I stayed up late two nights in a row solving an overseas puzzle hunt, hence the missing updates. My sincerest apologies! Next time something like this happens, I will warn you in advance!

But how did you know our team was the twelfth to finish all twelve puzzles? The meta drops at 2:00 tomorrow morning, so tonight I absolutely must sleep early! Hence the early post (

Over the past few days, my exercise volume has decreased slightly, but at the same time, my interactions with my classmates have increased. Sometimes I wonder if running to the library all day is really the right choice (after all, I also slack off in the library, cough cough), and activities with my classmates should also be an important part of life.

The day before yesterday, a bunch of kids absolutely demolished me at basketball. I have all this height and still could not stop their long-range shots. Useless, honestly. Sigh. Learning anything new inevitably takes you from feeling rather good about yourself, through the discovery that you are in fact terrible, and straight down into the valley. Only if you refuse to quit there can you begin the slow climb up the Slope of Enlightenment. (Though I expect to keep sliding for a while yet.)

Yesterday I attended an art-history lecture nearby. The speaker was genuinely excellent: even material this “dry” never made me sleepy. He asked whether I had encountered art as a child, and I began to remember all the exposure and training of elementary school—calligraphy, piano, hulusi, photography, painting, art festivals. My conclusion: I basically learned all of it for nothing. (Not really. Everything you learn eventually becomes part of you.) I also played a round of pool during the break and enjoyed such obscene luck that I was accused of spending years of my lifespan on every shot. What was I supposed to do? Skill issue. Practice more…

Well, I’ve finally caught up on the past two days. Then there’s today—I met my dad who came to Beijing, and we agreed to go on a crazy walking and eating tour along the Central Axis tomorrow. Really looking forward to it!