Echoes

Echoesis a lyrical collection of personal essays which references art and literature, pop culture and nostalgia. It gathers small joys, from a figure-hugging 'disco dress' to learning to sing Koo Mei's 'Bu Liao Qing' 不了情 to the swish of washing machines. And asks: what does one unknowingly inherit?

Inspired by old Chinese pop songs and their modern versions, the title essay explores the limits of language and translation and the gaps that remain there. "Years later, I had presumed consuming the same cultural products would help me piece together her life. There is however a river—linguistic, cultural, historical—I cannot cross."

In '(Im)material Inheritances', I consider glamour and the way we dress, while searching for links with my mother and grandmother. Finally, in 'To Fish for the Moon', I take readers on a journey from share house washing machines to my great-grandparents' laundry business in Kuala Lumpur, to red date tea and bathtubs, examining our domestic habits and rituals.