A fond farewell

Tomorrow, technically-never-my-student Jen leaves for Singapore, where she will be studying at NUS under a national scholarship. Last night, we had dinner with Maddy and Fred, our usual gang of four, as a send-off for our “baby” (the 3 of us in our mid-twenties are old farts compared to 18-year-old Jen). The conversation was pretty much dominated by talk of Singapore, due to Jen’s imminent departure, Fred’s upcoming teaching stint at NTU, and Maddy’s ongoing application for graduate studies at the same university. By this time next year, I may be the only one of our quartet left in Manila. Everyone seems to be leaving for Singapore, and I really don’t get its appeal… but I digress.

Anyway, after dessert, we called it a night and I hugged Jen goodbye. I didn’t start feeling sentimental until a late-night text exchange with her. It suddenly hit me that I would miss having quick access to the girl I call “Mini-Me”, whenever I buy a new book I think she’d also like, or when I bump into one of our common acquaintances, or if I want to dish about my latest blind date, or whenever I spot a horrible error in grammar or punctuation. :p I will also miss receiving texts carrying book recommendations, requests to borrow DVDs, questions about ethical dilemmas, and the usual array of angst-ridden gripes about life and that other four-letter word that starts with L. ;) Jen was never my student, so perhaps that accounts for the level of closeness we’ve reached. At the same time, I suspect it’s because we are so eerily alike in many ways (hence, Mini-me). In any case, she has become a really good friend, and maybe someday I’ll stop thinking of her as one of the Fyrinx, and she’ll be able to quit calling me “Ms. Lim” (but I don’t think “Dr. Evil” would be much of an improvement either).

Good luck and have fun in Singapore, Mini-me. I'm excited for you, and I hope you learn a lot, not just from your teachers and books (you nerd, you) but from all the experiences you'll have living in a foreign country. Beware of stalkers. ;p And remember, if you can’t be good, be safe (hey, I am Doc Evil, after all, hehe). See you around online.

“And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.” –Richard Bach