A sad goodbye...

She came and she made her smile. And people said that when she smiled, her eyes smiled with her. She came and she made her laugh. She came and she made her feel loved. She came and she made her feel like nothing in the world would ever ever *ever* harm her, hurt her or make her cry.

The beautiful bond they shared was strenghtened by the short time they spent together. They travelled, they danced, they ate, they laughed...they had the best time. From sleeping on bunk beds in hostels to pampering themselves in five star hotels, they did it all! They ate ice cream in the sun, they got drenched in the rain, they talked for hours into the night- pausing movies, that they'd never get back to watching.

Their love is a strange love. Nothing could ever get between them, nothing can ever pull them apart. Their love surpasses all other relationships in their lives. They trust each other with their bank accounts =) (and lives) and could commit murder for the other. They're fiercly protective of each other, always watched out for the other and have always supported each other in every aspect of life. People kept wondering as to how these two women could possibly travel so extensively with each other...but knock on wood, God willing, they get along so well they had a fantastic time!! There was a bit of a struggle some years ago, but, with time comes a certain repect and patience for each other, and a desire to understand and accommodate towards the other person.

With an eclectic mix of being both taciturn and loquacious they jabbered for hours and giggled like little girls & sometimes just sat and enjoyed each others company in perfect silence. But this morning there was only silence. Both were holding back tears in between hugs and telling each other to be strong. Each were full of advice for the other, with reminders as to not forget to take their medication, or to always keep smiling...or just to get an errand done. This advice was given awkwardly, in between choking sobs...both wanted just another last hug and to say just another last little word goodbye.

Neither cared if anyone was watching and neither cared of the tears streaming down their faces. They both felt like their hearts were being ripped out of their bodies, an overwhelming feeling I couldn't even make you feel if I wanted to. They looked at each other for one last time between a throng of people at security. Both were blowing each other kisses, now not even trying to hide the tears that were streaming down their faces. They knew that they both needed to hold on to each other real tight and bawl and cry like a baby in the others arms, but they had to move on because so is life. And life makes you move on.

When she came back to her room she felt empty. Something was missing, a part of her had gone. Just...left for a while, kinda like on loan. She just stood there and sighed as she saw half empty cups of chai left around her room. Feeling physically exhausted and emotionally drained she collapsed on her bed nearby and cried into her pillow until her father called and comforted her. She couldn't bring herself to change the sheets, or clean the room as the room smelt of the perfume, the scent she's so used to and misses terribly! She finally just sank into a spot on the floor in the corner of the room and tried to stop those stupid tears, craving one loving tender hug...

Right now she's flying somewhere over Afghanistan and I hope she's okay. I hope she is happy and relaxed being pampered on first class. For now, I just have this sinking feeling. I know something's gone and will remain missing for a while...

I'm inconsolable right now.

My mum flew back this morning.

I love you maa.

ARGH!!

I *finally* found this computer with an English keyboard. I *finally* wrote a super huge post.

Blogger didn't autosave it =(

But anyway, I've had a great day in Paris...you could have read all about it if blogger had actually worked.

I'll just have to leave you with an e-mail my brother sent me, that made me smile. He wrote this in return to one I wrote him from Paris yesterday, his emails always make me smile! =)

mate, that sounds awesome. i'm melting my ass off in bhiwani. its bloody hot. also, i finished with driving lessons today. it took me 5 days. but i'm pro! i'll show you in singapore.

glad your travelling around europe man- about time. and yeah, i want something from scotland. i want you and mom to buy tickets to the belle and sebastian gig on sunday night. or the mogwai gig on monday. now, dont just roll your eyes as it might just interest you to know that mogwai are the pioneers of a musical gener/subculture known quite rightly as post-rock. fine, screw it, roll your eyes. i'm wasting my time. tell mom to call. its bin a lifetime and i miss her like shit.

paris sounds cool- just do one thing, screw the eiffel tower and go to a pub called la chute (french for 'the fall'). its renowned for its live shows (rock shows that is. you pervert).

take care, dont lose your passports this time.

love, hugs and a big sack of dry wheat.

OMGOMGOMGOMG!!! (A.K.A OH MY GOD!!!)

I'm going to Paris!!!

