Amy Do Nguyet Anh

 Can't say that I was surprised to get Covid, considering how many flights and trains I've been on. It still sucks that the very last leg of the journey was not according to plan. oh well! Thank you rapid tests from Germany.  Technically the first day of quarantine was yesterday when I did the rapid test. It was stressful as I mis-read the results initially and thought I was negative. Then when the faint red line started to appear I had to rush to a clinic to confirm the results. Poor my sister had to see me while I was unmasked.  Anyway today I woke up early because I was still somewhat jet lagged. I emailed people at the office that I have Covid and will be staying away for a while. Then I binged the entire 2.5 hours of this Japanese show called "My beautiful man". The lead actor is indeed very beautiful. Then I did my finance updates to see how much money I have left after my shopping spree in Sweden, and I un-packed and re-packed my loot so that I have more space ...

 Wong Kar Wai's  2000 movie touched me deeply. Even though I am not in the mood for love now, I feel a sense of closeness to the characters that I can't explain. I have never been in their situation, and I don't know how I would act if I were them, but the way they are portrayed, the mixing of emotion and daily mundane chores, their emotional intelligence and refrain, all come together in harmony. Perhaps the aspect I love the most of the movie is its ability to make small spaces look beautiful. I grew up in an aging city where people cram into small apartments, small houses. The alleys that we see in the movie are also there in my childhood. I still have dreams of navigating the winding, dark, unattended alleys. But Wong Kar Wai uses these unappealing places as a setting for the beautiful emotions that arise between the leads. Suddenly the memories of my childhood that I consider to be ugly and abandoned, come to life with vibrant colours, dazzling patterns. I also loved t...

Virginia Woolf's classic feminist text has been such a great motivation for women in the past century. I am so glad that I live in a time that benefits directly from the struggles of previous generations of women's rights activists. I get to freely read works by so many female writers since then who have been given their own room to produce work. Some of my recent favourites are by Patricia Collin Hills, Jean Rhys, Elena Ferrante, Madeleine Thien, Souvankham Thammavongsa etc. to name a few. I can also vote, rent an apartment in my own name without needing a husband, earn my own money, have my own bank account, travel by myself freely whether it's walking, biking, taking the bus or plane or driving unsupervised, have multiple blogs, buy my own jewelry, be single without criticism etc. There's still so much that oppresses women in our society, but I feel much freer than those in Little Women or Middlemarch.  For me in the last year or so, the most liberating experience ha...

In the past year or so, I've tried out few different methods to organize my living space. It started when I moved into an apartment near Marine Dr Station. It was my first time living on my own, and the first time I had an unfurnished place. I started with very little decorations and furniture because I don't know how long I would be renting this place for, and therefore I want to be able to move my stuff as easily as possible. I also didn't have a lot of money to spend on home purchases. Not only that, I have never been taught how to do DIY projects properly, plus I am too lazy to learn and put effort into decorating my place. So what started out as living on a budget and being lazy turned into this whole "minimalist' concept that apparently is pretty popular now. I am hopping on the bandwagon, but honestly it's only because I don't have a lot of disposable income (all my money goes to rent, lessons, travelling , food ...). And then my friend lent me ...

Toronto still exists in my mind as a place of happy moments. I remember sitting in the living room of the small apartment on Seaton street, watching autumn leaves glow in the dust of tender sun. A warm colour palette. That's when I realized I want an apartment to myself so I can watch the world go by without being part of it. A need for isolation. Something I never thought I'd need. I also remember relaxing in an armchair with a cat on my lap - an image I never thought would appeal to me. But there I was, peaceful and relaxed, taking a break from my real life. I could convince myself that I wanted a life like that more, even though I was only borrowing a few moment of someone else's life. I imagined it in my head, that this could be my world. So now when I think of Toronto, I still feel that warmth, peace, and contentment that was never reliable. The city holds a lot of disappointment for me. It could be a great city. Rapid train lines connecting a vast area of many...

It's 11:40 pm and I was in bed, warm and soft, when suddenly a vivid image crossed my mind. It was a late summer night on the 20 bus and I was sitting in the back on one of the seats facing sideways. Why was it the 20? Where was I going up and down Victoria Drive? It must have been when we still lived on Perry Street and Sergio still lived on 35th, which would be the only reasons I would be on the 20. Across from me were a couple in their 20s probably. Something about their embrace exuded such warmth and intimacy that I just sat there in awe, envious of their love. I had wished that I would also find a love like such, or like what I imagined their love to be at that time. That short encounter gave me no facts, only my own imagination of what love looks like and feels like. Two relationships after, I think I've made peace with love for now. I don't hate love. Love doesn't suck. It doesn't ruin my life. It is a strong feeling that takes me out of control, but also ...

It's New Year's.. only 10 or so more days until I meet him again. I know his brilliant smile will hang across his face and we will be in shopping malls for hours, hands heavy with happiness. Ten days until we get to eat what we want and talk about what we want. Partying into the night and shopping away the days. It's almost Tet, only 3 more days until I see them again. The friends that I have known since I didn't even know myself. How are they now? After many seasons of love, life and career? I can't wait to feel like I'm 15 again, but more freedom, more hope. Nostalgia keeps me strong. It's May.. only a few more days until my last day at my job, and 5 more days until I see her again. It's been 7 years. Too long to believe, yet too short to feel. How does she look like now, away from the Singaporean sun? How does she look now, the weight of philosophy on her shoulders? Her cheeks rosy with the touch of love. We both have changed so much, but also so ...