How I Learnt to Hate Other Women

And How to Unlearn It

When Dates Become Exertion

I used to love dating. It started first as a way to savor my new freedom from a critical, overbearing mother. As time progressed, I got into the routine of swiping, dating, getting bored/moving to another country, and unanswered messages. Yet, I learnt so much just by going out and meeting new people. To a…

I Shouldn’t Feel Inferior for Being Vietnamese. But I Did.

What does it like to be Vietnamese? It is to feel a rush of pride running through your veins as Vietnam’s national football team won the championship at a regional league, our country name echoing through the massive stadium. Then take a bike, drive down to the crowded street and yell “Vietnam champions!!” together with…

When You Tried Too Hard to Fit In

She said to me, verbatim, ” is that the kind of friend you want to be with?” I had been in a workshop event where a group of fledgling, fresh-off-the-boat students converged around a high-profile moderator. I had asked her earlier about how I could fit into a new group of friends. They were bonded…

Brave or stupid?

Brave or stupid? A friend of mine posted this question to me, the day I told him I decided to leave my current job, and ultimately Singapore. -Are you sure you know what you are doing? Do you know how hard it is to get a job in Singapore? -Why don’t you just stay until…

The Burnt House

Holding the shoe in her hands, she ran as fast as she could. Her bare feet stomped upon the well-worn roads, taking her into the pitching darkness. She paused, gasping for air as she felt a sharp pain in her stomach, and the little food she had eaten was making its way through her throat….

25-year-old Vietnamese writes: What I learnt from working in five countries (P2)

Continue the lengthy post I wrote a year ago. Yes, I am lazy. Yes, my brain was drained. But let’s put them all behind us and give us a fresh start. If you are a Vietnamese who has traveled outside Vietnam, you have probably experienced some ohhh ahhh moments when lifting your heads to contemplate…

Live Fast and Slow

Do you feel overstimulated all the time? Do you feel weary by the time you reach home? Can you imagine doing anything that involves lifting yourself up from the comfy bed? That is what I always feel ever since stepping into the demanding, incessantly connected corporate world. Somehow, twelves hours of meetings, debating, presenting, and…

Beautiful Little Things You Found on Train

She sat quietly on the train, staring blankly at the passengers, whose eyes quickly averted the moment they met her. They fixated their attention to their phones; their eyebrows frown at the phone screen. So cold. She enjoyed observing people, in coffee shops, in queues, in the overcrowded train stations. There was always something fascinating…

My Obsession with Whiteness

Look at my Tinder matches and you will understand what I mean. The foundation of my identity is always in a fragile state. I seek out for validation by affixing myself to ostensible things – instant gratification guaranteed, included but not limited to fancy workplaces, expensive vacation trips, and a very, very hot boyfriend, preferably…