A Slice of Life
By Christine Yan, Writing 360 Mentee
Growing up in a fairly homogenous community, I found it difficult to embrace my cultural background. Recently, I’ve started to explore its manifestations through the environments around me. Chinatown mixes traditional Chinese heritage with a modern American twist. Inspired by the subtitles in Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite, I wanted to add in Chinese subtitles as well to cater to an international audience.
Process
I was inspired by my own Asian-American identity to create this montage of everyday life in Chinatown. I recorded with my Nikon D7200 and used iMovie for editing. I have been drawn to making these types of montages ever since I got a phone; I made films of my time traveling abroad and family trips. When making “A Slice of Life,” I first felt intimidated recording others, but fortunately, no one seemed to mind. I feel proud of the way I strung the clips together and persisted in filming despite my fear of being judged by others.
Meet the Pair
MENTEE CHRISTINE YAN & MENTOR AVERY CARPENTER FORREY
Christine’s Anecdote: From the start, it was obvious that Avery and I were a perfect match. Like how a book is incomplete without its cover, what would Christine do without Avery? Week after week, Avery continues to encourage and support me. She is empathetic, adventurous, and not afraid of the “what ifs.” Avery constantly inspires me to take bold actions—to bring my story to places I could have never imagined before. With someone as skilled as Avery, there is never a dull moment. I am extremely grateful to Girls Write Now for introducing me to such a wonderful person and talented writer.
Avery’s Anecdote: Christine’s quiet brilliance and poise amaze me every week. She’s a triple threat: a budding photographer, writer, and businesswoman. Recently, she let slip that she won an entrepreneurship competition and even owns stock in Slack (and here I am still reminding myself to check Slack for updates)! Her love of music and photography shines through her writing, and it’s inspired me to weave similar themes into my own pieces. I’m so grateful to her and to the program for introducing us.
Christine Yan
Christine Yan is a first-year student in college in New York with an avid interest in storytelling, journalism and photography. Academically, Christine aims to pursue a major in the intersection of finance and data science. She loves working on projects that connect people and business solutions. Language and writing help her express herself and her ideas, both creatively and academically. When Christine’s not writing or editing pictures, she can be found painting for fun!
