The new semester started in snow and dilemmas. The snow brought excitement to everyone, along with shade and chill. I wish I could take a few more courses to rescue my atrophying math neurons, only if my schedule can be less crammed. The fuzziness of biological data renders poster making a task much trickier than it appears to be. A freaking noise in the amplifier was no one's fault, but nonetheless a problem that needs to be handled with an ethical and calm mind. When the path divides ahead in the wood, with each branch promising some great scenery yet laden with pitfalls and thorns, which one will you choose? Although it sounds like a banal, I always remember what our high-school math teacher said to us on the last class: "life is made with choices". I have been forunate (or unfortunate) to remain relatively ignorant of the true meaning of that saying during the past few years, and now it's time for me to make up for it. It's time for growing up. Perhaps, like every great drama, it starts with dilemmas.

Last midnight after the experiment unfortunately broke down, I was sitting alone in the common room killing the time by reading a chapter by Frances J. Freeman in a moderately old book on speech-hearing physiology, which had been always sitting on the book shelf. The style of that chapter was so unique among scientific literature I have read, that it wipes away all my post-experiment drowsiness at 4 a.m. That kind of style gives you an impression of not only the knowledge and expertise of writer, but also his erudition as a general scholar and thinker, which is impossible without years of edification by philosophy, history and all noble branches of human learning. It puts information through in a way that makes you feel the passion of the author, and how the author cares about what he studies, even if the information is the plainest of all. After reading it, you are both satisfied by its clarity and humbled by a knowledge of how much still lies ahead to be studied. That is the kind of academic writing I am aiming for. Unfortunately it doesn't show up in newest scientific literature very often.

When I read my old academic writings, I often feel regretful over what I have put down to paper, and what I should have but did not. It is sometimes shocking how uninformative and poorly structured an article which makes me feel proud when writing it can look a few months afterward. When I write myself, writing in a rush or writing just for the sake of finishing (as I often do) blind me to some obvious weakness of my articles. And also, the idea that "write only what is supported by facts" sometimes makes me overcautious and leads to insipid articles. These are weakness I need to overcome.

Upon reflection of remedy to these problems of mine, I came up with several solutions. 1) Think carefully before writing. Think of several ways to organize different contents of the article, and several ways to express a single idea, weigh between them to find the optimal way. 2) Start early so that you can finish early, and have enough time to "forget about it" and read the finished work as if it is written by someone else, since it is always easier to be critical on other's writing. 3) Ask someone else who is familiar with the topic to read and comment on the work. Don't be shy. The person will appreciate your request for comments as your recognition of his or her academic competence. 4) Read more and read wider. Read not only papers and articles in your field of study, but also everything from classics to science fictions. These are the sources from which you can learn how to use the language in an idiomatic and rich way.

Remember, you are the person who knows what you are writing about the best in the world. If you do not write it well, there is no one else on earth who can do that for you. And that is a loss for the whole world. And more importantly, your data and results deserve a decent writing-up, especially if they came by your months or years of hard work. These are just a few small enlightenments I'd like to share with you, and also a memorandum for myself, for whom a large bulk of writing awaits me in the semester to come, including my Master's thesis. Happy writing!

2007 has come upon us. I wish all you readers of my blog a peaceful, productive and prosperous New Year!

With all the happiness and regrets of 2006 that lie behind us, we face the uncertainties and challenges of a new year. For me, 2007 will be a year of turning points and breakthroughs. It will answer many pending questions concerning my future. It is a year I can't afford to lose. The biggest new-year resolution of mine is to find a right path for my life. It shall be a path leading to something new under the sun and a path that meets my deepest dreams and passion. Apart from that, I also wish I can enjoy the rest of my time (in case it is) at Hopkins, my lab and my lovely apartment, write a scienfically rigorous thesis and get my research results published.

For a persimitic heart, uncertanties and challenges mean obstacles, whereas for a brave and optimistic one, they mean excitement, potentials and hope.