A lot of people had said that I have the “wrong” kind of emotions when it comes to certain situations. One of the key things is my assumed indifference when faced with situations of high stress or tragedy. Often, my boyfriend would ask me how I felt after I told him about things that are happening in the family and get annoyed with me when I answered that I didn’t know.
The truth is, I really don’t know.
That is not to say that I lack human emotions. I can assure you that I have it in abundance! Put on a remotely sad or heartwarming commercial and I’ll bawl my eyes out. I have empathy and sympathy in ample enough dosages. Just that when faced with something personal, I tend to delay my emotions until I have had time to sit down and think it through.
So, in the last week or so, there have been a barrage of farewell lunches, parties, and even a BBQ picnic.
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One of the first moving gestures was this little passionfruit mango mousse cake from the cafe Thierry in Downtown Vancouver. They are famed for their macarons but one of my coworkers from the property management company I used to work at, walked in during her lunch break and bought me this small bundle of AMAZING as a farewell present. It was a small gesture but I was still floored that she had actually went out of her way, for me! of all people. The farewell lunches from all the people there were really nice but this one stuck out of my mind the most.
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Speaking of food, here’s something that I am going to miss tremendously when I’m high up north in Aberdeen. Amazing, delicious, fresh, SUSHI. There’s a place in Coquitlam called Sushi Town that’s run by Koreans that makes the most AMAZING rolls and sashimi ever. Sure, it’s not that authentic but the portions and taste more than make up for it. My tastebuds are going to be craving these while I do my academic penance up north.
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Last week, there was a small gathering for an ex-student of mine who was heading back to Korea. She hosted a BBQ picnic out near Kitsilano Beach at a place called Kitsilano Point. It was a pretty great outing despite the drizzle that showed up halfway through and the dog that wouldn’t leave our table alone. But it was my time here, two days before I had to move out of my apartment permanently, that I came to grips with the fact that I was probably not going to see this landscape in a while.
And as I waved goodbye to the group and started my slow walk back along the coast to my empty apartment, I looked back and said my goodbyes to the well known waters by Kitsilano Beach and the lights of Downtown Vancouver in the background.
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I think out of everything, I will miss the landscape the most. It’s the perfect melding of the ocean and the mountains. Scotland may be beautiful, I doubt it’s got anything on Vancouver.
And once I get on the plane and realize that I’m leaving all this behind, I will probably start tearing up and the flight attendant will have to deal with a hysterical me. Delayed emotions is a bad thing sometimes.
~JGM
Farewells are always difficult. I totally get where you’re coming from.