Thursday, May 04, 2006

the boy who sleeps

My working place this week is at Suntec City, and I LOVE it. I love knowing that the shops are just a minute's walk away. I love being surrounded by gorgeous new things in brightly-lit stores. But this job's ending tomorrow and then I'm back to square one trying to figure out the senior in-charge / address for workplace / where and when I'm needed.

But I have to say that the highlight for today was the bus ride back home. I took the bus from the Esplanade stop (ahh... bliss... where the seats are plenty and the atmosphere un-suffocating). Chose a seat by the window. Along the way home I was joined by this guy whose smell sat next to me even before he did. It's sort of a mixture of sweat, dust, and smoke. But that was fine. I just shrugged it off and looked out of the window so that my nose won't be pointing at his direction.

However, he started nodding off to sleep very very quickly. And as he nodded off, his whole body teetered dangerously towards me. With each sleep-induced nod he leaned closer and closer until I had to press myself hard against the window to avoid his dozing body while his delicious bodily odour wafted under my nose. He jolted himself awake soon afterwards, however he then proceeded to nod off AGAIN and the whole process was repeated. And repeated. And repeated. I got so annoyed at one point that I very deliberately adjusted my sitting position with a purposeful landing whomp! which jolted him awake (but what's new... he dozed off yet again).

UGH. Okay, it's not that I mind having people lean on me on bus rides as they doze off to sleep. ... YEAH RIGHT! The only chance I'd ever allow that to happen is if the person is Jesse Metcalfe. Well, this guy ain't no Jesse Metcalfe. Come on. If I really desire a mind-blowing combination of sweat/smoke I'd order it upfront, 'Can I have the Sweat'n'Smoke Combo? Yeah, the number six. Supersize it please, and hold the deodorant.'

And thus, an ought-to-be-peaceful bus ride home became a dangerous game of deflection.