Author: Jeff

Shanghai!

Jeff, ,

After a twice delayed flight from Newark, a 3 hour stopover in Detroit, and a relatively uneventful fourteen hours in the air, I finally arrived in Shanghai late Tuesday afternoon. I’m not sure whether it’s because I haven’t been in the city for almost ten years, or due to the 2010 Expo, but Shanghai definitely feels a lot different from the last time I was here. For one, I’m relatively fortunate to be here during the middle of May, and not during the so-called “sauna days” of June and July. The weather gets hot during the middle of the day, but turns cool again at night, so there’s no need to turn on the air conditioner. Unsurprisingly, a thin layer of smog covers the city, but sunlight still finds its way through the wispy clouds and light blue sky. I am currently staying with one of my mom’s colleagues in the Puxi district (that’s west of the Huangpu River for those of you who are unfamiliar with Shanghai). Their home is only a couple blocks away from the nearest Expo pavilion, so it will be very convenient for me when I visit with my cousin tomorrow. I’ve heard good things about the Expo, and I can’t wait to it check it out. Unfortunately, it’s so massive that it’s impossible to visit completely on a single day, so I guess I’m going to have to figure one which pavilions are the best one and then go from there.

The Official 2010 Shanghai World Expo Logo

birthday post!

Jeff

19 =P. Last year as a teenager, haha. I’m sorry if you guys expected anything deep, that will have to wait. Right now I kind of have a headache from getting hit in the head in soccer.

Time flies

Jeff, , ,

I can’t believe two semesters have almost gone by already.  It’s a scary thought, but pretty soon, four years of college will be over as well.  Hopefully, we’ll have matured and become  more like “adults” by then, but I think for now, I’m content with simply living in the present. I’ve learned that while planning for the future is a good idea, taking things as they come on a day by day basis gives you the opportunity to experience them fully. Ultimately, it is through these experience, both good and bad, that we grow as individuals.

For better or for worse, that is the reality we all face in our lives. Time is inexorable. It will keep pushing on even after we are gone from this world. Call me stubborn, but I think there will always be a part of me that wants to be a kid again. At the same time, there’s a part of me that wants to seek out the truth of things, no matter what.  To that extent, I think that Edward Blake had the right idea when he wrote his Songs of Innocence and of Experience.  Growing up can be a painful process, but we all have to go through it some time or later. In the end, what we learn from our adult experiences should not detract from the innocence of our youth, but rather complement them.