At the tender age of 14, melvin and chia hao have already known each other for 10 years. their friendship is still going strong, which makes me amused at how they aren't sick and tired of each other's company yet. isn't this kinda touching and awe-inspiring? most marriages don't even last that long. haha.

i don't know them very long but they seem quite different from each other. chia hao (the guy with the eyes darting towards the biscuit) is notoriously regarded as the "lamer" among the crappies since he is erm, so lame. on the other hand, melvin is sharp and perspective. he was probably one of the first crappies who saw right through my facade and saw me for the inexperienced greenhorn that i was. haha

it took me a long time to come to understand why chia hao is described as lame. i vividly remember this MSN chat in which he wrote 九牛一毛, which i thought was very impressive for a 14 year old. i am not too proud to confess that i have never used this proverb in my speech before. haha.
(that is, of course, before another incident in which he used 蒸蒸日上 to describe how his Chinese improved tremendously. wah piangz).

besides knowing how to use cheem phrases, chia hao is inquisitive about the world around him and ponders to seek his own answers. it's a pity that the rest of the crappies don't see this side of him because i think it's darn cool that he has this hunger for truth, this zest for life. he makes me feel embarrassed for the couch potato in me--i am not critical enough about my surroundings, i don't ask questions, i am just contented to watch my VCDs and engross myself in the fake realities of these frivolous characters. sighz.

during a sungei buloh excursion, melvin took the initiative to chat with a classmate upon noticing how the latter sat alone, away from the crappies. it may be an isolated incident but i feel it spoke volumes about his sensitivity and concern for the people around him. he didn't leave things to chance. he tried to make things better. this is quite refreshingly different from the NATO (No Action Talk Only) trait we often encounter in Singaporeans.

may their friendship age like fine wine.