It's amazing how you meet different kinds of people when doing project work. This usually happens when you're in a class in which you don't know anybody, and you're drafted in with total strangers. So it happened that me and Ash were asked to join a group of business students.

My fellow group-mates are a bunch of pretty nice people, and together form an interesting mix of personalities. Other than me, my group comprises 3 gals (Ash, Hsueh and Jacq) and 2 guys (Josh and Brian).

So it was was that when I arrived at our meeting room that I realized the first limitation.

Not enough space.

All 5 (Jacq was late) of us had to huddle around 2 small tables because somebody had carried off the 3rd table. Table and chair swiping from gsrs is common in school as project work groups vary greatly in size. Thus, it's not uncommon for people to "borrow" an extra chair or even a table, with or without permission.

After some adjusting, 5 of us managed to seat ourselves at the tables (joined together). There wasn't much elbow room, and additional space was taken up by laptops and the textbook. I still have no idea how Brian managed to squeeze his lunch in (a plastic bowl of dumpling soup). As we waited for Jacq to arrive, he was exploring his soup with a pair of chopsticks, and oddly enough, picking out the stalks and leaves of 小白菜.

Hsueh: Eh... Brian. Do you eat vegetables?

Brian: Nope. I try not to, if I can.

And he proceeded to make a neat green pile on the plastic lid beside the bowl. You gotta hand it to the guy, he must hate his vegetables very much to scoop out every fragment.

Soon enough, Jacq came rushing in. We started our discussion, got stuck at one point, then veered crazily off topic.

Hsueh: I saw Chia (our OCD lecturer) at AMK Hub today!

*collective gasp*

Hsueh: Not my fault ok! I would have siamed but she came out of nowhere and poked me.

Hsueh proceeded to ramble on about the insights she got from her while talking. All project-related, and all very useful.

Then someone started talking about the perils of taking the bus and mrt. We began to swap stories.

Jacq: You know ah... there was one time when I was taking the MRT. It was damn crowded ok, then I tried to squeeze in at the last minute. My foot got stuck in the door!

*stunned silence*

Me: Wah... pain or not?

Jacq: No its ok... cos got the rubber...

Hsueh finished for her.

Hsueh: Yeah rubber coating at the door edges...

Jacq:... so it's soft.

Brian: Weren't you worried about your shoe?

Jacq: I wasn't worried, I was scared man! I mean can you imagine what will happen if the train moves. Luckily the door opened and my aunt managed to drag me in.

Brian: Yah hor... you can always sue SMRT if you drop your shoe.

This reminded Brian of his own personal experience. Apparently, feet weren't the only body parts that got stuck in doors.

Brian: When I was in primary school right, I was taking the bus home... Then my finger got stuck in the door.

Someone: How the hell...?

Brian: You know the buses they have folding doors right. Well, it was quite crowded so I was standing on the steps. I put my hand out when the door was open, somehow when the doors shut, my finger got stuck.

One of us queried on what he did next.

Brian: I didn't panic. I just stood there... looking at my stuck finger. I couldn't move lah... and I knew that until the door opens again I can't get it out. So I tried to pretend nothing happened and waited for the next stop. When the door opened, I quickly pulled my finger out. Wah...

*collective sweatdropping*

Jacq: That reminds me. One time my arm got stuck in the door too...

Brian: What did you do?

Jacq: I shouted at the uncle lah! There was more space towards the middle of the bus but he did't ask the people to move in. He didn't care lor...

And so on and so forth.

After everyone had exhausted their stories, we got back to work. We made progress after that, since we felt more relaxed. Sometimes taking a break is just as important, or even key to, being productive.

So all in all, we get along fine. But even then...

We better not screw up our project. = =