eric tsui

I had decided to visit Montreal for a number of reasons. Primarily, it was to see a potential (and affordable) place to live in addition to getting over a breakup. There’s an artificial distance that has been placed between people because of the pandemic, doubly so within romance. People all over the world tried their hand at dating apps increasingly and Zoom into their dates, struggling for a connection.

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I was fortunate enough to have a real, live experience and became enamoured enough to put everything into it. It felt like the typical polarity of how dating usually goes was reversed; we would spend time together at home cooking with each other and watching TV, and then once the world started opening up we went on proper dates. I was convinced I won big in 2020. But because I was so focused on someone else, there were parts of me shelved away for an indefinite later date. 

Sure, it was a nice escape somewhere else. That doesn’t mean I don’t find myself afflicted by the bittersweet tinge of something special gone awry. After the pain subsided to a manageable pecking rather than an incessant stabbing, I looked to friendships that I neglected.

 

"The journey is part of the experience — an expression of the seriousness of one’s intent. One doesn’t take the A train to Mecca." - Anthony Bourdain

 

I dedicate this photo to Luke, Marko, Sebastian, and Eric. Thanks for helping me gather myself together.