home and away

so i'm finally home, but not really. leaving for china on sunday for a week. then i'll be home.

it's funny being home after so long away and actually having time to breathe, i'm usually running around trying to catch up with people or training or doing something. this week i only have the mandatory training and am only catching up with family and yesterday i got the chance to go for a walk and catch the train - something i haven't done for probably like 4 years or something. so that was fun, the local train station has moved and where it used to be there is a community police/probation office type thing, and where i used to skip through to get to the train station and all the druggies used to hang out is a lovely road with brick foot path and everything. the worn down old buildings are still there, but i dont really think they're that bad. which is funny because if they were anywhere else other than somewhere i walked passed almost every day for like 5 years i would think they were horrible and should be torn down. the new train station is very sparkly and clean and next to the local mall - southmall - which has changed so much since i used to loiter there waiting for mum to finish the groceries, i haven't ventured inside yet. the new world and woolworths are still there but i think that's pretty much it.

i wonder if i'm thinkin this way because i have been reading alex's blogs or because i'm feeling old enough to have seen a bit of change in my neighbourhood... i can't even imagine what manurewa will be like when i'm 40...we'll soon find out anyway!

other than that i'm kind of in mourning still, last of all good-byes for the time being was Meike, i made her a book to remember us, i never thought i'd get through it because it's a pretty big book. but i did! and she wrote me a 4 page, typed out poem and gave me a friendship bracelet with my "colours" on it : )
it was very teary, not much was said because i was for once at a total loss for words. and then she was gone... lucky i have been concentrating on living day to day and not getting too far ahead of myself or i would be in total dispair about next year living without her, rather than just getting teary every now and then when i think of her and all my other friends who i will never get to do life with in person for very long periods of time again.

so thats me for today.

A