Crying Times

OK, so the packing is kinda turning out to be the least of my problems.  It's the good-byes that're proving absolutely heartbreaking.

Maya's friends threw her a big surprise farewell party, with lots of sweets, presents, and a handmade Minion cake(coz she dressed up as one in one of the school's charity events).  They also crafted up a video montage of all the best pics with her at various school trips, class-clownings and sleepovers, set to a couple of Taylor Swift songs.  A right riveting tearjerker, I tell you.

Maya's Farewell presents

And this afternoon, Ruhi said her last good-byes to her BFF, Hettie.  After a tearful hug-and -"bye-bye" at the door, Hettie stood by her window sobbing and waving to us at the bus-stop, for a whole 5 minutes until the bus came along.  Needless to say, Ruhi, too, was sobbing her little heart out.

Ruhi and Hettie, pre-sobs.

It's so heartbreaking to see the kids' hearts breaking... :(

End of a Chapter

Our time in the UK is coming to a close far too quickly.  We moved over from Singapore in November 2011, and now it's time to head back...

And so the complete and utter nightmare of packing begins.  The movers have come and done their survey, so the reality of what needs to be done has set in.  Painfully, it involves a lot of sorting, throwing out and giving away, stuff.

But those are just Things.  Even more difficult to deal with are the attachments and friendships and connections we have made during our 2 years here. It's especially hard for Those Two, who are lucky enough to have some of the sweetest girls I have ever known, whom they can cite as BFFs.

As for me, I will sorely miss the family friends and relatives who live here, the fact that world-class museums are just a short train ride away, the slower pace of life that allows me to literally stop and smell the roses, my lovely yoga teacher Emi who has helped me grow and progress in ways I never knew I could...

Gah! It's just too depressing for me to go on.  So I shall leave you with a pic...

Singapore Zoo, WE'RE BA-ACK...!!