The lobby of The Garden Residence at Mid Valley was calm, quiet and almost empty with just one or two souls hanging about. Waiting. Just like me.
I took a seat on a milk chocolaty couch from where I would be able to spy Ju, The Little Teochew, and her family from a distance as soon as they entered the lobby.
Within minutes I spotted that familiar nymphlike figure, then a smaller version of Ju slightly behind her and then a husband and two lovely little boys and their maid. Having arrived all the way from Singapore a few days back they were leaving for home that very afternoon.
I stood up and exhibited my widest grin from about 30 meters away. Ju, The Little Teochew, saw me. We crossed the lobby and met halfway. We sort of looked at each other, grinning, a little dazed and then stretched out our arms for a real life hug.
Her adorable little girl, her two sweet young men and her most kind and considerate husband left us to ourselves.
We yakked..... about ourselves, each other, her, me, our goslings, our mothers, our husbands, some blogger friends we had in common and a little about food. Punctuated only by laughter. It seemed like we were simply catching up from where we had left off. We were just being what we were, first and foremost. Women.
It's hard to believe that I have come to know Ju and her little family only months ago. And merely through our blogs. Yet her warmth, her desire to reach out beyond that is unmistakable. Which has led to some (funny) email exchanges between us.
Ju looked as gorgeous as she does in her photographs. It seemed that all that was done were some whisperings of life into those images and there you had Ju, young, beautiful, bubbly and warm. And ever so interested in getting to know you better.
It was a brief meeting, fleeting almost, but so meaningful and immensely satisfying.
I am so blessed to know and so lucky to have been able to meet with Ju.
And...... we pried our ages from each other. But I'm not telling;)
PS : The pictures above were taken at the beautiful Scotio River in Ohio, USA, 2007 when I visited my eldest daughter and her family.
You lucky girls!!! I bet you clicked instantly! Your photos are absolutely darling to describe your rendez-vous..You write very well:)
ReplyDeleteHappy for you!!
i love happy endings~
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice story. Thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteMust be the season for bloggers to meet. Kate and Mardi, you and Ju. Who's next?
Happy New Year!
Pam
What a lovely and exciting meeting story! :-)
ReplyDeletemummy!! nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ehhhh...you'll soon be an expert at this LOLOLOLOL...nice photos!! i din't now you had those geese photos LOL
ReplyDeleteohh mummy i just looked at the geese photos again!! LOOOOOOLLLL....nasib baik cukup lain sceneries LOL
ReplyDeleteMummy, walauweh, getting more active day-by-day.
ReplyDeletequelles magnifiques photos, j'adore
ReplyDeletebonne soirée
After "A Daily Obsession" and " A little Teochew" meet up, who will be the next, "Nasi Lemak Lover" ok? Hahaha !! Anyway, good post !!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, and see you in 2010.
How exciting to meet up with Ju! I loved the way you wrote this story too! :D
ReplyDeleteHi Zurin...u are so lucky to get to meet up with Ju :) Glad you had a nice time with her...all the girlie talks :p
ReplyDeleteBtw just to let u know I have tried out your sesame & bonito flaked crusted tofu. Fantastic! Thanks Zurin for sharing that wonderful recipe with us. I love it and will make it again and again. I am a die hard tofu fan :p
Wishing you and family a blessed and Happy New Year!
Zurin! I love this story. It's so wonderful to meet our internet friends IRL. From several different forums, I've probably done that 70-80 times. It's interesting that we really DO get to know people through our cyber interactions. I've rarely been surprised or disappointed by this kind of meeting.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this story!
Lucky you and lucky Ju!! It warmed my heart to read this...you tell it so well. It is my goal in the new year to travel and meet up with fellow bloggers. It's an amazing world we live in!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, Zurin.
Diane
How exciting! Food blogger meetups are so much fun. Hope to meet up with some KL food bloggers when we fly there for Chinese New year.
ReplyDeletewow..beautiful pictures u have captured..
ReplyDeleteMay all your dreams come true and may you be blessed with all the best things in life! Happy New Year 2010! XO
ReplyDeleteLovely story.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year
Thank you for all your kind words, Zurin! Meeting you was definitely the highlight of my trip!! It's MY pleasure and blessing to be your friend, and I hope to see you in the not-so-distant future ;) Happy 2010 to you and your beautiful family! May all good things come to you all.
ReplyDeleteHugs
Ju
i offer a price that you find on my blog
ReplyDeleteto wish you a happy new year
Awww ... This is so sweet!! Seems like both of you really enjoyed each moment though the meet-up was short. Due to everyone's hectic schedule, it's been very hard for all to allocate sometime for such activity. You two were so lucky!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, Zurin!
Pei-Lin
Great way to end the year! It is always nice to meet up with fellow bloggers. I hope to do so too when I go back for CNY :) Here wishing you and your family A Very Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteJust as Monique says, you're two lucky girls ! I'm so glad to have discovered your two blogs ... ;o)
ReplyDeleteI wish you the best for the year to come ...
Hélène
How wonderful to be able to meet a blogger friend in person. It sounds like you had a very special visit.
ReplyDeleteYour photos are wonderful too. Happy New Year to you and your family.
Fantastic...I know what you mean Zurin, there are pple you click with and hopefully, this year, I'll be meeting some of them. Have a blessed New Year
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like just a perfect day!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
Great post!! Wishing you a very happy new year :)
ReplyDeleteI had mentioned that we now live in an ageless world. Now I just want to add that same world is borderless as well... Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteI met two food bloggers in Australia when I was on vacation on the same day. How lucky ... I wish I were there to meet you both!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year Zurin!
ReplyDeletethanks so much for visiting my blog oh isn't it awesome to meet fellow food bloggers she has a lovely blog.
ReplyDeletehappy New Year
Love Rebecca
Thank you everyone for your precious comments, your thoughts and for taking the time to let me know that you were here. It means the world to me and each and every comment just makes my day everyday! :))
ReplyDeletehugs n love
zurin
That's such a beautiful story how you and Ju met up. I can imagine all the joy and excitement. Happy New Year, Zurin!
ReplyDeleteI wish I can meet you someday too! From Ju's blog, she described you as being petite and elegant, very French looking. It surprised me sometimes how woman you age (and Ju's as well!!!) can keep in shape and figure and looks so well!!! Happy New Year to you and your family Zurin!
ReplyDeleteMarymoh, tq you're sweet :)
ReplyDeleteQuinn, Oh no! I think Ju was just being exceedingly kind and generous. She is just too too too kind! Far too kind.
I just put on my best dress. after all I was meeting Ju right? :))
Perhaps we we will Quinn ;)
Happy new year 2010 from a french foodie in Paris !!
ReplyDeletePierre
Awww, I love reading up on your meet-ups with bloggers :) Hope to meet you the next time I come down as well!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful story. :D
ReplyDelete