Life

Beijing Impression

Beijing really is a place with distinct seasons. The exact same view outside the window or in the park evokes completely different feelings depending on the temperature and the color of the sky.

Winter versus summer for example. Winter felt more gloomy and dark especially when walking around the neighborhood's brutalist apartments as if you are living in the Soviet Era.

Summer is a lot more vibrant and green because of the massive boost in the amount of flora and fauna. Our neighbours filled the walkways with shrubs of mint and perilla. Native wildflowers grew around lawns and formed small forests filled with all kinds of bugs.

Dry Grass

When driving by or looking around in California, I often see big and small hills covered in yellow. Up close, this yellow covering is actually dry grass stalks. They make some pretty satisfying swishing noise. Some shrubs and wildflowers grow between the stalks as natural decorations. Once I stood on

From Relief to Rerecording: What a Piano Diploma Taught Me

Checking my inbox today, I was overjoyed to receive the official notice that I passed my ARSM piano exam. Though I prepared for this milestone completely solo without an instructor, designing my own 30-minute repertoire brought a unique sense of joy and discovery. The recording process, however, was intense; nerves

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