The $35 Sansa Clip 1GB from CircuitCity was a great deal. It came with a slim and sleek outlook, and great features including radio and recording. However, it managed to made a not-so-good first impression upon me. After I brought it home, I connected it to the computer, but Windows did not recognize it at all. After searching for tips on Internet, I learned there was a special sequence that I needed to follow. It went like this.

1. Turn off Sansa clip. Put it in hold state.
2. Press down the center button. Without releasing it, connect it to the computer.
3. Release center button after a few seconds.

I never needed to do any "secret" sequence for other MP3 players. Now Windows finally recognized Sansa Clip. But the screen started showing something weird. It kept switching between two screenshots, one with the "connected" icon and state, and the other with "Sandisk" trademark being displayed and then disappearing. I thought Sansa Clip must be rebooting for some reason. I did web search but didn't find any articles talking about this issue. Finally I was convined that it was just some screen saver thingy. They picked an animation that was so confusing to users, and I bet someone must have returned the unit to the store for this reason.

Anyway, Sansa Clip itself works pretty well. One last caveat. You can see tags in Chinese characters for .wma files, even under English menu. However, in order to see Chinese tags of .mp3 files, you have to switch the menu to Chinese.

To the Virgins, to make much of Time              GATHER ye rosebuds while ye may,     Old Time is still a-flying: And this same flower that smiles today     To-morrow will be dying. The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,     The higher he's a-getting, The sooner will his race be run,     And nearer he's to setting. That age is best which is the first,     When youth and blood are warmer; But being spent, the worse, and worst     Times still succeed the former. Then be not coy, but use your time,     And while ye may, go marry: For having lost but once your prime,     You may for ever tarry.

没有想到这个年纪还会被这种类型的影片打动。Carpe diem, sieze the day. 看，橱窗里照片上一张张鲜活的脸，同样的发型，充满活力，胸怀大志，眼里闪动着希望，就和你们一样。他们在人生的道路上迟疑了吗？要知道，现在的他们只能成为水仙花的肥料。靠近，仔细听，他们在你耳边耳语，carpe, carpe diem, sieze the day...

小区附近有条trail，平坦无趣，所以很少光顾。那天来了兴致，沿路北行。一开始两边房子夹道，不时有犬吠。上了一个小坡，豁然开朗，路的一侧变成了水潭。复行数百步，小路的界限渐渐模糊，左边是些人家，前面一个大坡，下面是些水洼地，不可下，路似尽失。定睛一看，路转至一个树林。从口入，一溜烟冲下一个陡坡，顿时置身于另一个世界，树木繁茂，遮天蔽日，再也看不见人家，还以为自己来到了Mt. Si. 小路两旁的草长得颇有些日子了，从两边往中间靠，被鞋子裤管蹭得直晃。林间各种鸟叫不绝于耳，草丛里有小动物窸窸窣窣。复前行，欲穷其林，路有大树横路当道。爬是过不去了，下面有空档，才通人。复有泥泞地，踩一树干独木桥过之。其道时起时伏，林子渐行渐密。盼四下，唯恐迷路，还是回去吧。遂随原路返回。