Refreshed and Renewed...Let's "Finish the Fight"

Dear Family, Friends, and Followers,

My China journey continues as I head back to China tomorrow.
I'm excited to continue my immersion experience at Harbin Institute of Technology, eat
in the cafeterias, strike up conversations with fellow Chinese students and locals, and expand my Chinese language skills. I thank the Richard U. Light Fellowship for funding me thus far, and for funding me again this last term as I finish up my China journey in Harbin.

One trailer that I always watch over and over again is the Halo 3 Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9z36WDj2PcU
I believe this trailer depicts my China journey in a nutshell.

0:00-0:17 symbolizes the time when I only dreamed of this opportunity. I wondered
if I would ever have the chance to go to China and "meet them" (Chinese locals and future friends).

0:18-0:30 symbolizes the hard times I initially had when I began to study Chinese at Yale.
(Note this part can also symbolize the initial culture shock I had when I arrived in China [i.e "Why is the air pollution so bad? Why don't I have hot water? Why?....etc.] but this was later in my journey.)

0:31-0:33 is when I saw the Gun, the opportunity. The weapon, that is the Light Fellowship, was beckoning me to apply for a full year abroad in China.

0:34-0:38 is when I equipped myself with the Gun and rose in confidence despite earlier setbacks.

0:40-0:45 represents the Shield of Positivity that I deploy whenever internal doubts or external discouragements and setbacks try to kill my spirit.

...And my favorite part (where I'm at now in my journey):

0:45-0:53.

That last part speaks volumes of the heroes that are inside all of us, waiting to be unveiled. For me, my inner Hero knows what my mission objectives are:

1. To immerse myself in Chinese culture
2. Be an uplifting role model to my Chinese friends and fellow program participants through my words and actions
3. Be bold in new experiences to grow myself personally and professionally
-----

I will work hard to fulfill these objectives. I will "Finish the Fight" (0:56)
 {and it's 2014...not 2007 Hahaha! :)}

Best regards,
-Samuel