2023, november 19, honolulu
hawaiian language sounds so delicious because it tastes like bubbles. as a child, i always dreamt of only eating just the holes in cheese or the bubbles in aerated chocolate. that's how the sound of ōlelo hawaiʻi feels. airy, bubbly, as if i'm finally allowed to eat just the yummy holes.
2023, july 27, saigon/ho chi minh city
still in transit. here at the airport, i‘ve spotted signs saying “well-wishers gallery”. i guess, they mark the spots where people say their heartfelt goodbyes before boarding their flights. in the u.s., i‘ve come across similar signs, mostly in parking areas, dubbed “kiss and ride”. spots designated for quick stops to pick up or wish farewell. i wish we had signs like that in germany. signs that spread more wonderland vibes.
2023, july, 27, saigon/ho chi minh city
as soon as i've landed, the air coats me like lotion. at the market, everyone thinks i'm vietnamese. they say i look like one of them. they even talk to me in vietnamese and react surprised when i don't understand. at a market stall brimming with buddha statues and mobiles, the market lady tells me the only german phrase she knows is “langsam, langsam!” it’s funny because u. told me just yesterday that “langsam, langsam” were her first words she learned in indonesian when she lived in bali, so she could tell the moped taxi driver to slow down. from the market, i head to another part of the city, a neighborhood i heard was very palm-green and vacationy with “bali vibes”. i’m peering out of the cab window. by the road, a man is selling goldfish. his motorbike is loaded with transparent bags filled with water, where the goldfish are swimming. i’m not really sure if they are goldfish, but from a distance, they look like the typical fish you would see in a goldfish bowl. under a bridge, someone has set up a space with a mattress and colorful blankets. above their sleeping space they had pinned a yellow poster on a pillar, saying “you can’t copyright vibe”.
2023, june 8, frankfurt-berlin
on the train. a slouchy woman in black sighs as she sits down. people sighing when sitting always makes me happy; it sounds like they’re having a deep, fulfilling ‘feierabend‘. a sulky girl in a jeans jacket is dozing, almost as if she’s napping away her mood. her dark purple sunnies add a touch of glamour to her moody face, as if she’s a star sheltering herself from daylight and people. another girl has been nibbling her pretzel for two whole hours; she’s turned a tiny snack into an enduring meal by taking such tiny bites. two girls are whispering in the corner, confessing their newfound love for chat gpt, their voices lowered as though expecting to be shamed, akin to flight-shaming.