PARIS PARIS PARIS!!!!!!! YayayayayayaYAYAYAYAYAY....*YAY*

I'm super duper ooper excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Me and mum leave in a couple of hours...I'm all packed and ready, we're off Monday *early* morning, I'm getting up at 2 am & the flight's at 5. We'll be there pretty early & our hotel is perfect! I'm back in the wee hours of Friday night/Saturday morning, so I've got a whole 5 days to explore the city of my dreams!

I'm ever so slightly bummed (like 0.0001%) that I'm visiting the most romantic city with my mum and not someone else...however I'm (insert every synonym of excited you've come across in your life) & happy that I'm going with mum.

Since my French isn't up to par (it's as good as my Martian) I'm totally relying on mum's natural ability of French to get us through this trip. I can't wait! I need to go sleep or else I shall hyperventilate.

Oh also, I got my ears pierced today!!!!!!!!!!! =) =) *hugewidegrin* I have one piercing on my ear, I've waited 12 years for a second one, and it is GORGEOUS! I'm so delighted! =) Pictures & updates soon...well as soon as next weekend.

Smile & spread love!!

S xoxo

ps: mum made delicious mutter paneer, chole, kadhi chaval, bhaat (like pullav) and other veggi foods for when my friends came over today, I was gonna take pictures & post recipes but I was so excited about gettingmy ears pierced, I totally forgot! Will do some soonly!

Picture update :)

We were all over Scotland for a bit, we went shopping in Manchester & Liverpool...and finally spent some time in Cheshire Oaks.

My friends are coming over tomorrow & mum's cooking for them, so should be good fun. Right now I'm just exhausted & need to head to bed!

having the time of my life! =)

Love from Glasgow! =)

We're having so much fun! This place is shoppers AKA *my* paradise!!!
I've already bought 5 new pairs of shoes!! It's so much fun hanging out with mum- we haven't eaten this much ice cream in forever!
Will update over the weekend when I'm back home :)
*smiles*

Sorry I'm not writing...

I'm in scotland!! =)
Will update over the weekend, when I'm back, if I can.

Still feeling sick!

This bug/infection thingie I've got is really bugging me now. Pun wasn't intended.
First of all I can't eat anything but plain yoghurt, which puts me in a crappy mood & I can't cook. I usually really enjoy going out for a meal & we went to Tea House tonight which is one of my favourite places, but I could feel my body craving soup or fruit, which ever is easier to swallow. The steroids are making me feel yuck & my tummy isn't doing too good either. Plus I've been coughing so hard...if anyone sees my lung somewhere, please return it back to me!

Anyway, Tea House is usually one of my favourite spots. I still don't get why its so surprising that I talk to the chinese waiters in chinese. When I say something to them in chinese, they look at me like I was wearing a see through dress. I mean Mandarin's just another language and anyone can learn a language right? When I return the fork & spoon they give me with my meal & ask for chopsticks, they look it me like I'd just asked for all the cash in their register! Let me just say that I actually speak chinese & eat with chopsticks better than my chinese friends, who do both quite rubbishly.

I think its really weird when people assume that someone doesn't speak the same language as them. There's such an international community in Singapore I guess I'm always open to a German guy speaking Punjabi or an Indian guy speaking Spanish (both of which I've seen happen). I don't drop my jaw in amazement as most people do, they're just bilingual. It's not all that much of an achievement is it?!? I kinda think its a little bit funny, i.e. when I see a lot of Sindhi's here from Malaga & they look/act like Spanish people & can rattle off in Spanish for hours, or when they're from Hong Kong & speak Cantonese at rapid speed. But not WOW material.

But the most annoying thing for me is when Indian people, talk about me, with me standing right there, thinking that I can't understand them. Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, Haryanvi, Gujrati, whatever. I understand you, you fool! They just act so cheap making comments & I can't be bothered actually wasting even a second of my time saying anything back to them. I usually just give them a look, which kinda lets them know I did understand what they said. But maybe I also don't say anything, 'cuz I really don't know what to say! It's the stupidest thing they could do, and its also kinda the reason I'm really apprehensive in hanging out a lot with the Indian community here. I don't mind getting to know some of them over cultural shows and stuff...but I really feel out of place in their 'get togethers'. I'm so glad I know some really nice desi people & it's a whole lot of fun when we do get together. We're like a huge group of 50 guys & girls, and these desi people are different from your usual FOBs.

