When Shan Cai Left, So Did a Little Piece of That Time

I've always felt a certain sadness when celebrities pass away, whether or not I was a fan when they were still alive. So it's no surprise that Barbie Hsu's death hits differently.

My generation practically grew up with her.

This was before the dawn of streaming, when missing an episode of Meteor Garden meant you had to rely on a friend's recap the next day. Sure, the internet existed, but not everyone had access to it.

I remember being an incoming fourth-year engineering student when it aired, and somehow, it influenced my class schedule. I had to be home to watch it, or at least be somewhere with a TV.

I had a friend who lived near the university, and we'd literally run to her house just in time for the show, grab chips from the sari-sari store, and spend the next hour screaming, swooning, and making delulu theories.

Then we'd run back to school like nothing happened.

But it's not just Barbie we're saying goodbye to.

It's the era she was a part of. The childhood and growing-up years that she helped shape. It's the friends we had back then, the songs we memorized, the places we used to hang out, the food we mindlessly snacked on, the simple joys of an age when life wasn't measured by likes and shares.

Shan Cai's gone, but so is a little piece of that time.

And maybe that's why it hurts even more.