my church friends are all scribbling over their blogs, thanking people for 2008.. and i guess i should too.. because after all, they made up my 2008.. and this is just to make sure that they will forever be remembered, if not in my mind, at least written so that i can still thank them when i revise through this blog when i am, say 60 years old??

so here it is, in no particular order..

Esther, thanks for all the lessons. Thanks for all the scoldings and all the quarrels we have over the phone. Through all these, i've learnt a billion and one thing about life that i wouldn't have if not for them. Thanks for sharing about your beliefs too, because i've grown to see the truth and usefulness in the beliefs that you've held, and adopted them as my own too. Of course, i loved the good times we had together, and when we learnt the true meaning of God's Agape love. Even though we're no longer as close, i do wish and hope for betterment in our friendship, as we strive towards God's kingdom, on earth.

Rosel, thanks for the fun. Even though after so many years i still cannot connect with your tennis and your celebrity-chasing jardon and hype, there's still that many ways which we can feel connected as friends. And i really love the care-free outings with you, and your presence just make going out more pleasurable. Even though our friendship has loads of ups and down, but you're one that i know, that the phrase "friends forever" will more likely apply to.

Min Jia, thanks for the craziness. Yeah, the lazy old bum tan min jia! You're so giggly and fun to be with. Even though you sometimes seemed so emo, but 99% of the time you're sky-high crazy; so that makes up for it! Your smses never fail to light up my day with laughter - either laughing at you and your silly mistakes, or smiling at how you enjoy life the way children do. Looking at you reminds me of my childhood, my beautiful, joyful, stress-free childhood. You too, are a friend i want to keep with me forever and ever.

Trey, thanks for never sending me home. Wahahaha.. Ok, because you drive a sports car so i'll have to be a "gentleman" and let you fetch either one of the other two ladies home.. but you're a joy to be with too.. you and minjia really make everything seem so carefree and enjoyable, and makes me want to go all out and enjoy life.

Going out with the "vivo group" keeps me sane, and happy always. Thank you all!!

Eric Baboon Neo, the creature who gets drunk all the time. But when he's (or it's) not drunk, he's a terrific friend! Thanks for the rainbow that you've painted in my life that stayed there since JC =D

Jesse, the artist both of language and art. You brightened my JC life, and continue to do so after JC. Every moment out with you, feels out a moment out with a clone of myself. It feels so similar with you around, and i love love love love cracking jokes that only the both of us understand. hehe..

XueCong, i'm secretly happy that you've changed into a christian. even though i'll be even happier if you join any other church rather than city harvest. but nonetheless, you're still a great friend to be with!!

Aloysius, you are the saddest creature i've met on earth. Because you represent the pinnacle of Murphy's Law about whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. It's sad to see you suffer and fumble through life's "challenges", but no matter what, you'll brave through it and make it so enjoyable to be with you. You're "secretly" hardworking and caring too. So that makes you a supremely brilliant person. And especially being friends with you for decades, i can only thank you for the great time we had since we were very very young.

Jackie, the cool one. a Quiet Thinker. You can stay silently around the corner, but when you start doing anything, it is HUGE.. I didn't know when you started joining our "clique", but it's certainly a very good thing that you're a close friend of ours. Your presence can certainly replace XueYing and Qinghui's leaving for overseas studies.

WeiJie, the hip-hop cool dude. Actually, i don't really like the "funky" you. But i don't have a choice do I? I know deep down, you and i have the same ambitions, to do everything well and make the world a better place. But sometimes the world is not that nice to us, and we really meet a lot of challenges in life. Nevermind, we'll conquer it, and emerge a better person through all these "shit".

And even my "new" friends too..

Huang Fude!! sorry i just like to shout your name.. and it's not dual-syllable Fu-De, but as one word (like fudge, without the "g", and almost like the vulgar word), Fude!! You light up my life! well, to be honest i hated army. I hated the people in HQ Transport. "ET" is like a playboy who goes around "taunting" people, and thinks that he has a lot of powers. and "W" is like the dog who willingly follows "ET" the master in his fun. "Ku" is such a slacker that i sometimes feel unfair that i has to do so much, and he gets away sleeping all day in camp. "Kh" is nice, but he's almost as new as you. I may appear very happy in camp, but that's because i do not want to think about the many faces that people put on in camp. Office politics is one which i don't want to clog up my mind with. Then when i got to know you, my life in HQ Transport changed. I finally got a meet a real person with no hidden feelings and who genuinely cares and loves. That's precisely the reason i spent so much time with you and even bringing you around places in camp (remember badminton? and our "bedsheet" collection thursdays?..).. You're the only reason why i don't want to leave HQ Transport, and i thank you thank you thank you very very very much for it!!

and even Grace (sze ern), whom i've known her name in tuanqi for ages, but i've just gotten close to her and to know her really well. You're just soooooooo fun and yet you are absolutely serious about work.

And Joyce (sze ern's sis), whom i've known together with sze ern.. jojo is as funny as her sis and is equally responsible. It's hard to find someone as responsible as you and sze ern around. If i ever get the chance, i would love to work with the both of you. It would be a very enjoyable time working with you all.

and perhaps sharon too, who never fails to remind me about "amandine" ( the new french girl who sat beside me when she first came to tuanqi, and eventually they started gossiping that she was my girlfriend).. and even during the recent renewyearn camp when i was talking to the 4 new chinese girls, and she just popped out and said that i was mixing with other girls behind amandine.. she's super irritating, but nonetheless very fun to be with (that is when she stops talking about all these nonsense)..

and weiyu and yanyi, both of my super cute and cuddly god-sisters whom i always look forward to every outing with them..

and enqi, for being so helpful all the time (remembers the collection of tuanqi t-shirt)

and yeeler, for being so fun all the time

and ruth, for helping to plan the camp together with me

and minghui, for helping to plan the camp together with me

and junjie, for NOT helping to plan the camp together with us

and khairul, for being my understudy so that i can ORD

and phoebe (jiyao's 3-month-old baby), for that 2 very entertaining nights that we spent in renewyearn camp

and joel, daniel, clement, kim mun, yi han, and the rest of providence presbyterian church "Ministry of Sound", for the fun (and tiring) times we had figuring out whether it was the wire's fault or the DI box's fault

and yijia, for accompanying me and being funny so i can stay awake during the most boring sermons

and the rest of my friends, who collaboratively painted the beautiful masterpiece called Year 2008!!

Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart!

Have an even more colourful 2009!!