A friend who studies Art History asked me how my trip to Athens once. Indeed city's monuments, its many ruins and its statues of the most renowned philosophers are all embodiments of such a rich history and culture. Athens is the epitome of History literally rooted in every corner and precipice of the city. In all its glory and beauty, I also remember feeling a sense of gloom. At the centre of the city, surrounded by well-known ruins and other monuments, I remember a young lady, withering flowers in her hand. "Here's a flower for you," she said as she approaches me and proceeds to put a stem in my hand without a second beat. Just as I was about to thank her, she lays out her palm and gestures at her belly. "Baby coming, I need food. How much can you pay for the flower?" I made the wrong move to pull out my wallet because as I pulled out a euro for the single stem, she looks into my wallet, points at my €5 bill and asks for it. At the same time, a younger kid walks up next to her, also holding stems of flowers, and watches me. I didn't know how to react in the moment, and gave the bill away. Suddenly I looked around and noticed so many more of them around the area. There were others who would ask for tourists' hands and wound a bracelet around their wrists or pushed a ring onto their fingers. Just a sad sight to see in a country that has so much to offer.
other gems: overheard conversations at the Parthenon about how its columns aren't perfectly aligned in a straight line, and when I'm lucky, occasional smart discussions about other structures' history and architecture / the many puns and references to Greek philosophers plastered on souvenirs / first time swimming in a natural lake with one of the clearest waters I've ever seen / overlooking the beaut of the city from atop a hill / GYROS EVERYWHERE!! /
A friend who studies Art History asked me how my trip to Athens once. Indeed city's monuments, its many ruins and its statues of the most renowned philosophers are all embodiments of such a rich history and culture. Athens is the epitome of History literally rooted in every corner and precipice of the city. In all its glory and beauty, I also remember feeling a sense of gloom. At the centre of the city, surrounded by well-known ruins and other monuments, I remember a young lady, withering flowers in her hand. "Here's a flower for you," she said as she approaches me and proceeds to put a stem in my hand without a second beat. Just as I was about to thank her, she lays out her palm and gestures at her belly. "Baby coming, I need food. How much can you pay for the flower?" I made the wrong move to pull out my wallet because as I pulled out a euro for the single stem, she looks into my wallet, points at my €5 bill and asks for it. At the same time, a younger kid walks up next to her, also holding stems of flowers, and watches me. I didn't know how to react in the moment, and gave the bill away. Suddenly I looked around and noticed so many more of them around the area. There were others who would ask for tourists' hands and wound a bracelet around their wrists or pushed a ring onto their fingers. Just a sad sight to see in a country that has so much to offer.
other gems: overheard conversations at the Parthenon about how its columns aren't perfectly aligned in a straight line, and when I'm lucky, occasional smart discussions about other structures' history and architecture / the many puns and references to Greek philosophers plastered on souvenirs / first time swimming in a natural lake with one of the clearest waters I've ever seen / overlooking the beaut of the city from atop a hill / GYROS EVERYWHERE!! /
undergrad portfolio
> Comparative Literature (Arts) and Media & Cultural Studies (Social Sciences) BA graduate from The University of Hong Kong (HKU)
> Projects worked on:
- HKU Common Core Office, Transdisciplinary Research Project
Title: "Hong Kong University: Re-imagining Spaces for Dialogue"
- HK Unison Community Engagement Project: be/longing (instagram page: @belonging.hk)
+ Community project aimed at reframing stereotypes and perceptions of Hong Kong's ethnic minority communities, through methods of storytelling with photography and poetry
+ Initiated with Christine Vicera, under the mentorship of former Yau Tsim Mong District Councillor, Leslie Chan
+ In collaboration with Lensational and Cha
+ An exhibition that centres around identity and food culture was held at Chungking Mansions (Aug 1-22, 2021)
+ Featured articles on TheStandNews and HK01
> Currently reading:
- Andrew Clapham, Human Rights: A Very Short Introduction
- Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead
- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude
- José Rizal, Noli Me Tángere
- Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray
- Salman Rushdie, Shame
- Tadem & Morada, Philippine Politics and Governance: Challenges to Democratization & Development
- Barbara Jane Reyes, Letters to a Young Brown Girl
- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Americanah
Updated in February, 2022