Like it or hate it, Ross makes you question everything you ever knew about number theory. In the first week, I couldn't assume positive * positive = positive. Things can get philosophical at times, which is completely new for me, so it's all been part of a learning experience.

In the second week, it's gotten slightly better - more of the familiar number-theoretic tools I've learned have come back, however, with the assumption that all the number theory in your tool box has come from Week 1.

I've gotten a lot of raised eyebrows from my grader (counselor or junior counselor) when I cite a previous set's result, induction, or anything we haven't discussed yet like Pigeonhole Principle.

In this sense, it feels like I'm building a pyramid from bottom to top, one stone at a time, one level at a time, which is quite different from what I expected - being able to scale a pyramid at my leisure to fill in missing holes in my number theory knowledge.

I've dropped almost 5 KG since coming here (easy 0.5 KG per day), which means I'm about 8 KG lighter than my maximum in early May.

To those wondering, I spend about 45 mins on cardio, 45 mins lifting weights, and at least an hour balling everyday (most of my friends at camp have come from balling). I try to go on 20 minute jogs every morning, but darn I've gotten lazy this week.

I also realized something important - get protein! I get an omelette + fruits everyday for breakfast, 2 pieces of chicken breast or fish + salad without dressing + small bowl of pasta for lunch, and drink a protein shake for dinner.

I've been thinking - most notably when taking cold showers after working out (they shave an extra hundred or two calories). Since college apps is coming up and I've been making some drafts on my college essays (a great deal of inspiration has come from my time musing).

I've also been actively planning my senior year - after all, I'll have 3 free blocks (1 to work on a self-paced Stanford-university online math course).

I got a personal invitation from a MIT Launch higher-up after ISEF, so I'm starting on the initial stages of brainstorming ideas for some entrepreneurial project. I also met two professors at the Ross banquet and hopefully I can keep in touch with them. Finally, I've been low-key passing CJ's and my ISEF project paper along to some professors for suggestions, review (only one of three professors have replied with feedback rip).

Finally, the six-pack-god librian2000 and I have started planning our AIME geo book (requests for Interm Geo has been staggering for a while on AoPS so hey why not?). Hopefully we can write out an-impressive-looking-hype-raising sample chapter by end of summer for publicizing reasons on AoPS/website.

Last but not least, I've gotten my Who you rap down almost perfectly, so I'll try to record my first rap with my friend's mic back home once I get back.

Of course, "musing" is also just euphemism for low-key TV-show-binge-watching and Youtube-watching. After all, it's summer, right?