Reverb12 Day 11: What was music to your ears?

Before moving to today's Reverb, I want to mention a little about yesterday's reverb:
What was the greatest risk you took in 2012? What was the outcome?

This prompt reminds me the Improv class I took last session, an important thing I learned from that class is taking risk!  But it's a little bit hard for me to figure out what is the "greatest" risk that I ever took. Sometimes, when we think about our past, the "greatest" seems to be not great at all. If I have to choose one, I think it is what I wrote on reverb day 7: trying to "sell" myself! Taking risk and facing what we are afraid of is profitable!

Okay, here comes today's prompt: What was music to your ears in 2012, literally or metaphorically?

This year, I realized that I love ballad and fork songs! To be honest, I was not a music lover especially pop music. By saying not a music lover, I mean I do not listen to it frequently. I usually listen to some soft music before sleep or after getting up, but seldom like other teenagers, stick to earphones during the day. As for pop music, I may have a "prejudice"towards pop songs and I think most them are too "noisy" or only about the so called "love"...

But this year, I changed a lot. The fuse is: I downloaded about 200 pieces of ballad and fork songs. After listen to some of them, I found I feel in love with ballad and fork songs! Most of them are very quite and melodious. I can close my eyes and immerse myself in the sea of the beautiful songs. So now, you may see me wearing my headphone and listening to music during the day!

Below are some of fork songs I recommend, and you cannot miss them!

 End of May- Keren Ann

Albacore-Ani Difranco

Abigail Washburn-Ballad of Treason

Blackmore's night-Memmingen

Nick Drake-Time Has Told Me

Just enjoy them!!

Reverb12 Day 9: Your favourite book?

What was the best book you read in 2012, and why? (And by "Why?" I mean: Why did you read it? And why was it your favourite? Although these answers could be one and the same...!)

The best book I read is Sophie's World, written by Jostein Gaarder, a Norwegian writer. It is an interesting introductory book about philosophical thinking and the history of philosophy.

The book of Sophie's world

Actually I have read this book when I was in elementary school. Of course, I cannot understand this book at all. What interested me is not the philosophy, but the story: who send Sophie the letters? Who is Hilde? And who is Alberto?

This year, I re-read this book and like it very much! On one hand, I get a lot of philosophy ideas from this book. From Socrates to Descartes, from Hegel to Freud. This book is a door to the world of wisdom. On the other hand, reading such a great book is enjoyable. I can jump out from the sea of mathematics formulas, forget the strict thinking pattern and relieve from all kind of academic pressure. And I can think about the intriguing questions like who are you? Where does the world come from?

I even plan to read this book again in 2013! But this time, I plan to read the English Edition instead of Chinese one.  It's foreseeable that I will encounter a lot of challenges when reading, but anyway, I believe I will learn much more by reading the this book again and will have a try!

The world is so mysterious!

Have you ever read this book? If not, I encourage you to read it if have time! Do you have any book that want to recommend to me? Tell me!

Reverb12 Day 8: Your most important relationship?

Considering the idea that nothing lasts forever: what was the most important relationship that you fostered in 2012? 

How will you continue to nurture it in 2013?

During 2012, I met a lot of new people, but the most important relationship I fostered is with my current roommates: Mochong, Yanran and Xueying.

We are classmates before coming here, but honestly speaking, I have many other good friends and do not know them quite well. After coming here, we live together and hence have a lot of time being together. What I find is: they are really very good guys and I feel lucky to have a chance know them better.

Mochong is a typical Northeast girl who is very broad-minded and considerate. Yanran is a lovely and energetic girl who love making cake and would spend several hours helping us with Algebraic Topology. Xueying is also very lovely and has her own ideas.

Our together time are full of laughter and sometimes, I would ask myself: what if I came here alone without the company of them? I must feel very lonely and miss my friends in China very much! But because of them, I got used to the new life very quickly and enjoyed these months very much! They are really important to me!

In the new year, they will back to China while I will stay at United States alone. I bet I will miss them when being alone... But I will keep in touch with these good friends!

Alone but not lonely!

Reverb12 Day 7: What will you take with you?

What's the one thing you want to take with you into 2013?

Of course, the answer is BRAVE!

