It Was Still Friendship

--this was taken before watching Twilight--

Once upon a time, when I was just new in my office and not having to accumulate billable hours was still a novel experience, early dismissals meant a trip to the nearby mall. Back then, I had two close friends in the office who made going to work so much fun that we actually didn’t mind staying even beyond 10PM (Yep, 6:30 was our official closing time. How dedicated are we staying till 10ish?) Those were fun times, indeed, never mind if we had to wait for the next big sale in order to buy that cute blouse we have been coveting for months, or that new pair of shoes we have been going back to time and time again. There were days when we’d simply hang out in the nearby Starbucks and each of us would claim, “airtime ko to!” but we’d end up discussing just about anything, anyway, from koreanovelas to men to what we will give to each other on the first Christmas that we become millionaires. And when it was the time of the year to hie off to Mellaca for the annual summer session, we actually looked forward to it knowing that it would mean Country Club, and photoshoots.

Times have changed, though. Starbucks had been converted to Mrs. Fields (who goes there in real life?) and the topics of our conversations over coffee had taken on different twists over the years. My two friends choosed to stay on the workplace, and I am left alone to shop for good bargains. The nearby mall in my new office is now constantly on sale, being Red Tag branch which means that every item is a steal on any given day.

And yet, shopping isn’t even half as fun anymore. Sipping my favorite Starbucks drink is less gratifying. And early dismissals now mean leaving the office as soon as I can.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that I miss my two friends.

It really makes a difference when there are people in your office you can call peers, not just colleagues. It’s good to be with people who have your back under all circumstances. People you actually enjoy having coffee with and sharing laughs with. People who can finish your sentences and who get your jokes and who agree to disagree with you. Office mates who, somewhere between the Audit Fingdings and Decisions you write, have become good friends as well.
But as I’ve said, times have changed. And unlike before when working as an in-housed Auditor was like having the best of both worlds (i.e. having a challenging work and having fun at the same time), there are days now when I doubt this career path I’ve chosen to follow.
When that happens, however, I choose to remember this…

and this......

--mary's first ever date, and we need to be chaperones--

And I become convinced that more than setting the stage for my future career, moving oversea has yielded lasting benefits in the form of friends I can keep for life. And if only for that, it doesn’t seem like a bad move, after all.