A Response to Back from Limbo
Extract of 'Back from Limbo' by Alvin Lim - July 26, 2010 (http://laosipkong.blogspot.com/2010/07/back-from-limbo.html)
This is an extract of Alvin's post from when he came back to Singapore last year:
"Back to addressing everyone. Before I left I predicted how the following year was gonna unfold and evaluated my absence. Having been back, I can honestly say I was 70%accurate. Absolutely nothing would have played out differently had I not left, thus I’m elated to conclude that it was a great personal decision to leave.
Looking back, my absence would also not have any bearing at all on any of your lives and truth be told, the way things are going at the moment, I can already predict what’s gonna happen in the next 10 yrs and I hope I’ll not be there to see it unfold. I also noticed a disturbing trend of meet ups simply because I was back. Whatever happened to the good old days of the past? Some of you may be reading this and I humbly urge you guys to not slip back to abyss after I leave. Pls don't allow Sunday soccer to become defunct.
In conclusion, I think I played my part simply by returning to break the monotony in many of your lives and also served as a reminder to some to maybe ponder why it takes a friend’s return to meet up with other friends who are merely a phone call away! I’ve done my bit and its time for me to leave. I honestly dunno when I’ll be back. It’s all up to the person up there and his plans. By giving and taking away lives, he gave me a sign to come back this time. Who knows when the next sign will be? Next week, next year or never."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm posting this today because I like to look through old pieces of writing the way one would look through old photo albums, to think about how things and people change over time and how things are today. Primarily, I put this up because it caught my attention as something important when I first read it last year and I have kept it in mind ever since. Today, it warrants your attention, whether you remember this or not.
I don't usually pen down my thoughts here or anywhere for that matter, but this is long overdue. I have time on my hands for now and also I don't want my writing to get rusty. I have some thoughts that I want to get out there to ALL of you as a response to what Alvin previously said.
First and foremost, dear Alvin,
If you had not left, things would likely not have fundamentally changed, but I am sure that 30% would have mattered - everyone's lives would have been a little fuller and richer because every person counts and every little bit counts. Your being around would have meant one more supper kaki, one more soccer kaki, one more soccer organiser, one more weekend chillout kaki, one more source of ideas, one more source of support, one more listening ear, you get my drift. On my part, I will miss the lame jokes and intuitive understanding on the football pitch/court we built up over the many years of playing together. During your last match at St Wilfrid last month, when I came late, I remember we combined to score a goal less than 10 seconds after I had stepped onto the pitch. It was a simple goal, but I knew you would make that run even as I went to pick up the ball for the throw in. Simplicity is often the hardest thing to attain in life. Overall, things would have been different for the seemingly 'everyday' things, but that matters alot in the long-run.
But like you said, you made a personal decision and I am happy to see it looks like a decision well-made. I think your departure this time round was more significant becuase it will be your final semester before you enter the working world, where new challenges await as you enter the next phase of life. You're also not sure when you'll come to visit next. It's a pity we didn't have a proper farewell for you, but I sensed a focus and determination in you to prepare for the next phase and I hope to be toasting to your progress soon enough.
Dear everyone,
I want to get you thinking on some points Alvin made. I use names and examples and give my frank opinions below, but I'm sure you won't take this the wrong way. If you do, maybe my writing needs more work. I believe we can have a candid discussion that benefits all of us. At the very least, this allows me to get some stuff off my chest and better understand things. It's how I function.
1. "I can already predict what’s gonna happen in the next 10 yrs and I hope I’ll not be there to see it unfold."
This line haunts me the most because I know it will likely be true the way things are going. Yes, it is unrealistic to avoid certain realities of life. We all have dreams to chase, goals to achieve, expectations to live up to and responsibilities to bear. What is realistic is that we are collectively aware of this and try to react accordingly. Basically, it means not to take for granted the people around you and to develop some perspective on the 'big picture'. Breaking the 'big picture' down, it means not to focus on your individual/personal goals at the expense of those around you, because you cannot accomplish them all without help from others and because accomplishments are worth less if you can't share them with others. It means resisting that shallow "me first" mentality that drives our base survival instincts and to work towards becoming a more enlightened individual who is a better son/daughter/husband/wife/citizen and friend. It means not getting too engrossed in pursuing the material things just so you can lead a decent existence in this country or to scrap together enough to migrate. It means to constantly re-evaluate your priorities so you can lead a rich, meaningful and purposeful life.
