Abeer Appropriates!

. I havent written one of these in a long long while. Hence this post.

. One of the first and foremost things I need to stress is that I have reached a decision. I will now practise this line on every one I know. Whenever someone tells me that they like someone, or think someone is cute or yada di yada, I will respond with, 'Yeah sure, but can s/he paint with all the colours of the wind?'

. I am also going to try my level best to use the following two words in conversation as much as I can- groovy and pervasive.

'Hey Abeer, did you see that new movie?'

'Yeah man it was so groovy'.

I, ladies and gentlement, am bringing groovy back.

'HOMG did you see the headlines yesterday? So pervasive man, seriously'.

'What is happening to society? Everything has become so pervasive, honestly'.

. I sound terribly cool now, dont I?

. This post has also occurred for one other reason. I start tomorrow, the first day of my last semester ever in Monash. Never again will I go to Monash, never again can I claim to be a full-time student here. Soon though I am sure this pre-dated nostalgic is about to evaporate faster than condensed milk at the bottom of a glass of teh tarik the moment the workload goes nuts, I wish to remember this time because this is it. I've been lucky enough to drag on my studies for a year more than most students (even though at times last semester it felt more of a bane than luck) and had the chance of gaining an incredible support system that have all but pulled me out of what would otherwise have been a total fatal end. No, this isnt suicidal and is probably not even about what you think. I think I'm trying to be poetic here about Honours, but clearly its not coming across as so. And no, at no point did I think of giving up Honours. Lets just forget it. I murdered what I was trying to say.

To get back to the point that I was trying to make, its my last semester here ever. This is the end. And honestly, I'm quite upset about it. I know this statement will undergo plastic surgery and come out as 'man, I cannot wait for uni to be over' very soon, but for the time being, I am in mourning in what is to be (in the mother of all cliché statements) the end of an era.

. Click here. This is the link to the face of an extremely happy person. He is, by popular opinion, 'the coolest monk ever'. I have never met this man nor seen him in person, but he pretty much made everyone's day who saw him. We met him in Saigon and his philosophy on life (+ the fact that he loved posing for pictures) was quite a thing to be party of. I wish I were there that day. I really wish I were. The thought right beneath that picture is Fei's, who was Head Photographer for the trip (and takes some excellent photos). I love that thought.

. This post comes also at a time of reflection. One year this time last year, was the worst start to a semester ever. I could barely function with the scale of news that I'd received on a Monday evening much like tonight. I clearly remember going to bed crying. The next day, it was like life had been robbed out of uni. Almost everyone who knew was wearing black, but I decided to do the colourful thing and wear one of my more colourful outfits. I realised that I never did manage to thank the people at the time who were also grieving, and some who were there for support. For being there for me, if only on the other end of the phone line or with a hug, thank you for what you did. I sincerely appreciate it.