Los Reyes Magos del Oriente

In Spain, Argentina, Mexico and Uruguay there is a long tradition for having the children receive their Christmas presents by the three “Reyes Magos” (the figure of Santa Claus only appeared in recent years) during the night of January 5 (Biblical Magi Eve). Almost every Spanish city or town organize cabalgatas in the evening, in which the kings and their servants parade and throw sweets to the children (and parents) in attendance. The cavalcade of the three kings in Alcoy claims to be the oldest in the world, having started in 1886. There is also a “Roscón” (Spain) or “Rosca de Reyes” (Mexico) as explained below. In Spain in the Biblical Magi Eve is also represented the Mystery Play of the Three Magic Kings.

Yesterday, I received my first gifts from “Los Reyes Magos” – also known as the three wise men in the English version of the Bible (who went in search of Baby Jesus when he was about to be born in the Manger in Bethlehem, and where they brought gifts for him as an honor to the new born king).

So I had to put shoes out in the balcony, and the wise men would apparently fill them up with gifts in the middle of the night. You’re supposed to also put a bit of grass and some water for the camels to take a break and have some snacks. We skipped the camels though – we just wanted the presents.

So I asked if I would get 2 presents if I put out 2 pairs of shoes – Susana laughed at my greediness. I decided one pair would be enough then. (Trying not to be so greedy).

This morning I woke up, and lo and behold! The 3 wise men actually brought me gifts! but…. THREE GIFTS! (I found another pair of my shoes in the balcony as well – someone had snuck it out of the room and put it there for me.) What a surprise! and what a tradition, that even at 25 years of age, I still am eligible for presents like this, and for the illusion that most lose when they reach their teens.

I received – an Ona Saez skirt, Akiabara perfume, and Italian made sandalwood-fragranted soap. It feels like Christmas again..

Letter to my best friend

Dear JH,

I’m starting on this challenge and the first letter is supposed to be dedicated to my best friend. So I thought hard, and realized that throughout the years, time and distance, throughout different friendship circles and circumstances, the one person who was non-family but has been there since as long as I could remember up till this very day, is you, yes you.

I remember that we met in CHIJ Katong, when we both got streamed into TA5 (Tangarine 5). We were then in quite different circles, but somehow ended up going to the same tuition class, yes Mrs Chua’s house in Bukit Timah! It would fall on Saturday afternoons, and before heading for the heavy group Science lessons I would meet you at your condo and have our hearty lunches of beehoon with the heavenly chili sauce your granny made so perfectly. Remember how much I ate? Man, I think I must have made quite an impression on your mum! Primary 5 and 6 passed by pretty quickly, and soon, we had our combined birthday celebration at your place by the pool. I gave you a Spice girls CD, and to my amazement and shock, you gave me a Kipling bag, one of the coolest brands when we were kids!

Secondary school went by with us in pretty much different lives, you continuing in KC and I went on to NY. Yet we still kept in old-school contact through our snail mails and I remember always being so happy when I received a letter from you. At that point of time, 13 years ago, email was just getting popular and IRC and ICQ was all the rage. However, we stuck to our penpal traditional bond. I think sometime along then, we did a sleepover once a year, alternating between your place and mine, and I still recall how being kids, we would sleep at 11+pm but set the alarm to wake up for our midnight feast of instant noodles and some other junk food. Somehow I have this image of us putting the food in a red little plastic ship thing – it doesn’t make any sense to me now, but that’s what I always associate with our midnight feasts.

JC came upon us soon after, and once again, we went to different schools, you to TJC and me in HCJC. Proximity wise we were far apart, but we still met up to mug for our exams together, and did the sleepovers as well. Remember crazy Bedok CC where we studied so hard for “A” levels in those small wooden cubicles? Remember also that sometimes Shawn came to join us, and he marked the wooden table with a carving saying “17 more days” as he counted down to the end of the dreadful Physics exam (which coincidentally happened to fall on my birthday)?

Naturally as time passed, it was also time for University. I was busy with SMU and you with Econs in NUS. Yet I think it was also during Uni that we started spending more time hanging out together, meeting at Parkway for beef noodles, and chilling at your house. I always knew you as a studious and hardworking girl, who worked hard for her dreams, so I understood when u so desperately wanted to go to London to do your second degree. And while you didnt exactly end up doing that, you are there now on exchange, and you made your dream come true.

