I'm not sure if this happens to you, but when I hear a certain album, I'm reminded of certain chapters in my life.

Like now whenever I hear raggae, I think of Korea. now before you do a double take and ask "Korea???", it's cos it was the album in my CD player when I took a trip to Korea many years back. It was the album by Christafari. and I remember how embarrassed I was when the group tour leader ask me for my discman and then proceeded to take out the disc and put it on the main speaker on the coach we were on without telling me that was what he was going to do. Imagine the horror of the passengers when they woke up from their peaceful slumber to slurs of tropical raggae right in the middle of the Korean winterland.

Anyway, this morning I dug up an old album of Jay Chou's (yes, i'm still pining for him....I pine and I whine and I wish he would bloody come find me and marry me.) It was the album with that weird "Orange mandarin flower thingy name". If it was up to me to do the translation, it will be "seven miles fragrance." qi li xiang.

Oh yes...memories. It was the album I got when I first came to Phuket. It took me back to a place back in time where I was innocent and naive and still new to the big big world out there. I miss my friend, Dian, who was with me through thick and thin over there. Even though we grew independent as time passed and when work separated us, I miss those earlier days when we were inseparable. We were both bewildered and exhilarated at the life back then. Our room in the car-park next to the housekeeping exec with the aircon  which we only got to enjoy for 2 months. I remember planning for our lessons there, sitting in the barber chair snacking away while discussing what to do for lessons next day. Watching the volleyball action from our bedroom. Gossiping abt guys. Listening to Jay Chou in that room. Walking to class, running from snakes, doing catwalks at the back of the house, playing volleyball and badminton, watching the mist shroud the mountains at the back-view of our room....I rambling but I'm suddenly so nostalgic.

I really miss Dian. I'm now here in Phuket alone. I miss this friend who took care of me through my sickness and all. Me dislocating a toe at the poolside (that was embarassing), my food poisoning episodes, my operation...I miss the friend with whom I work through the day and night during the tsunami, when our family and friends were panicking for us, we only had each other and if anything had happen to either of us during the tsunami, it would have been unbearable to go on. When i was sitting at the mountain, I was so worried for her, kept calling her but kept getting the line was always busy as the network was jammed. In the end, I couldn't take being away alone and not knowing that if anything happens, how will I find her, my only connection to home. If anything happens,I would rather be with my friend so we can face everything together. But now we are all grown up and we have to close one chapter to start the next.

Amazing what music can do to stir up memories.