Hey guys. Sorry for those of you who've been waiting on the edge of your seats for this new post. I almost forgot to update it! It is now Monday morning, but since it's still Sunday where you are I guess that means I can get away with it :)
There's not much for me to report this week. I've been pretty busy with my paper, which is due next week, and preparing for the Shijing 詩經 conference, which is this upcoming weekend. It seems like I'm going to be the English MC. Scary. Of course, I can't wait until it's over. On the positive side, there will be a couple of scholars from the United States coming-- people who it will be good to have been acquainted with if I should go for my Ph.D in the States later.
In other news, I'm thinking about switching up my schedule. Lately, I've been waking up around 9 and spending the majority of the morning relaxing. After lunch, I go into "work" mode until dinner and then after dinner I go back into work mode until I fall asleep around 1am or so. While it works, it is kind of hard to get motivated when you've been just sort of kicking around all morning.
Share your thoughts!
Gotta run!
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
In crowded Kowloon, I'm Thankful for parks
A Couple things just occurred to me: first, this blog makes it seem like time is zooming by. And I suppose it is. I'm in a state of disbelief nearly every week when I realize that it's already time to update. Hey-- I guess that's a sign that I really am doing my best to keep myself busy. Secondly, I'm pretty flabbergasted to just have realized that Thanksgiving is THIS WEEK. By the weather here, you'd never know it. Especially since the people of Hong Kong don't celebrate, talk about, or even know about the proto-birthday of America.
One thing I'm most thankful for this year (aside from my opportunity to study in Hong Kong which, in itself, is pretty thanksgiving-worthy) is the almost weekly trips I make to rural areas or, if worse comes to worse, just plain-old parks. Living in a tiny hotel room in a crowded city can really start to wear on me, so it's nice to get out at least once a week and just enjoy the weather, do some hiking, or otherwise just do some reading or make some time for some quite reflection outdoors. Today, I went to Kowloon city park. While nothing out of the ordinary, being their can still give you the impression that you're not in the city anymore. From one of the benches, I got a pretty good view of the old Hong Kong airport:
...So while I regret that I won't be able to be with my family this Thanksgiving, at least I know that I'll still be able to get away from the city if need be whenever I want to. All I need is to take a stroll down to the park.
In other news, this week should be a promising one. This Tuesday, I'm giving a presentation to my class on the oral and folk-tradition roots of ballads by the Chinese literati. Finishing that will be a HUGE relief, though there's still a lot of work I need to do to prepare tomorrow and Tuesday. After the presentation is finished, me and a friend have made vague plans to go to XiGong and get Pizza. Apparently, there's some really good Pizza to be had there. I am skeptical, but I will certainly report back with my findings. I am always down to explore new varieties of Pizza (note: the importance of the food demands that I capitalize the word regardless of its place in the sentence. I hereby decree that any time Pizza is mentioned, it should be mentioned as if it were a 'proper noun'. Only then can the greatness of Pizza be verbally represented).
To all my friends/family who read this: thank you so much for all the support you constantly throw my way, either through the phone, e-mail, or Skype. Enjoy Thanksgiving, and I'll see you during the Christmas holiday!
晚安！
One thing I'm most thankful for this year (aside from my opportunity to study in Hong Kong which, in itself, is pretty thanksgiving-worthy) is the almost weekly trips I make to rural areas or, if worse comes to worse, just plain-old parks. Living in a tiny hotel room in a crowded city can really start to wear on me, so it's nice to get out at least once a week and just enjoy the weather, do some hiking, or otherwise just do some reading or make some time for some quite reflection outdoors. Today, I went to Kowloon city park. While nothing out of the ordinary, being their can still give you the impression that you're not in the city anymore. From one of the benches, I got a pretty good view of the old Hong Kong airport:
...So while I regret that I won't be able to be with my family this Thanksgiving, at least I know that I'll still be able to get away from the city if need be whenever I want to. All I need is to take a stroll down to the park.
In other news, this week should be a promising one. This Tuesday, I'm giving a presentation to my class on the oral and folk-tradition roots of ballads by the Chinese literati. Finishing that will be a HUGE relief, though there's still a lot of work I need to do to prepare tomorrow and Tuesday. After the presentation is finished, me and a friend have made vague plans to go to XiGong and get Pizza. Apparently, there's some really good Pizza to be had there. I am skeptical, but I will certainly report back with my findings. I am always down to explore new varieties of Pizza (note: the importance of the food demands that I capitalize the word regardless of its place in the sentence. I hereby decree that any time Pizza is mentioned, it should be mentioned as if it were a 'proper noun'. Only then can the greatness of Pizza be verbally represented).
