Someone’s Always Saying Goodbye

My former flatmate Nantoy is back in Singapore for a business trip, so we had hokkien mee at Geylang Lorong 29.

It was our first time to go there. You know the hokkien mee is good because there was a long queue for it.

Nantoy and his wife Monica are now based in Japan. They left Singapore last October 1st. Before they left, we had a farewell party slash garage sale at home for their friends.

Then we had our last “family dinner” at this lovely Peranakan restaurant called Quentin’s. It was too bad we had discovered this late, because the food is really delicious and affordable, and the place was so pretty. Nantoy said he would have wanted to always eat here.

But they’re not my only friends who have said goodbye recently.

There was my (now former) manager Andy, whose last day at the office was in August. He has moved back to Australia for good.

There was also Tatsie and Jefrey, my hometown friends, who left for Australia and Hong Kong, respectively, in September.

There was also my FOMO and foodie buddy Armar who also moved to Australia in September, making him the 6th friend of mine to move there this year.

2016 will go down in history as the year when change ruled – for the Philippines, for Britain, and maybe for USA as well? It definitely had a lot of changes for my friends… and by extension, for me.

I am definitely happy for them, but I am not gonna pretend that I am also not sad that I won’t see them as often anymore. Sure, I might get to visit them next year or whenever, but it won’t be the same.

But change… that’s what life is all about, isn’t it?