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Dear Friends all over the US and the World, Happy new year (Western and Chinese). We are still here (85 and 83 respectively), relatively healthy, and enjoying whatever remain in our lives. Both of us are still busy doing things and tasks we love although being retired long ago. We do physical and mental exercises regularly and can function normally as in our younger days albeit at slowed down pace. Sophia has stopped driving at night and I try to avoid night driving as much as possible. The recent issue of our town magazine, Lexington Life Times featured a two page two photo autobiography of mine which you may find interesting (https://friendsofthecoa.org/Lexington-LifeTimes/LexingtonLifeTimes_Summer2018.pdf. (on page 9 Actually it is on page 7 as pointed out in comments below.)

During 2017, I did my last annual trip to Beijing, China. The 13.5 hour trip across the US and the Pacific with the 12 hour time change are becoming too much a chore. With my successor in place my work (and second career) at Tsinghua University is mostly finished after 17 years. My last technical paper was published in 2009 and last conference attended and talk given was summer of 2017). One should know when to quit.

We spent the holiday week in California with our son, ¾ of the rest of our family, and visiting my oldest living friend in the world, my first friend in the US since 1950, and my mentor and co-author of our best selling textbook still selling after 50 years without revision.

We look forward to visit from anyone of you should you find yourself near Boston and please forward this letter to others not on our incomplete mailing list and let them know about my blog by just googling my name. Best wishes to you for coming year.

Larry and Sophia

Here are some photos taken during the holidays

Our favoriate Chinese restaurant in Palo Alto

Family having hotpot dinner during holidays

Grand daughter with her newly engaged fiance

With Professor A.E. Bryson in his retirement community

Christmas Dinner

Yankee Swap of Holiday presents (An American holiday game)

My 85th birthday came early in the New Year according to the Chinese Lunar calendar