Knowing Mr I.M. Pei, and establishing the LM. Pei Foundation with his son, Didi Pei, are among the most fortunate things to ever happen to me.

Like many Chinese Americans, I chose to study architecture in 1975, simply because I wanted to be the next I.M. Pei. He was the inspiration for my career and my life. Unfortunately when I applied for a job at his office after graduation in 1980, his associate partner, Kellogg Wong told me that I was too young and inexperienced, and advised me to try again after a few years.

In 1984, however, I set up my own firm, James Jao Associates. It was the heyday of my firm in the late 1980s, designing about 30 percent of new residential family buildings in Queens. The joke at the time was that I.M. Pei was the biggest Chinese American architectural firm with over 2,800 employees, and James Jao with 100 was the second largest.

In the summer of 1990, I had the first opportunity to pay Mr Pei a personal visit at his office. After knowing my age, he congratulated me for breaking what he thought to be the curse (诅咒) that no architect can be famous until after the age of 40. He even said that I had a greater influence than him. I was surprised by his nice words. However, I don’t think anyone, especially me, will ever be as influential as him.

In November, 2018, after my 60th birthday celebrations, I met Mr Pei in his apartment discussing the establishment of the I.M. Pei Foundation, a non-profit organization to promote the philosophy of his works and, most importantly, his spirit of achieving excellence in art and culture.

This morning I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of a great architectural legend (传奇) of our time. At the age of 102, Mr Pei died with great achievements to his name.

Rest in peace, Mr Pei. We will vow to carry on your torch (火炬) and your sprit because you are the one and only I.M. Pei.

James C Jao,

May 16th, 2019

Have you ever said to yourself “I’ll do it tomorrow“? 【小题1】When people delay action or put off decisions in this way, we call it procrastination. Sometimes it can be a good time management strategy to “do it later, ” especially if we are tired or waiting for something to make the job easier. However, procrastination is actually more than just practical time management.

Procrastination happens when a person has difficulty managing negative emotions, such as anxiety, boredom, and stress. It is very easy for procrastination to become a habit, and many people try hard to break away from the cycle of guilt and shame that it can create. 【小题2】 Here is some useful advice to help us deal with it:

Use a calendar

Planning out time for everything you want to do will help you stay organized. 【小题3】 This can allow you extra time in case an emergency occurs.

Break big projects into small pieces

【小题4】 So it’s better to take things step by step. “Do the housework“ sounds like a big task, but if you begin with “do the dishes” and then move on to “do the laundry, ” it might not seem so hard.

Reward and forgive yourself

People get caught up in being perfect. 【小题5】 If you provide a small reward at the end of a project, it can help you finish what you start. Also, it will give you something to look forward to. Even when you don’t succeed, remember to be kind to yourself. When you’re ready, try again!

Nowadays most people spend four hours every day staring at the television! With adults spending so much time on it, little wonder that kids too spend more time in front of the television than outdoors.

With families becoming more and more nuclear, most mothers start off by using the television as a “babysitter”. 【小题1】 However, most parents would rethink their strategy if they are aware of the side effects of over exposure to the television.

Children watch on an average around 28 hours of television per week. 【小题2】 By the age of eight, aggression becomes so rooted in a child that it predicts adult aggression. Besides, it has been found that children who spend a lot of time in front of the television do poorly in school.   【小题3】 Consequently their social development will be affected. 【小题4】 So it’s almost impossible to completely ban it from our children’s life. However, as parents we could:

• Get children interested in sports.

• Encourage children to cultivate the reading habit.

• Set a good example by limiting our own television viewing.

• Help children develop other hobbies such as building models and drawing.

• Choose the programs our children will watch, and stick to the schedule.

Television eats up the time our children are not studying or sleeping. All those things we want them to be: a wild teenager, a scholar, a lover——when are they going to do all that? 【小题5】 Help them get a life——a real one!