“You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know” Drives Linda Huang, 17

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Our expat community thrives on connection, and here at Jingkids, we’re all about our readers, what they need and want in order to maximise their time here in Beijing. Every Monday, we’re going to feature a prominent member of our expat community and get to know them a little bit better.

Dazed, confused, and sleep-deprived, Linda Huang is just another senior trying to make the most out of her last year of high school. When she’s not eating or planning out what to eat next, Linda enjoys engaging in civil discourse with those who can reciprocate the same civility and often wonders what it truly means to be an “autonomous being”.

What's On Your Mind?

Recently it’s definitely been university applications. I find it quite funny and pathetic that my Early Decision and Early Action deadlines are coming up in less than a month, yet I’m still here slow-wittedly trying to process the fact that I’m already in Grade 12. Honestly, I’m not too worried about where I end up going for university because I know I will end up loving wherever I go anyway, but the thought of rejection haunts me ceaselessly, and so I keep trying to imagine the various possible ways I may react to rejection letters.

I’ve also been thinking a lot about how to make more memories in the next 9-10 months with this city/country before I leave for college. There are still so many unique places in Beijing that I would love to go to with my family and friends, but IB has really been forcing me not to do so. I also want to visit my friends in other parts of China one last time before I leave, so I’ve been trying to find ways to turn that into reality despite being super busy at the moment.

What Motivates You To Get Moving?

The cliche proverb “you don’t know what you don’t know”. There’s an entire abyss of knowledge that we don’t even know exists, so why not try to explore as much as we can? Although I don’t enjoy going to school, I genuinely love exploring things outside of the classroom. Never did I think I would be taken away by “Why We Sleep,” a purely biology-based book written by a UC Berkeley neuroscientist, and finding out that beta-amyloid can cause memory loss. Likewise, I never thought I’d be reading Karl Marx’s “Das Kapital” on a Friday night and end up being captivated by economics, despite having always said “do I look like I care about Econ.” Learning about the fundamental notions that shaped classical liberalism from an online Harvard political philosophy course was also oddly satisfying, frankly for no reason. So I guess what motivates me to move forward is the boundless realm of knowledge about our world that will never be fully explored.

What Keeps You Sane In The Madness?

To be honest, I don’t think I’ve been sane in a while (or ever), but that doesn’t mean I’m frantic all the time. Listening to podcasts and reading op-ed articles really helps me destress and stay calm because I love to learn more about the prevalent issues in our world and look at sociopolitical matters through various lenses. Some of my favorite podcasts are The Argument by New York Times, NPR Politics, and Left, Right, and Center by KCRW, and my favorite op-ed writers are Elizabeth Bruenig from The Atlantic and Michelle Goldberg from the Times.

Talking to my friends about life and giving each other therapy sessions also keeps me from going absolutely insane, especially with all the IB stress and personal issues that we all have to deal with.

What's Your Favorite Thing About Beijing?

I love Beijing with all my heart, so I can’t really name one thing that I love the most about it, but if I were forced to say one, it’d be the sense of convenience I feel living here. Transportation is super easy, there are a plethora of entertainment venues, and I can almost get everything I need here, with a few exceptions like Ben and Jerry’s and Takis.

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Images: Linda Huang

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