My Homie

We met each other for the first time at the pre departure briefing. She was smiling excitedly; I could only think of food (my stomach had been growling for the past half hour). We didn't get to talk much on that day, just exchanged pleasantries, contact numbers & email addresses with the other M'sian students who were also going to Queensland.

After that, everyone conveniently forgot about each other & life went on (as usual). But just before she left, I sent an email to her & all the new friends. We kept in touch via SMS when she arrived in Brisbane. Then, out of the blue she called me. There's a vacant room in the house she's now called her second home. I grabbed it immediately. 17 Feb 06 - Departure day. 19 Feb Feb 06 - it's the second time I'm meeting her.

We went for Orientation Week together. Due to kiamsiap-ness, we shared a sandwich & a bottle of water; things were X-pensive here. Slowly but surely we took turns cooking, cleaning the house, learning from disastrous cooking mistakes, getting good ol' recipes from home, taking the bus, doing groceries etc. We (or I for that matter) relied on each other to overcome homesickness, getting use to life in a foreign country, making new friends, staying together with two other housemates, going for lectures & tutorials in university, and getting good grades.

We share a common interest in watching Korean dramas. And I guess we enjoy the same kind of food too. If not, how would she tolerate my cooking? We laugh & share jokes with each other. Esther's my Homie, my Friend & my Family as I learn to be independent away from home.