Buy Less, Wear More

Throwback to my teenage years when I wore the same clothes over and over again without feeling self-conscious about it, at all. The same jeans, same jumper (the one in the photo lasted me yeeeeeaaars), same tops and same footwear were always in rotation. I liked my clothes and I was happy about it. Little did I know at the time that my choices were actually sustainable.

Until one day, a friend had the audacity to burst my bubble and said,

"Linda, you're wearing the same thing AGAIN!" 

So naturally, I got a little upset about it, became a little self-conscious and prompted me to buy new clothes, which became a mindless and nasty habit.

Fast forward to my present self as a young adult and I feel absolutely proud about wearing the same thing over and over again. I still only wear a fraction of my wardrobe though. However, I do intend on getting more wear out of my current clothes and being more mindful on the impact of my purchasing power. No longer am I falling for those fleeting fashion trends or caring about being caught in the same outfit. Nor do I need approval from others about my outfits.

Being intentional with my clothing choices and sustainability brings me peace. 

Buy less, choose well. Make it last.

Lots o' Love, Linda 

Who Made My Clothes

Dear: Bec and Bridge, 

I am your customer and I love your clothes. However, I feel not enough positive change has happened in the six years since Rana Plaza collapsed, the tragedy which killed and injured thousands of garment workers in Bangladesh.

It is very important to me that people working in your supply chain are seen, heard, paid properly and working in safe conditions.

Seeing your "F" rating in the Ethical Fashion Guide 2019 by Baptist World Aid does not sit well with me.

So please tell me who made my clothes and where I can find out more information about your supply chain.

Thank you!

Lots o' Love, Linda 

Click for the full Ethical Fashion Report 2019. 

Swallowing My Pride

Mindframe 

So in late Feb/early March, with a little push from my bro, I finally decided to swallow my pride to seek professional help about my mental health. I've been struggling for some time now (4+ yrs) and even though I recognised the signs of mental health risk, I forced myself to suffer in silence and battle my inner demons alone.

I'm very well aware that I'm not the only one who has problems nor do I think I have it the worst, but the stigma around mental illness was and still is very strong. No matter how much my mental health was out of whack, I completely underestimated its effects of leaving it unaddressed or untreated.

My past attempts of reaching out to "friends" about it all backfired cause they trivialised how I felt or what I was going through, even before giving me a chance to speak. Been told things like: 

"you're not the only one who has problems",

"if you think you're the only one who has problems then all the best in life to you", and

"if you hear about my problems or what I've been going through, then you will realise that your problems aren't so bad." 

Even toxic positivity thoughts like "just think positive" is damaging. Because of these responses, I was reluctant to open up and then eventually led myself to a depressive disorder.

I really wish I was one of those mentally stable and strong people who can overcome depression or mental health issues without professional help, but I'm not one of them.

My biggest regret is not seeking help a lot earlier. I also regret not continuing my counselling sessions at the age of 17 when I had a sudden breakdown. When I saw people in my grade literally laughing at the idea of counselling, it prevented me from speaking to the counsellor again. Would've made a huge difference to my first few years post-highschool.

If and when you're struggling, please speak to someone you trust. If you can't, I highly encourage you to speak to your GP. You also don't need a "valid" reason or apparent justification like experiencing a tragic or traumatising event. Nor do you need to be in really bad circumstances. Nor do you need to be at crisis point. It doesn't have to make sense.

Lots o' Love, Linda

Straight Outta Cabra

Friendship Arch / Pai Lau, Freedom Plaza, Cabramatta

After reading and listening to many (and I mean, many) other people's shocking stories about growing up Asian in Australia or America and the bullying they copped on the regular simply for being Asian, I've realised how fortunate I was to have a different experience. Growing up, I thought multiculturalism was everywhere in Australia. Little did I know that I was actually a part of an ethnic minority because I was never made to feel that way. I guess I was sorta in a bubble? I only started realising this well into my teenage years. I also only started feeling the effects of racism towards Asians or minorities after highschool.

Super grateful that I grew up in a diverse community that made up of not only South East Asians but also a good mix of white, Spanish, Serbians, Middle Easterns, Pacific Islanders, Italians and Greeks, just to name a few. I never felt alienated or ashamed of my heritage despite Cabra copping heaps of racism back in the day. In fact, there was plenty of Asian pride (*cough* AzN PriDe). I had classmates of different backgrounds and maintained my Vietnamese roots via Vietnamese school, as well as cultural and community events.

Even though it looks like I grew up in an Asian enclave at first glance, the Fairfield - Cabramatta area felt more diverse than any other area in Sydney. Pretty sure I would've had a completely different (and more marginalised) experience growing up somewhere else. And for that, I will never be ashamed of telling people I grew up in Fairfield - Cabramatta area and will always be proud of my Asian ethnicity.

