Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash My grandma and mom used to tell me about the things I shouldn't be doing or saying at night. For starters, don't stay out so late, do not whistle, sing, or ever say that you're going "home." 'Til this day when I'm out and about at night or at a place where… Continue reading Don’t Sing At Night With The Window Open
“Be Patient” (Ua Siab Ntev) For Hmong Women
As a Hmong American woman I despise the phrase "ua stab ntev," meaning "be patient." I once retorted, "Be patient for what? For your man to continuously mistreat you?" No, I don't stand for that. All my life, I've seen my mother get hurt by the men who supposedly loved her. I also hear countless… Continue reading “Be Patient” (Ua Siab Ntev) For Hmong Women
The Time I Told My Teacher I Wanted To Go Home And Clean My Room
Because environment matters too. During my sophomore year of high school, my Chinese teacher had pulled me aside for a conversation. He asked me what was going on since I constantly had a long face. Additional to my teenage emotional turmoils and dramas, I was on the brink of fully shutting down. I dreaded going… Continue reading The Time I Told My Teacher I Wanted To Go Home And Clean My Room
Underlying Self Beliefs and Need of Discipline
Between late 2020 and early 2021, I bought a whole bunch of personal development and self-help books which I was extremely excited to read at the time of purchasing. However, if I'm being honest I have not read most of them yet. My excuses were that I was too busy and that work was draining… Continue reading Underlying Self Beliefs and Need of Discipline