Belated, not bothered

This comes two days late, but I’ve been busy lazy (whoops):

17. Apparently, my brother and I are attempting a weird kind of record – it’s the fifth straight year we haven’t been able to celebrate his birthday on the actual date. Oh, let our streak remain unbroken next year!

Westbound

One more notch to her belt, figuratively speaking:

23. In five days, she’ll be leaving for six months. Please return her in one piece, Bangalore.

22,336

I am going to hand in my Honours dissertation tomorrow, effectively completing my university education. It’s surreal, bittersweet… You name it, I feel it. In my writing, at several moments, I remembered you. Taken from my thesis acknowledgements:

My supervisor, Dr. Rebecca Suter, who has been simply indispensable in the past year – my sincerest thanks and deepest appreciation for your unceasing patience, graciousness and optimism, as well as your valued tutelage and guidance in and outside of this Honours programme. Having you as a supervisor has been a joy, indeed. Domo arigato, sensei.

Davina and Tina, my partners in crime during this pivotal stage of our lives – as we near the end of the different phases of our university education, having still kept our sanity, I am reminded of how much your companionship has meant to me. Thank you for the study sessions, text messages and cups of coffee throughout the year (not forgetting the previous three); all of which have given me the encouragement and energy to press on.

Jessie, Rosa, Preethi, William, David and Elizabeth – all blessed with analytical minds and wonderful personalities, whose corresponding journeys have been a great source of support. I hope our paths will cross in the future.

Ernest, Eliss and my cell members – I have never witnessed more generosity and willingness of heart, nor have I experienced a dull moment with you. Thank you for the laughs on the weekend and your prayers during the week. Keep in touch!

Kay-Lene, my dearest and ever-present ‘old same’ – thank you for sympathising; for listening to my gripes; and for not holding it against me when I do not have the time to hear yours. I am more grateful for you than I am able to express.

Gerard and Amy, my encyclopaedias and voices of reason – thank you for the sage advice you have dispensed, even before I undertook this thesis project.

Roger F., excellence personified – to me, he is the archetype of hard work and strength of mind.

My parents and siblings, for your unconditional love – words are not enough to convey my indebtedness to the affirmation you have shown in my choices.

Last but not least, my Almighty God – the comfort during my most uninspired days and my beacon in the darkest of circumstances. You have never left my side.

Miles to go before she sleeps

So, I said I would write with my left hand this year…

Sodapop

I thought I’d reserve such acts of tough love for my siblings, but Joachim is like the brother I actually have, who is a pain in my neck in equal measure:

1. Quite an obvious fact, but he loves The Outsiders.
2. Another oldie he likes is Great Teacher Onizuka.
3. His grammar is questionable – who leaves a space between the last word and an exclamation or question mark?
4. He and I made a pact to get together if both of us were single in December 2006 (it didn’t happen). In hindsight, what were we thinking?
5. He’s been a fan of Rafael Nadal for almost as long as I’ve been supporting Roger Federer – I’m assuming he became one to piss me off.
6. Sometimes, he forgets that he’s a guest in my house when we watch Federer and Nadal play – he is ruthless and unabashed with his cheers and I’ve threatened to kick him out several times.
7. He and Christopher bet on tennis matches – Joachim is ahead, because they forget to wager on the ones that Federer wins.
8. Joachim and I are meant to be rivals – we rooted for different finalists in the first season of Singapore Idol. Again, what were we thinking?
9. To wit, he was behind London (I wanted Paris) in the bid for the 2012 Olympic Games – we know which country won.
10. He is the only person for whom I would eat purple potatoes.
11. One of the three cakes I’ve made in my lifetime was for his 17th birthday.
12. He can be (uncharacteristically?) sentimental – until a few months ago, he frequently wore a band I got for him from Cambodia.
13. He has a crush on… Yeah, she knows.
14. The first time we spoke was on Maundy Thursday in 2004.
15. A significant part of our friendship was built over roti prata.
16. I used to call him ‘Milo Boy’, but I cannot remember why.
17. We once spent 40 minutes in Orchard Road pointing out people whom we thought were attractive… And agreed on none.
18. He has a big heart.
19. He’s smart and cool – he received an award for his outstanding grades in Mass Communication and he can play the drums.
20. A message from him makes my day, as he says the craziest things. Most recently, he commented that I look like Federer in the birthday video I did (WTF, right?) – it was either a jab at my nose or hair, and not because of my awesome tennis skills.
21. He turns 21 today – HAPPY COMING-OF-AGE!