Monday, October 30, 2006
Lemonade Buddy
One of the best things about being an MCP, is that you find friends from countries so starkingly different from your own and yet, you find so many things in common. I know for a fact, that once my term ends, I will always have these people to count on.
One such buddy is Aine from Ireland. :)
There are so many ways to describe my friendship with Aine. But, I guess, the best way to put "us" into words is that we are "lemonade buddies." :) We coined the term one day when I was a bit morose. And as any normal human being these days do, whenever they feel a bit sad, they change their MSN nickname into something that reflects what they feel. So at that point, my MSN nick was "Lemonades for Sale," very wittingly derived from that old saying, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonades." As soon as I logged in, Aine said, "I want to buy one!"
From that point on, I saw my friendship with her on a different level. She became a person whom I can instantly message my highs and lows to. Surprisingly, she always finds the energy to be there for me. Even in her most busy moments, she does not shoo me away. Instead, she patiently waits for me to end my monologue and caps it with a nice phrase or a nice emoticon. :)
She is truly a great friend. One that everyone seems to love. She is generous, funny and very thoughtful. For example,none of her friends escape from receiving pictures from Aine after a conference is over. :) I know it's a simple gesture, but who among us really do that? Not too many, right?
As a fellow MCP though, I have nothing but great respect for her. She is one hell of a hardworking lady who dedicates so much of herself for the country and the people she believes in. She has openly accepted the challenge to lead Ireland, knowing fully well that it might not be the easiest of roads to take. I can only imagine how much litany of emotions she feels on a daily basis. And yet, she continues to walk on, believing that she can make a difference.
The good thing is she does make a difference. She makes a difference because she sets a sterling example of what passion, dedication and optimism is all about. Whenever she enocunters challenges, she faces them head on and does her best to move forward. :)
Aine is one of this term's greatest gifts to me. I know for sure that the chats we have had every so often has given me the extra boost I needed. She is supportive without being overbearing. She is sweet without being pretentious.
To Aine, I hope that even when the most sour lemons are being thrown at us, we can still continue making those lemonades together. :) Hugs from Finland!
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