Epilogue.

Chapter Two: Tomodachi

2007 was definitely a year of friendships for me, because it was in those twelve months that I'd met several people (many of them non-Singaporean and non-international students) whom I know I will be friends for a long time with, as well as strengthened connections with a couple of old buddies back home. It was this bunch of people, especially the ones in Melbourne, who made life away from home easier, and Honours year a whole lot less stressful. This is particularly significant to me, because throughout the five years I spent in Melbourne, I never had the chance to actually develop lasting friendships with the Aussies. Sure, there were plenty of them in the classes I took, but they never went further than "Hi-Bye", and after the semester was over we went our separate ways... because I've come to realise that exchanging phone numbers, MSN contacts, and recently, simply having each other on Facebook HARDLY worked.

But, I did miraculously meet and made friends with a couple of Aussies last year (if being in such close proximity in the postgrad computer lab failed to help, then I guess I am a complete idiot). People worth mentioning here include fellow postgrads who either took "CAP" with me, or worked with me in the lab during those severely stressful times -- Scott, May, Caz, Mike, and of course the incredibly good-looking and charming (but unfortunately, already married) PhD candidate Mr. L. ;p Getting to know and hanging out with people like them (super intelligent yet with a great sense of fun and appreciation for life), was an honour and definitely really opened my eyes to this culture I've been surrounded by for more than five years. I will remember, amongst many other things, destress coffee and beer sessions at Ian Potter/the nearby pub, arthouse movies at Nova, car rides in May's little car, gossipping about who's hot and who's not, bitching about the weirdos in the lab, whining about schoolwork, and sending random wall posts/emails/messages to one another when we were supposed to be 'doing work'. More importantly, I've learnt so much more about myself through them - what I am, what I am not, and what a big world there is for me to discover, through their many wonderful stories and 'life-altering' personal experiences. I may be thousands of miles away, but you crazy people are often in my thoughts. :)

Then there were also the friends who, for various reasons, were not physically present all the time, but kept in close touch with me - and it made me feel like they have always been around. :) Jenn and Cecil, who have gone back to Jakarta but send me text messages and emails ever so often; Sponk, with whom I spent practically every single weekday chatting on MSN from 9am to 5pm during the thesis-and-assignment-rush period (and also when I needed to bitch about the pathetic happenings in my life). Luan, all the way up north in the UK, always drunk and always giggling, who travelled with us in Osaka and Tokyo for one crazy week. Jacqueline, Honours coursemate for one semester, bellhop girl in Japan and loyal friend - one of the most adventurous, bravest girls I know, doing the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage thing all by herself. Thank you for Japanese hotel salad sauce. :)

And the friends who were physically present throughout the entire year - Piggy, needless to say, who has been with me since Day One in Melbourne. We both started and completed this journey together, strangely enough, and despite losing a few people along the way, the only two constants were us and only us. And by the way, I still find the uncanny coincidences in our lives very creepy. ;> Crazy idealistic Haru-chan, my closest Japanese friend, always there for support, love and being the out-of-class Japanese tutor who would give her time to me despite her hectic schedule. Kim (and her son Qui), who lived just seven minutes away and spoilt me rotten with her delicious Vietnamese noodles and spring rolls and red wine and Japanese green tea and chocolates... and of course, we never forget the bitching about Australian Idol every Sunday. Darren, my fellow Japanese coursemate, reality-TV fanatic buddy and awesome friend from a different faculty (hurhur), whom I met at least once a fortnight to supply Survivor and TAR episodes... and bitch together over email and MSN after! Gym buddy and fellow Capricorn Su Wee, whom I never thought I'd ever click well with in a million years (but we did), coffees and desserts and bitching about anything and everything under the sun. Amazingly independent and level-headed Rebecca, also affectionately known as Mozzie - always there to open her door whenever I felt like 'dropping by' and providing me with free delicious home-cooked dinners, SYTYCD and ice cream sessions, crazy cam-whoring at her place with her sister Xin, and how could I forget, the mini chocolate chip cookie baking extravaganza! :)

Sometime in August there was the formation of the Dys(FUN)ctional family of Four (sometimes Five when Mr. Chieng is free enough to join us), whom I spent eight weeks of absolute madness with before I packed my bags and left for good. Jackalicious my oldest bestest friend, Jorageous and HM (whom I both met in the later part of 2007) were the most vital part of my post-graduation break, with dinner, dessert and movie almost every week, cam-whoring and even more cam-whoring at every possible place you can think of. When I returned to Melbourne for graduation in August, I never quite expected to form friendships with 'new' people just as I was about to leave, but I did, and while I was initially lamenting about the fact that we failed to meet when I was still a student, perhaps we wouldn't have hit it off so well had we met earlier in our lives.

Finally, the friends who were not a part of my life in Melbourne in the previous year, but whom I often missed when I was away. In June, after almost three years of semi-cold war and awkwardness, I mended my friendship with someone I've known since I was 12, loved, hated, and cried over many times. I was the one who took the initiative to mend it (naturally), and after a heart-to-heart sharing of thoughts and apologies, things are back to normal now, and in fact, better than ever. My coming back home in October has also enabled me to reconnect with people I've met earlier in life, and while I realised that certain aspects of us may have inevitably changed over time, I am thankful that our friendships remain intact and strong. And of course, we still share similar obsessions with movies, singing, food and live music. No mention of particular names here, you know who you guys are. :)

I guess being a single child has made me see my friends almost as the siblings I never had, and that is why I treasure my friendships so much. I make it a point to meet or at least be in touch with the people who matter amidst my now-employed schedule. I doubt I will meet equally awesome people in 2008, but nonetheless I will remember 2007 as a year of good (and hopefully lasting) friendships, new and old.

Sometimes it happens, feelings die
Whole years are lost in the blink of an eye
We once had it all but events conspired
Oh sometimes
Now that it is over, it is through
It gets me every time I think of you
And sometimes it happens, feelings die
Oh sometimes.

Ash - Sometimes.