Wrapped (2025)
Books
“What really knocks me out is a book that, when you’re all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn’t happen much, though.” — J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
These are the 37 books I have read in 2025 (so far!)
Fiction
- Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. 1922
- A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. 1962
- Love Story by Erich Segal. 1970
- Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. 1970
- My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk. 1998
- Fyodor Dostoevsky
Crime and Punishment. 1866
The Brothers Karamazov. 1879 - Virginia Woolf
Mrs Dalloway. 1925
To the Lighthouse. 1927 - Kazuo Ishiguro
A Pale View of Hills. 1982
An Artist of the Floating World. 1986
Remains of the Day. 1989
Never Let Me Go. 2005
Klara and the Sun. 2021 - Haruki Murakami
Norwegian Wood. 1987
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. 1995
Kafka on the Shore. 2002
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. 2007 - Ian McEwan
Black Dogs. 1992.
Amsterdam. 1998.
Atonement. 2001.
Saturday. 2005. - Robert Jordan — The Wheel of Time series
The Eye of the World. 1990
The Great Hunt. 1990
The Dragon Reborn. 1991
The Shadow Rising. 1992 - American Gods by Neil Gaiman. 2001
- There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraqib. 2024
Non-fiction
- A Sense of Where You Are: Bill Bradley at Princeton by John McPhee. 1965
- Oranges by John McPhee. 1967
- A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn. 1980
- London: The Biography by Peter Ackroyd. 2000
- Elliptic Tales: Curves, Counting, and Number Theory
by Avner Ash and Robert Gross. 2012 - Never Split The Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It
by Christopher Voss, Tahl Raz. 2016 - The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge by Abraham Flexner. 2017
- Purpose: What Evolution and Human Nature Imply about the Meaning of Our Existence
by Samuel Wilkinson. 2024 - The Formula: How Rogues, Geniuses, and Speed Freaks Reengineered F1 into the World’s Fastest-Growing Sport by Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg. 2024
Movies
“It’s not what a movie is about, it’s how it is about it.” — Roger Ebert
I love watching movies, both in theaters (marked by 🎥 below), as well as at home — on Netflix, Prime Video, or on DVD. Yes, I still use DVDs. No, I will not be taking questions at this time.
Below is a lovingly curated list of 54 movies I’ve watched so far this year—films I’d recommend to friends, strangers, time travelers, and probably even sworn enemies. If it’s listed here, it’s worth your time. If it’s marked with a 👍, it’s a full-throated endorsement—like, stop-what-you’re-doing-and-watch-it levels of enthusiasm. You’re welcome in advance. Stay tuned for more!
- Charlie Chaplin
City Lights (1931 d. Charlie Chaplin)
Modern Times (1936 d. Charlie Chaplin)
The Great Dictator (1940 d. Charlie Chaplin) 👍 - Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974 d. Martin Scorsese)
- Top Gun (1986 d. Tony Scott)
- Forrest Gump (1994 d. Robert Zemeckis)
- Good Will Hunting (1997 d. Gus Van Sant) 👍
- Almost Famous (2000 d. Cameron Crowe)
- A Beautiful Mind (2001 d. Ron Howard)
- Catch Me If You Can (2002 d. Steven Spielberg) 👍
- Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003 d. Quentin Tarantino)
- Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004 d. Quentin Tarantino)
- Pan’s Labyrinth (2006 d. Guillermo del Toro)
- Juno (2007 d. Jason Reitman)
- Easy A (2010 d. Will Gluck)
- Crazy Stupid Love (2011 d. Glenn Ficarra and John Requa)
- Zero Dark Thirty (2012 d. Kathryn Bigelow)
- Her (2013 d. Spike Jonze)
- The Imitation Game (2014 d. Morten Tyldum) 👍
- Mad Max: Fury Road (2015 d. George Miller) 👍
- La La Land (2016 d. Damien Chazelle)
- The Florida Project (2017 d. Sean Baker)
- Love, Simon (2018 d. Greg Berlanti)
- Mickey and the Bear (2019 d. Annabelle Attanasio)
- Coda (2021 d. Sian Heder) 👍
- Air (2023 d. Ben Affleck)
- Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024 d. George Miller)
