What should I write today? I repeat this question every day because every day in Chengde brings new experiences. So today, why not take a look at what I’m best at: “eating”! The main reason is that I went to the city center today, and the result of “wandering and eating” was that my performance at dinner was less than ideal… But undoubtedly, my stomach hasn’t been idle for a moment since I returned to Chengde these past few days. ...

I’ve written so much, yet I haven’t described my current situation (though most people who would read this probably already know). It just so happens that today I’m in the mood to do some chronicling, haha… To summarize, I’m currently on break between studying abroad, and I expect to return to Malaysia for school at the end of January. The education system I’m in is the Australian VCE—you can look it up online. My “Gaokao” (college entrance exams, so to speak) will be in October next year, which means while my former classmates are liberated, I’ll still be toiling away. As for my studies… same as always, I suppose. ...

Although I have relatives from the North, I am a Southerner to my core; and being a Southerner means—having an obsession with snow. So, when I saw it snowing outside, my heart leaped with an innate excitement. Regardless, I still had to bundle up in layers upon layers before heading out. Grandma, considering that my brother and I would basically be having “intimate contact” with the snow, specially put a pair of disposable gloves over our regular gloves—this later proved to be a brilliant move. ...

Warm was the April of my departure, cold is the December of my return. In life, one’s character can be glimpsed through small details. For instance, what one wears while traveling. Obviously, in Malaysia, where it is summer all year round, short sleeves and shorts are sufficient for daily outings; but what if your destination is Northern China? This is exactly why one should bring a padded jacket when going to Malaysia (for the return trip). ...

I can’t say that I planned to flake out, but a month has truly passed. The week’s studies aren’t over yet, but since I remembered this last night, it’s necessary to write a bit about myself. When people ask me questions like “How’s school going?”, my answer is usually “It’s alright, just the language environment is hard to adapt to.” Studying entirely in English is, of course, a challenge for us. But the challenges don’t end there. The subjects I’ve chosen are EAL, CFL, Mathematical Methods, Physics, Chemistry, and Economics, which lean toward the sciences. There’s a tiny possibility before me that I might not drop a single subject in Grade 12 and instead take exams for all six subjects. If so, the study pressure will be several times that of others, but it seems to mean scholarships and some other things… ...

To be precise, this should be considered the diary entry for the 12th. But I was truly exhausted yesterday… so during the flight, I just kept my phone completely turned off the whole time. Yesterday morning, I crawled out of bed and started rushing for the train. After arriving in Shenzhen, I had lunch at Teacher Zhang Jing’s house and shared some thoughts. In the afternoon, I hurried to the airport to meet up with the “Shenzhen team,” and at 9 PM—takeoff! ...

It’s been quite some time since I last wrote a diary entry, so I really need to do a proper review today. Since returning to Zhanjiang, the pace of life has suddenly slowed down. Without tasks constantly pushing me forward, I’ve lost my motivation. Reflecting on it now, I often lack internal drive and frequently waste time during holidays. However, since I’ve recognized the problem, I must make a change. ...

Some of you might have wondered why I chose such a name. There are actually many reasons. For one, my house has already been rented out, and I’m currently staying at a classmate’s place. On another level, it’s also a reflection of our future plans to study abroad. More importantly, it’s about what is said in the Book of 1 Peter: we are strangers and sojourners on this earth. I hope this series can continue, even though I might not post it on WeChat Moments in the future. I’ll transcribe the previous entries into a notebook and treat them as a diary! ...

The original post for this day was deleted because it mentioned some content related to security (my WeChat Moments post was removed). Since I have absolutely no backup, I’ll write down some of my reflections here instead! First of all, I indeed don’t think carefully before speaking, always feeling that “it should be fine to say this.” Actually, that’s not right. I once wrote down a principle that I believe I should adhere to today as well: “think thrice before speaking.” ...

I had intended to update daily, but I ended up having too much fun at Figo’s place tonight. So, catching the very end of March 31st, here’s a diary entry. I spent most of today at home packing things to take with me. I took a quick photo of the cat at my tenant’s place. In the evening, we had a gathering at Figo’s house. It was a lot of fun! ...