The musician Yunchan Lim once said, “I am a pianist, and not much of a person at all.” I find this quite relatable — my life isn’t particularly interesting, as it all revolves around one thing, learning. I spend most of my leisure going through flashcards or reading something – perhaps it sounds nerdy, but it’s all I’ve really known. Sometimes, when I'm out and about, I get a glimpse of a life beyond this – all these bars and clubs, people discussing sports and celebrities – they might as well be from another planet. It is unfamiliar, fascinating, but ultimately overwhelming; thus, I always return to my cave of books.
I am a double major in Physics and Classical Studies. I think it’s important you balance the arts and sciences to avoid an inflexible, one-track mind; choosing only one prevents you from seeing the full spectrum of the beauty of life. But even in combination, these academic interests can prove to be isolating. They wall you from reality by a mountain of esoterica only showing what people thought and did five hundred years ago.
Music returns me to normal life. It’s about creating rather than consuming, feeling instead of thinking, about living in the moment and forgetting yourself. Languages are the same, in a way – when you’re practicing a language with real people, it’s all about the adrenaline of the moment, being in the spotlight, not knowing what’s going to come next.
One of my lifelong struggles has been balancing my schoolwork with my numerous hobbies. Aside from studying and making music, I enjoy biking, video-games, coding, ballet, and exploring. I enjoy going outside on cold nights, which inspired the website theme.
My screen name is Ondine, but friends call me Misa or Rowan. My contacts are listed in my guestbook if you ever want to talk:)
favorites
- Food: Bánh xèo, tomato soup, baklava, pelmeni, clam chowder, dolmades
- Drink: Whisky, matcha, vodka
- Books: Moby-Dick, American Psycho
- Art periods: Romantic, postmodern
- Classical musicians: Rachmaninoff, Bach, Tchaikovsky
- Non-classical musicians: Kino, Pink Floyd, romantik m, Sova, Radiohead. I like post-punk and rock most of all
- Writers: David Foster Wallace, Brett Easton Ellis, Lermontov
- Poets: Keats, Pushkin
other things I like (and dislike)
Likes: Cold weather, old cities, listening to people ramble about their passions, abandoned places, aimless wandering, trick biking, Halloween, rain, C.D.s, spontaneity, stationery, all of the arts
Dislikes: Social media, noise, beaches, summer, modern architecture, consumerism, inauthenticity, palm trees, Ecclesiastical Latin
Page created March 7, 2024.