Smartphones and Cigarettes Go Hand in Hand
Using smartphones is very different from smoking as one consists of using a handheld device while the other directly causes lung cancer and air pollution, but they are fundamentally not that distinct from a behavioral point of view.
The Mystery of Long-Term Friendships
We simply grew apart, changed over time, and now have different lives.
Dear Housemate, Rewritten
This was the first time I truly cried for someone.
Wandering Around Tianmu Aimlessly
Why was I so emotional about a place I’d only lived in for two years?
Times Have Changed
Maybe the passage of time is what’s forcing me to consider that times have changed.
French House, New House, All the Houses
All I can say is that my sadness comes from the fact that things have been lost over time and have not come back.
The Necessity of Journaling
Small problems get brushed to the side and then build up over time, random ideas get forgotten, and things don’t get documented.
The Power of the Brush
Calligraphy felt like some form of meditation
A Song’s Lasting Impressions
It’s only the beginning of the music video, yet intuition tells me that this song will make me cry.
The Growth Mindset
My fixed mindset was holding me back, not moving me forward.
Tears, Tsukiyo, and Never Let Me Go
Physically, my mom is only a mile away from me, yet the phone call makes me think that she is much farther away from me.
Walking the Boston Marathon for cancer research
Little did I know at the time, this experience would be one of the most unique and memorable experiences of my entire life.
Il dolce far niente: the art of doing nothing
Summer ended only a few months ago, yet that time feels so far away and foreign.
Being cynical about love
Sure, I see couples basking in the sun at the local park or drinking wine at a fancy restaurant, but while romantic love is a reality for them, it’s not for me.
Breathe in, breathe out
Never had I experienced true silence until I descended underwater.
Abundant resources exist but are underutilized
Sometimes we forget that we have the privilege of attending one of the best universities in the world.
Why I chose MIT
The more I read the blogs, the more I wanted to be a part of MIT.
Regressing instead of progressing?
If my situation sounded like burnout, what did that mean for my next three years at MIT?
Dear friend,
I know your insecurities, secrets, and aspirations, but can I really know you well despite having no day-to-day interactions with you?
The words that stuck with me
If I couldn’t even be kind and compassionate to myself, then how could I love anyone unconditionally?
Eating tofu pudding again
I feel like I am back in my ten-year-old self once again, content with the joys in life as simple as tofu pudding.
Homecoming
I was already starting to count down the days till the first day of IAP.
What P/NR taught me
Besides encouraging me to adopt a healthier mindset when it comes to academics, P/NR has taught me to embrace a lifestyle that has a balance of work and fun.
Taiwan, I miss you
It has been five years since I boarded the plane to move back to the U.S. from Taiwan. As wistful as I was when I saw the green land vanish before my eyes, I thought I would get the opportunity to visit Taiwan a year or two after I left. But I was wrong. Each summer that followed presented a new obstacle preventing me from going back to Taiwan. I’m content with my life in the U.S., but that doesn’t mean my strong feelings of nostalgia for Taiwan have gone away. Whenever I look at old photos of me in Taiwan or flip through travel and dining books about Taiwan, a sudden surge of longing rises inside of me.
Why it’s time to leave social media
Imagine a life where you simply sit and soak in the beautiful fall scenery instead of using your phone to read the latest headlines on Twitter.
‘Although I only hear sounds, the rich dialogue and background noise make this other world feel real’
A new adventure begins every time I play This American Life, a popular radio program.