my neighbour

(click for bigger image)

When I first came to I T E, I was a sad and depressed gal. Sitting alone in this section of the office and basically having no friends, didn't really help to make the transition into working life easy. But all that changed when I had a neighbour. I remember when she first came to sit in my section, and when she decided to move to sit next to me ... I did have my doubts. I mean, hey! now she can see whatever i'm doing at my desk ...like surf the web and do own stuff during office hours. and i got no privacy now lor.

But whatever doubts I had soon evaporated into thin air.

I soon realised that I was really blessed to have the neighbour everyone would want. :) She wasn't the sort of person who would peep at what I'm doing, leaving me much alone to slack. Her side of the cubicle would be nice and neat and cleansed with Dettol regularly, but she'd let me have my own messy space, even when it encroaches into her space. And she was always willing to share, her experiences, her things, and above all herself.

I remember (not in any order) :

- when she brought her air purifier to clean the air around our cubicle.
- she helping me to clean my table (before it got too crowded that u cannot see anymore table space)
- she brewing teh-oh for me with tea leaves her dad got

- the time she made quiche (oh so yummy!) for me, and tabao-ed Nasi Lemak her helper made for me!
- we both trying to compete to win the top prizes from Life Lessons Book launch by being ks and answering all the questions as quickly as we could.
- when she gave me a bunch of handmade yellow paper flowers
- when she bought me super dark chocolate that's super bitter.
- receiving printed inspirational daily devotions stuck onto my cubicle wall
- sharing with her about ST, from the start when she was more excited about the flowers he sent than I was, til the day I made my decision.
- the day we had coffee at Campus Haven when I was so pissed off that I uttered a bad word, and she printed Eph 4:22-32 for me... haha.
- when she took me out for lunch at TCC, Siglap just to talk about the problems I was having at church and family.
- the times when she would ask me "are u ok?", and then i'd start crying, and then she'd start crying. When i made the decision with regards to ST, when i was affected by church split, and other times I can't remember.
- the times she would roll her chair over to read some email.
- when we would delibrately bicker loudly just to get Cindy to react.
- the times we would turn around and give each other "the look" when the temp staff(s) (those who used to sit at Ray's place) play music loudly and sing along, or make weird bodily sounds, or when we hear certain things coming from the big people's offices.
- being a part of her big day and the lead-up to it.
- being a part of her second big day (birth of Ephraim) and the 9 mths leading up to it!
- her crazy loud laughter that one cannot resist joining in.
- her squeaky footwear that she's been wearing since the pregnancy.
- and the latest, giving me a bottle of super fruit juice imported from i-dunnoe-where that's meant to help strengthen my knees.

I've not known her for a long time, but time is never a factor in consideration of friendship. She has proven to me that colleagues can be friends. That even in a war-zone, one can find a comrade protecting your ass and helping you to navigate through the mine field. That's what she has taught me through the sharing of her experiences that helped a newbie like me survive in this corporate world. Beyond that, she has been a confidant and sister to me. Someone I know would understand when I share, and would empathise and cry with me when I'm down, someone who seems to be able to read my moods and do big sisterly things like take me out for lunch and give advice that is worth considering.

Dear emily,

"friends are friends forever if the Lord's the Lord of them, and friends will not say Never, coz the welcome will not end, though its hard to let you go, in the Father's hands we know, that a lifetime's not too long, to be as friends".

I know baby Ephraim will grow up with so much more because of his mummy's love and positive influences. Plus daddy's money to support. heh heh.

After all, "its not farewell, its "I'll catch up with you another time"."

Luv,
your neighbour

I'd miss her.

I think I already am.