mikesfarewell

[mikesfarewell]

I’ll see you soon

April 30, 2018

“Show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are.”

If you’re reading this, I’m currently on a one-way flight from Vancouver to Toronto. For those who didn’t know, last summer I decided to permanently move to Toronto upon graduation. Over the years, my family and I have been through our share of struggles. Immigrating to Canada before I could even walk and nothing more than $500 in our pockets, it’s really no surprise. In truth, family has been a forbidden concept to me. Unfortunately, love often comes second to all the financial and social pressures. Don’t get me wrong, I love my parents for all the sacrifices they’ve made. They’ve done way more than enough.

As most of you are thinking, moving is no big deal (distance in 2018 LUL), especially in my case where I have a crystal clear path in front of me. I think at the end of the day, I’m moving for the chance to fulfill my longing for uncertainty, for insecurity, for adventure. I’m looking to do things my way, and to learn more about anything and everything - without bounds. So why am I writing this? Did you really just stumble across a 13-year-old’s tumblr rant? No, but did you really think I’d go out without a bang?

Let’s be honest with each other. I’m writing this because I’m sad about leaving. I’m crying like a baby. I’m going to miss you guys. A lot. I think I speak for everyone when I say I want to be someone who will be missed. I’d like to think (now you know why my head is so big and round, how else does this ego fit?) that I made an impact on the lives of those I came in contact with, just as they’ve made an everlasting impact on mine. Throughout the rough patches in my life, it has been my friends who became my family. I needed every ounce of support that they’ve given me and they’re the reason that I am who I am. I’m forever in debt to you guys. For those below, I’d love to wish you guys the best (and I whole-heartedly do), but I hope you feel an ache in your heart when you realize that I’m halfway across the country (4,382 kilometres to be exact) when I cross your mind (but only so I can be the remedy to your heartache when/if I return, of course). 

As true to my transparent (and cringeworthy) self as I can be, I’d like to write to those who made me the person I am today. I’m so incredibly lucky to have met the people below, and to be a recipient of their company. I’m not going to apologize if I missed anyone - because I didn’t. There has been way too many unspoken words over the years, and there’s no better time than now. In short, thank you. For everything. This isn’t goodbye - I’ll see you soon.

(In chronological order):

Brenda Nguyen

You never forget your first crush. Looking back, it’s pretty surreal that I spent a solid 6-7 years chasing you. I’ll never forget the smile on my face when you’d write your name next to the number 5 on my dance card. Why else did I put so much effort into organizing those school dances with Mr. Biln? Still to this day, your birthday is the only one I know even better than my own. Every underground R&B track will remind me of the times you used to make fun of my taste in music - only to be listening to the same shit as me a week later. Drifting apart was only natural, but don’t think for a second I forgot about you. 

Karl Caslib

Thinking back to my childhood, we created my fondest memories together. Needless to say, you defined friendship for me. During those last few years at Norquay, I don’t think anyone thought we’d ever be apart. Our friendship taught me that it’s okay to treat your friends differently - because only then can you make the ones who matter feel special. You influenced most of my hobbies, my taste in women, and ultimately what I look for in a friend. You were the first person that treated me like family, and I’ll always remember that. I hope one day our paths will cross again and we can pick up where we left off. 

Surya Viswanathan

Most probably don’t know that we met playing baseball when we were like 7, but I’d be lying if I said I recognized you in grade eight. Some of my best memories from high school consists of joking around in your basement until sunrise. Or maybe it’s that time I came over for New Years and woke up with a face full of acne. I always admired your ability to connect with anyone you wanted and you showed me that being kind and genuine always pays dividends. Around you, I felt comfortable and confident, unafraid to go outside my comfort zone. Maybe one day I’ll be able to have the same kind of aura. I know you’re doing amazing things and I’m always here if you need a hand. 

Carter Fang

I’m not ashamed to say that you were definitely my parents’ favorite. Probably because you single-handedly changed the course of my life. It’s difficult to describe in words the impact you’ve had on me. Through you, I learned that intelligence is cool and our greatest weapon. You opened me up to asian pop culture, which is a large part of my life today. You always led by example, and proved that hard work triumphs all. Sometimes I wish we were still close because I don’t think I’ve met anyone that’s as good at having heart-to-heart conversations. With you, I never had to worry about if you were being honest or genuine, because you always were. Because of that, I’ve wore my heart on my sleeve ever since. 

Ethan Trinh

You’re the kindest person I’ve ever met - hands down. I miss the days we used to bike everywhere and roast Carter about everything we can think of. You showed me what it means to be dependable, and how important that is in a friendship. I was always impressed how lightly you took money and it’s still something I practice in my own life to this day. You never let others tell you how to think and always remained true to yourself. As someone who struggled with that as a kid, seeing your actions gave me the courage to fight against peer pressure of any kind. Anyone who has you in their life is incredibly lucky.

