Transitions came and went. Like a hermit crab, I exchanged a large home for a single room. My hand still throbbed from packing. It was a whirlwind. No one could help me except for C who was praying desperately from miles away. Her prayers worked for a miracle happened: my friend T finally returned from her vacation. She was like an angel. A day before the move, we worked like madwomen. After packing most of everything, we went to unwind at Bartaco bar after watching breakdancing and cheering them on. My friend T is so much like me: we are both so boisterous and gregarious. Our cheers were heard the most among the crowd. The crowd must have wondered: who are those two crazy Asians that may or may not be crazy-rich-Asians?

Hot and sweaty, we sat after we entered Bartaco, and the bartender recognized me and made us drinks to enliven our spirits. We were both tired and giddy. What we managed to achieve was almost impossible. When I had cried on the phone with a friend R, even she said, “You cannot finish the pack on time!”

Yet, as miracles always happen—at least for me thanks to C’s prayers and T’s kindness, I settled into my new place. It was indeed a big change in my life including my diet. My diet consisted mostly of nuts—it was an item that did not require refrigeration. The nuts were my breakfast with coffee before dashing off to work. When a friend asked what I ate when cooking was not permitted where I lived I replied, “Nuts!” I was glad that she didn’t think that I was calling her “nuts.”

“Why, that can’t be nutritional …”

“What do you mean? Almonds are full of everything … surely?” More laughter from me. “Some days I eat nuts for breakfast and lunch and even for dinner … I may turn into a squirrel soon, ha, ha, ha, …” However, my friend looked at me with concern. She needn’t have worried. There was nothing to be concerned about. The day after gorging myself on nuts, I lost half-pound. Shocked, I shook the scale and re-weighed myself. My eyes were not tricked. I lost half-pound. It was not so bad being a squirrel after all.