He asked us how many, we said "2." Then, a little girl popped up from behind the podium and offered to take us to our table upstairs. We followed her as she proudly told us that the restaurant was her mom's. We got to the table and she gave us the menus. But then, she … Continue reading Imagine This
I'm on the metro coming home from a 9-5 day at work. I'm standing in the corner next to the doors listening to a podcast called “Startup.” In it, an entrepreneur named Alex Bloomberg tries to open up a podcast company. But in the particular segment I’m listening to, he is reading Shel Silverstein’s classic, … Continue reading The Four Kids on the Metro on the Way Home
"It doesn't even feel real." Last night, I texted this to my mom without even thinking about it. I was responding to her message letting me know that my grandma has passed away peacefully after multiple battles with cancer. And it really doesn't feel real a day later either. Have you ever felt that emotion when someone that's extremely special … Continue reading That Feeling you get but Don’t Understand
"Aw, I wish I could, but I have to..." For a while, that was my response to a lot of invitations to hang out. Even though I really wanted to go most of the time, either schoolwork or other obligations took precedence. Because in the end, I get graded on these assignments, and those grades affect my … Continue reading When I Realized Something Obvious
In the last few days, I've probably used more Mandarin than I have in almost three years of study. From making multiple trips up and down the elevators to figure out my Wifi, to ordering food, to giving and asking directions. And yes, at times it's stressful, but it's also exciting. But within my completed … Continue reading Fluency of a Friendship
The guy sitting next to me gave a 'thank you' and a smile as he sat down, so I'd thought I'd try and strike up a conversation--something I usually want to do but don't. Turns out he's a graduate student in Texas but happened to go to the University right next to mine in Shanghai. … Continue reading The People you Meet and Forget to Remember
My twin brother and I used to write stories--mostly about knights, kings, and the occasional dragon-- and reading the Lord of the Rings in third grade was definitely a contributor to the fact. We only had one set of the series books, though, so we always had to trade off reading. The exchange was always accompanied by a, "what … Continue reading A Brother, The Wild, and An Introduction
Stefano Montali 