Old Friends

i bumped into an old pal just now while having lunch alone in the canteen. we had met when we were in year 1 and were quite good pals for awhile until we drifted apart once in different schools during year 2. its a funny thing that we still had it in us to hit it off quite well, so much so that she ended up talking more to me than her chinaman of a lunch companion (not surprisingly, since she's thai though that could've been her boyfriend, i'll never know), poor chap. i decided to do the right thing by not hogging her attention too long lest the chinaboy floored me with a shanghai chop, and left the moment i finished my food. it still left me with a good feeling knowing that i've got good friends whom i've drifted apart from peppering all over the place. as usual we said the cliched 'keep in contact, we'll meet up someday' shit that never happens. but it set me wondering about some of my other good pals i've been neglecting over the past few weeks...gosh this is gonna degenerate into a academy award mention list...

i know for one that my bestest male buddy goh chin teck had to email me just a week ago because he finally accepted that sms-ing and icq-ing me would only yield a reply hours later (that's because i'm not around) by which time he wasn't free. i learnt that he's now helping his dad in the cooperate gift business after he quit ntuc income. his dad's business isn't a bad career path i feel, and there's massive potential if he sets his mind to making it big. still it was a slight knock on my head to remind me what a lousy friend i have been all these years. haiz. kudos to him for the perseverence. still with (my replacement) crystal.

then there's old bud esther, who's currently working for a private firm dealing with bioscience education for lower-tier academia. she's drawing a decent salary and her work keeps her busy enough not to keep in regular contact with me as well. in fact the last time we metwas during the class gathering some two months back. still no boyfriend yet. hey why never call me liao?

there's also the candy-girl. she's busy with her fyp and lovin' it (just like moi!) and the only time i hear from her these days are her periodic whines about how rotten her life is what with fyp et al, and yet i get ignored before i can even begin to find out what's happened...well at least it'll be either that or i forget to reply her totally (always catch me when i'm busy and vice versa!). and how many times have we both agreed that it was high time we met up again? haven't seen her since mid-last year. still with boyfriend for a decently long time liao.

the old zuguang is another i haven't gone out with for a bloody long time. a midnight teabreak back in siglap seems too long overdue. but he's found replacements in bro hak, ah guan and gang. and he's stuck to cycling the life outta him eversince that knee op stopped him from his fav soccer. think i'll call him next weekend, high time i caught up with the old zook. single and available ultra negligent alpha-male (and i thought i was bad).

which reminds me that my dear butler on the other hand, is the one neglecting me. that guy never replies my smses on time AND never ever (well almost) meets up with us or me anymore. shoot. i just got your sms that you've changed your number bro, thank god you still have the heart to tell me that. found a young thing in mindef i heard?

of course there's sharon, the rather-be-sia girl-than-kpmg accountant who keeps me entertained with her whining and complaining (i'm not complaining!) and yes, those sia girl stories of yours are really good. boyfriend's still in ntu.

my dear army buds anthony (given up on me liaoz), gan (almost given up) and darrell (in philly), i am so damn sorry for the years of neglect. will make it up to you guys some day. and darrell if i go for campusa i'll surely come meet you!!! better start making a list of the strip clubs you're supposed to bring me to!!

the class of tpjc 96s08, i know we just met up two months ago so its not so bad. thank goodness. hopefully daniel (our beloved class rep) keeps up with the organizing of gatherings.

the class of dhs 4m, yeah thank goodness we also met up before sulynn flew to russia (wonder how's she doing there). amelia's changed a truckload and stacey's back from UK, hopefully we'll meet up again soon.

the class of dhs 2b, wah lan i dunno what the hell happened to all of us man. maybe someday there might be a reunion (which i'll not miss this time!) and we can all dissect why we haven't been as close as before.

the class of 6a brps, it's incredible even to this day friends listen in awe when i tell them we still meet up at least once annually. and its even more incredible that when we do meet up, its like more than half the class present! haha. special mention is my dear boon tat who's followed me from brps to dhs to tpjc to army to ntu. sheesh like will you get off my back already? haha. also to jinglong (tubby) for making it all happen.

to anyone i might've forgotten to mention, erm. keep in contact, friends forever, and erm, keep in contact, we'll meet up someday!