Have a COST-Efficiency Spring Break

It is almost impossible to book a ticket now to anywhere from Des Moines. Four figure round-trip tickets are beyond almost a normal student's budget. However, we can still have a wonderful spring break in a cost-effective way.

Tip 1: if you have a car, search tickets  from some nearby city like Omaha or Kansas City, even Chicago which mostly likely to have the cheapest tickets. I know it is a long drive, but who says we cannot add these cities to our destinations and enjoy something fun, like museums or Chicago-Pizza...

Tip 2: Des Moines is a wonderful places with so many hidden secrets. For most of the international students, I grantee that you miss a lot of great places. How many of you have heard of Salisbury House & Gardens? I don't even know this place until the director of the Salisbury was invited to our class as a guest speaker. We passed the sign said Salibury House & Garden every time through E I235, now I noticed, it is right there, 10-minute drive from Drake. It is a beautiful place since spring has shown its footsteps.

Tip 3: Time to contribute. You know you always have a lot of excuses to avoid volunteer work or someway to give back to the community. Now it is a good time. I am always a tea drinker and passionate about sharing the tea with people. I saw an annual event --Tea in the castle held in Salisbury when I was browsing its website. So I contacted the volunteer center there, that is what I will do these spring break. There are all kinds of opportunities out there you can help. All those emails you ignored from volunteer fair, they still need you, and they have a big heart to accept your sudden presence and absence. Just Do It! I love this logo.

I will keep posted when I think of more tips... or you can share yours!

Spring Braeak Tips in Vagas through my Winter Break Las Vagas miscellaneous

 We are definitely sober...I think I was pretty brave to drive in a big strange city in a rainy night rush with only 6-month of history of driver license...

 I am "depressed"... you know why...

 The "gang"!

 I am seriously bored...

If you decide to loan some fun for your last spring break in Vagas, don't do anything I did in Vagas, totally a waste of the "sin" city...

Just Kidding... 

But the weather would be way better through, so enjoy the pool, colorful "liquid" in all kinds of shapes, clubs and yourself...

  Vegas + Grand Canyon

I have traveled the east coast of the US and live and explore the Midwest, but I have never been to the west coast and any national park. I know it sounds random, but that is most of the Chinese people’s tourist catalog for America.

So without the plan to go home, Iowa is not a great place to stay in winter, I don’t want to have the same life as my car, burying under the snow for a whole winter. So I gather a gang of three. Here we come, Vegas!

Ticket is a pain… Why are you so pricy…My heart hurts every time I hit submit, but the hotel is surprisingly cheap, Gee, I am not going to be broke in Vegas. Stay away form those sucking machines!

Show + Show + Buffet! That is our plan for Vegas.

I insist that we can make a convenient trip to Grand Canyon from Vegas; I swore I would ride the donkey down the hills, should be fun!

OMG

I hate the terrible finals. I am done, talking to my mum as the last piece to complete the final week. I was sad that I have to spend a lonely Christmas in Iowa. Not saying that Christmas is a big deal, it is just the feeling that I am alone is horrible thinking about my roommate has been enjoyed the warmth and awesome food with her family.

--Those are all my complain---

--Then my mum said,” Then come home”

--Then I said, ”You are joking”

--“No”

--“Don’t do this, I will be great disappointed if this doesn’t happen..”

--“I am not joking, just go to the airport with your passport, I have got you the ticket.”

---OMG---

---End---

Vegas---

My mum was seriously worried because of a description from my dad---“Vegas, world famous red-light zone.” OK, mum. That is not why I want to visit Vegas…

“Since you are single, it is not good for your reputation to go places like this…”

……

Anyway, I like Vegas a lot,  for its light, for its Chinatown, for its rhythm of life.

Harvard University Asia Business Conference---Registration starts today!

There are two Asia Business Conference open to the public in Harvard University and UC Berkely.

The one held in Harvard has been going on for a few years. I think it is the oldest Asia Business Conference held within an academic setting.  I am calculating the airfare+logistic fees to see whether it will fall into my budget. It should be pretty nice to spend a weekend mixing business with pleasure in a city carried some of the most precious American history. I traveled to Boston on Dec 09. I loved that city.


Harvard University---

Progress through Partnerships

April 1 - April 2, 2011

In 2011, the Asia Business Conference will focus on Asia’s evolution into an indispensible partner for the rest of the world, and the growing importance of internal collaborations among Asian countries.

Registration is now open! Click here to register for the 2011 Asia Business Conference!

---

Keynote Speakers

This year’s keynote speakers will be announced soon!

