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On the corner of Grand and Chrystie St., there is an old lady that sells banh trang. Like the merchants in Vietnam, she would cry out her product in a sing-song voice to let customers know what she was selling. I decided to take a field recording of the walk to and away from her one day and ended up forming a piece about affirmations and existentialism over the coming weeks. Because of the COVID-19 crisis, I could not go home to see my family or fly to Vietnam to see my extended family. More importantly, I could not be with them when they needed me and they could not comfort me likewise.
As this piece was written during a volatile time in my life, I couldn’t help but write text that broke down the common affirmations that most of us must face and repeat to feel safe. In a way, this piece is what it feels like to doubt the mundanity and loneliness of life.
Tôi Còn Sống (I Am Alive)