There are friends who used to be close to us but are no longer for various reasons. As a case in point, I'm qualified to talk about one of them - Kati. Until today, I haven't completely figured out why he drifted away. Recalling my conversations with him and analysing things myself, he did so due to a combination of interconnected reasons. A partial reason is that he decided to pursue a full-time career in the media industry, which is a demanding and cut-throat one, but something he has a real passion and talent for. That cannot be a reason by itself, because everyone has career and other responsibilities to juggle. Secondly, he drifted away because he felt GMH wasn't really 'going anywhere'. We are, after all, a motley crue of misfits, underachievers and what-have-you. Kati is no saint himself and he knows that (that's why he calls himself the 'Mad Saint') , but he decided that he was going elsewhere. Kati and I used to compare GMH to other groups in our school or elsewhere, and we would always wonder why we couldn't be something like them. I still think about that till today, as I'm sure do alot of you. Thirdly, he felt increasingly distant from the other guys over the years as the chemistry changed as we became distinct individuals and he grew uncomfortable with the interpersonal and social dynamics in the group.
Kati and I are close, but we rarely meet because he never seems to have the time or to be able to make the time to hang out. On the rare occasion we do meet up, he eagerly asks about you guys and heaves a huge "sigh" as he thinks back about the "good ol' days". Keeping in touch with Kati is very painful for me because it reminds me of how close he and I used to be and how Kati used to be a big part of GMH, but how we have all drifted apart over time despite my efforts.
Call me an idealistic fool, but I don't want more of this to happen 10 years down the road, as I'm sure do all of you. Realistically speaking, I hope it can be kept to a minimum. In life, friends and acquaintances come and go, but it always helps to have some friends as constants, just like family. Better yet if family does not just mean those who are biologically-related to you.
2. " I also noticed a disturbing trend of meet ups simply because I was back."
Many of us are guilty of this. I mention more people and state my opinions and suggestions here, please feel free to respond.
Talen, I've observed that this most applies to you. I may be unaware of you meeting up with the others when Alvin is not around, but you seem to make time for gatherings mostly when Alvin is around. I know you have a busy schedule that revolves around work, business, your relationship, family, etc, that you have financial goals for the future, and that you responsibly organise and consistently turn up for soccer. I also hope you can make some time to hang out and catch up with the rest of us for weeknight dinners or weekends. Like I said, everyone counts. I'm sure a reasonably-priced meal or activity along with conversation now and then would be nice for everyone. Since you have a tight schedule, you can initiate and let one of us know when you want to hang out and suggest what we could do. You responded to Alvin's post, "at times, some of us may disappear but eventually I think we see each other as more like family where warmth and comfort is found". May I respond that the warmth and comfort of a family comes from time and effort. You used to be the most frequent contributor to the blog as well, that is another way to "meet up". I admit this may not be everyone else's cup of tea, less Ang Heng's.
When it comes to meet ups in general, I think Lulu and myself are least guilty since we currently initiate and organise most meet ups. Lulu is also almost always the generous designated driver for supper. Again, I may not be aware of some of you guys meeting up, but if it is a GMH gathering, the text message very often comes from Lulu and myself. While I am used to it and mostly glad to organise or contribute ideas, it is sometimes frustrating to be the 'perpetual organiser' when the rest of you mostly rely on us to make things happen or only join us if it happens to fit your schedule. I don't like it when people unduly take advantage of my goodwill or deem my company to be "second choice". I'm very sure you all identify with what I'm saying here. Dear Teh, Ang Heng, Psycho, Ah Du, Talen and Mendi, in no particular order, you guys could do more. How you do it or how much you want to is up to you, but please make sure it is not a one-off.
