a fantastic day.
written: 11:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Jul. 25, 2007

And yet, I didn't do anything at all today. We went to court in the morning where I sat in the courtroom with the client and his wife-to-be, while the lawyers talked to the judge in chambers. I should've been in chambers, right? They didn't ask me to go, boo hoo.

So the case is settled. The client was still very inclined to go to trial yesterday morning, until the partner who's my in-charge's boss laid his cards out for him very clearly. I was asked to do some research so I had to leave the boardroom, sadly, but when everyone met again at 2.30 p.m. I found out that he decided to settle. Which is good, really, because now he has a permanent injunction against the woman and the terms of the injunction are very favourable to him.

In addition, judgment was entered against the woman. Seriously, if they'd just settled without attempting to go to trial, she would've had a much, much better deal. And I'm shocked that her lawyers charge her more than what his lawyers - my bosses - charge. Completely amazing.

So that was the morning. Got back to the office at 12. Did nothing from then until 5.30. HAHAHA. Damn slack which sucks 'cause I like working! My in-charge came into the library in the afternoon and I was like, "Do you know that my last day is Friday? This means that you have the next two and a half days to pass me all your sai gang."

(Sai gang = shit work in Hokkien.)

He laughed, said that he'd pass me some insane thing to do or whatever I can't remember, and asked, "Are you doing any sai gang now?"

"Nope, I'm reading Evidence 'cause I'm bored," I answered. And indeed I was reading Evidence, or attempting to read Evidence 'cause it only made me more bored, but yeah. Anyway, my point is, that was 2, 3-ish, and when 5.30 rolled around, I still hadn't seen any sign of him. So I left.

I'm definitely going to bug him tomorrow. If he has nothing for me to do, I'm bugging someone else. I don't want to waste the last two days of my internship on sitting around, doing nothing, because if that's the case I might as well stay home and sleep. No point waking up damn early in the morning, feeling like shit on the MRT, just to go to work and write diary entries. Haha.

Anyway, my LA-in-charge is damn funny. I was helping him pack the documents into the boxes in the courtroom after the matter was settled. There was this big file which I dumped on top of a box that contained a few bundles of documents and the big file was dumped in such a way that it was slanted downwards. There were a few other files, some big ones, that I was trying to find spaces for. The LA saw what I did with the big file, snatched it up and said, "Xiao jie, you put this here of course no space lah!"

Wah lau.

Next, I attempted to HELP HIM carry this heavy-ass box to place with the other boxes, but because it was super heavy, I had difficulties carrying it. He came over and took over, but not without commenting thus: "This is why we're dominated by males. Girls can't carry anything."

WAH LAU! I carried his heavy laptop for him on the way there and I almost died! Like, hello, I was in super high heels lah!

I really should have left for coffee with the client and his girlfriend instead of staying behind to help him pack, out of the kindness of my heart. Look at how he treated me. How mean!

Oh, and there were a few bottles of mineral water lying around on the table, one of which has been opened. I put everything into the box that contained more bottled water. He inspected the box and said, "Xiao jie, don't put the opened bottles with the unopened ones!" He took out the opened one and continued, "This one you can just throw away." Then he tossed it into the dustbin.

How patronising. Boo hiss.

I'm really quite in love with this firm 'cause everyone is so nice. Even partners that don't deal with me pop by to talk to me. Like, wow, right? I totally think so too. I'm so sad that my internship is ending this Friday! I wish I could start work now and not go back to school. Sigh.

Yes, I do realise that I'm crazy. How else do you explain WORKING ON THE WEEKEND? And doing things that end up not being used. Sigh, but it's something to get accustomed to 'cause it happens all the time.

So yesterday nothing much happened; it was just negotiating settlement, explaining to client what was happening, and I just sat there and listened. Totally enjoyable, really. And it was good, apart from the 'I am legitimately not doing any real work' thing, because I got to see, first-hand, how a legal document is drafted. They were drafting the injunction and playing with words and phrases and it takes quite a bit of skill and experience to get almost exactly what you want. Quite fascinating, it was. My in-charge drafted the 4-page injunction, probably not from scratch, but I thought it was amazing.

Then I talked to the first associate to ever talk to me and he told me that he was working on a 40-page commercial document.

Like, WOW. I personally would just die of boredom but that's just me.

