Words and Thoughts from Yanwen

 July 5th, 2025 I've been working on an article about China’s fourth-generation universities, but despite days of effort, I haven’t made much progress. Other writing projects have also been postponed. Then something happened today—something small, perhaps, but truly meaningful to me. I want to write it down before the memory fades. We’ve been staying at my son’s place since July 3rd. Early this morning, my daughter came over and the three of us went for a walk along the Brooklyn waterfront. Afterward, we wandered east in search of breakfast. That’s when we noticed the empty streets and a line of NO PARKING signs. NO PARKING Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular Thurs., July 3, 2025, 8:00 PM through July 5, 2025, 1:00 AM Violators will be towed. New York Police Department We had parked our car around 5:30 PM on July 3rd, not seeing any signs at the time. If the no-parking rule went into effect at 8:00 PM, that gave less than three hours' notice—far short of the 24-hour minimu...

July 4th, 2025 Recently, I came across a book titled Einstein Never Used Flash Cards: How Our Children Really Learn—and Why They Need to Play More and Memorize Less by Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Roberta Michnick Golinkoff (2004).  The core message is clear: rote memorization, early academic drills, and flash-card routines often do more harm than good for young children. What children truly need is unstructured play, free-style exploration, and interaction—these are the building blocks of cognitive, emotional, and social development. What struck me most was this: the book confirmed that I had gotten many things wrong as a parent. I didn’t realize, back then, that play is not a distraction from learning—it is learning and the best way to learn. I used to believe that educational success came from structure, discipline, and early academic head starts. So I pushed my children toward “productive” activities. Even with toys, I encouraged “educational” ones, and steered them away from aimless...

If we want to get more done, one of the most valuable skills we need is the ability to manage our time effectively. But real time management isn’t just about calendars and checklists—it’s about making strategic choices ,  learning to prioritize what truly matters, gaining control over how we spend our energy, and investing our time where it yields the highest long-term return. To that end, here are three keys about time management: A llocating time to what truly matters. Y our ability to control your own time. M aximize the value of each hour spent. This framework becomes even more powerful when paired with the Four-Quadrant Rule of time management, a simple but profound tool that helps us identify how to best use our time. The Four Quadrants of Time Every task or activity we face can be sorted into one of four categories: Important and Urgent Important but Not Urgent Urgent but Not Important Not Urgent and Not Important Note: “ Important ” refers to whether activities helps ...

There are so many things I’d like to write about, but something unexpected happened yesterday—and lingered into today—that I feel compelled to let out. On Sunday, I received a text from our electricity provider: “ConEd Alert: A heatwave is on the way this week. We'll be working 24/7 to keep service reliable. You can help by limiting your energy use between 2 and 10 pm. If you do lose power, reply OUT to get updates…” The next morning, Monday, I drove to the YMCA for my daily swim. It was already hot and humid, and I was looking forward to cooling off in the pool. But something felt off as I pulled into the parking lot: a cluster of ConEd trucks, a few staff cars. Inside, I learned: IMPORTANT NOTICE (June 23, 2025) The Cross Island Y is currently experiencing power outages throughout the building due to the heat wave. Both pools are currently closed as we work with Con Edison to fully restore power. Today, hoping the issue might be resolved, I checked online to make sure—only to fin...

Our recent alumni gathering in New York was the result of months of effort from a team of dedicated volunteers. But despite our best intentions, turnout was lower than expected. This led us to reflect: What makes people choose to show up? What would make these events feel more alive, more relevant—and ultimately, more meaningful? The answer may lie not in better logistics, but in re-presenting the purpose of alumni events as reflecting on who we’ve become, and further imagine who we’re still becoming. What We’re Really Looking For In today’s fast-paced, fragmented world, people show up when something speaks to their deeper needs—emotional, intellectual, or existential. Loyalty and past shared experience alone no longer suffice. What people seek now is relevance, usefulness, and resonance. Whether consciously or not, they often ask themselves: “What will I gain from being there? How will this enrich my life?” If they don't see clear direct benefit to them, they simply choose not to ...

On June 16, I had the privilege of moderating the education roundtable at the first anniversary celebration of the North American Alumni Association of BISU. It was a day of learning for me, where experts in finance, education, and immigration shared insights shaped by both data and decades of experience. I walked away with two realizations: one about what’s changing in college admissions—and one about what stays constant in life. The New Landscape of College Admissions One theme emerged clearly from our roundtable: today’s college admissions process is more competitive and complex than ever. High school students are applying to more schools, many through early decision or early action. Colleges, meanwhile, face increasing financial pressures and are admitting more first-generation students—adding layers of unpredictability to the process. Yet one thing hasn’t changed: what ultimately matters most— strong academics, meaningful extracurriculars, and clear character . During the discussi...