The Road Not Taken
In the picture stands Frost — a Soviet-style American library. Every time I leave Frost, I run into these two paths. There, I stand, think for a while, and take the path I haven't taken recently. That always reminds me of the poem by Robert Frost.
To my surprise, Robert Frost taught at Amherst, formally and informally, for over 40 years. I learned the poem a long time ago, unbothered by its poet. Only when I visited Frost did I find out who wrote it.
Full Poem
In the picture stands Frost — a Soviet-style American library. Every time I leave Frost, I run into these two paths. There, I stand, think for a while, and take the path I haven't taken recently. That always reminds me of the poem by Robert Frost.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
To my surprise, Robert Frost taught at Amherst, formally and informally, for over 40 years. I learned the poem a long time ago, unbothered by its poet. Only when I visited Frost did I find out who wrote it.
Full Poem
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Never thought I'd meet Katie Fatewell, then-dean of admission at Amherst, who appeared on the Bloomberg video that inspired me to apply to Amherst College.
As the saying goes, the world is smaller than it seems.
As the saying goes, the world is smaller than it seems.
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On Knowing
I'd tour Uzbekistan if I were there. Now, just like any other foreigner, I'm only reading about it. The NYT piece takes me back to my college admissions time: I was bad at describing my culture in the essay. The reason I did so badly was that I had not seen enough of it. Even now, I speak about Samarkand to friends, but I have never visited the city except when I stopped for Samarkand bread. My advice to you, those dreaming of studying abroad, is to gain more tangible experience. The reason you struggle to write that essay could be that you have not seen enough of what you want to write about. Of course, no full travel around the country is a prerequisite for a great essay. At least, knowing, internally feeling, what you write on could get your essay into great reading, as this NYT article is a perfect example.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/15/travel/uzbekistan-central-asia-tourism-tashkent-samarkand.html?unlocked_article_code=1.t1A.ntIC.wT_R5HzTyF2M&smid=url-share
I'd tour Uzbekistan if I were there. Now, just like any other foreigner, I'm only reading about it. The NYT piece takes me back to my college admissions time: I was bad at describing my culture in the essay. The reason I did so badly was that I had not seen enough of it. Even now, I speak about Samarkand to friends, but I have never visited the city except when I stopped for Samarkand bread. My advice to you, those dreaming of studying abroad, is to gain more tangible experience. The reason you struggle to write that essay could be that you have not seen enough of what you want to write about. Of course, no full travel around the country is a prerequisite for a great essay. At least, knowing, internally feeling, what you write on could get your essay into great reading, as this NYT article is a perfect example.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/15/travel/uzbekistan-central-asia-tourism-tashkent-samarkand.html?unlocked_article_code=1.t1A.ntIC.wT_R5HzTyF2M&smid=url-share
Nytimes
Does Uzbekistan Live Up to the Buzz? A Silk Road Adventure. (Gift Article)
This Central Asian country is gaining traction with young travelers seeking beauty, authenticity and low prices. Was it worth the 12-hour flight?
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Updates: DC, Status Quo Bias, and Yellow Carrots
I'm in DC: interning at a think tank, working on critical minerals, and researching the Central Asian economy. I came to understand, however, that I'd enjoy it more if I had attended these deals between countries instead of researching these deals from a desk.
DC is like Tashkent: hot, safe, and relaxed. The only difference is the absence of plov centers in the US capital. My apartment is close to the metro, zoo, library, and other public spaces. I already made friends in DC. One is an Uzbek US citizen at Vanderbilt. Another is a politics intern, a college graduate, on Capitol Hill. One plus of having international friends is learning about a different culture. On that, my intern friend, originally from Pakistan, took us to the Pakistani food, which was similar to our cuisine. For example, they have a food called Samosa, akin to our Somsa.
