Dalena Huynh:
Woman where do I start? I think stuff happen for a reason, let me tell you why. You know my first impression of you wasn’t so good, after all you had a mean glare that fateful day in the tennis courts underneath those glasses. But then you befriended Magaly who happened to be my friend I heard from her that you were, “So funny, really cool, and you liked DBSK .” At first I was like, “DBSK who the BEEP is that?” but even with the confusion if Magaly liked you, I might as well give an effort in getting to know you even though at first I told myself I wasn’t gonna bother to get to know your name. I looked up DBSK to be able to talk to you guys and from that youtube channel I saw 2PM, and I was interested in who they were- that Summer between the transition of Freshman year to sophomore year I got into the world of KPOP: I fell in love. And thanks to those dorky times I was able to meet and talk to a lot of great people who also enjoyed KPOP. Also it is thanks to you that I had many sleepless nights watching variety shows. But if I hadn’t met you, I wouldn’t have met a lot of people or gotten close to them like Maya and Mailan, so meeting you was an important part of my life (& you weren’t even aware of that). That already leaves a great presence in the back of my head as the type of friend you are to me- you are somebody I can’t forget. I loved teasing you, making fun of you and if I could have I would have pulled on your pigtails or braids (LOL). Thank you for being such a great sport with all my jokes, even the ones that got too far. I enjoyed my times with you, they were always so fun.
I realize that our friendship was based on humor and crude behavior so I am looking forward for more serious talks or more heartfelt stories that will make our friendship stronger and give it more depth. I think you are hilarious, and you don’t even have to try, but you’re just naturally funny- well your mannerisms at least. You are a paradox, you are dense when it comes to jokes or stories but you were a straight A student. You have a big chest yet you’re asian? You seem healthy when in fact you eat nothing but microwavable foods or sugary sweets. You’re naturally good at tennis or even yoga poses or stretching exercise but when it comes down to it, you couldn’t run to save your life like RUN not jog. You complain a lot to other people about certain situations because you never step up for yourself; come on Dalena, you have to be more truthful about how you feel in the moment. I want you to be more honest about your feelings and I want you to be more honest to me. I want you to be able to share about how you feel or what you think because from a psychologist point of view, you are a very interesting specimen (not that I am saying you’re crazy or anything….)
I will rant about you a bit but then I will get to the happier things but this is something I’ve been meaning to share. Maybe it’s just me (or to me) but I feel that I put more into this friendship than you do. For example, this might seem silly to you but on facebook I always send the first message to you: you have never once started a conversation with me. Maybe that’s just the way you are but I feel unappreciated by you; you don’t like me as much as I like you (no homo….in friendship terms) maybe it was me just imagining that I thought I was a closer friend to you like you are for me,. For example if I were to pick my closest friends you’d be one of the first persons to pop up in my head. I don’t even know why since I feel you don’t put as much effort in our friendship but- ohgawd your weird, paradoxical, dense,4D personality won me over. Actually I do know why, you are nicer than you let on. You don’t share a lot of things to people that would hurt them, you refrain from saying anything hurtful unless it is really necessary. You seem like a serious person but then we see the moments where your humanity shows and I see the tears fall whether it’s for a movie or when somebody else cries and I think to myself that you are very compassionate. You get annoyed easily, and though you say nothing you roll your eyes and wave your hand around saying, “ It’s okay,” when it’s not but that shows me that you care for the person because it shows your restraint and patience. You always share your lunch box even though sometimes it’s not a lot (you eat very little) so I know you are a kind. So maybe I see why you are one of my closest friends even though I might not be yours, cause I know your bestfriend spot is taken by a girl named Michelle Do (ho snaps that rhymed- you have to give props for that hahah).
