hitchhiker

This weekend i found a new meaning to the word hitch-hiker.
On Saturday, I went to a long-awaited, eagerly-anticipated gathering with my track pals.
Frens from when we were gawky 13-year-old runners to today.
And for once in a really long while....all of us were present.
Some with spouses too!

OK, the five of us are...
Shanmei - Hitched. 5 mths preggers.
Melissa - Hitched. Bought new flat at Woodlands. Chinese banquet next Dec. Fiance in tow.
Qiuli - Bought new flat with boyfren of 5 yrs at Duxton. Waiting for proposal.
Jasmine - Just returned from work stint in London. Reunited with bf of 4yrs.
Moi - Came alone and shocked tat conversation topic was almost all abt getting hitched.

And so i was officially the hitchhiker....listening and absorbing all things to do with marriage, houses, boyfrens/fiances/husbands, rings, proposals, hotels and banquets.
It was the strangest thing.
Last I remember, we were all young and carefree and had strong identities of our own.
Shanmei was an avid lover of the world, globetrotting to half a dozen places in any year.
Mel was smart, vivacious and the most popular girl in SMU, or so I think.
Qiuli was the party babe, my anytime-Zouk pal, and a top touch rugby player at tat.
Jas was the marathoner, the one who din turn her back on running and easily the smartest and most straightforth, hardworking, un-vain gal.
Me, then as now, is the one who shops the most, laughs the most and cannot settle down with any one guy as long as i smell a cute one in the air. Or so they tink.

Now, Shanmei is the wife of Qiquan and mother to her son. Period. Topics with her revolve ard buying things for her new home, maternity clothes and hospital checks. I dun mind though.
Qiuli has become the stay-home other half of Eric... docile and 'obedient' to her man.
Mel is still her, except with a new status and new home.
Jasmine...the biggest change of all...she is now 300% devoted to her bf, domesticated, docile and altogether hardly recognisable when she's with him.
Sigh...I wonder how i've changed.
But as we were taking these all in and laughing ard, they all say i didn't change at all.
I can only hope that's a good thing.

What a looong loong way we've come in these 11 yrs of frenship.
The frenship is still evident and strong and lovely.
But everyone's lives have changed so dramatically i needed a wkend to take it all in.
No matter how we evade it,
We really are at that sickening age, aren't we?
That decade and prime of our lives where things happen so fast.
The graduation, the job, the car, the boyfren-husband, the wedding, the flat....
Gosh, i really dun wanna put kids in there.

There's just no avoiding it.
But i'm very happy for all my girlfrens.
To see all of them sooooo in love, so settled and with so many wonderful beautiful things to look forward to in their rich fortunate lovely lives.
God has richly blessed all of us.
With good health, good families, good intellect, good head on shoulder and good romances.
I'm immensely proud and happy for the grp of us.
Everyone is just soo...blissful. Sweet.
Life is indeed beautiful.
Praise the Lord.