C.F. Ma
I knew Fan from an online group.
The platform was mainly used by Chinese citizens and thus, he added me out of interest after knowing I was not from China.
He is 5 years older than me and shares his experiences with me. Although just knowing each other, we somehow ‘clicked’ and could have endless talks.
A year later, he left China to work in Sudan, Africa whilst I progressed to university. This experience increased our physical distance, but we were closer in heart through each other’s presence when either one of us is in need. He was always there for me during my darkest moments and depressive episodes, accompanying me despite his tight schedule. When I had insomnia, he would give me a call and talked till I was asleep.
Thanks to him, I was able to recover from those negative thoughts and feelings. On the other hand, I also gave him support as well as companionship when he felt lonely. It was stressful for him to work in a new country and being far away from his family.
Hence, I tried my best to share happy or funny incidents in my daily life to enlighten his mood. He was often made speechless by my silly jokes, but at least there was interaction with a culture he was familiar with. Now, he is somehow like my brother, providing guidance and care after having a deeper understanding of my lifestyle and personality.
I tend to sleep late whenever I am engrossed with a project and that is when he will nag until I realize the importance of sleep, off my laptop and go to bed. He is also very health conscious and nags every time I eat unhealthy food. For instance, I enjoy spicy food but my stomach cannot take too much of that. So, he tries to limit my intake of spicy food by nagging the negative effects of over-consumption. However, his effort has yet been successful, as I am sooo in love with spicy food.
But still, I can feel his care through his efforts. After this project in Sudan ends, he will go back to China for a break before progressing to another country for a new project. I truly he can spend quality time with his family and friends to feel the connection as well as bonding with people he cares for. Additionally, I hope to see him achieve heights in his career and attain his life goals soon.
Ultimately, I hope he is always happy, healthy and safe.
Thanks for your company, bro.
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# Tributes