Life is a journey, not a destination. It is a long, long journey, so long that you could not even know what is in the distance. It is because that you cannot have a clear look beyond the corner of the road in front, you keep a hope, a sincere hope, a hope that is deep in your heart. It is because of this hope that you hold on tight to your faith. You keep walking when blisters are popping up from under your feet. You get back on your feet when you fall into the thorn bushes. You fight against the rapids when you are turned over in a turbulent river. In the meantime, you are also blessed to have the loyal Big Dipper guide you towards the right direction, to have the sweet dew quench your thirst, and to have beautiful rainbows decorate the sky along your quest. Finally, at some point, you are happy to discover that you have arrived at a place, a place where you turn back and find out that all you have gone through has turned into a magnificent view – a living jungle stretching towards the horizon with a jade-green river winding through. You smile into the distance and you find your world celebrating with you under the sun.

You should spend a night there: watch the sunset, enjoy the dark blue sky in the night, have a sweet dream, and embrace the sunrise which starts the next day. Where to go? – You do not know. The jungle in front is filled with uncertainties. But you feel you do see something in the distance through the mist of the dawn. That may be the excitements. Where are you from? – It is right there. The jungle behind you has shaped you into who you are. So take some time, take a break, seize this moment, do not let it pass. There come the memories, the experience, the wisdom, and the smiles. Collect them and carry on.

It is weird. You spent several years working for this moment and now you want to complain about how fast this moment elapses. Is that contradictory?

Hmmm… Human beings are truly sophisticated. BUT, I passed my defense!

Live a simple life, because life is here to enjoy.

After a month’s stay at home, I am now back at school again. The flight back was interesting. I took a weird route from Shanghai to Moscow and to New York City. I thought it would be fun when I decided to purchase the ticket for this route. And it turned out to be so, except that it took me about 23 hours flying which is almost like an entire day.

Being at home is definitely a wonderful thing: being with the families as well as reconnecting with old buddies. I now do realize that real good friends do not really need too much time to get back to the old feelings. We sense the sincerity as well as friendliness the moment we see each other face to face. That’s a wonderful thing of life and having such friends is truly a blessing. I felt fortunate to have those friends come into my life and be part of it.

New York is now freezing, around 20 degrees outside (thank God I have decided not to go to school today as it is the last day of the week and everything has started smoothly). This cold NYC feels almost insane to me. I cannot even feel my ears walking on the street without anything covering them. In the past 5 years, I never felt so cold. I was talking to Jiongxin the other day and interestingly we ended up in a conversation where we were trying to figure out how those homeless people could survive this severe weather. Obviously, it is going to be an extreme challenge. I do believe the government and we people as an entire society should pay special attention to them as we should treat each life equally. But unfortunately it is not the case really.

Now come to the real topic. In the following five months, many big things will happen in my life: I will defend my thesis in three weeks; I will find a job as a fresh start for my future; I will have my families come to my graduation ceremony and travel in the US with them. I feel excited for these things to happen! And this brings something Professor Zhou told us which was revised from an old saying: Long as the road is, no steps no arrivals; Difficult as the task is, no pains no gains. It is true, isn’t it?

Anyway, I do wish everyone who read this post and those who do not have a wonderful 2013. Also, do not forget to bring a healthy body and a healthy soul on your journey to every happy moment of your life!

Be optimistic and be strong.

Time flies. It is the last day of 2012. I am so happy that I am at home being with my families. I feel so grateful for all I have and I look forward to the upcoming 2013 very much!

Wish every friend a wonderful new year. May our dreams come true!

I did not plan to come to IROS this year at the very beginning. However, from the day that we decided to apply for a travel grant, to the day that we got it, to the day I left NYC for Lisbon, to now, I have always been believing that it turned out to be the best conference trip for me so far!

Life really is a Weierstrass function!

I met wonderful people. We share common interest of research. We enjoyed dinner together, hang out together, and had a lot of fun! I wish life could be always like this!

I am now in Lisbon, alone, and have just finished the postcards, which are finally ready to be sent to the US. I will spend one day in Lisbon tomorrow and I shall see how it goes.

Thanks! Thanks for all the givings!

Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.

– Dalai Lama

‎”No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true. Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

- Steve Jobs

I will be off to SRI tomorrow and stay there for a week.
But where is my spring break?

Looks cute, but the system is still in development.
It is good to watch something grow from almost its birth…

1.如果你不喜欢现在的工作，要么辞职不干，要么就闭嘴不言。初出茅庐，往往眼高手低，心高气傲，大事做不了，小事不愿做。不要养成挑三拣四的习惯。不要雨天烦打伞，不带伞又怕淋雨，处处表现出不满的情绪。记住，不做则已，要做就要做好。

2. 每个人都有孤独的时候。要学会忍受孤独，这样才会成熟起来。年轻人嘻嘻哈哈、打打闹闹惯了，到了一个陌生的环境，面对形形色色的人和事，一下子不知所措起来，有时连一个可以倾心说话的地方也没有。这时，千万别浮躁，学会静心，学会忍受孤独。在孤独中思考，在思考中成熟，在成熟中升华。不要因为寂寞而乱了方寸，而去做无聊无益的事情，白白浪费了宝贵的时间。

3. 不要像玻璃那样脆弱。有的人眼睛总盯着自己，所以长不高看不远；总是喜欢怨天尤人，也使别人无比厌烦。没有苦中苦，哪来甜中甜？不要像玻璃那样脆弱，而应像水晶一样透明，太阳一样辉煌，腊梅一样坚强。既然睁开眼睛享受风的清凉，就不要埋怨风中细小的沙粒。

4.管住自己的嘴巴。不要谈论自己，更不要议论别人。谈论自己往往会自大虚伪，在名不副实中失去自己。议论别人往往陷入鸡毛蒜皮的是非口舌中纠缠不清。每天下班后和你的那些同事朋友喝酒聊天可不是件好事，因为，这中间往往会把议论同事、朋友当做话题。背后议论人总是不好的，尤其是议论别人的短处，这些会降低你的人格。

5. 机会从不会“失掉”，你失掉了，自有别人会得到。不要凡事在天，守株待兔，更不要寄希望于“机会”。机会只不过是相对于充分准备而又善于创造机会的人而言的。也许，你正为失去一个机会而懊悔、埋怨的时候，机会正被你对面那个同样的“倒霉鬼”给抓住了。没有机会，就要创造机会，有了机会，就要巧妙地抓住。

6.若电话老是不响，你该打出去。很多时候，电话会给你带来意想不到的收获，它不是花瓶，仅仅成为一种摆设。交了新朋友，别忘了老朋友，朋友多了路好走。交际的一大诀窍就是主动。好的人缘好的口碑，往往助你的事业更上一个台阶。

7. 写出你一生要做的事情，把单子放在皮夹里，经常拿出来看。人生要有目标，要有计划，要有提醒，要有紧迫感。一个又一个小目标串起来，就成了你一生的大目标。生活富足了，环境改善了，不要忘了皮夹里那张看似薄薄的单子。 、

编后语：人生是需要拼搏，对待人生谁没有低谷，顺其自然也不失为一种方法，来到这个世界，总得留下点什么吧，坚持……