8 Comments

This piece is so interesting and cool, Linh ơi. I love the metaphors here, it makes the languages feel so alive.

Since I've been in New Zealand for a while, te reo Māori has become a friend that I see and hear from daily. They're like someone you come across everyday, around uni campus, downtown, or somewhere in the city. Although we don't know each other that much yet, we recognize the existence of each other. We exchange a smile or a "Kia Ora" when we see each other.

I became closer with te reo Māori due to the similarities of collective personality and culture with Vietnamese. They make me feel less homesick, when I see the respect for elders in their culture, and I appreciate the tender and comfortable feeling they offer when we hang out at the art galleries. I also love their energy when performing Haka. I hope to understand them more as I spend more time here in New Zealand.

--

*Kia Ora is used to wish someone well as a greeting or farewell, to say thank you, to affirm support, or to say a friendly ‘cheers’. By using the words Kia Ora, we acknowledge not just the people we are talking with, but where they come from, and everything about them.

*Haka is a ceremonial Māori war dance or challenge. Haka are usually performed in a group and represent a display of a tribe's pride, strength and unity.

Expand full comment
Aug 1, 2023Liked by Linh Tran

Chị ơi bài viết hay quá ạ 😍😍

Expand full comment
Mar 6, 2023·edited Mar 8, 2023Liked by Linh Tran

༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ Chi Linh, take my energy ༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ

So many thoughts and creative ideas are put into this piece of art chi :)

Also, let me take this chance to tell you about my ex-lover, French. I met her in grade 10, and she was the person my school required me to get along with; if not, I couldn't graduate. As the school made time for us to meet every week, I couldn't help but try my best to learn more about her.

She is a detail-oriented and elegant lady who can easily make everyone fall in love with her. She asks for details about everything, especially the number (for example, 85 = 20 x 4 +5) and gender identity (you know, cinema is a girl and book is a boy?).

The most loving point is her pronunciation, which is too sexy to reject, I can say so. She can make a simple sentence more romantic and seductive.

However, I haven't met her since my high school graduation, but whenever I meet a person who speaks French, it reminds me of my beloved days at high school and my enormous love for that lady. So, undoubtedly we will meet one near day.

Expand full comment

Why do I feel like u r talking about Middkids? 😂. I’m viscerally reliving my midd experiences with these super on-the-nose descriptions.

I’ve had a similar experience as you’ve had with Spanish- the chiller, cool DJ bro of English. And, just like you, I also felt overwhelmed by his exuberant friends. What I found worked for me was to step back. Spanish is a party animal, but he’s more than that. Take him away (only momentarily, I promise) from the party. Have an honest, earnest conversation with him. Because without the flashing lights, the sticky alcohol stains, the catchy music to distract you, you can begin to discern things about him you never knew before. At least, this is how I feel, 10 months removed from Midd.

Expand full comment