Hello Ione & others,
Two and a half years ago I left the States to be back in Malaysia, and I thought "God, I've spent most of my 20s (8 years) in the State and it has changed me so much. Now how do I live like a Malaysian again?"
Indeed, it will never be the same again. On the other hand, I'm never an "American" anyway.
Talking about identity externally, I'm a foreigner to the Americans and I'm "a Malaysian coming back from America" to the Malaysians. That means, I'm also not 100% pure Malaysian anymore, ha! How interesting!
Neither nor ...
So back to Ione's question: Where are you from, really?
I don't know ...
And it's not a problem. Or is it to some?
We share the same species, the same human conditions, joy, problems and weaknesses. We share the earth and we breathe in the same air.
I am trying to understand humanity, taking myself as the nearest "case study subject". I think that's what I've been doing in art.
In voice making, I'm trying to let out sounds that are hidden, suppressed, ignored and forgotten. They are beautiful in their own ways.
To honestly understand oneself, then the others.
External boundaries are really not a very important issue. The internal ones are stronger and harder to be freed. But true freedom only happens internally.
My country has been going through a change politically, something starts to change where it has been asleeped for 50 years. However, political system is still external. The more important thing is: are the people ready to change their mindset and behavior from now on? Do they see the necessity to change, and that the old paradigm doesn't work anymore? Do they really feel it, understand it? Not just following "the liberal trend" as something fashionable?
That's what I'd like to observe from now on. So I'm glad that I'm back to witness it :)
External boundary is not a problem ... we can cross that over easily! (in most cases!)
Erica Eaton, co-founder of the artists and activists' collective the Evolutionary Girls Club, will be visitng Malaysia on 11 May. The collective has done an art exbition last November 2007 where three representative from America have "crossed over" personally.
I hope in the future there are more interactions and networking and "crossing overs" happening from the West to this part of the world.
So where are you from?
We are from the earth ... currently residing in XX!
Be well to you!

Siew-wai