)在新婚一周年接受采访,谈上帝礼物,与杨振宁惊人一致.
五年前丧偶,当时他极度沮丧和绝望,对没有爱的生活他看不到任何生活的意义。如今他老当益壮,格外活跃。祝福他。
乔老爷什么人物?最简单的说法可以是除了上帝外的第一号神人。 Continue reading

《周末听歌:漂洋过海来看你》

是从《中国好声音》和《最美和声》听到这首歌的。《好声音》和《最美和声》都是很好的节目,有气氛,看了过瘾,也在 娱乐中接触了很多过去错过的好歌。

台湾流行音乐之父李宗盛写的这首歌很动人,曲调流畅,有几句特别好听:“言语从来没能将我的情意 表达千万分之一” 还有 “记忆它总是慢慢的累积”。 Continue reading


[文学城]当妈的反思

 当妈的反思 (南山碧竹)

想写一篇反思,对孩子教育的反思。一是自己的一种习惯,二是也许对别人有借鉴之用。

儿子毕业了找了理想的工作了,成熟,沉稳,积极,进取。我和他爸爸说,我怎么觉着儿子所有这些优点,没有一个是咱教育的成果呢?得到的回应是~~赞同。

周末,和儿子聊天,让儿子回忆,什么事让你变成今天的你?什么事是对你影响大的事情?他回忆说,高中时,自己就是个混混。不知努力,也不想努力。大一, 和高中常不多。大二,开始做学生会的头头,又要打工,时间不够,不得不从另一个角度考虑事情,合理的目标,适当的计划,有效率的行动,不得不重新审视自己所做的一切,并随时调整。列出不满意自己的几条,逐一给自己定出改进的方法,随后,又跟进自我检验成果。大三,开始锻炼举重。这时,严格的自律,百分之一百的投入变成为了最重要的东西。半年之后,身体上的强壮,让他意识到,自己其实有比自己能想到的大得多的潜能,只是不够努力,不够刻苦。 从锻炼中,让他养成了百分之百的立刻专著的习惯(不然就受伤),他才发现做任何事情,都需要这份全力以赴的专著和自律。这是他从锻炼里学到的最有用的东西。这个从小挑食,对美食极敏感的孩子,变成了每顿都严格按营养进食的习惯。 严格的锻炼程序,让我都觉得太苦。但那份自律是让自己自愧不如的。我问,现在对待你的工作也是这份态度?他说,当然!

Continue reading


iPhone PANO:苹果爱疯全景照技术的便利及其缺陷

自己是搞技术的,免不了有技术改变世界的思维定势。喜欢玩 digital gadgets 及其 越来越智能化的 features,也表现了这一点。最近迷上了用iPhone拍摄全景照,乐此不疲,感觉很新颖,但其实并不神妙。不神妙是因为“智能”拼接图片无缝连接本来就该是软件的技术活儿,最适合机器去做。 Continue reading


转:三个故事说穿了许多人,也看穿了许多人.

一、甲不喜欢吃鸡蛋,每次发了鸡蛋都给乙吃。

刚开始乙很感谢,久而久之便习惯了。
习惯了,便理所当然了。
于是,直到有一天,甲将鸡蛋给了丙,乙就不爽了。
她忘记了这个鸡蛋本来就是甲的,甲想给谁都可以。为此,她们大吵一架,从此绝交。

二、有一年,很热的夏天,一队人出去漂流。
女孩的拖鞋在玩水的时候,把拖鞋掉下去了,沉底了。
到岸边的时候,全是晒的很烫的鹅卵石,他们要走很长的一段路。
于是,女孩儿就向别人寻求帮忙,可是谁都只有一双拖鞋。
女孩心里很不爽,因为她习惯了向别人求助,而只要撒娇就会得到满意地答复。
可是这次却没有。她忽然觉得这些人都不好,都见死不救。
后来,有一个男孩将自己的拖鞋给了她,然后自己赤脚在那晒得滚烫的鹅卵石上走了很久的路。
还自嘲说是铁板烧。
女孩表示感谢,男孩说,你要记住,没有谁是必须要帮你的。
帮你是出于交情,不帮你是应该。
女孩记住了男孩的话,自此以后学会了对施以援手的人铭记在心,并给以更大的回报。
很多时候,我们总是希望得到别人的好。
一开始,感激不尽。
可是久了,便是习惯了。
习惯了一个人对你的好,便认为是理所应当的。
有一天不对你好了,你便觉得怨怼。
其实,不是别人不好了,而是我们的要求变多了。
习惯了得到,便忘记了感恩.

Continue reading


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