monkeycrap's Diaryland Diary
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Canada Trip - Days 15/16
Days 15/16 - From home, to home.
I was beginning to wonder why it was getting warmer by the day, being increasingly possible to shed layers of outer covering and walk around with nothing but a t-shirt on. Was watching the news on the hotel tv, and it was reported that meteorologists have blamed it on some 'hot element' that's been recently hitting the Canadian west coast. It took a little time to sink in, but I eventually realised that the weathermen and weatherwomen were actually talking about me. Makes sense.
Me being an ambassador for Hot Inc. aside, planned to stay the last 2 days back at Carrie's, as her parents were so kind as to include in their schedule the ferrying me, baggage, maple syrup and all, to the airport on the last day.
At 8 in the morning, hauled on my backpack, stabilized on my left arm my windbreaker, which, considering the weather, had absolutely no use at all, except for that of concealing the container of pickled herring that I bought. Because, as you know, it's weird to be seen carrying a tub of vinegared grey goob strolling the streets of downtown. Arranged to meet Carrie at UBC's student union building. I arrived much earlier than stipulated, which gave me some time to purchase a cup of, what else, caramel macchiato, and park myself on one of the benches with my book. I didn't read a single page. For I was distracted.
She sat, fully stretched, in hope of blotting in as much of the sun's rays as possible, on the adjacent bench, trying to decipher the musings on her kinetics textbook. She wasn't drop dead gorgeous, nor did she have that universal allure that's all the hype these days. She was just plain attractive. As in plain, attractive. As simple as that. There was something so captivating about her relaxed poise, her smile as she read on, so natural you would think it innate, inborn. And she's smart. Kinetics leh, donch pray pray. And she's got fighting spirit. I got that from the UBC athletics t-shirt she was wearing. Yes, there might be a possibility that it might belong to her boyfriend, but I shall not go down that train of thought, thank you very much.
I remember reading this book by Peter Moore. When asked whether it is possible to find the love of your life, the special someone, while travelling, he replied that it definitely is possible, but you'll always find her 2 hours before you're due off, and you'll realise there's not a damn thing you can do about it. So true. Time's up, so I left my bench, walked her direction and acknowleged her presence with a smile. She reciprocated, that simple unassumed act of amiability being able to 'melt heart make day'. She knew I'd been noticing.
Carrie ah, next time you see her at the building, help me tell her how I feel ok? Thanks. She's kinda medium built, of medium height, very sweet looking, probably responds to name 'kinetic girl'. You know, on hindsight, I should've taken out my guidebook, gone up to her, and said something like, "Hey, I'm like, not from here? Is it possible to show me the way to your heart? Cos I'm kinda finding myself lost in your eyes." Hey, it's worth a shot right? Anyway, I've never been smacked on the head by a kinetics textbook before, so yeah.
It's never been easy to define home. Like happiness, home's a state of mind, one that, to me, is as difficult, if not more, to attain. A safe haven, a refuge, yet a place of enrichment, for mind, body, soul. To me, home's not really where the heart is. It's more of where the heart's eased. This trip been some sort of a homecoming for me, in that sense. And there're so many factors that made it happen.
Of course, Carrie's parents, Uncle Ricky and Aunt Serene, for being wonderful enough to accommodate me for 12 days or so, for believing that I won't wreck the place, for entrusting me with a bed, something which my bunkmates in camp would think of as, well, unthinkable. (Right, sk?) As well as for the little snippets of practical wisdom that occasionally pop up during our short conversations. Carrie of course, besides the abovementioned, for being the nice person that you are, for the quiet understanding and unspoken trust that we have in each other. You said it so yourself, it's the nature of the fragility of friendships that makes one treasure them even more. And it's great how we're in subtle knowing of that fact, as evidenced by distance or time not lessening the friendship, not that much at least, as well as how our differences blend together as congruously as a starbucks coconut cream mocha latte. I know I'll miss the good times enjoyed with ya in these 12 odd days. Not as much as the cheesecake though.
So I'll be flying back home, from home, to the land of $2 chicken rice, to the land of putu mayams and kuthu mayams, to the land where cars aim to knock you down instead of giving way, to where people rush to wait and wait to rush to who knows where, knows where. I can almost feel the travel delusion fading.
10:01 a.m. - 2006-07-13
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