- Wicked (2024 d. Jon M. Chu)
- F1 (2025 d. Joseph Kosinski) 🎥 👍
- Animation
Kung Fu Panda (2008 d. John Stevenson and Mark Osborne)
Hundreds of Beavers (2022 d. Mike Cheslik) 👍
Robot Dreams (2024 d. Pablo Berger) 👍
Memoir of a Snail (2024 d. Adam Elliot)
Flow (2024 d. Gints Zilbalodis) 🎥
Zootopia 2 (2025 d. Jared Bush, Byron Howard) 🎥
KPop Demon Hunters (2025 d. Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans) 👍 - Wes Anderson
Rushmore (1998 d. Wes Anderson)
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009 d. Wes Anderson)
Moonrise Kingdom (2012 d. Wes Anderson)
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014 d. Wes Anderson) 👍
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023 d. Wes Anderson) - Wallace & Gromit
A Grand Day Out With Wallace and Gromit (1989 d. Nick Park)
The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005 d. Nick Park, Steve Box)
Vengeance Most Fowl (2024 d. Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham) - George Paul Csicsery
Hard Problems: The Road to the World’s Toughest Math Contest (2008)
Secrets of the Surface: The Mathematical Vision of Maryam Mirzakhani (2020) - The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games (2012 d. Gary Ross)
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013 d. Francis Lawrence)
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014 d. Francis Lawrence)
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (2015 d. Francis Lawrence) - Music documentaries
Miss Americana (2020 d. Lana Wilson)
Becoming Led Zeppelin (2025 d. Bernard MacMahon)
Pink Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXII (2025 d. Adrian Maben) 🎥
We Want The Funk! (2025 d. Stanley Nelson and Nicole London) 👍
PBS Independent Lens documentary
I realized I have watched at least one movie for every year in the 21st centrury — 2000 to 2025. These are my favorites from each year:
- 2000: Almost Famous (d. Cameron Crowe)
- 2001: A Beautiful Mind (d. Ron Howard)
- 2002: Catch Me If You Can (d. Steven Spielberg) 👍
- 2003: Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (d. Quentin Tarantino)
- 2004: Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (d. Quentin Tarantino)
- 2005: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (d. Nick Park, Steve Box)
- 2006: Pan’s Labyrinth (d. Guillermo del Toro)
- 2007: Juno (d. Jason Reitman)
- 2008: Kung Fu Panda (d. John Stevenson and Mark Osborne)
- 2009: Fantastic Mr. Fox (d. Wes Anderson)
- 2010: Easy A (d. Will Gluck)
- 2011: Crazy Stupid Love (d. Glenn Ficarra and John Requa)
- 2012: Zero Dark Thirty (d. Kathryn Bigelow)
- 2013: Her (d. Spike Jonze)
- 2014: The Grand Budapest Hotel (d. Wes Anderson) 👍
The Imitation Game (d. Morten Tyldum) 👍 - 2015: Mad Max: Fury Road (d. George Miller) 👍
- 2016: La La Land (d. Damien Chazelle)
- 2017: The Florida Project (d. Sean Baker)
- 2018: Love, Simon (d. Greg Berlanti)
- 2019: Mickey and the Bear (d. Annabelle Attanasio)
- 2020: Miss Americana (d. Lana Wilson)
- 2021: Coda (d. Sian Heder) 👍
- 2022: Hundreds of Beavers (d. Mike Cheslik) 👍
- 2023: Air (d. Ben Affleck)
- 2024: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (d. George Miller)
Robot Dreams (d. Pablo Berger) 👍
Wicked (d. Jon M. Chu) - 2025: F1 (d. Joseph Kosinski) 🎥 👍
KPop Demon Hunters (2025 d. Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans) 👍
We Want The Funk! (d. Stanley Nelson and Nicole London) 👍
Music
“People haven’t always been there for me but music always has.” — Taylor Swift
Live Concerts
Strings for Peace. Ustad Amjad Ali Khan & Sharon Isbin. Herbst Theatre in SF, California, on Saturday, February 22, 2025.
Crossing barriers of language and culture and uniting people through music, classical guitarist Sharon Isbin and sarod master Amjad Ali Khan find common ground in their respective classical traditions of ragas and European medieval music, interweaving musical, spiritual, and artistic legacies.
TAMASHA: An Extravaganza of Desi Fusion. Bing Concert Hall, Stanford, California, on Friday, July 12, 2025.