Past conference keynote speakers have included Oki Matsumoto (Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Monex, Inc.), Jonney Shih (Chairman of ASUSTek), Thierry Porte (Former President and Chief Executive Officer of Shinsei Bank, Japan), Niu Gensheng (Chairman of Meng Niu), David Rubenstein (founder of The Carlyle Group), Haruhiko Kuroda (President of the Asian Development Bank), Ong Keng Yong (Secretary-General of ASEAN), Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi (Former Director General of the World Trade Organization), Jin Liqun (Former Vice Minister of Finance of the People’s Republic of China), and Lee Hong-Koo (former Prime Minister of South Korea).

UC Berkeley---

2011 Berkeley Asia Business Conference!

The 2011 Berkeley Asia Business Conference (http://berkeleyabc.org/), the largest student-run event on the West Coast about Asia, will take place on 2^nd April at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business campus. It’s our great honor to invite you to attend this exciting event!

This year's theme of "Growing Market, Growing Needs" seeks to explore the rising consumption trend in Asia from various dimensions: macro-economic trends, new industry and business structures, the needs of the Asian consumer, and talent gap in Asia.

Please join over 500 Bay Area professionals and graduate students to discuss Asia's shift from an export-driven model to an internal consumption and to learn how to take part in Asia's growth.

Hear From Top-Notch Keynote Speakers:

·         Steven Chan, President of Suntech America

Other Invited Keynote Speakers:

·         Stephen Roach, chairman of Morgan Stanley in Asia

·         Edward King, Head of M&A Asia in Barclays PLC

·         Laura Tyson, Economic Advisor to President Obama

·         Shantanu Narayen, CEO Adobe Systems

·         Lata Krishnan, Director at SVB Financial Group

·         Kal Patel, President of Best Buy Asia

Join Us For In-Depth Industry-Breakout Panels:

·         Cleantech

·         Consumer Brands

·         Finance

·         Healthcare

·         High-Technology

·         Rising Asia

I am on a magzine!

I had a great thanksgiving in Aurora, NE. What surprises me most is my room mate referred me one of her aunt's article. I am the "heroine". I always love to share my culture, especially tea. I decide to follow up some background of the tea culture in China in the coming posts. ---

It's my editor's note for the December issue of the Live Well Nebraska magazine:
>
>
> Charlie Brown described happiness as a warm puppy. For me, happiness could be a hot cup of tea.
>
> I grew up in a tea-drinking family, and the taste of hot tea still has the power to transport me home. On page ?, contributing writer Kim Carpenter traces the history of tea and its health benefits.
>
> I thought I knew something about tea. Over the years, my husband and I upgraded from tea bags to tea leaves. We have special tea pots. We’ve debated the best length of time to steep various types of tea leaves.
>
> Then I met Ling, a college friend of my niece. Ling is from the region of China where oolong tea originated. During our Thanksgiving celebration at my mother’s house, Ling described the tea farms around her childhood home. She talked about how tea is harvested and the history of how oolong was taken to other parts of the world. She described the differences of green and black tea.
>
> And she talked about how to make tea. Throw out the first batch, she said, to get rid of the dirt and debris that is a normal part of the tea harvest. Then make a second batch from the leaves. That’s what you drink.
>
> It was fascinating to hear Ling talk about tea. She spoke with deep knowledge and appreciation of this product for which her homeland is known. Could I speak as knowledgeably about Nebraska corn? I don’t think so, even though I grew up in Hamilton County, where center-pivot irrigation ensures the corn is way more than knee-high by the Fourth of July.
>
> The lesson Ling offered wasn’t just about tea. It was about pride of one’s homeland.
>
> I’m waiting until a special tea occasion to prepare the little pouch of oolong tea that Ling brought from China. When I make it -- according to her instructions -- I expect it will carry me in a small way toward China ... and a long ways toward my Nebraska home.
>
> What is happiness to you? I wish it really were as simple as a warm puppy or a cup of hot tea.
>
> In the midst of the season of joy, many of us can find it hard to be joyous. Appropriately, in this month’s issue of Live Well, contributing writer Judy Horan examines the concept of happiness.
>
> Happiness is no guarantee, says Dr. Layne Prest. And once you find it, you aren’t guaranteed of keeping it. "It’s an ongoing journey," he said.
>
> Read Horan’s story on p. ?. Then turn to p. ? for joke-telling tips from comedian Vic Henley. A little laughter might help smooth the journey.
>
> What do you do to become and stay happy? Let’s talk about it online in the livewellnebraska.com<http://livewellnebraska.com> forums.
>
> While you’re on the forums, send us your favorite healthy recipe. Content editor Ananda Spadt and I are starting a healthy recipe feature that will appear both in the magazine and on livewellnebraska.com<http://livewellnebraska.com>. On the forums, look for the Recipes topic under the Nutrition board. Submit your recipes there. We’ll select some to appear in coming issues of the magazine and on the Fitness and Nutrition section online
>
> I hope you have happy and warm holidays.
>
> Live well!
>
>
>

Ken Yu's John Deer Life

Shaochen Ken Yu is a senior at Drake University. He is a part time internal controller at John Deer. He would like to share a few snapshots of his farm life.

