Hi Shunkai! Thanks for joining me for this week’s Hot Bench. I understand that you already have two degrees from UVA. What brought you here for round three?
When I began to consider studying law and investigating law schools, UVA became the first on my list, as I valued the quality of life and community. Having lived here for five years, UVA has become irreplaceable to me as it provides me with a sense of community I have never felt elsewhere.
As the first person in my family to study and live abroad, I was initially overwhelmed by the cultural differences and was struck by a sense of loneliness when I first came to the U.S. for college. UVA allowed me to establish more personal relationships with professors and other students. I had opportunities to have lunch with some of my professors and visit their homes on the weekends. My friends here always invite me to stay and celebrate with their families during the holiday season. I have never felt alone here.
Like I always tell my parents, UVA and Charlottesville are my second hometown, and the people here are also my family. Law school is not easy, and I am glad I can continue my legal education in a place that already feels like home.
And your master’s degree is in statistics, isn’t it? Why are you in law school if you can do math?
I can do math, but I am just not really passionate about it. Math is useful in many ways. I just cannot imagine working all day with only numbers and codes on the screen. It will drive me crazy. So, I decided to be a lawyer who is good at math.
That’s a lot of power for one person. You will be unstoppable. You also lived in Shanghai before coming to UVA, right? Going from one of the world’s most populous cities to a college town of less than 50,000 sounds jarring. How was that transition?
The transition was surprisingly smooth. Shanghai and Charlottesville are indeed very different in terms of population and lifestyle, but I genuinely enjoy this contrast. One of the things I cherish the most is the proximity to nature here, with plenty of outdoor activities I can do with my friends on weekends. In addition, Charlottesville is much less crowded, which I think makes the community more close-knit. When walking down the main street, I can always see people wearing UVA t-shirts or hats. The sense of connection between students and residents is truly heartwarming.
With five years in Charlottesville under your belt, you must have a good sense for the area. Do you have any recommendations or favorite spots around Virginia?
Charlottesville has some great places to eat. For pastries and bread, you can’t go wrong with Cou Cou Rachou and Albemarle Baking Company. Pineapple Thai and Umma’s are definitely two of my favorite Asian food places. Taco Gomez has the BEST tacos in Charlottesville (in my opinion). And I also love Sultan Kebab, Milan, and Bodo’s. The list goes on, and I am still trying to explore something new every week!
Great list. I envy the quality of croissants made at Cou Cou Rachou. Speaking of pastries, the holiday months are fast approaching, which is truly shocking to me. What is your favorite holiday?
Halloween! First, fall is my favorite season. I really enjoy October and November here in Charlottesville when the weather gets cooler, and the leaves turn all yellow. What makes it even more exciting is the tradition of trick-or-treating on the lawn right in the middle of the semester. Puppies and babies in Halloween costumes are just so adorable.
I have not had the pleasure of seeing the costumed parade of puppies and babies. I’ll have to fix that this year. Do you have a costume planned yet for Halloween?
Not yet. I will probably still be on crutches at the time of Halloween, so I am thinking hard about creative ways to incorporate them into my costume.
I’ll be looking forward to seeing what you come up with. What’s something you could talk about uninterrupted for ten minutes?
Probably ballroom dancing? I have been doing ballroom dancing for fifteen years, and I can certainly talk about differences in dance styles, techniques, and share fun stories nonstop for ten minutes, if not more. It is something I take great pride in and enjoy doing in my spare time.
Math, coordination, and law brain? You’re supposed to pick one. Aside from dancing, what do you like to do outside of class to de-stress / procrastinate?
I cook and bake to procrastinate. I have convinced myself that I need to eat well to do well in law school, so I’ll happily justify cooking a large pot of curry or baking a dozen cupcakes when studying. Staying in the kitchen provides me with a great escape from all the readings and ensures that I have something to eat during the week.
100 percent agree on the eating well point. Cooking is the best study break. Do you have any plans for the upcoming long weekend?
I will be staying in Charlottesville for the upcoming fall break. My main plan is to get some good rest. My parents will be in town, so I will spend a lot of time with them. My friends and I are also planning a hotpot party during the break.
Aw, that’s great. I could use some hotpot right now… Alright—lightning round!
Who is your favorite artist?
Leslie Cheung is definitely my favorite.
What’s a trend you wish would go away?
Crocs (especially with socks).
No objection here. What’s your most recently used emoji?
🙊 The speak-no-evil monkey.
A man of culture, I see. If you could bring any fictional character to life, who would it be?
Minions!
Okay, well I’m glad that one is only hypothetical. What’s your preferred room temperature?
74 degrees.
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tya2us@virginia.edu