summer up sum her up

Hi everyone! Can't believe it is already mid-August and summer is winding down. (So, so sad that the Olympics are over.) I've had lots of fun reading about all your guys' adventures. Here are some of the highlights from my last three months:

-Family visits the boathouse. My parents made a rare appearance in Boston early June for my brother Mark's graduation, so I jumped at the opportunity to lug them all to the land of Claire, Amelia and 14 hr/week sessions of sweaty goodness. None of them have had much of any exposure to crew or rowing beyond, like, the one scene in The Social Network and MIT crew email updates, so they had a jolly time deciphering all of our neat boatthings. They especially liked the tank. They may also have been subjected to a stadium run.

They had so much in the boathouse that they insisted on getting their hands wet before leaving Boston. I for one was totally psyched about the ultra speedy (read: glacial) back and forth between Anderson and River Street bridges. What up arms only.

-Internship back at home in Hsinchu, Taiwan. I spent the last six weeks hanging out in a biomedical technology lab at the Industrial Technology Research Institute here. I learned some basic lab technique and got to know a bit about life as a professional researcher in industry. My colleagues were able to make an at-a-glance modest, unassuming lifestyle brim with quirkily endearing character, excitement and often some heinously snide humor. Who woulda thunk. They were also convinced I must be bros with the Winklevoss twins when they found out that I rowed near Harvard.

-Working out. No rowing unfortunately, but I've been running religiously and working the core this summer. My running culminated in a half marathon just yesterday, and it was actually really rough-the course was six laps around a 3.54km loop in the middle of a gorgeous but sharply elevated mountainside. Throw in cloudless sun and near 80% humidity. Having to brake so as not to tumble downhill ended up hurting almost as badly as all the uphill itself. Nevertheless, road races have been a fave Chen fam pastime and it was a awesome to get to do one and spend time with my runner boss mother whilst home.

*Bonus highlight: Joyce and I got to see Lizzy and Chad in Taipei!!

But I miss rowing and the crew. Take care everyone and see you soon!