As for the starting point…
The brightly-lit nighttime skyline of Hong Kong, viewed from the Peak itself, where I sat calmly to write down some thoughts on this matter?
Initial confusions caused by being thrown in a black-and-white world of two sides, where one is destined to win and the other, to lose; fast and comprehensive thinking; rationality and logic?
Remember that la...
This semester, without doubt, has been another busy yet fulfilling one. Next week, for instance, will consist of an average of one public speaking engagement (e.g. admissions panel, hosting a federal judge)/final presentation each day for me. Amid all the stress and excitement, it is not too self-indulgent for me to reflect on some of the positive experience that I have had. I would specifica...
Take one step forward with your left foot — a small step suffices. Oh, no flip flops from this point on, please. Feel that delicate texture embracing your foot with such warmth and subtle sounds of acceptance. Another step forward with your right foot, and you experience a marvelous balance. Savour that sensation.
You tilt your head slightly, feel your long hair lifting and swinging in h...
Junior Year Semester One Reflections: Debussy, and a Memo for My Future Self
The gentle softness. A dialogue where the two of them find phrases slipping naturally out of their inner souls, flowing, overlapping with each other at times and pausing for a restful break at others… That sheer sense of indescribable serendipity and relaxation that render you speechless: a quiet observer to this bra...
A crew of businessmen and businesswomen all dressed in black and white, confidently prancing their way down the Mid-Level Escalators while their clones emerge from various corners of the street, including the ‘underground’. A sunlit sandy beach, mysterious societies of men who pledge their allegiance to the glorious local gastronomic scene, a surreal land where imagination seems to have taken ...
I landed on a chair whose smooth texture and tough hardness I once knew so well. Approximately 50 pairs of eyes were starring at me, as I placed my non-recyclable lunch box and chopsticks on the equally familiar-looking desk.
Time machine? It felt surreal yet so real. So familiar yet so estranged. Even the pair of cheap, un-environmentally-friendly chopsticks have rendered themselves part...
I feel its weight in my hands. Its interesting texture. The unique scent. That feeling of flipping each page with pride and joy — each page that is equally thought-provoking, and each crystalizing memories of all of those precious moments that we have shared collectively, as we carefully pondered over each detail, discussed our thoughts with each other, and made decisions that would define our e...
If you were to dive into my iCal or folders, you would be sure to find tons of documents labeled “OH”. It’s not an exclamation, as much as I am always excited about it. Instead, “OH” is my abbreviation for Office Hours, a particularly defining element of my college experience.
Somehow, I’ve always had a romanticised picture in my mind of what Office Hours would be like: a cozy aft...
The Museum of Jurassic Technology (MJT) is an eccentric museum that houses objects from various geographical regions across different time periods — including human horns, a scaled model of Noah’s Ark, and mice on toast. Not only is David Wilson’s cabinet of wonder full of items that spark our curiosity in finding out more details about its individual marvels, it fundamentally challenges ...
2015年10月22日傍晚，全美顶尖文理学院波莫纳学院（Pomona College）的2200名学生、教授、校友及家长同时起立，用热烈的掌声迎接美国联邦最高法院 (Supreme Court of the United States) 大法官索尼娅·索托马约女士（Sonia Sotomayor）到访该校。
波莫纳学院每年会向被录取的新生推荐一本“大一读物”。新生入学前都会阅读此书，并在开学的第一周与教授和同学共同探讨和分享他们阅读此书的感悟。与此同时，“大一读物”也在...
Scene Two: The 2,200-People Community
When you have 2,200 people sitting together in an auditorium, you bring a community together. Sure, out of the 2,200, the percentage of people who know their neighbours at the venue is relatively insignificant. As a liberal arts college that takes pride in our close-knit community and close interactions with faculty members, Pomona has a student pop...
Flashbacks
Reading Days just prior to Finals’ Week, May. Admittedly, I was in full nerd mode®, hectically studying for my exams at the Romance languages library. That was when an email that excited me for months arrived in my inbox. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor was to visit Pomona College on the 22nd of October this year. Thrilled, I got up immediately to pick up my free copy...
SETTING: Our Beloved World
CHARACTERS: All the people in it
Prologue
Thursday, 3:30 pm. I walked out of my international relations class, trying to put aside the heaviness sparked by the discussion on the Rwanda genocide and other ethnic conflicts. The first floor of Carnegie Hall — that classy building resembling the White House to some degree, and home to the politics and...
The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), a proposed trade agreement between the United States and the European Union, has sparked much controversy. Noticeably, instead of focusing on reducing tariffs, the TTIP proposes to align the U.S. and EU’s currently incompatible rules and regulations. Although opposition is voiced most loudly in several EU countries where citizens strongl...
Let’s be frank. I will not deny that I’ve been fervently following the same Japanese anime series for 10 years: “Detective Conan (Case Closed)” has continued to be addictive. Whether it is for a study break during a stressful time of the academic calendar, or a holiday treat, the ever-evolving series’ 800+ episodes always generate some excitement within me. Yet, instead of rambling on th...
Consider the word “crisis” in the modern world. Which would be the first geographical region that comes to your mind when you think about “crisis”? Maybe not Europe? At least, perhaps not until recent months, when the region became plagued with two major crises — the financial one caused by our Greek friends, and the currently trending news item, the migrant crisis.
A number of questio...
1:6. What does this ratio mean to you, personally?
Perhaps nothing in particular. Maybe the faculty-student ratio at a liberal arts college as featured in our fancy brochures? For many Chinese youth, this ratio represents the amount of individuals they will support in retirement (two parents and four grandparents.)
Under the One Child Policy, the single child of a typical Chinese family would...
A “Grexit" (Greek exit from the European Union), it seems, has been one of the trending topics for so long. With the general elections coming up in just over a week in the United Kingdom, it might be worth investigating another crucial question to the fate of the EU: What about a “Brexit” (British exit)?
Prime Minister David Cameron, who leads the Conservative Party, had promised in Jan...
