something hilarious.
written: 10:55 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2005

I just read something funny and I thought I'd share:

"Am kinda bewildered at this girl's blog-post which had her screaming she wanted to sue McDonald's (a law freshie too) because their McFlurry machine was broken and that her day was terrible... I don't know her personally, I read this off a TG-mate's blog. It's... Strange. Not only because it's superbly angry, but it really doesn't make any legal reasoning to yours truly.

On one hand, I suppose I empathise with the plight of 2 girls who want food and craved ice cream and were very disappointed by it. On the other hand though, bringing an action against an institution because it caused nervous shock by not fulfilling an abstract duty of care is... Fucking weird.

I suppose I see why CJ Yong is superbly disappointed with lawyers in Singapore now. Looking at some of my classmates in Law... I mean, I don't expect everyone to be ra-ra and gung ho about the course; some of them being a push-up from Arts (I do have friends who regret this move!) and others walking down the Boulevard of Broken Dreams. But to not be decently bothered about justice et al is very strange. I don't know, maybe my hoity-toity lofty hopes of being the one to administer true justice and consider problems is wrong, but can't someone want to be more than his lot in life, and do something for a greater good?

And her apparent rudeness to the aunty for putting bak chor in her noodles was just... Wrong. Immoral. Fucked up. Gracious society huh.

Perhaps I should really just care for the moolah. -sigh-"

The above was written in response to this entry, written by some Year 1 law school student.

I don't know about anyone else, but I thought it was pretty obvious to anyone with half a discerning mind - actually, just the basic ability to read - that whatever rubbish I typed about wanting to sue McDonalds' for their broken ice-cream machine was nothing more than a joke. I am bewildered that anyone would take it that seriously. In fact, that guy should be bewildered that someone successfully sued McDonalds' for not putting a "warning: hot!" sign on their styrofoam cups which supposedly resulted in the plaintiff spilling hot cofee all over herself. That is a truly apt example of the seemingly-instrinsic idiosyncratic, bizarre nature of the world in which we inhibit.

Legal reasoning: Um, there wasn't supposed to be any because it was a joke. You know, joke, things that are not meant to be taken seriously? Things that are said in an attempt (usually failed) to induce laughter, or at least a snort, in others? Yes. Those things actually - gasp - exist! Like, oh my god, no way!

People need to lighten up.

Oh, and I wasn't rude at all to the fishball noodles auntie. Rudeness entails something along the lines of me screaming "Fuck your retarded incompetence!" to the woman in Mandarin, or snatching the food from her and throwing the money down on the table, or muttering something insulting under my breath - things which I didn't do, because I am non-confrontational by nature, and thus, I very politely just took my tray and walked off with it.

I mean, it took her four times to get my order right, and I'd already enunciated loud and clear that I wanted fishball noodles without meat. Was I supposed to be thankful to the woman for scooping out 60% of the meat and leaving 40% in the bowl when I don't eat meat? It's been so long since I last ate meat that I think if I ate any I'd suffer some strange allergic reaction or other (okay, maybe not, but).

I don't really know this guy, I don't care to know this guy, but people shouldn't be too quick to judge others whom they don't know in any way, shape or form.

That, or they should just get a life and get out some. Hit Orchard Road, watch a movie, go shopping - anything to get themselves off their pompous pulpit and self-important high horse.

Oh, and one of his sentences in the first paragraph contained a punctuation error.

**

Anyway, today was spent at Starbucks Raffles City and a Cantonese restaurant at the Ritz Carlton. I was supposed to hang out with Khai, which did happen; halfway through, however, her dad called and wanted her home, so she had to leave. That left me with about 3 hours to kill by myself, so I made myself content with struggling through the readings for tomorrow's Tort lecture and trying hard not to fall asleep.

I like Tort; I genuinely do. The problem is, we're now doing economic loss, which means that most of the cases on the reading list deal with really pedantic subjects like auditing and buying shares and some weird crap surrounding some shipping company (which I didn't understand at all) - a far cry from previous cases that dealt with whether A is contributorily negligent for crossing the road without looking out for cars and getting hit by B as a result, whatever. It didn't help that I was extremely sleepy for some reason, and that my right contact lens was super dry, and that all I wanted to do was to buy Julian Barnes's "Arthur and George" and devour the whole thing.

Speaking of which, OH MY GOD LIKE THE NOVEL IS LIKE SHORTLISTED FOR LIKE THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE LIKE!@!@!!!#@!@!@!!!!!!!!!!!!!~~~!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, that was exceedingly and nauseatingly teenybopperish. I've already marked October 10 out on my calendar. Can you believe that his novel got shortlisted over Salman Rushdie? That is just heaps bloody cool.

And I need the book or else I will die. I've finished reading all the Julian Barnes books that I own...which aren't a lot, unless you consider five books a lot (obviously I don't). Hence, to prevent myself from going into severe JB withdrawal symptons, I plan to buy all his novels and essays and non-fiction works as soon as possible. I'm turning my bookshelf into a Julian Barnes library because I love his writings and I find beautiful solace in his works and I need that solace to keep myself sane.

Law school is insanity.

I want to read Franz Kafka's The Trial. He studied Law, did you know? I find that infinitely interesting.

I saw "Arthur and George" at MPH. I wanted so badly to buy it, despite the presence of that ugly yellow sticker that says 'Booker Prize longlist'. I even grabbed it off the shelf the second I saw it.

But hell it was going for $55.60 and when I remembered that my bank account is haemorrhaging beyond reason I reluctantly put the book back on the shelf which broke my heart into millions of unrecognisable shards. It was painful and I want the book and I want it hardcover.

I just want to devour his words, swallow them, experience them.

Right now, that's the only thing I genuinely want to do.

before sunrise // before sunset


Previously:
- - Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017
I'm moving. - Sunday, Jul. 11, 2010
In all honesty - Tuesday, Jul. 06, 2010
What I want for my birthday... - Sunday, Jul. 04, 2010
On Roger's behalf. - Friday, Jul. 02, 2010