On...

Two weeks ago, when Tuyet was in town, I started public health classes at Hong Kong U. I'm still writing a longer post about it, but I'm finding it strange to talk about a turning point in my life when the journey, in some ways, has just begun. I compared it earlier to finding my compass after years of indecisive wandering. I don't think that's quite right. Looking back now, I think that the struggle, the unwillingness to settle, brought me to Hong Kong and kept me here until I eventually discovered the path I wanted to take. I didn't always have faith that I would find that starting point, my trailhead. But in retrospect, it's easy to see what led me here. I wouldn't have been satisfied if it had happened any other way.

I found these articles and links during study breaks in the library. My first exam in five years is tomorrow...

I'll let the Washington Post describe its special, onBeing:
"onBeing is a project based on the simple notion that we should get to know one another a little better. What you’ll find here is a series of videos that takes you into the musings, passions, histories and quirks of all sorts of people."

An editor at Time interviewing Caroline Kennedy and Jeffrey Sachs on how Americans view service in 2007, part of a larger feature.

I'm a real sucker for essays about movies, here's one from Slate that revisits Emma Thompson's performance in Primary Colors.

And speaking of journeys, Han Yan has been traveling solo in China, she's on the road for a month, but has been posting on a blog specially dedicated to the trail she is following.