There was a period in my life when my freedom was taken away. One day, a guard looked at me and asked why I was always smiling. I was in handcuffs at the time.

I was not supposed to spend those extra two days at Harvard. The alumni gathering was over, work was waiting for me in Asia, and my body clock was already somewhere over the Pacific. All I wanted was to leave. Instead, for reasons beyond my control, I found myself staying longer than planned, quietly wondering why life was wasting my time.

I rarely write long pieces. If something can be said simply, I would rather not say more than necessary.