let lemons be angry

I am the embodiment of chill. You will never see me running for a bus, queueing for donuts, or piling up plates at a buffet. There is a singaporean (mostly chinese) ailment beginning with k, and it is not me at all. I'm not afraid to lose, even when the bus is moving off and I'm late. Tragically, yesterday has taught me that it actually, and satisfyingly, pays to be k. Sometimes.

It was subject registration day. For someone chilled like me, subject registration is always a disappointing affair. I don't wait online an hour before registration so that I'm the fastest finger to click for subjects, so of course I have never gotten what I want. And worse still, my school has developed the strange practice of making us register for adm subjects in person. Running up and down stairs to collect professors' signatures before the other person does is ineffective and unfair, not to mention undignified. The last time it was subject registration day, students waited at the school entrance with pens and forms to catch professors as they arrived. I kind of sauntered down to the office at 12 noon and saw with dismay that everything I wanted to take was already full.

So this time, sick of being sent to take random classes that nobody wants, I rushed to school at 8:20 am. Registration started at 9. My motivating bunch of friends were already camped outside our prof's door, with music playing and an alcoholic cookie breakfast laid out. When deborah finally arrived, she was chased up the grass hill by a k student, and they both came through the door to be met with a whole troop of campers. Haha, the feeling of being the first to get onto the illustration class list was almost like the oasis feeling. Later we heard that those slightly behind us in the queue couldn't get into the class!

In the afternoon, a friend was complaining that she didn't get a single subject she wanted, "because this whooole group of people came early in the morning to sign--"

"Uh, that would be us."
"OH."

So here is my exciting list of fought-for subjects for next semester: motion graphics, illustration, and stop motion animation. I envisage a 6-day week and nights sleeping in the stop animation studio, but with miniature sets as company, nobody minds at all. It will be play time all the time, I almost wish the term would begin right away. Drawing and moulding all the time and not reading a thing. There is still forensic science to sign up for online, and my finger will be sure to be in position an hour before registration time. I have learnt the secret to academic happiness.

One serious concern though, is that we have raised the bar by a far margin. Those who have learnt their lesson will try to trump us next semester. I guess we'll just have to come the night before then. Like the sweet and decent contestants on the amazing race and survivor always say by day 13 or so: "We have to start getting dirty."