To expand on this, there were three birthdays in February - Ang Heng (11th), Mendi (14th) and Alvin (21st). It is a GMH tradition to have birthday gatherings, no matter how simple, but to my knowledge there wasn't a single 'official' birthday gathering. The obvious course of action here was to have organised one gathering to celebrate all three birthdays as well as to bid farewell to Alvin, provided all three birthday boys agreed to it. That is what I would probably have tried to do, but I was overseas during Ang Heng's and Mendi's birthday. To my knowledge, the rest of you guys, especially Lulu, Teh and Talen, did not make anything happen. Pardon my bluntness, but what the f**k happened?
Correct me if this is inaccurate/incomplete: For Ang Heng's birthday, Lulu forgot the date, Teh remembered but did not initiate anything and the rest of you were not in the picture at all. A guy who literally goes the extra mile to drive many of us home late at night and who generously offered his house to us for Christmas in addition to being a good friend deserves more. Teh, perhaps you were the best person in my absence to have made something happen. For Mendi's birthday, Alvin and Lulu had dinner with Mendi on his birthday, but it was a deliberate choice to keep it small-scale, for reasons I do not know. For Alvin's birthday, I forgot because I was jet-lagged and distracted after coming back from the U.K, Lulu and possibly some others remembered but nothing was initiated again. After Lulu reminded me about Alvin's birthday, despite my disappointment with the state of affairs, I tried to organise something for Alvin and the rest on either 21,22 or 23 Feb but Alvin was too busy to give me a proper reply and instead relied on Mendi to "liaise" with me on his availability, by which time it was too much of a rush and I had run out of patience.
If I sound like a pain in the ass on these matters, I have succeeded in getting your attention. Some of you, birthday boys included, may think I'm over-reacting. I disagree. Like I said, these little things can snowball over time and it'll be too late to fix things by the time you realise what has happened. I anticipate that most if not all of you will argue that you are either very busy or have no time. Well guess what - so is everyone else! So all the more we should all take some ownership and contribute what we can. It does not matter that some may contribute more and some less, this is ultimately about being a team player and keeping the 'big picture' in mind.
3. "Pls don't allow Sunday soccer to become defunct"
This is a point that overlaps with the second one. Sunday soccer has become a GMH institution, one very close to my heart. One of the main anchors of GMH is playing football together. (remember The New Paper feature on us?) Many of us got to know one another and developed close bonds playing and watching 'The Beautiful Game' together. Not all of us are football fanatics, but we still play because it is an excellent way to stay active and is something fun all of us can do. In St. Wilfrid, we have a 'homeground' with a very decent pitch at an affordable price. I don't take St. Wilfrid for granted because it is extremely difficult to hold down a regular place to play in this country. I know because I have done more than my fair share of organising football in various other places. At our 'peak' in St Wilfrid, we had a pretty big squad of players as well as many organisers we could count on to take turns.
Unfortunately but unsurprisingly, the number of players and organisers has dropped and is insufficient at times as players come and go and priorities change. However, the squad size is sufficient most of the time. The number of organisers has dropped as well but I think having Lulu, Teh, Talen, Benny, Meiqing and myself will suffice. I have always admired Talen's can-do attitude and meticulousness when it comes to organising soccer. I think the rest of us could learn to be a little like him and not treat organising as a burden that should be pushed away at the slightest opportunity. As long as we continue to have fun playng, there is no compelling reason for Sunday soccer to become defunct. I admit it is hard to maintain a high level of enthusiasm to keep it going especially when we encounter problems or have to manage other commitments, but if we have been playing together for so long, it must be because football offers something of value to us individually and collectively. I strongly encourage some of you like Psycho, Ah Du, Mendi and Amanda to join us whenever you can. Every player counts and you know you'll have great fun!
I spent quite a bit of time thinking about and writing this, so I hope you read it carefully and understand my message. If anything is not clear, I will gladly clarify. I Thank you.