FEI Lecture

Drake University will host a forum featuring national experts who will discuss solutions to the United States' fiscal challenges. Former U.S. Comptroller General David M. Walker and Concord Coalition Executive Director Robert L. Bixby will present the Fiscal Solutions Forum.

I would like to share some good points from the lecture, as a citizen of the biggest "debt holder" to US. (just joking)

Happy new fiscal year(Fiscal year of 2011 started at the second day of the presentation)!

There is no doubt that US now is in a bad position in many ways many people don’t want or would never expect to be. Huge amount of the deficit is a big reminding right here waiting for a solution.

Social security, Medicare and Medicaid, defense and Non-defense are the four components of the government outlays. In FY 2010, the number of the four are coincidentally to be an average of 700 billion dollars with a total of 3.49 trillion compared to 2.14 trillion in revenue which comes from different sources of taxes. As Percentage of U.S. Economy, the federal spending in 1800 was only 2%, while in 2009, the number is 24%, and we predict the number in 2040 to be 35%. Especially the interest which is part of the non-defense component is flying under the radar but maintains a big base and a high increase rate, which contributes a lot to the big federal spending but not causing enough attention.

“Since 1800, U.S. Debt Held by the Public has exceeded 60 percent of GDP (the maximum debt ceiling used by the European Monetary Union) only during World War II.” But US holds 40% of the world economy since then, the dollars are as good as gold. Then the government starts to rely on the big deficit. Let the foreign government to hold debt to the US is not necessary a bad thing, but we should consider the sustainability of the gap between spending and revenue and the percentage to the GDP. The average outlays as a percent of GDP is 21 while the revenue to be 18.3, which left a 3% gap in deficit in GDP which brings concerns whether the economy is sustainable  at such level. However some people argue that the GDP has an average growth rate of 3% every year, it should be OK and sustainable to the economy. But in a long-term structure stand point, we can see that is not working. “Without reforms, by 2022, future revenues will only cover Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and interest on the debt. By 2046, revenues won’t even cover interest costs.” And future U.S. Debt Held by the Public is projected to soar if current policies remain unchanged, which means in 2038, US government will hold almost 300% of the debt as a percentage of GDP, and 854% in 2080.

In another aspect, the Mandatory spending is consuming a growing share of the budget which means that the Congress will have less control of the budget. It will be a very negative impact on the wise spending the tax payers’ money.

In another inception, the Social Security program has experienced more surpluses than deficits. We expected in the future, persistent cash deficits are projected for Social Security.  Social security has current beneficiaries of 53 million dollars and Medicare has about 46 million but the trust fund will begin permanently operating with a negative cash sin 2015 for Social security and Medicare has already begun. The exhaustion year of those funds are not far away, respectively to be 2037 and 2029.

 We know the tax will increase. Total tax burdens are lower in the U.S. than many other industrial countries, 28% compared to Sweden 48%, France 43%. Individual income and payroll taxes comprise most of federal receipts  Main sources of growth in the Federal revenue over the next 30 years will be individual income taxes, about 6.5% which has to cover the 6.5% increase in Interest alone and almost 4% growth in Medicare and not to mention Medicaid and social security.

Thanksgiving 2010

The invitation said "Just some quick notes- my Grandma's house is pretty small, so you and me might be sleeping on the floor. (oh well : )  ) Typically, Des Moines to Aurora takes 4 hours; it is a very easy drive. My Grandma's town is not very exciting, but we will play lots of games, and you can meet all my extended family!"

That was very true, and we fulfilled all our targets and had great time in Aurora besides my speeding ticket, God!

 Say hello to Amber, I was told to avoid standing in the her back or I might be kicked. Good surviving  tip!

 I had a bucket list during my internship, the things I should done in America. Now check off one!

 This is always my favorite part of the family decoration... Nothing intentional, just place them there when time goes by, and someday, you smile in front of the fridge looking those photos...

  Nurst, best game ever, very competitive and exciting! It was the calmness before the storm.