A good storyteller finds her medium

Born and raised in Malaysia, I grew up surrounded by the vibrant chaos streets of George Town, Penang. I consider the haggling sounds at the market comforting and yet I run away from confrontation. When I moved to America, my desire to document grew stronger, insisting that stories are ever more present even in cities where residents spend more time indoors than on the streets. However, the life of an immigrant is brutally cruel if you don't find your own ways to assimilate and adapt. My camera, I quickly realized, became my passport into this new life and in every new city I found myself in. I hid behind my camera for years before I noticed that people were eager to connect with me as the photographer. I know I'm more than an observer; I become part of every story I capture.