Browsing Category:
Thoughts
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Notes on 2021
So here we are, at the end of 2021. I haven’t written much this year, and it actually took me by surprise that this day finally came. For years, I saw fellow bloggers who posted less and less until they eventually stopped, and I thought it wouldn’t happen to me and Her Little Journal. But…
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Three years in Sweden
This month three years ago, we arrived in Sweden to start a new life. This should be an ‘anniversary’, but I just can’t help thinking, what is there to celebrate? That we… survive?
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Notes on 2020
Hi. It’s been a while since I wrote something here, and I never thought I’d ever neglected this blog for so long. I’ve been writing here regularly since 2011 (although it was becoming less frequent each year), but as you know, 2020 was a crazy year. It’s two weeks into 2021 already, and although this…
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For the Love of Musicals
A few weeks ago, I sat in bed with a laptop propped on my lap. I went on the YouTube channel of The Show Must Go On! to watch Cats the musical, which was made available for 48 hours outside the UK (24 hours in the UK). To make it even better, they streamed the…
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Hello, Old Friends
Since 2018, I’ve always chosen a word at the beginning of the year as the central point to focus on my effort for that particular year. In 2018, I moved to Gothenburg, Sweden, and I chose ‘root’ for the word that year. It was apt; I needed to put down roots in this new place…
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From passion to aversion: My story of learning Swedish
I’ve stopped learning Swedish for a few months now. Reflecting on how determined I was to master this language when I moved here, I would never imagine that I would lose interest at all, let alone feeling sick at the thought of learning this language. Now, save for a weekly speaking session with an informal…
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The Joy and Heartbreak of Homecoming
It’s crazy to think just two weeks ago, my weekend looked wildly different. Saturday afternoon: At my best friend’s wedding in Serpong. Helping her get ready, taking lots of pictures, giving a speech, crying. Sunday afternoon: On the second leg of my flight, sleeping for almost the entire journey due to lack of sleep the…
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A Birthday Note: Almost 30
I celebrated my 29th birthday last month, and surprisingly, I felt okay about it. Compared to my birthday last year, where I was worried and anxious that I hadn’t done enough for my age, I feel a lot more content this year. Career-wise, it feels like I’m on the right track, and I’ve finally got…
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London: A Love Letter
The other day, I read Nora Ephron’s old essay on The New Yorker, Nora Ephron’s Apartment: A Love Story. She wrote about how, despite the ridiculous key money she had to pay for an apartment called the Apthorp, she fell deeply in love with it and was determined to make it her own. In the…
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The Loneliness of Being an Immigrant
One of the things I didn’t take into account when moving to a new country was loneliness. Looking back, I think it had always been in my peripheral view. I saw posts on Facebook and articles about it, but I only skimmed them and never gave it much thought. It wasn’t something that was relatable…
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