I know there’s an answer
Tuesday, November 8th, 2005Happy Eid to everyone who celebrates it. For the weeklong holiday I stayed almost entirely at home – which is a slight shame, because it would’ve been pleasant to derive more enjoyment from the practically congestion-free streets of Jakarta. Over the previous week, whenever I’d be asked if I were going to go out of town for the holiday, my answer would be, “Naaah. Jakarta’s like a different city anyway during the Eid holiday. Hahaha.” Plus most of the immediate extended clan is here, so it’s a relatively (pun intended) moot point. Maybe someday down the line we’ll head over to Padang or Semarang.
But watching the pre-Eid rush to go home, it’s kind of a blessing not having to really go anywhere. What I saw on TV was way beyond insane, like people climbing docking ropes to get onto cross-channel ships because the walkway queues are a chaotic mess. Then there’s the road traffic, landslides, trains packed like overstuffed tin cans and what have you. I really can’t imagine having to go through that. Last time I spent the Eid holiday outside Jakarta was in 1999 at Padang, and I don’t remember things being as mad as they were these past few years. Then again, I went there by plane, so I guess I must’ve missed something.
Anyway, yesterday was back to the office – two days before everyone else, apparently. Hmph. Ah well, at least the roads were still clear of vehicle-steering morons. As is usual on the first day of work, not much got done, so us office drones dropped by Aksara Bookstore. After browsing around, we stumbled on upon what’s become our current favourite toy: The Book of Answers by Carol Bolt. Basically, it’s like an expanded version of the Magic 8 Ball in hardcover. So you think of a closed-end question, linger while waiting for the right moment (for dramatic effect), and open the book to get your answer. We all had a go at it, and strangely enough, most of the time the answers were eerily accurate or pretty close. Let’s give it a whirl:
Q: Is there anyone reading this blog?
A: You’ll need more information.
Q: Are people entertained when they read this blog?
A: Yes, but don’t force it.
Q: Is there something better I should be doing?
A: You know better now than ever before.
Q: Will my love life improve drastically before the end of the year?
A: Wait.
Q: Will anyone beat up the creator of Crazy Frog with a big stick?
A: Make a list of why.
Q: Should I feel guilty for thinking that new Ashlee Simpson song is catchy?
A: Don’t get caught up in your emotions.
Nifty, eh? Even if it throws out an utterly useless answer, at the very least I’ll get a chuckle out of it.
