The Art of Surrender

A letter from my best friend June arrived on February 16, 2013. It’s an old-fashioned, hand-written letter, like what we wrote each other about every day for years starting when we were in 6th grade. She said she was diagnosed with liver cancer. I flew back to Taiwan the end of the month to stay with her. She died in June, eleven days after Ingrid (another close friend of mine, a 91-year-old lady from the Bloomington neighborhood I live) passed away unexpectedly.

Barely two months later, HCI came into my life. I had struggled for so long about what I want to do for life that when the moment finally came when I no longer had doubts it’s like coming home.

I’ve come a long way to reach here. The journey was somewhat bumpy, but witnessing the end of June’s life taught me nothing in life can be taken for granted, and it, along with hours and hours chatting with Ingrid and learning about her life, pushed me to think what living means.

All the roads I’ve traveled – including all the struggles along the way – shaped who I am today.

At last, I crossed that threshold. Everything seems clear now.
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I never learned to swim, even after my friend Lesley (who is a swimming coach) spent quite some time teaching me. I’d just sink almost every time I tried. She suggested me to read the book “Total Immersion.” Total immersion.
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One of the ways to learn to relax your body is to tense up deliberately first and then release. It’s like yin and yang, struggles and feeling coming home, fighting to stay afloat and surrender.
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I had to walk out of the classroom right away after both morning and evening’s classes on Thursday.
After trying to take in what was happening in class, my heart was so full and there was still so much to digest that I really needed to take a walk or just otherwise being alone.
Or, I was just trying to stay in that moment.
Anyhow, I may need to do the same in the future.
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I almost never followed recipes, which I “read” to get ideas. I also like watching the cooking programs on the “Create” channel. That feels so right – to cook is to create. It was great hearing the distinction between a cook and a chef in one of the IDP classes this week. I’m no chef, but I love watching one and playing with food ingredients.
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After watching Bill Buxton’s Stanford video and re-looking at my IDP notes from last week, I now have a better understanding about why and (to some extent) how designers use sketching.
On a side note, I continue to be amazed by the energy designers exude when they talk.
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“Roy, where are we??!!” Denique and I were in Roy’s car; R & D were talking in a pretty animated way in the front seats. We had just finished a late dinner after my long interview with them.

“I have no idea!” Roy responded.

It turned out we were heading Lake Monroe after Roy’s shortcut to Denique’s place from Mr. Hibachi turned into 446.

The lightening was gorgeous. The windows were rolled down, and the wind felt so good.
“Hey, enjoy the glory of the ride!” Roy said.