Thank you for getting me an expensive journal that I now consider “My memory book,” because I will surely use it until the last page is full. You have given me great memories and made me laugh a lot too, you have helped changed me into a better person. I like to think of you as my sister because I love you very much, and I don’t say I love you often so x’cuse me if it sounds rough: I find it very awkward for me to share my feelings I am more of the listener type ready to hear your….shoot, what rhymes with feelings? (lol) But Yes, don’t take my words for granted because I really say it rarely, I hope to see an invitation for your wedding day (: So let us continue talking and strengthening our friendship, I want to continue to learn more about who you are. You will become a great psychologist or whatever you want to become you’re a great person who is dedicated in what they do (except tennis LOL). I’ll stop here because I wrote much more than I planned: you get my emotions going haha. Oh oh, I love watching you get scared and your reactions are filarious (f*cking + hilarious), I’ll see you in three years as a graduate student @ UCLA :)
Tiffany Diem Le
I think I can pronounce your middle name correct (YEM?) if not well….too bad I ain’t Vietnamese. Tiffany, there are a lot of things I can say about you but I don’t know where to start, I feel like if I start on one thing I am going to be thinking of another thing in my head and then forget it hahah. You are one of the loudest people I’ve ever met (when you want to be loud), and I happen to like that ;D You make our group less quiet and honestly you’ve helped a lot of us change ourselves. You put on a strong hold in front of the world when other things might upset you but I want you to know I’ll always be here for you even though I can be awkward sometimes though you can be too. You are blunt and honest and many people misunderstand you, they can’t take their time to get to know how wonderful you really are. We need that friend that is honest but at the same time the great thing about you is that you are actually very kind. Sure I call you blunt and honest but there are many things that you hold back from saying to us because you know that it will hurt our feelings, you may share it with other people but never so we will hear it.
You are the person that always tries to make us happy or bring the mood up whenever you see it gloomy. You are very generous to your friends as well, even though you have bills to pay with a regular job wager you never refrain from inviting some of your friends out to eat (like me when we went to Tofu house) or let other people borrow money even though you know some might forget to pay it back. You think about getting people great gifts that they will enjoy and even though sometimes it’s because you want something nice back for your birthday, some never give anything as nice back but you continue to do it because you’re kind that way. You are grateful (appreciatative) and when somebody does something kind for you, you never forget about it and somehow in your own way you pay them back. I am very happy I got to know you more along the years because you are somebody I grew to appreciate very much.
You shouldn’t be too hard on yourself Tiffany because you are an amazing person, so different and interesting from other “normal” and boring people. I think you should learn to appreciate yourself more and see how wonderful you’ve become- you are somebody different than you were in the past; you’ve changed for the better. Whenever failures appear stay positive and know that things will be better. So you got a C in a Calc test once; meeeh who cares, I don’t judge you by your grades and neither should you- because you should know you are better than that- more 3D. You have a greater worth than you realize. I know you’ve lived a tough life kid, but that only made you stronger, because if you had grown spoiled you might be a big betch today or even worse- pregnant. This might sound sadistic of me but I enjoyed the day you cried at Julie’s & Maya’ s house when you began to talk about your family, and your past: I was overwhelmed by the raw emotions and got a glimpse of some of the things that you have kept from us- your true feelings.
Tiffany before I get to lightening up the mood, I just want to say something I’ve never said to you before: I really look up to you. I don’t think you’ve had anybody tell you that, I am glad to be the first. I look up to how honest you can be to people; I never really shared some of the things I wanted to say because I didn’t want to make other feel bad but that’s just an excuse because sometimes it’s necessary to say things and you helped me out in that area because nowadays I am more honest about how I feel or I know how to say no. You’re so expressive and you are not afraid of what other people think. At pep rallies you would do silly things in order to get the crowd hyped- others might have felt embarrassed to do it but you didn’t and that is admirable. You are also very confident though you complain about your body more than you should, you’re not afraid to wear scandalous clothing or even colors that might clash, you are secure about who you are and don’t change for no rat. I am glad I met you, because I needed a free spirit like you, somebody who isn’t afraid to clash with me in ideas we don’t agree on.
