Summer in New York is hot, and the abundant light reflected off of the glasses of the skyscrapers light up the streets which are normally devoid of any direct sunlight. That makes you feel like you are living in a synthetic world.

Flushing Queen’s is a different story. It’s a sunny day, walking on the shady lane with all kinds of flowers sticking their heads out of their designated yards, makes you feel happy even when you are temporarily homeless.

But I did find an apartment and it seems like I will be living in west Harlem overlooking the Hudson river starting late Aug!

It took me a good week to get used to NYC time – but I’m still slightly jet-lagged. Even better, tomorrow I’m flying to Banff (Calgary, Canada) which is 2 hours behind NYC time. What does this mean? Feeling sleepy at dinner time and waking up at 3AM. Luckily I’ll be participating in a music program and I won’t have to fight the practice room with any other pianists.

And if you are bored, here’s NYC, live!

6月份的丽江人头攒动，白天夜晚都是人，还都是花里胡哨的（女）人。到达的前几天，丽江总是阴云密布，随时都会一点也不吝啬地抛下些雨水。一天早晨我独自前往木府参观，在参观完转回大门的途中不巧又是嘀嗒小雨。我正好走到了木府里一个品酒的休息处，看到那里正在介绍“木老爷”酒 （用高海拔苦荞酿成的当地的一种白酒），随性要了一盅，独自品尝。这时一名30来岁的汉人男子走来，说，你应该加点冰试试，口感会更不一样。我于是加了一点，一品入口，没想到会是如此甘甜，一点也不像干喝的那样烈，品起来就像干邑。他介绍给我说，这白酒是中国唯一能加冰喝的白酒，他是部门经理。

这么聊着就认识了。后来他邀请我们晚上一起吃饭。在丽江就是这么容易交朋友。

我与Eric准时赴约。他和另外一个帅气的纳西小伙（后来我知道他比我还小一岁）带我们到了大研古城外的一家纳西土家餐馆。长话短说，我和Eric在那里喝的太高兴，而我从来不怎么喝酒，尤其是他们土家酿的白酒。在纳西人热情的敬酒里，我根本没意识地喝得太多了。

所以，回到客栈就吐。吐得比较惨不忍睹。

清晨，起床后发现胃好像吐得透支了，什么也吃不下去。下午时分，和Eric逛到一条小巷里的Well Bistro，坐下，偶尔看到茶水单上有种花茶叫玫瑰茄，它的功效里简单地提了一句“醒酒”。试试吧，没有什么比吐更差的了。一杯茶，一小蝶冰糖被端上来，酒红色的茶水看着特别温馨。

这种茶很酸，一定要加糖或蜂蜜，饮用起来酸甜，有点像北京的酸梅汤。

我们打开棋盘，对弈，饮茶，几个小时过后我突然意识到我的胃感觉好多了，甚至完全没有问题了。所以，从此我就对玫瑰茄情有独钟。

当然，不一定要在醉酒后饮用，这种茶含有很高的维C，据介绍还有养颜等功效。我特地在离开丽江之前买了点产自云贵高原的玫瑰茄，现在它在我纽约的行李里面。搬家时一定不忘拿出来放进厨房壁柜，有机会你来我家做客一定要尝尝我的玫瑰茄。

Roads are forever changing, but some things never change. What’s strange is that this is my 3rd time coming back in 10 years, and this time I feel the most like coming home yet feeling there are things I feel most averted to.

A girl who has the perfect Beijing-accent (or so I’m told) but has such limited Beijing slang volcabulary, told the cab driver the name of the street my home is on but unable to lead him how to get back.

But in any case, I still love it here.

This time I actually enjoyed going to Forbidden City, even though the weather was as hot as ever. I also had a White Russian at a San Li Tun bar, saw the many foreingers and terrible smell of smoke filling up the dance floor.

Many people, many cars – not as many bicyles now.

My computer for some reason cannot connect to the internet, so it’s slightly inconvenient for me to post pictures. Maybe I’ll purchase a netbook soon so I could do that.

’til then, ciao!

Updates to follow!

Central Park.

In case I haven’t said it enough times: I LOVE NEW YORK CITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was a bit too hot in my room. I heard birds chirping their happy song, somebody from the neighboring building showering or cooking – and I opened my eyes, looked through the curtain and saw a piece of cerulean sky.  What a beautiful morning. Such an amazing gift God had given me to be alive and healthy, and be surrounded by peace beauty.

The beauty of having a birthday on May 5th is that usually final exams slash some important performances are around this time, and once this tough part of the year is dealt with success, I can burst out with happiness and enjoy the beautiful spring/summer day.

Especially – this year has been one of the hardest years in my life, I am full of thankfulness of how the end of the year turned out. Yesterday, after playing an amazing jury, having a great talk with a professor, Sea and I headed to SoHo and had Shanghai 小笼包 in Chinatown.

He started dancing after seeing me raising my camera.

I wasn’t sure if this was a simple parking lot or an open field car show.

My beautiful friend Sea.

Well, happy birthday also to my friends Charles and Ivan, and Mr.Charles Rosen (and also Mr.Karl Marx, if he’d still like to celebrate it).

We are supposed to be one year wiser, so let’s not disappoint that. ; )

What?? What is “bathroom” so big? Also, “Toronto” is bigger than “Brahms” – this is not good.

I’ve been wanting to write and tell you how much I am enjoying all this beauty of the spring in New York, but I ended up enjoying too much. I was down at Battery Park on Good Friday, cherry blossoms in the backdrop of the blue sky, a boy chasing a girl on the green grass, people leisurely basking under the warm spring sun, all this reminds me so much of Beijing (I don’t think I’ve ever seen cherry blossoms outside of China, and that makes it 10 years of not seeing cherry blossoms in the spring for me.)This happiness and youthfulness of spring seemed to have bid goodbye long ago and have returned to me so gently and kindly after the winter of my predicament.

I know there will be many winters that will be filled with hardships, but I hope none will be with desolation. It hadn’t been easy for me. But I’m so glad it’s all over, and I’m so glad this spring came and injected so much energy into my veins so that I will only keep going forward.

I think I might move to the Financial District (a.k.a. “FiDi”) in the fall. Many people have reacted with doubt when they heard me say this, but I think right now it’s the most suitable place for me to be.

I more month until school finishes, after that my plan includes going back to China and Banff.

Happy Easter and happy spring!

这几天纽约几乎没有放晴过。也许初春真正来临之前这几天的雨是最让人心里莫名惆怅的吧。天气说冷不冷，但是寒气还是从裤腿里钻进来，让你的全身稍稍颤抖。可就是这阴冷的天气，雨水浇湿大地，却在这样的雨水里一切都变绿了，这不是很不可思议么。家附近的樱花公园的草地都变成绿茸茸的了，看到那些纤细的铃铛花在雨中静静开放着，我想到，真是春雨贵如油，即便是在这般阴冷的纽约天气中。

前几天烧的一道菜。纪念一下。

Today, I sat in the park as the warmest days of March slipped away with the descending sun. I thought of you, all of you. And I thought of how funny it is if an invisible hand could just take the me who’s sitting in the park out of this world, yet I can still see you and think of you.

So the summer is coming.

Every year, since maybe three years ago, the first sweetness of summer’s air always frightens me. I am nevertheless filled with joy – and the first sight at a seemingly microscopical blossom of a flower intrigues me wondrously.

I hope you are well and ready for this wondrous season.

Love,
Sophie