Fianlly! I can continue this travel blog after Covid years. The first trip is to Portugal! I visited Portugal in April 2024 when I attended ICSE 2024. It is a country from the mainlands to the islands, from wild coastal stretches to rugged mountain ranges, from the charming streets of old towns to medieval castles layered with history. A very lovely country!
I visited Istanbul, Turkey in January 2020 on my way back from Nepal to the United States. Istanbul is such a beautiful city. Straddling the Bosporus strait between the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea, it separates Europe and Asia. Gorgeous buildings and drool-worthy desserts are everywhere. People there are also very friendly. Walking on the street, I feel like I am in a little bit of a dream world.
Nepal has been on my travel list for a while. I got a chance to visit there from December 2019 to January 2020. Nestled in the lap of the gigantic Himalayan Range, Nepal is a tremendously attractive location for mountain lovers. During my visit, my Nepalese friends gave me a very warm welcome - I feel like I am one of their family members! I visited three cities there: Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Butwal. I will definitely go back to Nepal for trekking next time!
I visited Munich, Germany in September 2019 when I attended MoDELS 2019. It is a city with BEER, BEER, and more BEER. The old town area has a lot of old buildings. Unfortunately, most of the buildings were reconstructed after World War II because the war destroyed most of them. War is easy, peace is hard. "An eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind" - Mahatma Gandhi
I visited Amsterdam, Netherlands in February 2019 after attending the MODELSWARD conference. I have been dreaming about going to Amsterdam since I heard the song "Amsterdam" from my favorite band - Imagine Dragons. I love there - it is a place where you can feel 100% freedom. I hope I can visit it there sometime again.
I visited Prague, Czech in February 2019 when I attended MODELSWARD 2019. It is absolutely a beautiful city and I really love the local sausage there. There is a HUGE castle on the top of a mountain in the center of the city where you can get a view of the whole city. Walking on the Charles Bridge, you may have a feeling you are living in late Medieval.
I visited Montreal, Canada in July 2017 when I attended the 8th Summer School on Domain Specific Modelling Theory and Practice (DSM-TP). Montreal is a cool city where most people speak French only. The most famous food there is called Poutine. It was tasty although it was a bit greasy.
I am now living in Seattle, WA. I like it here because it rains a lot! I know it sounds funny but yes, I like rain! The first pic was taken at Mount Rainier National Park near Seattle and the second pic was taken at Sweet Home, Alabama! It is actually the campus of The University of Alabama! - where I completed my Ph.D. degree!
Before I came to the US, I traveled to many provinces in China. Compared with all the places I have visited, I like Nanjing and Beijing the most. My hometown is Qinhaungdao, Hebei Province. It is a beautiful city with sea and mountains. It is also the place where the Great Wall starts!!! The first picture is my favorite place in China - the Forbidden City (600 years old next year)! The second picture is my hometown - Qinhuangdao! ( I did not take these two photos)