But now I get to the fun part and say we are way more alike than anybody I’ve ever met. We have the same birthdays, our initials are backwards, we like to dance- especially “strong” dances. You are T.O.P and I am GD-baby-baby (LOL). We like a lot of the same things like dances or videos. We seem to think the same sometimes, it’s kind of scary but funny and enjoyable at the same time. We seem to have this thing for black people…as in their skills are O: to us. We both have two older siblings both boys and I have two older siblings both girls, ( I am not counting henry). We are the youngest and we are really lazy (lol). We both have families that don’t make very much money. We both are considered to be the “prettiest” ones of the group (o__o I know, don’t know when they had that talk), we have a thing for fascinating videos and especially the Japanese “KAWAII-desu” thing. You think I am awkward and I think you’re awkward. We both like to learn other languages and both wanted to go to Soka- we chose the same major without even knowing and by the way I hope you are doing well at OCC. We both want to go to UCLA so I guess I’ll be seeing you there in three years ;D . I think in general you are a really lively-fun person who I want to continue to get closer to and get to know more. You’re wild, and rambunctious and if you weren’t, you wouldn’t be You. I seriously want to continue our friendship so don’t back out on me-you’re with me till you die LOL. & I never get annoyed of your wall posts, I happen to really love them. And speaking about love, “Tippany” I love you too, as a friend of course :)
Mailan Hoang Nguyen:
Mailan, I always tell you the story of how my first impression of you was that I thought you were so cool and I wanted to get to know you because the group would talk about how fun you are. I remember I would see you around school with a G-unit shirt (LOL) and I thought you were really gangstuuh. Anyway, after that day I talked to you at Corner Bakery with the rest of the girls, I knew I wanted to get to know you even more. I still couldn’t say your name right even though they corrected me many times, I think it always sounded better when I pronounced it as, “Mai-linh,” (JK) My lawn is way better. Anyway since you weren’t in tennis we didn’t really get to know each other freshman year. However Sophomore year we had Mr.Vu together and lunch, and that was when we REALLY got to get along. I love spazzing about kpop with you during class instead of paying attention (pfhaha) but we still got good grades (; I especially liked the fact that you were my 2PM buddy<3 and I let out my inner fangirl with you. Oh and the fact that you are a jaywalker and like Jay park as much as I do or maybe even more.
Thank you for all the times that you opened the doors of your home, all the times I ate spring rolls at your house (yum). I really got to see a lot of your family, especially Dylan<3 he was like the little bro I never had. But it was nice eating with your family and saying, “Jao Ko or Jao bach” etc I remember the time your grandma smiled at me (I was like YES, I am accepted lol), and she has super long hair .__. Haha. I remember I met your “cute” cousin, yeah not anymore but I even met his sister and I met your aunt with your other cousins that go to Marina(?) seriously out of everybody I’ve met more of your family than anybody else LOL. I remember that time around 5-6PM that I went to your house because my dad forgot to pick me up, and you were on your way to church so you left me in your house with your cousin, and you gave me sprite though I left a 3minutes after you were…that was super random.
It’s funny that your room is a mess and you clean it often but idk if you’re saying the truth (; at the same time though you are really organized with school stuff and even organized my binder; no one has ever done that and thank you so much for that too- it really helped me. Thank you for worrying about me too- my numerous absences or the fact that I didn’t do my homework or that I was late- I am thankful you were harsh to me that way because I know you cared about me…and that will be imprinted in my mind the way Bella’s daughter is to Jacob (heh). You are really good at math and thank you for all the times you helped me out when I didn’t understand some problems in calc class. I really admire the way you strongly rely on your religion to guide you because I wish I was as religious as you. You go to church every week, and you pray before you eat- that is really cute and admirable. I liked teasing a lot about the whole “Mmkay” issue, do you remember that ahah. I love your reactions when I teased you- you became really embarrassed and turned into a little girl. Speaking about little girls, you sound like one when you just wake up or something cause it’s hard to understand you when you talk on the phone.
You are like the mother of the group, and I know you’ll be a great mom. The one that will do cute hairstyles on their daughter’s hair and you’ll be the grandma that makes cookies for her grandchildren. I admire your confidence because you’re not afraid to go “GET IT” ahha and you were scandalous clothes like those booty shorts- you friggin hoochi lol, but see then that makes you a big camera wh*re but that’s okay because you wouldn’t be you if you weren’t. You need a camera- you understand me.
Though I have felt a bit distant this summer I know it was just a phase, you’re going to UCI and I’ll be seeing you frequently (; Let’s go do those boba-runs and hang out more so we can continue to bond<3
I remember that time after school we decided to eat together @ Pick up Stix, I don’t know why but I felt sophisticated, like if I was on my lunch break from work and as co-workers we went out to eat together. That was the first time I had ever eaten with a friend one on one in a restaurant like that. I hope you stay safe and continue to grow as a person, I can’t wait to see you in your wedding day especially when you become all frantic and a bridezilla (lol). I’ll stick with you till the end DUDE (‘: <3 So I don’t want to end this cheesily but I love you mailan, take care (;
Nicole Kazue Sakamoto,
Before I start, I am forcing you to read ALL of this message, don’t be mean and “skim” the words like you would in English class. Freshman year you were a bit intimidating abusing, you’re the first girl to ever punch me. I don’t know why I continued to want to talk to you (after all you hit me more than once) but something didn’t let me walk away from you. Underneath that “cold” exterior I knew there was a cute little girly-girl that just needed to be pushed a little in order for the “true” Nicole to come out. Okay maybe it was the fact that you were Japanese that made me want to befriend you (LOL JK) it was seriously because I wanted to see who the real you was. I understood that you were a loving person, and the more you made fun of someone (ex: Marisa) the more you actually liked them. So I grew curious and I continued to watch you (in a non creepy way of course ahha). Each year I watched you change and grow into a kinder, more beautiful person that began to show more of their real feelings and thoughts.
