Where Do You Really Feel At Home?

Home may be a place that you know well. Or a space that resonates with you. Or something that seems elusive. The feeling of being most at home is a multi-layered, complex construct, and it can be hard to explain.

As someone who is often caught in between Eastern and Western cultures and has lived in different countries surrounded by different languages, no place has ever felt like home to me. About a year ago, an evening stroll inspired me to think a bit more about this thing called home.

Sunset Blue Hour. Princes Bridge. Melbourne, Australia (1)

Striding down the Princes Bridge, the crisp autumn air picks up. Pulling the zipper up my puffer jacket, it is just another routine evening of sunset photography in Melbourne CBD. The cold is always a familiar part of it at this time of the year in May, no surprises.

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7 Ways To Stop Talking To Someone Without Being Rude

There are times when you’ll encounter people who are up for a chat and will talk away. But you don’t want to talk and want to avoid them.

You might wonder: how do you stop talking to someone without being rude? How do you end a conversation politely, especially if the other person won’t stop talking?

Public Payphone, Bourke Street Mall, Melbourne, Australia

Sometimes you’re in the middle of something and talking isn’t ideal. Perhaps you’re avoiding the person talking to you altogether. Or you’re not in the mood for talking and it’s just bad timing.

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6 Reasons Why People Don’t Like Talking About Money

Many people avoid talking about money. That’s because many generally don’t like talking about it.

Some of us never bring up our personal finances. Some are quick to change the subject when it comes up.

Australian currency. Banknotes and coins.

Some of us feel awkward, embarrassed, angry or guilty talking about money even with friends and family. After all, money is a sensitive topic – salaries, spending habits and savings are very personal things.

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COVID-19, Asian-Australian Racism And Media: What This Pandemic Says About Us

With COVID-19 racing across the world, it’s become a different reality overnight.

Some of us feel fear hearing COVID-19 cases rise in other countries. Feel uncertainty as toilet paper disappears from the shelves at the grocery store around the corner.

For some of us Asian-Australians, we feel the slap of racism once again amidst this pandemic.

Melbourne Central (MC) 2020 (1)

Being an Asian-Australian who once aspired to be a journalist in Australia, it’s disappointing seeing recent anti-Asian sentiments in the media and racist incidents on the streets. It’s undoubtedly disappointing seeing certain cultural groups get accused of spreading coronavirus.

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Hot vs Cold Weather: Pros and Cons Comparison

Hot weather. Cold weather. You might prefer one climate over the other. Or you might love both.

Climate is different all around the world. Some countries have four seasons. Other parts of the world especially countries close to the equator don’t have four seasons and pretty much have tropical climate all year round.

Hot or cold weather. Different climates, different temperatures.

Hot or cold weather. Different climates, different temperatures.

I never liked cold weather. Never like it when the temperature dips below 20’C (68’F) in Melbourne. Summer is my favourite season and a 30’C (86’F) day is something I love. When I lived in Singapore, I loved that each day was a tropical humid 30’C.

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Differences Between Work-Life Balance In Eastern And Western Cultures

When it comes to work-life balance, Asian and Western cultures usually have different ways of discovering it.

For many years in Australia, I’ve juggled working a day job, chasing a writing career and making time for things on the personal and home front. Sometimes it feels like I’ve got too many things work and play-wise to do.

Work to play or play to work. Or both | Weekly Photo Challenge: Experimental.

Work to play or play to work. Or both | Weekly Photo Challenge: Experimental.

Finding a work-life balance is arguably about juggling needs and wants. According to Safework SA, work life balance is ‘the relationship between your work and the commitments in the rest of your life, and how they impact on one another’. Finding a work-life balance often means organising time for things you want to do, and have to do whether you like it or not because it may impact the former and vice-versa – and trying to discover that ever elusive feeling called satisfaction all round.

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