Author: Balliol Chen

Story of Yanxi Palace after-view tour

Today I started watching “Story of Yanxi Palace”, a highly anticipated palace drama. I heard that this drama has aroused widespread discussion and attention in the Chinese TV industry. I was full of curiosity and expectations, so I decided to start my journey of watching the drama.

The plot is set in the Qing Dynasty. It attracts the audience’s attention through its wonderful storyline, rich characterization and faithful depiction of the historical background. Before watching the show, I had heard about its reputation and influence, so I was full of expectations.

The drama’s story revolves around power struggles, love entanglements and hatred within the palace, focusing primarily on the growth of Wei Yingluo, a former palace maid who eventually rose to become queen. At the same time, the series delves into the emotional entanglements between Emperor Qianlong and his concubines, as well as the political intrigues inside and outside the palace. The storyline is gripping and full of suspense, and I held my breath while watching it.

One of the most fascinating plots is Wei Yingluo’s growth story. As an ordinary palace maid, she eventually ascended to the throne of queen with her intelligence, wit and firm will. At the same time, the series also meticulously depicts the complexity of the power struggle within the palace and the competition between various concubines.

The most profound storyline is the emotional entanglement between Wei Yingluo and the first queen. At first, there was no intersection between the two of them, but as Wei Yingluo rose to prominence in the court, their relationship gradually changed subtly. The first queen noticed Wei Yingluo’s intelligence and kindness and established a special emotional connection with her. This connection is not just friendship or family affection, but more like a master-student bond, with a touch of motherly love and expectations for a master-student relationship.

This drama was removed from the shelves in China for unknown reasons, which is regrettable. Nonetheless, its overall plot is fascinating and its protagonist is humorous, making it a masterpiece worth watching.

Because the story line is too complicated, I can’t explain it all clearly. If you are interested, please search and watch it by yourself in areas other than China.

2024年5月1日

Story of Yanxi Palace
Stepping into the door of Oracle

Oracle free account registration is really quite mysterious. Occasionally, I will have a sudden idea, or when I see someone introducing Oracle’s free server, I will try to register again. Unfortunately, I have never been successful in my previous attempts. However, recently, I finally passed the verification and successfully registered for Oracle’s free service.

Maybe you are curious how I successfully registered? I will tell you some experiences.

At that time, I wasn’t sure if I could register successfully, so I randomly chose São Paulo as the location and used my school email address. As for the device environment, I opted to use the Safari browser and utilized a local Hong Kong card. For payment verification, I used the China Merchants Bank’s Free Life Visa card. When filling out the address information, I selected the city where I applied for the card but didn’t specify my home address. These choices might have seemed arbitrary, but they ultimately proved unexpectedly successful.

After the account was verified, I couldn’t wait to activate the first cloud server. In terms of configuration selection, due to restrictions, I could only choose a 1-core 1GB configuration. Although the performance is not very outstanding, this did not stop me from carrying out preliminary experience and testing. Especially for those who are new to cloud server technology, this configuration is enough.

However, I also realized some problems. Since the chosen location is Sao Paulo, which is further away from the United States and China in a straight line, this results in higher latency. Especially when testing AMD performance, the latency problem is more obvious. However, I found that by using a WARP proxy, I could get a better local network experience, which somewhat improved the inconvenience of using cloud servers.

Although there are some limitations in the free configuration and performance of cloud servers, I think we can’t ask for too much for free things. I sincerely thank companies like Oracle for providing these free services so that beginners and people with financial difficulties can also enjoy the convenience of cloud servers. This not only provides individual users with opportunities to learn and practice, but also contributes to broader technology popularization.

2024年4月18日

Cloud, Oracle
Rushing through 2023

The annual summary may be a little late!

As time flies, I find myself at the end of another year. 2023 was destined to be a year filled with challenges and opportunities, both personally and professionally. In this annual summary, I will reflect on the past 365 days, sharing moments of growth, achievement, and introspection.

Well-Organized Life

Over the past year, my life has been well-organized, with each day structured around school, exercise, and attending to various tasks. While it seemed like I was living a carefree life, there was a sense of uncertainty lingering within me.

