for joyce
When I was composing this post in the shower just (yes, that's the kind of thing I do while shampooing), this seemed easy. It would be a touching, elegant goodbye. A thank you; an expression of love.
But I can't really start. And when I think of you leaving, and me leaving one week after, I just feel at a loss. Like I've survived for too long seeing your back as I stomped (yes, loud elephant footsteps) into the office, and a weekday morning that that doesn't happen just isn't conceivable.
One more day to stomp in and seeing your back, all the while avoiding faridah's evil eye. One more day to have a two and a half hour lunch; one more day to go for tea, share chocolate rhumba, slack at branding sipping cup after cup of water, with the occasional ignatius or jen to hang out with.
One more day to IM although we're two seats away from each other; one more day to come over to your desk to just chit chat, about the most inane or trivial thing that would crack us up anyway.
And when I think of the first time I saw you - the arrogant gait (haha!) mixed with my relief that I was no longer the newest, and most awkward person there - I could never have imagined then that you would become such a friend, such a shelter from the madness of the newsroom and adult life.
I could never have imagined that I would have the memories of these six months - the memories I have now. Being mistaken for prostitutes in our quest for a thai massage, then squealing and giggling and "schizer!"-ing through it; going for free buffet lunches at fullerton - with you taking the notes although it was my assignment - ; plotting the t-shirt stunt (and pulling it off!); endlessly debating our colleagues' sexualities.
Sharing the shit, the tears, the excitement and the fun of our virgin forays into the newsroom and financial journalism. Commiserating over shitty copy editors, ranting about evil secretaries (ok, more me), sharing each other's triumphs.
There were the ugly quarrels : the tension over a 15 cm; the YOU-got-rejected-by-DBS spat that became a why-you-arrow-me-to-ignatius altercation that erupted into a don't-pity-me-bitch fracas etc etc
We clashed because we were too alike - the same reason we clicked. And while we rolled our eyes at all the jokes by erica and grace about our intern uniforms and our double act, I was secretly thankful that you were the other intern, and not anyone else.
And so, it's with all the sincerity that I can muster, (and a pitiful face!) that I say thank you for spending these 6 months with me..for putting up with me, for laughing at my lame jokes (or at least rolling your eyes at them), for support, for cracking me up, for understanding, and just for being there where and when no one else could or would.
I told you once that I hoped you could forgive me for not being as good a friend to you as you have been to me - that holds true still. And now that it's time to say goodbye I can only wish that I had treasured everything more.
Ok, nobody is dying, but like you said: it's really the end of an era.
I'll miss ya terribly.
And the effort it has taken to write this post just only reminds me of the depressing fact that this is only the first of the goodbyes I'm gonna have to say over the next 4 months. Let's hope they get easier. (Why do I have the feeling that they don't?)
But I can't really start. And when I think of you leaving, and me leaving one week after, I just feel at a loss. Like I've survived for too long seeing your back as I stomped (yes, loud elephant footsteps) into the office, and a weekday morning that that doesn't happen just isn't conceivable.
One more day to stomp in and seeing your back, all the while avoiding faridah's evil eye. One more day to have a two and a half hour lunch; one more day to go for tea, share chocolate rhumba, slack at branding sipping cup after cup of water, with the occasional ignatius or jen to hang out with.
One more day to IM although we're two seats away from each other; one more day to come over to your desk to just chit chat, about the most inane or trivial thing that would crack us up anyway.
And when I think of the first time I saw you - the arrogant gait (haha!) mixed with my relief that I was no longer the newest, and most awkward person there - I could never have imagined then that you would become such a friend, such a shelter from the madness of the newsroom and adult life.
I could never have imagined that I would have the memories of these six months - the memories I have now. Being mistaken for prostitutes in our quest for a thai massage, then squealing and giggling and "schizer!"-ing through it; going for free buffet lunches at fullerton - with you taking the notes although it was my assignment - ; plotting the t-shirt stunt (and pulling it off!); endlessly debating our colleagues' sexualities.
Sharing the shit, the tears, the excitement and the fun of our virgin forays into the newsroom and financial journalism. Commiserating over shitty copy editors, ranting about evil secretaries (ok, more me), sharing each other's triumphs.
There were the ugly quarrels : the tension over a 15 cm; the YOU-got-rejected-by-DBS spat that became a why-you-arrow-me-to-ignatius altercation that erupted into a don't-pity-me-bitch fracas etc etc
We clashed because we were too alike - the same reason we clicked. And while we rolled our eyes at all the jokes by erica and grace about our intern uniforms and our double act, I was secretly thankful that you were the other intern, and not anyone else.
And so, it's with all the sincerity that I can muster, (and a pitiful face!) that I say thank you for spending these 6 months with me..for putting up with me, for laughing at my lame jokes (or at least rolling your eyes at them), for support, for cracking me up, for understanding, and just for being there where and when no one else could or would.
I told you once that I hoped you could forgive me for not being as good a friend to you as you have been to me - that holds true still. And now that it's time to say goodbye I can only wish that I had treasured everything more.
Ok, nobody is dying, but like you said: it's really the end of an era.
I'll miss ya terribly.
And the effort it has taken to write this post just only reminds me of the depressing fact that this is only the first of the goodbyes I'm gonna have to say over the next 4 months. Let's hope they get easier. (Why do I have the feeling that they don't?)
gah, this is so embarassingly maudlin. but very appropriate. am in the process of composing a similarly emotional piece on my blog. *sniff*
Posted by
nil |
8:33 PM