My name's Kelly Châu and welcome to my corner on the internet.
At a young age, I have been interested in forms of self-expression such as writing, music, photography, and so on.
Inspired by stories of my late paternal grandfather pursuing photojournalism during the sixties in Việt Nam and my late
eldest paternal uncle having been a cải lương (Vietnamese folk opera) singer, confirmation bias or not, I felt connected
as to why I needed to pick up a microphone and camera.
We did not have much growing up so the luxurious karate or piano classes were out of the question. Eventually I was able
to save up for a DSLR starter kit working part-time jobs and began offering photography services to professionals and
local businesses. After graduating, I traveled abroad for the first time for a few months while continued freelancing and worked at several small
to mid-sized companies. Upon returning to the states, I joined a franchise brokerage agency and implemented a structure within eight months that
increased sales and decreased costs in the marketing department leading it to a new division. This
experience helped me realize that I enjoy building structures, teams, and plans for businesses with creativity at the
root. Staying innovative and resourceful to find solutions for teams and customers is encompassing of that.
My management background is in marketing with a focus on content production. I believe in being transparent about
digital services to ensure fair pricing and scope of work without sacrificing quality. I am currently on a small
business journey with Broken Rice Media LLC, continuing business development, and additional creative pursuits. Outside
of that, I find joy spending time with my family and three dogs while working on my personal projects and wellbeing.
Life is an ongoing change. All I know is that everyone faces adversity and life is fickle so it is important to live
each day intentionally and that holds a different meaning for each person. My goal is to continue sharing stories that
will hopefully inspire others to embrace self-expression as well as find ways to give back to the community with the
little time I have on this earth.
Thanks for stopping by. If you have questions or would like to collaborate, drop a message and let’s grab (virtual)
tea!
I've been drawn to writing and photography from a young age. I still remember snapping pictures with disposable cameras, flip phones, point-and-shoots, and eventually filming with giant camcorders.
These experiences were the foundation of my interest in visual storytelling.
At the same time, I wrote short stories, poems, and short film scripts for language arts and video production classes in middle and high school.
In Vietnamese culture, when a baby turns one month old, one of the traditions during this milestone celebration is to place a tray of objects that symoblize future paths.
Some families include money for wealth and prosperity, a pen and notebook for learning and the written word, a sticky rice ball for abundance, and a rock for strength and perseverance.
The child is then guided to crawl toward the tray and choose an item in each hand. Fated or not, I picked up a pen and a notebook.
If that isn't enough of a sign, my paternal grandfather was a photojournalist in Việt Nam during the sixties. I'd like to believe that, through that connection, I was always meant to pick up both a camera and a pen.
After owning my first DSLR (kit) in 2014, I've had opportunities to work on commercial and corporate projects. In between, I enjoy improving by capturing everyday life and travel moments, and practicing writing. My goal
is to be able to build a foundation to later one day share stories as a published author.
I enjoy practicing videography in my spare time and what better way to do so than to have fun with it? My YouTube channel is a video version of my corner on the internet. Join along as I dive into long and short-form content ranging from travel, food, musings, and more.
Our pre-wedding photo shoot in 2022 a few weeks before our wedding. It's customary for couples in Vietnamese/Chinese cultures to have pre-wedding shoots vs engagement photos. This allows us to have portraits of us in our (expensive) outfits before the big day where the photos are mostly candid.
I enjoy taking solo trips to reflect and explore. My first official one was to SEA in 2025 for a little over a month and one of the stops was Singapore.
I fell in love with Việt Nam when I visited in 2016 for the first time. Cần Thơ is my parents' hometown. My goal is to be able to spend 3 months there every year and to do so before I retire!
Paradoxically, being present each second of my life allows me to grab a perfect shot on my camera, especially when I'm traveling.
I enjoy cooking and hosting house parties. We've been doing this for over 15 years now. A lot of inspiration came from my mom and sister hosting Vietnamese parties when I was growing up.
We enjoy going on cruises especially when it's a good deal! Our parents got us into it and it's always a good style to travel when you're going with elder adults.
I've always wanted to go camping since I was a kid and I finally got the chance to do so after college. We host group camping trips which we've dubbed as "overnight picnics" or "pioneer glamping" because we usually book pioneer campsites but serve more food than what you'd bring on a backcountry trip.
I've dreamt of visiting here and painted this as a gift to my parents for Christmas in 2018...
I was finally able to visit in 2023. It was one of the most breathtaking places I've been to in addition to the cruise food and activity itinerary!
Food is one of the ways I use to express myself. Shopping for ingredients, prepping the food, and serving is meditative to me. I find inspiration at different restaurants and cuisines and incoroporate into what I make.
I've been fortunate to have been able to start traveling after graduating college. I found myself in a pattern of aligning with the people and the culture of the country, past the rose-tinted glasses, making me feel connected despite any hiccups or bad experiences that I may inevitably encounter. I enjoy taking solo trips to reflect and explore.
I enjoy making things with my hands, whether it's cooking, writing, making soap, or doing some yard work. In 2018, I DIY'd Christmas gifts for my family and made 7-8 weaved tote bags out of old magazines.
Our first professional family photo!
Meet Spot the Chihuahua! She's the youngest of the three. She hops like a kangaroo, takes lightning fast poops, and can surprise you when she gets scared but also when she's playing with you or with Winter. She has a heart issue so she enjoys silence, also going outside as many times as she can and sunbathing.
Meet Sunny the Pitbull! She's the middle child but also the biggest (50lbs vs 15 lbs). She's sweet and will lick anyone and anything (even the air) to show her affection. She enjoys playing tug of war with her rope toy (the only toy she has not ruined) but she figured out a way to cheat so that she'd win every single time. She enjoys walks and snuggling so close to you that she'll take up all of your space even if she gets hot.
Meet Winter the Eskimo! (Eskimo Spitz, German Spitz, American Eskimo, Japanese Spitz, whatever floats your boat). She's the oldest (11 yo as of 2024) and came into my life during my lowest moment via my now-husband. She likes sleeping on tiled-floors when she gets hot, laying on her back, and going on walks.
We started an annual wagyu Christmas dinner two years ago (2022) and have been finding ways to improve each one. This was the first time we did a dinner party style where we served a 7-course meal complete with a drink menu.
Hubby holding a piña colada in Puerto Rico.
We enjoy doing random activities for fun and experience. This was our second or third time harvesting muscadine grapes at a local farm.