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China’s communist past follows me
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Maybe it was the pipeline from strict parents to chill grandparents. More likely, it was the effects of China’s Cultural Revolution that made my grandparents want my sister and me to be unremarkable but content in life. I have come to realize that if I really become unremarkable, I want it to be because…
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Faith creates strength during grief
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My great-grandmother’s passing came like a choir song. The chosen hymns were “How Great Thou Art” and “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” The hum of her oxygen tank was the melody. The voices came from her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren alike. And as her life slowly slipped away, the faith I had in life after…
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Perfection has its pitfalls
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I have often wondered what it truly means to be a good person. My life experience thus far has taught me the importance of treating others with kindness, serving one’s community, being grateful and admitting to one’s failures. I would like to say that I am a good person, but of course, I have…
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The life of a Buddhist warrior monk calls me
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I am not what I do. I am not the articles I write, the assignments I turn in, the sports that I play or the parties I attend. And yet, all of those things are, and I am. Since reading a variety of books on Buddhist lifestyles, most notably “Saltwater Buddha” by Jaimal Yogis…
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Seahawks unsurprisingly dominate Patriots in Super Bowl LX
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Super Bowl LX, contrary to a captivating National Football League season that precluded it, was one of the dullest products in recent memory. In a matchup that featured a quarterback who was one vote away from being the MVP and a wide receiver who had a record-shattering season worthy of “Offensive Player of the…
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If old age doesn’t kill me, nostalgia will
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I can tell you exactly what I have done for the past 1,883 days, from the people I was with to the mood I was in; every detail is accounted for. I can tell you about birthdays well spent, holidays surrounded by family and around the world vacations–dating back to Dec. 28, 2020. No,…
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Growing up means rediscovering who I am
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Growing up, I was a really good kid. Not just in the listening to my parents or getting good grades kind of way, but in the sense that I was good at being a kid. The spirit and magic of childhood were at the core of my identity, and I leaned into it completely,…
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The culture shock that comes with the European dream
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During winter break, I spent nine days exploring Paris with my family. This was my first time visiting Europe and I observed several culture differences between Europe and America. During my trip, I shopped at food and flea markets, ate food at fancy and local restaurants and walked (a lot) all over the charming…
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My new year’s resolution: to rediscover myself
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I have long been a philosophical child. I always had more questions than my parents or teachers had answers, and gathered knowledge to hoard it away in the cracks and crevices of my mind. When I was little, I did things because they were fun, because they brought me joy. In my most vivid…
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Proximity does not equate to closeness
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When my brother, Duncan, left home for UCLA, many cautioned me with horrified expressions and a constant echo of comments like “just wait for how lonely you’ll be” or “I can’t believe you’re an only child now.” Initially, these remarks scared me into thinking that I would suddenly become an isolated, sibling-less individual. But…