we refer to the above matter and advise you on the same.
written: 10:12 p.m. on Tuesday, May. 22, 2007

The need to hide from the world has hit again. Today has been a very, very, very long day, to such an extent that I had no idea what the hell I was doing at my last driving lesson before the Friday test and I knocked over more poles during parallel parking today than I had over all my lessons combined. I didn't know what was going on. At all. No clue, nada, zilch. I can't even say I was on auto-pilot because it was more like my hands were turning the steering wheel and my feet were pressing the appropriate pedals and my mind was fast asleep.

It was just really, really bad. I knocked over the outer front pole twice while attempting to move out and the back pole(s?) like, once. The last time I knocked over any poles at all was probably months ago. And my test is Friday. How fantastic.

On the bright side, I trust that I'd have my usual dosage of sleep on Friday which means I won't be falling asleep at the wheel so maybe it's not that bad.

S tasked me to write a chapter on employers' statutory duty for this book which is kinda similar to Halsbury, or at least what I think Halsbury is like (I've only picked up one copy of Halsbury in my entire life, and that was last week when I was digging up something for a partner). The task is to summarise the Workmen's Compensation Act and this other newly-enacted Act that replaces the Factories Act, as well as to write in detail about the Employment Act and the CPF Act.

Great, right? I mean, it's just summarising statutes and the law; how difficult can it be, right?

VERY FUCKING DIFFICULT. Especially when I have no idea what the hell is going on. I don't even know where to put the apostrope for the WCA and if there's an 's' behind 'compensation'. Like...seriously? I spent the whole morning staring at it and going to the toilet every ten seconds because I couldn't write anything. At all. And when I'm supposed to write something but can't, I deal with that by walking around.

Also, have I mentioned I hate reading statutes? It's really not in English. Honestly. It's not in English. Attempting to rephrase the provisions into proper English really, really gives me a headache.

Nevermind. I'll do what I can. Hopefully it doesn't suck too hard.

The afternoon was spent at the Sub Courts, listening to various criminal offences. 'Twas interesting. The court was practically packed with the offenders' families and there was this kid who committed another offence, more serious than his first, while on probation, and for a while there I thought the judge was going to send him to prison. His parents were there, standing next to the translator, and the judge hit them with, "Your son doesn't seem to be reformed by the rehabilitation programme (I forgot what it's called) he underwent." Blah blah blah, tension was high, I thought the parents would break down sobbing any minute. In the end the judge put him on 24 months' probation with a curfew.

I don't know what he did though.

This other guy was charged with 8 counts of statutory rape. Like yeah poor thing lah. You have sex with your (then-13 year old girlfriend) and the next thing you know you're standing in court admitting to the charges mumbled (I mean this) out by some police dude who can't speak properly. That must really suck, no pun intended.

An aside: There's something wrong with the law on statutory rape. Seriously, I don't see why only the guy has to be punished if it was clearly consensual. If a 15-year-old has been soliciting sex on the Internet since like forever, why should all the men she's ever fucked go to prison and she, happily go on with her life? I get that young, impressionable girls have to be protected and whatever shit, which I don't totally get but we'll leave that aside first, but if the facts clearly and unequivocally suggest that the sex is consensual, why should the guy even be punished? It's rather illogical; more importantly, it's not fair. I mean, yeah, there's this whole can of worms on what is consent and if the purported consent was given under emotional duress and undue influence or whatever but it all boils down to the facts, doesn't it? If you can determine such things for Contract law, surely the same can be done for stat rape.

Anyway, half-baked argument. I'm fucking sleepy. I also think the current stat rape law is sexist, towards men and women, and misogynistic. It implies that females are inherently more vulnerable than males which is both untrue and unfounded; more importantly, I find it offensive. But I'm weird, so whatever.

**

So, yeah, I don't feel like dealing with other people's issues and problems today. I'm notoriously self-serving and selfish and self-centered.

I totally teared for Cristina during Grey's season finale which I didn't even know was a season finale.

I still can't shake off this feeling that I'm letting a lot go to waste.

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