School became a significant part of my daily routine, where I led a nine-to-five academic life, attending classes, completing assignments, and dedicating myself to my studies. Simultaneously, I prioritized my physical health, engaging in daily exercises to maintain vitality.

Interests

Over the past few years, my interests have increasingly focused on the domain industry, becoming an integral part of my life and leaving a profound impact.

Reflecting on the domain trading experiences of the past year, I encountered some exhilarating opportunities. Among them, the most notable was a high-value domain transaction worth $35,000. This transaction not only brought substantial profits but also bolstered my confidence and expertise in domain investment.

However, such high-value transactions also sparked concerns about the future of the domain industry. While occasional high-value deals occur, they remain rare. The competitive and uncertain nature of the domain trading market makes such transactions infrequent and risky.

These concerns have led me to approach domain investment with greater caution and diligence. I realize that successful domain investment requires continuous market insights, strategic planning, and robust execution. Moreover, I understand that the domain trading market entails both risks and opportunities, necessitating a rational and composed approach to avoid reckless investments.

Therefore, I will continue to follow and engage in the domain investment field with enthusiasm, while carefully selecting and managing investment projects to ensure long-term, steady returns. Additionally, I will continuously learn and enhance my professional skills to adapt to market changes and challenges, paving the way for my domain investment journey.

Opportunities

I experienced some exciting opportunities, notably receiving an admission offer from New York University.

This marks a significant turning point and opportunity for me. It not only acknowledges my academic abilities and personal qualities but also represents a crucial opportunity for personal and professional development.

I cherish this opportunity and aim to make the most of the resources and platforms provided by New York University, striving for learning and improvement. I will seize this opportunity to explore and practice continually, pursuing my personal dreams and aspirations while realizing my life’s value.

Blogging

In the past year, despite facing intermittent challenges, my blog journey persisted. Despite various obstacles, the online journal has been operational for a year.

During this time, I had the privilege of meeting many friends online. Through the blogging platform, I engaged in valuable exchanges, discussions, and shared experiences with fellow bloggers, gaining insights and inspiration.

Future

Despite appearing comfortable on the surface, I am haunted by uncertainties about the future. I constantly feel puzzled about life’s meaning, personal development direction, and the path ahead. I am unsure if I am pursuing my true passions and goals or merely trapped in the routine of daily life.

In such ambiguity, I yearn to find my purpose and direction, discovering what truly ignites my passion and striving for it. Perhaps, in the coming year, I need more contemplation and exploration to uncover my true path, finding my place as I pursue my dreams.

2024年1月29日
The Complex Exchange of Human Nature: Disappointment

The day before yesterday, Friday night. It was a memorable evening, the first time in my life that I learned a lesson.

I attempted to sell my iPhone 15 Pro Max 1TB. After estimating the trade-in value on the Zhuanzhuan platform, it was only about 10,890 yuan, which felt a bit low. Therefore, I decided to list it for sale on Xianyu with a price tag of 13,000 yuan.

Shortly after posting, I received several offers, most of them around 12,500 yuan. One buyer was willing to offer 12,700 yuan, so I decided to make the deal and chose to meet at the subway entrance.

At that time, I was still excited and even took some photos on the subway.

However, things did not go as smoothly as expected. When the transaction reached the inspection stage, the buyer opened the packaging box and surprisingly used a black object to darken the data cable, claiming that the phone was resealed and a customized version for a specific mobile carrier. Due to my limited knowledge about phones, I couldn’t distinguish the authenticity, and eventually, the buyer used these issues as reasons to reduce the offer to 10,800 yuan.

After the transaction was completed, I checked the serial number of the phone through the Apple official channel and found that the phone was not the carrier-specific version claimed by the buyer but a globally unlocked one. Later, upon reviewing the video taken during the transaction, I noticed a moment when the buyer, after breaking the seal, lifted the phone slightly while turning, revealing the position of the data cable. From this, I inferred that the black substance was inserted at that moment. This deepened my suspicion and reflection on the entire transaction.

For me, it was a disappointing experience, resulting in a loss of approximately 1,900 yuan. This incident made me deeply reflect on the complexity of interpersonal interactions and understand the importance of being extra cautious in transactions, ensuring the choice of a safe and reliable method. Perhaps next time, I need to delve more into phone-related knowledge to prevent similar situations from happening again.

