ABOUT ME

You would think that for someone who writes about his depression on Instagram, and who writes book reviews for the books he reads on Goodreads, it would be no sweat to write an about me page. Well, it kinda is. 

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I guess I'll start with the basics. I live in New York City, by choice. It sounds stupid to say, but I knew from the first week I stepped into the city in 2017 that this was the place I would rest my ashes one day. Did you know that nearly 40% of the city's population is foreign-born?

I look around me and see people from all walks of life, not just people who love bagels and pizza and speak in thick Italian accents, like how they show in the movies. New York is where people go to make something out of their lives, to fulfill their deepest desires, and maybe, to even be someone else. It's okay.

You can be a total tourist and take pictures at the Top of the Rock like me on the left, or you can just carry on and do your own thing. That's the best thing about New York. No one cares. And in that, there's unimaginable freedom, perhaps worth the incredible rent that comes with living here. 

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In past lives, I was a Teach For Malaysia fellow, Boston Consulting Group consultant, Global Health Corps fellow, and Amazon product manager. I studied public policy at Harvard and read law at Reading University, UK.

These days, I write. The other day, I told someone that after he asked what I did and he stared at me, unblinking, before adding, "Mmhmm, anything else substantial?" I said no, and fell into a depression so deep I forgot what the sun looked like for a while. Writing is tough work, but it also just feels like it is what I'm meant to do. Besides, if I have shelter over my head and food to eat, what's it to you? I should have said that then, but I guess writing it here in this about me page would do for now. 

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