The year that was... (2020)
2020..... so much optimism for the new DECADE and instead... this.
I remember seeing tweets about "coronavirus" in January (perhaps in late 2019?). Then, it was just a word. wow. I had hoped to apply for writing residencies in China. While colleagues continued to plan summer trips to Europe, I laid my plans to sleep early.
I started working from home the week before my 29th birthday.
For 11 consecutive days, I did not leave home. Not even to walk around my neighbourhood. Later, we (Victorians) would be restricted to a 5km radius from our homes, and a night-time curfew introduced. For months, we were allowed to leave home for only four reasons:
- Essential shopping for food and supplies
- Caregiving
- Exercise
- Essential work and study
Fortunately, I was able to attend a friend's wedding in Sydney in early March. I had intended to tack a visit to Canberra on to that trip but Mum suggested going another time.
"So you can have two holidays."
HA! I wish I had ignored her advice... I suppose I could have driven to Canberra over my end-of-year break but I may have been stuck when the VIC/NSW border suddenly closed.
- interviewed Grace Feng Fang Juan (writer/director of web series Girl, Interpreted) and Jiny He (colour designer) for ACMI
- wrote '(im)material inheritances', an essay on fashion, glamour, bodies and lineage for Going Down Swinging (it would become the opening essay of Echoes)
- wrote a diary entry for Bitter Melon 苦瓜 STAY HOME DIARY, an online archive of diary entries by Asian writers, artists and zinemakers
- wrote and performed poems for sinθ ISSUE #14 “PERFUME 香” ('gardenia'), Emerging Writers' Festival ('Eras of Anita Mui Yim-fong'), Red Dirt x Yellow Peril ('commute') and Melbourne Spoken Word Festival Online ('empty bed')
- wrote 'ctrl c. ctrl v.', a short story in response to Gwan Tung Dorothy Lau's A Stagnant Stack (2020) for the Disobedient Daughters exhibition catalogue (curated by the wonderful Sophia Cai and featuring 10 artists and 10 writers)
- reviewed four books for The Saturday Paper (The Coconut Children by Vivian Pham was a highlight!)
- was interviewed about Echoes by Zoya Gill, Bigoa Chuol and Bethany Atkinson-Quinton on radio and by Cher Tan for Liminal
- wrote a piece on writing as cross-pollination for ACT Writers Centre's magazine BITE
- wrote 'A Lifelong Romance: Reflections on Eileen Chang's life, work and legacy' for Asian American Writers' Workshop (dream essay for dream publication!!!!!)
OMG. To pull this list together, I had to refer to my online portfolio and writing invoices.
In 2020, I learnt to take each day at a time.
I hope to visit Canberra soon. I hope Echoes continues to touch hearts x I hope to make zines, nurture friendships, be more spontaneous and more generous, take better care of my health (exercise! sleep earlier! use social media less frequently!), set life/work boundaries (day job and writing) and work towards a full-length essay collection.
These reflections/hopes are no doubt coloured by the first two months of 2021.
how apt. 2020 blurring into 2021.
