Now

October 27 2026 At this moment, I'm in Bangkok so that I can renew my visa and complete the second half of my design internship at Base Design in Saigon, Vietnam. My friends are amused that I chose Bangkok, but I was merely relieved at not needing to travel far or secure another visa for a run. A quarter of my life is sitting in a storage container in Tan Dinh, Saigon. In addition, I’m designing a typeface called “La Maille” for a concept brand. The brand (by the same name) is a clothing brand that specializes in well-made clothing that is made to last a long time, and fit the wearer better over time. Wabi-sabi. I have a few pieces such as a jacket from COS that I unfortunately left in Toronto but I admire a lot for this very reason. The clothing fits well and feels unique to me and others have told me that it feels like these were made for me. I wanted to create a concept clothing brand that would create clothing that makes the wearer feel like this. The goal with the project is to increase the amount of branding work in my portfolio but also to show that, yes, I can help build brands, but also, I care about the strategic aspects of brands as well. For example, for La Maille, I decided that the brand would benefit from a custom typeface, and that I can also design a typeface that fits the brand. The typeface itself was also inspired by bespoke tailoring and will be made available in at least six static weights with variable weight function in process. At this moment, I am working on spacing and kerning the typefaces across masters. I also realized that the capital letters always look heavier than their lowercase counterparts. In the meantime, I’m also studying the vernacular typography of Saigon signage and other lettering. In Bangkok, I have been interested in the same. Both of my findings can be found on my are.na profile here: https://www.are.na/andrew-kozak-xtnttgcbw5q My obsession with typography has only increased since my arrival in Saigon. Beyond that, I am thinking about what I will do after my time at Base Design. The internship will be completed at the time my visa will expire, which is the end of January. In my personal life, I am reevaluating my relationships to people back home. I am trying to sublet my studio apartment in Toronto while I’m away. I have just signed a lease for an apartment in Saigon until February 1. I would like to make more friends and connect with other designers during my time in Saigon. Since I work behind a computer for several hours per day, I’ve been committed to going to the gym several times per week, which helps keep my energy up. I am also curious about not being home for Christmas for the first time in my life. I will be in Saigon, which to my family, was expected. My brothers have all travelled at different times which have caused them to miss important birthdays, holidays, etc. I am now doing the same. I wonder what will be the same and what will be different when I come back home. One of my brothers is expecting his first child on November 6th. I’m very excited for him. He just turned 30. I think about my friends and loved ones everyday. I worry I’m not developing in my career quickly enough. I deleted Instagram off my phone so that I spend less time on there. The mobile site and desktop versions are much less intuitive. Are.na is an excellent source for research and posting. I find it difficult to work on hobbies and things I enjoy such as painting, film photography or other side projects because they do not directly help my career. I enjoy exploring new cities but I would prefer to do it with somebody close to me rather than alone. I have Netflix playing on my computer or phone as white noise to help me sleep at night. I dislike it when people say they will do something and they never do. I dislike it when people walk slowly on the street. I dislike starting conversations, however, when I’m next to someone who’s already close to me, I become overly social, which makes them feel forgotten even though they are essential to me. I’ve explored entire cities without uttering a word. My father just turned 75. I listen to certain songs over and over again. This is my current list: Brainrot – Tinashe Nobody Wanna Dance Anymore – Tinashe Pillow Fight – Tinashe Crash Out – Tinashe Melatonin – Tinashe Florida Kilos – Lana Del Rey Ultraviolence – Lana Del Rey Riot Van – Arctic Monkeys Don’t ask me why. None of these are problems I can’t overcome. Most of these merely occupy space in my mind. I am a focused and determined person with occasional distractions. When I am working on the things that I love, I typically forget to eat, hydrate, and go to sleep at a regular time. I’ve had dreams about designing my recent typeface. I take this as a good sign. The picture below was taken at the Woot Woot photobooth in Bangkok at approximately 15:05 UTC+7 on October 27 2026. It cost 140 THB.