Black and white
Don't be fooled by its soothing air-conditioned compartments, the sparky-clean glass doors and kiddy displays. Look closer and you'll sight these... At 15 minutes before time-of-battle-commencement, there is already an army of crowd waiting outside, just ready to ambush the location. My eyes did a quick scan for "weapons": There's the Kungfu jacket, artillery of notes, guns of water-bottles. Oh! Looks like we have the offsprings of James Bond here, with their spying spectacles. At times, you might just catch Ninjas swooping in, just in time for attack once the insiders (succumbed to the black-magic of Time) opens the entrance.
On weekends combat, you might just catch little spawns (little children) scattering the surroundings. The lobby is the no-man's land. The stairs are ladders to the empire. The throne? Well, it's all the available sitting space with the tables. Yes, this was the scene just before the neighborhood library opens.. on days where students come to revise from examinations. Sounds like a messy scene from how Taiwanese worshipers compete to be the first to plant their jossticks onto the urn on the first day of Chinese New Year. Lolol.
Well, this semester's ain't that bad. Thankfully. Coz SIM's exams are earlier than NTU and NUS'. So I could step in late around 11am and still there are "throne" for me to claim. Hope that wasn't too unrefreshing for an opening intro.
Exam's round the corner. In fact, it occurs in another 48 hours' time. *Cluttering my fingernails*. I did as much as I could. All day I was studying without food, there was water, drank 1.2 litres today. What an achievement. There was in fact nothing much. My only entertainment? Observing the people around me.
Blam! Let's put some library users on the chopping board shall we? First on the list, we have those uncourteous people who just can't keep their mouths shut. This is a library, not a discussion room for goodness sake.Pretty unethical la. I remember last semester, there were two ah-Tiongs who were cramping for their ACCA papers. They kept discussing aloud, in those high-frequency tones, urgh... at the expense of others who are trying to concentrate. Darn it. Get a room I'd say! I mean it's ok for a couple of minutes but please lar.. not the entire 1 hour. Don't they ever get sensitive of their peaceful surroundings? Hmm.. lets see.. these people ought to be minced!
Then there are some who sits next to you, plug on their ear phones and turn their music up as though they are overly generous with music-sharing. Please. No thanks. I mean, normal people only increase volume to combat the noisy surrounding. We are in the library dude, what's with the ear. Too much dehydrated ear wax I guess. Omg, perhaps they were trying to form a Sahara desert in their ears. Oooh, be careful which the ear when we chop, we wouldn't want the Sahara desert filling the air, wouldn't we?
On a very rare and utterly unfortunate incident, this guy who forgot to bring his eraser, borrowed mine. I think he's some tutor or teacher. Out of goodwill, I was nice enough to lend him for a rub or so. To my horrid, my eraser was abducted and severely extorted. You should have seen the way he used and how he placed my stationary within his perimeters as if it was his. He never even asked if I needed. Sigh. And I thought I never had time to catch the last sight of my dear stationary. Only when I left did he returned it to me. Nevermind. I summon the chopboard! Just skin him and "penyet" ("flatten" in Malay) the bones. Carry on!
Apart from the above, there were others who are "claustrophobic" (phobia of enclosed space). And what do they do? They impinge on your table space. There was this guy who just lean onto one side. 明明 you still have space on the other side, you still cramp towards my direction. Plus I'm left-handed, you should have offerred space between us. I couldn't condone him, so I purposely place my arm right where it wants to, "chop" my rightful space so to speak. Ok, himbo, I know, but it's my natural right. Disagree and it will be you on the chopping board with the cheese grinder shredding you.
Then there are old uncles who reads newspapers or magazines. The thing which gets on my nerve the loud flipping they seemed to enjoy doing. It's super frustrating. It's like sitting with a cash-counting machine in function. Ah peh, in case you don't know, there is a senior citizen's corner, perhaps you can organise a "See who flips the fastest and loudest competition". Oh boy, that would have been a "not-to-be-missed"! Let's not be cruel to elderly, they could go scotch-free on this.