I hope you continue to grow at UCSD and meet new friends that will push you outside of your “comfort zone” and let you experience the world in different perspectives. I am very proud of all the achievements you have completed ( I was amazed by all the basketball awards man), you shouldn’t be too harsh on yourself because you are an amazing person, even with the “A-“ you received in Calculus before that would get you really mad . Thank you for letting me make fun of you and opening the doors of your home to me (&the group). You are a very generous person and this time it’s not because “You’re Japanese” it is because you have more warmth and apathy than you realize. I loved spending the summer with you, I got to know so much more about you. I grew fond of you Nicole and mang I just want to say I love you (‘: You have integrated yourself into a very special friendship circle in my heart (cheesy I know) and I hope we continue to talk even after you are in UCSD because I really like our friendship.
I want to continue watching you grow, and experience the awkwardness when you get pregnant (just the thought made me laugh out loud) but I know you’ll be a great mother someday. I know your younger days might have felt lonely, and after the confession of your parents I am certain that you will not follow the same path. Learn to show your happiness and laugh without restraint, everybody loves you a lot Nicole, and I want to thank you for sharing some of your life with me, even the moments that were painful, so don’t be afraid to tell me anything because I do not judge, I will be here for you whenever you need me: as a teacher, psychologist, a flower, a wall, a friend or most importantly like a sister that will never abandon you because we are bonded like a family.
I can’t wait for you to tell me about all the cute boys at UCSD and how they tried hitting on you (& yes I know you feel uncomfortable hearing this because I feel the same way when people tell it to me), but you have to get used to the idea that you will start DATING soon ahhaha, and that you ARE attractive so boys WILL be coming over, and you’ll have to be girlier and flirtier heheheh (; You have to learn to be confident Nicole, and show your love in other ways like you do freely with Channing Tatum or Sailor moon lol .I wrote so much, I hope you read all of this and if not…. GO BACK AND READ IT ALL D:< I am glad I met you and I hope you will continue to be a part of my life. I’ll see you on (OCT6th) and idk….your wedding day (; hahahhaha <3
P.S don’t you love how I gave you a personal slogan, “Cause she’s Japanese,” and also the nick name Nicorii, SAAKAMOTOOO-SAN (with the Japanese show host accent lol) thank you for inviting me to OBON: can I go again next year (;?
Also, I like it when you act like a little girl (the time you were singing to The Nightmare Before Christmas) or when you sneeze like a cat…..so cute ^3^
Magaly Padilla.
I never gave you back your “year book,” paper with my message so Instead I want you to keep this as an equal exchange for that. I met you in 7th grade very briefly along with Tiffany Le. I remember you had a brown sweater, your hair was in your face and you had those nerdy glasses that became dark in the sunlight. You showed me a picture that you drew of Gaara, that I thought was pretty cool you even drew the kanji sign in his forehead. Anyway you told me that day, “ I love Gaara,” and I spazzed a lot because I liked Gaara too but then you found out it wasn’t as much as Sasuke<3. And it’s funny re-thinking our nerdy anime days LOL, I was really into Naruto and you were too. After that day I never saw you again until 8th grade because I began to hang out with Dorothy, Donald, David (triple D’s lol) + the rest of the group. I began to talk to you more and you even came over to my house that one day with Tiffany when I left you guys inside my house by yourselves. At the end of 8th grade, we were really excited about High School and all the new people we we’re going to eat, you showed me a video of DBSK both the “Balloons & Mirotic video,” though I did enjoy the videos I kind of forgot about them, and kpop didn’t grow on me until the summer of 2010.