Wray Ip

Does shirtless snow-angels ring a bell?! I remember looking up to you and wanting to be just like you when we first started as friends. I admired you street smarts and how you always did whatever you wanted. That definitely rubbed off on me and I can’t thank you enough for that. I reminisce from time-to-time about the random shit we used to do, and how your family would always invite me to hotpot every year. I wish you the best.

Suzanna Che / Jenny Tan / Deanna Leung

None of you know this but you three were my role models growing up (along with Carter). I still remember being in that 4/5 split class with you and thinking how beautiful Suzanna was. Remember that?! The first time I saw how neat your handwriting was, I went home that day and practiced my handwriting for hours on end. Now I have all three of you to thank when everyone I meet says I write like a girl. I always aspired to have a friendship like yours, and I’m glad that your friendship has survived the test of time. I hope mine will as well. It makes me happy that you guys are all doing amazing things and it makes me so happy seeing Norquay friends succeed. 

Lalaine Oquendo

I don’t know what it is about our friendship that makes me miss it so much. I really do feel like we shared something special and there was something that compelled me to have your back no matter what. I won’t forget all the times you stuck up for me amidst all the high-school drama. You always had my back and I knew that you always had my best interests at heart. 

Derrick Feng

A5, 7, tears fully stacked, trollfest, UBC, the list goes on. Every notable experience that I’ve been through the past 9 years have been with you. Name a more iconic duo. Out of everyone on this list, you’re the person I’m certain will be by my side until we’re old and grey. Who else are you going to compete with? This is definitely not the end for us, and it makes this move a lot easier knowing this in my heart. I couldn’t have asked for a better friend, a brother. You have a big heart - not everyone can see it, but over the years I’ve learned to appreciate the things you do. It’s painful for me to know that we’ll be accomplishing so much in the next few years but rarely will we get to share it with each other. Promise me we’ll try our best to keep each other in the loop, okay? Let it be known that as egotistical as I am, I’ll always view you as my equal and there isn’t anyone I respect more. I believe in us to make the most of what we have and maybe one day even our kids will be the bestest of friends as well. Maybe they can compete and push each other to be better too. Out of the three OG couples, only yours is left standing. Take it to the end and give me a second reason to come visit you guys again. I won’t worry about you. I know we’ll be grinding as hard as we can - doing all that we can to succeed. I couldn’t be ore proud of you, of us, and it won’t be long until we cross paths again.

Ronald Lin

Why does it feel like our friendship is untouchable? We’ve been through so many ups and downs and yet at the end of the day, nothing can break us. Let’s not forget the first time we met. I sat in front of you on the bus ride to the Grade 8 retreat and offered you my only Kit Kat. Little did you know, Kit Kat is my favorite chocolate bar, but I was scared of you and wanted to be on your good side. We’ve come so far since then. Let’s not forget all the times we lit fires in Central Park, adventured deep into the depths of Stanley, biked until the birds chirped, and all the nights I stayed out too late because you were my only ride. Burnaby boys have to stick together, and I’ll always be a Burnaby boy at heart. Thanks for sticking by my side since the start. The memories we shared will never be forgotten and I know we’ll pick up right where we’ve left off when we reunite. If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask - I’ll be right there.

Martin Chiang / Louie Wong

The tricky thing about tipping points, is you can only define them in retrospect. I don’t think any of us knew that a anonymous letter in Mr. Mar’s mailbox would be the beginning of a legendary friendship. I couldn’t have picked better friends to spend my teen years with. It’s unbelievable how much chaos we caused and how much fun we had doing it. Above all, we were undyingly loyal to each other every step of the way. Although all good things eventually fade away, I have no doubt that our friendships are eternal. I’m excited to see where life takes us and the stories we’ll have to tell when we meet again.

Sonny Lim

Never despair. Throughout the years, you’ve been the living embodiment that “life goes on”. I want you to know that there’s a reason you’ve been a close friend to me and our mutual friends all these years. Don’t sell yourself short. I hope one day you can muster up the courage to step out of your comfort zone and make a permanent, positive change to your life. You’re every bit as capable as the rest of us, prove it to yourself. 

