week 17 notes (2026)
Here are some things I did between 2026-04-20 to 2026-04-26 and some words about them.
catsitting guppy
I catsat Guppy for a few nights. I had taken care of him a year or two ago. One part of me hoped he would remember the place a bit and feel comfortable. I'm not sure if this is just Guppy or not but he was comfortable and like himself in a few hours after bringing him over on the Sunday.
My highlight was letting him sleep on my bed - I woke up to him around my arms, tucked under the blanket.
lyrids meteor shower β
I saw my first meteor shower with H!!! Doing crazy things on a week night is what makes me feel the most alive, made even more special by being with H. We went to Blackheath Lookout and lay down on a picnic mat at the main lookout area.
Just staring up and seeing the sky move as we lay still was something that never fails to make me feel small as humans (as we all should feel time to time). I wish I was less anxious as we were sharing the space with another group of people and felt self conscious speaking/whispering so much. I also felt bad H couldn't experience the meteor showers in the way she normally does with some meditation and music but hey, it's something that I can be a bit more perceptive and caring about next time.
Some of the highlights were having the clouds clear up just as we arrived and how some of the clouds seemingly made stars disappear like ghosts and reappear without warning. H showed me some constellations, some really interesting stars out there in the universe that shimmered differently to the others. A broken satellite that reflected the sun on and off orbited the sky at some point.
mr. chonkers
Viewing an offbeat comedy show at the Sydney comedy festival is one of my favourite things to do. My best friend I and I went to see MR CHONKERS at the Factory Theatre. The location we go to is set in a shipping container and thanks to my friend, we always take the front seats. We did a bit of audience participation as is customary. I laughed a lot mostly at the fact at how silly, surreal, and how pure the entire set was. It was so joyously childish I forgot about all my troubles.
abby govindnan
Later in the week, I went to see Abby Govindan, again as a part of the comedy fest. A was going through some tough times so we caught up a bit before the show and cried it out together. There's a certain sense of catharsis of being incredibly sad before a comedy show, laughing during the show, and somehow coming out lighter with the sadness being clearer. It's almost like the background emotions just need some place to go through our body and mind.
I really connected with the internal questions she presented that all 1.5-2nd gen children of migrants in a new country go through. And most powerfully, sharing how this experience is further complicated and more difficult for women, who often are carrying generations of trauma. She presented these struggles in a very optimistic way and one that left me feeling positive at the end. Not in a way that gave away all the answers, but a simple message of how we (children of migrants) have so much choice to shape our lives and most importantly, shape them for the next generations to look up to us for guidance. What we do is shaped by our own choices and directions we want in life.
billal
The pain was visceral throughout this documentary. I found it hard to take on all the pain. There was the disharmony caused by displacement and a system that was not meant to work for migrants. And on top, simultaneously the added pain of irreparable change, loss, anguish, uncertainty, and the future that could have been without one singular event. Then I realise if this is how it feels as a viewer, how much did the family and Billal go through themselves. How did they not just give up under this massive weight of the pain?
There was a real sense of humanity between the filmmakers and the family. A relationship that's often complex but in this case, it felt natural. How could one not entangle themselves with the weight of what was seen? No one else was there for them. And as the viewer I am reminded that this is what we must do as all humans. Step in where we can and take away some suffering merely by being present and acknowledging the complexities of coexistence, not judging what appears outside as families, and understanding the actions that either add to belonging or only extend anguish.
Seeing the family rise during the interview was very emotional and inspiring for me. I felt so lucky to be able to have a glimpse into their journey and to see the expression of defiant pride on Billal's face.
Thank you AGNSW, organisers (Miya Miya Film Club), Billal's family, and the filmmakers for this opportunity to view this screening β€οΈ.
(cross posted from my letterboxd review)