Love is Art

J:

Stands for the power of secret thinking and the art of making wishes come true. Ever the intrepid traveller, she will fly to faraway destinations, even if it is just for the sake of doing nothing in particular with a few like-minded friends. Lover of straight talk and sound advice dished out in the form of bitter medicine, J will quicken your step with ninja impersonations (in Japan's most sacred shrine no less) and offers to carry your luggage in her gigantic silver Jac-in-the-Box.

She swept in and out of our days like a summer typhoon (J would insist her stay was more like that of a sperm whale but i really dont see the connection), colouring our trip with bats of her kohl-lined lids and her take on love, life and friendship.

Some things, however, dont ever change. like how J would still want to hurry back to the hotel to wash her hair even though it is now shortly cropped, or how we all try to look for yomogay in japanese bakeries.

XY:

Stands for "lean-on-me-i-will-take care-of-you" rock of gilbrator-worthy reliablity dressed with a healthy dose of mothering. i heeded her advice and turned off my inner GPS, content with following her stride.

her love of all things strawberry is cleverly juxtaposed against a nearly all-black ensemble and dark nail polish, but a quick look at her dressing table revealed what i always knew. pink cheek tint, berry lipgloss, Daisy perfume.

there is a girl in XY, and her feet will be swept off the ground by a man who knows and sees her for the person that she really is. XY only needs to believe.

R:

Stands for sheer gumption and the ability to deal with personal contingencies that is impossible for me to summon. hokkaido might be cold and sometimes unfeeling, but R's laughter is really the kind that would melt even the hardest of stones.

R is really not as clumsy as she thinks she is, although love for one's husband is best practised with a lot of care and caution. the next time a snowy mountain beckons, R really needs to tell herself that she will go home safe and happy.

R couldnt join us on our trip, but we thought of her every step of the way. hope she liked the package we sent her.

The Four of Us:

Stands for comic tension, endless conversation, blankets of comfort and rose-tinted friendships.

Love is indeed Art.

Warwick Avenue

The girls are on to something.

this is probably duffy at her best and i really think her tears are heartbreaking.

White Cows Never Looked This Good

The all-new leather tote from Burberry. Saks is selling it for US$995, but let's see if I can locate it in Nagoya and try it on for size.

友情ってもっと格好悪くてもいいのに

ほったらかしてからすでに七ヶ月が経ってしまったのだ。

仲がとっても良かったので、ずっと葛藤で悩んでいた。「これでいいの？」って何回も自分に言い返した。結局、あきらめることを選んだのだ。

大人になったせいなのかよく分からないけど、年をとればとるほど素朴な人間関係を求めるようになった。恋人とはそうだし、もちろん友情に対しても同じ期待があった。

「素朴」とは、飾りのない、単純でまっすぐな気持ちが込められているということだろう。
つまり、素直に自分と向き合えるとのこと。

素朴な友情なら、本当のことを言えるはずなのだ。誠実に気持ちを伝えられるはずだ。
友達の前に自然に振舞うことができなければ、その友情は一体何なんだろう？

いまさら謝っても元に戻れないような気がする。悩みが増える一方だけだ。

The Fried Mascot

Do something wrong and you might be struck bald by lightning, just like what happened to the Merlion.

Being a mascot has never been more dangerous.

Faintly interesting, this.

Bumper Crop

And so the last Peter Pan graduates from Neverland and asks the fairy for her hand.

it seems that everyone around me is either getting married or being proposed too, and the prospect of becoming a later bloomer (or worse, a non-bloomer) is making its presence felt in very real terms.

i am 29. i should be starting on anti-wrinkle and cellulite-busting creams. i might be 40 when my kid enters primary school. my skin will eventually sag and so will the rest of my body. wedding gowns don't go well with ageing brides. i need a reason to keep staying on this island.

so in order to hasten the natural progression of things, it makes sense that i ask him about our plans for the future.

or so people think.

this is almost silly to admit, but the bridezilla in me craves for The Moment. the instant when the man gives you that i-am-so-nervous-i-can-almost-die-right-here look, the split second he goes down on one knee, his fumbling fingers opening the ring box, the constriction in your throat and that life-changing, teary "yes" that you immediately whisper.

i want all of that. and i am not about to sabotage The Moment for myself by broaching the topic first. what's the point of a proposal if there is no surprise element or no fireworks exploding across the sky?

the man formerly known as peter pan proposed over an evening of newspaper reading in the living room with no ring. most couples do the job with a trip to HDB. i am fully aware that my own proposal would be less than earth-shaking, but still, i insist on being bowled-over. i want to be able to look at the man when asked that all-important question and know for sure that the path i choose to walk down will be the right one to take.

romance has never been a good friend of reality so i really dont care if i am candy-coating weddings and marriages. but yes, i will heed the advice of those concerned and learn to make my intentions known, albeit in small and discreet ways.

other than that, i shall be right here waiting for my one-carat tiffany ring and my man on bended knee.