Goodbye, Old Chang Kee
global  

Goodbye, Old Chang Kee

By Andrew Chan

Well. I’m on a flight out of the UK right now. I’m going from London to Iceland, and then heading back home to Denver for a couple weeks.

I didn’t do much in London; I had a very specific agenda and didn’t have a lot of time leftover for anything else. I really only had one day there, and spent most of it getting to and exploring the Royal Botanic Gardens, or Kew Gardens as it’s often called. The gardens were everything I could’ve ever wanted. Tranquil greenhouses, a huge, expansive arboretum. And, my personal favorite: not one, but TWO rooms entirely dedicated to carnivorous plants. And the bonus, it was a bit dreary that day, so the entire grounds were deserted. A tranquil and perfect way to spend my last day in the UK. But, of course, I didn’t stop there. Justin, David, and I all went out for a spot of tea and ended the day by seeing Les Misérables, the last of my favorite musicals that I hadn’t seen live. Les Mis was excellent. Honestly one of the best theater performances I’ve ever seen. I had chills during the entire performance and the singing was so good that it made me seriously doubt the credentials of whoever cast the movie.

All in all though, it was hard to say goodbye. Maybe even harder than with Singapore. I really am going to miss everything. The fencing team workouts. Nanyang with Justin. Having professors that exclusively speak in Scottish accents (not even lying, this makes classes at least 2x as exciting). But I think it’s time for me to go home. I think it has been for awhile now. I’m not horribly cold tolerant and it’s about time I return to the land of palm trees, sunshine, and bubble tea that’s actually worth the $4 you pay for it. And food. I definitely won’t miss Scottish food. Honestly can’t say I’d be heartbroken if I didn’t cross paths with IRN BRU (Scotland’s national drink) for a bit.

And so for my last meal in the United Kingdom I ate Old Chang Kee curry puffs. Everything came full circle. 6 months ago, getting off a plane in Singapore and thinking to my self “what on earth am I doing with my life?” All the way to now. 12 countries (not including layovers). 6 months. One very tired, but not quite homesick 20 year-old. And his final curry puff.

Until next time,

— Chandrew

Recommended Articles

Keeping in Touch with Friends from Home
global

Keeping in Touch with Friends from Home

Starting college can be a big transition. You’re moving to a new place, starting a new school and classes, and faced with making new friends in an unfamiliar environment. And, of course, there’s that whole “becoming an adult” thing. But, you’re also leaving a lot behind. Every new beginning means that an old chapter must come to an end. Leaving behind our friends at home may seem difficult, especially if they’re going to be a long distance away from you during the school year. Something I made sure to do was to spend a lot of time with them during the summer after high school. Of course, going to college doesn’t mean you’ll never see your friends again, or that you will no longer be friends with them. Good friendships will last if you put effort into them. It may seem hard initially. Coming into Caltech, it’s a sharp adjustment and many are caught up in the excitement of Orientation, Rotation, and starting classes. It may be hard to remember to check your phone frequently and to make time for phone calls and such. Rest assured that if you have other friends going to college, they’re probably going to go through similar things you will. In this transition period, it can feel like you’re going to immediately lose touch with people that mean a lot to you.

By
American Units of Measurement (As an International Student)
culture global

American Units of Measurement (As an International Student)

Let’s face it: the US loves being just a little different from everyone else. The obvious example? Units of measurement. As an international student from Canada, even I have no clue what’s going on half the time when my friends talk to me and use these weird nonsensical units. And I’ve literally lived on the border between Canada and the States for all my life. After a year here, I’ve finally got a sense of how the two systems of measurement compare and how you can more easily get your bearings with these weird units.

By
Abroad with the Scots
study abroad global

Abroad with the Scots

After a year spent in “soft-lockdown” at home in Atlanta, and as Caltech students prepared to finally return to campus, I was aboard an eight hour flight towards Edinburgh, Scotland. Since my junior year plans were interrupted by the virus who shall not be named, I’m spending my first term of senior year studying abroad through the Caltech - Edinburgh University International Exchange program. I’ve only been here just over a week yet have been exposed to so many new people, perspectives, foods, and classes.

By
Online School.. on Mars
global academics

Online School.. on Mars

When the announcement was first made that fall term was going to be online, I started talking to friends and looking for places to live. We were debating locations around the country: California, Florida, New York, etc.. there were plenty of options. Then it suddenly hit me, what is stopping us from going to Hawaii, covid numbers were better and a two week quarentine would ensure that numbers stayed down… I proposed this to my friend and we agreed it would be an amazing experience, but we didn’t want to get out hopes up. A month or so later we still haven’t decided where to live, Hawaii seemed too far and too difficult to plan. But we couldn’t get the idea out of our heads. We spent some time looking into plane tickets, places to stay, etc… and it actually didn’t seem so impossible after all. A couple weeks later and we were arriving here on the big island!

By