Diary in The Time of Cardiovaccumia (空心园日记) is an original play performed in Mandarin Chinese that tells the story of a sudden outbreak of an unheard-of contagious pandemic sweeping through a city. The infected grow thick, tentacle-like blood vessels from their atria that extend through their skin, compelling them to carry out a series of bizarre and deadly acts. Wang Feifei, a college student who has always believed he is “abnormal,” begins documenting the epidemic in his diary—only to realize that his mother, his professor, and even the girl at the flower shop have never been “normal” either. The play explores themes of free will and existentialism under absurdity and magical realism, ultimately posing the question: What does it mean to be “normal?”