Headlining is none other than Bollywood star Raja Kumari—the Grammy-nominated artist, rapper, and songwriter known for her powerful fusion of Indian classical music with hip-hop, R&B, and electronic influences. A trailblazer in global fusion, she’s collaborated with major names like Iggy Azalea, Sidhu Moosewala, Divine, Gwen Stefani, and John Legend.
Jaz Sawyer: Tribute to Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers —Honoring Blakey's timeless legacy. Campbell Recital Hall, Stanford, CA on Friday, Jul 11, 2025
Drummer, bandleader, and educator Jaz Sawyer pays homage to one of jazz’s most electrifying forces—Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers—in this powerhouse tribute performance. Infusing Blakey’s iconic hard-bop sound with his own dynamic touch, Sawyer channels the spirit of the legendary drummer, whose relentless swing, thunderous polyrhythms, and fiery energy defined generations of jazz. With a musical foundation spanning classical, jazz, and Afro-Caribbean traditions, Sawyer delivers a heartfelt tribute that captures the essence of Blakey’s masterful legacy.
An Evening with Victor Lin: Music of Studio Ghibli —film score classics with a jazz twist. Dinkelspiel Auditorium, Stanford, CA on Thursday, Jul 17, 2025.
Join Stanford Jazz Workshop favorite Victor Lin for a mesmerizing evening as he reimagines the iconic music of Studio Ghibli through the lens of jazz piano and violin. Blending nostalgia with innovation, Lin’s reinterpretations breathe new energy into Hisaishi’s timeless compositions, making for a dynamic, immersive, and deeply heartfelt musical experience. Whether you’re a longtime anime fan or a lover of great music, this performance promises to be an exciting and unforgettable journey through the soundscapes of Studio Ghibli and beyond.
Anat Cohen & Marcello Gonçalves—intimate clarinet and guitar mastery. Dinkelspiel Auditorium, Stanford, CA on Saturday, Jul 19, 2025.
Clarinetist Anat Cohen and 7-string guitarist Marcello Gonçalves team up to perform music from their Grammy-nominated album, Outra Coisa: The Music of Moacir Santos, as well as selections from their second album, Reconvexo, featuring a repertoire of breathtaking melodies, Brazilian grooves, and elements of classical music and jazz that showcase their intricate talents.
John Santos Sextet with Special Guest Yilian Cañizares—Transcendent jazz and Afro-Cuban fusion. Dinkelspiel Auditorium, Stanford, CA on Sunday, Jul 20, 2025.
Experience an unforgettable evening with the groundbreaking John Santos Sextet, led by multi-GRAMMY nominee and visionary bandleader John Santos. The ensemble dives deep into the roots of Latin jazz, blending vibrant rhythms, sharp improvisation, and bold original compositions. Acclaimed Cuban-born violinist Yilian Cañizares opens the show with her electrifying fusion of jazz, classical, and Afro-Cuban sounds. Together, they create a rich, genre-defying musical journey that bridges tradition and innovation. Expect artistry, virtuosity, and soul in every note.
George Cables and Friends—Bold Bebop beauty. Dinkelspiel Auditorium, Stanford, CA on Tuesday, Jul 29, 2025.
Cables’ signature impeccable touch, deep sense of groove, and limitless creativity have made him one of jazz’s most influential pianists, shaping the hard bop and post-bop landscapes. The New York City Jazz Record declares, “He is a piano giant,” while NPR praises his solos for their “deep sense of groove and pacing.” Don't miss this chance to witness Cables’ fire, artistry, and sheer mastery—his performances aren’t just concerts, they’re transformative experiences.
Dayna Stephens` Intertwined—Tenor sax innovation. Campbell Recital Hall, Stanford, CA on Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025.
Saxophonist Dayna Stephens is celebrated for his warm, lyrical tone and innovative approach to harmony and rhythm. Stephens brings his extraordinary quartet to the stage for an intimate evening of compelling original compositions and inspired improvisation. A master of rhythmic dialogue, Stephens thrives on interplay, drawing inspiration from his many collaborations with legendary drummers such as Al Foster, Billy Hart, Brian Blade, and Jeff "Tain" Watts. This performance promises a dynamic, heartfelt, and unforgettable night of firebrand virtuosity.
