Editor's Note
Dear Reader,
Six years in the making, CUriosity has never stopped evolving, abiding by our longstanding belief to nourish our readers’ minds with new perspectives. Gravitating from the science-oriented debut issues to increasingly philosophical compilations, we now decide to go one step further down the spectrum to explore the artistic limits of our readership. As the first issue to be produced in post-COVID times, we find it worthy to look back and honour the thoughts and ideas borne in times of change, thus leading us to explore the nuances of Normality.
The Looking Glass Self–How far does the social construct play a part in our self-perception? How much individuality can we safeguard against prevailing archetypes? With these perennial questions at the forefront of our thoughts, our writers sparked a conversation with the mind–some painted their thoughts with whimsical imaginations, while others sang the reds and blues of life.
Mind Matters–A mirror reflects but a reflection may not necessarily be true. What if we get lost in constructed images? Our writers divulged moments when they felt most vulnerable and out of their minds, and how they eventually came to terms with their worst fears. Your nights are just as valid and valuable as your days, and “none of that makes you less whole”.
Tuning In–After learning to embrace yourself, it’s time to look further into the collective society. What does it mean to be a woman? What about a minority, or even a majority? From stories by the bedside to those on the big screen, our writers draw on ordinarily lived narratives and seek to reinterpret traditional and newfound identities beyond superficial attributes. But how can we make sense of people different from us? To quench our curiosity, we interviewed Ms Jack of All Trades, or Dr Sonia Wong–poet, film critic, curator, activist, feminist, performer, artist, and lecturer at CUHK–on how she perceives identity and representation.
So what is Normality, you ask? Even after compiling this issue, a clear answer continues to elude us. What we know, however, is normality is ever-changing and we all are part of the drive. One story is one voice heard, and perhaps one conversation normalised. We hope you don’t have to see yourself through the looking glass but can stare yourself straight into the eye and allow your story a chance to be heard.
Yours truly,
Mina Chan and Charlotte Ip
Co-editor in Chief of Issue 6
Why we joined this project
Writing is the most rigorous form of thinking and evaluating my ideas
- I wanted to challenge myself
To inspire others to ask big questions and find answers to them
To find a platform of an organised effort of expression
Drag students away from their screens
Encourage students to make time for curiosity
To empower people with higher social awareness and to make change
To encourage people to read about subjects beyond their field of speciality
Life is a kite and you need to run against the wind
to gain a better view of the world around us
Just because I am curious :)
Polishing writing and communication skills
Learning to cooperate with others
Soothing my mind by expressing myself
Directing a film to capture the dynamic story of the world’s dilemmas
To try out something new
Acknowledgements
The CUriosity team extends their sincere appreciation to the General Education Foundation for their full support and funding of our publication. We also wish to thank the following people, who provided valuable feedback that enhanced the content and quality of our writing:
Dr. Tjonnie Li (Department of Physics)
Mr. Mike See (English Language Teaching Unit)
Finally, our warmest gratitude to Dr. Klaus Colanero (General Education Foundation), our supervisor, whose insightful and candid comments both encouraged and challenged us to think, to write, and to think like a writer.