Over the years we've celebrated diwali, holi, eid, christmas, pongal, onam and every other religious festival with such flair. Plus I'm really lucky to have some awesome international friends who're quite open to other cultures (and being as we're all from a different country, it does help!) and have always celebrated major holidays with me. My flat is such a melange of cultures we're constantly having a party for something or the other. With so much to celebrate, I have so many happy memories to take through with me in life.

In our flat we have 7 birthdays, 4 are in December, (try and imagine HOW many presents sit under our christmas tree which usually comes up in our flat at the end of November & stays up till January) we've got to celebrate diwali, holi, eid (at the end of ramadan), name day (a greek tradition), easter, the greek easter, onam, pongal, some buddhist holiday I can't remember, baisakhi, choti eid & christmas. Our flat is so full of parties, we don't need any more reason's to party! And I absolutely love it :)

When I was young & I heard people talking about the awesome experiences I was gonna have as I grew up, I had no idea they were gonna be this awesome! When people said 'In uni you'll make friends that'll last a lifetime', I had no idea those friendships were gonna grow & we were gonna become a part of each other's families. Celebrating every significant other, standing up for each other when someone was hurt, mourning losses or parents, getting excited about engagements & upcoming weddings, celebrating graduations, babies, birthdays & a whole load more! I love you guys & I love our 310 family.

So here's to the nights we can't remember, with the friends we'll never forget!

And I'm sick of eating this £1.60 a packet rip off of Kurkure. If anyone knows where to get Kurkure in the UK, or anyone's willing to post me a couple of packets from India- please get in touch!!!!! I miss my kurkure!!!!!!!

Some more about me...

Wedding pictures!

Becky & Peter's wedding was last weekend & I've finally managed to get hold of some pictures! Posing with the bouquet.
I should be a hand model.
Didn't really want to get my picture taken that early in the morning.
Helping Becky with her dress.
Outside church just before the ceremony.
With Ann & Gemma & her lovely daughter Lola.

With Sam- the best man, Peter, Becky & Kunbi- the lovely bridesmaid.

I'm happy duh-lappie =)

Coco & Squid are back from Kilimanjaro (with pressies!) next week, mum's gonna be here next week (with more pressies!!), I'll finish my OSCE next week (no more exams!!!), my Avon order will be here next week & I am just one happy walnut right now :) Plus I'm going to Kimos for dinner tomorrow night & I can't wait to have my usual meaty calzone pizza!!!! Yum, yum, yum! It's a going away do for Tracy, she's going back to HK, so we've all got to look good! Wonder what I'll wear...Anyway, another reason why I'm high right now is probably 'cuz I got another phone!!! I love new phones, all phones in general actually!! It's a brilliant deal, all thanks to D. An awesome new Nokia! Whoot! I can't wait to d/l some funky ringtones on it, any suggestions for any good new songs?

Slept over at D's last night & we had the most amazing chatpatte chole! Spicy & tangy, just the way I like it. It was perfect. Once a month I definately up my game on the spice level. I don't understand why my body craves spicy tangy food at that time of the month, Sunny's already commented that I act like a weird pregnant woman. But hey! That's just the way I am sometimes! I've eaten a whole bar of dairy milk in the last 36 hours...I'm a monster! =) Anything to stop thinking about the pain I'm in right now!!! ><

Anyway, I was playing around with my camera at D's last night & I don't think I'v ever seen my eyes look so brown! I love it! I've always been fascinated with brown eyes. I think they're so brilliantly puppy dog-esq & I could swim in them. So much so that I even ordered a pair of honey brown contact lenses 2 years ago. Except I discovered I'm absolutely rubbish at putting contact lenses on. After nearly an hour of poking my eyes out, I did totally give up. I think I've worn them a couple of times at random occasions, but they made my eyes burn & sting. Anyone know why that is? I did take good care of them & wash them with contact solution regularly! And how are you supposed to know which side of a contact lens is the right side??! I really want to get some more now, but they seem like too much effort. If anyone's an expert on them, let me know.

I'm having real trouble with my new powerless glasses as well. I can't really blink when I'm wearing them, 'cuz my eye lashes get squashed on them. But, I did get some funky pictures with them on. I just couldn't blink while taking 'em.

