Just imagine how much cool I’d be in summer! In Summer, Frozen (2013). Summer holds a cherished place in the hearts of Chinese people. It’s a time of graduation, moving onto new chapters in life, accompanied by the humming of hot air and cool breezes, and the taste of iced watermelon. My heart skips a beat whenever I recall those memories—the midnight walks along the Thames in London, driving along Big Sur, or even just buying silly cat dolls at home with my dad....

Summer is on the way! At least for us here in Shanghai. A few days ago, I stumbled upon “South of the Border” – a collaboration between Ed Sheeran, Camila Cabello, and Cardi B – and it’s been stuck in my head ever since. The song exudes the typical Ed Sheeran bar-dance-music vibe, but with a twist. Camila adds a dash of Cuban flavor, while Cardi B brings her characteristic playfulness to the mix....

Following yesterday, the second paper I’d recommend is Carvalho et al. Penalties and Rewards for Fair Learning in Paired Kidney Exchange Programs (WINE2023). The paper took a data-driven approach and tested its method on Canadian Kidney Exchange program’s data. It established a dynamic (over time) kidney exchange model so as to take in consideration of some aspects missed by myopic naive matching schemes. They developed a novel learning approach to update the weights of the vertices so as to improve equity as well as efficiency....

Looking at two-sided market literatures so as to motivate one of my recently launched project, here’s a brief reading write-up of two papers. Starting with the first one: Ashlagi et al. On Matching and Thickness in Heterogeneous Dynamic Markets (OR2019). kidney exchange 101 Before diving into the paper, here’s how kidney exchange actually works. the concept of “exchange” Kidney transplantation is essential for patients with late-stage renal failure. While a healthy individual can donate one of their kidneys to their loved ones, often the donor is incompatible with the intended recipient....

Another day, another mountain of literature on boosting employee productivity and fostering workplace belonging. It’s almost as if we’re running out of ways to say the same thing. Building on yesterday’s discussion, my visit to TaiLong Bank unveiled an innovative practice that has proven effective—engaging employees’ parents. TaiLong Bank operates with a decentralized structure, empowering branches and sub-branches with significant autonomy. Notably, over 80% of loan decisions are made at the sub-branch level....

In choosing between issuing a 1-billion loan to one massive state-owned enterprise or lending 1 million to a thousand smaller companies, most would prefer the first option as it seems more convenient and reliable. However, Zhejiang Tailong Commercial Bank (TaiLong Bank) takes the less-traveled path – the bank provides financial services to small-and-micro-enterprises (SMEs). Since its inception, the bank has cumulatively provided over ¥150 billion (around $23 billion) in loans, with an average loan size of ¥500,000, to its clientele, over 90% of whom are peasants-turned-entrepreneurs....

Zhejiang Tailong Commercial Bank (TLB) is the most renowned Small-and-Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) financing service provider in China. TLB has invested over ¥100 million in its charity fund and consistently allocates 2% of its revenue to its foundation. I was fortunate to receive a scholarship sponsored by TLB and even more so to be invited to their headquarters today for a face-to-face meeting with their chairman and the leaders of the Shanghai Branch....

Inspired by the aesthetic of eternal sunshine’s album cover, I customized a Typora themeable that echos the album’s concept. the red of the gloves, paired with the innocent white dress, echoes a juxtaposition of passion and purity. meanwhile The dark background augments the sense of mesmerizing self-revelation. Instead of directly replicating the color palette from the album cover, I decided to take a more conceptual approach, in reflecting the commitment to an ethereal minimalism—like, an homage to the what Saturn Return brings into our lives....

The “People I Mostly Admire” podcast’s recent episode “How to Have Great Conversations” is immensely inspiring, informative, wise and useful. Hosted by Steven D. Levitt, this episode’s guest Charles Duhigg shared his new book The Power of Habit. The right conversation and the right moment can change everything. Here’s points that I’d find insightful from the podcast. three baskets of conversations Not all conversations are created equal. We’re actually participating in one of three conversations: practical (What’s this really about?...

Giselle is about ephoric, despaired, yet innocently beautiful love. the audience were very supportive and applauded until the very end–it was almost like that they’re hoping for an encore. About the story: The ghost-filled ballet tells the tragic, romantic story of a beautiful young peasant girl named Giselle and a disguised nobleman named Albrecht, who fall in love, but when his true identity is revealed by his rival, Hilarion, Giselle goes mad and dies of heartbreak....