Freshman year came and I got to know you even more, I was able to see some of your habits like sticking out your tongue when you were cracking up, how your nose would crinkle when you ranted about something haha. & I don’t know what I would have done without you that year, I remember going to your house afterschool so many times so my dad could pick me up, I am really grateful to you for that. Also randomly, I remember the time you came over to my house and there was a party going on and you ate some chicken + rice and you said, “This is sooo good,” maybe you were lying but my mom felt really happy about that. So what cracks me up was that we both joined tennis and even though we were the last in the ladder we thought we were the shieet*. We had tennis balls going over the fence, and we really sucked at hitting back the balls to the other side of the court. But then we became so good at it and sophomore year we were JV starters (singles) and then we went into Varsity together for the rest of our high school career. We were in it together, two Hispanic girls in a predominant asian sport- but I think we we’re amazing. If we had practiced more, outside of school we could have joined up for USTA doubles and win a lot of 1st place awards.
But see the special thing about that is, we were the “minority” in a bunch of the things we liked: especially when everyone of our friends were asian LOL. We shared a lot of things in common for the things we liked, for example: kpop,anime, cute asian boys etc. And even though I got out of the, “ I prefer to date Asians,” I know you will definitely marry one and he will be something really great. I have also watched you grow and developed from Freshman year, you were awkward ( just like I was), you didn’t like girly things and you repeatedly used the word, “disgusting.” In all honest truth you were a tomboy, but then look at you know: you’re a pretty flower that uses eyeliner, headbands and owns a really cute skirt <3 You are so much lighter in personality, you wear more bright and happy colors and you are not as negative as you were in the past because you used to be, but not anymore. I hope you only continue to grow from here because you have always been a fantastic person who makes really lame jokes (:< You have gained more confidence, and I hope that also continues to grow because I want you to show people how dazzling and “Banjak Banjak” (Korean: shiny shiny) you can really be.
Magaly I must confess that you have much courage: you have done things in High School that I wouldn’t have the bees to do. You befriended a lot of guy friends and even the ones you thought were cute, you went out there and talked to them, that is something I must give you props for because I was always to shy/hesitant to do so. You have more b*lls than I do Magaly, and I am happy to say I have learned some courage from you. Anyway school is going to start soon and we’re both going to UCR; I am so excited for it. I can’t wait for the people that we’re going to meet or the professors we’re going to talk about ahaha. I am happy I will be able to share this part of my life with you Magaly because you are somebody that I care for very much. Let us continue to talk and bond closer than before because I love you a lot Magaly. I want to get to know you more so go visit me in my dorm anytime, or text me, call me skype me too. I can’t wait when we have kids, so my children can play with yours especially tennis haha ;D. Let us always keep in contact because Magaly I want you to be my friend forever :)
- Now wasn’t that cheesy ahhaha XD
Maya Purwatini Atmojo
There has been so much between us that I felt like I’ve been your friend for more than 4 years? Could you believe we met only in Freshman year, I wonder what it would have been like if I met you sooner but I won’t dwell on the what if because we met already and the memories are all good<3 So I’ll repeat my first impression of you because I find it the best place to start in our friendship even though you’ve heard of this many times. It was a week or two before the beginning of Freshman year and it was during Tennis summer camp where I first saw you. We we’re doing our warm ups (shuffling +lunges) when suddenly I see the back of your head- I saw long super curly hair (that would usually be found on a black person) that bounced every time you crossed over for the shuffles. I saw your face at the side and I thought, “ She’s lighter than normal blacks” but I saw closely your features and I realized you were a mixed child. I didn’t know what mix you were but I thought maybe she’s half black and something else ( I was right about you being mixed though) anyway in that instance something within me told me I wanted to be your friend- I wanted to get to know you. I was drawn to you (in a curious way) because I never met a mixed child before. So a few days later I don’t know how I got your name- but I did and I went on facebook myspace (cause that was the “thing” back then) and I added you by sending you a message. Your response to me was, “Do I know you? Who are you?” and from that moment on we became acquainted with each other. I got to know you the most freshman year during our “jail” times and I saw you as really nice and religious girl. I remember the time one of the coaches from another school came to our little section and he asked us if we knew that “Ubiqitous” meant because a lot of the tennis players he asked did not know the answer but right away you answered “ Being everywhere at the same time,” and then you told us you remembered the word from one of the vocabulary list of your 7th/8th grade teacher; at that moment I also found out you were intelligent.
