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Ruiko and the Magic Root
Since I finished my last job before Thanksgiving, I’ve had some free time to myself to do things I normally wouldn’t have time for – including eating a normal breakfast, reading, cleaning, and doing some stop motion work. This year, I took the extra time off during this season and opted to make a video card of sorts for the holidays. Merry Christmas and Happy … Continue reading Ruiko and the Magic Root
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Portrait Session – Bridgeen
Earlier this week my friend had been trying to order Christmas cards but realized she hadn’t taken any Christmas photos yet. We very quickly set up a time a couple days later to do a shoot. The weather was unseasonably warm (and sunny) for late November, but also happened to be incredibly windy by the bay where I had wanted the photos taken. Instead, we … Continue reading Portrait Session – Bridgeen
Review – The Farewell
5/5 Say what you will about how the film ended if you’ve seen it, this one hits home for me, almost a little too close given that I watched it twice – once in theaters with friends, and once at home after my own grandma unexpectedly passed away in Taiwan. Given that this was a very personal film for writer-director and fellow Asian American immigrant … Continue reading Review – The Farewell
Privilege, Power, and Opportunities
I’ve joined the union for about a year now, working in the film and television industry in NYC. It’s the most diverse place in the world, and I often think of it as my own backyard having grown up in Queens. What I often forget is that this industry is also filled with people who moved here, hungry for their chance to achieve their dreams … Continue reading Privilege, Power, and Opportunities
Portrait Session – Bean’s Christmas 2018
Decided (for kicks) to take pictures for Bridgeen’s Christmas cards again this year. With the weather being so unpredictable in the northeast during this time of year (and after braving the strong wind and cold last year, also making her do a lot of things she’s uncomfortable with like touching trees that she’s allergic to and picking up leaves with lots of dirt), we opted … Continue reading Portrait Session – Bean’s Christmas 2018
Shame
I’ve been working at a new job in a new position for a couple of months now, and while I know I am qualified and confident in my ability to do the job, sometimes I still have a sneaking suspicion that one day I will make a mistake so big that it will require a great cost of me. While that has still yet to … Continue reading Shame
Waiting
Every year in the days leading up to Christmas, there is a season called Advent, which observed the period of expectant waiting for the birth of Christ. Waiting is not something we in the 21st Century excel at doing. In a day and age where everything is near instantaneous, the span of time we are able to wait patiently is almost non-existent. The idea of … Continue reading Waiting
Hope is the Anthem
I remember the moment when I first started listening to Switchfoot – it was one of the family trips in the summer of ’05 as we headed down to Philly. My brother had made a mix CD for the road trip for our Walkmans (remember those?), and there were a couple tracks that were songs from the San Diego rock n’ roll band. Of course … Continue reading Hope is the Anthem
U.S.-Born Immigrant
Until about 5 years ago, the identity of being an “Asian-American” never really hit or took hold in my life. It wasn’t that I didn’t care about my heritage or pride for it, but growing up, I never had to think about labeling myself as one thing or another. In the more recent years and months, especially with all the concern surrounding our new administration’s … Continue reading U.S.-Born Immigrant
Year 16
On Monday my dad (what I thought) spontaneously messaged the family group chat and asked if we could have a family dinner. Initially I thought, “Awwww, that’s cute, dad wants to have a family dinner,” but I completely neglected to read the chunk of message before stating the occasion it was for, which was to celebrate our family’s 16th anniversary since moving to New York. … Continue reading Year 16
Samantha M. Yu 