Kendra Malcolm

My first week of work was really interesting and busy. It’s a lot different than working in Advertising in New York. I can see that there will be a quick, steep learning curve here, but so far everything seems pretty intuitive. The job is a lot more client facing and open than what I am used to. There is not much for “alone thinking” time so far. (I do like to go into my brainstorming cave and just think by myself for a while) It’s more of a constant group brain storm. I may

I’m still getting used to waking up to this different urban jungle. Music always seems to be playing somewhere, chickens crow every morning before the sun gets up and bats fly right up to your window before the sun goes down. I start looking for a new apartment this week. I will miss the view from this one. I think the colorful laundry hanging over the balcony railings adds so much character to this city.

I liked the outdoor Market so much I went back for another crowded walk. I didn’t see the live chicken booths or fried bugs my first time through. So far this market is one of my favorite spots here, because it feels authentic and has a certain charm to it (and I can walk there from my place). It’s close to the river, which is booming with new restaurants, night clubs and coffee shops, yet this market feels relatively unaffected by the rapid foreign development of this touris

Tuk-Tuk drivers here can be a bit aggressive, but they are usually friendly. I was approached by many of them, but this one in particular started talking to me at a Buddhist Temple near my apartment, and convinced me to take a little tour. I’m glad I did. It was nice having someone to show me around a bit on my first full day here. He knew a lot about Buddhism (he grew a monk) so I got a bit of a crash course in the religion and his english was really good. He took me to 5 te

The market is beautiful and intimidating. It’s crammed full of people, mostly locals and many of them are pushing through on their scooters. The booths are all very close together so it’s hard to walk around and food is literally everywhere. But it’s bursting with energy unlike anything I’ve ever seen in New York or Canada. Live eels flail around in bowls, chickens making a break for it, vendors chopping and preparing fresh meat right in front of you. Colourful fruit, vegetab

I ate at a little corner restaurant a block from where I am currently living, close to the river. There are a lot of "fancy western” restaurants here. But this one seemed slightly more authentic so I gave it a shot. Fish, veggies, and soup. Loved the soup. I think I’ll be eating a lot of soup.

I've been flying for 16 hours and am now in Taiwan. I’ve had 2 breakfasts and I'm not really sure what time it is. On my next flight I will apparently be served yet another breakfast. I’m eating like a Hobbit.

And I'm off. Cheers to one amazing city, and a toast to another.

I've locked up my small yet comfortable studio apartment for the last time, left this amazing city I’ve grown to love (most of the time) and taken my first trip to the other side of the world. I'm excited for the change, but I will always love New York.

If I spent the time it took me to draw this actually packing, I’d be in a much better place right now. Deciding what to keep, what to bring, what to donate, and what to throw away is a lot harder than I thought it would be. Especially when you find a big box of old photos, start looking through them and slip into a black hole of happy/sad memories. Then you finally look up and realize 3 hours have somehow gone by.