Entire Transaction (Video)

2023年12月3日

Human nature
Brief entry into autumn

Morning comes, and sunlight streams through the window onto the bed. Despite its brightness, there’s a hint of coolness in the air. Slowly, I rise, feeling the cool breeze from outside, catching me somewhat off guard. As I approach the window, I find the sky outside to be a clear blue, with a gentle breeze that gives the entire morning a chilly feel.

Pedestrians hurry along the street, dressed in thick coats, clearly feeling the drop in temperature. I quickly put on a light jacket, cautiously guarding against this sudden chill.

It dawns on me that autumn has finally arrived in Guangdong, though this weather is unlikely to last long.

Blog Maintenance Issues

On the 12th, I opened my blog and discovered a formatting issue. The meticulously designed theme UI was now filled with major garbled characters. It caught me off guard, and I wasn’t sure what caused the garbled text. After half a day of investigation with no results, feeling helpless, I took a break to play with my phone. In my emails, I noticed a notification of a successful WordPress automatic update. That’s when I changed my approach.

I rolled back to the backup image from the 10th, and the problem was resolved – my formatting remained intact. Finally identifying the source of the problem, I exported the text attachments using a plugin. Just when I thought the issue was completely resolved…

To my dismay, during the repair process, I accidentally lost an article I had worked hard on. It was a summary of my experience with DNS services, a piece of work that vanished in an instant, leaving me frustrated.

To prevent a recurrence of such issues, I decided to take proactive measures. I disabled WordPress’s automatic update feature. While automatic updates are beneficial for ensuring system security and currency, after this experience, I prefer to control every update manually, avoiding unexpected losses.

Photo Section Update

Looking at the subdomain “photo,” it didn’t sit well with me, mostly due to my severe perfectionism.

The solution was simple: I transferred the photo source of the original “photo” subdomain to Cloudflare R2 via external links. Then, in WordPress, I opened a new /photo page and used templates to transplant the photos back in.

The downside is that the data flow sorting method lacks logical floating, and many photos need to be manually classified after being uploaded to the media library. After some thought, I realized that I don’t update photos frequently, so there’s no need to write a feature for it.

So, the page is like this (a defective product)…

SSL Certificate

Recently, I had the opportunity to replace the SSL certificates for both sites with long-term certificates valid for 15 years. However, I’m too lazy, and there are still some things to add, so I put it on hold for now.

Today

November 17, 2023, was a rather ordinary day.

After fixing the remaining details of the blog, it was nearing evening, and I decided to treat myself. So, I went to a restaurant and ordered a pot of “Luo Si Duck Feet Hot Pot” from the Full House version, a pot of delicious aroma laid out in front of me. The fragrance of chili and pickled bamboo shoots increased my appetite, and I enjoyed this hearty dinner.

After finishing the spicy duck feet hot pot, I had a whimsical idea and decided to go to the cinema to catch Marvel’s new film, “Captain Marvel 2.” Looking forward to more thrilling adventures of superheroes, I sat in the cinema chair, anticipating an exciting story.

However, the film’s performance did not entirely meet my expectations. The effects were indeed impressive, and the visual effects were stunning. However, the plot seemed somewhat flat, lacking some novelty. The development of the story felt monotonous, with not many surprises. The entire film made me feel that perhaps superhero movies also need some new ideas and breakthroughs to avoid falling into a predictable path.

Although “Captain Marvel 2” didn’t bring me too many surprises, it doesn’t diminish my expectations for Marvel. After all, each movie has its unique qualities, and this viewing experience was a way to give myself a relaxing entertainment time. Perhaps the next Marvel blockbuster will bring more surprises…

2023年11月17日
Unpleasant bidding experience

On October 10th, I came across a domain name that I really liked, “Blog.cyou,” in the Dynadot auction marketplace. Considering the potential and value of the domain name, I decided to participate in the bidding. I placed my bid on October 13th and was awarded the domain on the early hours of the 15th, successfully acquiring it.

After paying the auction cost and domain renewal fee, I was surprised and disappointed to find out that Dynadot had immediately placed a 15-day freeze on the domain after transferring it to my account on the fourth day of the auction’s completion. This meant that I couldn’t transfer or move the domain, even though I had purchased it.

