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. Somehow, this combination sparks a chemistry that bridges their distinct genres seamlessly. ...

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. Kidney exchange allows such patient–donor pairs to swap donors so that each patient can receive a kidney from a compatible donor. ...

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. ...

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?), emotional (How do we feel?), and social (Who are we?). Too often, when someone shares their feelings, our instinct might be to jump into problem-solving mode. This happens especially if we’re in a higher position of power. ...

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. After her death, she is summoned from her grave into the vengeful, deadly sisterhood of the Wilis, the ghosts of unmarried women who died after being betrayed by their lovers and take revenge in the night by dancing men to death by exhaustion (a popular theme in Romantic-era ballets). Led by Myrtha, the Queen of the Wilis, they target Albrecht when he comes to mourn at Giselle’s grave, but her great love frees him from their grasp. They gain their power in numbers as they effortlessly move through dramatic patterns and synchronized movements and control the stage with their long tulle dresses and stoic expressions, creating an ethereal atmosphere that builds as they gradually close in on Albrecht. By saving him from the Wilis, Giselle also saves herself from becoming one of them. ...

Teatri alla Scala Ballet Company 2024 performed Giselle in Shanghai Grand Theatre–for four consecutive nights, from Mar. 22th to 25th. I bought a front row ticket and went for the first night, and was very lucky to see Nicoletta Manni’s rendition of Giselle. Nicoletta Manni, the principal dancer étoile of TaS, starring Giselle on the first night. ...