Taylor Eigsti Quartet featuring Ben Wendel—Grammy winning brilliance unleashed. Dinkelspiel Auditorium, Stanford, CA on Thursday, Jul 31, 2025.
After winning GRAMMYS in 2022 for Tree Falls and in 2025 for his latest release, Plot Armor, pianist Taylor Eigsti continues to redefine modern jazz with his virtuosity, innovation, and fearless exploration. A master of intricate melodies, infectious yet angular rhythms, and deep grooves, Eigsti seamlessly blends jazz, electronica, hip-hop, rock, and classical influences into a soundscape that is both exhilarating and unpredictable. His music thrills, surprises, and captivates, evoking everything from playful joy to introspective reflection.
For this special performance Taylor’s innovative quartet is joined by celebrated tenor saxophonist Ben Wendel.
Dua Lipa: Radical Optimism Tour. Chase Center, San Francisco, California, on Sunday, October 12, 2025.
This set list from the Sun, Oct 2025 concert in Chase Center [Spotify]
Act I — Training Season • End of an Era • Break My Heart • One Kiss
Act II — Whatcha Doing • Levitating • These Walls • Wake Me Up When September Ends (Green Day) • Maria
Act III — Physical • Electricity • Hallucinate • Illusion
Act IV — Falling Forever • Happy for You • Love Again • Anything for Love • Be the One
Encore — New Rules • Dance the Night • Don't Start Now • Houdini
Recorded Music
At the start of the year, I had the noble idea of tracking every piece of music I listened to—like some kind of sonic librarian. It took approximately five minutes to realize this was a fool’s errand. Case in point: last year alone, I clocked 9,860 songs and over 100,000 minutes on Spotify.
And that’s just Spotify. Throw in CDs, YouTube rabbit holes, car rides, and my Bandcamp jazz benders, and suddenly it looks like I’m trying to inventory Niagara Falls with a teaspoon.
So, after a few weeks of valiant effort (and mild spreadsheet trauma), I threw in the towel. Going forward, I’ll just note the highlights: music that has sounded remarkable to me for one reason or another; songs that made me pause, perk up, or transported me to a strange, weird, fascinating world.
- Pistol Annies (country)
- Hell on Heels (2011)
- Annie Up (2013)
- The English Beat: I Just Can’t Stop It (1980, ska/alternative/indie)
- Fake Fruit: Mucho Mistrust (2024, alternative/indie)
- Cornershop: When I Was Born for the Seventh Time (1997, alternative/indie)
- Fatboy Slim: Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars (2000, big beat/electronic)
- Massive Attack: Protection (1994, trip-hop/electronic)
- Girl Talk: Night Ripper (2007, mashup/electronic/hip-hop)
- The Streets (alt hip-hop/grime/electronica)
- Original Pirate Material (2002)
- The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living (2006)
- Dessa: A Badly Broken Code (2010, hip-hop)
- Beyoncé: Renaissance (2022, dance/house/R&B)
- Ghostface Killah: Fishscale (2006, rap/hip-hop)
- Jack Harlow: Jackman (2023, rap/hip-hop)
- Ren: Sick Boi (2024, R&B/hip-hop/rap)
- Doechii: Alligator Bites Never Heal (2024, R&B/hip-hop)
- Tierra Whack: World Wide Whack (2024, hip-hop/jazz funk)
- Dudu Pukwana: In the Townships (1974, jazz/South Africa)
- Angelique Kidjo: Remain In Light (2018, afropop/afrobeat)
- James Carter: Chasin’ the Gypsy (2000, jazz)
- James Brandon Lewis: Apple Core (2025, jazz)
- Jason Palmer: The Cross Over: Live in Brooklyn (2024, jazz)
- Rudresh Mahanthappa & Steve Lehman: Dual Identity (2010, jazz)
- Mozart: Piano Sonatas by Christoph Eschenbach (1999, classical)
- Bach: Goldberg Variations by Murray Perahia (1971, classical)
Travel
“Not all those who wander are lost.” — J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
- Seattle, WA — Jan 7–11. Joint Mathematics Meeting (JMM25). Got to hang out with SE; food was beyond amazing — Halal Smash’d Burgers, Moroccan lamb roll, curry beef hom bao, dinner at Zaika with SE and family.
- Pasadena, CA — Jan 24–26. Caltech Math Meet (CMM). Road trip with dad. Had Din Tai Fung for both dinners. Highlight: listening to music on the drive to and from. It was snowing near LA on the way back!!
