PhD Candidate & Celebration by Fishing

Fishing & Studies: GO~ In Your Own Ways

Passing the oral defense, I earned my PhD candidacy this afternoon. To celebrate, I went fishing in Hawthorn Park, not having too much excitement at all. Well, then, it might not be so appropriate to use the word "celebrate." Maybe "reward" is more suitable for my intention.

I got two largemouth bass today, reaching my 37. The water level was pretty low so that I did not get many bites. The fish I caught seemed to come and say congratulations to me. Five years ago, I never thought of coming to the United States, earn a PhD candidacy, and fish black bass.

Life is magic!

The Burns Lake really looked like a giant mirror. The cloud seemed to come out from the lake and float on the surface. Somehow I felt like reaching my finger to the cloud, grasping it in my hand or making it into another shape.

The scenery must have come from God's work which echoed to Chinese sentences in my mind: 「此景只應天上有，此生能有幾回映？」I am not saying that I will die soon or something. It's just a fact that I may not have another opportunity to come back here once I graduate from ISU. I really want to hold every happy moment in my heart.
Why do I start to like lure fishing? Well, it's really interesting to me. It takes energy, patience, experiences, knowledge, and wit to fish (sometimes a little good luck). And most importantly, fishing gives me a time to think and reflect, talking to myself or to the nature. It is tranquil, but "thrilling" as well. You never know when and how the fish will bite the bait. All the patience pays off at the moment of "GOT IT."