Of Ferdinand, Fraser's and Friendships

Ferdinand scores a header in the last minute to give Manchester United victory in the match against Liverpool at Old Trafford! What a way to end the weekend that was!

It all began on Friday with a long drive from Ampang Point to Eric’s house in Bentong. After planning this trip for quite awhile, I’m glad it finally came to pass. The next morning, we drove to Fraser’s Hill for a night’s stay at the Silverpark Resort. Fraser’s Hill is a quiet little place, away from the hectic city life. So we ate, walked around, ate some more, took photos, watched some video clips on my laptop in the comfort of the apartment room, ate, played ‘Betrayal at the House on the Hill’ (while eating), slept, and ate again… before driving back home on Sunday. I really enjoyed lazing around without having to think of other things. It’s been a very difficult month for me.

Most of all, I enjoyed the companionship of some of my closest friends. It was after we separated, with Nick going home to Penang, Jason traveling back to Malacca, and the rest of us to different parts of the Klang Valley, that I realized just how much I’ve missed those friendships! Squeezing together in a 2-bedroom apartment brought back memories… of CF camps, retreats, and the fun we had as students when we used to stay together with a large group of friends. There would be so much to do, so much laughter and fun, and long chats into the night. I really miss those times. But I guess life is different now. We have all moved on from there. We spend most of our time at home alone doing our own things. Either that or we’ll just be too busy (or tired) to find any time for our friends. When I went home, I could feel that hollow, empty feeling… I guess we call it ‘the blues’… I got quite depressed for awhile. And the thought just came to me – all three of my closest guy friends have gone back to work in Penang! I wonder if this lack of very close ‘male’ friends here have been one of the reasons for this bout of depression I’ve been having for the last month. I think I’ve learnt to appreciate these friendships very much.

Well, that last-gasp victory over arch-rivals Liverpool gave me a little reprieve… and lifted my spirits for awhile before I went to bed.