I got my driver’s license today! Yet it still feels strange to pass a test I once failed. I still don’t really like driving; would rather sit in the passenger seat to be in control of the music, snacks, and conversations.
The driving academy where I used to practice is next to a garbage dump, so the air smells real bad. My coach had a strong accent and cursed a lot, like all those driving instructors. The worst is that the air conditioner barely worked, making it really hot, stuffy and sweaty in the summer. Overall, it wasn’t the most pleasant place to be learning heavy machinary.
This is my last day in Guangzhou before returning SH for the next season. The best part of the day was the break at noon. After practicing in the morning, we’d wait outside for the afternoon test. The weather in Guangzhou’s winter is nice, like a milder version of summer in California–with more humid, and the sun plays hide and seek with the clouds. The only downside is that the air feels heavier around noon, making you feel sleepy.
There’s a big tree in the courtyard that shades a circle of benches surronding its base, full of students waiting for their exams at none. It’s a relaxed waiting, not like the stressed, business-styled waiting you see at airports. The air feels calm and peaceful, sometimes a gentle breeze brings a mysterious scent. The air is not completely quiet, but it’s like time has stopped for a moment.
I didn’t take any pictures, even though I wanted to. I remember reading somewhere that taking pictures can take you out of the moment. A photographer or artist said that cameras can interfere with our appreciation of beauty.
When you’re taking pictures, you’re not being in the moment.
So I just sat there, enjoying the occasional fall of leaves I caught when looking up from my paper in-reading: The Design and Price of Information (AER 2018), Bergemann et al. Update about it tomorrow.