Almost two years, now. Departed, but not forgotten, Visited your Beida project again this year, thought about the great guy you once were. Will down a shot of the get feul for you...

I spent some time with Ding in Houston as both of us were new comers to this country. A great guy, caring and enthusiatic. After arriving in LA, he called and said the music tape and the smoke I gave him kept him through the vast desert of the west. Last time saw him was in Beida. God bless his family. Rest in Peace, Ding.

02年认识他, 成为他的客户, 感受他的敬业, 执著.....建筑师的理想,管理者的智慧, 从未肯停下脚步....

I met Tony in September 1991. He drove to LA from Huston to enter the M.Arch.II program at UCLA. I came from Beijing for M.L.Arch program in USC. Thanks to Xiaoguang then my new friend helped us at the time we both desperately need to settle down, I got a space in an apartment sharing with 3 other Chinese students, and Tony settled down on the couch in the living room of Xiaoguang’s apartment. Later, he moved into a “Beverly Hill mansion” as a live-in student in a host family. Almost at the start of my life in the US, Tony instantly became my closed friend and mentor. His charisma, warm heart, his survival skills, plus all those amazing stories about his cowboy days in Huston made him the leader of the small group of closed friends. Not long after he moved into his host family in Beverly Hills, he spotted a city park nearby with the amazing night view of city light. Off course that was something he would never forget to share with us. He organized a small dinner party at the house while the host family was out of town. It was the first time for us to see what the life style a wealthy American like. To make a perfect night, we stopped by the park nearby after dinner, just at the time we lit up our first cigarette, a flash light shone on our face by the Park Rangers. We were each issued a hefty ticket. I remembered my citation was the worst, total of $1,650 for three counts of code violation: entering the park after sunset, smoking in an area where smoking was prohibitive and littering since I was the only one dropped the unfinished cigarette on the ground to put it off. After three or four month of anxious waiting, the judge dismissed everyone except me. I had to pay $10 for smoking in a public park posting fire danger to the forest. During the days in grad school, Tony was my brother we shared all our important events with each other. I went to witness his baptism and he came to help me out for my final thesis defense. We went to each other’s graduation and after that we shared our last dollar for a Teriyaki chicken bowl before we both went broke. When we both desperately looking for any job that can pay our bills, Tony took me as an apprentice for two days to learn how to be a waiter and how to ask for tips for delivery. When I got my first architectural job, I brought him in for interview as the result he got hired and I was fired. When the second firm I tried it didn’t work out, I told him to give it a try and there he made himself a great architect. One day after Tony came back from his trip to China, he told me he found a nice girl on the airplane that he want to introduce to me, her name was Mei. Few years later in the beautiful San Diego Balboa Park, we celebrated their union and handed over our brother Tony to Mei. Years past, both our families have grown larger. We were both juggling between multiple roles in our life as the son, husband, father, and taking our professional obligations at the same time. We didn’t see each other as often as we should, but you were always my brother and dear friend. The last visit to your home, you told us what you have thought about life and the gift you left for us, it is the ultimate advice I received from a brother that will accompany me for the rest of my life. Tony, you have lived a full life on earth. I know the life in the heaven you are now is so much more enjoyable. Enjoy it and you are missed so much by me and your friends back at home.