Jim in China

For over a month, I have been working around the clock on an article based on my research with Wang Zhiyou and Zhu Jingsong. it is titled “Accurate and Precise Polynomial Approximations to Angular Interrogation Surface Plasmon Resonance Data.” I know that, with a title like that, everyone will be most eager to read it.

It is a bit long, twenty eight pages of text, double-spaced, not counting the 15 figures in the article. I am guessing that it will be about 12-16 journal pages long when it is published. We are thinking of submitting it to a journal published by that European bandit Elsevier.

Jingsong is happy with the work. As sort of a reward, I have been invited by the Chinese Academy of Science to give an address to the young scientists at the nuclear test facility in Mianyang (绵阳; pinyin: Miányáng), Sichuan Province. There are still many problems after the May 12, 2008 earthquake.

From Wikipedia:

Mianyang is the second largest city in Sichuan Province, located in western China. Mianyang is noted for its beautiful scenery, long history, and deep cultural roots.

They say the food is hot and the women are beautiful.

Sichuan is also famous for its relaxed lifestyle. In fact, young men are advised not to go to Chengdu, since they will find the relaxed pace of life too appealing. Here is some background from China Odyssey Tours.

Unique Leisure Life in Sichuan
The tempo of life in Chengdu, the capitol of Sichuan Province, is the polar opposite of Shanghai. Even Chinese people traveling from other cities are amazed at Chengdu people’s ability to relax. People seem to spend the majority of their time in tea houses, or playing mahjong, or card games.
Tea House Life
Sichuan can be called a province of tea houses. Tea houses can be found in every city, town, and village. Spend a day in a Sichuan tea house and you will have a better understanding of Sichuan people’s local life as it has been for hundreds of years.

The tea house is an important gathering place in Sichuan, especially in Chengdu. It is one of the few remaining cities in China to still contain an authentic tea house culture. Thousands of teahouses are scattered about the city, they provide the locals a place for social gathering, entertainment, where they can get together with relatives, make new friends, and meet up with old ones. Over the centuries, people in Chengdu City have formed a habit of stopping by teahouses.

Even though a tea house is not a scenic spot, it is still a wonderful place to see and be seen. It is recommended that every visitor to Chengdu stop and visit a tea house for a while. It is guaranteed to be the experience of a lifetime.
Mahjong and Sichuan Cards Games
More so than in any other place in China, Sichuan is famous for its relaxed lifestyle, and the games played there play an important role in the leisure time of its residents. The two most popular are Mahjong and the card game DouDiZhu (fight the landlord).

Mahjong is a game enjoyed throughout China and around the world, but nowhere does it have such notoriety as in Sichuan. Almost every resident of the province knows how to play this game, from the oldest senior citizen, to the youngest school child.

Everywhere you go, you will find people playing Mahjong. It can be seen on the streets, in tea houses, in Mahjong houses, and at home.

The other extremely popular game is Dou Di Zhu (Fight the Landlord). It is a card game similar to the game Big 2, but with some major differences. In Dou Di Zhu one player plays the landlord, and the other players team up to ‘Fight the Landlord’.

Now I am working on a second article…