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I didn’t expect to have such a happy day today!

Let me jot this down briefly; I still want to get some work done later, since I’m not even the slightest bit sleepy yet.

1.

This morning, I woke up to see haha asking Chinese Americans to vote for her. Well, haha it is. She realized this a bit too late; no one believes her anymore, haha.

Then, in the ‘Get Rich’ group chat, we briefly discussed PhD planning, unlocking more interesting directions. I feel like I could try researching some of these later. I need to push forward with the applications next week.

2.

Later, Shubai and I went to the National Centre for the Performing Arts to watch a play, ‘The Suspect Sherlock.’ This was probably my first time ever seeing a stage play. Watson’s acting was truly top-notch; switching between these roles felt incredibly difficult. Sherlock, on the other hand, felt just average (though he is the director). Overall, it was fantastic. The play ran for a full 135 minutes, with a portion in the latter half involving audience interaction. The only regret I have is that the beginning felt too dense (I’m not sure if this was a recreation of the original script or perhaps a tribute), as many character portrayals could have been simplified. Also, I felt Sherlock’s dialogue in the second half was excessive, making him seem quite different from the character established at the start. Regarding the plot, anyone familiar with many mysteries could guess that Sherlock would rise again after falling down; it was basically a test for Watson. Combined with the typical Chinese ’ending,’ it’s definitely a happy one; a villainous Sherlock was never an option. The suspense was just so-so. Finally, what was special was that we attended the very last performance, which included a large group photo at the end. That was so much fun! Also, aside from the inspector, everyone else had microphones attached to their foreheads, which felt quite magical and even a bit distracting. I kept staring at Watson’s microphone the whole time.

3.

After the play, returning to the dorm, I was hit by a stifling, humid air. I couldn’t stand the lack of ventilation; it was too damp, almost stuffy. It felt like the perfect environment for growing microbes. So, unable to tolerate it, I decided to come back and sleep. On the way back, I chatted with the taxi driver the entire time, and we kept talking for nearly half an hour after I arrived. The driver is from the 80s generation. He said some of my thoughts on life reminded him of his own at the time, and that there were certain stages where he felt he had lost a lot. Although his definition of ‘winning and losing’ wasn’t entirely reasonable, I could basically get his point. Some of what he said actually made sense… Indeed, different people grasp different ideas, so more communication is needed. However, one thing he said was quite good: ‘Even if you lose on the path to winning, it’s better than losing all the time.’ He also called me ‘drifting aimlessly day and day,’ emmm, it actually felt like he hit the nail on the head… There was something else too: life’s path doesn’t follow the crowd’s detours; once you veer off, it’s hard to turn back. Yeah, I roughly understood what he meant. Let me just record this briefly, haha.