Hobbies

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovski (1840-1893)

Piano Concerto No. 1, in B flat Minor (1875)

Russian composers rose abruptly after the middle of the 19th century. Pyotr Tchaikovsky was the very first of this world-class series. He incorporated the Russian ballads into his works and presented them in classical forms defined by the German-Austrian pioneers. The prelude of his Piano Concerto No. 1 is extremely beautiful and always consoles me in the low tide.

Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninov (1873-1943)

Piano Concerto No. 2, in C Minor (1900)

How can you resist the last romance of the 19th century? Sergei Rachmaninov created the magnificent Piano Concerto No. 2 from the ruin of his Symphony No. 1. The gloomy strokes of the prelude imply the stressful dialogue between the devastated mind and the resisting soul. Within six minutes, the power of hope regains the initiative, symbolized by splendid notes. For so many classical masterpieces, Sergei's works touch me in a most understandable manner.

Joe Hisaishi (1950-)

Stand Alone (2009)

Known for his great successes in film scores, Joe Hisaishi is one of very few contemporary composers striking my strings. His compositions for "Laputa: Castle in the Sky" (1986), "Porco Rosso" (1992), "Departures" (2008) are all attractive, but it is the soundtrack "Stand Alone" composed for the TV drama "Clouds over the Hill" (2009-2011) greatly empowering desperate people. I personally visited the Matsuyama Castle in respect of the figures profiled by the TV drama.

Notre Dame, Paris (constructed during 1163-1250)

The prototype of early Gothic architectures. Large area of windows (in place of solid walls) along with the time-consuming constructions proved that the secular life was more reliable and worth glorifying. Notre Dame is not only a religious building but a historical and cultural stage. For example, the coronation of Napoleon I (1804), and Victor Hugo's "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831)" were staged here.

Hans Holbein (1497~1543)

Portrait of Erasmus (1523)

Holbein's biography

Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536) was a renowned humanist during the Renaissance. The atmosphere of this portrait implies the gentle, however, inalienable determination to pursue the truth of universe. That happens to be the core value of the Renaissance.

Jean Francois Millet (1814~1875)

Les Glaneuses (The Gleaners, 1857)

Naturalism, prevailing in the middle of the 19th century, concentrated on the lives of civilians; rather than those of saints, nobles, or legends. Millet excelled in presenting the lives of farmers and shepherds in a majestic manner, reminding us the dignity of common labors. The subsequent Impressionism extended the realistic spirit from painting themes to techniques, which are based on strictly scientific observations.

Traveling

Locations I've visited...

Visiting different corners of this globe has long been my dream. I  learned the diverse features of this world from the Geography textbooks. Nevertheless, taking a close-up is indispensable to have a deep insight. So far, I've called on several countries: Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Greece, USA, Canada, China, Russia, Spain, Turkey, Japan, Sweden, Korea, Germany, Czech, and Denmark. These experiences awaked me of the importance of preserving cultural heritages, which will guide us in face of contemporary challenges.

History

Why do I love to read something that has passed away? First, to reconstruct the linkage with the ancients; second, to know the deep reasons of many contemporary events. A history-lover is more likely to transcend the political slogans or preconceived prejudices to maintain an objective position.

WarCraft II

You might wonder why I list this item here. Isn't it just a PC game? Far beyond that! A classmate introduced it to me in 1995, while I had never played a PC game before. After that, groups of my classmates kicked off the virtual campaigns in the PC classroom frequently. Winning or losing the battles only played a nominal role, while the process clearly reveals human nature. During the nervous campaign, one can hardly conceal his idiosyncrasies: aggressive or conservative, selfish or altruistic. I came to realize myself more clearly, and made good friends with some of my "brothers in arms".