Topaz
6 hrs ago
Undergraduate / Common App Personal Statement-international education major [NEW]
"Mom, I don't like the peppercorns, they make the pear taste bitter!"
I remember swallowing a spoonful of pear, thinking it was braised with rock sugar, but immediately hit by the peppercorns hiding inside. "Eat it up! It's good for you." Mom's words were orders; defying meant my butt was going to pay the price.
Growing up in a family of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believers, my body's imbalance of "Yin" (cold energy) and "Yang" (hot energy) was a cardinal sin. Ever since my grandfather diagnosed me of lacking Yang (prone to colds and fevers), Mom banned me from having even a taste of any frozen treat.
But after moving to the Philippines, I started craving for my school's star dessert, the strawberry-flavored frozen yogurt. I knew persuasion needed to be done.
I began by gathering evidence. From medical school reports I dumped into Google Translate to cartoon TED videos about ice creams, I hunted everywhere to increase my chances of trying that strawberry swirl. Lines like "Benefits your gut health" were copied down, while "Cold food hurts your immune system" were "accidentally" left out. I also interviewed friends and teachers who were regular customers of the yogurt stand and locked down my major argument: "Frozen yogurt's cooling effect". For the final touch, I built my case in PowerPoint around how the burning weather in the Philippines had caused me a "Yang" surplus, which could only be mediated with the yogurt.
I finished my presentation in front of Mom, holding my breath in anticipation. After a moment of intense silence, Mom burst out into laughter and I sighed in relief. I was permitted to eat frozen yogurt once a week. Not because I made mom give up TCM, but because she saw my determination to take control of my life.
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My best friend Tiger and I teamed up for the Sphero competition, where we needed to build a cart for our Sphero (A mechanical ball) then race against other teams. After losing badly to Tiger in practice, Tiger became our F1 driver and I took up the role as his mechanic. But as Race Day got closer, Tiger's usual jokes turned into faraway stares. "I don't know, I might crash and lose."
Sensing his nervousness, I knew it was time to pull out my persuasion skills. His fear was like my fear of standing up against mom for the first time, but how could I help him conquer it?
"Courage comes from Qi(the internal power behind movement in Chinese martial arts)." Surprisingly, Mom's pep talks before big exams came to my mind. "First fix your Qi, then take the test with ease."
I understood what to do. "Tiger, close your eyes and breathe from your stomach." I led Tiger's hand to his belly, like Mom took mine. "Feel the air flowing downwards, while the Qi rising."
It usually feels a lot stronger in the morning after a cup of jujube tea, but I had to work with what I had. Slowly, the tension began fading from Tiger's face while calmness came in. "Works every time, that's the magic of Qi!" I smiled. The F1 driver I knew was back and ready.
As our Sphero cart raced past the finish line, two meters ahead of the next competitor, Tiger and I sprinted toward each other with excitement, our hands meeting in an exhilarating high five.
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TCM used to feel like this rigid, implicit set of rules that my family used to keep me in line. It wasn't until I pushed against these rules that I realized they could work alongside me. I stopped labeling things as hot or cold, good or bad. Instead, I use TCM as my bottom line to find balance in life. I'll be brave to try and adapt to new things, but I'll always remind myself that peppercorn pear, though bitter, cures my cold.
"Mom, I don't like the peppercorns, they make the pear taste bitter!"
I remember swallowing a spoonful of pear, thinking it was braised with rock sugar, but immediately hit by the peppercorns hiding inside. "Eat it up! It's good for you." Mom's words were orders; defying meant my butt was going to pay the price.
Growing up in a family of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believers, my body's imbalance of "Yin" (cold energy) and "Yang" (hot energy) was a cardinal sin. Ever since my grandfather diagnosed me of lacking Yang (prone to colds and fevers), Mom banned me from having even a taste of any frozen treat.
But after moving to the Philippines, I started craving for my school's star dessert, the strawberry-flavored frozen yogurt. I knew persuasion needed to be done.
I began by gathering evidence. From medical school reports I dumped into Google Translate to cartoon TED videos about ice creams, I hunted everywhere to increase my chances of trying that strawberry swirl. Lines like "Benefits your gut health" were copied down, while "Cold food hurts your immune system" were "accidentally" left out. I also interviewed friends and teachers who were regular customers of the yogurt stand and locked down my major argument: "Frozen yogurt's cooling effect". For the final touch, I built my case in PowerPoint around how the burning weather in the Philippines had caused me a "Yang" surplus, which could only be mediated with the yogurt.
I finished my presentation in front of Mom, holding my breath in anticipation. After a moment of intense silence, Mom burst out into laughter and I sighed in relief. I was permitted to eat frozen yogurt once a week. Not because I made mom give up TCM, but because she saw my determination to take control of my life.
-
My best friend Tiger and I teamed up for the Sphero competition, where we needed to build a cart for our Sphero (A mechanical ball) then race against other teams. After losing badly to Tiger in practice, Tiger became our F1 driver and I took up the role as his mechanic. But as Race Day got closer, Tiger's usual jokes turned into faraway stares. "I don't know, I might crash and lose."
Sensing his nervousness, I knew it was time to pull out my persuasion skills. His fear was like my fear of standing up against mom for the first time, but how could I help him conquer it?
"Courage comes from Qi(the internal power behind movement in Chinese martial arts)." Surprisingly, Mom's pep talks before big exams came to my mind. "First fix your Qi, then take the test with ease."
I understood what to do. "Tiger, close your eyes and breathe from your stomach." I led Tiger's hand to his belly, like Mom took mine. "Feel the air flowing downwards, while the Qi rising."
It usually feels a lot stronger in the morning after a cup of jujube tea, but I had to work with what I had. Slowly, the tension began fading from Tiger's face while calmness came in. "Works every time, that's the magic of Qi!" I smiled. The F1 driver I knew was back and ready.
As our Sphero cart raced past the finish line, two meters ahead of the next competitor, Tiger and I sprinted toward each other with excitement, our hands meeting in an exhilarating high five.
-
TCM used to feel like this rigid, implicit set of rules that my family used to keep me in line. It wasn't until I pushed against these rules that I realized they could work alongside me. I stopped labeling things as hot or cold, good or bad. Instead, I use TCM as my bottom line to find balance in life. I'll be brave to try and adapt to new things, but I'll always remind myself that peppercorn pear, though bitter, cures my cold.
