I think the first thing people notice about me is my shyness which, while overcome fairly quickly, is why I never know how to write an "About Me" section.

Once I get going on any number of topics, I'll become enthusiastic about offering my thoughts which I hope are compassionate and thoughtful. I've spent a lot of time reading old books and even remember a few of them. During my year spent teaching English in China, I fell in love with the East and learned that travel and growth are often companions. I love movies with a soul and I think hip hop music is vital to our time.

I'm currently living in Virginia to reconnect with my family and to gain experience as a professional grant writer. I feel at home in New Mexico, where I spent most of the past two years studying Eastern philosophy and internalizing as much of it as I could. I work a simple and honest part-time job with an employment screening company and admittedly watch a lot of cartoons in my downtime. My favorite hobby right now is weightlifting - every workout strengthens my mind, body, and soul.

That's it for now. Ask me anything!

Interests

• movies
• hiking
• philosophy
• buddhism
• television
• hip hop
• weightlifting

Music, Movies, and Books

Last August I gave my first close listen to Kendrick Lamar, and since then I've been consuming as much hip hop music as I can - a few go-to albums are Yeezus, To Pimp a Butterfly, and The Sun's Tirade. I really do feel blessed that I learned how to appreciate great beats and eye-widening raps.

More recently I've adored East Asian films. Some favorites are Harakiri, Chungking Express, and Yi Yi. I recently saw The Lighthouse in theaters and it reminded me how important a big screen can be. I'll watch anything with a soul.

I still haven't figured out which types of books I like, so I try to stay broad. Recently I've enjoyed the Harakiri and a few Chinese novellas, but my favorite read of the year was definitely Notes from Underground.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I flew out to China for a year on what was basically a whim. With no idea what to do after college, I decided to follow in my friend's footsteps and teach English in South Korea. A few logistical hiccups later and my recruiter offered an interview with a Chinese company. I wandered the streets of Shanghai just over a week later.

So much of my life has been shaped by this decision. Beginning with no prior understanding, my journey showed me the beauty of Asia in general and China in particular. My senses of art, adaptation, and daily living evolved because of my time there. I even went on to earn a master's degree in Eastern Classics that became its own formative experience.

A few memorable moments of that year include the extensive canals of my home city (Suzhou); the taste of a spicily-marinaded whole fish with lotus root and enoki; an expatriate bar named the Drunken Clam open until "whenever;" a group of well over ten students piling the bananas they brought from lunch onto my arms as gifts; and the inescapable smell of stinky tofu.

Countries I’ve Visited

Japan

Countries I’ve Lived In

China