You easily get into the trap of status quo bias — a human tendency to keep things the same — when you live alone. For example, I recently used the blender, which I hadn't used since June, to mix pancake ingredients and wondered why I hadn't used it for so long. Then I guessed my brain had actively ignored the blender as trivial in my life. Thus, look into your own life. Think what could be better if you changed something within yourself.
I'm back to cooking. People set off fireworks for the Fourth of July. I made chicken pasta for myself. Before, I had made Plov, which was so good that I planned to cook one for a food event at Amherst next year. I want to make Plov again, but the problem is that in DC, I can't find good yellow carrots, the last thing I would think of as rare in the capital. Beyond cooking, I've also visited Uzbek, Uyghur, and Italian restaurants, all of which I plan to share with you in my restaurant list at the end of my DC trip.
Another BOOMING insight I had was that I never got into the details of what I mostly did or knew. I listened to classical music but never wondered who made it, or knew dinosaurs existed but never researched whether they were in severe decline before or after the possible asteroid strike. The same goes for other personal and academic pursuits. However, when you dive deeper into what you do, you form strong opinions. On top of that, you become an interesting person at a cocktail party, a skill that most people lack. Thus, pursue your interests. But make sure you research them deep enough to know them well.
I'm in DC: interning at a think tank, working on critical minerals, and researching the Central Asian economy. I came to understand, however, that I'd enjoy it more if I had attended these deals between countries instead of researching these deals from a desk.
DC is like Tashkent: hot, safe, and relaxed. The only difference is the absence of plov centers in the US capital. My apartment is close to the metro, zoo, library, and other public spaces. I already made friends in DC. One is an Uzbek US citizen at Vanderbilt. Another is a politics intern, a college graduate, on Capitol Hill. One plus of having international friends is learning about a different culture. On that, my intern friend, originally from Pakistan, took us to the Pakistani food, which was similar to our cuisine. For example, they have a food called Samosa, akin to our Somsa.
You easily get into the trap of status quo bias — a human tendency to keep things the same — when you live alone. For example, I recently used the blender, which I hadn't used since June, to mix pancake ingredients and wondered why I hadn't used it for so long. Then I guessed my brain had actively ignored the blender as trivial in my life. Thus, look into your own life. Think what could be better if you changed something within yourself.
I'm back to cooking. People set off fireworks for the Fourth of July. I made chicken pasta for myself. Before, I had made Plov, which was so good that I planned to cook one for a food event at Amherst next year. I want to make Plov again, but the problem is that in DC, I can't find good yellow carrots, the last thing I would think of as rare in the capital. Beyond cooking, I've also visited Uzbek, Uyghur, and Italian restaurants, all of which I plan to share with you in my restaurant list at the end of my DC trip.
Another BOOMING insight I had was that I never got into the details of what I mostly did or knew. I listened to classical music but never wondered who made it, or knew dinosaurs existed but never researched whether they were in severe decline before or after the possible asteroid strike. The same goes for other personal and academic pursuits. However, when you dive deeper into what you do, you form strong opinions. On top of that, you become an interesting person at a cocktail party, a skill that most people lack. Thus, pursue your interests. But make sure you research them deep enough to know them well.
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Been to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace today.
It's a prestigious think tank — here's what that means — whose big audience is policymakers. I joined the event on nuclear policy in the AI era.
Nuclear experts recommended a few things: (a) dare to ask questions that might be wrong, (b) if you've stopped learning at work, reconsider it, and (c) your boss matters more than the firm's name.
Folks in political science, history, and law should follow this think tank. Read their commentary on nuclear energy, foreign policy, North America, and Central Asia. I myself like their work at the Russia Eurasia Center.
It's a prestigious think tank — here's what that means — whose big audience is policymakers. I joined the event on nuclear policy in the AI era.
Nuclear experts recommended a few things: (a) dare to ask questions that might be wrong, (b) if you've stopped learning at work, reconsider it, and (c) your boss matters more than the firm's name.