As you know, I am now trying to be more brave and recently I find brave helps! It is very profitable! Here is what I get from being brave. Sounds like a dream!

It sounds like a beautiful dream! 

I attended a seminar; I encouraged myself to waited to talk with the lecturer; I forced myself to sell myself; and I got the chance!! The professor took away my CV and transcript, and finally he invited me to do some research with him semester! What's more, he would even pay me stipend each month!! That's what I haven't imagined before!! That's what I get from being brave!!

Although the professor is at Mathematics department, not Biostatistics department at which I want to study most, I can stay at Emory next semester,  I can walk by Biostatistics department and talk with professors there, and I may even audit some courses there! I believe these will enhance my chance of being admitted! Well, to talk with the professors and require to audit courses, I need to be brave. So, I will definitely take "BRAVE" with me into the new year!

Yes, be brave! And you will find you can achieve what you think you cannot!

Reverb12 Day 6: What did you learn?

Compare the “you” from the beginning of 2012 to the “you” that you are now. What new skills or talents have you learned or discovered this year?


Sorry for late. I don't want to break the contuni. , so make it up~

Overall, this is a fruitful year!

The first half of this year is quite normal. Just like every college student: study and play. Things begun to change when I came to the United States...

The first important thing I learned is how to cook!

Before coming here, I seldom cook. When at school, there are dining hall which provides cheap and delicious food, so I do not have the need to cook. (By the way, I don't have the place to cook when living at school.) When at home, ohoh, my mom is an excellent cook so I will just wait for eating! However, when I come here, since I do not like American food and nobody will cook for me, I have to prepare food for myself. Luckily, I have the gene of "good cook" get from my mom. I learned how to cook quickly and I like the food I cooked!

Hoho~ I am a cook now~

Another thing I learned is how to be brave!

I know I am still not brave enough, but I am on the way of changing! Here, I want to say thanks to my Improv and Blog teacher Ruth, who is so patient and encourage me a lot! I really appreciate that! What I find is: brave helps! I now want to announce the "lucky thing" I mentioned before but maybe it is more appropriate to write it into today's blog~

The two skills I learned are so useful! Cooking allows me to live healthily and brave makes my life more colorful and meaningful! Do you know how to cook? Are you brave? If not, I encourage you to learn these!

Reverb12 Day 5: What was your dream destination?

What was your dream destination in 2012 and why? 

Definitely, my answer to this question is: one of my dream school in the United States! It can be Emory, Gatech, UMichigan...

Emory University. 

Sometimes I would ask myself too, why I want to go aboard? Won't it be easier for me to stay in China? Won't I be happier to live with my parents and friends. Maybe! Liveing in a foreign country, I have to face all difficulties by myself. When I am ill, I have nobody to turn to except the doctor. When I am blue, I have to calculate the time difference and waiting to talk with my friends on the other sphere. So why? Why my desire of studying aboard so intense?

Two "objective" reasons are: education here are much better and opportunities here are plentiful! But these objective reasons seem too weak to support me. I think maybe the answer lies in "self-Prophecy". If you told yourself you want to experience the life in another sphere when you are ten years old, twelve years old, sixteen years old, twenty years old, then you would feel that going aboard has become one of you mission and one of the destination you are looking for!

Luckily, I have a chance to taste life in America before being admitted to graduate school. I like this kind of life. Busy but free!

I am looking for a sky to fly high!

Reverb12 Day 4: How will you celebrate YOU?

How are you going to celebrate your self this festive season? 

Oh, yes, I really need to celebrate myself after these super days! In the past few months, I was busy with applying graduate schools and recently, I am busy with preparing for the final exams. Sometimes I may stay up till 2am!! Oh, hard to imagine! I am not sure when will I have be not that busy, but once have time, I must celebrate myself! So,how?

Well, the first that appears in my mind is sleeping sleeping and sleeping!! Haha, I will turn off my cellphone and alarm clock and sleep three days!! Then, get up and eat my favorite chocolate! 

Turn of the alarm clock and have a three days' sleep!!

But that's far from enough! I also want to celebrate myself by travelling! Have a trip to all places around China! If things go well, I will spend at least five yeas in the United States to finish my PhD study. So before leaving China, I want to spend at least one month doing nothing but travelling! To see the beautiful scenery of Lijiang, to feel the sacred at Tibetan and to eat all kinds of snacks at Chengdu!

