She's Like a Bird

By Inkyul Kim

Silence rang through the air as Mr Dobson readied his hands on the play button. Our attention was driven fully onto the screen, as the sounds of 2000’s pop rang through the hall.

“I felt my heart suck into the music”, said Dael Kim as she reminisced on the beautiful moment. The song, I’m Like a Bird by Nelly Furtado blessed our Senior Transition Retreat during our first seminar.

“Honestly I was getting bored with all the talking but Nelly Furtado’s deep and thoughtful lyrics kept me awake” says Jong Min Park. And deep and thoughtful the lyrics were. The seminar was centred around TCK so Mr Dobson, being the absolute Chad he is, picked Nelly Furtado’s piece about her own background as a TCK. Some of the lyrics talk about how she is “like a bird.” This is a clear and beautiful metaphor on why she, indeed, feels like a bird. She comments on how she doesn’t know where her home is or where her soul is. I’m sorry folks, but if that doesn’t make you cry, then you’re all a bunch of heartless pillocks. I believe that every TCK in the room was avidly moved by the song, and there were even reports of our fellow student Dael Kim, letting out a single tear.

Being a TCK can be a very difficult experience, constantly moving from place to place and having to say goodbye to friends at a constant pace. It’s almost poignant that in a sense, when the end of the year draws close, everyone in our class will become a TCK of sorts, being pushed away from the comforting Dalat culture. I will admit, I even feel scared of what the future might awa- woah almost got deep there. Where was I? Oh yes! Nelly Furtado is probably the greatest artist of our time, and her lyrics have never failed to move me in the single week I’ve known her. Also she kinda cute not gonna lie.