As I'm writing, I’m grappling with ideas.

There was simply too much to absorb during my first visit to Langkawi. Too many places, too many impressions, too many possibilities. I knew I had to slow down and focus on one site that had its own story to tell.

Pulau Tuba kept pulling me back.

I found several possible sites there (which I’d like to keep secret for now — not because I’m being mysterious, okay maybe a little — but because I needed more time with them). I wanted to sit with the places first. To understand what kind of work could emerge from them rather than forcing an idea onto them.

And trust me, this part was hard.

Maybe one of the biggest challenges during the early stage wasn't finding ideas. It was filtering them.

I kept returning to my notes from the workshop.

"Try to explore new things, be it your practice or anything. You can even change your whole proposal/idea." — Hoy Cheong

I spent hours scrolling through the photographs from my first visit to Langkawi. Staring at those images felt like checking in with the island itself. I would look at the texture of the site and wait for the image to speak back to the notes I’d been scribbling.

But eventually, the screen just wasn't enough. The digital files felt too detached. I realized I couldn't map the island if I couldn't hold it in my hands.

Just print them out, Fatihah! my brain finally whispered.

So, I did. I needed the weight of the paper. I needed to shuffle, organize and categorize those images physically—to create a tangible archive I could actually touch. It was a slow and messy process but transforming those digital pixels into physical prints finally allowed me to start translating the visual weight of the island into something that made sense.