May 17, 2014

wei liang

I will skip the usual birthday greeting because I’m sure you’ve heard enough from me, and I will go straight to the point because I think that’s what is important. How long have we known each other Karen? Hmm, four years and counting if I’m right. The first two years in JC, you were someone in need of help and advice. You were filled with emotions that often were out of your control. You would put it down in words that described your situation and feelings. Truth be told, I was worried for you but I’m glad we opened up to each other and I hope that through your sharing it with me, you felt better.

(haha, i still am that girl, welly. up till extremely recently, i was still that teary needy girl whose emotions were too much to handle. always in need. but recently i have become less dependent somehow.)

After graduation, things started to change…you got out of your existing problems and you started to mature even more. The amount of things you have done for the people around you are just countless. But such accomplishments and achievements don’t define who you are. The Karen that I know now is so different from the Karen I knew in JC and I am so proud of you now. A few weeks back, I was on my bed reflecting about life when I decided to stalk your tumblr (I do it pretty often to understand how life has been for you). (aww welly!!!!) Scrolling through the entries, I felt a deep sense of connection with your words: the feeling that this article spoke out to what I was feeling at that point in time. That was when I realised that whatever you blog is actually helping people express their feelings in words. Maybe you developed this ability through your experiences or innate talent but what I wanna say is that the Karen right now is never about herself anymore, but about everyone else around her. You have become a lady with such a big heart, always wanting to help people, especially problems with the heart. Your ability to express feelings and emotions into words have greatly helped those around you look for answers and closure. Karen, you have a way with feelings and words and I’m thankful to you for expressing them with such accuracy, for I’m not able to do it. I hope you will continue using this talent of yours to help the people around you. Happy birthday to you once again! God bless. 

 Welly, I typed out your letter because I never ever want to lose it. Right now I don’t know where your birthday letter to me last year was, and that makes me so sad because I remember it was the most touching letter I had ever received. dammit. Thank you, Welly. Your words mean so much to me. I’m so thankful to know that even when I wordvomit-rant-don't-bother-type-whatever-because-rage-and-emotion you feel a connection with my words. This is all I want to do with my life. To write in a way that helps people feel like their hearts are relieved too. Like someone knows, too. Welly, thank you. Thank you. I have changed less than you think, or rather, in different ways than you think. But I am still your dear friend. Love you so much.

On that note, Yale-NUS is sponsoring me to go for a summer creative writing course at the University of Iowa. I'm so pumped, because Iowa's graduate writing course is pretty much the best in the world, and it was / maybe still is my dream to do my Master's there. I haven't done any serious creative writing in a very long time. Since before I started college, I think. What has happened to me. Next semester I'll be taking a nonfiction writing course by Prof. Hemley, the director of my school's writing program, who previously headed the nonfiction writing program in the University of Iowa. We'll see if I emerge from it a stronger writer, or jaded and too scared to try anymore...

I'm excited. I haven't had the time to really write in such a long time.

Anyway, so I'll be in Iowa in less than a month, and before and after that I'll be travelling around Canada and the States. Excited!!! Will upload my photos on Facebook!

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