5 minutes, no hang on..i was already late (alas…as always), i was dashing to my chaucer class, completed (and of course, inappropriately edited or proofread) my essay. The full import hadn’t yet hit me- that one week overdue 8-10 page essay (plus bibliography) is finally finally its about time Done. 2 minutes before that 5 minutes but which hang on i was already late scenario, i was haranguing the dorm’s printer. indeed, that essay was fresh from the oven torrey printer. I even had time to print that 2o pages of Andreuccio da Perugia for the 1o am Italian class.

The Chaucer class was at 8.35, and by that time I reached shattuck building, it was probably past 8.35, and what did I have to do?

Look for a stapler. Walked into the professors’ registration office, breathless and red-faced : ‘Excuse me, can you please lend me a stapler..’. The women behind the counter was genial enough, she was friendly, I believe unlike the other woman behind the counter in the next office, who intimidates me..The first stapler, renowned for its reliability refused to co-operate with my 11 page essay (plus bibliography). That thing just wouldn’t bite. Like a ragged stubborn dog with its fake dentures on the edge of my paper, that stapler violated the pristine condition of my 20 seconds ago pristine first page.

The title? Understanding Troilus’ love in medieval Muslim theories

I think the title sounded odd, fascinating but odd. I just can’t place my finger on where the grammar goes awry.

So, I was about 5 minuted late for class…and yet, there were others still trickling in.

It was a rainy tuesday morning, a cold, grey new england morning. I like it though. It’s pretty. I also like rain, because it reminds me of Brunei. I like rain because its water from the sky, I like rain because I believe its rahmat and rizq from Allah swt. I like rain because its beautiful. I like rain because of its subduing effect. I like rain because it offers me the opportunity to sit on the rocking chair outside Eliott house, to munch on my warm garlic bread, and simply reflect and stare into the enchanting green and profusions of white and pink blooms unfolding before me, the rain drops clinging sweetly like a gentle lover onto the soft petals, and a fat robbin, with his dark-red breasted body, perched on the rooftop, looking on like a small majestic hawk…all these, SubhanaAllah, for me to see, ‘biholde’, as Chaucer would say it, and for you, sweet reader for me to share the picture.

But I am not sure if I like the rain for bringing out the army of worms.

Pink, translucent, raw , did i mention pink? fleshy pink worms…

It has been raining continuously i believe for 2 days in a row. A day before the 2 days of today, alright, i think i mean last sunday, or saturday..it was also raining. I won’t go into the details of why until today, i’ve never purchased a pair of – what certainly should prove to be useful- rainboots. Nor shall i divulge the amazing survival skills that entails considering the absence of snowboots when I plunge foolishly into the deep deep snow. But i will tell you about the worms.

I am just fascinated by them.

The first few days I looked at them, some splattered like mangled and rolled over mee goreng on the sidewalks, some diligently inching their way forward, unminding perhaps of the threatening thudds of unawares mt holyoke women similarly inching their way to this and that class..the same human force that trundled on many of their brethren.

And how could we avoid it? If you watch me maneouvre the sidewalks, you would think i was doing some sort of post-modern version of traditional silat-salsa al freddo dance…lifting one right foot here, bending and popping one’s booty there. And yet…i try my best to not squish them.

These creatures that help to irrigate our soils. friends of farmers. sensors of light, haemphrodite/a-sexual creatures- meaning they have both male and female reproductive organs. They hatch from cocoons that is smaller than the grain of rice. MashaAllah, what miraculous creations!

and quite beautiful too, if you think about it. they have these hypnotizing rings around them, these non-skeletal cold bloods. and ironically, FIVE hearts.

Yes, i did my 10 minute research and i stumble on two lovely kid websites, with interactive and informative features.

Worms. The abject?

Something both to fear, recoil and disgust and yet something that one still find fascinating?

When I was a kid i also used to want to own a glass box with an ant home inside of it so that i could watch them. I still want one. Which reminds me, i need to get a telescope. And if you are my sibling and you are reading this, i want a rocking chair when i get home, min fadhleek =)

On a last note, these are what the worms got me athinking…

although on an anticlimatic note, i must be honest, i can handle one or two worm in sight, but if you invite me to contemplate on a whole bucketful of them, i must courteously decline your generous offer.

Buon notte~