last minute friends
who would have thought that during my last days in berkeley some strangers would become friends. people who have always been around - present at gatherings, functions and such - but whom i've regarded only as acquaintances. they were those who for some reasons never really opened up to me before (nor i to them i guess). come these final days in the US, these individuals surprised me by starting conversations, sharing snippets of their own lives, making silly funny remarks, showing concern about what's going on with me and generally acting like we have been good pals all this while. and so i kick myself for assuming that we would always remain hi/bye friends, that time doesn't erase the failure to "click" instantly with another and for putting little faith in the power of unexpected meet-ups and icq chats to catapult otherwise stagnant acquaintanceships to the level of friendships. i was pleasantly surprised.
now that i'm here and they're there, it remains to be seen how these friendships will develop. even though it is a LITTLE lamentable that there were some undiscovered friends sitting right under my nose all this while, i will not complain that the opportunities to get to know these people knocked only as i was preparing to leave, for new-found friends are better than no friends at all. let's see how far these last minute friendships go ... who knows we might surprise ourselves.
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and to prove that i've had my share of local fare these past days, this is a plug for the laksa at treats, the parkway parade foodcourt. a generous serving of see hum (i counted about ten cockles. not that i dig them, but ...), fish cake and rice noodles swimming in a HUGE (by singapore standards) bowl of coconut milk gravy infused with lots of chilli oil for only S$3! perfect for the expanded stomach i developed while studying in the US don't you think?
now that i'm here and they're there, it remains to be seen how these friendships will develop. even though it is a LITTLE lamentable that there were some undiscovered friends sitting right under my nose all this while, i will not complain that the opportunities to get to know these people knocked only as i was preparing to leave, for new-found friends are better than no friends at all. let's see how far these last minute friendships go ... who knows we might surprise ourselves.
---
and to prove that i've had my share of local fare these past days, this is a plug for the laksa at treats, the parkway parade foodcourt. a generous serving of see hum (i counted about ten cockles. not that i dig them, but ...), fish cake and rice noodles swimming in a HUGE (by singapore standards) bowl of coconut milk gravy infused with lots of chilli oil for only S$3! perfect for the expanded stomach i developed while studying in the US don't you think?