GoodBye is the hardest thing to say.

It's hard to say goodbye, to know that this is the end of his summer and his time with me. We waited patiently for 1.5 years to enjoy this 3-months summer and now, it's coming to an end. For 1.5 years, I secretly envied couples, holding hands in shopping malls and in my own universities. Whenever my girlfriends say she didn't have time for her boyfriend, I told her, "Then, make time for him. He's just a drive away..appreciate it." When it was time for us to be together, we just wanted to make up for the years we've been apart. Go for movies. Take a long walk. Talk. Play games. Cook dinner. Socialize with our friends. =) And we did! All of it.

Being in a LDR has never been easy. When I look back at the years we've been together, I can only testify that it has been God's grace that kept us together and sustained us. I couldn't figure out that this was all possible three years ago. LDR is never part of my plan. This relationship has taught me to put my trust in God, no matter how uncertain the future is. The toughest and hardest news to swallow was when he told me he couldn't make his way home last year due to financial constrain. And he had to call me less often to make ends meet on his side. When he uttered those words, I held back my tears. I wanted him home so badly last year but I had to understand his situation. Anyway, it isn't all about ME in this relationship and I had to put him first. I'm just so glad it was over and this summer was made possible for us, again.

Yesterday night, we talked of all the happy memories we shared this summer. I guess, when we're in a long distance relationship, we tend to appreciate every minute together. I treated yesterday as though it was my last day seeing him. We talked. We laughed. We giggled. We almost cried too.

By now, he should be in Johor, recuperating after a 4-hours bus ride from K.L. And I'm here, typing out whatever that comes into mind. If you were to ask me what was one of the most eventful thing that happened during this summer, I would say, the trip to a virgin island called Pulau Tengah, Johor. There, I met an old couple in their 70's. They were both missionaries. We called them Papa Gill and Mama Gill during our stay. They were the most loveliest, oldest couple. He held her hand almost every time he walked with her and spoke to her in the most gentle way a man could do.

On the last day, we managed to talk to them. We were first talking about their mission work and how they have utilized the Internet to spread the Gospel. I was really impressed when I heard a string of jargon words (for technology like PDF etc.) left Mama Gill's mouth.

I quickly made a mental note. No.1: You can learn new things even if you're old. Never let your age be an excuse to stop learning!

Somehow, towards the end, they learned that Elisha and I are in a LDR. And they said, "Well, with SKYPE now, you guys can talk to each other instantly. Last time, we can only pen letters..and letters take ONE WEEK to reach!" They encouraged and prayed for us that God's blessing will be upon us.

In a nutshell, I'm really thankful that God has sent us people to encourage us..give us a pat on the back and remind us that God is indeed in control and He knows what is best for us. I stood at the beach the previous day, with the wind brushing against my face and was reminded that God's love is as wide as the ocean and I can trust Him cos' He cares for me. Whatever the future holds, it's all safe in His hands.

For some reason...

..I thought today was Friday.

I was waiting for the LRT train at Bangsar Station this afternoon. Seeing the crowded train, my mind assumed that it was Friday and Muslims were traveling to the mosques.

So, on this "Friday",

I sent Elisha off to W.M LRT station. He's off to JB for a week before he flies of to U.S from Singapore Changi Airport. No mistake on this.

I messaged Ruth, apologizing that I can't see her today, on "Friday".

A friend sent me a message wanting to meet me at Uni this Friday. And I panicked cos' in my mind, it's "Friday". And I was so afraid she'd be mad cos' my clock showed passed 1.30 p.m., 30 minutes late for the meeting and I was at home. Then, I thought she could mean next Friday. Maybe, she should have called me to see if I'm on the way to Uni and confirm if I'm attending the meeting again. What if we ended up having a misunderstanding?

I almost wanted to message Jeremy to see if CG was still on. Until I saw today's newspaper!

And I had to send a second message to Ruth apologizing again for thinking today is Friday when in actual, it's a Wednesday.

When Elisha reached J.B at midnight, he called saying he has to do his passport tomorrow...and I said, "Oh, you're doing it on a Saturday? I'm sure there's a lot of people."

Elisha, "No, tomorrow's Thursday".

Ops.

The Singapore Zoo.

Yesterday, Elisha and I visited the Singapore Zoo. The entrance Fee was 23, which includes an unlimited tram ride around the zoo. We stepped into the zoo, walked on a wooden bridge and saw a man who was pointing at the river, 7 feet below. I couldn't be bothered until I saw a metal plate that stood at the side of the bridge. Taking a few steps ahead, I was wondering what it could be. It was just the entrance of the zoo and I doubted the animals were near us. When I looked down, I was surprised to see a huge crocodile with a thick tail that was ready to sweep anyone who was seen as a threat. =) To me, it looked like National Geography came alive. The only difference is I was not staring at the square box but an enormous crocodile that must have existed during the dinosaur era. The zoo was well planned. Nature was blended well with the zoo. The washroom basin was not in an enclosed area and water was dripping down at the edge of the roof to mimic rain. The staircase was made out of real stones rather than concrete. The animals were living in landscapes that followed their natural habitat, which made me wonder if we, humans, aren't the spectators but them. Cages were only meant for reptiles. Penguins and polar bears have their own rooms with air-cond, of course.

Along the way, we learned that a kind of lizard spurts out blood from its eye to warn their predators that, "I am dangerous!" and that Kangaroo is an Australian slang for, "I don't know what you're talking about" and they don't stop growing as long as they live. Baby kangaroos are called Joey and they are smaller than a 8-weeks old human embryo. The largest polar bear is twice the size of a human being and they are dangerous despite their cuddly look. Teddy bears were born from the idea of Theodore Roosevelt, 28th President of United States. We saw fishes that had a head of a crocodile. We squirmed looking at snakes. We looked at a giraffe that pee for a minute straight, making a big puddle of mess below it. The sea lion performed many tricks, rotating his body 360 degrees in the water, swimming like a dolphin, walking like a seal and kissing its trainer and a few kids, all is made possible because of a special, trusting relationship he shared with his trainer. The leopard cat is also known as "Chinese Gold Coin". 3 out of 8 species of tigers/lions have already extinct. The educational message behind was that human can be their threat, but they can be their only hope too. =)

In total, we estimated we walked for about 6 hours. Our legs were hurting and our stomachs were growling in hunger, that even the simplest Hainanese Chicken Rice at Ah Meng's Restaurant tasted delicious. Although the sun was shining brightly, there were enough shades to keep us cool. In the evening, we savored on egg tarts from KFC! We exited the zoo at 6.30 p.m. caught the bus and travelled to Clementi to meet up with my sister for a Japanese Dinner at First Catch Restaurant, where you can pick your raw fish from the fridge and the cook will slice it up, presenting it as a Sashimi Dish at your table. We had Unagi and California sushi. I especially loved the Japanses Egg Soup, which turned out to be simple yet tasty. Elisha loved the raw sword fish. I didn't dare try it. Then, I bought a Japanese Miniature and sank my teeth into Japanese Vanilla Ice-cream that satisfied the craving for sugar.

By the time we reached home, I was already 11 p.m. I'm really thankful for being granted a long moment to be shared with him. Love language spoken: Quality Time. =) Cherished and never be forgotten.