Friday, November 16, 2007
8:15 pm
They say that each night, when the duties of state permit, she climbs, on foot, and limps, alone, to the highest peak of the palace, where she stands for hour after hour, seeming not to notice the cold peak winds. She says nothing at all, but simply stares upward into the dark sky and watches, with sad eyes, the slow dance of the infinite stars.
- Stardust, By Neil Gaiman
"Epilogue: In Which Several Endings May Be Discerned"
52nd and 53rd day of internship:
Yesterday was... kinda fun, because after the usual work routine, we (that is, the Operations staff- minus one of them- and me) took a "company sponsored" trip down to Singapore Expo where our installation workers were preparing for tomorrow's exhibition at different contractor companys' booths because one of the booths didn't have enough materials, and none of our drivers were free to make a delivery.
*Of course, it was a relief to spend even more time away from her.*
After deliberately arriving late at the karaoke (because the Operations staff wasn't too crazy about going in the first place, while I had been steadily losing my initial enthusiasm when I realised that I would inevitably hear her sing), the 4 of us sat there, feigning interest at other people singing, and then I realised our room had a pool table.
Unable to resist- and also at the thought that I'd get a good challenge, seeing that the ones playing are the guy sales people- I asked to play the next round.
I think that they had decided not to be too hard on me, since I'm a girl, and a student at that (should have seen the face of the sales person whom I had asked to save me the next round. It was as if I told him Singapore was snowing), because instead of playing against one of them, I got to play with one of the guy's wife.
And here's the thing about me playing pool:
I play good when the other person is good.
I play pathetically when the other person is rubbish.
'Nuff said.
So despite my typically horrible long shots and equally bad (at least to me. Apparently, they were all shocked at how I could play), I still won, which was nice nonetheless, considering that everytime I had won in the past was because my then-not-yet-ex kept deliberately letting me win. That, is a worse feeling than losing, because I would be fully aware of the fact that I had not earned the win.
Got trashed at the next (winners') round, though.
Having sated my thirst for pool, I resumed to sitting with the Ops staff and joining them in pretending to be having a good time.
She lost her wallet last night, by the way.
It's probably horrible of me, but I was inwardly dancing and twirling in happy little circles thinking: "Serves you right. What's the point of carrying all those credits card that you had not earned yourself. Now you get to lose them. Yay!"
It was probably horrid of me to think that, but I don't seem to recall ever having morals, so... no harm done. At least to me.
She found her wallet in the end.
Damn. Just when I was feeling so happy.
Somehow she knew that you didn't get many moments like this in your life: moments when you know, without any doubt, that you were alive, when you felt the air in your lungs and the wet grass beneath your feet and the cotton on your skin; moments when you were completely in the present, when neither the past nor the future mattered.
- WALL: A Prologue, By Neil Gaiman
Exclusive Material from Stardust
As for today, I revived the company SMS system.
To think that all that was needed was to pull out the USB, plug it back in, and reinstall the software, which of course I would have already done if it had been my computer. But I would rather not risk the company's assets with my instinctual reactions to the funny things that electronics do.
I've finally finished Neil Gaiman's Stardust today (woohoo!).
Returned it at Sembawang's library because a book I wanted to borrow was available there so I thought, why not just get it all done with today?
Well, the other reason for wanting- needing- to borrow something to read (besides the fact that I like to read- what? What's with that look? Fine, laugh all you want) was that it gives me enough of an excuse to not needing to participate in their brainless after lunch conversations (oh, the manicures... Cheap rebonding? Take me to Malaysia with you! Can I stay over at your place?... Must shop for new clothes because despite having a wardrobe full of them, I can't seem to find anything to wear! Oh, the horror! *Insert cringe-worthy high-pitched giggles*).
Plus, it's not as if any of them ever noticed when I talked. It's practically like I'm not even there.
Just this afternoon, I had to repeat myself no less than 5 times before resorting to raising my voice to finally get a response, which, wasn't much of an answer anyways.
The first time I say something: no reaction.
The next second when another person says the same thing (exact same thing, mind you), it's as if everyone received enlightenment then.
The first few times I read after finishing my lunch, they jokingly mentioned that it looked as if their conversation was too boring for me and I'd rather read (please, I'd rather swim than join in the talks about superficial and inconsequential stuff. Considering my fear of swimming, that's saying a lot already).
So I snorted and replied a No, I just liked to read.
Such rubbish. Of course I lied. It's my second nature, dammit.
If it could save me from repercussions, I would lie.
If it could prevent my more ugly, sarcastic and offensive thoughts from appearing in the spot light, I would lie.
Just what exactly made you think that I'm just dying to contribute to the conversation?
I don't know whether to say that they had overestimated my tolerance to airheads and stupidity (have I mentioned that stupid people, namely bimbos, tire me?), or to say that they've underestimated my evils just because I liked to read.
Tsk tsk tsk.
Haven't you heard about not judging a book by it's cover?
Or the one about the quiet ones being more dangerous?
And after thirty years had passed, all that remained in her memory was the sheen of green and violet on a magpie's wings: the knowledge that, when you got up close, it wasn't simply black and white.
- WALL: A Prologue, By Neil Gaiman
Exclusive Material from Stardust
Heroes, season 2, episode 8a, 8b
How I Met Your Mother, season 3, episode 8
Labels: Book recs, Heroes season2, HIMYM, TP SIP, TV shows