What further confused me was that during the freeze period, I discovered that Dynadot was still selling the domain “Blog.cyou” in its auction marketplace and had raised the price to 3000+ dollars, which was not a personal setting of mine. This price was controlled by Dynadot, and it gave me a sense of unfairness and deception. I had already paid for the purchase of the domain, yet Dynadot was trying to sell the domain I won in the auction to other bidders at a price higher than what I had bid, attempting to obtain a higher price from other participants.

I am deeply disappointed by such behavior. As a prominent domain registrar and trading platform, Dynadot should ensure a fair and transparent trading environment, rather than continuing to sell a domain that has already been sold after the buyer has made payment.

I have participated in bidding processes with various registrars, but I have never encountered a situation like Dynadot’s, where they lock the domain and continue to sell it after a bidder has won and acquired the domain.

I believe Dynadot should provide an explanation for why this issue occurred and take measures to ensure that similar situations do not happen again. They should respect the rights of bidders, provide better user support, and improve their trading processes.

On November 2nd, after Dynadot lifted the market lock, I submitted a transfer request to Dynadot and transferred the domain to West. This officially marked the end of the auction process.

2023年11月3日

Domain Auction, Dynadot
Transferring the blog to my Mac mini at home

In the modern information age, the efficient utilization of internet resources is crucial for individuals and organizations. As a technology enthusiast, I have always had an idea of how to make optimal use of home and company network resources. After several days of organizing my thoughts, I decided to implement my plan by connecting my home Mac mini to the company’s internal network through a VPN and using the company’s public IP address as the exit point, thus enabling the proper utilization of internal and external network resources. And so, I decided to put my plan into practice.

The first step involved requesting an IPv4 address from the company, which was essential for implementing my plan. After some waiting, I finally obtained a public IP address that allowed me to connect from my home Mac mini to the company’s network.

The second step involved configuring the Mac mini to connect to the company’s VPN. I used the office client software provided by the company, which had a built-in VPN encryption tunnel. So, all I had to do was open the software, log in with my employee account, and establish the internal network connection.

The third step was to enable a virtual machine on the Mac mini and install the CentOS operating system. Then came the process of setting up the environment, which went smoothly. I successfully migrated the resources from the cloud server to my Mac mini at home.

To address concerns about the company’s public IPv4 address being targeted for attacks, I implemented a front-end Tencent Cloud IPv4 within the same region. This effectively meant that the public network traffic was reverse-proxied to Tencent Cloud, which then forwarded it to the client.

Another benefit was that through the company’s fixed public IP address, I could enjoy additional conveniences. For instance, I had access to independent bandwidth resources and could connect to the company’s cloud servers, remote desktops, and other public services without the need for alternative connections. This provided greater flexibility and convenience, allowing me to better manage my time and resources between personal and work-related tasks.

2023年10月26日

Mac mini
Ruyi’s RoyalLove in the Palace Political Intrigue and Reflections on Human Nature

After watching “Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace,” I couldn’t help but fall into deep contemplation. This drama portrays a palace world full of power struggles and deceit.

I saw the dark side of human nature. The concubines in the harem engage in fierce competition and hidden conflicts, resorting to any means necessary to win the emperor’s favor and status. In pursuit of their own interests, they are willing to harm others and even betray their own relatives. These conspiracies and calculations are shocking and make me deeply aware of the fragility and distortion of human nature. In this unique environment of the palace, people lose their inherent kindness and morality, consumed by the vortex of power.

At the same time, the lives of the concubines in the harem also made me feel heartbroken and helpless. They are trapped in this enclosed space, losing their freedom and dignity. Every move they make is strictly constrained and restricted, unable to determine their own fate. They are forced to endure loneliness and helplessness, deprived of the right to pursue happiness. This deeply makes me appreciate the preciousness of equality and freedom in modern society.

The love story in “Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace” also touched me deeply. The love between Ruyi and Qianlong is intricate and profound. They should have been deeply in love as husband and wife, but they are unable to be together due to the restrictions and conspiracies of the palace. Their love is deprived of the right to happiness, and they are forced to separate and endure pain. Watching their love encounter various obstacles and tests, I feel the vulnerability and helplessness of love. Love should be free and beautiful, but in the drama, it is bound by power and institutions, evoking a sense of injustice and desolation. This makes me cherish even more the freedom of love and marriage in real life, hoping that everyone can find their own happiness in love.

