My former classmate has become something of a TikTok celebrity, with almost a million followers.

I didn’t know he was a TikToker until I saw his channel recently by accident. He posted his first video shortly after I graduated. But now, just a year later, he’s thriving in a different world.

His content is simple—study tips, and college life with his girlfriend. They are both standout students at Peking University, China’s top university, and they possess the kind of appeal that draws thousands of likes and comments from teenagers.

Meanwhile, I find myself alone in my apartment at midnight, coding for a company in the autonomous driving industry—a job that, more and more often, makes me feel hollow.

I used to be with them, studying at the best university, immersed in philosophy, uninterested in wealth and status. Back then, AI was more than just a career path; it was my philosophical pursuit.

Just a year has passed, and the college days were far gone for me.

Life moves briskly. Change seems inevitable.

A colleague in his 30s once told me, “At our age, all you have in your mind is making money.” I couldn’t agree with him at the time. I thought it was due to his mediocrity.

But I should take back my words now.

The other day, I watched a video of a linguist talking about his motivation for learning multiple languages. The video wasn’t impressive, but it reminded me of my good old friend, Sherman, who is also a language enthusiast, and my roommate at UC Berkeley.

It brought up some memories. We used to chat before sleep. The lamp shed a faint light onto the wall and the bookshelf. Sherman once said that he would learn eight different languages. His list included French, English, German, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and one more but I can’t remember. My memory is no longer what it used to be. That, unfortunately, must be a sign of growing old.

I guess he made it finally. I wasn’t at Berkeley when he graduated. Though I can’t get the pleasure he has in learning new languages, I deeply value his passion for it. Enthusiasm is a vital ingredient in every human endeavor.

What a historical shame we witnessed on the Brooklyn Nets, and on Kevin Durant, on Kyrie.

Where’s the heart, KD? You wasted Kyrie’s masterpiece in game 1. You such a sorry ass.

I like the Nets because of Durant and Kyrie. They’ve got talents.

They are both hated by many people. Durant, you deserve it. You look so pathetic in the Warriors jersey.

Kyrie, I appreciate your spirit. You didn’t compromise when you were blasted for not taking vaccination.

I’m not gonna watch any more NBA games this season.

Life has to move on though. No need to feel bad for them. They are millionaires after all. I’ve got to take care of my own business. I don’t want to be a sorry ass like Kevin Durant in the future.

BEST

ALGORITHM

EVER

10 seconds in January 2019