The Ocean of My Being

I have a close friend who got married recently and she asked for a very weird wedding gift, that is, she asked me to write her vow. I've actually known her before she met the love of her life, so she said it'd be a piece of cake for me to write it. But, vows are supposed to be very personal. Not even the best writer in the world could match the words that actually come straight from the heart. I told her that. But, there was no changing her mind. She told me that it was the only gift she wanted (read: demanded) and she's not going to take no for an answer. Therefore, I had no choice. I asked her how she felt for her "baby" so that I could just get the feel and attempt to write as if I was actually the one feeling it. Being thousands of miles away didn't exactly help. Or did it? After some meaningful exchanges, I came up with something and she liked it (in her exact words and spelling, she looooved it soooo much! ). Despite being a little lengthy, she promised ...

It's been 4 days since Christmas Break started. What have I been doing? Well, for most of the time, I've been sitting and lazing around at home as I was sick for the first two days. I think it's my body telling me to just slow down because I'm not as young as I used to be. When I was younger, er, younger than I am right now, I was so used to immersing myself completely in things that I needed to work on. I could go for one whole week with only 3.5 hours (that is 30 minutes of sleep every night). I could go on for three straight days without a single minute of sleep. That was the kind of life I led. But, now, it seems like age is taking its toll on me. Fatigue and exhaustion have caught up with me. And, until now, I find it weird and unbelievable that I can't even last 2 straight days of no sleeping without getting sick or sleeping the whole day on the third day. Now, I understand what my seniors used to tell me, savor your youthful strength and do the most out of it...

After 8 days in Thailand, I came back home exactly a week ago. I've been pretty busy making up for lost time, working on some things I missed when I was away and writing the reports I need to submit. And, because of all these things I've had to work on all at the same time, plus my classes, I've come down with a fever and really bad colds and cough. Oh, but despite, feeling under the weather and all, the trip was all worth it and I've learned so much and gained new life-long friendships. And also, I got to see my beloved Thai foster family, with whom I stayed with nine years ago when the Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program brought me and 300 other youth participants to Thailand. Seeing my Thai family again was one of the reasons why I was so excited to take the trip. All in all, I can say that the whole trip was truly fruitful. It was fun, educational, enriching, unforgettable, relaxing, and really heart-warming for me. It was definitely something I needed. I enjoye...