Things I love lately

February! Onto the second month of 2021. Seniors were invited back to campus for a month, but I chose to stay home until the spring term when I can squeeze in a full term with the same length quarantine. So here I am, finishing the last stretch of my last winter term of high school, living through a global pandemic and a major nor'easter that's hitting a large portion of the east coast. Yet even in these dark, bleary, snowy, and windy days, I'm still finding ways to appreciate life. I admit it's been particularly difficult to try new things during the pandemic as a consequence of being restricted to my house, so these are small trinkets that add inklings of joy to my day. 

Into the Wild (2007). spoiler alert **So this movie came out when I was just 4 so I'd like to believe that's the reason I missed this hit. I watched Into the Wild over the weekend, as per the recommendation of my dad, and days later, I find myself still reflecting upon the life of Christopher McCandless. McCandless was born to a wealthy family, but after graduating a top student from college, all he sought to do was "go North" to Alaska. McCandless burned the remainders of his trust fund, burned his SSN, and left his family without a trace, ultimately dying in Alaska due to starvation. After watching the movie, I read a couple of articles about McCandless in the New Yorker, learning to my surprise that he only survived for 113 days in Alaska. I was particularly drawn to the movie because McCandless's life really touched upon the fundamental fact that there exist many types of people in this world who have diverse aspirations in life. Moreso, there's a really interesting moral dispute behind this movie, which was adapted from the book by Jon Krakauer, questioning whether it glorifies McCandless's somewhat self-destructive, whimsical mentality or whether it celebrates the wilderness and freedom from the ills of civilization. 

White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo. This book has been on my to-read list for years. In fact, since it was first published in 2018. I first encountered this book in my school's library, and no one seemed to check it out. But I finally found the opportunity to read it and it has transformed the way I see race in America. While I've always been aware of racism and white supremacy, I didn't understand how it could seep into societal institutions, residential neighborhoods, and word choice. It's an insightful book, one that's uncomfortable to read at times, but I would totally recommend it. 

Effie's Biscuits. These are a delightful treat that my family constantly stocks in our pantry these days. We've gone through four flavors already, Oatcake (the OG), Cocoa, Pecan, and Corn. I'm not even kidding, I love all of them. I also find the history of the family business quite intriguing. Effie MacLellan, who moved from Nova Scotia to Dorchester, MA, invented this delicious treat decades ago. Yet, it was her daughter's generation that knew they had to share this delicious treat with the rest of the world. Hence, they launched Effie's Homemade! I love ending a meal with these little squares of joy. They're just the right amount of sweetness, crunchiness, and crispness. 

Baking banana bread. I used to be an avid baker back in middle school, but after I started going to boarding school, I lost my touch with the oven. My mom phrases it in Chinese as "I seem to have reversed course and become more of a child." Being in the middle of a global pandemic has changed this and over the past couple of months, I've reconnected with baking. In particular, I've grown skilled at making banana bread. I don't like sour cream, so nailing the moistness has been a challenge, but I've discovered that adding a ton of bananas does the trick.

The stretch between now and the spring term feels longer this year than in the past. Perhaps this is due to the fact that I haven't been on campus for almost a year! Whereas we used to have periodical breaks, such as winter break, this year has slurred together into one train. It's been tedious at times, but I'm pushing through. There is light at the end of the tunnel. And the things I love lately will, as always, help me get there.