Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Girl Friends/Boy Friends

Oh. Bloody. Hell. What. A. Night.

Last night, I brought a book to read at work. Usually, there's enough time to doodle during night shift and do things like read, lurk around people's blogs, listen to mp3s etc.

Last night, I didn't even have time to eat. The book is now in my cabinet, unread.

Last night was the busiest night I've ever had. Ever.

It didn't start like that. I could still chat on the phone and read The Star Online. Then, the phone started ringing. Damn phone...

Anyways, it's quite alright. I finished all the things that I was supposed to do and fielded all the problems with the usually aplomb (almost). Plus, busy night equals no time to get depressed. No bad there.

However, I hope tonight is less busy. Last night was tiring.

And talking about busy, I've been going out quite a lot when I'm not working. Which brings me to one of those bad after effect of a healthy social life. I feel more reluctant than usual to go to work.

Everything is double edged isn't it ? There's really no such thing as something that's all good is there ?

Anyway, I feel quite good lately. Which makes me kinda wary. You know the saying,"When everything is going well, it's an ambush" ?

Since it's my life we're talking about where things get pear shape extremely quickly, no way am I going to take anything for granted now. At least I try not to.

What's this thing that's making me feel quite good ? Friends of course.

And new friends. One new friend in particular, whose company I enjoy immensely. Because of her, I'm not beset with loneliness. Yeah, I've been seeing her a lot.

Ever since school, I've always had friends and I've always have the one girl friend whom I am closer with than even the guys. Well, not to say closer. I've got other close friends but there was always the one girl friend who's....different somehow. This new friend is the new one. It's great. And here I thought I've lost that.

Which brings me to the idea of making friends with your opposing gender. In our somewhat repressed conservative society, being close to someone of opposing gender is frowned upon in some circles. It's "unhealthy" according to some.

I beg to differ. Simply put, like in a man's case there are certain things that women will understand better simply because they are women. Ditto vice versa. Guys know guy things because they're guys and they do those things. What better place for a girl to ask than a guy ?

Men and women are equal, but men and women are also fundamentally different. Hence all the misundertanding and the cockeyed lopsided biases.

It'll go a long, long way to dispelling some myths and promoting respect and understanding. Look around and see how misunderstood the different genders are from the other gender's perspective. Why ?

Because we don't talk enough.

I know many, many people who have no platonic relations with their opposing numbers. And it's always these people who have skewed perspectives about men/women.

I remember one conversation I had with a senior in college where he asked me why do I spend so much time with this one girl in my class. I told him she my good friend and yes we have gone out and watch movies and stuff alone. He insisted that men and women can't be friends and there's something I'm not telling him. No amount of convincing could change his point of view.

He, obviously had no female friends.

See ? Skewed.

I bet this lack of contact can also explain why some of our dumbass MPs say stupid things when it comes to women issues.

Ahh, yes. Our dumbass members of parliaments. But that story as they say, is for another post.

EDIT 27th April 7.39pm

I was reading the New Straits Times and I found this article about basically the same thing as this post. Good to know someone is doing something about it.

Go and read.

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