With every visit by a friend, Manhattan takes on a whole new meaning, a side, undiscovered, reveals itself with sparks of golden shimmering flakes. As quickly as it flashed its magic, its gone like dust in the wind. but there are moments that will not be forgotten, memories that are etched onto the heart, gratitude that cannot be expressed with only words.

i remember the thursday calvin was due to arrive. i was excited, i always am when friends come to visit. arriving at the airport, i waited at the arrival hall for 2 hrs cos his flight was delayed.when i finally got to see him, i didnt know how exactly to react. its been sometime since i last saw him, bidding him goodbye at the airport for his trip to taipei. he looked taller, thinner, and tanner than when i saw him on skype. its comforting to know that skype makes u look fatter than u really are. =)

he brought along a whole luggage of love from my lovely family. packs of singapore stirfried flavors of instant noodles n horfun, bak kwa, pong pia, vacuum packed durian, and of cos my birthday present. i teared, it ached to know that they were half the world around, but its only another 5 months, i cant wait.

i had to move while calvin was here. it was disheartening, having to move out so soon, i miss weinstein and its convenience. just 2 blocks away from the subway,space market just down the block, exercise room in the basement and most importantly my roomie who was a source of entertainment and joy. but the only constant in life is change, and there is always inertia which prevents us from moving on.so i made a conscious effort to start packing the loads of stuff that ive accumulated over the semester. thank God for calvin n rahmei, they helped me push all my barang barang over 3 blocks so we wouldnt have to make so many trips down to rubin.

bringing calvin around manhattan was relaxing. his main purpose wasnt to cover manhattan in its entirety. met isa n ella for ice-skating where yours truly taught another 3 to ice-skate. went for kummie's xmas party n spent deliciously delightful times with rahmei, kummie, and minjen. xmas eve was church service, followed by a display of culinary skills. dinner was simply delicious, topped with forrest gump and tears. i cant believe i waited till now to watch it, its such a classic.

everyone's been asking me how i spent xmas. i enjoyed it, though i didnt get to spend it with my family, i got to talk to all of them as they counted down to xmas! and as usual, i was having a wonderful dimsum lunch. after that, 8 of us trooped down to central park for a picnic. we had so much food we couldnt finish! bagels, muffins, gourmet cookies, banana pudding, porkfloss n egg sandwiches, tonnes of fruits, we laughed and made merry under a clear sky. albert serenaded us and we played silly games , polar bear,wolf games,silly guy bullying antics..it was just plain fun. caught the rocketts xmas show, and the money was worth it. more than just cancan dances and sexy legs, it was about precision, choreography, practice and sheer brilliance in colors and settings. korean dinner was warm and fuzzy.

besides the many attractions i brought calvin to, we also visited washington dc and upstate new york for skiing. the weather in washington was wonderful, and unlike new york where the buildings are decked in all sorts of colors and shapes, washington seemed alot more organised and clean. the sky was clear and the lawns were well-manicured. finally got to see the white house, us capitol, washington monument. the holocaust museum was starkly honest and enlightening. somehow reading about germany's advances in the world war, the tortures and the killings, are nothing compared to listening to the victims speak of the dehumanizing of their mates, watching videos of atrocity and pain. museum of air n space was interesting too, calvin loved it i guess, with his passion in planes. i regret not applying to georgetown. the campus is beautiful. the town itself has a culture of its own, and to be living among senators and congressmen would have been quite an experience.

skiing was a harrowing experience. it started out with us waking at 6.10 when we were supposed to be at the ski shop 10 blocks away at 6.30 we ran in the cold air, my 1st time and thank God we made it. im scared of sitting on amusement rides, so having to get onto a ski lift was kinda scary. but it aint that bad afterall. my first encounter with snow, and i loved it. the first time i went down the slope, i didnt know how to control my speed and ended up going too fast to even stop. the adrenaline rush was fun. when at last i did stop with the ultimate measure (tumbling down and rolling), we ended up snowball fighting, making snowangels n pathetic snowmen.. at the end of the day, i was glad with my progress. cant wait to go back n perhaps pick up snowboarding.

had a great time on new years eve with becky n mel. i decided to stay in and enjoy a meal of clam pasta in my cozy room. not being able to see much of the new years day celebrations from where they were standing in times square, becky n mel decided that it was simply not worth standing the remaining 6 hrs just getting shoved around. in the end, we ended up playing bridge and snacking on roasted chicken, tostitos n beer. counting down was fun, and im simply so excited for the new year.

last night, after i sent mel, becky, and calvin off, the silence and stillness of the room engulfed me. i never was alone in the past fortnight, and the darkness of the room came as a shock, but it has been something i have been used to in the past sem, and its perhaps time to start getting used to it again. every visit by a friend has its own characteristics and snippets that i will never forget. and in this holiday season, i just wanna say a big THANK YOU to all of u, for all that u have done, all that u are, and the magic and love of xmas that u have brought.





really excited. on the plane now to houston, texas where ill see shoes, AGAIN! and joyce the bimbo in the evening, then to LA.. wow! i guess this is compensation enough for not being able to go back to singapore in the winter. God has been merciful, and Thank God, for providing for these trips im making.