Travel Writing
2017-2018
📍China
In 2017, I spent nine months in China through the Princeton Novogratz Bridge Year Program, working with a local child welfare NGO and teaching English at a “pop-up” school serving more than 300 migrant children. Beyond the classroom, I stepped into many roles - counselor, interpreter, even website designer - learning quickly that service often requires flexibility as much as intention.
Over the course of that year, I traveled from the tropical rainforests bordering Vietnam in the south to the arid deserts of Gansu and Xinjiang in the northwest. Along the way, I formed unforgettable friendships, witnessed breathtaking landscapes, and confronted complex social realities. At just seventeen years old, it was one of the most formative periods of my life.
Below are selections from my blog writing - or “Yaks,” as we called them - reflecting on some of the most transformative moments of that year.
Apples
September 11, 2017
”On the outskirts of Kunming stands Xuning Temple, a Buddhist place of worship splashed with tangerine gold, navy blue, and a strong, bold red. Adorning the temple stands a massive golden Buddha, whose four faces watch in every direction the residents of the homogenous, concrete dominoes below. Before embarking on what would be a month’s trekking into the rural Yunnan countryside, our cohort reached the temple for a vegetarian lunch.
With some time left before entering the dining hall, I stopped by a small vendor’s stand, which I assumed sold Xuning souvenirs. I found instead that it sold jewelry, but as to not offend and show complete disinterest, I did not leave immediately. Running the stand was a woman in her golden sixties, modestly dressed yet luxuriously welcoming. When I approached her, she unveiled a contagious toothy smile and excitedly said Hao jiu bu jian, “long time no see…” [click here to read the full piece]
Happiness at the Next Intersection
November 7, 2017
“My sister, now five years old and called Raelyn Maria Li Sung, is a contagious spring of roaring laughter, an exceptionally intelligent bundle of joy, and is one of the greatest sources of happiness to have ever entered my life. Of the countless places in the world, I was here, in Guandu; so close to the place where Guan Xiaoli was discovered, and yet unable to find it. Growing discouraged, I began to ask myself: Had the structures in the picture been demolished? Had the area undergone such rapid development throughout the last five years that it was virtually unrecognizable? Was I even in the right place? As the day grew late, I reluctantly decided to return to the hotel, giving up the mission that I was previously certain I could accomplish.
Despite returning with feelings of disappointment, I reflected upon my day, and the many experiences that came with exploring Guandu District…” [click here to read the full piece]
The Conquerer of Mountains
September 19, 2017
After picking a purple weed I would have never given a second look at, he said “long dan tsao, Dragon’s Bladder Grass – its for inflammatory relief.”
Abuoge, or “Big Brother Abuo,” was the spirited, adventurous spirited guide we were fortunate to have during our four-day expedition. Though he had never had a formal classroom education, the altruistic explorer stood more knowledgeable on many fronts than any of us were; tracking, finding the best paths for navigation over mountainous terrain, and identifying the medicinal properties of different wild plants were nothing new for Yunnan’s Bear Grylls.
Our cohort of seven, with professional mountain boots, walking sticks, and the burdensome weight of hiking gear on our backs, fell awestruck by Abuoge’s contrasting “equipment”: well-worn Vans and black jeans, callous-laden hands for gripping unto the steepest stones, and a hot pink backpack that carried a single, half- liter water bottle – a sixth of what each of us carried. The bravery we felt in carrying an average of 25-lb. seemingly-necessary gear was soon diminished when we overheard Abuo’s offhand comment: “I used to carry tourists up and down this mountain; it must have been a couple hundred times…” [click here to read the full piece]
梦想 – Dream (meng xiang)
September 19, 2017
“When I entered the commons of the Jiaxin Children Assistance Center, a much-anticipated ambush of children charged at me with smiles and laughter, each child eager to be the first to show me his/her new toys. Cheerful as the children were, their happiness did not reflect their difficult pasts. A handful had been homeless. Some suffered from abuse. A majority had parents who were either missing or incarcerated. Jiaxin provides these children safe shelter, free meals, amenities, and a caring family of peers and counselors (which now includes one Princetonian volunteer!). At Jiaxin, the children know me as laoshi (teacher).
Being that that day was an “Arts and Crafts Thursday,” I decided we would make a “梦想地图” (mengxiang ditu), or “dream map,” by illustrating our goals, wishes, and aspirations on a grand poster. After the children described their previous art pieces, I realized the pieces had recurring themes – hobbies, favorite animals, friends. Besides reflecting on things in the present, I wanted the children to dream, to think towards the future, and gain faith that such dreams might someday unfold into reality. The dream map, I hoped, would kindle such thought…” [click here to read the full piece]
Wednesdays
February 15, 2018
“As I stepped into the wu guan, or martial arts center, I was immediately greeted by Bruce Lee memorabilia on every corner, a testament to this martial arts legend. The ultimate testament to his legacy is the tapestry with a red-yellow yin and yang, underlined with the words Jiequan dao, pronounced “Jeet Kune Do” in Lee’s native Cantonese. I button up my uniform, remove my socks and shoes, as is required in practice, and line up with the other members for the day’s lesson in Jiequan dao, or the “Way of the Intercepting Fist.”
Zhun bei! The shifu called for preparation, and the class silenced. Each member stood straight and put his/her legs together, ready to begin.
Jing li! We gave shifu the traditional salute common in all classic Chinese martial arts: placing an open left hand against a clenched right fist. Class had now begun…” [click here to read the full piece]