Folks in political science, history, and law should follow this think tank. Read their commentary on nuclear energy, foreign policy, North America, and Central Asia. I myself like their work at the Russia Eurasia Center.
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On Financial Aid, Endowments, and Thank-You Letters
X student got a $400k in financial aid from Y college. You read such posts, including one on my $403k full-ride scholarship.
But American colleges don't release your 4-year financial aid package right in your first-year scholarship form. For example, in my first year, I got $99k in financial aid and a $1.8k work-study grant, a program that helps me get a campus job to cover my basic expenses. In my second year, I got around $103k in financial aid and a $1.8k work-study grant.
As you infer, colleges raise tuition and fees every year because of rising operating costs. That's why they don't announce a 4-year financial aid right away. In my case, Amherst funds my financial aid through its endowment, now $3.9 billion, and revenues. Put simply, an endowment is the accumulated sum of donations, mostly from alumni, that a college invests to grow over time. The endowment office manages it by investing across asset classes, including stocks, bonds, and real estate. The endowment is so important that Amherst uses 51% of its endowment revenue to fund operating costs, including scholarships, buildings, and professors.
My financial aid is, of course, a gift. The only thing I owe Amherst is the thank-you letter I write to donors who fund part of my scholarship. But that gift is also a big responsibility, as Amherst could have admitted any other student instead of me. Before, I used to wonder how colleges like Amherst gift hundreds of thousands of dollars in financial aid to one student. Turns out it's because of their generous endowment and donations. I hope you now know where the financial aid for students like us comes from.
X student got a $400k in financial aid from Y college. You read such posts, including one on my $403k full-ride scholarship.
But American colleges don't release your 4-year financial aid package right in your first-year scholarship form. For example, in my first year, I got $99k in financial aid and a $1.8k work-study grant, a program that helps me get a campus job to cover my basic expenses. In my second year, I got around $103k in financial aid and a $1.8k work-study grant.
As you infer, colleges raise tuition and fees every year because of rising operating costs. That's why they don't announce a 4-year financial aid right away. In my case, Amherst funds my financial aid through its endowment, now $3.9 billion, and revenues. Put simply, an endowment is the accumulated sum of donations, mostly from alumni, that a college invests to grow over time. The endowment office manages it by investing across asset classes, including stocks, bonds, and real estate. The endowment is so important that Amherst uses 51% of its endowment revenue to fund operating costs, including scholarships, buildings, and professors.
My financial aid is, of course, a gift. The only thing I owe Amherst is the thank-you letter I write to donors who fund part of my scholarship. But that gift is also a big responsibility, as Amherst could have admitted any other student instead of me. Before, I used to wonder how colleges like Amherst gift hundreds of thousands of dollars in financial aid to one student. Turns out it's because of their generous endowment and donations. I hope you now know where the financial aid for students like us comes from.
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Encara Messi!
There is a joke that says, "When you are born, you either become a Messi or a Ronaldo fan. Which one you choose depends on who your dad or uncle supports. My dad was a Messi fan, so I watched Messi's games since I was 5. Every time he pulled his team out of the impossible, I'd wonder how he even did it.
Turns out it's simple: he keeps trying until he makes it. That even translates into a philosophy one can pursue in life. People call him a FIFA favorite and say his matches are rigged when he wins. But his haters never bring up the times he lost in the finals, the moments only his true fans can resonate with.
Photo: The Athletic.
There is a joke that says, "When you are born, you either become a Messi or a Ronaldo fan. Which one you choose depends on who your dad or uncle supports. My dad was a Messi fan, so I watched Messi's games since I was 5. Every time he pulled his team out of the impossible, I'd wonder how he even did it.
Turns out it's simple: he keeps trying until he makes it. That even translates into a philosophy one can pursue in life. People call him a FIFA favorite and say his matches are rigged when he wins. But his haters never bring up the times he lost in the finals, the moments only his true fans can resonate with.
Photo: The Athletic.
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