Isay in Oz

23May06

An old friend Isay in Oz made a trip to Hong Kong last week and surprised me at my desk with a gift. It’s my favorite, an old classic red wine from Australia. She said, it’s got the whole taste of fruit flavoured enjoyable for the taste buds, well anything RED is what I enjoy. Red wines are normally expensive in the bar if you’re ordering in a glass but now that I have this Penfolds as a gift, I would probably keep them until my next birthday.

I remember I started drinking wines when Isay used to live in Hong Kong, she’ll invite us on the weekend at her beautiful HK apartment. I met her thru a High School friend who also works here and since then, I’ve been enjoying her company along with her hubby Geoff simply because she’s funny, talks a lot and laugh at my too corny jokes. I don’t know why how many times she cried from laughing.

I was thirty (30) that time and I realized that when you’re thirty-something, it ain’t easy being green anymore. I probably have matured since I’m already surrounded with matured and intelligent people and it has changed me somehow that I didn’t have to please myself. And isn’t it funny how everyone is married except you? Or everyone has someone except you? I thought it’s okay to be alone and never realized how lonely it could be that there’s no one who could at least get me a glass of water. Maybe I’m not alone when you still have friends to count on. They may not be with you all the time but when they treasure your friendship, you would not feel alone anymore. I’ve come to terms with certain things and it is lonely that I must keep it to myself. I don’t know why I keep it to myself, but I do. I guess it’s the introverted side of me.

But really, Isay is a great host. Well aside from the fact that she loves shoes – she’s a friend of every luxury malls but she adores Jamie (the one I love), Pepper (the snubbish), Louise and Geoff and she couldn’t trade them for anything. What makes her special is that a few many times, she’d let me sit in their balcony to have a cig with her hubby Geoff and I find that very accomodating. She also loves to cook palatable of food like there’s a big catering department hired to do all the menus. She managed to enjoy cooking with of course some help from us but not just that, her hubby has this big rack of expensive red wines and even shared it with us. It was when I discovered that her love of cooking goes with an expensive wines to keep you thru having a good chat. She’s a very good conversationalist although when I first met her, she gave me the first impression of being bitchy that you would be upset she won’t let you talk. But she’s a very down to earth friend, well at times you find her a bit different in a way that we, normal people would say, tired being with people who do take advantage of others. If you know what I’m saying.

Meeting new people is easy, it’s developing and building genuine relationships that makes it challenging. Call me a snob, but I want people around me who are successful and do not require anything from me except friendship. I find that the more successful a person is the more positive and enlightening he/she is and a delight to be with. This philosophy of mine has put me in several “interesting” situations – it annoyed some, distressed a few and upset close acquaintances. The truth is it helps me weed out those I’m not really interested to be around with.

I find myself laughing at that because I believe what she said were true. Some people just have to accept the fact it’s her life and that’s the way she wanted it to be. Who would want someone to let others take advantage of you anyways? It’s like “Nations have no permanent friends, no permanent enemies. Only permanent interests”.

Thanks Isay for the gift, how sweet of you to hand carry it all over from Oz and even sent it over at my work by yourself. I am sorry that I didn’t had the time to sit for a little coffee with you before leaving for Shanghai but I know you’d understand. BTW, you look so adorable and hoping next time I could invite you and Geoff for a few San Mig beer.

I think a big FRIEND tells you what’s real and not thinking that your recent problems you’ve been whining about are the same thing in 14 years. And she’d say this to me, “Get off your duff and do something about it.” Now, my idea of a good friend is the one who gives smiles for you when you are sad, helps you become a better person, and, most importantly, loves you.

Out Of Reach
by: Gabrielle

Filed under: Dailies, Life, Realities   |  17 Comments