I’ve seen you work hard, question things, and how you’ve always stayed close to the most important values in life. You always make the effort to bring people together, to stay close, and to give little gifts which always lets those around you know how much you care and that we are never far from your thoughts. After returning from exchange in Mannheim, we spent afternoons lazing around in Laguna, driving in your new Mazda 6, and shopping at Parkway (well, of cos you mostly shop online now!). Being here in Buenos Aires now, I miss those times where I would just go over to your place by Tanjong Katong Road and ride a bike with you with the east coast breeze in our hair, and then sitting at Bedok jetty where we would talk about everything possible. I remember the last time we did that, and the golden sunset glow falling on us as we talked into the evening.

I miss that you are just a bus ride away, but of course you are just a skype call away with technology so advanced. I hope you know you are very missed and that I can’t wait to catch up with you in person again when I’m back for CNY!

Te quiero muchisimo.
Hugs,
f.

Friendship…. you find it in the weirdest corners

A long time ago, I used to think that as you grow older, and graduate from student to working adult, your pool of friends can only start to diminish, until is turns from a large ripple into a almost invisible drop of water.

But I realized that friendship is an incredibly amazing phenomenon – you find it when you least expect it; and you never know with whom you’re going to develop a friendship that defies time, distance and cultural differences. I’m a pretty sociable person, but I don’t get out and party too much – in order words, I make friends when doing the most normal things (like attending Spanish classes, at work, or simply by the rare opportunity of chance).

I’ve lived a pretty international life in the last 3 years, and following that lifestyle of travelling because of work, vacation and simply school, I’ve met people who inspire, have passion for things that you might never have imagined, and people who are really just rare jewels of kindness, goodness and love. In SCB, when we travelled to Chennai, India, for our 3-week long rotation, I got to know Feyi really well, despite her being my first African friend from Nigeria; despite the fact that I used to think blacks look fierce and a little too aggressive for my liking; and despite the fact that we rarely kept in touch before that. The last time I saw her was almost a year ago, but the beautiful character that she has made me always remember the strength of a person who had the courage to admit her mistakes and accept that she had done wrong; that she dared to ask for forgiveness, and know what was important to her. I admire her motivation and faith in wanting to be Nigeria’s next finance minister – an extremely ambitious ideal for any person just starting out. I appreciated her absolutely honest sincerity that made me slightly startled at the raw intensity of it all. But it was true, that in India, a place which left so many memories and invoked so many emotions, I found a true friend.

At work in SCB, back home in Singapore, I also made friends over time, with random people – colleagues on the floor, the secretaries and generally anyone who made the effort to chat for those few more minutes outside of work. There are some people that I really appreciate for making the first few months in a completely new office so much easier, and because of that, I am always grateful. From them I learnt the most important rules to stick by in the game of office politics, but also that work mates can be fun to hang out with; that it was crucial in whom you place your trust and confidence, because there were so many others who are ready to backstab you the minute they require to.

Then I came to Argentina and lo and behold, never did I expect to see another Singaporean so soon after leaving my homeland! Jace was here for the first month I was here – working of course, but we met up a couple of times and still keep in contact once in a while. And then SY, who I met because of our mutual friend – who has interesting ideas and a pretty crazy life – who I probably would not have met if we both remained in Singapore – and who constantly amazes me! She defies many social norms and expectations of Singapore lawyers, and it is refreshing while also quite hard to believe.

But of course, the friends that you’ve had since a thousand years ago and still keep in close contact are a rarity that always make me smile. I remember going for Mrs Chua’s tuition classes on Saturdays when I was in primary school; but first going to JH’s house for a yummilicious bee hoon lunch with her granny’s famous chilli. It was from those routine saturdays that we developed our friendship, which later led to yearly sleepovers (where we had to set the alarm at 12 am to have our midnight feast), then pen pal letters as we changed schools, but over time and difference in schools, we always stayed close, even though, I in Argentina, and she in Singapore, but going to London for her law exchange in just 2 days!

