Wednesday, 25 May 2016

When there’s more to a surprise

1.We were just classmates in first year. We recognised our faces and heard of each other’s names. I think so, at least from my part. I knew how to spell her name though, since she was mentioned in the lecture for asking Shauna Ferris (ACST152) to hold off the deadline for the quiz.
I was famous for remembering the small details. Some people were amazed about my memory for little things and I hope they did not get annoyed of me being dodgy about their personal life. But I don’t think I remember the first time me and her actually made a conversation. Maybe from last year. She messaged me to ask about STAT272 assignment, or I asked her first, the order doesn’t really matter. I guess that’s the beauty of doing this ACST (Actuarial Studies) degree and being ACST student. When you stuck with assignments, your shyness is stressed to the limit that you are going to spam whoever you recognise doing the same unit and ask for help. And more often, just a direct “Show me your assignment please” sentence than a formal expression “Can you please help me with this question?”. No one neither gets offend nor upsets about it. People are just being so helpful and supportive of each other. My favourite description of my course is: “Not sure if it’s individual assignment or just group assignment submitted individually and in different handwriting”.
We are just average students in the cohort. Or even below-average. She is better at theoretical-based unit than me, and I, somehow, has been trusted as her ‘junior’ source of explanations when it comes to mathematical derivations. It is a good complement. The academic atmosphere has always been positive and healthy. When we both struggle, we turn to all the legend boys and girls of the cohort for help.
Our relationship has started with cooperation on assignments. Then the growing amount of academic studies has also witnessed the growth of our friendship, breaking out the circle of just a friend for assignments. I started to message her more, from how bad my day has been to how much I pay attention to different reality shows. My positivity has enlightened people, so more often, I play a psychologist role, especially after the test. Sometimes she played it too. She started to educate me on English music and Aussie humour and famous celebrities. Surely after watching those videos she sent, my knowledge of Western culture will be boosted to the next level.
Today she asked me to go to uni early for a surprise. Coming to uni on time always seems an impossible task to me, let alone being early. Of course if it’s for exam, I never be late. To be honest, the word ‘surprise’ didn’t signal anything in my head at all, even though I know she had given me clear signal well beforehand. And much to my surprise, which she successfully did, I got a present. Full of candies, all flavours of chocolate. “It’s good for you brain” – her direct quote, given that we are about to enter the scariest period – Finals.
I always get a bit emotional when someone gives me a present. You can tell by now, this entry is produced because of the candies I received today. But it’s more to just the lollies pops. It’s the thoughts and the love of a giver and the appreciation and cherishing of a receiver. So thank you my dear, you have made my day too :xxx

2. And that’s the group of high school friends who even though you don’t see them every day anymore, they are probably the only ones who know how well you have been, without you mumbling a word.
I have this group of 3 friends whom I have grown so close with during these 4 years. Like my real sisters. I lived with one of them right after I turned 18 and was able to move out of homestay. The 3 months were full of memories. She is the most cheerful person who always makes me smile. Another stays in my home whenever she has to go to the Capital for formal legal-related procedures. We choose the same paths and share the common perspectives of life, that's why we can talk for hours. She is the nerdiest (we can call her like this, no offence) among us and is the one who holds the record of sharing my bed most often. And the last person is the girl that I am most worried but most doted on, for a lot of reasons.
So they know I have been unusual during this week, by the look of my Facebook wall. And they started, silently, one by one, fired me indirect messages that they are observing my weirdness.
The first girl confessed she changed her profile picture and deliberately tagged 1 person among us 4 into our pictures together. She knew I would have definitely left her the angriest comment ever for not including 4 people’s name in the post. And in fact, I was about to. It was just because I saw this post on my way walking to the bus stop so I couldn’t type properly and forgot about it, they have noticed my first sign of abnormality. So after few days of not seeing me actively using Facebook, today, the cheerful girl just set my name in our messenger chat window to “dearest Huong”. It may be a random action out of curiosity to explore the new version of Messenger, but the fact that she chose me to conduct the exploration has said it all. We only chatted for 3 minutes, and again, without me complaining a word, she knows I have been busy with my studies these weeks.

Having friends who understand you is the best possession for one to carry and survive life. Being able to know and to be close with you guys have always been remarkable with no precise words can describe. Your presence or absence are just going to make our heart grow fonder, every day. And you all will always stay in my heart, forever.




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