In Shanghai, the world lays out in front of him. Within a one kilometer diameter, he has access to everything—the food vendors, the stores, the skyscrapers. Matthew Hu (12) lived in Shanghai from ages one to nine and 13 to 15 before moving to the Silicon Valley.

“[I would explore] every day,” he said. “You can get anywhere in half an hour. This foundation provides you the opportunity to do anything at anytime of your choice. I would just walk along the street, Huaihai. There’s hundreds of stores, and there’s certainly a lot of people, but it’s a fun walk. You just see people pass by and see what they are offering. You don’t even have to buy anything. I enjoy the process of simply walking around.”

To Matthew, Shanghai strikes a balance between international elements and traditional Chinese culture.

“It’s very modern,” he said. “I enjoy how Chinese [people] interact with each other because it’s completely different than how Americans interact with each other, and yet young Chinese people in society can [interact] both [ways]. We still respect the tradition, but we also are in contact with [how] people in Western culture interact.”

From ages nine to 13, Matthew lived in Beijing to practice Go, a two-player strategy board game played on a grid of black lines. Go players aim to surround the opponent’s pieces with their own. He trained 10 hours a day while still taking time for his academic studies.

“It was the biggest sacrifice,” he said. “It was worth it. It literally made who I am today. I am way more independent, and I am capable of dealing with setbacks and time management. I saw a lot of things, people. People playing Go were very diverse and a very distinct: super smart, usually from a family that is not that rich, tough [and] street-smart.”

Senior Jordan Goheen notes that Matthew has made a smooth adjustment between the two continents.

“[He is] one of my closest friends definitely, no question,” Jordan said. “He’s the kind of guy that when you want to have a fun time and joke around, you can do that, but also when you want to be serious and have a deeper conversation, he has that emotional depth and character, [so] that you can really maintain a serious conversation. It’s interesting because he does have a different perspective on a lot of stuff [since] he’s an international student, and those cultural differences are sometimes insightful and helpful.”

Matthew describes his lifestyle in Shanghai as “free” and “spontaneous,” though he does not take his experiences for granted.

“It just gives me a feeling that I have all the power, all the choices,” Matthew said. “It doesn’t really matter what I really do, but it’s this mindset—I am free; I am not restricted by transportation—I really enjoy. [I feel] desire, nostalgia. Wherever I am, I have this tendency of going to Shanghai because it’s my home.”