And Syl, who really helped me through a thousand things – crying in the middle of the night, driving over to see if I was ok, dinner at Pasta Fresca, shopping on random occasions, late night chats on the phone, and sleepovers. SMU was largely made up of the girls – and syl was one of those that really defined SMU life. Then there is Suzy, who by chance I met at Sports Camp in Uni year one, but only 2 years later got to know her better after our internship at Bloomberg. We don’t talk so often but when we do it’s always such a wonderful thing – and I can’t wait to see her little girl when she arrives! And Joyceee, who is going to get married next year – it’s amazing to see their lives bloom like that; some people are extraordinary and you know it’s such an honour to be part of their evolution.

There are also so many more that I have yet to write about, but it doesn’t mean their friendship isn’t worth mentioning. There are too many who have touched and impacted my lives, in littles ways and then big ones too. But most importantly I know at last that my hypothesis is no longer valid.

Your circle of friends will only get wider and wider – but that also depends on you.

Recollections of an EX-nerd

It’s been an incredibly looooong time since I last studied; or at least something that was heavier than just languages such as Spanish. I’m talking about corporate finance – something that I almost haven’t touched since year 2 of University.

Nowadays, I am picking up those Finance texts and googling corporate finance word definitions to retune my somewhat rusty memory and try to regain my understanding of these Modigliani and Miller and other conceptual theories. This is largely due in part to having to prepare for interviews and to recuperate some of the technical knowledge that I used to have; I’m sure they are somewhere within the cobwebs of my brain, and will soon resurface with a little bit of studying help. I just need to be hardworking and patient to read the hundreds of articles available out there; and to work smart by sifting out the more relevant articles. As all economists know, resources are limited; and since time is short, I need to filter out what is necessary and important to have a rough but large coverage of the corporate finance world.

Thankfully, there are websites dedicated to feed the hunger of those crazy and dying for such knowledge. Since my SMU days, I have faithfully referred to the Investopedia.com site for my finance knowledge reference. Written by both Investopedia staff as well as readers and experts in the finance field, it is a database of definitions, articles and tutorials that gives a simple but surprisingly comprehensive view of the basics and even more, depending on how much you can absord. It links articles related to your word definition search such that within easy reach you can click on the articles to delve into the wider context of the word you weren’t so sure about. Yes, Investopedia is extremely useful and life-saving, especially when preparing for an upcoming interview.

However, it’s still all about being hardworking and having a firm grasp of the topics and issues at hand. It’s difficult to bluff your way through corporate finance, especially when it gets technical and formulae is demanded. Not always will you be able to blow smoke at your interviewer’s face and expect him to agree that you idea is correct. Yes, I know I need to read alot this weekend; and remember what I read.

But well…! I have been a nerd before! There are some things you never forget; and this is one of them! Time to be a nerd again!

P/S: By the way, Argentina versus Germany tomorrow! HUGE HUGE match. Getting goosebumps wondering how the match will play out! So far this world cup has been pretty unorthodox. Most of the big European teams did not even get past the group stage; and Brazil just got knocked out by Netherlands in the quarter-finals. Who knows what interesting results tomorrow’s quarters will bring? Will it be red,black and yellow? or white and blue? Stay tuned..

Every turn a surprise

My favourite disney movie has always been Aladdin, and I’d always loved Princess Jasmine. Such apt and beautiful lyrics.

:: A Whole New World ::

I can show you the world
Shining, shimmering, splendid
Tell me, princess, now when did
You last let your heart decide?

I can open your eyes
Take you wonder by wonder
Over, sideways and under
On a magic carpet ride

A whole new world
A new fantastic point of view
No one to tell us no
Or where to go
Or say we’re only dreaming

A whole new world
A dazzling place I never knew
But when I’m way up here
It’s crystal clear
That now I’m in a whole new world with you
Now I’m in a whole new world with you

Unbelievable sights
Indescribable feeling
Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling
Through an endless diamond sky

A whole new world
Don’t you dare close your eyes
A hundred thousand things to see
Hold your breath – it gets better
I’m like a shooting star
I’ve come so far
I can’t go back to where I used to be

A whole new world
Every turn a surprise
With new horizons to pursue
Every moment red-letter
I’ll chase them anywhere
There’s time to spare
Let me share this whole new world with you

A whole new world
That’s where we’ll be
A thrilling chase
A wondrous place
For you and me