After Lit 3

My brother wants to become an industrial designer. And actually I can't see anything that should stop him. There's good money to be got in that kind of work, especially now that everything is about style and design. And now seeing the book that he helped to publish, it's a real sign of his skill. Most sleek! Hehheh, ironically it's A Guide to the English Language Arts, but it's really quite ingenious I think. An idea that originated with Mrs Teo in our batch and finally coming to fruition in my brother's batch. There's continuity for you in the historically minded. But beyond the tangential personal connection I think it's worthwhile. And not just for the ironic value. I daresay it's even better than but,, if only because it has no pretensions towards being something litty and profound. This book...it's straightforward. Approachable. Lit without the affectations, which is always the best form of lit. Writers who are using words, not just hiding behind them.

Heh finished Lit today. Not a bad paper. Was rather happy that Marlow as narrator actually did come out, and was able to talk about all that modernist or existentialist stuff about the communication problem. The only gripe was with Albee, which in retrospect I took the wrong approach with. Tried to thematically separate ideas that are, in the play, intricately intertwined. On hindsight it probably would have been a better idea to go chronologically to demonstrate how the complexity of the plot develops. But ah well...that's it. A final tribute to a splendidly crafted play. I want to watch it performed!

Lunch today was fun, and at the same time tinged with tragedy. Because everyone there was free to go to watch HP4, whereas me and Soph were committed to reading for Hist S. Mmm but it's been a long time since I've been in a group that big having such a carefree lunch. The end of the battles is near, and we're already feeling the first of its effects. The exams seem now like something that just needs mopping up, for the most part already wrapped up. It won't be long before we can guiltlessly enjoy the Christmas spirit that's bubbling up all over the place.

But the Sarawak trip is in jeopardy! Now that there are too few people going the trip's in real danger of falling through. And I had been really looking forward to getting off this island, to anywhere else. Just need to go somewhere where I can immerse myself in total anonymity I guess. What I really want to do is to go back to Taipei. That would be perfect. But probably it's too far away, and too expensive...so maybe somewhere nearer. Thailand, Vietnam. Malaysia even. For a few days at least. Mmm...it's some kind of break I want.

Hmm PSC called the other day...and found out that if I say I want to go to France, they'll actually do the applications for me! Heh suddenly Sorbonne seems much more attractive. But then I still have to ask myself what on earth I can do there. History would be interesting, I suppose, what with the Annales school and the cliometricians and all sorts of radical offshoots from all the social sciences having come from France. Heh, one could think that they were being deliberately difficult to reassert their intellectual prowess in the world =P But then what would I do with the diploma when I come back here? Do people even know what the Sorbonne is? Hmm...but all the same it's a new avenue, something to think about.

pondered by phoenican @ 23.11.05