In addition to reflections on human nature and the palace system, the beautiful scenery and costumes in the drama also left a deep impression on me. The architecture and gardens of the palace are splendid and enchanting. The magnificent costumes worn by the concubines are resplendent and full of Eastern charm. These scenes and costumes showcase the magnificence and delicacy of ancient Chinese culture, making me marvel at the profoundness of ancient civilization.

“Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace” is a profound journey of the soul. I have felt the complexity and cruelty of human nature through it, and my reflection on feudalism and power has deepened. The characters’ destinies, harem life, and love story in the drama have resonated with me and provoked my thoughts. This drama has made me cherish equality and freedom in modern society even more, and it has also made me reflect on the fragility of human nature and the importance of ethics.

It has also made me contemplate some issues that exist in real life. In today’s society, we still face various challenges and dilemmas, and power struggles and conflicts of interest exist as well. Just like in the palace world depicted in “Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace,” the dark side of human nature also exists in real life. We should be vigilant and strive to change these problems, pursuing social fairness, justice, and human dignity and freedom.

I hope that each of us can draw inspiration from it and strive to create a better society.

2023年9月25日
User Experience of the U.S. version iPhone 14 Series in China

I bought a U.S. version iPhone 14 Pro from AT&T. After returning to China, I faced an issue since Chinese carriers do not support eSIM. Normally, it would be impossible to use the U.S. version iPhone 14 series in China. However, the only advantage of AT&T is that you can purchase their roaming package for $10 a day or $100 a month. This conveniently eliminates the need for a VPN, as AT&T in China utilizes the infrastructure of a local carrier (presumably China Mobile) for its services. The internet speed is generally good, although signal quality can be inconsistent at times.

1.Install the MyATT app.

2.You need to activate the International Day Pass feature on ATT postpaid.

3.Purchase an international roaming package.

4.Done.

This way, your U.S. version iPhone 14 series can be used smoothly in China. The advantage is that you don’t need to buy a separate VPN, and your U.S. number can receive calls and messages normally.

2023年8月25日

AT&T, iPhone14
The Road Killer Appears

Today is a day full of lessons. I once again deeply realize that people with bad temper are not suitable for driving. In the morning, I met a terrible driver, whose anger and impatience almost made me feel scared of him.

It happened on my way to work. I was driving into a busy traffic road when a car suddenly flew past me and suddenly stopped in front of me. I almost had a serious rear end collision. When I saw the driver, I noticed his face showing anger and dissatisfaction.

In the next few minutes, the driver began to exhibit a series of shocking behaviors. He frequently honked his horn, cursed other vehicles, and frantically overtook on the road. His behavior not only caused trouble to other drivers, but also made the road more dangerous.

I noticed that this bad tempered driver was unable to control his emotions, and his anger directly affected his driving skills and judgment. His impulsive behavior not only caused trouble to others, but also made the traffic conditions on the road more chaotic. His anger not only threatens his own life safety, but also poses a huge threat to other people driving on the road.

This experience made me ponder deeply. Driving requires calmness and patience, especially in busy traffic. Bad tempered people often lack this calmness and patience, and they are prone to getting angry on the road, leading to impulsive behavior. However, this behavior not only causes harm to other people, but may also lead to oneself being involved in serious accidents.

Therefore, I believe that only those who can maintain calm and patience are suitable for driving. They can control their emotions and do not engage in impulsive behavior due to momentary dissatisfaction. They will abide by traffic rules, show respect to other drivers, and be able to make the right decisions calmly in the face of uncertain situations.

As a driver, it is important to always be aware of the impact of one’s emotions on driving behavior. If we find that our temper is starting to deteriorate, it’s best to stop the car to calm down or seek other ways to release our emotions. Maintaining composure on the road is not only for one’s own safety, but also a manifestation of being responsible to others.

Today’s experience has taught me an important lesson. I hope to remain calm and patient at all times, and become a driver who follows the rules and respects others.

2023年6月27日

Road Adventure Diary

Author: Balliol Chen

Well-Organized Life

Interests

Opportunities

Blogging

Future