I read Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan in 2017 and mentioned it in my 2017 Reading Challenge recap. When I heard there was a film adaptation coming out, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. Now that the trailer has come out (just earlier this week), Kat‘s here to tell you what makes this film so groundbreaking.

This is a groundbreaking time for Asians and Asian-Americans in media and entertainment. In the past year, two Asian-led television sitcoms have graced the small screen, Fresh Off the Boat, which will, fingers crossed, be renewed for its fifth season, and Dr. Ken which was only recently cancelled by ABC after two seasons. BTS (방탄소년단) has captivated the international music scene, winning Top Social Artist at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards (breaking Justin Bieber’s six year streak) and performing live (in Korean) at the 2017 American Music Awards. And, most recently, Crazy Rich Asians has created a huge stir as the first English-language film with a primarily Asian cast in 25 years (the last one was the film adaption The Joy Luck Club released in 1993).

It’s been a hot minute since Kat has written a guest post for the blog, but she’s back today to share some tips about starting your own bullet journal. She’s been bullet journaling on her own for two years or so, but only in the last few months began sharing it on Instagram, and has since gained quite a following, but nbd ;P

I’m someone who was never really good at keeping a planner. I’d always start off the new [academic] year well, and then about two weeks later, I’d ditch it in favor of writing bullet points on Post-its and sticking them to my laptop (which to be honest, I still do). I started bullet journaling four to five-ish years ago. And when I say that, I mean that my friend sent me a bullet journaling tutorial four to five years ago and I tried it and it didn’t work for me. Then two and a half years ago, I tried again, and it did. That sounds dramatic but you don’t understand the rush of joy that I felt finishing my first bullet journal. I still have it because I’m so proud of myself for actually filling a full notebook with anything.

Y’all know my love/hate relationship with Instagram and the curated life. Kat is here on the blog today to share some thoughts!

I don’t know many of the people reading this right now, but I care a lot about what you think of me. And I mean I care a lot about what you think of me. And I know you’re thinking: “Kat, everyone cares a lot about what others think of them, get over yourself.” And for a long time, I thought that too, that I was exaggerating the ways in which the opinions of others shaped the ways in which I viewed myself, that is, until this past fall semester. As part of an education course I was taking, we were required to take a personality test to determine the five foremost traits of our personalities (liberal arts education amiright?). Every trait of the twenty-five or so students in the class appeared more than once. Except one. That one being mine, which revealed that I care a shit ton about what others think of me.

(all photos on the blog today by Kristy)

Kristy and I have gone to the same school since elementary school, but we got to know each other better in high school via Tumblr and IB HL Art. I’ve always admired Kristy’s work, and have been so amazed and proud of all the things she’s been up to since high school (we’re both juniors in college now). As a peer, I admire how she’s pursued her creative passions. I never doubted that she could do it, but how?? She’s here on the blog today to tell us a little more about it!

– today’s guest post coming from my awesome roomie Kat, featuring her photos –

“What do you mean you’re studying computer science? I thought, for sure, you would be studying musical theatre or drama.” This is the response I most often get when I tell people from my hometown that I’m studying computer science. And with good reason. During the majority of my teen years, the place you would most likely find me in would be a music room or a dance studio or an auditorium. I trained as a “triple threat” in singing, dancing, and acting, participated in Broadway workshops, spent my free time, non-rehearsal time writing correspondence for boutique theatre websites, and living and breathing theatre on Broadway.

And then, I left it all, gradually and then all at once.

When people ask me what happened, I usually tell them that I find the same rush of theatre from solving an algorithm, that computer science allows me to pursue creativity in the same way and still gives me a stake in creating the world that I want to live in. And this is true, but also false. The truth is that I would’ve pursued theatre and I could’ve pursued theatre, but I was afraid. Not simply because the majority of actors ending up in food services, or because I had doubts in my sensibilities and abilities as an actor (though I did). I doubted that with my skin color and with my eyes, I had the bravery to pursue something which I really, truly enjoyed and loved.

I’m Asian American. There aren’t many Asian American actors on screen, certainly not ones who look like me. And yet, this decision of mine still haunts me: did I believe that I wasn’t good enough because there was no one who looked like me on the big screen or small screen? Did I lack role models who could show me that being Asian or being Asian American is okay and something that should be celebrated? Is it because there has only been one woman of Asian descent ever nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress? Or did I genuinely believe that I wasn’t good enough? I still could not tell you. But through my guilt I have found ways to be supportive of Asian Americans and Asians in entertainment, ways that I will share with you: