10 — Wen Yi Lim

"Am I hanging off the kitchen door handle or going four times around the Cheetos bag?"

Welcome to Objectively, a series about people, the objects that hold meaning for them, and the stories they tell.

Leading with curiosity, the project is interested in objects as extension and embodiment of selves. We want to give space for people to reconsider their relationships with things, maybe acquiring new understandings of themselves in the process.

For today’s feature, Wen Yi Lim shares about a gift, holding space, and being elastic.

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Wen Yi Lim is interested in education, identity and multiculturalism. She works for a non-profit organisation and lives in limbo between Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur. 

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Can you tell us about an object that holds memories for you?

This envelope that my 外婆 (grandma) gave me for my 22nd birthday. There wasn’t any money inside; it was a $50 Uniqlo voucher. I think it was so sweet that she remembered and chose to honour my love of Uniqlo, because I know she personally thinks that their clothes are drab.

The main reason I keep the envelope is because she wrote my name so beautifully on the outside. I don’t get to see her often because we don’t live in the same country anymore, so it’s a precious reminder of the year that I spent living in their flat, and getting to know them as an adult. 

Now imagine you could be an object. What would you want to be?

A big ceramic bowl, the kind that you can pour the entire pot of noodles and soup in confidently because you know it’ll all fit. I want to be reliable like that.

Psychologically, I think holding space for people to be themselves is so important. A huge part of my stress comes from having to filter what I say to certain people, or hearing others speak in a roundabout way. It frustrates me when we feel like we can’t be honest with ourselves or others.

I just want to be that big bowl able to hold space for anything and anyone who needs it.

Lastly, what would you be in object form?

I asked my sister because I was having a hard time with this one. She said I would be a rubber band — frequently going between high and low tension, snapping just as easily as I bounce back.

I think it depends who I’m around. Like a rubber band, my energy is really dependent on what is required in different situations. Am I just hanging off the kitchen door handle (Saturday afternoon in bed), or am I going four times around the Cheetos bag (Monday morning meetings)?

I also reset really quickly. A good meal, a nice nap, and my energy levels go back up.