Surprised

Ah, looks like the contingency plan doesn't need to be put into action after all. This is the ultimate awkwardness - you see, the only person I know in that group of 4 (or 5) won't be meeting us until 11am, and that's at his place. The others, all girls, want to visit the city first. And of course remember I have to buy a new bus card? I figured that should work - reach by 8-ish, grab the bus card, then meet the girls at 9. Sounds good, no?

Problem - I don't know who the hell I'm supposed to be looking out for. Yeah, I'm that detached from the class .. can't attach a face to the names. Oh well. Just look for the most bookish-looking ones maybe? Haahaha.

But anyway it's nice of them. So I was wrong eh, Mr. Ye? Then AGAIN it would otherwise have been too obvious, you never know. Or maybe I'm just being skeptical.

In any case, I almost missed dinner tonight. This place is odd, come Friday, all work-related places close early - including the hospital library. So by the time I went back to the Hall, it's only like 5.10pm and they were closed. Re-opening at 6.30pm. Oh dear, and I don't have a dinner voucher! And dinner stops serving at 6.45pm! Slightly grouchy, but in the end although I cut it real fine, it went well.

First because being Mr. Agarophobe, I usually arrive for dinner very late anyway. This way, I can avoid the crowd and prevent awkward situations where I find myself sitting amongst an entire group of people who obviously know each other very well.

Second, it ended up being interesting. Wolfson Hall is a beautiful place for clinical spot diagnoses, as you shall learn soon. I got to know 2 more new acquaintances, Sharifah and Amie. Sharifah is from Afghanistan but had been staying here for 8 years, while Amie's a Chinese, and both are law students. Sharifah's been really nice - asked me where I'm staying, and that I'm really welcome for tea with her after her exams end on Monday. I actually overheard her on the phone, "Would you like to come and have some tea?" ... Urghh. So typically British. Anyway, Amie's an interesting one, because she can't really speak. At first I thought she was trying to be funny, but later I realised she REALLY can't articulate words. Her intention speaks perfectly good English, mind. Some sort of dysarthria, I'm thinking. Took a quick look in her mouth, no tongue-tie. Anyone can supply other differentials? Of course, she also could have had a tracheal stent or removal of the trachea? It was very intruiging. It got embarrassing though, because Sharifah introduced me to Amie as what my profession is, and there was just this quick cloud that passed right over; hardly noticeable. But we all understand better eh. X-ray eyes. I see your fingers, and I know what you've got. Fortunately for her, I do not know what she's suffering from, but it sure got me interested. She sounds almost like a mute person trying to speak? And in law? Don't get me wrong here, she's a perfectly lovely person and I warmed up to her immediately. Not because I felt sorry for her - you know most of the time the least people want is pity - but because she is just so plainly friendly and forthcoming and honest.

I also suspect this is one of those "I'll look you up later, I promise" things that never do happen, but hell .. I now have 2 more people to say hello to, at least!

And there's Ken, the security guard, who's probably having dementia. Sigh.

Anyway, there's this reality TV show here that's REALLY big here - Big Brother. Chris and Fiona expressed utmost shock when I told them this show hasn't reached Singapore, and probably will never be shown because the girls' tits can be seen. Fiona's looked like she's just seen a 3-headed human, and asked me incredulously why, and if there are any places in Singapore where people can sunbathe nude.

F: "So what happens if someone goes to the beach and takes off their bikini?"
Me: "First, people will stare, and you'd get quite a lot of mumbling in the background, some amused, some disapproving. Well if you're *really* unlucky a policeman could come along and maybe give you a warning or tell you off?"
F: "What?!? Is that the Secret Police or something??"

I really couldn't stop smiling. Thanks a lot, Mr. Lee. Yx, reminds me of the conversation you had with the Crazy Dominican Bitch about drugs and the death penalty. ;) Really miss having a da4 jie3 figure like Gisselle here. Ask her to fly over from France leh, I've got an extra bed in the room!!!

Anyway, in this episode of Big Brother, the new contestants come in. These 12 (I think) people are all placed together in a house and scrutinised 24/7 by CCTVs and microphones. So yeah .. you get strange hanky-pankies, and then one by one they get voted off by both the other inhabitants and also the public. This run of the show was interesting - 3 out of the 6 men were gay, and not in the dignified metrosexual way. I mean gay as in fag. Make-up. Shapely hip movements. You get the idea. There's also this Chinese woman who's a total disgrace. The moment she stepped into the house to meet her co-inhabitants for the first time, she started behaving like an absolute tart. 2 of the other women rolled their eyes while she tried to hug them .. she won't last long. Being born in the UK and having an accent with good english is fine. Being obviously foreign and having an accent with ATROCIOUS english is just plain idiotic.