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Holidays are over! Well, it certainly feels that way, with Zibin in Cornell and me in Toronto, the past few weeks of travelling, entertaining, playing, shopping and moving have come to an end.

It’s time to put my personal things in order now and to gear up for the new term, though this will be a busy year for me, and not just work-wise. :P

First of all, I will be getting visitors this term. Mom (and maybe Auntie Yen) will be coming to Toronto in mid-September after attending Grandma’s birthday dinner in L.A. Then, Serena and Wing Kwong will be visiting during the U.S. thanksgiving in late November. And then again, Mom, Dad, John & Cathy, as well as Zibin will be coming to Canada for Christmas. *phew* (I think everybody wants to visit while I’m still in Toronto. :P)

In between, I may have to return to Singapore briefly in early December for the first fitting of my wedding and evening gowns. It was supposed to be in late January, but I just got news that I got accepted into a course starting on January 9th, 2007. I had to ballot for a space in that class, so I don’t want to mess with that! :P

Sometimes it can seem a little overwhelming when all these ‘secondary appointments’ are already so many. (There’s still the GSCOPE conference that I’m helping to organize in mid-October.) *wry* But it doesn’t have to be. Overwhelming, I mean. It could be an exciting and fruitful year in many ways for me. It’s up to me now. :)

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No matter how many times I’ve gone through it, it’s still always hard to say good-bye to Zibin. It’s nice though, knowing that we both have our own work to do, and new life lessons to learn in the coming year… the last year before our long-awaited wedding day finally arrives.

Meanwhile, it’s great knowing that he’s less than 5 hrs drive away and that he’s embarking on an exciting new adventure. :P

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Today’s the birthday of two unique individuals, both special friends of mine. I wish to thank them for sharing so much of the past 12 months of their lives with me. I’ve learned all kinds of things about life, friendship, and even about myself through them. You are each truly unique markers in my life. Happy Birthday! :D