For now, I soldier on.
For now, I soldier on.
A quick update for the start of Q4 2020.
Hey there,
First of all, my apologies for being away & being so inconsistent with my writing. The end of Q3 2020 saw me to a burnout that spans across all aspects of my life. It's evident even after almost 3 decades of living a neurodivergent life, I'm still terrible with boundaries while continuing to overestimate my own limits.
In my last post, I talked briefly about Chadwick Boseman's death; which hit me harder than expected, despite my belated following of his career as an actor & activist. His passing reminded me of my grandmother's, whose passing happened around the same time last year. At the age of 19, she joined the Viet Minh fighting against French domination. Later, she became a Viet Cong spy during the so-called Vietnam War, embedded in the South, funnelling information to the North while being a teacher. She was also an incredible poet until the last of her days. For some, it might be odd for me to compare these two people — one could be seen by many as a soldier and supporter of the Communist regime, the other is a globally beloved creative figure. But to me, they both were people who gave their all despite their circumstances, and my world is worse without either of them in it.
So much more has happened in the last month. Australia started to ease lockdown measures; Sydney feels almost normal as if there's no deadly virus roaming around the globe. Lidia Thrope was sworn in as the first Victoria's Indigenous federal senator. The Australia government also released its latest National Budget, which has been criticised for being "racist, classist and cruel" and especially discriminatory against women and people who are older than 35.
Lidia Thrope getting sworn in.
In the US, California is on fire, and the Worst Debate Ever happened. Shortly after, Trump got infected with the virus while lying about it, desperately trying & failing to prove his masculinity. Sadly, more Vietnamese Americans support Trump than any other Asian minorities according to the latest surveys. I'm more concerned than ever about my aunt and her family who are residing in America.
On the personal side, although building a freelance business during a pandemic has not been ideal, I know it was the right decision. I've done more work towards personal grow & have healed more in the last 6 months than years before, so despite the hardships, I know I made the right choice. The path I'm walking is scary and challenging, but I know I just got to show up and do the work. One good news is I became an Australian citizen (hooray!). Above all, I'm fortunate enough everyone in my family is healthy and safe — I count my lucky stars.
Besides designing and building digital products as per usual, I'm writing an analysis of White Supremacy Culture in Design, which is not an easy topic to write on. Thus, it might take a while for that essay to land in your inbox. Thanks so much for your patience & for being with me during the ups and downs of life! As a reader, you're the reason why I continue writing my stories, your support means me than you'd ever know. I can't wait to share with you the many things I'm currently working towards.
Until next time, take care. And I'll see you soon.