WHO YOU ARE MATTERS
Where do I come from?
I was born in Taipei and moved to Shanghai in my early childhood. I spent my summers roaming around my grandfather's mango farm in the south of Taiwan. This provided a stark contrast against my "normal" life in Shanghai's extremely dense urban environment.
Where am I going?
After graduation, I will be moving to New York City! I am excited to return to true city life (Los Angeles is hardly comparable). I fully plan on embracing the city's constant hustle and bustle, the organized chaos, and yes, even the notorious subway rats.
How do I plan to get there?
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How am I like my parents?
It's difficult to find similarities between me and my parents. Especially after a few years of healthy teenage rebellion. But here goes:
Mother: voracious reader, love for travel, big foodie, extreme ambition
Father: lighthearted, calm, devoted to family above all else
How am I unlike my parents?
The biggest difference between me and my parents is most apparent in my exposure to Western media and American culture. They don't understand any American pop culture references and we don't share any interests in music, books, or movies. After moving to Los Angeles for college, I have absorbed as much as possible with an open mind. My parents are very stubborn and reluctant to stray far from what they've always known. As one can imagine, these differences have resulted in our differing views on life.
How have I developed myself and am I operating under someone else's expectations?
Growing up, I lived with many rules and was raised to be a very obedient child. With this set of rules came several expectations, some were reasonable, and others not so much. Consequently, I relished the freedom and independence that college life affords. I developed myself by exploring, learning, and then reflecting. In being so far from home, I had to build a house of my own (both figuratively and literally). This meant reconstructing many of the rules and expectations placed on me by my family and then establishing new values that I found to be true.
Who serves as a model for me of someone who lives life with great passion and personal responsibility?
Tiffany Zhao is my best friend from childhood. She lives her life passionately. From the managing director at her investment banking internship to the rando standing behind her in line for coffee, Tiffany engages in every conversation with excitement. You can always tell because she speaks with her hands too! Her passions extend beyond people and into all the little and big things in life. She experiences the full breadth and depth of her emotions. All of this is infectious and one can't help but live a little freer when standing next to her.
Tiffany is also a good person. This may seem like the bare minimum but trust me, it is a personal responsibility that must be taken seriously!
ANIMAL WORLD: What wild animal do I feel a special connection to?
Elephants. They are large, powerful, and majestic, but also gentle and kind with one another. I feel tremendous respect for them. (the baby elephants are also just too cute)
NATURE KINGDOMS: Describe a significant encounter with a tree or plant.
Mango trees always remind me of home. Memories of picking mangoes from my childhood will forever remain special in my heart.
BIRTH FACTS: Sun sign, Moon sign, and Ascendant or Rising Sign
Sun sign - 16 Degrees Aquarius
Moon sign - 23 Degrees Scorpio
Ascendant/Rising sign - 28 Degrees Taurus
Hi Wen-Hsin! I think it is so incredibly cool and unique that you spent your summers growing up on your grandfathers mango farm. That's not something you hear too often! I would love to eventually have a farm of some sort myself with lots of different fruit trees, produce, and flowers. We seem to have the same similarities to our parents as well, I get my calmness and devotion to family from my dad and my love of reading and ambition from my mom. Elephants are also one of my favorite animals as well! This was so cool to read and I feel like we have lots in common, maybe I'll see you in NYC after grad!
ReplyDeleteHi Wen-Hsin! It's super cool that you spent summers at your grandfather's farm. If you don't mind me asking, where in south Taiwan is the farm? (I ask because my grandparents also live in southern Taiwan - Tainan) Also, out of curiosity, if you fly in from Taipei, what's your preferred way of getting to the southern part of the island? On another note, Tiffany sounds like an amazing person. In my experience, having a friend with an infectious passion for everything they do and who finds joy in little things is really special and can have an amazing impact on you when you're with them, so I totally get what you mean by feeling a little freer when you're with her. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Wen-Hsin! I really resonated with what you said about having to build a house of your own after moving away from home. I think it's so cool that you have been able to establish and independent lifestyle and build a future of your own - even moving to NYC post grad! I would love to move to New York as well, as the city life is something that I wish to fully embrace when I am in my 20s. What specifically about moving to the city are you most excited about? I hope you can also fully enjoy your last semester at USC and LA + make lasting memories :)
ReplyDeleteHi Wen-Hsin, thank you for your post! I’ve known you since sophomore year, and I’d love to learn more about your throughout WRIT 340. I’m glad to hear that you will also be moving to New York post-graduation since I will be there too! I really relate to your section on developing your own expectations after moving away from your parents. Like you, I was raised to be a “good” kid, and frankly, I never had a phase of rebellion because I thoroughly enjoyed being praised by my parents for being good. Thus, I always have a strong sense of desire for freedom and independence, because I was curious about who I truly am once I can make my own decisions and live my own life without my parents’ expectations. I am glad to hear that you’ve take advantages of these years in college to discover and reflect about yourself!
ReplyDeleteHi Wen-Hsin!! So cool that we are both from Taiwan. Another really interesting thing is that my best friend has such a similar background as you! She also is from Taiwan and her whole family moved to Shanghai, and now she is in university in London. I resonate with you a lot on being more "western" compared to my parents as well; they don't even speak english! I am also so proud of you for reconstructing the expectations set on you and becoming your true self:)
ReplyDeleteHello WenHsin, great to meet someone here grew up in Shanghai as well. LA is pretty different from Shanghai but with tons of similarities. Whats more, I have an elephant jellycat as well. Those are cute animals and they never attack others although with such a huge size.
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