Cheers,
OL
This is an extract of Alvin's post from when he came back to Singapore last year:
"Back to addressing everyone. Before I left I predicted how the following year was gonna unfold and evaluated my absence. Having been back, I can honestly say I was 70%accurate. Absolutely nothing would have played out differently had I not left, thus I’m elated to conclude that it was a great personal decision to leave.
Looking back, my absence would also not have any bearing at all on any of your lives and truth be told, the way things are going at the moment, I can already predict what’s gonna happen in the next 10 yrs and I hope I’ll not be there to see it unfold. I also noticed a disturbing trend of meet ups simply because I was back. Whatever happened to the good old days of the past? Some of you may be reading this and I humbly urge you guys to not slip back to abyss after I leave. Pls don't allow Sunday soccer to become defunct.
In conclusion, I think I played my part simply by returning to break the monotony in many of your lives and also served as a reminder to some to maybe ponder why it takes a friend’s return to meet up with other friends who are merely a phone call away! I’ve done my bit and its time for me to leave. I honestly dunno when I’ll be back. It’s all up to the person up there and his plans. By giving and taking away lives, he gave me a sign to come back this time. Who knows when the next sign will be? Next week, next year or never."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm posting this today because I like to look through old pieces of writing the way one would look through old photo albums, to think about how things and people change over time and how things are today. Primarily, I put this up because it caught my attention as something important when I first read it last year and I have kept it in mind ever since. Today, it warrants your attention, whether you remember this or not.
I don't usually pen down my thoughts here or anywhere for that matter, but this is long overdue. I have time on my hands for now and also I don't want my writing to get rusty. I have some thoughts that I want to get out there to ALL of you as a response to what Alvin previously said.
First and foremost, dear Alvin,
If you had not left, things would likely not have fundamentally changed, but I am sure that 30% would have mattered - everyone's lives would have been a little fuller and richer because every person counts and every little bit counts. Your being around would have meant one more supper kaki, one more soccer kaki, one more soccer organiser, one more weekend chillout kaki, one more source of ideas, one more source of support, one more listening ear, you get my drift. On my part, I will miss the lame jokes and intuitive understanding on the football pitch/court we built up over the many years of playing together. During your last match at St Wilfrid last month, when I came late, I remember we combined to score a goal less than 10 seconds after I had stepped onto the pitch. It was a simple goal, but I knew you would make that run even as I went to pick up the ball for the throw in. Simplicity is often the hardest thing to attain in life. Overall, things would have been different for the seemingly 'everyday' things, but that matters alot in the long-run.
But like you said, you made a personal decision and I am happy to see it looks like a decision well-made. I think your departure this time round was more significant becuase it will be your final semester before you enter the working world, where new challenges await as you enter the next phase of life. You're also not sure when you'll come to visit next. It's a pity we didn't have a proper farewell for you, but I sensed a focus and determination in you to prepare for the next phase and I hope to be toasting to your progress soon enough.
Dear everyone,
I want to get you thinking on some points Alvin made. I use names and examples and give my frank opinions below, but I'm sure you won't take this the wrong way. If you do, maybe my writing needs more work. I believe we can have a candid discussion that benefits all of us. At the very least, this allows me to get some stuff off my chest and better understand things. It's how I function.
1. "I can already predict what’s gonna happen in the next 10 yrs and I hope I’ll not be there to see it unfold."
This line haunts me the most because I know it will likely be true the way things are going. Yes, it is unrealistic to avoid certain realities of life. We all have dreams to chase, goals to achieve, expectations to live up to and responsibilities to bear. What is realistic is that we are collectively aware of this and try to react accordingly. Basically, it means not to take for granted the people around you and to develop some perspective on the 'big picture'. Breaking the 'big picture' down, it means not to focus on your individual/personal goals at the expense of those around you, because you cannot accomplish them all without help from others and because accomplishments are worth less if you can't share them with others. It means resisting that shallow "me first" mentality that drives our base survival instincts and to work towards becoming a more enlightened individual who is a better son/daughter/husband/wife/citizen and friend. It means not getting too engrossed in pursuing the material things just so you can lead a decent existence in this country or to scrap together enough to migrate. It means to constantly re-evaluate your priorities so you can lead a rich, meaningful and purposeful life.
