1. I had no idea how to start.
2. I would scribble something (very much like my blog posts or other short stories I've written) and abandon it once I get bored or have no motivation.
3. Repeat no.1
4. I did not know how to plan a short/long term plan (like wtf is thaaat?)
Initially throughout my time as a student at uni or even during my times as a teacher, I was planning to start something regarding Crime against Children and spread awareness about it. I only had an idea, but no resources or idea on how to start or where to start. Thankfully I stumbled upon Monsters Among Us (MAU) and bless them for existing and letting me be a part of the community.
2019
Moving forward, I was invited to a friend's birthday party in 2019 and his requirement for the attendees is that we had to present something for 5 minutes. I didn't exactly know what I wanted to talk about until I had an idea where I would like to talk about my mixed ethnicity. So, I did. I presented about me being mixed Malay Chinese and my experience growing up. It allowed me to understand better about myself and also reminded me of the conversations I've had with my other mixed friends as well.
Title of Presentation: What about them Chin-Lays?
What was the problem?
The lack of space/platform for mixed races to refer to, which in turn lead us to having identity crisis throughout the years.
I started putting my thinking hat and scribbling down ideas and what I wanted to do. Again, it didn't really come to fruition. Even brainstormed with a few friends and approached a few people to see if they're interested to be a part of it, but no one really came back to me.
2020
Later on in 2020, someone referred me to Veneesha Krish - who is a photographer under 22Hub and she was doing a photoshoot called #ProjekCampur to showcase and tell the stories of mixed races. I immediately signed up for it and did the photoshoot when MCO Lockdown was relaxed.
I think this pushed me even more in wanting to have a permanent platform for mixed races to tell their stories.
But again, I didn't know how to start. I knew what I wanted but I just didn't know how to get there. I brainstormed again with a friend but none wanted to stick with the project. Maybe because everything was uncertain and they had their own thing to deal with.
On one fine night, on the 30th of August 2020, I was in Johor Bahru - on the way to a friend's house to visit her and with me was Rheena. Rheena is mixed Chinese-Indian (Chindian which is what all of us call them) and we had a small conversation in the car about being mixed.
2021
I can't remember exactly when I approached Rheena to start Nasi Campur Tales with me. But it took her a week before coming back to me and we started everything from scratch. We had several discussions on the type of initiatives we wanted to do. Rheena was more on the content/copywriting side whereas I was more on the strategy and execution side.
I approached Shelly from ShellyCreates - having found her on Closing The Gap and seen her portfolio. We had several rounds of feedback on the branding for Nasi Campur Tales and the end result was great. I loved it. Initially I wanted to design it on my own, but I felt inadequate because I could NEVER make up my mind on what I wanted when I sketched something out - so finding a designer it is.
The name Nasi Campur Tales itself came when I was brainstorming with a friend called Najla regarding the names for this project. Initially I wanted to call it Rojak Tales, but someone already used the name 'Rojak' for their project. That being said, there was also a nasi campur project which I found online - but it is no longer active.
We officially launched Nasi Campur Tales on 21st August 2021 and posted our stories. I am very thankful that my friends were very supportive of the initiative and the project itself.
We have posted a few stories of other mixed races and also different cultural celebrations and fun facts. I worked with Edow who was my mentee in Project ID's YEC program to come up with a few content because Rheena was swamped with her new job.
The two official Tie Dye T-Shirts when we first started Nasi Campur Tales. Again, I had this crazy idea on working with Good Juju on their tie dyes and asked Rheena if she would like one as well. I guess you can consider these two shirts the beginning of our upcoming merchandises (NCT T-Shirts Ver 1, Badges, Stickers etc)
I suppose after posting a few posts and so on, Rheena and I had a discussion and the idea of I Am Campur came about. It's similar to Projek Campur done by Veneesha, but ours was different in a way where we decided to make a documentary out of it instead.
2022
The I Am Campur documentary ideation started out in 2021, but we were only able to properly execute them in 2022. But more on I Am Campur later. I feel like it deserves a post of it's own.
2022 was solely focused on I Am Campur and also the birth of our T-Shirt sales to boost funding for the documentary.
2023
Here we are, in 2023. 2023's about to end and while Nasi Campur Tales was not particularly active this year because I Am Campur actually took up half of 2023 as well. Who knew production work was going to be that tough or tiring.
We're also working towards rebranding certain things about Nasi Campur Tales as there are major ongoing changes. Positive ones.
Typing all these down, allows me to look back and reflect at how things did not and have turned out. No doubt that starting it was challenging, but maintaining it is even harder. There were times when I designed some of the works for the platform and I could tell that I really wasn't into it and the designs turned out ugly lol. Or when I did not look at it for weeks to months - which resulted in guilt.
What was tough was mitigating relationships and maintaining them.
There were times when people rejected on sending their stories, because it is indeed a very personal story for them and it's not for the world to know to which I understand. To those who did send in, thank you so much for your contribution. Rheena and I have had our ups and downs as well, but because both parties were very willing to communicate and even reflected after, smoothened everything for both of us.
Throughout the journey, we lost some, gained some who were amazing and those who stayed, stayed and I will forever be grateful for that.
Looking back, I think little Sofea would be proud of me now. I mean when we fall (not in the case of love), we fall pretty hard and it takes some time for us to stand up once more. However, when we do stand, we stand up stronger than ever. It just takes some time to do so. I guess I can say that I've finally started something and I can't wait to see what else is in store for Nasi Campur Tales.
Signing Off,
Sofea
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