An Ode to Shey Ganda

when i first stepped in UAE early 2002, the first thing i did was scout for tourism books, you know, the 'things to do' when you're here. my best ever gimmick buddy was Shey. you can tag her along to any place, anytime, no qualms whatsoever! could any gimmick buddy be more wonderful than her? ;)

we would have our 'places to go' list and its corresponding plots in the monthly R&R calendar planned for the whole year! can you beat that? week-in or week-out, it does not matter. we had days when we would be out until 3 am, and still manage to go to the office at 9 am! very japanese huh!

we've covered all the malls, all the parks and we've tried ladies nights too! we strolled the famous abra station where claudine barreto walked; we've been inside the grand 7-star hotel Burj Al Arab in one of our joined birthday celebrations! we have tried the lifestyle of the rich and famous on the then idyllic Le Meridien beach resort, and we have traversed the very cosmopolitan Sheik Zayed road walking so casually under the moonlight... we have splashed water here in there in the exciting Wild Wadi, and who can forget the sand dunes and desert safari, the ultimate arabian experience? and can i ever forget our hotel hopping just for the sake of picture-taking? and how about those lazy walks in the parks... haha! we even had a graffiti wall in our flat full of snap shots from our different adventures...

a few months is enough to tell me that she is more than a gimmick buddy, but a really great friend! the laughter, the tiny voice, the giggles, the never-ending stories, the 101 ways to cook eggs, the bright-as-the sun genuine smile... very Shey! we have been together in almost all the seasons you can celebrate here- new year, valentines, summer, our birthdays, ramadan, eid, christmas, bad times, heartbroken times, 'kilig' times, lonely times, most especially happy times.. we had so much energy then, so much fun! plus, we have so much captured memories! we share the same passion for anything that goes 'click'... very snap happy! i remember being floored by my first encouter of digital camera when she showed me the Mavica, when i was a proud owner of a vivitar film camera. we both love being at the back and front of the cam! and in front of the PC doctoring our pics using photo shop, hehe! i think i have 20 CDs of our pics from 2002 to 2005! whoa! such a history!

but the most dramatic and important of those times was when she became a christian...and i was so glad i was there when it happened. it strenghtened further our bond! looking back, she has grown up so fast as a sister of mine. and wouldn't you have guessed that my little sister would now have an adventure of her own, as she started a new path of the marriage bliss last January with my equally good friend (and good-looking!) Jude! i should say that as of now, they are one of the reasons why i still believe in 'happy ever after'...

to shey girl, as i fondly call or, or shey ganda, as she would like to be called, thanks for sharing with me these wonderful years. i surely miss our times together. yours is a friendship that is genuinely selfless and fun. here's a toast to another chapter in your life-- motherhood!i may not know much as a mom, but i know a lot as a doting tita, yahoo!