Surprise Spring in NY
Well 朋友们, I certainly never thought that a virus would interrupt my undergraduate career and I definitely didn’t see myself in New York until the spring of 2021. I can’t help mourn for the loss of my artistic community and outlet in Shanghai. For all my NYU Shanghai thespians: I miss y’all and I’m glad that we got to produce ‘Cloud Nine’ and two improv shows last semester. New York is a different beast and artistic projects are not as easy to break into. Of course I also miss the 手抓饼 (scallion pancake) guy right outside of campus and my occasional (or sometimes not so occasional) cup of 一点点. I miss Chinglish, I miss Alipay bikes, I miss being able to travel in Asia during spring break, I miss the 2F cafe, and I miss all the things in China that now seem commonplace. Having been back home for so long I realized that I felt more at home in Shanghai than I do in Annapolis or New York and I’m going to miss being within a stone’s throw of the pearl tower.
On the other hand, being in New York city is fantastic and opportunities are boundless. Breathing in the air of the city constantly fills me with inspiration. Having spent the previous summer here in New York rehearsing and writing for the reality show, I’m very comfortable navigating around Manhattan and already know a few great spots for food/thrift shopping/coffee (message me if you need the scoop). I love being able to stroll down Broadway and stop into my favorite cafe and grab a cup of peach-ginger tea. Being in the city allows me to be closer to my friends and who have either transferred to the New York campus or just live in the city. I’ve started on my minor of performance studies early and I love being able to study performance in Tisch. New York is one of my favorite cities and while it will never replace the place that Shanghai has in my heart I look forward to taking advantage of every opportunity in NYC!
Despite all of the hardships and inconveniences I’ve experienced because of the coronavirus situation, I count myself incredibly lucky. My heart goes out to all of my friends still in China and to the people affected in Wuhan and China by the coronavirus. To try to alleviate some of the pain caused by this situation, in my spare time, I’ve been working with diversity initiatives and the ‘Uncover’ initiative to translate stories from those directly affected by the coronavirus from Chinese to English. Also, I recently interviewed Senior Maya Wang to illuminate some of the sinophobia that’s been spread by this epidemic. My heart has been warmed by the amazing NYUSH community response to the situation and everyone's banding together has reminded me why I love this school. 加油朋友们！
