Don

Had my first exam paper this afternoon-it went fairly well,everyone seemed to be all smiles and laughter on the way out of the exam hall.Although how my grade for that subject turns out has close to nothing to do with any of this-it could sink or float,but I'm guessing a pass ain't to impossible to ask for.

Had dinner at DonDon on Swanston-a place I've passed by too many times,but never considered going.From the outside,it looked like someone had torn part of an old subway train an made it an eatery-it was a tiny place,ambitiously accommodating far too many people for it's size-as a result it always seemed uncomfortably crowded and reminded me of places like that,how people go there during short lunch breaks to quickly gobble up whatever they're served without really minding however bad the food quality was.And the fact that it was a Japanese eatery-you know the things society tends to associate with the Japanese culture,how everyone's so damn stressed all the time and rushing to somewhere all the time-just supported this assumption.

Well,I was wrong.The food there's modestly priced (slightly lower than the average $8-10 you pay for a single meal) and,more importantly,tasty-it's not as noisy as it looks from the outside,and they play classic western tunes.You're shoulder to shoulder with everyone else,it's impossible to ignore all the slurping and munching sounds but people are minding their own business,and there are no dubious smells stinking up the venue.

I'm probably romanticizing the whole experience-with that last part,chandeliers or chauffeured men in suits wouldn't be too unsuitable.And I'm at the point where I'll do anything to keep my mind off the stack of finance notes lying closely at the edge of the table-they look like they weigh a thousand tons,and every time my hand attempts to reach for it my brain always instructs it elsewhere.That fancy highlighter,that piece of used tissue,that unopened envelope-they all suddenly call out to me,with a heightened sense of urgency I execute this task of utmost importance I've been sent out to do.But all at once the magic vanishes,the appeal of the highlighter tarnished upon completion of the task-now I have to find something more exciting,a purple highlighter perhaps,to satisfy my inner infant,whom I have to nurture and feed with wild fantasies involving highlighters actually being port keys to an entirely different universe.

Okay,that was 10 minutes wasted.I have to shower my worries away,put on my pj's and do a bit of obligatory studying before heading to slumber.I'll leave you with this link to the new GAP ad with real-life couple Amy Poehler & Will Arnett looking all adorable.This doesn't change the fact that their clothes are way too overpriced for something that looks typically American & borderline pedestrian,though.