It was year 1996/1997. There was a very reputable lecturer
at my university, and he was known for not taking any shit or nonsense.
He was fair, very serious, and professional, which made him
respectable in my eyes. It was difficult for lecturers not to be subjective,
since we were in the design field. Since I wasn't a student who was good at
schmoozing, I spent most of my time sitting at the back, hardly interacting,
and was only seen when it was absolutely required to. I preferred this kind of
'blind' lecturer, who treated everyone equally and was immune to schmoozing
attempts because he couldn't care less. He barely had any expressions. Everyone
feared him.
In one of his subjects, he asked us to bring something to
the class, one person, one object. The description is 'something ordinary in
your house.' It could be anything.
The day came, and everyone had something. He then revealed
the task and the subject 'Deconstruction.' Our task was to
convert/restructure/dismantling the objects we brought and remake them into
something else with a different shape and a different function.
The instruction was clear enough. Everyone started to get
excited; some were hanging around him, asking more questions, seeking
clarification, or perhaps making another attempt to get to know him better.
After all, he was one of the most popular lecturers.
I just sat on my desk and stared at the thing I bought,
jaw-dropping. The wheel in my brain was turning, but nothing came out. I looked
at everyone and their ideas flying around. A classmate who brought a tote bag
talked about converting it into a pillowcase. Another with a cardboard would
turn it into bookends. Someone with half of a slipper could make it into a beer
holder. One holding a soft toy was teary-eyed, but she wouldn't have any
problem turning it into a table mat.
Not me. I stared at my object again and finally made a
beeline for the lecturer's desk in front.
There were a few classmates up there who felt stuck with
their objects as well, but his voice was loud and clear, "No one is
allowed to change the object of your choice. You'll have to make it work."
Dang it. I stopped in my tracks and watched those who had
asked for objects change walk back to their seats, their shoulders slumped. The
lecturer was in the clear now; no one was too close, and it made him look
scarier.
"But what am I supposed to do with this?" My voice
wasn't loud, but he heard and turned to me. I lifted my hand and showed him
what I brought.
What happened next was a historical event, I am not
exaggerating and I am proud to say I was the only student who made him laugh
that way. His roar echoed across the classroom, he threw his head back, and
those deep, baritone HA HA HA HA in the main villain tone drew everyone's
attention to us. I stood there, now facing my nightmare of being the center of
focus, slightly offended yet amused at the same time, holding this.
Yes, I brought this.
How was I supposed to dismantle it and make it into
something with a different shape and function in a few days?
My family had a lot of tools lying around in our house.
Parents had a small hardware shop. I always had some fascination with this one
and used to draw Smurfs carrying it around. This was a common household object
for me. It was my favorite. How would I know we were supposed to destroy it?
Anyway, I am proud to say that I was also THE ONLY ONE who
was granted the right to change my object. I was the chosen one!
What I want to say is thank you again for being here, as
always, reading my ramblings. You are the chosen ones!
I'll take a break from sending newsletters while I look for
a new mailer host. The current one has been cutting its capacity twice now,
delivering only 1/4 of its promise by the time I joined, and I can't afford to
upgrade to premium. Nothing will change on your side; just give me time to sort
it out. Please take good care of yourself and your family. Always remember: you
matter. I'll see you again soon.
I am still active, talking nonsense on X, hoping to market my books with my inadequate efforts. They are free with KU. Maybe you'll like them, especially the latest one, ATLAS, because it's as bizarre as my chosen object.
