Extracurricular

I used to have a lot of hobbies but now only persist in tennis and music.

Still hang in there…

I play a one-handed backhand. The racquets I recommend are:

• Wilson PS85, used by Pete Sampras
• Wilson K90, used by Roger Federer
• Head Prestige, used by Marat Safin

I have a deep affection for music, particularly songs that evoke a sense of nostalgia, poignance, and melancholy. My musical taste was profoundly shaped by a series of 5 compilation albums during my middle school years. Released by a Chinese music magazine called “Music Heaven”, this series includes:

• 《透过骨头抚摸你》 (Caressing You Through the Bones)
• 《断弦的耳朵》 (Ears of Broken Strings)
• 《踏刃而行》 (Treading on Blades)
• 《今天画海下一天画蓝》 (Painting the Sea Today, Painting the Blue Tomorrow)
• 《在最美的夜晚停留》 (Lingering in the Most Beautiful Night)

For a long time, whenever someone asked me who my favorite musician was, I would simply reply, “My favorite musician is called VA,” (which stands for Various Artists). Sadly, Music Heaven magazine ceased publication in 2006.

My musical preferences span several genres, with a particular fondness for Celtic, psychedelic rock, and sadcore.

• Lake of Tears, a Swedish heavy metal group, was the first rock band that captured my attention.
• Among Chinese bands, Wubai & China Blue holds a special place in my heart, standing out as my favorite.
• I used to follow a podcast called “迷失音乐” hosted by 贺愉.

Leisure interests in the old days…

Film photography

• I started photography when I was in middle school. At that time, the price of digital single-lens reflex cameras was astronomical, so I could only play with my film camera. The escalating costs of camera lenses eventually led me to abandon this hobby.

Traditional Chinese seal carving

• I took up seal carving in middle school, finding it an excellent method for attaining inner peace. Sadly, after moving abroad for my studies, the scarcity of materials forced me to give it up.

Downhill mountain biking

• I fell in love with the classic Cannondale lefty in high school, and I started cross-country cycling and then shifted from XC to DH, a shift that brought increased danger and expense! In the summer of 2013, while downhilling in Calgary, I fell off a mountain and hung on a pine tree. My body was like a pencil stuck in a pencil sharpener, and a deep gash was cut on the left side of my head. Miraculously, my eyesight was spared. Since then, I have retired, yet the nostalgia for those exhilarating days persists.

Badminton & table tennis

• I started both in elementary school and played very frequently in high school. However, I have always felt that tennis overshadows them both.

Basketball

• I played very frequently in Grade 3 of high school, right before the Chinese college entrance examination. No wonder I screwed up back then. I was a pro at free throws in the freshman year of my undergraduate studies.

Nintendo

• My favourite series include Pokémon, Zelda, Castlevania, Fire Emblem, Wario, etc.

Hiking & camping

• Two quintessential outdoor activities in Canada! “The mountains are calling, and I must go.”

Guitar

• Confined at home during the isolation period of COVID-19 in 2020, I turned to playing the guitar to ease my mental discomfort and alleviate feelings of depression. However, once the quarantine was lifted and public parks reopened, I shifted my focus and began playing tennis.

Cooking

• No longer a hobby but I still maintain my culinary skills. Anything, you name it!