As I sat with Sing Wei, Seamus, XY and Yu Ting at the Timbre bar, listening to a band with two great singers, watching the Singapore river shimmer with the reflected moonlight, I couldn't help but notice how bright the half-moon is tonight.

I focused on the moon for a few moments, watching as wisps of clouds passed it, partially obscuring it, but never fully eclipsing our favourite crater-y luna. It dawned on me that life could be this way too. We are all moons, shining in our own special ways. Inevitably, passing clouds would obscure our vision and our light for a while, but it is never permanent. Once in a few decades, there might be an eclipse or two, but again, it is but a temporary state of darkness. Complete, nerve-wracking, panic-inducing, depressing darkness, but temporary. Perhaps if we always keep the sun in our sights and never stop believing that we would one day walk out of this darkness, these downs that we face, the clouds or planets would pass, and we would be shining brightly once again.

What a beautiful night. =)

Having been 21 for 2 months, I think I can say that so far I am quite happy with life as a female in her twenties.

Although I still occasionally find myself looking woefully back at the past, most of the time I am quite content with the here and now. The long conversations we can have about everything or nothing (now with added depth, thanks to our newfound identities as ADULTS!) in not-too-expensive restaurants and cafes, how we can sometimes be driven around by friends who own vehicles, the increased freedom to stay out a bit later than we probably should...it feels great.

I suppose at this age, our life really is exciting in that we are now truly at our fullest potential (or near it). Restrictions that had previously been placed on us because we had not yet "come of age" have mostly been lifted at this point. Given the right resources and opportunities, we are free to chase after our dreams and do what we really want to do in our new "adult" status.

For those who have already joined the working world, the freedom and carefree life of a student is traded in for financial independence. To some, it may seem like an unworthy trade (after all the grass is greener on the other side, and admittedly I have not really experienced working life yet), but I guess if you really think about it, the feeling of being financially independent really is pretty good. Being able to spoil yourself once in a while with simple things like a cab ride home, that new top that would be just a little too hard on a student's wallet, dinners at nice restaurants...since you're already in the rat race, might as well try to enjoy it, huh? =) Haha don't kill me if I pull a 180 degree change of attitude when I do enter the working world ;) .

Life's short. Smile and hang with it ;)