There are friends who used to be close to us but are no longer for various reasons. As a case in point, I'm qualified to talk about one of them - Kati. Until today, I haven't completely figured out why he drifted away. Recalling my conversations with him and analysing things myself, he did so due to a combination of interconnected reasons. A partial reason is that he decided to pursue a full-time career in the media industry, which is a demanding and cut-throat one, but something he has a real passion and talent for. That cannot be a reason by itself, because everyone has career and other responsibilities to juggle. Secondly, he drifted away because he felt GMH wasn't really 'going anywhere'. We are, after all, a motley crue of misfits, underachievers and what-have-you. Kati is no saint himself and he knows that (that's why he calls himself the 'Mad Saint') , but he decided that he was going elsewhere. Kati and I used to compare GMH to other groups in our school or elsewhere, and we would always wonder why we couldn't be something like them. I still think about that till today, as I'm sure do alot of you. Thirdly, he felt increasingly distant from the other guys over the years as the chemistry changed as we became distinct individuals and he grew uncomfortable with the interpersonal and social dynamics in the group.
Kati and I are close, but we rarely meet because he never seems to have the time or to be able to make the time to hang out. On the rare occasion we do meet up, he eagerly asks about you guys and heaves a huge "sigh" as he thinks back about the "good ol' days". Keeping in touch with Kati is very painful for me because it reminds me of how close he and I used to be and how Kati used to be a big part of GMH, but how we have all drifted apart over time despite my efforts.
Call me an idealistic fool, but I don't want more of this to happen 10 years down the road, as I'm sure do all of you. Realistically speaking, I hope it can be kept to a minimum. In life, friends and acquaintances come and go, but it always helps to have some friends as constants, just like family. Better yet if family does not just mean those who are biologically-related to you.
2. " I also noticed a disturbing trend of meet ups simply because I was back."
Many of us are guilty of this. I mention more people and state my opinions and suggestions here, please feel free to respond.
Talen, I've observed that this most applies to you. I may be unaware of you meeting up with the others when Alvin is not around, but you seem to make time for gatherings mostly when Alvin is around. I know you have a busy schedule that revolves around work, business, your relationship, family, etc, that you have financial goals for the future, and that you responsibly organise and consistently turn up for soccer. I also hope you can make some time to hang out and catch up with the rest of us for weeknight dinners or weekends. Like I said, everyone counts. I'm sure a reasonably-priced meal or activity along with conversation now and then would be nice for everyone. Since you have a tight schedule, you can initiate and let one of us know when you want to hang out and suggest what we could do. You responded to Alvin's post, "at times, some of us may disappear but eventually I think we see each other as more like family where warmth and comfort is found". May I respond that the warmth and comfort of a family comes from time and effort. You used to be the most frequent contributor to the blog as well, that is another way to "meet up". I admit this may not be everyone else's cup of tea, less Ang Heng's.
When it comes to meet ups in general, I think Lulu and myself are least guilty since we currently initiate and organise most meet ups. Lulu is also almost always the generous designated driver for supper. Again, I may not be aware of some of you guys meeting up, but if it is a GMH gathering, the text message very often comes from Lulu and myself. While I am used to it and mostly glad to organise or contribute ideas, it is sometimes frustrating to be the 'perpetual organiser' when the rest of you mostly rely on us to make things happen or only join us if it happens to fit your schedule. I don't like it when people unduly take advantage of my goodwill or deem my company to be "second choice". I'm very sure you all identify with what I'm saying here. Dear Teh, Ang Heng, Psycho, Ah Du, Talen and Mendi, in no particular order, you guys could do more. How you do it or how much you want to is up to you, but please make sure it is not a one-off.
