Self Introduction

There isn't really much I can say about myself.  I am a fourth year graduate student at Columbia engineering school.  I am from China.  I like to read.  Oh yeah, and I always want to have a dog.  =)

I guess I can elaborate on my Chinese heritage a little bit more.  I came to the States when I was 16 - just in time for high school and the theatrical lives of the American teenagers.  But don't worry, I missed all of that since I was living with my Chinese grandma.  She's actually from Taiwan.  But trust me, she knew every bit of Chinese tradition you can imagine, and she made sure that it was well followed in our house.  Don't get me wrong.  It wasn't anything abusive or horrifying.  In fact, I actually appreciate for all the things she taught me and had me do.  They helped me grow and showed me who I actually am (of course, that's another topic for later discussion...).

Sensei said that we can write the blog in our native language if we want to.  I actually had a little hard time deciding what I should do - write the blog in English or Chinese.  My Chinese isn't bad.  I can read, listen or speak in Chinese fluently.  After all, it is my native language.  But writing is a whole totally different story.  After spending a good part of my life here, I am starting to lose my Chinese writing skills (not to mention that it was not that good to start with =\ ).  Of course, I can blame the wonderful Bill Gates for inventing Microsoft so that people like me don't have to actually know how to write any more.  I can just type and the characters will just magically appear on the computer screen for your pleasure to read.  But once a while, when I am having one of those self-realization moments, I can't help but feeling guilty that I am losing part of my culture.

Oh well, it seems that I am starting to have one of those moments right now.  I guess I'd better stop right here.  Otherwise I might have to question myself how come I am not taking a Chinese class this semester...