Christmas has come and gone. The New Year is days away.

I honestly cannot remember a year that has gone by as quickly as this one. I still remember very vividly standing on top of the hill watching the fireworks light up the night sky and thinking quietly to myself that this year would be an AWESOME year.

353 days later, I have to say it has been quite a ride. I've experienced many new things, made many new friends, fell in love.

She's sweet, beautiful, smart and caring. She wears slippers in the house and she's freakishly strong for someone her size. She loves her family to bits, and she has an amazing laugh.

I have not felt this way about a person in such a long time and it's all so surreal. She's the first person I think of when I wake up and the last one before I go to sleep.

Corny, no?

I can't help it.

It's only been a little over 4 months since I met you in that very dark and loud place. Haha. Who would've thought? I know I didn't.

I just know that I'm happy, and you're a big part of it.

Thank you.

j

"It's strange. At least I find it strange.
How some people known that we've known for the longest time suddenly become people we don't know. Strangers. The longer we've known them, the more incomprehensible they seem. Conversations that once could flow faster than thought could formulate, now becomes stilted. Paused. Filled with heavy silences and awkwardness.
Stranger still.
How sometimes people who aren't part of our social circle, heck who have never been part of any aspect of our lives suddenly become those we can talk to most freely with.
There isn't a need to know them because they just feel very comfortable to converse with. It doesn't matter who they are, where they come from. They're there and they can relate to whatever thats going on in your head at the moment.

Strangest of all.
How it takes the utmost effort to speak of the blandest of topics to those who have known you for an age. How an unfamiliar face could hold your attention and the conversation for hours effortlessly, having met you only that once.

And.

How much effort a person makes to fill in the blanks for those who have known them the longest. How much effort it doesn't take to speak your mind, your heart to someone you've known for barely a few minutes.

Strange. Strange how those who have known you for years, still don't see. And yet, those who know you for minutes see it quite clearly.
Strange, indeed." – Anonymous

j

I had an unpleasant experience last weekend. Yes, there was the partying, the boozing, and the gambling.

But, I was also stopped by the police at a roadblock. Road block? Hmmm, people are calling it something else nowadays. What was it eh?

Oh yes I remember now. COLLECTION CENTERS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT!

We got pulled over at one of those because the cop put his head into the car, sniffed around like the damn dog he is, and thought we were intoxicated and that driving was beyond our capabilities. Given, we shouldn't have been driving after we drank, but everyone was sober.

Out of his pocket came a breathalyzer (I always thought of it to look more like a bong, I don't know why). At that very moment, I knew we were in trouble. Haha. There was no way you were going to be able to cheat a breathalyzer after you've been drinking all night. *The legal limit for drinking is 80mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood. I've been told that you'll go over the limit even after a can of beer.

So, the driver blew into the thing, the limit went off the charts, and he was asked to come out of the car where he was then brought over to the police car. I wasn't there but from the dictation of the driver, the conversation went something like this.

"so sekarang macamana bang?"

"Seribu ada?"

"tak ada. Seratus sahaja"

"tengok you punya rambut, macam ini boleh terus masuk penjara sg. Buloh" *driver was a bald dude

"dua ratus boleh?"

"ok"

He then proceeds to walk over the car to ask if we have anymore cash but we emptied our wallets the first time around. So he walked into the bank which was right next to where we were parked to withdraw some cash to pay the cops. See how smart they are? They set up a road block right next to a bank where one can conveniently go in and withdraw money in the case that they didn't have enough. Pretty genius, eh?

We paid and then we left.

I couldn't help but notice that all the people getting pulled over were Chinese. The 2 Indian dudes in the backseat commented,

"Macha, I'm sorry, macha. But Chinese people have money. If it were the both of us, they wouldn't bother".

Ahhh. 1 Malaysia? What 1 Malaysia?

Geez.

j

I don't see the point of going to see you. You're supposed to be my supervisor but you're not doing anything of that sort. Why the heck did you have to go put up titles if you're not interested in guiding people? Go fuck yourself, really.

j

"I try to talk to you, but I don't know what to say. I am afraid you don't want me to say anything. So I don't. But inside of me there are words waiting to come out. And tell you how I feel-like how I miss you. And how I love you despite my broken heart.And how I need you in my life. And especially how much I want you. But those words may forever stay in my heart-locked inside. Sometimes I wonder if there are words locked inside you too… but I'll never know." -Unknown

Of drunken hookups and smoking up, the past week has been, wait for it, LEGENDARY! I cannot remember having a one week break with as many fun happenings as this one.

Getting paid money to enjoy myself seems to top the list. I had the opportunity to facilitate for a team building event over the week and it has been a real eye opener for me. I liked it so much it's got me thinking that I want to do that when I actually graduate. Being around people and helping them learn leaves you feeling fulfilled. Teaching a future career path for me? I'll have plenty of time to ponder over the next couple of months. It's going to be one heck of a semester with the workload and everything else I've signed up for, but with god's grace, I think I'll pull through.

What's the big deal about convocations anyway? You sit in a hall for 5 hours and freeze to death, only to go up on stage to collect a scroll which isn't actually a scroll. Go figure.

j

Gary Leon Robert 1987-2009

I may not have had the opportunity to get to know you as well as the others, but the brief moments that we crossed paths in university were always highlighted by the ever present smile on your face. That small gesture showed your enormous personality and you will be sorely missed.

Rest in peace my friend. Till we meet again.

j