To all my friends/family who read this: thank you so much for all the support you constantly throw my way, either through the phone, e-mail, or Skype. Enjoy Thanksgiving, and I'll see you during the Christmas holiday!
晚安！
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Being Homesick
Right off the bat: No, I'm not homesick now. But yes, I really was in the middle of the week.
One thing I've learned about living away is that when one thing seems to go wrong, everything can turn sour pretty fast. Being far away doesn't really phase me during my normal routine, but when something goes wrong-- like my co-adviser e-mailing me to tell me my translations were bad, which is what happened this week-- all of the sudden distance becomes more imprisoning than usual.
That, to me, seems like a disadvantage of 1.) living away, 2.) living alone and 3.) living at school. When school gets tough, there's really no escape. Last week, I got stuck on a paper and received some pretty humbling comments about my ability to translate Chinese into English (which, by the way, which I've never even advertised competence in). Since friends were away, there was really nowhere to go-- except to bed, that is. Thankfully, after some coffee and music and sleep I managed to pull myself out of my lousy mood. And I'm not stuck on my paper anymore. Things are looking good again.
Couple of lessons I've learned:
1.) I absolutely can NOT focus on the distance, or how long I've been here, or how long I've got to go. That just makes things harder. It's really best just to keep busy and not think about the time at all. I'm reminded of Kyle's perpetual obsession with next weekend, and the time.
2.) Things are easier when I take the time to voice chat or video chat with people, especially Casey, rather than just use Instant Messenger.
3.) I can't be afraid to take some time off-- a day, a couple of days, etc-- to recharge. In an environment where there are few escapes, it's important to remember to set some time aside for myself.
4.) I must be able to shrug things off when they go wrong. When my Chinese is criticized, when I do poorly on a paper, when I make some other mistakes... Ultimately, my life and general well-being are so much more important than succeeding at school. Does that mean I should just give up school and pursue happiness somewhere else? Of course not. But does it mean school is worth throwing myself into regular panic over? No way. I've never stressed about school and, honestly, that's how I've managed to enjoy learning all this time whereas others I know can't stand the academic environment. This advice, I think, is true for anyone regardless of where they are in life.
Anyway, that's it for me this week. I intended to update on my trip to Shenzhen, but I wasn't allowed in the city. Americans aren't allowed to go there without a Visa anymore. If I were Canadian, I would've been allowed in :P.
One thing I've learned about living away is that when one thing seems to go wrong, everything can turn sour pretty fast. Being far away doesn't really phase me during my normal routine, but when something goes wrong-- like my co-adviser e-mailing me to tell me my translations were bad, which is what happened this week-- all of the sudden distance becomes more imprisoning than usual.
That, to me, seems like a disadvantage of 1.) living away, 2.) living alone and 3.) living at school. When school gets tough, there's really no escape. Last week, I got stuck on a paper and received some pretty humbling comments about my ability to translate Chinese into English (which, by the way, which I've never even advertised competence in). Since friends were away, there was really nowhere to go-- except to bed, that is. Thankfully, after some coffee and music and sleep I managed to pull myself out of my lousy mood. And I'm not stuck on my paper anymore. Things are looking good again.
Couple of lessons I've learned:
1.) I absolutely can NOT focus on the distance, or how long I've been here, or how long I've got to go. That just makes things harder. It's really best just to keep busy and not think about the time at all. I'm reminded of Kyle's perpetual obsession with next weekend, and the time.
2.) Things are easier when I take the time to voice chat or video chat with people, especially Casey, rather than just use Instant Messenger.
3.) I can't be afraid to take some time off-- a day, a couple of days, etc-- to recharge. In an environment where there are few escapes, it's important to remember to set some time aside for myself.
4.) I must be able to shrug things off when they go wrong. When my Chinese is criticized, when I do poorly on a paper, when I make some other mistakes... Ultimately, my life and general well-being are so much more important than succeeding at school. Does that mean I should just give up school and pursue happiness somewhere else? Of course not. But does it mean school is worth throwing myself into regular panic over? No way. I've never stressed about school and, honestly, that's how I've managed to enjoy learning all this time whereas others I know can't stand the academic environment. This advice, I think, is true for anyone regardless of where they are in life.