So when I became really close to you was during Sophomore year when we had Mr.Vu together- I think it was fate that made us sit together ( I was so happy to have had you for a class because you were fun). Thinking about it know I am glad I sat next to you- I wouldn’t have enjoyed that year as much if you weren’t there. We would talk everyday in that class mostly about kpop and the dances/ songs and we would spazz about it in class while everyone looked at us like queers. I remember the time Mr.Vu was telling us one of his stories when suddenly he mentioned something about, “The Big Bang,” and we busted out laughing cause we both thought of the same thing, “BIGBANG.”I laughed at remembering that. We had lot of fun talks that year during class and especially during lunch where busted out a SNSD dance or a 2PM song lol <3 It was such a wonderful year. Thank you for taking me to that SM concert that year - it was the bomb-dizzle. I had so much fun, I am glad I went to my first kpop concert with you- it was a great experience. I’ll remember just how many octaves you can scream in because in all honesty your screaming is out of this world.
Junior year and Senior year came by and I thought of you as my bestfriend, because you were and even though we aren’t as “biffles” as before I want you to know that this friendship that we have going on is something that I will cherish forever because you were more than a friend to me, you were my sister. And now I am going to say stuff that might be rough to hear but this is something I want to share but I promise after this the mood of this letter(?) will lighten up. Summer before senior year, I became a bit hesitant about our relationship. There was something in me that was a bit annoyed but I never understood why, all I know was that I couldn’t hang around you for some time. Well….I do know why and I’ll tell you because I will be honest in this. Everyone has done stuff that really annoyed me but I usually just let them slide by in hopes that this “annoyingness” would eventually fade away. Most of the times they did but it would be something I would disregard when the few that stayed came back. Then that summer I just couldn’t hold yours in.
I didn’t understand why you forced yourself to laugh sometimes or be nice to everyone- give fading compliments to people and put on an air of je ne sais quoi uhhh… shallowness(?). I would have liked you if you didn’t do those things, if you weren’t always so cheery or empty compliments to make somebody tolerate you because I wanted to see every honest side of you beyond the façade of the “Happy Maya.” I would have accepted you no matter who you were, as many other people would have as well, so I didn’t understand why you did those things and I became frustrated. I started to question your sincerity because you weren’t being real to me or the people I observed you talking to. I saw you built this wall in front of you and you became a sort of a two-faced to me ( please keep reading). I know as a growing teenager personality changes so I was trying to understand this phase you were going through because it is something natural that occurs. I saw that you were trying harder in becoming more popular and more noticed, trying to get closer to the spotlight that was kept from you in your younger days . It still bothered me though, because you were changing so much from the person I remembered. However I began to understand a lot of your changes and accept this was who you are. This is something that you deserved, this popularity and socialite behavior. So I realized that no matter what even though you were going through these changes- you would always be Maya to me. You would always be the best friend that cheered me up when I was down, that helped me out when I was troubled and was always there for me when I needed to talk. I began to work through this phase and I saw the good sides of you that came within these changes. By the end of the summer these thoughts were eased as I solved the mystery of you. I wanted to take you all in because that’s what friends do and you were too important for me to loose. That moment was special to me though because I realized just what type of friend I wanted you to be in my life. I was taking in your good sides, your bad sides and your weird sides (lol) because you are someone I want to talk to and hang out with when I am old<3.
So I felt disappointed during Senior year were we lost our connection from previous years because I put so much work in dealing how I felt. I was like WTH, that’s not cool- dude I just went through an epiphany on our relationship. It saddened me though because we kept drifting apart- you were with Ivy and then Gabby and Sergio started taking up your time too. They are good people though there were times you talked about Gabby or Sergio so much that I grew tired of them because I didn’t care about what they did as much as what you were doing. I wanted to hear more about you, not about them. So I hope from now on our relationships only gets better because this is the slump that important friendships go through-I mean the deeps ones aren’t always so happy. So know we are going to have happier times and I can’t wait to hang out with you and hear more about what you have to say because I love you Maya.
At this moment I want to thank you for everything you have done for me. Thank you for taking me into your house and letting me stay there when I needed to get picked up or just to hang out. Thank you for helping me out when I was stuck in math or I was absent and you let me borrow your notes or copy your French homework (haha XD). I felt bad asking you every time but I truly thank you for never turning me away and that Maya, was true kindness. You might have gotten annoyed sometimes but thank you for always having my back and your patience. Thank you for all the food you gave me when I went over to your house- and all the times your parents gave me a ride home or to other places that the girls decided to hang out in. You and your family showed me so much kindness that you are someone I will never forget. You gave me the best memories throughout high school- you gave me profound happiness, peace and understanding. You made my high school times better than most people. I laughed so much with you that I wish I recorded all the times we cracked up with lame and corny jokes.
