Shanghai Dating Woes
July 25, 2015
Recently, I’ve finally started watching the TV series, Girls. I know, I am 3 years late to the game. I gave it my first attempt in 2012 when I was finishing grad school in New York, and it was simply too real, and too painful to watch (Lena Dunham and I happen to be the same age!). Now that…
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Post CFA Freedom
June 14, 2015
After 4 months, and 315 hours of studying (yes, I logged it), I sat for the CFA level I exam last Saturday. Freedom has never tasted so good. I arrived at the Shanghai Expo center around 8am, and there were 15,000 anxious test takers, mostly Chinese, frantically flipping through exam notes, attempting to cram in those last few formulas.…
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The Silver Lining of Self-inflicted Torture
May 18, 2015
This morning, I was at the subway during peak hour with a latte in hand. Normally, I am fortunate that I live close enough to the office that I don’t need to subway as my commute. But today, I was heading to a different office, and experienced the joy of Shanghai subway at rush hour. I was in no particular…
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Icy Winter Wonderland in Harbin, China
February 6, 2015
Every winter, I see the famous Harbin Snow and Ice Festival on my social media timeline from friends living in China. I am not one for crowded tourist attractions, and never quite feel the crowd is worth whatever amazing thing one is meant to see. Yet, when my friend Jen asked if I want to check out Harbin for the…
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Om No! The Tiger Mom Yoga Teacher
January 27, 2015
I have been practicing yoga off and on for about a decade now. Try as I might, I haven’t managed to become an advanced yogi (ie, I can’t stand on my head or my arms, STILL). I can’t be consistent with my practice for one reason or another. Nevertheless, I enjoy finding time and getting on the mat. I enjoy…
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Year-end solo reflection trip to Yangshuo, China
January 3, 2015
Last Minute Booking 2014 had been a very busy year. Few weeks ago, when Ctrip had round-trip flights from Shanghai to Guilin for 789 RMB all-inclusive. I booked it. I had booked the trip rather spontaneously, and decided a trip alone to reflect was the best way to end and begin a year. After speaking to a few friends, it…
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2014 Year-in-Review
December 28, 2014
The word for 2014 is balance. I struggled to find it. Last year, I didn’t write my year-in-review until nearing the end of January. To start off 2015 right, I am writing it with 4 more days to spare! January: I ended the year with a trip to the East Coast to reunite with my friends. It was wonderful to catch…
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That Time When NYT Published My Words
December 27, 2014
Earlier this year, NYT printed my words on its website. For an amateur writer like myself, this was a big deal. Sure, my journalists friends are publishing on big name publications all day long like it’s no big deal, but for me, it was rather out of the ordinary. It began during my trip to Ethiopia back in February. I…
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Christmas Gratitude
December 26, 2014
This year is the third holiday season that I’ve spent away from home, marking it the longest consecutive holidays abroad. Truth be told, I was more homesick this year than usual. There is nothing particularly special about what my family does for the holidays, but just being around them provides that air of comfort. The holidays tunes about being home for…
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The Trouble of a Busy Life
December 18, 2014
It’s 9pm, and I am writing from my office. Somehow, and I am not sure how, there are only 12 days left of 2014. After putting in a 12+ hour day at the office, I wanted to stop and reflect, and think about where time has gone. Nearly two months ago, I came across a piece titled, “The Disease of…
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