Jason Huang

I remember thinking you were just some random guy when you were showing me magic tricks in Ms. Sam’s class. Little did we know that we’d become the closest of friends in a matter of months. Tears fully stacked is a big part of why our friend group is able to share our feelings towards each other so easily. It really took our friendship(s) to another level. Your empathy is something that everyone can appreciate and the little things you do for others is something that often goes unnoticed, but truly shows how selfless you are. You’ve heard this from me before, but I appreciate your generosity and it definitely gets taken for granted way too often. It makes me so happy to see you succeed and when you start the next billion-dollar company, I’d love to do the finances for you. We’ll definitely stay in touch, and I wish you the very best with WT (When’s the wedding?! Give me an excuse to come back!).

Hugo Kwan

Is it fair to say that we’ve spent ten times as much time on Skype than we have IRL? Jokes aside, it’s been a pleasure to be your friend, your MS party member, your league duo partner, your.. okay I’ll stop before the cringe gets too much. I’ve slowly realized that you’re a low-key genius and with the right amount of confidence, you’re going to do amazing things. It’s been amazing how much your confidence has grew and you’re only getting started. Don’t forget about me - who else is gonna climb out of Gold with me?!

Jailen Goodson

It’s hilarious to think that you came into high school being afraid of me, when in reality it was me deathly afraid of you. We had such a strong mutual respect for each other that it eventually turned into a friendship that I never want to forget. You made high school so enjoyable for me and the nights at Surya’s house are ones I’ll always remember. Because of you, I’ve learned how important it is to have tough skin and to shrug off what others say. You taught me that once you start competing with yourself, that’s when the challenge starts. I’ve never stopped competing ever since.

Jodie Huang

Can I start off by saying I miss you? Of all the people on this list, you’re the one I wish I treated better. I really didn’t know how much our friendship meant to me until it was gone. In Ms. DeSouza’s class, you and Yuqing changed my life for the better. I always idolized how seamless you were with your writing and how you can naturally ace a titration test while I was trying my very best just to keep up (I’d never let you know that of course). You made the academic side of school fun for me and the joy of learning has never left me since. I realized too late that you were my friend, someone who looked out for me all this time. I won’t forget that night when you stayed up with me to talk about all my insecurities and struggles. So, so many regrets. Hopefully we can rekindle our friendship sometime.

Brandon Kwok

It’s hard to believe that from now on, the only place I’ll be seeing you is Tilted Towers (or Mighty Mars?). Jokes aside, I’m happy to have grown to be such great friends with you. As we started getting really close through 3D1A, I always enjoyed including you in everything I did because you bring the positive energy and everyone needs in their life. We give you way too much shit because the truth is, any girl would be really lucky to have you. GO OUT AND FIND HER! Thinking about it now, it’d be impossible for us not to be friends given all the similar interests we share. I remember looking forward to the end of my lectures because we’d have so much planned to do together every Tuesday and Thursday. Or maybe we were going to game non-stop until we were both tilted off the face of the planet. You treated me like family, and I won’t forget the love that both you and your family showed me every time I come over (yeah, even you Brian). I’m looking forward to hearing that you’ve figured out what you love in life and pursuing it with all your heart. I’ll be waiting.

Henry Yu

From bullying you to defending you at every turn, is it safe to say that our friendship has come the furthest of them all? Respect is one thing, but loyalty is another beast. You’ve been loyal to me ever since that day, and we’ve never turned back. I’m proud to call you my friend. I don’t care who you become or what you do moving forward, I’ll always and forever have your back. I’ll always be here to support you. Hold it against me all you want, because I mean it with all my heart. The friendship and trust that we share is something special and I will cherish that until the day we meet again. There’s not a doubt in my mind that you’re going to pick yourself back up and prove to the world that you’ve got something incredible to offer. I’ll be cheering you on every step of the way. Remember that just because I won’t be there physically to be a shoulder to cry on, I’ll always make time to catch up and we can talk about our feelings for hours on end. Keep your head up. I’m with you to the end.

Crystal Au

There’s only one person who could’ve kept me in Vancouver. Is it an exaggeration to say that the Biology 12 project we did for Ms. Tam was the favorite school project I’ve ever done in my life? I think not. October 31, 2013 was the day you fearlessly (or more like fearfully) shot roman candles into the night sky. The colors of the shots is the perfect metaphor for what has happened since that day. My life was never the same. The world knows by now that I see you in the brightest of lights. There will never be another Crystal, I’ve come to terms with that. Of everyone on this list, I have no idea what distance will do to us. You taught me through action that you have to grab every chance you get with the people you love. I should’ve listened more carefully. You know, having someone that changes you for the better is the best thing out there. Having someone do it again and again and again is unheard of. It’s more than I can ever ask for. Thank you. The reality is, when we can no longer change the situation, we are forced to change ourselves. This is the hardest goodbye. Don’t be a stranger. 

