Time Capsule

Part 1 - Objects & Memories: Things I Keep

A Small Personal Inventory
At first, I wasn’t sure what to choose for this project. When I thought about “meaningful objects,” my mind went blank. Then I started thinking about the things I brought to New York, the things I use every day, and the things I can’t bring myself to throw away.

I ended up choosing a polka-dot bowl, boarding passes, a prayer plant, a toothbrush, and perfume. They hold different parts of my life: living alone, going somewhere new, finding companionship, and being cared for by people far away.

01 - The 9-Yuan Bowl

I found this bowl while scrolling through Xiaohongshu. It cost around nine yuan. I like cooking and taking photos of my life, but the bowls at home weren’t very photogenic. This one looked cute and was cheap, so I bought it just to try it out. Somehow, I’ve now been using it for more than two years, and it made it all the way to New York.

It’s deeper than a plate and bigger than a regular bowl. Since I live alone, it can hold a whole meal without requiring several dishes. Fewer dishes to wash is definitely a bonus.
My most typical meal in it would be rice with stir-fried pork and vegetables. It’s familiar, easy, and feels like a proper, nourishing meal.
My relationship with eating hasn’t always been easy. Anxiety sometimes leads me to binge eat, and there was a period when I was trying to rebuild my routine and eat regular meals. This was the bowl I used then, too. I originally bought it because I thought my food would look better in photos. Over time, it became part of how I take care of myself.

02 - Boarding Pass
I’ve been keeping boarding passes for at least seven years. At first, I just couldn’t throw them away. Each one felt like the only physical copy of a particular journey. Eventually, the pile grew large enough that I bought an album to keep them in.

I love flying, and I have a special feeling about airports. Being in one always makes me feel like a new chapter could begin. Everyone has somewhere to go, and being surrounded by all those departures makes life feel full of possibilities.

Most of my collection is still in China. The boarding passes I have with me are from my journey to the United States, with a transfer in Qatar, somewhere I had never been before.Looking at them brings back the whole process: preparing my applications, making my portfolio, doubting myself, pushing myself hard, waiting for offers, and wondering what life here would be like.

They also remind me of being twelve and wanting to study fashion design abroad, with absolutely no idea how to make that happen. Ten years later, my direction had changed, but I was actually boarding the plane. I rarely write a diary. These are probably the closest thing I have. To me, a boarding pass is already a tiny time capsule.

03 - My Prayer Plant
I bought my prayer plant shortly after arriving in New York. Classes hadn’t started yet, I barely knew anyone, and living alone felt lonely. I wanted some company and something alive in my apartment. I knew I wasn’t in a position to responsibly care for an animal, so I started thinking about a plant.

One day, while exploring around SoHo and Chinatown, I wandered into a plant shop. That was where I found it. I loved the feather-like patterns on its leaves and all the bright shades of green. Its leaves looked substantial, too, which made me hope it wouldn’t be too easy to kill. I’m not exactly an experienced plant parent.

I asked the owner if it was easy to care for, bought it a nice pot, and brought it home. I thought we could be two resilient little beings figuring out New York together.

A few days later, its leaves changed position and I panicked. After asking AI, I learned that this was part of its daily movement. Apparently, my roommate had a routine I didn’t know about.

I also talk to it. Since I’m forgetful, I told it: “If you need water, visit me in a dream, turn one leaf yellow, or somehow make me remember.” So far, I do keep suddenly remembering to water it. I like imagining our agreement is working. I’ve even tried asking it to move a leaf toward me. No success yet.

Two months later, we’re both still alive, and it seems to have grown quite a lot.

04 - Two Toothbrushes from My Mom

This toothbrush has a green handle and a big patch of pink bristles. My mom buys them from Sam’s Club. I used to think they looked strange because the heads were much bigger than the toothbrushes I normally used.
My mom really likes them. She believes a bigger brush head cleans better. I don’t know where this belief came from, but she seems pretty committed to it. Everyone has their own little beliefs, I guess.
Before I left for New York, she gave me two to pack. Toothbrushes are obviously easy to buy here, but she still wanted me to have these particular ones, and I brought them.

I was used to seeing them at home. Now there’s one in my bathroom in New York. It reminds me of the everyday ways my mom looks after me, including making sure I have the toothbrush she trusts.
It’s such an ordinary object that I almost overlooked it when choosing this collection. But it carries something familiar into a place where so much was new.

05 - The Perfume Bottle I Still Keep
When I was younger, I went through a serious perfume phase. I bought lots of samples and tried to identify their scents, fragrance families, brands, and top, middle, and base notes. I wanted to have a special skill. I was also interested in fashion, and perfume felt like an accessible way to explore how a brand expressed itself.

A close friend of my mom’s remembered this interest. Eight years later, even though my original obsession had faded, she was still giving me full-size perfumes to celebrate important moments or simply because she was happy for me. I’m touched that she took a child’s interest seriously enough to remember it for so long.

I brought two of her gifts to the United States. I wrapped them in layers of clothing because I was terrified they would break in my luggage. They survived the flight, but after arriving in New York, I accidentally dropped one: a purple Chanel perfume bottle. The bottle is cracked and has pieces missing, but it can still stand. I keep it by my bathroom sink.

I don’t remember the exact occasion when she gave it to me. I do remember the care behind it. Seeing it now brings up regret, and sometimes I almost don’t want to look at it because it reminds me of what I did. I still can’t bring myself to throw it away.

Reflection - Why These Five?
I started selecting objects by thinking about what I had chosen to bring to New York. That led me to the bowl, boarding passes, toothbrushes, and perfumes. Then I thought about what had become meaningful since arriving, which brought me to my prayer plant.

Talking through their stories helped me notice details I might otherwise have skipped: the bowl’s nine-yuan price, my mom packing two toothbrushes, the layers of clothes around the perfume, and my slightly ridiculous agreement with my plant about watering.

These details explain why I keep the objects better than simply calling them “special.” Their meaning comes from using them, carrying them somewhere, receiving them from someone, or spending time with them.

Looking across the collection, I can see how I’m building a life in a new place while bringing familiar habits and relationships with me. The boarding passes record my arrival, while the bowl and toothbrush continue routines I already had. The perfume reminds me that someone remembered a much younger version of me. The plant belongs to the life I started here.

For the visual storytelling, I plan to combine photographs with short personal narratives. I want to photograph the bowl with a meal I regularly eat, annotate the boarding passes with the memories they bring back, and show the plant at different times of day. For the toothbrush and perfume, close-up details and their everyday surroundings can help show how they remain part of my life.

I don’t feel the same way about every object. Some bring comfort, some excitement, and one still makes me feel regret. Together, they preserve a fairly honest picture of this moment in my life.