Dear My Life

  Header illustration for the review essay of Moxie (2021) . Illustration created for editorial review purposes. 💭 Short Personal Reflection Moxie (2021), Amy Poehler's Netflix coming-of-age comedy-drama, found me thinking about my daughters. I sometimes tell them that when they make a mistake, they shouldn't avoid it — but face it with honesty and courage. And there are moments when my younger daughter looks at me with steady eyes and says, without hesitation, "It was my fault. Please give me the punishment." In those moments, I find myself at a loss for words. What was the kind of confidence I thought I was teaching? And watching this film, I found that question returning to me. Vivian begins to speak up against the quiet unfairness that has long gone unquestioned in her school. At first, the voice is small. But the moment others begin to recognize it, it grows. The girls draw small marks on their hands — not as decoration, but as a quiet signal: you are not alo...

  Header illustration for the review essay of Toscana (2022) . Illustration created for editorial review purposes. 💭 Short Personal Reflection Toscana (2022), Mehdi Avaz's Netflix Danish romantic drama set in the Tuscan countryside, found me thinking about something I have noticed in my own life. Sometimes, when I am deeply focused on solving a problem, I reach a point where nothing works — and then, almost by accident, someone passing by says a single word, and the answer appears, embarrassingly simple. Why was I holding onto it so tightly? It happens with the smallest things, too. When I cannot find something, I ask someone else to look instead. Because when we become too absorbed, we begin to overlook what is right in front of us. Perhaps life — and even cooking — is the same. In Toscana , the act of cooking is not about control or precision alone, but about knowing when to step back. When to let things breathe. When to allow something else to enter. Because sometimes, it is...