irrelevant rare photo of me from 2019? 不相干難得2019的我？
welcome to september! (already?)
first! thank you everyone for contributing to the fundraising! thus far we have raised $1028 USD, which is about ~$SGD 1400!! thats a substantial amount over a short period of time and im very thankful! this is just enough to cover my quarantine fees :-)
i have been putting off this update because im still not in taiwan! this visa situation has been complicated cumbersome because of covid and bureaucracy. but few weeks ago the Taiwan International Student Movement wrote an open letter to the Ministry of Education taiwan asking for a speedier process for the entry of international students (some of whom have been waiting to enter taiwan for a year!). there was also a peaceful protest where some students gathered outside the MOE building and pasted "boarding passes" of when they had intended to fly. all this movement has made communication about visa requirements and entry a little clearer, albeit still very slow...
as of the past week i have finally submitted the application for my visa and am expecting it on coming monday. then i will have to wait about 7 working days to get a separate approval document from taiwan before i can enter my country. after i get into taiwan i will serve a 14 day quarantine + a 7 day self-assessment. this means that i will really only be able to step onto TNNUA campus in october and i will be doing 2-3 weeks of e-learning (school starts on 13...!). i just bought my ticket and if all runs smooth i will be flying on 17 sep, fri !!!!!!!
that aside, the other reason it has taken me longer than expected to update is because i recently learnt that my alma mater Yale-NUS is closing down. i will not go into it since i dont think this is the space to do it but this has conjured up some very complex feelings to say the least. briefly simplistically: anger at the injustice that few in power can make a snap decision to affect many, frustration for those robbed of an experience that they were expecting (and financially committed to), nostalgia for a time and place that i can never go back to (that i also dont want to, now), a weird solidarity with people whom i dont want to feel solidarity with, relief that there is some kind of end even if sudden, then to care deeply but also to feel apathetic, then to see people create another kind of institution in response that excludes instead of embracing alternative voices and expressions. in some senses all quite apt for me to reflect on my relationship with institutions as i prepare myself to enter another one...
the other update is i know i promised to do a monthly poll but i had been putting it off and expecting it to start when im finally in taiwan... after much thinking i decided to change the wording of the poll thing to:
2. take part in a monthly poll that affects me that month!
just shortening the text and so that the poll can not be just work related but LIFE related. so here then is the poll for this coming month of september:
i have also been putting off upkeeping my discord and wondering if its even something i should try since response has been underwhelming. i will keep it around still for now and prepare for an event come quarantine time. mark your calendars for 19 SEP/ SUNDAY 4pm! in the meantime please join the server & channel!!!!!!ENGAGE (those on it please feel free to SHARE YOUR OPINIONS):
there is also a new membership tier for $133/month.
last! i am very thankful for the people im staying with to offer me a place of rest and transition and the occasional fun :-). this period has reminded me that people care in a myriad of ways and what a joy is it to be able to receive that? like the messages that my supporters have been putting here on my wall. i read all of them even if i dont respond to! thank you, for reading, for thinking of me, for taking care of yourself! im almost in taiwan and for now im going to continue to allow myself to continue to rest + do nothing (which means to wake up and decide what i wanna do for the rest of the day). when school starts i wont have this luxury, and hopefully when school starts i will have more fun things to share about with you. until then, keep safe and rested!
歡迎九月來臨！
首先！感謝大家捐款支持我的募資平台！我們籌了 $1028 USD（SGD$1400）！這一大筆錢剛好可以付隔離酒店！：）
我之所以遲報告是因為本來想在台灣再發文但我還在新加坡！簽證的狀況有點複雜和累贅因疫情和官僚習氣。幾個星期前台灣境外生權益小組寫信給教育部要求加快讓境外生入境（有些學生已經等了一年了！）。他們也舉辦了和平抗議，在教育部樓外貼滿了“飛機票”。這些方式的確讓取得簽證的步驟明確一點。但還是有點慢。。。
星期四我終於到國際代表事務處申請了簽證明天能拿到。讓好吧簽證交給學校，在等7個工作天拿到批准文件才能進入台灣。到台灣後還有14天隔離+7天自己健康檢查。所以我只有在10月才能踏入南藝大的場地再加上2-3星期的線上教課。。。反正我已經買了機票，一切順利的話九月17日飛！！！！
以外我等了那麼久才報告是因為最近發現我之前的大學耶魯新加坡國立大學 （Yale-NUS）要關閉了。細節我不在這分享因為好像不是最妥當的平台但這帶來的情緒的確有點複雜。如：為不公平而氣，因為少數有權利的人可以為大眾做出影響很大的很快的決定。為了那些付了錢和有期待了被欺騙了的人/學生感到不滿。回想到回不去了的時間和地方（目前也沒有想要）。奇怪在於跟不想要有團結心的人有團結心。安心因為這（“學校”）雖然突然終於結束了。全心的在乎。淡漠。讓後看到其他人創造另外一個機構/系統反抗另一個機構/系統而不接受非主流另類的看法和表達方式。反正可能這個發生還算滿有意的，讓我在準備進入一個機構的時候思慮我跟機構系統的關係和看法。
我知道我說過要每個月投票但我其實正在等到台灣後開始。我改了細節成：
2.每個月將可以參加投票影響我!
這是為了讓投票可以影響個人人生，不只創作（但我們也知道他們是雙方影響的啦）。這個月投票：
我也沒更新我的discord平台也不知道是不是應該繼續。目前先決定收著。大家準備陪我派對！九月19日/週日 下午4點！別忘了加入平台：
還有我加了新支持者133/月。
最後！我很感激朋友讓我在這段過渡期暫時住在她們家休息。這段時間提醒了我大家的關懷方式都不一樣，而能接受這些好意真的是幸福。如你們在這個平台的留言我全部都有讀。我快到台灣了。現在先繼續讓自己休息沒煩惱什麼都不做（意思是每天醒來再決定要幹嘛）。學期開始時我就不能那麼享受啦。希望開學時我會有更好玩的東西可以跟你們分享。祝大家平安！