Random...

READING TIME: 5-7 mins.

In general, I can always find some underlying pattern in everyday of my life...it's probably because of my obsession with categorizing things neatly. And my rule is: there's always a pattern. Thus, even no pattern is a pattern...a pattern called "Random". Like today:

1. "Boxes": I was taking down notes in my digital systems class today, and I take notes very seriously. I'm not one of those "transcribers" who write down every last word and sigh the prof uses...instead, I use this really neat Cornell system of notes...I'll explain that some time on Geek Scribbles...anyway, back to what I was saying. There was this one arrow I used to point to something, but when I looked at it, it didn't stand out...and being quite the important arrow, I decided to put a box around it. And voila! It stood out.
For no reason at all, I pondered on this. 2D boxes...boundaries...very important to us humans. We always want some specified rules that limit within a "box". We also want definitions - whether it's defining different aspects of our lives, generalizing races of people, categorizing things, or specifying goals. This simple act of "box"-ing is such a significant human trait...I will probably expand further on this train of thought in saneinaninsaneworld.blogspot.com .

2. "No Fear": This is the brand name of an energy drink that's quite popular here in Canada. I owe a lot to this drink today - it's what kept me going on through a very busy day after a horribly late night yesterday (read previous post). But it made me think later...what's "No Fear" got to do with staying awake and refreshed? And then, being the "profound thinker" that I am, I figured it all out. Workaholism - this is the current today in this century (and for the end of the last one). Life is on the fast lane for everybody...everyone's got high ambitions for a "better life"...everyone's competing...everyone's gotta work to compete...thus it's a source of great fear to lose one's energy...because we'll lose the rat race! No Fear..."No Fear" is here!

3. Fire Drill: Out of the blue, towards the end of my digital systems class, we have a fire drill. Obviously, everyone knows it's a drill...because it's human nature to always think "that happens to others, but it would never happen to me"...tsk, tsk...always in denial! So all the students make sure they meticulously grab all their things from the class (because it's the end of the class anyway), and then make their way out. We come out through a back entrance and I see a big bunch of engineering students standing around...and I remember thinking, "What a cool way to get to meet a whole bunch of random people!"

4. Velcro's Nationality and Hashes: I put these two together simply because they occurred to me at the same time, during today's Circuits class. While I was opening my satchel to get out my eraser, I had to open the velcro flap...so I suddenly recalled from some Reader's Digest trivia that velcro is a Swiss invention. Then, while taking notes again, I noticed how using hashes ("#") is much better for bullets than asterisks ("*")...I think it's because of our "box" propety again!

5. Sky Cake: Unlike yesterday, today was a wonderfully sunny autumn day with a very comfortably cool breeze to ease the heat of the sun. As I walked back towards my room, I looked up at the sky...and thought, "It looks like a soothing blue cake...with white icing that looks like it's crumpled up in neat lines, and an unbelieveably bright yellow candle."

6. Hot Chocolate and Apple F-something: These two comprised my "lunch" today...extra large Hot Chocolate and an Apple Fripper or something from Tim Horton's (the Canadian equivalent of Starbucks/Coffee Bean...check "Drunk on Desperation" in my archives). As I mentioned in my last post, the meals on my card have finished, and I also had to finish my paperwork for the work-study...so this was the only way out. The Hot Chocolate was horribly sweet and sickeningly creamy...the Apple F-something was just solidified sugar or something!

7. Work-Study Freedom! Once I finished my work-study paperwork, I ran down to Neville Homestead, where I had to submit it. Like the wonderfully punctual student that we all are, everyone was coming in a line to hand in their paperwork. Having taken nearly half-a-dozen paranoid "glance-overs" on my eight resumes and cover letters, I handed it in...and emerged from that little home a free man. Intoxicated on freedom (plus the sugar burst from the hot chocolate...and not to mention the energy boost I was riding from "No Fear"!), I made a mad short sprint to my residence. Once I entered, it occurred to me...what better way to celebrate such dizzying freedom...then letting it all out...in the bathroom! Yes, people, be grossed out now...but it's true...there's nothing more "freeing" and "purifying"...than a good dump!

8. "To Do"...Done! Once I was light as a feather, I went into my room...and struck off "Type and print resumes" and "Type and print cover letters" on my "To Do" list. I looked carefully at my list...lo and behold! All items were scratched off. I looked through the rest of the "To Do" lists of the week...and ALL of them were all scratched off! Oh the elation! The joy!

9. Drunken Entertainment: It was a Friday night...I had had one hell of a busy week...so it was time to chill! Unfortunately, the generally accepted definition for students of "unwinding" in Canada is "get drunk, then get crazy!" I don't drink...anymore at least. Still, I have discovered that drunk people can be quite entertaining...and showing them card tricks is the best! They'll fall for anything! So yeah, I had a good time taking pictures of, and having inane conversations with, drunk people.


There you go...a completely random day. Fun and eventful, though.

Till later...