Let me start with reflections—feel free to skim the daily log:
Our reality shifts with our mind; our world is shaped by our heart.
In adversity, the methods and wisdom we gain while seeking hope often far surpass what we learn in smooth times.
When a door closes, look for a window. If there’s no window, break through the wall.
Difficulty itself isn’t frightening—what’s truly可怕 is giving up before even trying.
Usually, a study room is a great place to focus—not only because there are fewer distractions, but because the atmosphere itself encourages learning.
“Stay near vermilion and you’ll turn red; stay near ink and you’ll turn black.”
Smart people seek out a good environment; remarkable people transform the environment around them and inspire those nearby.
Those who truly wish to learn need no external push—they study spontaneously, using their own methods to read, research, and acquire skills.
Environment matters, but the desire to learn matters more.
“When Heaven is about to place a great responsibility on a person, it first torments their spirit, exhausts their body, starves them, empties them, and confounds their actions—all to toughen their heart and strengthen their resilience.
We learn from mistakes, find insight in struggle, and grow through hardship. A nation too at ease, without challenges or critics, will decay. Thus we know: life springs from hardship, and death from comfort.”
— Mencius
Below is the daily log (casual recap):
My morning was basically spent surrounded by renovation noise and the buzz at HeyTea—and I got almost nothing done.
Consider it a lesson bought with time: bubble tea shops are nowhere as quiet as cafés. If you want to study, find a proper place—like a study room (even though it’s my first time going as a chronic procrastinator).
Oh, and I bought the wrong type of paper earlier—returns required paying shipping myself, so I just let it go.
A small win: I dug out an old timer and found it works great. No need to shop for a new one.
Woke from a nap around 3 PM, found a study room, and headed over (15–20 min walk).
First time trying one, and it wasn’t bad. My efficiency was still low, but I finished two assignments—so not a wasted trip (4 hours for just ¥19.9, even cheaper than that drink from HeyTea 😏).
Around 5, I found something strange in my drink—something hard. Spat it out.
Later, I went back to ask—turned out it might have been part of a lychee stem. They apologized sincerely and offered a refund or remake. I declined.
My goal wasn’t really about the drink, and they’d already invested ingredients and labor—small mistakes happen when you make hundreds of drinks a morning.
Not here to judge HeyTea—last time I had it was over a year ago, and I’ve had bubble tea less than five times in my life.
(My humble opinion: plain water is the most affordable and healthy “drink.” No additives, no sugar.)
As someone who usually drinks only water, my impression of bubble tea shops just dipped—but since I’m not their target customer anyway, they’re “lucky” it was me who had this experience 😅
Dealt with mild dizziness, headache, and chest tightness during the day and at the study room—likely from poor rest, heat, and all that noise.
On the way home, I felt hypoglycemic, got startled by a small dog (a Chihuahua? Its bark was way louder than expected, especially with my nerves half-shot), and found the usually unlocked back gate of our complex locked.
Got home, took a few bites of food, tried sharing about last week with family—but they didn’t seem interested.
Not long after, arguing started inside, and sure enough—I was called in to mediate.
What’s special about my family is its ability to generate all kinds of conflicts, always pulling me in as the middle person.
Whatever the issue, I become the emotional dumping ground—even when I try to stay objective and propose solutions, one or both sides might suddenly yell at me.
So far, I’ve managed to absorb it—but with my health starting to slip, I’m not sure how much longer I can hold up 😔
In the end, when I tried to reason, I was shouted down. Then, despite feeling unwell and behind on my own work, I spent over an hour helping someone else review vocabulary.
By the time we finished, it was almost midnight.
Wrote a few lines, tried to sleep—couldn’t. Got up and poured these thoughts out.
(P.S. There may be some inaccuracies—today felt heavy. Please overlook the gloom.)
— Xiao Chen Stories
July 2023, 1–3 a.m.
