Happy Independence, America!

Boy, is it really really hot. Sitting in this 90 degree/feels like 104 weather with no air conditioning trying to write up some of the research proposals for this trip. But honestly, I am just about to go and jump into a lake somewhere. It's this haze that has me under a spell. I haven't seen the sun once since in Beijing, and yet the 70% humidity and heat drains every bit of my energy.

I'm about just about a little over a week from being done with China altogether, and I guess eventually some reflections are in order. I'm not sure how to really sum it all up. There weren't any big epiphanies this time, but I think life is pretty great right now. In short, I got to see some really beautiful places (Lijiang) and visit some of my favorite relatives. Meet some new people, understand the different realities we live in, and attempt to understand how life really works in different places.

I went to Wang Fu Jing yesterday, it this giant mall complex which has way too much name brand stores for me to handle. I sat in a Starbucks, sipping my venti coffee frappuccino wondering if what's so great about this lifestyle. I'm about to start a new chapter of my life: adulthood or rather workinghood. And yet all I could see in front of me are the people walking by Starbucks. Man, there are so many of them. The market here is so different and so much more complex than I had imagined. I keep thinking I'd have an advantage if I were ever to take a business to market here in China, but it hit me: I have no idea. I am just as much an American as anyone else in America. I feel intimidate by some of the people here in China because I don't feel as smart and educated about my surroundings. Simple things such as where geographically places are located, road signs, menus, etc are all a bit foreign to me. I'm sure if I lived here long enough, I'd learn to navigate more easily. I feel older and yet so wide-eyed and naive.

I'd like to think that my next stage in life will be exciting--challenging but really fun and interesting. I really hope that I'll be able to do a good job. Curiosity, passion, thirst, and perseverance will get me through anything. I have to be willing to put in the long hours of hard work and go beyond what's expected of me. The time and effort that others aren't willing to put in, I have to. Go that extra mile or even extra 10 miles.