5:22 AM
Amusing dayI had a very fun day! We skipped 2 lessons today just to go for the chocolate factory tour organized by ESN Bern, which was definitely worth it. We went to the Camille Bloch factory, and the chocolates are really fabulous! The moment we started the tour I could smell chocolates everywhere and started getting very high. Chocolate was EVERYWHERE. It was heaven. And there is something really exciting about seeing tonnes of chocolate being made right in front of your eyes.
I didn't take lots of pictures, because they didn't allow cameras inside the factory, and also because when we were finally allowed to take our cameras, I was too busy gorging on the selection of chocolates that were laid out, for free, for us to eat .
But 2 very hilarious things happened today.
Incident 1: At the chocolate factory
Someone was heard to remark upon seeing the many different chocolates laid out for us, "I should pocket some to take home!" This incited a flurry of activity from another person, (note: that person was neither a girl, nor an Asian) who started to fill his pockets with a lot of chocolates. Others started to follow after seeing him sweep many of the chocolates out of sight.
While previously everyone was just busy eating all the chocolates as fast as we could, now most of the people were grabbing as many chocolates as they could! And in no time, the trays were almost empty. The one who made the comment that started it all was rather amazed at the reactions that followed, and kept repeating after that at random intervals, "I was just joking!" And we came to the conclusion: its not just Singaporeans who are kiasu and will grab all the free stuff they can, its an universal trait.
Post-kiasu-grabbing scene, the guy who led in the flurry of activity was also spotted carrying an extremely loaded basket when we were at the chocolate shop.
Incident 2: Back at the hostel
First, some background info - the guy who was in Bern for exchange the previous term had left some things for us with some other people who lived on the same floor. He passed us one of their numbers and I smsed Guy A a few times, and he told us that we could just go down to get the stuff. Because the layout was such that there was a common door leading to 2 different rooms, that door would be unlocked when one of them was there. The stuff being behind that common door, we were told to just go and collect the things when it was unlocked.
Therefore, we did take some of the things, but as there were too many, we left some of them behind.
Some time had elapsed after we took the items, and we decided we should take the entire bag even if we did not need everything, since the people living there were just taking care of it until we showed up for them. So, we went down today to take the rest of the things. Guess what we found?
On the bag was an envelope (actually containing a letter for the 2 guys who lived there), with these lines written on afterwards: "Who are you? What have you done with the things? Please inform us!!!" It was written obviously for us, and in such good faith that we would turn up again to take the rest of the things. We suspected that Guy B was the one who wrote it, and knocked on his door to explain things.
To our surprise, we found that we had met the guy before! We just never connected the name we heard and the tag on the door. Recognition dawned on both sides of the door, and the following conversation ensued:
Guy B (B): What are you doing here?
Us (U): We saw the note on the envelope, and just wanted to inform you that we were ones who took the things.
B: It was you?? I was so shocked to see some things gone!
U: Oh we told Guy A, but we didn't have your number, so we couldn't tell you.
B: Oh! (Took up the envelope) See, I wrote this! I didn't know who came to take the things and how you did it!
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He sounded really amazed that we managed to take the things from under his nose and what we found very funny was that he actually wrote on the envelope that was on top of the bag to ask who took the things. What faith he had in us going back down to collect the rest of the items! And what shock and amazement he displayed when we recounted the entire story for him! I was laughing so hard when I was talking to him, lucky he didn't take offense.
What a funny day today was; I'm still high on chocolate, I believe. I do hope I don't grow fat from all the chocolate I ate and will be eating!
PS: If my writing suddenly sounds different towards the end, it will have to be attributed to intensive reading of Jane Eyre for my lit class, in which Charlotte Bronte writes in rather the same way. Read something from that era and you will know what I mean.
Kay Key