Finally Spring and my chocolate showpiece

It finally feels like Spring in Chicago this past weekend! I take a long solitary walk around the neighborhood for the first time without my winter jacket. Everywhere I past, I see flowers blooming. And that barren trees in front of my apartment? They turn out to be cherry blossom trees! Everything has finally come alive after the interminable winter. I couldn't help smiling when I look up and being greeted by the dense and snowy white blossoms.

The gorgeous weather beckons pictures to be taken outdoor. So I carry my chocolate showpiece out and start snapping away. Perhaps the noon heat is a little too much for the chocolate. After a couple of shots, my rose shows sign of melting. Time to bring it indoor!

As you can see, I am not much of an artist. It took me two attempts to come up with something that vaguely resembles a rose. My leaves are horrible and the white curly looking things? Mine just didn't make the cut. In the end, my friends come to my rescue and pass me their remaining curls so I can finish my showpiece.

I would like to think of this chocolate showpiece as a collaborative effort. It warms my heart that my artistic friends come over to help when crisis strikes. They attach the right pieces in the right places when I couldn't make up my mind. Not only that, they stop me in the track when I am ready to attach one too many leaves on the showpiece. That's what true friends do. They tell you the truth, not afraid of hurting your feeling, while having your best interest in mind. And they come through when you need a hand.

Too many times I see "friends" back stabbing each others when the other is not looking. I felt particularly bad during the last exam when someone let her friend's products turned brown to the point of burning in the oven without saying a word. I felt so bad that I went to tell that "friend" to check on her products. Even an acquintance would do that. But she would rather let her friend's products fail, so hers may look better. What kind of friends do that?!

I am thankful that I make some real friends in school. Friends whom I can depend and trust. Friends whom I know will not let my pate a choux or breads turn black without uttering a word. I imagine they will either yell at the top of their lungs for my attention, or quietly pull the products out before it's too late. That's what we will do for each other. Without a doubt, this showpiece is the shining evident of our friendship. :)