Happy Birthday, Sis!

Dear Sis,

Did you know that you are about 10264.8 miles from me? (Sorry, London is the closest I can get).

Did you also know that you are more rare than Mom and Dad? I have two parents, but you’re my only sibling. Remember how Buyah kept on saying, “You guys have to get along with each other. You are each other’s only sibling. You are each other’s only family after we are gone” whenever we fight with each other? Or how Bu always say, “What are you going to be when you grow up? A maid?” whenever she is disappointed with us? Or how Yah always spends 15 minutes waking us up for school, singing that silly song? Or how we both thought England was a big village filled with cows and sheep when we first arrived from the glitzy cosmopolitan Asian cities? Or how I always borrow your clothes because they are so much nicer than mine? (Which I still do, even with 10,000 miles separating us. Actually, I confess I am now wearing your white sweater while I write this, hahaha)

I don’t know if people can say we are “close.” I am not regularly in touch with you; it is mostly random emails and facebook messages (and those free gifts.. coz we both know I’m too much of a cheapskate to spend $1 for a proper facebook gift). And we both know you only contact me when you want/need something from me 🙂 Even when we were just 32 miles apart, when Buyah told us to visit each other at least once a month, the truth is probably closer to once every two months.

But I know I am very comfortable being around you. I can drop my guard, my pretenses and social norms (lol) I can be loud, quiet, loving, bitchy, chatty, stupid, sarcastic, witty, intelligent, sly and downright-mean (yes, confession #2) and still be reassured that you will be there 5 minutes later if I need something. And we both know the same goes for you with me 😉 The best part is, there is no need for that awkward “I’m sorry” moment. We just know we are, and that’s good enough (though it is still nice to hear sometime, sis lol)

I can tell you things I can’t tell Buyah or anyone else, and I can depend on you for giving me the truth and nothing but the truth even when it hurts (see, no social norms). In short, we can hurt each other without losing the love. I mean, really, who else will still stay with me after:

a) I painted her face with markers

b) I waved a kitchen knife inches from her face

c) I made her believe she’s adopted after Buyah found her being cared by a mob of kangaroos

d) I spread her nickname to the rest of the English-speaking world 🙂 (No, I’m not so mean that I will reveal it here in my blog.. or am I?)

OK, there’s my confession #3.

Or how about that time in Park Guell, Barcelona? Where we had the biggest fight ever, in a foreign country where we neither speak the language nor fully understand the transport system nor have cellphones? Hahahaha! Those were scary and fun times (or scarily fun?), huh? Where we left each other, eyes crying, only to start looking for each other about five minutes later. No phones, no Spanish language skills, and no picture of you so I can ask “Have you seen her?” And that’s a big park, with off-beaten paths and buildings to visit. I tried to enjoy the park while looking for you, but it just wasn’t the same. Plus I need you to explain all the artsy-fartsy and architecture tidbits to me 🙂 But confession #4, I was really scared there, sis. Let’s not do that again, OK? (the fighting in a foreign country, not the travelling together part).

More Most importantly, did you know this is the longest we have gone without seeing each other? I guess what I’m saying is: I miss you 🙂

Happy birthday.

nin