Corina Smith is a doctoral researcher studying the ancient Chinese texts, the Shangshu. She shares stories of learning Mandarin and living in Beijing and the benefits of these new and difficult experiences. We also touch on music as Corina grew up listening to prog rock and appreciates the history of its emergence in Britain in the 1970s. Corina is a Clarendon Scholar with the Faculty of Oriental Studies at Oxford University and a member of Pembroke College.