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Tuesday, June 29, 2004

Labyrinth.

Labyrinth
n
An intricate structure of interconnecting passages through which it is difficult to find one's way; a maze.

For an example, visit the University Library in Utrecht (Holland) - it's Hell on Earth.

I'm following a course on the Irish author Oscar Wilde - fascinating course about a hugely interesting man. For my final grade for this course I have to write this research paper on the man and his position in society (which is due this friday). No big problem; just get some books from the library, scan them for the relevant bits, do some research, write all the stuff down in a somewhat coherent story, and voila, a paper a la Martin.

Wrong.

I've been at the university for three years now, and I've been to the library a million times, and I still can't find any-bloody-thing there. I seem to have this innate ability to get lost there within 20 seconds of entering the building - I'll end up in some guy's office, the Janitor's closet, the ladies room or just at the friggin' entrance; but never, ever, at the library shelf I'm looking for. Never! It's as if this fiendish building was built for the sole purpose of confusing the pants off people - if this is the case, they succeeded excellently. The bastards.

And now for the worst part.

Today I had to go to the library, to get some books for the aforementioned paper. I dreaded this day, for obvious reasons - I foresaw hours and hours of running through corridors I have never seen before; epic battles with librarians refusing to help me; day-long treks through hallways stretching into infinity. So, after I packed my tent, and two day's worth of rations, I decided to ask a friend along - you know, to keep me company at the campfires at night. So, this friend (we're following the same course, so we have the same paper to write (different topics, of course)) and I go to the wretched place; he barges in there, and within four minutes (count 'em, four minutes) he found the books which were relevant for his paper!

Believe me, I cried.

Is it just me, or ... wait, don't answer that.

Now leave me alone, I have a paper to write.

Cheers

1 Comments:

Blogger Martin said...

Thank you - I'm glad you enjoyed it.

It's all true, of course.

Cheers

12:29 am  

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