Tribute to Lung 2

When I met Lung he was at BU and I was a Junior in high school, about 3 hours drive outside Boston. I used to visit my brother, also at BU and lived in the same apartment building as Lung. So whenever I visited my bro over long weekends or Spring break, of course I didn't wanna hang out with my bro so instead hung out at Lung's apartment- a lot.

I wasn't close to Lung at the time. He had a Japanese girlfriend and they were always in their room. I was closer to his flatmates instead. I remember the guys never did their dishes and the kitchen sink was constantly overflowing with molded dishes with an incredibly terrible odor it was disgusting.

There was this one incident I can never forget. I was spending a weekend in Boston. A group of us went out to the HUB club, a 3-storey nightclub at downtown Boston with floor to ceiling glass overlooking a quiet street and a carpark across. We were wasted. I was super wasted. I had to do a toilet trip and I told this girl and Lung I'd be back. I came out from the lu and everyone was gone. I was underage, didn't know my way around and surrounded by strangers. I looked out of the window it had just started snowing! Then I saw them crossing the street and I rushed to get down from the stairs. I was tripping over with many people trying to hold me but I was scared!

Years later I'd still be complaining to Lung and he'd say I never told him where I went. I promised myself I must always know my way home no matter how drunk and then Lung would take the credit for teaching me a lesson and then we'd laugh about it.

In 1990 I graduated from high school and started my first year at BU. Naturally I moved into my brother's apartment and became Lung's neighbor. We didn't meet very often but occasionally we'd catch up over a meal or drink. We became much closer over the past 10-15 years, when I spent a few years living in Jakarta and Lung also spent a few years living in Hong Kong.

Lung may be weird to many but is the most down to earth person I have ever met and someone I trust completely. He has very high standards and lots of principles; he loves debates and gets loud and violent when drunk; he is also very lazy at times. Once he visited me in London and as most flights from Asia arrives London in the early morning hours, it's best to stay awake during the day so jetlag doesn't haunt you for the rest of your stay. We agreed to visit the Tower of London and as we were two stations from Tower Bridge, Lung decided we should return back to the hotel so we never made it to site seeing that trip. "Arrrgh Fxxk it" was his favorite phase when laziness kicks in.

Words cannot describe how heart-broken I am to loose such a dear loving friend. It's been close to 7 weeks since his departure and I still feel like picking up the phone to call and chat and share everything with him. I wish I had spent more time with him and regret to have taken things for granted. But I still strongly believe soon we'll meet again and until then, Lung is overlooking us from above, giving us his blessings.

I thank Lung's Mom and Dad for giving us such a remarkable friend. Though short it's been very special.

Take care and see you soon Lung.

Love,
Lana