- Cambridge, MA — Feb 14–16. Harvard-MIT Math Tournament (HMMT Feb). Got to hang out with WZ; dinner from Himalayan Kitchen on Fri; “Ghana Bitter” from Royce chocolates on Sat. Several inches of snow coated the streets from a storm Saturday night into Sunday morning.
- San Francisco, CA — Feb 22. Strings for Peace. Ustad Amjad Ali Khan & Sharon Isbin. Dinner at Mochica Peruvian followed by hangout at the corner bookstore. Concert at Herbst Theater from 730PM–10PM. It was fantastic!
- San Francisco, CA — Mar 15. To celebrate adMIT. Lunch at La Mar (empanadas, inca cola, lomo saltado) followed by Ferry Building (s’more, blondie). Baba got me a Dandelion chocolate, 85% dark.
- London, UK — Apr 15–23. To commemorate Project PickAxe (those who know!). Great food scene – Oorja, and momos at Darjeeling Express. Walking around the city is fun! We saw Buckingham Palace and explored parts of Soho. The Cotswolds are magical—we had a great time there. Coming back to London, we took a boat ride, visited the National Gallery, and explored more of the city on foot.
- San Francisco, CA — May 24. Lunch at Papito (steak fajitas) followed by a walk down the street and browsing in the corner bookstore, where I read the first few pages of Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. We also stopped by the local convenience store and Baba and I picked up a “La Fermière Naturally French Creamy Whole Milk Rose Yogurt” each.
- Chicago, IL — Jun 8–10. Stayed at Chicago Marriott Southwest at Burr Ridge – fantastic hotel! Our room overlooks a beautiful view with a pond within a lush green rolling meadow. Pizzas at Stix and Stones were incredible. On Monday I met with Isaac at Univ. of Chicago. We also had a fabulous dinner at Kama Bistro – black pepper lamb and achari chicken. I met with Arun on Tuesday at Cupitol Coffee & Eatery. We then had lunch at Momo Factory.
- IMSA, Aurora, IL — Jun 11–Jul 2. MAA’s Mathematical Olympiad Program (MOP) at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA).
- Danville, CA — Jul 5. To meet with WZ at Blackhawk Plaza.
- Guerneville, CA — Aug 4–8. The drive took us 3 hours, during which we mostly listened to Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert and dad’s interstate playlist. Mom had some interesting questions for us, and we chatted a fair bit as well. Stayed at The Stavrand Russian River Valley, which served complimentary breakfast which was amazing — dad and I ordered chilaquiles, while mom went with the eggs benedict.
- Sacramento, CA — Aug 8–9. For the MAA AMC Award Ceremony at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center. Honorees include the 2025 U.S. IMO and EGMO teams, the USAMO Gold winners, the Young Women in Mathematics, and the 2024 Edyth May Sliffe Award winners. MAA put us up at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel. We had dinner at Zocalo’s Midtown — enchiladas for me, tacos for dad, and salmon for mom. The food was excellent and the service was beyond excellent. They even brought us a complimentary dessert at the end of the meal. Next day, mom went out and stumbled upon the Farmer’s Market, which she raved about for the rest of the trip and even after reaching home. The awards ceremony was excellent: the speeches were very good, particularly Prof. Tao’s keynote address, and it was all arranged very professionally. At Mathfest, me and the other awardees were treated very specially: many people came up and introduced themselves to us. I chatted with TZ for a long-ish time. Persi Diaconis gave an interesting (and fun) talk on card tricks.
- New York City, NY — Sep 18–20. Jane Street Celebration of Mathematics. JS put us up at the Marriott in Downtown NYC. There is a cool cafe nearby – NYC Regular. Hung out with TZ both days (like a lot!); it was so much fun!! Jane Street office is cool – the NYC office is the first and largest of their offices; it is in the heart of the Financial District, with views of the Hudson River and the Statue of Liberty. We listened to some recruiting speeches and played a few games. Got a lot of swags – a Sonos Roam speaker, t-shirts, Figgie. Went for dinner to Oyster Bar and then hung out for a bit by the water. I was so excited that I went to sleep waaayy past my usual bedtime on Friday night (actually technically Saturday morning).
