My silence as a disgraced bilingual
Russell Fan"The prospect that opportunities to connect with my grandparents are withering away as their memory fades, amplifies my regret for being unable to speak the language of my ancestors."
"The prospect that opportunities to connect with my grandparents are withering away as their memory fades, amplifies my regret for being unable to speak the language of my ancestors."
“I had some vague idea about using my degree to make the world a better place, as cliché as that sounds. The question was how.”
"I had some vague idea about using my degree to make the world a better place, as cliché as that sounds. The question was how."
“The general sentiment remains the same: How do you figure out who you are without Princeton?”
“The general sentiment remains the same: How do you figure out who you are without Princeton?”
“Princetonians are chocolate croissants: even before you meet them, you know they’ll be great, but they will go above and beyond your expectations in their sweetness and the rich depth of their consideration for a fellow community member.”
"Princetonians are chocolate croissants: even before you meet them, you know they’ll be great, but they will go above and beyond your expectations in their sweetness and the rich depth of their consideration for a fellow community member."
“No one’s told you that this moment you’ve been anticipating for 12 years entailed as much heartache as fulfillment.”
“No one’s told you that this moment you’ve been anticipating for 12 years entailed as much heartache as fulfillment.”
“What I try to tell them is that Alaska is beautiful — but they ‘mmhmm’ and move on, since I can’t really express in words these sentiments in a way to get them to pay attention to what I’m saying, because for me, Alaska is more than just beautiful, and it just can’t be summarized in whatever picture I try to show them.”
“What I try to tell them is that Alaska is beautiful — but they ‘mmhmm’ and move on, since I can’t really express in words these sentiments in a way to get them to pay attention to what I’m saying, because for me, Alaska is more than just beautiful, and it just can’t be summarized in whatever picture I try to show them.”
“It turns out Hong Kong has a way of breaking your heart — but I didn’t know that until it was too late, far too late, for me to do anything about it.”
“It turns out Hong Kong has a way of breaking your heart — but I didn’t know that until it was too late, far too late, for me to do anything about it.”
“Places turned into ideas, people into images, and I felt the months pass by me as if I’d fallen asleep during a movie only to wake up at the end credits. Maybe I was dreaming the entire time.”
“Places turned into ideas, people into images, and I felt the months pass by me as if I’d fallen asleep during a movie only to wake up at the end credits. Maybe I was dreaming the entire time.”
“Nothing about my habits improved because I didn't work to change them. I just hoped that using a more restrictive phone would do the hard part for me.”
“Nothing about my habits improved because I didn't work to change them. I just hoped that using a more restrictive phone would do the hard part for me.”
“...there is nothing I can do but be swept along and attempt to fit in as much as possible before my short stint is up.”
“...there is nothing I can do but be swept along and attempt to fit in as much as possible before my short stint is up.”
“As a result of this new adaptation to adult life, I have learned a few important lessons. For instance, did you know in order to make dinner, you have to predict when you will be hungry an hour in advance?”
“As a result of this new adaptation to adult life, I have learned a few important lessons. For instance, did you know in order to make dinner, you have to predict when you will be hungry an hour in advance?”
“Upon arriving in Aix, however, a different type of déjà vu set in. It was the familiarity of home, which was strange considering this was my first time in Europe.”
“Upon arriving in Aix, however, a different type of déjà vu set in. It was the familiarity of home, which was strange considering this was my first time in Europe.”
“Every day, there was the same endless blue sky, clear and unforgiving, with the occasional raven soaring past alone. At night, it transformed into an expansive darkness freckled with the most beautiful clear stars.”
“Every day, there was the same endless blue sky, clear and unforgiving, with the occasional raven soaring past alone. At night, it transformed into an expansive darkness freckled with the most beautiful clear stars.”
“Since we are doing work in quite possibly the most species-abundant forest in the world, I’ve managed to see some pretty amazing animals.”
“Since we are doing work in quite possibly the most species-abundant forest in the world, I’ve managed to see some pretty amazing animals.”
“Our old Nassau for which we gather year after year demands that neither time nor friends be let to pass simply into the dark vaults of our memory.”
“Our old Nassau for which we gather year after year demands that neither time nor friends be let to pass simply into the dark vaults of our memory.”
“In my case, in the hardest of moments, it has been a teacher’s outstretched hand that has pulled me out and forward. I can think of so many little moments — moments so small I wonder if they even registered as consequential for them but were seismic for me.”
“In my case, in the hardest of moments, it has been a teacher’s outstretched hand that has pulled me out and forward. I can think of so many little moments — moments so small I wonder if they even registered as consequential for them but were seismic for me.”
“In this sense, I am afraid of the “Breezy Point effect,” or that the joyful memories and personal connections from this year will exist only in my memories. In other words, I am worried about losing the wonderful people that I have met and no longer having the chance to create more experiences with them”
“In this sense, I am afraid of the “Breezy Point effect,” or that the joyful memories and personal connections from this year will exist only in my memories. In other words, I am worried about losing the wonderful people that I have met and no longer having the chance to create more experiences with them.”
“It has been a privilege to be part of it for the past four years. To those still here, treasure it. It is not too late to make lifelong friendships and memories. And when you eventually move on, you will bring with you more than just sweatshirts.”
“It has been a privilege to be part of it for the past four years. To those still here, treasure it. It is not too late to make lifelong friendships and memories. And when you eventually move on, you will bring with you more than just sweatshirts.”
“Happiness, sadness, fear, anger — these are all quotidian emotions, but motivation is much harder to come by.”
“Happiness, sadness, fear, anger — these are all quotidian emotions, but motivation is much harder to come by.”
“Though NROTC sometimes looks like exhausting weeks and sleepless nights, one thing that keeps us going is a shared appreciation for a challenging but rewarding way of life.”
“Though NROTC sometimes looks like exhausting weeks and sleepless nights, one thing that keeps us going is a shared appreciation for a challenging but rewarding way of life.”