Emma Li spent almost three years on China's '996 schedule': working from nine in the morning to nine in the evening, six days a week." I was deprived of all my personal life," says she. Usually, she had a small window to eat, shower and go to bed-but she sacrificed sleep to regain some personal time. Often, Li would stay up surfing the internet, reading the news and watching online videos until well after midnight.

Li was doing what the Chinese have called 'bàofüxingáoyè' — or 'revenge bedtime procrastination' (RBP). The phrase spread rapidly on Twitter in June after a post by journalist Daphne K Lee. She described the phenomenon as when "people who don't have much control over their daytime life refuse to sleep early in order to regain some sense of freedom during late-night hours".

Psychology may explain the reason why people would choose to regain this leisure time even at the expense of sleep. A growing body of evidence points to the importance of time away from work pressure. "One of the most important parts of recovery from work is sleep. However, sleep is affected by how well we separate ourselves from stress," says Sheffield University's Kelly. It's important, she explains, to have a rest when we can be mentally distanced from work, which would explain why people are willing to sacrifice sleep for post-work leisure.

In fact, experts have long warned that insufficient sleep is an ignored global public-health epidemic (流行病). A 2019 survey showed that 62% of adults worldwide feel they don't get enough sleep. People mentioned various reasons for this lack, including stress and their sleeping environment, but 37% blamed their heavy work or school schedule. Long hours at the office aside, another part of the problem is that modern working patterns mean people find it harder to draw boundaries between work and home.

B

I ask every student I interview for admission to my institution,Pitzer College,the same question,"What do you look forward to the most in college?"I was astonished and delighted recently when a student replied,"I look forward to the possibility of failure."Of course,this is not how most students respond to the question when sitting before the person who can make decisions about their academic futures,but this young man took a risk.

"You see,my parents have never let me fail,"he said."When I want to take a chance at something, they remind me it's not a safe route to take.Taking a more demanding course or trying an activity I may not succeed in,they tell me,will ruin my chances at college admission."

I wish I could tell you this is an uncommon story,but kids all over the world admit they are under great pressure to be per feet.When I was traveling in China last fall and asked a Chinese student what she did for fun,she replied:"I thought I wasn't supposed to tell you that? I wouldn't want you to think I am not serious about my work!"

Students are usually in shock when I laugh and tell them I never expect perfection.Of course,this goes against everything they've been told.How could a dean of admission at one of America's most selective institutions not want the best and the brightest?The reality is,perfection doesn't exist,and we don't expect to see it in a college application.In fact, admission officers tend to question students who present themselves as individuals without shortcomings.

We get the most excited when we read an application that seems real.It's so rare to hear stories of defeat.If their perspectives are of lessons learned,these applicants tend to jump to the top at highly selective colleges.We believe an error in high school should not define the rest of your life,but how you respond could shape you forever.

Many of our family traditions centered around food. We'd gather in the kitchen for every birthday and holiday and enjoy delicious food. My grandparents always held Christmas dinner, which included chicken cacciatore, sausage, meatballs and salad. But right before we sat down to eat, my grandmother would pull me aside to show me the dish she made just for me: fresh pasta (意大利面) with tomato sauce.

It was a simple dish, but to me it was warm food that filled me with happiness. But more than that, it made me feel like I belonged. I was a shy kid and, in many situations, I felt ignored. And here was my grandmother, showing me that I mattered.

Years went by; I moved away and got married. I'd visit throughout the years and my grandmother would serve up a plate of pasta.

When my daughter was born in 2020, for the first time in my life I wasn't about to make the trip back home for Christmas. I cooked my family's traditional foods and my husband and I had a big meal that included, of course, fresh pasta. I had a video call with my grandmother and showed her the pasta. Shortly after the holidays she passed away unexpectedly.

It seemed so unfair that my grandmother passed away soon after I became a parent. I'd hold my daughter and think about how I could tell her what an amazing great-grandmother she had.

In my sadness I came to an answer: food. Late at night after my daughter had gone to bed, I'd go to the kitchen and learn how to make fresh pasta, cooking my grandmother's recipes. Before long I started experimenting, making a bit changes to classic recipes. When my daughter got a little older, I began making special dishes for her with my grandmother's flavors in mind.

I know that no matter how hard I try, my daughter will never have a bowl pasta with sauce exactly like the ones my grandmother would make for me. While that makes me sad, she'll still get to have my pasta sauce. I know there're two things she'll never lack for in this life: pasta and love.