Sorry-ology

DSCF0196.jpg Originally uploaded by Wanchen Tai North Wales, 14-17/Oct/2008 I just came back from a trip to North Wales. The purpose of the trip was to relax and to see the other side of this country, but it proved that to fulfill both aims is physically impossible. But I have managed to sleep well throughout the journey, pampered myself with good showers, and fed my eyes with enchanting views of the countryside. This sleeping bear explained well the nature of this part of the UK: blissful rest in the arms of nature.

Carrel 12 'Can I get key to Carrel 12?' Over the past two years, it was the phrase that I used to begin a day's work in the JBM library. Sometimes, it was the only phrase that I would utter during the entire day, while the rest of the time simply fell in silence. Beneath the humble request for assistance that this question implied was actually a privilege, a privilege that allowed me to enjoy a secluded and private space on campus. It granted me a secret pleasure of being alone among books and in the library crowd. My carrel overlooked a meadow adjacent to the library. The lawn featured budding plants in spring, starry daisies and sun-bathing people in summer, golden leaves in autumn, and freezing emptiness in winter. The apple tree had been amazingly productive laden with fruits every autumn. Most apples remained on the tree throughout the harvest season, rotten or randomly pecked by birds, and fell on the ground when winter came. These trees best exemplified the seasonal...

Rainbow K and I went to London for a research holiday in August. It was a lovely time together hunting for good food, music, and art. This rainbow was a wonderful surprise that footnoted the journey. We saw this colorful arch right outside the tube station of Earl's Court. The gray cityscape was immediately animated and brightened up by the rainbow at sunset when the city was already heavy with a day's toils. The presence of the rainbow miraculously allowed the busy flow of traffic to assume a new rhythm. Some paused to admire the arch, some turned their heads to glimpse it even after they continued their journeys, and some posed for photos against the backdrop of the celestial vision. Later during that holiday, we saw another rainbow in York after a torrential rain. The experiences were particularly blissful, I think, because I didn't just witness them alone, both times.