To expand on this, there were three birthdays in February - Ang Heng (11th), Mendi (14th) and Alvin (21st). It is a GMH tradition to have birthday gatherings, no matter how simple, but to my knowledge there wasn't a single 'official' birthday gathering. The obvious course of action here was to have organised one gathering to celebrate all three birthdays as well as to bid farewell to Alvin, provided all three birthday boys agreed to it. That is what I would probably have tried to do, but I was overseas during Ang Heng's and Mendi's birthday. To my knowledge, the rest of you guys, especially Lulu, Teh and Talen, did not make anything happen. Pardon my bluntness, but what the f**k happened?
Correct me if this is inaccurate/incomplete: For Ang Heng's birthday, Lulu forgot the date, Teh remembered but did not initiate anything and the rest of you were not in the picture at all. A guy who literally goes the extra mile to drive many of us home late at night and who generously offered his house to us for Christmas in addition to being a good friend deserves more. Teh, perhaps you were the best person in my absence to have made something happen. For Mendi's birthday, Alvin and Lulu had dinner with Mendi on his birthday, but it was a deliberate choice to keep it small-scale, for reasons I do not know. For Alvin's birthday, I forgot because I was jet-lagged and distracted after coming back from the U.K, Lulu and possibly some others remembered but nothing was initiated again. After Lulu reminded me about Alvin's birthday, despite my disappointment with the state of affairs, I tried to organise something for Alvin and the rest on either 21,22 or 23 Feb but Alvin was too busy to give me a proper reply and instead relied on Mendi to "liaise" with me on his availability, by which time it was too much of a rush and I had run out of patience.
If I sound like a pain in the ass on these matters, I have succeeded in getting your attention. Some of you, birthday boys included, may think I'm over-reacting. I disagree. Like I said, these little things can snowball over time and it'll be too late to fix things by the time you realise what has happened. I anticipate that most if not all of you will argue that you are either very busy or have no time. Well guess what - so is everyone else! So all the more we should all take some ownership and contribute what we can. It does not matter that some may contribute more and some less, this is ultimately about being a team player and keeping the 'big picture' in mind.
3. "Pls don't allow Sunday soccer to become defunct"
This is a point that overlaps with the second one. Sunday soccer has become a GMH institution, one very close to my heart. One of the main anchors of GMH is playing football together. (remember The New Paper feature on us?) Many of us got to know one another and developed close bonds playing and watching 'The Beautiful Game' together. Not all of us are football fanatics, but we still play because it is an excellent way to stay active and is something fun all of us can do. In St. Wilfrid, we have a 'homeground' with a very decent pitch at an affordable price. I don't take St. Wilfrid for granted because it is extremely difficult to hold down a regular place to play in this country. I know because I have done more than my fair share of organising football in various other places. At our 'peak' in St Wilfrid, we had a pretty big squad of players as well as many organisers we could count on to take turns.
Unfortunately but unsurprisingly, the number of players and organisers has dropped and is insufficient at times as players come and go and priorities change. However, the squad size is sufficient most of the time. The number of organisers has dropped as well but I think having Lulu, Teh, Talen, Benny, Meiqing and myself will suffice. I have always admired Talen's can-do attitude and meticulousness when it comes to organising soccer. I think the rest of us could learn to be a little like him and not treat organising as a burden that should be pushed away at the slightest opportunity. As long as we continue to have fun playng, there is no compelling reason for Sunday soccer to become defunct. I admit it is hard to maintain a high level of enthusiasm to keep it going especially when we encounter problems or have to manage other commitments, but if we have been playing together for so long, it must be because football offers something of value to us individually and collectively. I strongly encourage some of you like Psycho, Ah Du, Mendi and Amanda to join us whenever you can. Every player counts and you know you'll have great fun!
I spent quite a bit of time thinking about and writing this, so I hope you read it carefully and understand my message. If anything is not clear, I will gladly clarify. I Thank you.