I even spoke to mum over the webcam today & I wore my glasses to see if she'd notice I was wearing them & she didn't for a whole 10 minutes!!! She was more interested in some stupid Indian soap called 'Betiyaan' or something. Can you believe it? She picked to watch TV over talking to her own child!!! Hmpf, women. Anyway, my dad was home after a flight (he either had just operated a quick return to KL, or was back from LA/Shanghai...I wasn't really paying attention) and he was making chutney (because I was paying more attention to the chutney he was making!). Khatte aam ki chutey. I told him to send whole load of it with mum next week! Dad is an AWESOME cook! He makes a really mean fish curry, lamb curry, prawn curry- I LOVE IT! The only thing that mum probably makes better than him (is vegetarian food 'cuz she's not a big meat eater) is bhadta. And I love mom's bhadta. When I'm back in Singapore I tell my maid to make baingan (eggplant/aubergine) everyday! It's the one thing I could absolutely commit a crime for. I love masala baingan, aloo baingan, bhadva baingan, khatte baingan, bhadta...just any form of baingan!!!!!!!!! It's my only favourite vegetable! And I can't wait for mum to come & cook it for me here. Anyway, before I drown my laptop in my saliva, I'm gonna run...and play with my new phone in between some revision.

Me = Loco.

I felt so blah yesterday but I'm glad I don't feel like that anymore :) Mostly because I want to feel happier todayand that in turn made me act more like myself this morning in the library.

I had to go return a book & pick up one I had on hold & while browsing I bumped into a friend. He's as big a nut job as I am. We hid behind a whole shelf of books and made weird animal noises as people were walking past. 15 minutes of giggling like crazy has put me in my right senses again =) Some people stopped & looked really confused but the funniest was one girl ran away!!! Hahahaha! I feel so evil :)

People that I live with will tell you that I'm bonkers. I don't mind most of the time, 'cuz I really am cuckoo! Well so are the people I live with & we're a happy cuckoo-catchoo family. Here's some crazy things that we've done together, or I've indulged in myself. I highly recommend them to everyone. You know what, within 24 hours of reading this, atleast try to do one of the things I've done. Embarassed isn't a word in my vocabulary & it shouldn't be in yours!

