It began, innocently enough, with char siew. But that would be like moving ahead to Chapter 10. For every story, there must, at least, be a prologue.

I have known Bald Eagle for 18 years and have been married to him for almost 7. In all those years, he has always referred to me as “the girl who never completed anything”. Give me something, anything, and if I set my mind to it, I will do a good job of it. But my attention wanes quickly enough, and before you can say Merry Christmas, I’d have moved on to another hobby.

Shortly after we were married, I decided to take up photography. Now this was in the days before digital. I bought camera bodies (an analog SLR, a medium format, and even a Lomo!) and several lenses and studied books on photography. Then came digital and I gave up as I figured I would never be able to afford a digital SLR.

Then came painting (not the wall kind). When we first moved to our house in Shah Alam, I had intended to convert one of our rooms into an art studio. I had invested thousands of ringgit on paints and brushes, and thought of possibly turning it into a business. I would be engrossed in my own silent world as I painted into the wee hours of the morning, oblivious of the fact that my body was yearning to rest.

Sadly (for my art hobby, that is), I soon discovered the joys of jewellery making, and put heart and soul into my new-found passion. I travelled the world in search of unique beads and stones. A lot of time was invested in that hobby while my paints were relegated to the storeroom, and brought out once a year at Christmas time when I’d make presents for family.

By this time, my storeroom was crammed with the remnants of past interests. I was convinced that love, for me, would only be a temporary thing as I flitted from idea to idea, wondering if I could truly be passionate about anything. Perhaps, to a certain extent, I felt like a failure despite having achieved so much.

And then came blogging. The origins can be read in my first post. It began with an energetic conversation with a stranger about char siew. We became friends. And then there were more friends. The birth of the blog was a natural consequence of our friendship. My Facebook would look a lot less exciting if it weren’t for the new friends I made along the way. Nobody would bomb me in Pirates. It would be a life unimaginable.

I’ve finally seen the light. The sustenance of my passion for blogging is fueled by the power of friendship. It’s really that simple. Support. Interest. Concern. Chastisement. Encouragement. Love.

Thank you for keeping the flame burning.

(The glorious people of Abu Dhabi may click HERE to view pic.)