This is me, when I was 4 years old. Born and raised during the early days
of the Chinese economic reform, I was fortunate enough to enjoy the privilege of education and most importantly a relatively open social atmosphere. At the age of 6, I went to elementary school. When asked about dreams, most kids in my class picked from a pool of answers including: being military officer, doctor, teacher or a bus driver (no clue why. Business leader and lawyer were still shameful jobs during that time.) I had a different childhood dream: going back to my home planet. The first book I read (or my mom read to me) was about mysterious extra-terrestrial encountering since my mom hoped it would intrigue me to become an astronomer. Instead, it convinced me that I was an alien with a human face. I even made plans in bed. So it’s logical that my dream that time was to go home. I realized my actual identity when I saw my first x-ray photo. Despite disappointment, I was fascinated by the x-ray machine. I spent the next 2 years trying to understand how it works. This opens the floodgate of my curiosities. Although I totally abandoned my alien dream, I was awarded a more important dream: creating my own technologies. At the age of 8, I won a local innovation award for making a motorboat out of coke cans, a pressure censor switch and a hair dryer motor. The award furthered my belief that this ought to be the path to go down.



11 years later, I went to college and took two engineering degrees at the same time. In spite of a huge amount of work, I still found much redundant energy in me. The next logical thing was to consume it in a healthy manner. There I was, doing kickboxing. Spent two years practicing it, I gained agility and strength. It built me a strong mind and a strong body. This sport also gave me two broken ribs and lots of other injuries. Today when I face challenges, I would hear my coach shouting at me “Suck it up! Be shamed of yourself not because you fail but because you give up when you can still fight.” I continue to participate many other types of sports including running and tennis. I was the most obese kid in my class before high school. Now, I am the only one who still runs 10k regularly. 10 years ago, when I put my feet on treadmill for the first time, I almost had a heart attack. Then a guy at gym told me that the second day was a lot easier if I survived the first day. I think putting myself in all those intense sports was a bless. Today, I see no problems but only challenges.



In 2005, I finished my second degree. One of my closest friends and teacher: Prof. Packard suggested volunteering in a foreign country. That month, the 2005 Asian Tsunami stroke Thailand. Without much hesitation, I decided to go to Thailand. Although I had been to Tibet alone, my parents, like many traditional Chinese parents, were still terrified and even agitated by this idea. Having been a very rebellious son, I did many opposite things just to make a point. They understood my determination quite clearly. I left anyway since my parents held no control over my finance. It was really amazing experience. A Chinese kid, who never stepped out of the country, rented a motorbike the second day he landed in Thailand. This trip totally opened my mind. I enjoyed hanging out with volunteers from different countries, I enjoyed riding motorbike around Chiangmai, and I enjoyed visiting local families and having real Thai meals. Perhaps because of my Asian heritage, I easily fit in Thai culture. I became so close to my host Thai family that even today we still talk regularly. I worked as a volunteer teacher in a small town called Bandung in Northeast Thailand, one of the poorest areas in Thailand. There, I saw how technologies changed the life of normal farm kids. Backpacking across Thailand taught me not only how to order banana pancake in Thai but also how to embrace various cultures with respect. Today, I still couldn’t stop exploring the world. My close friend Dan lent me a book named The Alchemist, with which I couldn’t agree more: "There is only one way to learn. It's through action. Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey."



Another thing that has shaped me is definitely outdoor activities. Through various hikes and climbs, I am baptized with history of the earth, the knowledge of animals and plants and the unsurpassed beauty of the mountains. But much more than that, these activities taught me risk-taking and decision-making skills. Every move I make on the rock, every trail I choose to go must be precise, or it could put my friends and myself in danger. Beyond education, outdoor activities is also a great way for me to release pressure, relax myself and make friends. Almost all my close friends are my outdoor partners. They belay me on rocks, they invite me to their weddings and they share with me their laughter and tear.

The sceneries of this land are so gorgeous that it is unreasonable for me not to keep them in my hard drive. Having benefited so much from the nature, I think I should contribute as well. That’s why I decided to donate half of the profit from selling photos to Canadian Park Service to preserve the rapidly disappearing wildness.

I became interested in photography when I went to Thailand in 2005. Nevertheless, I spent all my money on that trip and could not afford a better camera. In 2006, I bought my first SLR camera: Olympus E-300. A famous photographer ever said: photography is the art of seeing. I often complained about my surrounding were not interesting enough for me to take photos. But that wasn’t true. I started to reexamine the world through the 15-45mm lens. It turned out there were a lot more to see. I didn’t know spider has multiple eyes; I didn’t know most flower buds are symmetric. Spending so much money on equipment is a commitment that forces me to use it as much as I can. It dragged me to mountains every weekend. It also reminded me to pay attentions to details and brought me priceless joy.

All these things have made me who I am today. I am still pursuing my childhood dreams with courage and determination I built in sports, with the adventurous spirit I found in backpacking, with wisdom I learned from outdoor activities and with the ability to see I earned from photography.