Cheers,
OL
5 comments:
Admittedly, I haven't been with the clique much since I started on this new chapter of my life and am definitely guilty for not making much outings arrangements, well at least none that succeeded such as cable ski, bukit timah trek and ubin cycling / chek jawa. Will work harder on that aspect. As for the birthday, I'm not big on celebrating birthdays having not had my own bday celebrated in years, not even with my own family. And I'm sure all of us appreciate AH and show it in different ways as I do when I engaged him in activities of common interest, subway footlongs and lunch meetups with "kips?" during his short stint in Ntu.
It is true that we have much to work upon and perhaps bday dinners provides the best opportunities for a gathering given our clique's great diversity in hobbies and interests and to have let it slip by was an oversight on my part. It is however, everyone's part to sometimes accommodate and participate in activities that may not cater to personal interests and hopefully we can work towards that collectively.
First and foremost, I have to apologise. I'm truly very sorry for not being able to be ard most of the time. Given that I work in a club, I am not able to make it on weekends as it's a must to work on fri and sat nights. Before I head to work on weekends, I have to give tuitions so basically, my weekends are normally burnt. As for weekdays, most of you peeps have to work so it's rather inconvenient for you guys to meet up at night after a long day of work. Having said so, I am still guilty of not putting in enough effort to even organize a meeting once in a while. Maybe I dun express it enough, the fact is GMH is like family to me. Each and every member is like a brother and if need be, I'm willing to shed blood for any of you. This I am certain even though I can't guarantee that I would be able to dedicate more time to the clique especially when my exams is nearing. I will try my best to meet up for suppers if you peeps r having it on weekdays. As for sunday soccer, you guys should know I'm a football fanatic. It's hard to put into words how much I love the "beautiful game" and if I could, I wanna be playing it 24-7. Sadly, my knee doesn't permit me to do so. I ask for all of your understanding in this matter. To be frank, I have been thinking for a long time to have an 11-a-side game at St.Wilfred for my bday but it hasn't come to fruition. Maybe next year I'd organize one.
Psycho
Yup we've all been busy. The carefree lives of yesteryears seems so distant now in both physical time and memory. Yet, some snippets of fun and joy and laughter are still vivid and reminiscent of the bond that is of GMH. I can still remember the 5 hr long workouts and interludes of siew Mai and bananas. Something I would like to see resurrected in the future when our schedules are stable, be it just for an hr or two. I think the same applies to the clique. Traveling together is the best way to bond so next up is Nepal in Dec. Hope everyone can see it as a great chance for a memory that will be deeply etched into our minds and hearts. Imagine the struggles that we go through together as we traverse the unyielding terrain and the eventual elation when we reach the peak. It is definitely something that I want to go through with close friends and not distant acquaintances.
Guys, I think all of us have been very preoccupied with work/studies recently. I think I'm the most guilty of this, having just spent Fri and Sat night at home working and having to reject a dinner outing. This is something that really hurts, I know. Who really wants to be working when they can be hanging out with good friends and having a good laugh? Definitely, we can all try harder to manage our time better and try to clear our stuff before the weekend. The basic problem is really time management, for me at least.
Psycho, unfortunately your work schedule is tough. But let's try to hang out weekdays after exams (both yours and mine), with whoever else is free on weekdays.Don't forget to call me if you have any doubts or problems with your exams btw, I've been thru 3 rounds of UOL exams and I know its really really tough.
Teh, I never said this but I really appreciated all the hang-out's and bjj at ntu. Even though one of your 'kips' gave me kt for a while haha! It was really good to be schoolmates again, even just for a year.
Dey, I feel a bit bad sometimes too. I know I've been taking more than giving, especially from you. You spent a lot of time listening to me each time I had romantic problems. Really appreciate that. Even now, I'm still grappling with my recent failure. Maybe that's why I've been distracted, matters of the heart really sap me of my optimism and sometimes I just wanna throw yourself into work or spend all day in bed. You know what I mean. But this too will pass and I know the time will come again when I rethink my position among my friends and ask myself what more I can do for those around me.
AH
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