Special Address: 'Finding my Larger Collective'

How does one find his or her larger Collective?

Living in different places can equip us with different lenses through which we perceive our environment.

After working in the US for almost half his life, Ronnie made a two-month long visit to South East Asia last year to research new movie ideas. He is now able to have a new perspective on the ASEAN region and a fresh take on his memories.

To fully understand the local context, travel with an open-mind and live like the locals do.

In his journey, Ronnie experienced different cultures by trying their food, taking in the sceneries and sounds of their day-to-day activities and environment. Ronnie connected to these communities—noting that he looked like them and was able to understand them, even if they are of different nationalities.

Record what you find in your own creative manner.

Throughout his trip, Ronnie journaled extensively to record his observations of the local sights and sounds.

South East Asia has a rich collection of shared historical roots that we must preserve.

History must be preserved for future generations.

While visiting ancient architecture in the region, Ronnie found that the historical knowledge of the place has not been fully inherited from the past. The local communities were not able to remember all the legacy and history behind the historical architecture.

South East Asia should view itself as a collective, and not just focus on competition between individual member countries.

The entire region shares similar roots in cultures and practices, ranging from religious influence, language to art. Ronnie hopes that this region would find themselves in each other, despite their differences in nationalities, language, and ideologies.