By Shi, Guangyu
I still remember the first week when I was enjoying breakfast with Roxxane. She told me she misses Hangzhou, the city and the people. “Want to bet? I’m sure you will not have the same feeling when seven or eight weeks have passed.” I said. So we set a bet, since both of us are pretty sure of winning this game.
<Now seven weeks have passed. On Sunday when we both sitting in the cafeteria, enjoying dumplings made by the Chinese crew, I realize that she wins the bet. I’m not saying we want to go home ASAP, instead we are enjoying the feeling called nostalgia.
Yesterday I went to Santa Monica with my lab mates. After dashing and jumping at the beach we’re all exhausted. Sitting on the beach chair facing the ocean is the best way of recreation. There were seabirds hovering over my head. Some times they were flying very close to me. Wind was blowing softly from the ocean. Suxian said only birds can understand wind. She was right. Airplanes only mimic the birds but cannot understand wind, just like artificial intelligence mimics the human brain but can not really think. I love the sea since I live far from the ocean.
<p class=”MsoNormal” style=”margin: 0in 0in 0ptOne of us, Song, a Chinese boy from Beijing University, sat in the front facing west for three hours without doing anything. I stood side by side with him, and heard him say: “From here I can see my home.”
Dr. Zhu said there’s nothing standing between Shanghai and LA on the earth, only the Pacific Ocean. Suxian argued the that earth is round. But I said light can be bent due to gravity. Anyway, one thing is clear: Song can see his home.
Actually I like Los Angeles very much. This is a city with a wonderful climate, beautiful sights, outstanding universities, excellent facilities, and warm-hearted people… All of those cannot be realized in Hangzhou. In my opinion (maybe Roxxane, the Hangzhounese, will not agree), LA is definitely a better place to live or do research than HZ. However, these are not adequate reasons to love LA more than our hometown. I cannot explain it by reasoning and scientific analysis. Maybe that is just like a girl with the best qualities who doesn’t necessarily turn out to be the girl you love the most.
I miss my home. It does not mean I want to go back home immediately. If someone asked me to stay two more months I think it is okay. I enjoy the work here. I enjoy the life here. And at the same time, I miss my home, very, very, very much.