The Old Town of Lijiang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Lijiang City, Yunnan, China.

Reverb12 Day 3: What do you really wish for?

Below is today's prompt! An interesting topic that I have asked myself for thousands of times.

What do you really wish for?

Living life on a transplant waiting list gives you lots of reasons to reflect on what you've achieved in your life, and what you wish for the future.

Imagine a scenario where you only had one year left to live. What is one thing that you really wish to do that you just haven't had the chance to accomplish yet?

I have a lot of dream and the most "urgent" one is trying to be admitted to one of my dream graduate school. Doing research means a lot to me and I love the atmosphere of university. I love contact with young people who are engertic; I love discuss with people who are very intelligent and I love reading and thinking. So instead of trying to go to industry and earning a lot of money, I prefre to leave at university and do what I like. In order to become a faculty at an university, I must graduate from a relatively famous university. So to live the life I dream of, I wish I can achieve this "urgent" dream in the near future.

University of Michigan. One of my favorite universities! (Photo from the Internet)

As for lifelong dream, I think that's pretty simple as well as a little bit blured: do what I want to do, reading by myself, travelling with my friends, and... Yes, just a kind of lifestyle, my lifestyle.

I am looking forward to the year of 2013 and I hope it's a year of harvesting!

Harvesting.

An inborn fearless girl

Today, I interviewed my roommate Yanran, who is very brave and love to try new things. Below are our conversation:

Interview. I am interviewing my roommate Yanran! (Photo by our friend Mochong)

Summer: Yanran, I think you are very optimistic. Do you think you are a brave girl? Is their anything you are afraid of?

Yanran: Well, it really depends. Most of the time, I think I am. I would express my ideas bravely and do a lot things others are hesitate about. But there are some things I am afraid of, such as exam! I am quite anxious about our Algebraic Topology exam!

Summer: Uh-huh, I see! Me too! So what makes you so brave?

Yanran: It is inborn. I am inborn love trying new things and not afraid of challenges. I think it is inborn.

Summer: Inborn? You make me really sad. I am not an inborn brave person. So are there any suggestions you want to give me?

Yanran: Hum, don't think too much and just do it. I mean do not take days thinking about the possible bad consequences. That will make you irresolute and do not dare to have a try. So next time when you want to do something, don't care about what others may say or think, and don't consider too much about the consequences, just do it.

Reverb12 Day 2: Your most significant spend?

The answer jumped out once I see today's topic:

What was your most significant expenditure in 2012?

It doesn't have to be necessarily the biggest expenditure, just the one with the most impact.

What difference has it made to your life?

Yes, my most significant spend is going aboard!

I really appreciate my alma mater, Xi'an Jiaotong University, who gives me this precious opportunity! So that I can study at another sphere of the earth. My alma mater sponsored most of my fees here, but I still have to undertake some of living expenses. Not much but very significant to me!

Xi'an Jiaotong University.This is one of the school gates of my alma mater. I love Jiaotong University very much!  (Photo from Internet)

This expenditure allows me to experience a different style of life. Eating sandwich each morning and saying "have a great day" to every one I meet.

Sandwich. After coming here, my breakfast is always a sandwich and a cap of milk. I really miss the "youtiao" in China! (Photo from Internet)

Reverb12 Day 1: How are you starting?

I take part in the Reverb12! Every day, I would post an article about the topic post by Kat. To reflect on the 2012 and to plan the new year!

Reverb 12 "The month of December is the perfect time to reflect on the year that has passed and start to manifest your dreams for the new year." (from kat)

Today's topic is:  How are you starting this last month of 2012?

I really want to say something encouraging or colorful, but the truth is: swamped in preparing for the Algebraic Topology exam!

I should prepare for this tough text earlier! But just busy with reading literature suggested by the professor I am going to work with, and busy with applying graduate school. Today is my first day of reviewing, and I know it is a little bit late. Many of my classmates have prepared it for days. But anyway, I will make the best of remaining four days.

Final Exam. The algebraic topology is a very hard  graduate level course. (photo from Internet) 

Yes, your can never look down your potential! So, Summer, facing the challenge bravely!