The settlement papers came in from the other side at around 5.30. The client signed it and voila, everything was done. My in-charge and my mentor were very excited about being able to go home before sundown, like kids stealing cookies from the cookie jar. So totally amusing in a masochistic, sad sort of way.

So that's work.

I went for a free movie yesterday after work with Kenneth. It was provided by the Firm. This other dude was supposed to come with too but he had some family obligations to attend to. Anyway, we were 15 minutes late for the film which was a Singapore production with which I wasn't very impressed. In fact, I was inordinately sleepy yesterday and I almost fell asleep at parts. I just, you know, didn't get the point. And I've stopped bothering trying to dissect local films that attempt to be arty farty 'cause there's really no point, so whatever.

Kym Ng was surprisingly good though; she was very different from how she normally is on TV. Impressive.

There was a reception outside the theatre (it was a gala charity premiere but I didn't see anyone exciting, but I didn't stick around 'cause it was too crowded) where red wine and champagne were served. But guess what? We didn't stop for any. Kenneth wanted a second dinner - he called the first dinner an 'appetizer' - so we walked all over Vivo looking for somewhere to eat, but failing very miserably in our attempt. In the end, we ended up at Hog's Breath. What the fuck! It was totally all his fault that we ended up there 'cause I ordered their stupid Mississippi Mud Cake and it was HUGE. The picture made it look so tiny but it was HUGE. I couldn't finish it and I was bloated like fuck afterwards.

He didn't finish his prime rib thingy either. Haha. For someone that eats two dinners, he's extremely tiny. Simon used to be the tiniest guy I know in relation to eating capacity, but now Kenneth totally takes home top prize. He has a scarily high metabolism rate. I'm so jealous.

I was supposed to return him his mouse which he misplaced in the office and at the bus interchange I suddenly remembered and asked him if he wanted it then. But he didn't want to carry it, so he said he'd get it from me before I left. Eventually he got off the bus earlier than me, and fifteen minutes after I reached home I remembered that I hadn't given him his mouse.

Once again, all his fault. He so should've just taken it from me earlier lah!

Kenneth is a surprising addition to my collection of friends ('collection of friends' - don't you just love that?). I've really only known him for a week and three days and yet he's so easy to talk to. I realise that my first impression of people is always wrong, because initially I thought he was one of those smooth guys, but he's so totally not. He's the complete opposite, as a matter of fact. And as another matter of fact, he's SUPER NICE! He's easily one of the nicest people I know. And, you know, you just don't expect to suddenly get along with some dude from law school whom you didn't even know prior to your internship, especially since he's not in your year. I don't mix around with people in my year very much, let alone people NOT in my year. So, yeah. A very pleasant surprise.

Also, I saw the dude who played Bransome Whatever His Name Was for our LCS client interview at the basement of the Supreme Court and I waved to him. Haha. I think it's strange how you see these people in school almost all the time for six months but never talk to them until you see them outside of school. C'est la vie, I suppose.

I had dinner with Kyle and Mag at this ramen shop at Orchard Plaza. You know, I've decided that Japanese liang mian just doesn't cut it. I got excited when I saw 'sesame sauce' 'cause I fucking miss my Taiwanese liang mian, but the Japanese version is just different. It's not worse, or not as nice or whatever; it's just different. And I prefer my Taiwanese liang mian.

It was still good though and I was quite full after, but the next time I go there, I'm ordering something soup-based!

Had a great dinner, great post-dinner coffee, not-so-great encounter at Rouge, and great MRT ride back with Mag. All things considered, I had another great day!

Yayness. I'm damn sleepy, once more, and it's 12.12 and I haven't showered. I don't know why I take so long to write these entries, really.

Have I mentioned this? King Lear was AMAZING. Ian McKellen was AMAZING. The cast, sans the dude that played Edmund whose delivery of lines, especially the soliloquys (soliloquies?), I found very unnatural and forced, was AMAZING. I didn't understand half of what they said but it was really, really worth the 200 bucks. Top-notch performances, fantastic stage design, and amazing costumes, amazing music. Amazing production.

The famous King Lear line ("As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods/They kill us for their sport") was also amazingly delivered. I'm so running out of words to describe it but it was really just amazing. Yes, amazing.

Lastly, my modules:

Emergencies and Legal Theory (yay Mag is taking it with me!)
Personal Property (yay Rui is taking it with me!)
Law and Economics something something something.

Yep.

I need to sleep. Shower, then sleep. I hope I get work tomorrow.

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