Nine Years

I arrived Oman safely on the 28th, which I was overjoyed to see my best friend greeting me at the airport. Seeing her for the first time after nine years was such an emotional moment.

I practically screamed and threw myself at her tiny frame.

The story between us started in college. She was the first girl I spotted on my first day of class, in the first row. I didn't know what prompted me to sit next to this Middle Eastern student and asked her name; but I did, and we never stopped talking since.

She was always the only Middle Eastern among a group of Chinese when we hang out together; or I the only Chinese in a group of Middle Eastern; but we were always seen together, worked on projects together, talked in class together, get good grades together, the teacher's pets together.

Then a year later, I moved to the UK to pursue the rest of my degree while she stayed on; by the time I got back a year later, she'd just left Malaysia and returned to Oman. We've always agreed to meet up, but over the years, it just never happened. Life got in the way, careers, movements, money; and we knew that we were each making a life and a living in our own respective countries. We were fresh graduate with no money, travelling across the continents was never cheap. Before we knew it, nine years flew past, and one day, I received a phone call from her. She announced she's getting married, next thing I knew, I have booked a flight to Oman. :)

Over the past few days, we've slept in the same room and talked and talked and talked, about us, about life, about guys, about our past, about college times, about our future, about everything; well mostly with me interrogating her current life affair, her wedding 'plans' (eh-hem), her fiancée; before she ground me down with my own love affair. Oh the horror.

And it felt like nothing has changed. The nine years between us was never there. And it felt just like yesterday we were us, together, walking and talking and being friends. It's bizarre, and I've never felt anything quite like it before in my life, not with anyone, or not with anyone whom I've not seen for such a long time.

I went out with another friend today, the bubbliest most modern Arabic lady you can ever meet. She speaks fluent English, in fact, her whole family speaks English, and I'm surprised at how we manage to just catch up, after years of never meeting, just like that. We caught on, fast, furious, yes she's loud too, and I love her squeal, her height; her existence made me feel in place: despite the fact that she's the only Arabic I know who is my height. LOL.

Yes Rahma I'm talking about you.

And again, it was the same feeling. The same familiarity, the same closeness. Everything felt like yesterday, no one seemed to have aged; well I hope I can say the same thing again for the next nine years; who needs botox?! Hah!

I've met a lot of wonderful people here in Oman, people think Arab women are conservative, ha, if only you could see them behind the curtains. Sex, men, party, fun; we spread it all out under the sky (or ceiling in this matter).

I've been asked to dress as revealing as possible on the Henna's night (celebrated a day before the actually wedding ceremony, but only ladies, like a hen's night, gala style), and I only brought two humble dresses to wear. -.- Great.