A man named Sudesh is rubbing oil onto my completely naked body. It begins about an hour after I arrive at the Ayurveda Health Resort in Kerala, India. I am shown to my cabin and am introduced to the only other guest in the resort. May is the low season in India. ‘Hello!’ she calls…
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I am a hybrid child. And no, that doesn’t make me an alien. Actually, it some ways, it probably does. I identify as being an Australian Muslim of Malay descent, and I’ve spent a long time pondering what that really means for me. I left Singapore when I was 12. Aside from my immediate family,…
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My abortion Pippa and I are really close. Really, we are. She’s not homesick in the slightest. For an ethereal aberration who communicates via text message and telepathy, I must admit, she surprised me with her fast-talking, deadpan, assertive personality and wild history. Neither of us expected to share my womb for nine months. I…
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I am an Awkwardly Tall Woman. I feel more comfortable with the term girl, but I recently turned 22 so I figure it’s time I start to accept the terrifying fact that I am actually a woman. I stand somewhere around six foot tall. I’m short in my family, which is a small victory in…
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When you were younger, they were the strongest person you knew. They were bigger and braver and smarter than everyone else. Ever since you can remember, they protected you from the outside world. Their words of wisdom, discipline and love all created a shield from pain, disappointment and fear. They held your hand through scraped…
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