Girls and diamonds

Diamonds. They're supposed to be a girl's best friend.

But ladies, have you ever had a best friend that you couldn't afford having?

Maybe she's high maintenance - lunch at Dome, shopping at Starhill and vacations at places whose names you could hardly pronounce versus your economy rice and regular hunts at Sungei Wang Plaza for couture-like fashion at, well, Sungei Wang prices.

So now, true friendship is supposed to be a give and take kind of relationship, where two people do their best to agree and meet in the middle - so if your association with each other is causing one of you damages i.e. holes in her Levi's pockets, then pretty obviously it will not last if there are no adjustments made.

Now back to diamonds and girls. So when, and how, did diamonds actually become a girl's best friend and not just a rich girl's best friend?

I tried looking up Wikipedia for the history of diamonds, trying to find out how they made it to this quasi-human status, like dogs. I know there's that song, but surely there must be something more to those shiny bling blings than a mere song singing praises for them?

But Wikipedia is just so slow tonight so I will look into myself in my attempt to get an answer..after all when you say that diamonds are a girl's best friend, a girl would probably have something to offer from her side of the equation.

So ah, I'm a girl, do I love diamonds?

Well...maybe not enough to consider them my best friend (Jesus is my best friend!), but when I made my first shiny purchase (no, not a non-stick wok) I couldn't wait to show it off and whenever I drove I struggled to keep my eyes on the road because the shine coming from my middle finger was just so distracting. Prettily distracting. The same happened at my second, and then third, and then fourth... so I do like them diamonds pretty much!

But I'm not a rich girl. I'm just a regular working babe. So how do I associate with diamonds (read: luxury)?

Let me count the ways..

1) Diamonds look good, and they make me look good too!
Ever notice why you enjoy hanging out with your close friends so much? Because somehow
you just feel good when you're around them. They bring out the best in you, and like the
wisdom goes, when you feel good, you look good.

2) Diamonds are flexible
When I am cash-strapped, they can come in smaller sizes and match my budget. Ever notice
how you are always ever so comfortable to make that occasional 'hey, I'm kinda broke this
month, let's go to that hawker stall' remark to your best friend? Because you know they will
never pout and sometimes they may even offer to buy you that expensive lunch!

3) Diamonds are so tough, they cut glass
Of course, sometimes your best friend may succumb to some emotional indulgence like any
girl (and men, too) would do. But have you ever noticed, how, in your weakest moments
she just takes over somehow and becomes the pillar of strength that helps you go through
whatever that needs going through? So maybe she can't cut glass, but I'm sure she can at
least kick some ass when the situation truly requires, like when a guy offends her enough.

4) Diamonds attract VIP treatment to me
Every time I walk into a diamond store, the sales people treat me like I have one million
bucks in my purse. They usher me to sit down and happily get me whichever items I want to
try on. Ever noticed how your best friend's parents make you feel whenever you visit her at
home? It's like walking on an invisible red carpet!

5) Diamonds last forever!
Well, no explanation necessary here.

True friends really are forever. Just like diamonds, a girl's best friend. Well, almost. :)