About the Peoples that I Miss

Well well well... What can I say, I'm always wrong when I have the feelings of not wanting to go out and meet friends. I would always be thinking it's just a waste of time going out to meet friends, and I mean friends who I think are drifting further and further away from myself. But then again, it's always a good thing to go out and do the gathering and forge the old ties.

I bumped into Shield at The Spring the other night, and she informed me about the gathering they were having last night. I was pretty excited, considering the attendees are mostly home for the long break. We were from the same class in form 4 and form 5, for some, we were together since form 1 even, and gosh, it must have been 2 years since I last seen Shield. She slimmed down a LOT, I seriously do mean A LOT.

So, as much as I wanted to stay at home and study, I decided to spend the night out with the long-lost friends. It's been at least half a year since I last saw those fellas. And for most of them, it's probably about a year. For Shield and K'mei, it's almost 2 years.

The medics from Australia and NZ are coming back before the start of their new curriculum year. Chris is going into his 3rd year in JB next week, so is K'mei in Monash Aus. Step finally gotten into meds in Otago, Jose is doing health science in Dunedine, while ET is going to start his 2nd year in Melbourne next week as well. Apart from that, there's also Jordin-Sparks-lookalike, Mari who was in the debate team with me last time doing law. Micha is going into her 2nd year of Pharmacy in Melbourne soon while Aiwei is in doing biotechnology in Sydney.

Ah well, they reminded me of me being such a failure unable to get the JPA scholarships after form 5. Apart from those scholars ( not everyone, just Step, ET, Jose, Micha and Aiwei ), there are of course us who are stuck in the not-so-glamorous local uni/colleges, such as myself, Laih who just entered building surveying in MU, as well as Cling and Fock who are graduating soon from MMU and Taylor's.

Yea yea, so I'm just showing off how kiasu our class is. Tonight alone there were 6 medies, 2 laws, and the remaining 3 in their respective field of hotel management, engineering and technical. Of course, not forgetting the whole bunch of others whom are all over the place, with a handful in medical school and engineering school as well. Somehow, medicine and engineering doesn't sound as glamorous as it used to be. *LMAO*

Anyway, we had dinner in a restaurant. Ate quietly and awkwardly initially as things haven't really warm up. But eventually, as everyone finally settled down and started to talk, we can obviously see the topics from totally differnt spectrum. Those studying down under would be talking about the flights and their lives there, the scholars would be gossiping about their pre-u acquaintance in another part of the world, while the medics would do the medic talk on cadavers, OSPE and stuff. As much as we used to be pretty close to each other when we were in form 5, considering we were a pretty small class back then, and that we were very united in some way or another, time and distance do affect the bonds.

Eventually, we parted ways after 2 hours. 4 from the group left for home, while the rest of us went to meet up with 2 more ex-classmates and headed out into the city for some drink and catch ups. CNY atmosphere is in the air for sure. Lots of lanterns and lots of tangerine flowers and cookies.

Magician and Ann joined us in the city. Magician came back from NZ as well, while Ann is one of those few staying local. We gathered around the small table and started to chat. We ordered our drinks, and things just went a little off our main purpose when we finally ended up with games of UNO and Mafia. I was glad alright. Even though I have a strange feeling that we weren't that close anymore, but I'm still thankful Step, Cling and the fellas took the effort to arrange the meetings. Yes, time does affect the bonds. But distance enhances the effects even more. For the one year I was away doing my pre-U, I pretty much isolated myself because I felt left out. Either that, or I was disappointed I couldn't make it to become one of the JPA scholars.

We played games till after midnight and went home. There's another gathering on the 2nd day of CNY, and the traditional mass visiting with the ex-classmates is being scheduled on the 3rd day of CNY. I'm wondering if I'm wrong again to plan that I do not join the trip, and stay home welcoming them to my place instead. Cling was pretty angry that I never did joined their trip, but they never ruled out my place every year. And telling them that I might not go visit, but will be available at home is pretty much the hardest thing to do, considering it's probably the last time we're doing it this year. For after this, most of us would be preoccupied with the final years or clinicals.

But either way, I'll just let things go naturally. I might eventually give up studying at home and spend next Saturday going around the city with them. Who knows right?

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[pics taken at Swam Team Restaurant, Padungan Street @ Kuching and Tao Cafe]