When I’m asked about my hometown, the conversation usually goes like this. American: Where are you from? Me: China. American: Oh cool! Which city? I’ve been to Beijing. Me: I’m from the northeast. American: (losing interest upon knowing that I’m not from either Beijing or Shanghai) Ok! So it’s close to Beijing? Me: Not really, … Continue reading There’s Nothing to See Where I Come From
One hallmark of graduation season is that every day or so, someone asks me: “So what was your biggest takeaway from four years at Harvard?” I always struggle to answer this question. They may as well have said: “Summarize your transformations over the past four years, and all the lessons you’ve learned in classes, extracurriculars, … Continue reading So What Did I Learn at Harvard?
When I was younger and living in China, I used to read the book “Harvard Girl Liu Yiting,” a bestselling parenting bible that detailed the education of Liu Yiting, who was one of the very few students from Mainland China admitted to Harvard College in that era. Most of the content of that book has … Continue reading Why Unread Messages Are Dangerous
Every time I visit a new country, a part of me changes. This spring break, I visited Barcelona. And I’ve come to remember the place as where I got used to drinking wine like water, having three-hour-long lunches, and enjoying food as an end in itself—in short, I learned how to be a hedonist. Two … Continue reading When in Barcelona, Slow Down and Eat
If you want to understand Chinese culture, I suggest visiting a massage parlor in China. I’m not talking about the high-end SPAs that you find in a Hilton or a Sheraton. I’m talking about your neighborhood massage parlor, where a massage costs below $40 an hour, where you never need to make an appointment, where … Continue reading Lessons From a Chinese Massage Parlor
As I’m about to fly home to China in a few days, I realized that one thing I miss the most about being in China is eating at restaurants the Chinese way. When I first came to the US in 2013, it took me a while to adjust to the American way of restaurant service. … Continue reading Why I Dislike Eating in American Restaurants
You can’t force any Harvard students to do anything Never take “no” as an answer; never take rules as unchangeable Lamont is a place to socialize, not to study Do not buy any course books. You will NOT read them. Just borrow from the library. Never expect that everyone has the same priorities as you … Continue reading Things I Wish I knew As A Harvard Freshman
You should be experiencing major FOMO if you graduate from Harvard without eating at one of these places! 1. Night Market 75 Winthrop St Partly because of its subterranean nature and unassuming front, Night Market has gone unnoticed by many Harvard students—I personally have never stepped into it until senior year. But the moment I … Continue reading 10 Most Underappreciated Food Places Around Harvard
When I tell people about my food-related endeavors, their first reaction is usually this: “But you don’t look like you eat that much!” People seem to have the general impression that people who love eating must be overweight. I am fortunate to say that even though my eating habits have changed a lot in the past … Continue reading How to Eat A Lot Without Gaining Weight
When I first arrived at Harvard freshman year, it was also my first time being in the US. Many things that happened during that hectic first week of school is now blurry memory, but one thing still stands out to me, more than three years later: I did not know how to reply when people … Continue reading My Problem with “How are you?”