I like your nose and I always will, I love that big forehead of yours that shines with boundless knowledge. I love your aunt Jemima hair that only belongs on black folks (lol) and that pretty mole near your mouth. I love those eyes full of kindness that become confused; one day you look asian and another day you look Hispanic (lol). I like your big hearty laughs and those random snorts in conversations. I love the warmth you bring to the room and how dedicated you are to things you love. I love you during tennis, when you became “mymojo.”
You are someone I really look up too and if I had to choose throughout high school you were the friend I’d call my roll model. You always worked so hard in every single class, you juggled so many activities so flawlessly. You were amazing, you’d do math homework in calc while he was teaching (cause you were that far ahead) or you’d do homework in French class and still do exceptionally well. You are like a super woman, you’re never bad at anything you do, you’re not a bad dancer or singer, you play can play tennis well and you’re an exceptional student. Maya, is there anything you can’t do lol? I am proud to have a friend like you, you inspire me to became a better person- more studious, more thoughtful- more dedicated. You influence me in my daily life too.
I wrote way too much (2,100 words) all for you of things I had to share. And I could have written more but what I typed sufficed. I hope you read every single word because it took me a long time to write this and I put a lot of dedication on this. I know it was a lot to read ( XD sorry<3) especially now that you’re getting busy with your college life. I appreciate everything you’ve done and I love you. I can’t wait for your wedding day or for the play dates of our children (; Let’s keep in touch and continue living our life in contact. You are like my sister, and I hope I am one to you too. Please know that I will always be here for you- I have your back. So don’t be afraid to share anything with me Maya because I will always be your friend no matter what, I will never turn you away for something you did- I am here as a therapist, a psychologist, as a wall that has no judgments, a flower to brighten you day, as a friend to laugh with or as a family member to talk to (:
Dear Julie Chau,
You have been there for me when I needed you. You know a lot of things about me that nobody really knows. You listen to me regardless of what I have to tell you, and without a doubt I know your lips are sealed. I am writing this to you because I am going to UCR soon, and we won’t get to see each other as much but I hope that doesn’t strain our relationship because idc if you see Ronald or Dalena as your best friend because I want you to know that YOU are MY best friend. It took me a long time to acknowledge that because in my head I thought “Everybody is my best friend,” but that isn’t true because you know more about me than anybody else. So let us continue to hang out and talk to each other because I want to be friends with you even after the day I die. I love a lot of things about you like the way you can easily cry over little things because that shows me that you truly appreciate life- it shows your humanity and compassion that most people tend to forget along the way. I find it ingenious that you seem to be the next “Dog Whisperer,” and just an animal whisperer in general. I love your creativity because who else can make a giraffe out of a cardboard box or a post-it note calendar?
With whatever you do in life I know you will be successful because I believe in you, and I don’t believe in just ANYBODY (; I like how weird you are and how loud you are because you’re quirky and you wouldn’t be Julie if you were “normal.” I hope you don’t let anybody defy the way you should live life, and follow the path that YOU want to choose, not anybody else’s. Don’t listen to the words of others that hurt you, but instead listen to the voice inside yourself that guides you. It felt great knowing you shared some of your dark secrets with me and I hope you continue to share them with me because I am here for you Julie, You are my third sister, I’ve grown such a deep bond with you that I’ve never had in the past before. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect person to join my family than you. Whenever you need it, my house will be open to you. I really do appreciate you Julie even though sometimes I don’t show it, I am a bit awkward with my feelings but I want you to stay in my life forever, cause you’re family to me now.
Thank you for everything you have done for me, all the times you have given me rides to go to places (including that one Chinese new year in LA & your temple), for all the freeloading I’ve done in your house, the free Arizonas & Takis from your Father’s store, for letting me terrorize you with scary stories (LOLLL!), for the sleepovers, for the friendship, for the memories and for the love <3 I hope classes are going well for you at OCC, work hard and you will see the fruits of your bearing. So I’ll see you in three years at UCLA? ;D I love you jewels .