Anyway, that's it for me this week. I intended to update on my trip to Shenzhen, but I wasn't allowed in the city. Americans aren't allowed to go there without a Visa anymore. If I were Canadian, I would've been allowed in :P.
Sometimes I lose sight
of where I'm going,
fanned by a flame that
I can't remember.
But distant lights
still burn bright.
And the roads go on forever....
-Fates Warning
of where I'm going,
fanned by a flame that
I can't remember.
But distant lights
still burn bright.
And the roads go on forever....
-Fates Warning
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Nature, Music and other Echoes from Home
I'm a bit baffled about what to write this week. Honestly, this week has gone by so quickly that it feels like I just wrote my last blog yesterday. Hurray for quick weeks! Time really does fly...
Anywho, early this week I bought my plane ticket. I'll be coming home for Christmas, and staying until January 4th... Not long enough, but better than nothing. Unfortunately, due to some regulations regarding leave, that's about the best I can do for now.
For some reason, I feel like this is a good week to write about with the one thing that connects me to home more than all others: my music. It's strange-- I've watched as friend and after friend "grow out" of their music, but the older I get, more attached I become to the bands and songs I "worshiped" in high-school. Right now, as I prepare mentally for another week of hard work, I'm sipping from a glass of chlled Chardonny, writing, and listening to dredg's "The Pariah, the Parot, and the Delusion."
Another day, another rut
Along the highway faults
We sat and watched him,
The saddened watchman
He's all Alone.
We're drawn together by accident.
We'll be forever with these words
and melodies will guide us through this speck in time.
We're trying to get the missed attempts.
We are forever with these words and
Memories they'll guide us through this night.
We're getting older, older, older.
But it's not over, over
Cause this all, all you'll ever get
Don't forget that, don't forget that, don't forget
Cause this all, all you'll ever get
Don't forget that, it's your one and only chance.
Anyway, came across some poems I really liked this week. I really like stuff that originates from the folk-oral tradition. Here's one of 'em:
悲歌可以當泣，遠望可以當歸。
思念故鄉，鬱鬱纍纍。
欲歸家無人，欲渡河無船。
心思不能言，腸中車輪轉
A sad song might take the place of tears,
A look toward the distance might take the place of home,
Wishes to return to my old village
Are piling up higher and higher.
I'd go home, but no one's there.
I'd cross the river, but there's no boat.
The feelings in my heart can't be expressed,
The wheels of my cart turn round and round...
From today's trip to the island:
Anywho, early this week I bought my plane ticket. I'll be coming home for Christmas, and staying until January 4th... Not long enough, but better than nothing. Unfortunately, due to some regulations regarding leave, that's about the best I can do for now.
For some reason, I feel like this is a good week to write about with the one thing that connects me to home more than all others: my music. It's strange-- I've watched as friend and after friend "grow out" of their music, but the older I get, more attached I become to the bands and songs I "worshiped" in high-school. Right now, as I prepare mentally for another week of hard work, I'm sipping from a glass of chlled Chardonny, writing, and listening to dredg's "The Pariah, the Parot, and the Delusion."
Another day, another rut
Along the highway faults
We sat and watched him,
The saddened watchman
He's all Alone.
We're drawn together by accident.
We'll be forever with these words
and melodies will guide us through this speck in time.
We're trying to get the missed attempts.
We are forever with these words and
Memories they'll guide us through this night.
We're getting older, older, older.
But it's not over, over
Cause this all, all you'll ever get
Don't forget that, don't forget that, don't forget
Cause this all, all you'll ever get
Don't forget that, it's your one and only chance.
Anyway, came across some poems I really liked this week. I really like stuff that originates from the folk-oral tradition. Here's one of 'em:
悲歌可以當泣，遠望可以當歸。
思念故鄉，鬱鬱纍纍。
欲歸家無人，欲渡河無船。
心思不能言，腸中車輪轉
A sad song might take the place of tears,
A look toward the distance might take the place of home,
Wishes to return to my old village
Are piling up higher and higher.
I'd go home, but no one's there.
I'd cross the river, but there's no boat.
The feelings in my heart can't be expressed,
The wheels of my cart turn round and round...
From today's trip to the island:
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