If ever I had Sylar's powers, I'd shut those school children who came and make alot of noise. *Devious laugh*. Can't blame them for being active and expressive but too much kor kor wouldn't be able to concentrate. Fail exams how? Can I get a refund from your parents? No?! Please bring the sushimi knief out! But I must say, I couldn't help but envy these children who visits the library to study. I wish I could have done that while I was young. If I had, my blog would have been better written. It's not always bad to listen to their childish conversations. Ok, it's bad to evasdrop. But crap, they were speaking so loudly. But too much becomes intolerable. And it's interfering with people trying to concentrate.
Ah hah! Then there is another lot of people I hate most - those who have trouble reading the signs and hearing-impaired. Despite constant reminder "Please make the library a conducive place for reading. We'd appreciate if you could switch off your mobilephones or put it to silent mode. And refrain from speaking loudly in the premises." They don't seemed to bother. Friend calls, still they have the courage to pick up and conversed like nobody's business. Haha.. should inform the librarians and have them sing and dance "I want nobody nobody "like" you. I want nobody nobody "like" you. To be in this pre-mises, you are being inconsiderate. I want nobody nobody nobody nobody". Ok, I am imagining too much. Silt the throat, snipe the tongue. Kway Chap to be serve!!
Yes, silence is no longer golden. It's a battlefield at the library. And.. it seems like a perfect hunting ground for the chopping board platter too.
I got "Taboo" game (left, in courtesy of WhyGo TEFL) for Tribal gang exchange this year. Although the budget was 20 bucks, I cared none the less. It's the spirit of giving. So was the gift exchange for my colleagues. By chance, the person whom I choose was Yiwei. Got him a Raoul cufflinks which cost triple the budgeted 15 bucks (decided by all). But I wanted the gift to mean more, considering he has helped and guided me through my past 2 years of experience with the company.
Had an angel to wake me up at half-past passed 6 am. But I thought I was gonna be super early as I thought time to "check in" the slaughterhall wouldn't be until 10:15. It was when I took out my examination notification slip to assure the venue did I realised I was wrong. 10 minutes before boarding the hall! That left me no time for last-minute revision. Too late. Owww... so I went to the gents, pluck out all my stuff, sat down and make quite abit of noise. Well, first I clattered all my stationaries on the desk. Next I shift the desk's position. What? *hand to ear, trying to listen* Sounds himbo? I am sure I never intended it. *whispers* The hall's too quiet. 
Part A, 7 questions. Part B, 3 questions with 2 parts each. Did my calculations last night: 1½ hours for each part. I mistakenly thought there was only 6 questions in Part A. That means 10 minutes for each. ½ hour for each questions in Part B. When the paper arrived, I took a breath - 1 more question in Part A. Managed a fast calculation. Although I have to finish each question within 8 minutes, my actual attempt busted my budget. But somehow I am clueless towards the end, I sort of summarised my answers to keypoints which I wish to include in writting that I had just enough time to attempt all my questions. I even have 3 minutes for grammar check.
Oh, today's examination, not very good coz there was someone's alarm which went off..for about 6 times. What an unglamorous thing. That handphone ought to be short circuited, along with its 9 descendants-phones upon replacement. Haha. Kidding la. Wouldn't wanna have bad karmas. But it was kinda irritating coz I was sitting pretty near the source. Gooooooodness.
Made a trip back to office but it seems everybody's gloomy and busy with their work. For a moment, I thought they would be happy to see me. Somehow I got this feeling I didn't matter. Well, I smiled and take things easy, thinking I'm just being sensitive. Oh well, guess someone's like me have no intrinsic value ba.
Then there are some who sits next to you, plug on their ear phones and turn their music up as though they are overly generous with music-sharing. Please. No thanks. I mean, normal people only increase volume to combat the noisy surrounding. We are in the library dude, what's with the ear. Too much dehydrated ear wax I guess. Omg, perhaps they were trying to form a Sahara desert in their ears. Oooh, be careful which the ear when we chop, we wouldn't want the Sahara desert filling the air, wouldn't we?
