Mid-Semester Break

The sudden jolt of spark running through the cerebral cortex's information highway reactivated me from a state of suspended animation. I felt a bit drowzy, but wide awake. Peering through the darkness, my right arm reached out towards the small cabinet right beside my bed, rummaging my hands across without an eye contact looking for my handphone. As soon as the unseen yet thoughtfully familiarized shape of the Sony Ericsson w810i handphone became apparent through the feel of my hand, I immediately grabbed it, brought it closer to my face, and pressed the left button to light it up. It was already 1321 hours in the afternoon. As my apartment room is located next to a corridor, there's barely any difference between daytime and nighttime. Makes me wonder why do they even bother putting up a window in it.

I got up with the strength of a partially hibernated animal, scrambling the grip of the blanket, drawing out my foot to the floor, left foot first, touching on the mildly cold tiles, making my way to the door covered in darkness emulating a slightly boozed up but stable man, exiting my room with a small basket of toiletries in hand and straight to the bathroom. There's no need for me to explain how it feels like to go to the bathroom. It's a typical morning (or should I say afternoon) ritual for everyone and it all follows the same or either path: take a shower then brush your teeth. Mundane but preprogrammed, and a necessity as well.

Touched up with some common man's grooming, I put on my standard-issued wear: a random t-shirt from my locker and a Monsieur Nicole comfort fit, added with extra belt pouches to carry basic necessities like my handphone and a folding blade (don't ask!). As with all things that I took with me, it's either all-black or of dull colour. It's sort of my personal superstition that black or other dull colours lowers my visibility in public, thus attracting less attention, which may equal less trouble. Off I went leaving my room, taking my all-purpose Timberland backpack with my laptop and multi-purpose jacket inside. A small serving of energy bars and coffee is all that I need to start my day. With my boots fastened, I opened the door of my apartment, exited out and onto my own solo adventure.

"Adventure where?", you might ask, and I would answer, "anywhere!". This what a mid-semester break is all about: just you, your instincts, a modest pocket, and the whole map for you to explore. Take a bus at random and see what interesting places it might lead you to.