The Cubby.

There are colleagues. And then there are friends. Sometimes you think never the twain shall meet. Colleagues, after all, are merely acquaintances you meet at work, discuss office matters with and occassionally greet at the pantry when making a cup of coffee. Once you punch out at 5pm, you do your thing and your colleagues, well, pretty much go on their own way.

You don't mix business with pleasure, they say. Or the other less finesse way of saying it,"You don't eat and shit at the same place." But what happens when the workplace becomes a place you actually ENJOY being at? And work becomes bearable? And -oh horror- your colleagues become your friends?

Well for starters, going to work every morning doesn't seem like a chore anymore, that's for sure.

It's like "Hey I'm getting paid to hang out with my friends 9 hours a day, five days a week. Cool!" Ok and plus you actually have to do work. For the last 2 and a half years (coming to 3, a record for me...), working here has been great. Sure I have moments when I want to strangle some people but hey, I feel the same way about my family. Not only do I get to do the one thing I'm half decent at (yes, writing. no smart remarks), I also get to travel now and then, meet interesting people and eat, eat, eat. Boy do I get to eat. And i get free massages! You get the pic.

But i also get to hang out with some great people day in day out. One of them is none other the Great Hawdini (haha i'm so clever, i know). Haw (it's pronounce 'How' as in How are you.) Anyway, the point of this whole post is to address the fact that he's leaving the company. Today being his last day (*sniff*). He's truly been my partner in crime and saviour at times when the shit was about to hit the fan - and for moments when it really did hit the fan. At work, not only does he entertain the most tedious of requests ("Can you burn this on the CD for me?"), he also goes the extra mile :"Not only will I burn this for you, I will also TEACH you how!" Upon which, I quickly forget within the next five minutes. Pemalas.

But Haw has been there for me beyond the call of duty. When my car wouldn't start, when I was too drunk to drive home after a-bit-too-happy hours and when my boyfriend ceremoniously dumped me. He's taught me loads of stuff from how to change a lightbulb to the difference between REAL rock music and Coldplay. But what truly blows me away about him is that I know he would do the same for just about anyone, and that's what makes him the best kind of friend.

He's going to Canada to learn how to speak funny and end all his sentences with 'Eh'. Ha ha. Actually, he's going to further his studies in digital animation and come back and impress everyone by making an updated version of Sang Monyet Dan Sang Buaya on Tv1 ("Aku tak peduli, aku tak peduli! Aku nak juga!"). Seriously, I wish nothing but the best for him. If I had my way, I'd bring Canada here so he could study and I'd still have someone around to remind me my car's about to fall apart if I don't service it soon.

I'm gonna miss ya.