Lots o' Love, Linda

Growing up Asian Australian Tag

Inspired by the "Growing up Asian American Tag" on YouTube, I've decided to have my input in my perspective growing up as an Asian Australian. 

So, here it is; 

Which ethnicity are you? 

Vietnamese 

Which generation are you? 

I was born in Australia but my mum was born in Vietnam. So, I'm guessing my mum is first generation Vietnamese Australian and I'm second-generation. If I'm wrong, please feel free to correct me.

What is the first experience where you felt that demarcation of being a minority/different? 

I grew up in a very immigrant heavy community so I guess I didn't really feel indifferent. It's only when I reflect on the past and see in some instances where I could've felt that way but didn't affect me much at all. 

For example, I spent about a year of my childhood residing in an area which was dominantly Anglo-Saxon, where my family was the only Asian family living in my street.  A year after, I moved to a community where I had more access and had a closer connection with the Asian community. I didn't really notice it then, but looking back at my early primary school photos, there was a good balance between Asians and non-Asians. Growing up having Asian neighbours and Asian friends throughout primary and highschool meant I didn't feel to much of an outcast at all. 

However, I guess I can recall the first time I felt like a minority was my first highschool camp at the end of year 8. The camp was based down the south coast, 2-3 hrs away from Sydney. That was when I began to notice that us Asians were the minority Australians. 

Were you always proud of your heritage or was there a time you rejected it?

I was very proud of my Vietnamese heritage, and still am to this day. I don't think I ever rejected it growing up. 

What are some stereotypes that you struggle with? 

The stereotype that "all Asians are smart at maths" was probably what I struggled with the most. I guess I was pretty average growing up. I was a little slower than most of my Asian peers during primary school, whilst I was just average throughout highschool. I was never in any of the advanced maths classes, nor did I study 2 unit maths for my HSC. And I was always the slowest in my tutor classes. 

Can you speak your language?

Very brokenly. I attended Saturday Vietnamese school for a few years, and was fortunate to have extra Vietnamese language classes that was made available during the week at my primary school. Hence, I am able to read and my writing isn't too bad, but my speaking skills are pretty poor. I won't be able to have a full conversation in Vietnamese without throwing English terms along the way. And, I would struggle badly when it comes to interpreting. 

How has being Asian Australian affected your relationship with your parents? 

Even though I went to Vietnamese school and could speak and write basic Vietnamese, the language barrier was (and still is) the biggest setback that has affected my relationship with not only my mum, but also my aunties and uncles. My mum speaks very little English so it's hard to have a conversation about anything really. It's hard for my mum to understand me because of my inability to communicate any concerns or have any discussion about my thoughts and the events in my life. So, more often than not, there is some misunderstanding between the two of us. I'm pretty sure it would be a very different and a much stronger relationship if we could just both communicate in the same language. 

I also feel like a huge disappointment to my family because of this. 

How do you feel about your heritage now? Do you identify with it?

I love my Vietnamese heritage. And yes, I identity myself as Vietnamese but more specifically Vietnamese Australian. However, I still get conflicted between the two. Sometimes, I am made to feel like an outcast in Australia only because of my Asian image despite being born and bred in Australia. Meanwhile, I would also feel indifferent in the motherland Vietnam, because of my lack of speaking skills and different upbringing. 

What is your favourite thing about being Asian Australian/your heritage? 

Other than my appreciation for Vietnamese cuisine, and the fact that a lot of Vietnamese have common surnames (despite being unrelated - hello Tran and Nguyen!), I also deeply appreciate the Vietnamese history. 

The Vietnam War and the ultimate outcome of it played a huge effect on my mum's life experience. I have a big appreciation for my mum's refugee journey. And, have an even bigger appreciation for the former late Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser for implementing a refugee policy that allowed my mum as well as many other Vietnamese refugees to settle into Australia. I have a huge appreciation for the former South Vietnam flag because not only does it represent my mum's former homeland that doesn't exist anymore, it represents the Vietnamese refugee community. 

Being born to a former Vietnamese refugee who started afresh in Australia gained me more awareness and have more empathy for the current asylum seekers and refugee crisis that we are currently facing. 

It's safe to say that I hit that ultimate jackpot the moment I was born here in Australia. It definitely is a privilege to be Australian and having the childhood that I had will always be my treasured memories.

And, I can't finish this without a special mention to Cabramatta. Although notorious for being the heroin epidemic ghetto in the 90's and blaming the Asian community for its social issues, I'm proud how far Cabramattta has come since those days. 

I will never be ashamed of being Vietnamese-Australian.

Lots o' Love, Linda