Life

Name & Identity

I’m named after Aladdin, the folk tale character from One Thousand and One Nights. Interestingly, in the original version of the story, Aladdin is from China, something many people don’t know. In Chinese, his name is written as 阿拉丁 (Ālādīng), which is why I go by both Aladdin and Alading. And yes, that’s also why there’s a little genie in this site’s icon.

I’m half Uzbek and half Chinese, and I’m proud of both sides of my heritage. Growing up with both cultures has given me different ways of seeing the world, and I carry those perspectives with me wherever I go.

I was born in Beijing, China, but I grew up in Princeton, New Jersey. Princeton is where I spent much of my childhood and teenage years, went through the awkwardness and excitement of growing up, and slowly figured out who I was and who I wanted to become. It’s where I made lifelong friends, experienced some of my happiest moments, and went through challenges that shaped the person I am today. No matter where life takes me, Princeton will always have a special place in my heart. It’s the place I grew up, and the place I’ll always call my hometown.

Photography

I enjoy photography, especially capturing beautiful views and scenery through my lens. I share some of my favorite shots on Instagram ↗.

Games & History

If there’s one game I could play endlessly, it’s Sid Meier’s Civilization VI. I love the strategy, but what keeps me coming back is the history behind it all. Every civilization has its own story, from the leaders who shaped it to the cultures, conflicts, and ideas that left their mark on the world. I’ve lost count of how many times a game of Civilization has sent me down a Wikipedia rabbit hole.

My favourite civilization to play is Byzantium, led by Basil II. One particularly fascinating (and rather gruesome) story associated with him dates back to the Battle of Kleidion in 1014, when Byzantine forces defeated the Bulgarians. According to medieval accounts, Basil II ordered 99 out of every 100 captured soldiers to be blinded, leaving the hundredth with one eye to guide the others back to their ruler, Tsar Samuel. Whether the story unfolded exactly as described remains debated, but it’s certainly one of the more chilling episodes I’ve come across through a video game.

Of course, sometimes I get a little too carried away with the game itself. My friends and I have pulled more than a few all-nighters, with our personal record being 12 hours straight, from 8 pm to 8 am, on a school night, no less. Anyone who’s played Civilization knows how dangerous the words “just one more turn” can be.

Outside of Civilization, some of my all-time favourites include Cyberpunk 2077, Monster Hunter, Grand Theft Auto V, Terraria, and Red Dead Redemption 2. I love games that give you entire worlds to explore, whether through their stories, their atmosphere, or the freedom to make your own adventures.

Speaking of creating worlds, a friend and I have been building in the same Minecraft world for over a decade. What started as a simple shared world has slowly grown into a collection of architectural landmarks from around the globe. We’ve recreated famous buildings at a consistent 1:4 scale, with one Minecraft block representing four metres in real life. It’s become something of a long-running passion project, and looking back at everything we’ve built together feels like flipping through more than ten years of memories.

Music

Music is one of my favourite ways to experience the world. I don’t play an instrument fluently (yet), but I love getting lost in melodies, noticing the little details in a composition, and discovering songs that capture feelings I couldn’t quite put into words.

My taste spans many genres, though bossa nova and alternative music have a special place in my heart. I especially love stumbling upon hidden gems from different places and eras. Below are a few albums I keep coming back to, though narrowing the list down was nearly impossible.

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  La Rana

  Agustín Pereyra Lucena Quartet · 1980

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  Fancy That

  PinkPantheress · 2025

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  Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66

  Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66 · 1966

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  Projeto Memória Brasileira: Viva Garoto

  Garoto · 1993

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  Donda

  Kanye West · 2021

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  Hawaii: Part II

  Miracle Musical · 2012

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  Brazilian Wish

  Matt Finley · 2006

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  Casiopea

  Casiopea · 1979

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  Outro Lugar

  Toco · 2007

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  Chega de Saudade

  João Gilberto · 1959

Curiosity

I love falling down rabbit holes of random knowledge, especially when it comes to science, mathematics, history, and the stranger corners of our world. Most of these adventures start on YouTube. One moment I’m learning about black holes, and the next I’m discovering some bizarre, long-forgotten historical event I never knew existed.

I’ve always enjoyed learning simply for the sake of learning. I find that even the most seemingly trivial or obscure subjects can become fascinating once you dig a little deeper. There’s something wonderful about stumbling upon an idea you’ve never encountered before, and realizing just how much there is in the world left to discover.

One of the strangest things I’ve come across? Leo Allatius, a 17th-century scholar and keeper of the Vatican Library, allegedly suggested that Saturn’s rings were actually the ascended foreskin of Jesus Christ, known as the Holy Prepuce. Yes, you read that correctly.

Fun fact: Even this website has a touch of physics hidden in its design! Its accent colour, #94B1FF, was inspired by the theoretical colour of an infinitely hot blackbody. As a blackbody’s temperature approaches infinity, its perceived colour converges toward a pale blue. It’s also my favourite colour, and my wallpaper.