• Three years ago when working over easter break in a cardiology hospital in Lajpat Nagar under my mum's best friends husband I paged myself over the intercom. Didn't really disguise my voice. My cousin was working on the reception (who still works there actually) couldn't stop laughing till lunch.
• I was in the Mustafa parking lot this christmas with my new hair dryer I'd just bought. My mum was still shopping for dal-chaval, so to ammuse myself I pointed the hair dryer (James Bond style) at everyone that walked/drove past. One kid waved back at me.
• I do this thing where everytime someone yawns I poke my finger into their mouth really quick & yell 'Couldn't bite me!'. My friends get so annoyed, haha! More so by accident I actually did it to a random woman sitting next to me on the bus last year.
• When I went to buy tickets for What happens in Vegas a couple of weeks back, I asked for a student ticket. When the guy on the counter asked for my student ID I used my friends (he's Sri Lankan) and in reply to the puzzled look on his face I told him I wasn't born a woman. He actually didn't charge me for my ticket :)
• I baked a cake for someone's birthday at work. She'd started an awful rumour about a friend of mine. Since her birthday, I haven't heard from her. (I'd chucked in about 20 pennies in the cake batter when I was baking it, muahaha!)
• Once I slept over at a friends place & when leaving in the morning I used up most of her post it notes to cover her entire fridge.
• My flatmates do this to me all the time. They always wait till I've sipped some kind of a beverage and then make me laugh & watch it coming out of my nose.
• Couple of us watching a friendly England game at Old trafford in Manchester screamed PENIS! whenever someone scored. There were 5 goals that game :)
• I took pictures of my friend before helping her unstick her toungue to my freezer.
• I don't have a cheque book, so I write "for smuggling rabbits" in the memo field's of all my flatmate's cheque books.
• I also slipped notes under all their doors pretending they were from someone else in the flat.
• A guy on my course asked me to pick up a copy of the lecture notes he wasn't gonna be able to make it to. I removed all the staples & stapled them in the center of the page. I continue to do it & he continues to ask me to pick up notes for him. Duffer.
• Sometimes when I write an email to my mum- i don t use any punctuation it annoys the button s out of her
• We usually drive down to the McDonalds late at night with D to get ice cream. I always specify thrice at the drive through that my order is 'to-go'.
• Sometimes I follow people when I'm in a clothing store. Women really freak out! Hahaha!
• When I'm working at the bar and people ask for my number I usually -give them a number of someone I want to annoy -tell them I'm gay & point to my 'lover' (my flatmate Rosy who also works at the same bar as me & you can tell she's a lesbian from a mile away) -tell them I'd love to go out with them sometime, but I'm 4 months pregnant so I won't be able to drink -ask them if they're okay with the fact that I'm booked for a sex change operation that weekend. I've only had one guy still come back for my number yet again, even though I've tried all my pranks. I would consider being flattered, but he's short & balding.
• I always ask if my pizza delivery guy spat on my pizza.
• I usually answer my phone with 'Pizza hut, your order please.' It amazes me how many people still get confused & wonder if they've got the wrong number. Idiots!
• Before hanging up, or getting out of the cab I always always wish the other person a merry christmas. Over the phone it just makes people laugh, but there's actually logic behind wishing cab drivers merry christmas. I'm not gonna see them again before the next christmas, am I? I'm glad you see the logic my brain thingies see.
• Sometimes I talk to strangers in an Australian accent. Sometimes I even talk to people on customer service lines in an Indian accent & sometimes I ask for directions pretending I can't speak English.
• My flatmates and I constantly do this. We'll be shopping or whatever and then I'll ask a question in French & one of them will reply in Finnish. (We actually do speak these languages, not just make up gobbledegook) We continue to have conversations while speaking in different languages all the way through. After three years of living with the same nut cases, now we even understand each other :)
• I shopped in Asda once in a cape & pretended like I didn't know what the problem was. Fortunately in '04 I lived one street away from the Asda & had some really cooky housemates.
• I constantly scribble '$49.99, free trial available' on my friends hands.
• I sometime's also scribble 'dry clean only' on my friends.
• I give directions in medical terms & repeat the same when people go- what??! Eg. Drive on the medial side of the road. Go the proximal end of the street.
• I sing the James Bond theme (yes, when other people are in there with me) constantly when I'm in an elevator. I also sometimes pretend that I am James Bond when I'm in an elevator. Me and Squid sometimes do it together.
• We took some friends visiting Singapore to the zoo & the night safari. When we were leaving me & their kids ran towards the car park yelling 'Run for your life, they're loose!'.
• One of my favourite restaurants in Singapore is Sketches. It's an Italian place & you get to make your own meal, tick some boxes, pick what goes in your pasta & you have to write your name on the top of your order. The best part is, the waiters HAVE say your name out loud when your order is ready. My brother usually goes for Mike Hunt & others include Adam Baum, Mike Rotch, Craven Moorehead (haha!), Dick Tator, Jack Hass and Tad Pohl. I've tried & tested many including Anna Sasin, Sue Flay, Polly Ester, Lou Zar, Hazle Nutt, Ella Vader, Carrie Dabebi and Anita Shower.
• I have also ordered diet water when I'm at sketches. I'm pretty sure the waiters there hate my brother & me.
• I love watching Rosy scream- I won! I won! everytime the cash machine/ATM dispenses her cash.
• She also usually does that when we go shopping at Tesco's, use the self service tills and wait for the machine to give us change when we pay with cash. It always makes a couple of people standing around us, smile.
• One of my laywer friends sometimes starts his sentences with 'In accordance with the prophecy...'
• Yesterday, at the cinema I paid for my ice cream. Except I paid for the entire 1.95 of it in pennies. That's a hundred and ninety five pennies! Hahaha!
• When I'm with my mum, we always dance in the car to the Bhangra music we're blasting while waiting at red lights.
• When I'm bored & doing a history I always ask what gender my patients are.
• My friends & I sometimes pretend we have Tourette's when we go shopping.
• Something that I haven't done, but would love to do, is to sing along at a recital/opera type thing.

Yup, I'm definately back to my old self.

Not all that motivational...

We've all seen these motivational posters, right? They're all over! In schools, hospitals, offices, police stations...my therapist's office. Anyway, I just discovered there's a whole other genre of these out there which as absoflippingutely hilarious!! Enjoy! =)