- San Francisco, CA — Oct 12. Dua Lipa: Radical Optimism Tour at Chase Center, SF. Reached Papito at 515PM for an early-ish dinner. Ordered steak fajitas (of course) with their habanero sauce on the side. Excellent, as usual!! Reached Chase Center at 6PM. Doors opened at 630PM, CiL came on at 730PM, and the main show started 9PM, with a breathtaking entrance — “quite possibly the greatest stage entrance ever: Dua Lipa sets San Francisco on fire” (according to one headline). Encore ended at 11PM.
-
Set list from the concert in Chase Center on Sunday, October 12, 2025. [Spotify]
Act I — Training Season • End of an Era • Break My Heart • One Kiss
Act II — Whatcha Doing • Levitating • These Walls • Wake Me Up When September Ends (Green Day cover) • Maria
Act III — Physical • Electricity • Hallucinate • Illusion
Act IV — Falling Forever • Happy for You • Love Again • Anything for Love • Be the One
Encore — New Rules • Dance the Night • Don't Start Now • Houdini
- Cambridge, MA — Oct 18–20. MIT PRIMES October Conference. Very eventful trip. Started by missing the 825AM flight out of SFO. Got on the 1145AM one instead. It so happened that David’s parents were on the same flight and sitting in the row just behind mine. Got an Uber from the Boston airport straight to Himalayan Kitchen for dinner, before driving to the hotel. Caught up with lots of friends both from Physics camp as well as from MOP. Got to spend a lot of time with TZ, WZ, SE. Ran into a Cryptography office hour (met HF and SR)! Caught up on ski/snowboard tea. Talk went well too. Watched Forrest Gump (or what was left of it from before). Went to Cava for lunch on Sunday. Repeat of Ghana Bitter” from Royce chocolates on Sat and Sun. Finished with dinner at SSaanjh. Overall, a most memorable trip.
- Berkeley, CA — Nov 8. The Berkeley Math Tournament (BMT). It was so foggy during the drive to Berkeley in the morning. We listened to early Rolling Stones in the car. Was in AlphaStar Saturn with JD, EL, RB, MY, SR. We finished 5th overall and 3rd in Power Round. Other highlights: RB (4th Discrete), EL (7th Algebra), MY (10th Calculus) and myself (5th Geometry). AlphaStar Mars came second overall (they missed first place by 1 point. Also, AlphaStar Mercury, comprising entirely of middle schoolers, came in 5th in GUTS. Both teams were amazing!! Got done at 6PM. Had dahi paapdi chaat and chicken kathi roll from Vik’s Chaat for dinner. Listened to Olivia Dean on the drive back home.
- Princeton, NJ — Nov 21–23. The Princeton University Mathematics Competition (PUMaC). Halfway to SFO on Friday moring, I suddenly realized I didn’t have my wallet — which meant no ID — so we had to turn around and drive back home. That small hiccup set off a chain of minor mishaps, but eventually we made it onto UA 435 to Newark. We stayed at the DoubleTree Hilton, a very friendly and comfortable hotel. For dinner we ordered from Cross Culture: achari mutton and roti — absolutely delicious. Saturday was the contest itself. My performance was pretty meh, but the competition was extremely well organized, and I got to meet and catch up with several friends from MOP. Surprisingly, I wasn’t able to meet up with TZ, who had traveled all the way from MIT just to hang out with us in the evening. I attended a talk by Jacob Tsimerman, and it was genuinely fantastic. I spoke with him briefly afterward — he was very approachable. After returning to the hotel with the AlphaStar coaches, I watched Crazy Stupid Love in the hotel room. Dinner was from Mannat by Chef Gaurav Mathur: paapdi chaat and kadhai goat with roti. As expected, it was amazing. We flew back home on Sunday, and I ended the trip with homemade biryani for lunch. All in all, an unexpectedly wonderful trip.
- San Francisco, CA — Nov 26. Chez Maman — French style restaurant in Potrero Hills with a good atmoshere. Ordered french onion soup; veal in creamy white wine sauce, with vegetables and mushrooms; and baguette with butter on the side. Quite tasty, but a tad expensive for lunch. Picked up a whole chicken from Saba Live Poultry — for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving roast dinner. Listened to two playlists while driving — Love you (Like a Love Song) [Link] on the way to SF and (I’m) In Love [Link] on the way back. Quite a fun outing.