Friends are important.

How true! So much so that you either rot with them or you progress and succeed with them. I've my fair bit of experience.

Recently I heard someone saying this to me. If you line up your so called best friends, those you always hang out with, in front of you and you evaluate yourself against them. If you are more successful, in terms of life experiences, career, knowledge, the total packaging thingy, you should start to think about it.

She said when one feels that he/she is the most successful among all the friends; he/she will start feeling contented and stop learning. So how does one upgrade yourself? You can start by making new friends and hang out with them, coz every conversation that you start with them is an opportunity to learn.

I personally feel to a certain extend, there���s some truth to it.

I recalled my relationship with my gfs back in sch. We were brand as the ah lianz in sch. Ok personally, I dun like being called that. I NEVER WAS, NEVER WILL and NEVER BE! To me ah lianz has a toally different meaning and packaging to it and my character of being more expressive in terms of communicating and action doesn't fit the bill. Perhaps I used to go tea dance with them, so we were seen as the lianz. (tea dance sound yuckky now... but that was the in thing during my time)

Cut things short, the whole bunch of us "graduated" from sch, with the only me able to make it to poly. I really count myself lucky. The rest of them, didn't make it and started working. Well, they felt that it was a shame for an express stream student going to ITE, to repeat their O's was a pure waste of time, coz they never like studying, so they rather start working... I beg to differ. Hello~ who on earth like studying? Anyway it was their choice and I did my part to talk them into continue studying which I failed. Frankly, they told me, they want to start earning money and party, which I thought, come on~ you need to work at least 30 years before you can officially retire, so why the hurry? Unless, you can find a rich husband who can provide you with the ideal tai tai life every girl dream of....

So I went on with my 3-year in poly while they step into the cruel society. We still meet up like every weekend to party. But as times goes by, we started to drift apart there wasn't any common topic except boys and clothing. I can't tell them anything in sch except the only thing we talk about sch is whether there is any yandao in poly....

Here I must stress that, I dun think going poly is anything glam, in fact, If I've studied hard and stop wasting my time over some unworthy guys, I could have made it to JC and to Uni. Again not that going to JC or Uni makes you a better person or an upper class from others, but in this stupid society, paper qualification is still every important.

Partying wasn't any fun any longer. 1) I was still schooling so I can't match their spending power, although I was temp-ing but still I wasn't earning enough. And to sponge on them? That wasn't my style. 2) Every party session will end up a fighting session. Have you seen a bunch of pple (both guys and gals) fighting from the beginning of the street to the end? I have witness a few times. Its quite eye opening and thrilling at first. But when EVERY session turns out like this, I'm getting scared. Look I'm still schooling and having a criminal record doesn't do any justice to my future career.

So I made up my mind, to lessen the party session with them. As time goes by, we sort of stop seeing each other. They party like every other day and till morning, and by morning i meant 6am. If I've joined them, I would prob miss my lectures the next day. I dun look down on them, by I need to protect myself. Moreover, the guys who hang out with them, are obviously for a ONS (which stands for One Night Stand, if I must spell it out) All the tattoos (not those nice ones which I like, but those cheena dragon, ah bengs poems etc) and vulgarities flying across the air just put me off.

That was 6-7 years back Recently, with the advance of technology, the group met up again thru Friendster. Anyway we went party again. Still the venue haven't change. Still the techno and trance places. Topic haven't change, still revolve around guys and clothing and nothing more.

As I recall, we shared the happiest and notorious moments during my teen years. (Luckily we didn't get ourselves into any trouble. Apparently,, 1 of the girls till now is still so hooked on to smacking K and playing E. ok thats their lingo, K and E are soft drugs) But now, at my age, I can't be talking about guys and clothing ever-ry-day. Sometimes, when I share with them the problem i encounter in work, they can't seems to offer any advice.

I once chat with a good friend of mine. He said, along your life, you will get to know many people. These friends belongs to different category. Friends who you will meet up for coffee and chat about everything under the sun, Friends you party and get your self drunk and talk nothing else, Friends you share your inner and darkest secret with, Friends who share the same hobby, sport, interest as you. Friends who you turn to for advice etc.

How true is that, this is what is happening to my social circle, My group of Friends can be sub-divided into many category. I treasure them a lot and no I dun look down on them. Every one of them help to construct what I am today. I really own it to them. Coz they made me see the darkest side of human beings and hope in life. Like what that person say, every encounter and conversation has its own special way....Life is like a rollercoaster......