A number of things have made me conscious that I am no longer a young person. In addition to being one to two brackets above the 18-25 age range on any given survey or form, I’ve also noticed that any interest I may have had in new things like TikTok, fashion, and going out in general, is fast waning. I drink less and often find … Continue reading Growth and learning in my mid-30s
I have this theory: that our society tends to view being academic and being artistic as mutually exclusive. I didn’t see the latter in myself because everyone else saw the former. Basically, I was good at school, so I was put in the academic category. And while I did well in art class and on creative writing assignments, I never won any prizes and didn’t … Continue reading Embracing my inner artist
In many ways, R.F. Kuang’s Babel, or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History seemed a novel written for me: nerdy, linguistic, political, with a dash of fantasy. Specifically it: For all these reasons, it resonated more with me than it would, perhaps, with other readers, even other Asian-Australian or Asian-American readers. I mean, I too have considered writing a work of fantasy fiction based on … Continue reading Babel, or how not to write yourself into your novel
I am one of those sad souls who spent far too long at university with little to show for it. After six-and-a-half years, I finally collected my undergraduate degrees. For the next six-and-a-half years, I honestly couldn’t stomach the idea of returning to do a masters, let alone a PhD. It’s silly, isn’t it, having such a strong reaction to university. It’s as if I’ve … Continue reading How my education shaped my faith
This evening I stumbled upon an old Word document I wrote back in June 2009 – a couple of years before this blog was birthed. In it was a short list of eight things I’d learned so far that year. It’s interesting thinking about the circumstances that led me to these conclusions. Naturally this got me pondering whether I have learned these lessons – or … Continue reading 8 learnings from my younger self
The best of what I read in 2022, in the order in which I read them. Gilead – Marilynne Robinson This Pulitzer Prize winner is breathtakingly beautiful, in the gentlest of ways. A double lightness pervades the narration: there’s both a softness and a brightness in the character and tone of the narration. Gilead is framed as a long letter, akin to a series of … Continue reading Books I read in 2022
I’ve always admired people who can host a good dinner party. I’m in awe of their ability to cook in bulk, and to do so while unflusteredly mingling with guests. I like having people over, but need to keep it casual and either order food in or have everyone bring a plate. So I certainly consider hospitality to be a gift, inasmuch as it’s the … Continue reading Three transformative perspectives on hospitality
Growing up, my dad’s cousin, his wife and their daughter were the only family we had in Canberra. We only caught up with them once or twice a year, typically at a restaurant for Chinese New Year. I cherished those occasions?and not only because they were bookended by two of my favourite pancakes, commencing with Peking duck pancakes and concluding with red bean paste pancakes. … Continue reading Miscellaneous shades of grief
I had a dream recently that I was hanging out with Ethan Hawke. We were sitting on either end of a couch I think was blue, then Brad Pitt was in the room on a (green?) armchair. It occurred to me then that they’d never done a movie together – and they bloody well should. I made the suggestion and Ethan said, “Sure! Should we … Continue reading Rediscovering Ethan Hawke
I call myself a failed lawyer because I feel like an imposter when people refer to my law degree. I’m not sure how I went from not wanting to go to university at all to doing a six-year combined Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Arts (Honours). It probably had something to do with getting the marks for more than “just an Arts degree” and having parents … Continue reading Five reasons not to regret my law degree
