language

Having grown up in South Korea, I can’t describe all of my feelings in English. Here is a list of Korean words without a direct English translation!

Failing the HSK made me realize that failure is not the dark pit I imagined it to be — instead, it can be an opportunity of reflection and redirection.

Regardless of your opinions on furspeech, its consistent fan base and ability to permeate through several cultures under one constructed language is pretty “purrrfect” in itself. 

I wish I could give A-Gong more than just my American habits and my Chinese, tainted with my heavy American accent and dotted with English; I wish I could say more.

Bits and pieces of the language are scattered across the modern languages of India, but in itself, Sanskrit is incredibly complex. As an example, there are three types of nouns, each with more than 21 derivations, equalling almost 63 different ways to parse just one word.

English, to me, felt trendy, international. It slipped out of my mouth as smooth as caramel. Chinese was awkward, bulky, mundane, like chewing coffee beans.

In the minutes, hours, weeks and months following her death, I’ve struggled to articulate how deeply affected and freshly cut I am by her newfound absence.

Assumptions are tricky: They fill in the ever-changing gaps in our knowledge, only to inevitably expose what’s missing.

While learning a new language may seem daunting and while the process is certainly difficult, it opens up new worlds and brings you to places you never would have imagined.

Not only does the blood escaping your body reek, but so does the stench of injustice. Why can’t we talk about our periods in an open and honest fashion?