I Will Surely Miss You Ge!

Date: July 14, 2018

I will miss my lunch buddy, but surely this is not goodbye! Good friends never say goodbye, they only say "Keep in touch and see you soon!" 😄

Morning grind at Eastwood 

So the day has finally rolled when the temporary goodbye must be spoken. It is always uncomfortable to utter this to a colleague so close to me but it must be because expressing goodbye is part of human interactions.

Gerard is one of my closest colleagues in the special project I am currently working on (within the same company). He has been my lunch buddy in the past weeks when I don't feel like going out to eat. Each moment we spent over meals was full of laughter and fun conversation because he is such a funny guy with a good sense of humor.

He is someone I could always count on, who could make me smile during tiring days in the workplace. We talked about just anything that happens in a day. And we've had so much fun together as we also seated a chair apart on the production floor. 

During one of our lunch breaks, taking a stroll around Eastwood park

At Eastwood Park, just a walking distance from our workplace at Global One

Naturally, this separation of work location is giving me a stir deep inside. A pattern of mixed emotions is knocking me off a bit. You know, all those beautiful days when there's no one to go with during lunch break (when I bring my own lunch meal), Ge is readily available to accompany me. 

Lunch at Bonchon Eastwood

Now, things will have to change a bit as we return to our respective projects. This means a little adjustment on my part. But I am happy that I was given a chance to meet someone like him who is so easy to go with and who gives nothing but joy during the most boring days in the workplace.

I will cherish the days of fun and laughter with him and those happy moments we shared on the production floor, blabbering just to get through the mundane days 😂. Wish him well in the next journey that he will take in his career. 

My team mate and lunch buddy, Gerard Sabalza

I will try not to sulk with this change because separation in the workplace is inevitable and we already anticipated this event. This is the new normal we need to accept.

Good luck Ge! Continue to flourish in your career. And just get on whatever life throws at you. See you around and hope we still can spend lunch together in our "old" location! 😊

UPDATE: October 14, 2024

More than six years after posting this blog, Gerard passed away today, October 14, 2024. So shocked and sad upon hearing the news of his death. Too young to die 😔

We lost contact and have not gotten in touch since I left the company in 2020 during the pandemic. I have no idea what's the cause of his demise. May he rest in eternal peace. Sending condolences to his bereaved family.