About mid-November, Jarka and I had to respond to some referee's questions about our third paper. Zhengzheng had done some computer work relating to this, during the past summer. I contacted her and she came right over after her last class on Friday. Below is a picture of Zhengzheng and Jarka working quite intently in my office. This is what good mathematicians do Friday night (about 7pm, as I recall).

November, 2004. Jarka came for her annual month to work with me. Patti and I had a luncheon party for all (I do love Patti's salmon). Julia, Victor and Parker came up to meet the new students. L-R (and around): Patti, Jarka, myself, Zhenpeng, Haiyan, Jiameng, Marina and Peter, Zhengzheng.

One day in late July, 2004 Zhenpeng and I finished up our university work early and decided to play hooky for the rest of the day. We ended up in Elora and climbed down into the Elora Gorge. It was a very hot day and that cool water felt great on our feet (L). (R) Zhenpeng and I by the Elora Inn.

Dinner Party At Our Place, July, 2004

Gee it's great when old friends come to visit. Baoyan, Julia and Ruo came up for the day. We had lunch in our back yard, then went for a walk around campus (many changes) [June 26, 2004] Left pic: L-R: Baoyan, myself, Julia and Ruo. Right pic: L-R: Baoyan, Patti, Ran and Julia. Ran is Ruo's oldest daughter.

Convocation, Spring 2004

Left: Xianzhi and Fei. Notice that Xianzhi is wearing my Berkeley cap which is very appropriate since she'll be starting her Ph.D. programme in the Fall of 2004 in the IEOR Dept., University of California at Berkeley - the same department where I got my Ph.D. Right: Xianzhi and myself.

Mike's Angels: All 6 of us having lunch on a sunny day [May 19, 2004] L-R: Zhenpeng, Xianzhi, Zhengzheng, Haiyan, Marina

Same group as above only Zhengzheng is taking the picture and I'm in it!

Haiyan, myself and Patti with Yangzi in the front. We are in Haiyan, John and Yangzi's wonderfully warm home, getting ready to go to Lai Lai's for dinner. Yangzi is an amazing young girl. She just passed her grade 6 conservatory piano exam, she did all the drawings on the wall behind us (you may not be able to see without enlarging, but the drawings are amazingly well done) and she is now taking violin lessons. Totally awesome!!!!!

Myself, Marina, Julia and Jarka sitting in front of the gazebo in my backyard. It was one of those lucky days when we all just happened to be there together. Julia was finishing her Master's thesis, Marina had just finished her comprehensives. Jarka and I were finishing our paper #2 which subsequently has appeared as "Portfolio selection and transactions costs", Computational Optimization and Applications, 24 (2003) 1, 95-116. [Summer, 2001]

Dr. Lise Arseneau and myself at her graduation. [2001]

Marina and her Dad having lunch with me in my back yard. Her Dad, Anatolli, is a Professor of Mathematics in Minsk. Patti made those yummy looking desserts we are about to indulge in. [Summer, 2002]

Patti, me, Peter and Marina. Marina had us for dinner (scrumptous!)[Summer, 2002]

Dr. Jarka Hlouskova and her whole family (left). Jarka, her Mom and Dad and myself at party in Levice, Slovakia after Jarka's Ph.D defence (right). [December, 2001]

Julia and I at her graduation (Fall, 2001)

Julia and I with her son Victor at her condo. [June, 2003] (left) and Julia in front of my childhood home. [June, 2002] (right)

The following pictures are of Jarka when she was visiting me last August(2003). As usual, we got a paper formulated and written, but we didn't do much else. Jarka and me (left) and, Jarka and Patti (right).

Zhenpeng Qu will begin her doctoral studies with me in Fall, 2004. When she got her formal acceptance, we celebrated by her taking me to lunch at Lai Lai's. Great food and great conversation!

In 1983, the government of the People's Republic of China invited me to visit China and lecture in Beijing, Wuhan and Shanghai. I went to Beijing in June, 1984. Ruo Yang Tan was my guide in Beijing and he took me everywhere! We had many long discussions about mathematics and I was so impressed with his abilities that I invited him to come to Waterloo and study for his Doctorate with me. He became Dr. Tan in 1991.