Kitty Zhu

My eighteen-year-old self wanted to marry you. Same for 19, and 20. I always said, everything changes but one thing stays the same. I don’t think our relationship ever changed, but people do. I don’t regret a thing. The happiness we shared in our time together would be enough for a lifetime. I wish you the best, because that’s what you deserve. I’m always here if you need anything.

Melanie Kung

I have a clear memory of sitting in the backseat of a 2001 VW Golf as my dad drove through mountains in Scotland while I desperately searched for internet connection to continue a conversation we were having. Remember that? You were by far the easiest person to open up to and I always felt like we were on the same page. There wasn’t a thing I felt I couldn’t tell you. From the moment we met, you chose to take my side and I appreciate that. Patiently waiting for the day we catch up again.

Wesley Chan

I knew from the moment we got to know each other that this friendship was going to last a lifetime. That won’t change. You’re everything anyone could ever ask for in a friend. You’re caring, selfless, considerate, and everything in between. When I was going through the toughest of times, you were always by my side. Never did I feel any negativity or resentment from you, or judgement of any kind. I owe you the world. There are no words to describe the friend that you are and I hope I made you feel appreciated when I had the chance. I won’t forget the countless nights you came to save my drunk ass. I won’t forget the fun days we spent together: eating dessert, watching movies, biking, travelling to Korea (Iow-key kinda sounds like we were dating KappaPride). I know we’ll be reunited soon and I’ll be patiently waiting for that day. Call me if you need me, whenever.

Elaine Nguyen

You and I both know how much I appreciate our friendship. I love how we can always be honest with each other without any fear of judgement. It’s nice to have someone that understands the struggles we go through and that it’s okay to not always be the best version of ourselves. You made my life so much easier ever since I met you and you can always count on me to support you in any decision you make. I’m always going to be in your corner. 

Wynne To

Is it just me or do I still remember the first couple weeks of our friendship extremely clearly? You have no idea how hard it is to find someone as real as you are. You give and you take at face value and that’s why we get along so well. Only you can match my bluntness (but even so, I still out-do you, I was born in savagery). Funny thing is, you’re going to be my first excuse to come back to Vancouver - so tell Hanki to hurry up and say the magic words already! Thanks for being supportive and kind even when I didn’t deserve it. 

Gurinder Mahal / Christie Chau

I don’t think my life at UBC truly started until I met you two. Before our friendship, school was routine. Not only did you guys make my life interesting (at my expense), I started looking forward to going to school. I’d be lying if I said you guys didn’t have a large influence on my academic success. There’s no doubt in my mind that our friendship will continue on past this phase (especially when we reunite this summer), but I wanted to show my appreciation nonetheless. I’m typing this now, but don’t expect anything nice from me for a year - I love you both.

Talise Tsai

Before I met you, I didn’t think someone like you existed. I admire your drive, your determination to do nothing but good - it’s all incredibly inspiring. It motivates me to make a real difference, regardless of scale. Ever since meeting you, you’ve changed the way I approach life. Let’s make sure we always put our best foot forward. This is only the beginning of our friendship, and I can’t wait to what Toronto has in store.

Iris Chu

Do you remember when you used to be deathly afraid of me (I still have no idea if that was serious or not LOL)? In our limited time as friends, you’ve been a shining light that I wish I got to know sooner. Being around you brings nothing but happiness and that’s something everyone needs in their life. If there’s ever a time I’m in dire need of a photographer, I’ll know who to call! I wish you the best of luck and I hope you’ll still be in Vancouver the next time I pass through.

Daniel Duncombe

As proclaimed by Bowie, the golden boy himself. Because of you, I joined JDC West, leading to the highlight of my past four years. It’s I’m not afraid to admit that look up to you and I wish I could go about life the way you go about yours. The friendships you’ve built and your openness to experience is to die for. You’re without a doubt one of my biggest role models and I’ll see you at the top of another summit the next time I’m in town.

Stella Cho

How many people can you say you’ve jumped off a plane with? It feels like we’ve never actually “hung out” like normal friends cause every time we do, we’re doing something spontaneous and exciting. Just like the start of our friendship, we’ve always took our adventures away from Vancouver. Looks like the future has plenty more of that left to come.

Clara Chu

To tell you the truth, I don’t think I could’ve made it through JDC without you. In my weakest moments, you were an amazing listener and showed me how important it is to listen first and judge second. We’ve grown so close in the past year and it’s all because we just understand each other. Can’t wait to be a terrible influence on you when we go on our adventures this summer. I’ll always be here when you need someone to lean on.

Thanks for giving me the time of day for the past 20 years. I’m a firm believer in fate. If life brings me back to you, I’ll be running as fast as I can. 

I’ll be seeing you,

M