Brown with anonymous entities floating about.

I remembered that year when they told us

That the water’s contaminated, that only

Those who drank water from X

Are likely to go to the hospital

Hell, who would know from which dam did your

Tap water come from.

I saw the water,

I looked at the water cooler

The ones I only saw in a publishing office

In a foreign country when I was eight.

Now they are casually standing in our home

The waterman (as I love to call him)

Comes every Friday, interrupting our early breakfast

That I promise every week not to be part in

For sleeping in purposes

But I still do.

The waterman brings us the blue bottles that

Make me lose a life or two as I lug them

To the kitchen

My mom watching, warning me to check if the plastic

Bags covering them are dripping.

How can I check with 2 gallons of water

Held in one hand and a nagging voice behind.

The water cooler is the place

Where my brother and I casually meet

He says I never have the time to talk

I say… I’m writing

He says whatever

I say I have to go

The water cooler is only three meters away from the sink

Yet, late at night when I wake up

I run to the tap and cup my hand under the waterfall

And drink like a thirsty animal

I remember at that moment what they told us about the water

The germs, the Jews — yes they’re always in the story

But I cannot stop myself.

It is satiating.

It fills me like never before

I feel it run down my throat and into my stomach

It seems like a lifetime though it’s not even

A cup’s worth

Like our early breakfasts, when I promise myself I won’t wake up,

I promise myself that next time I’d wake up

At 2 or 3 am

That I’d bring myself to pour myself a glass of water

From the water cooler, yet

I cannot. It is just not in me.

            Another observation about finals happens to be also about cheating. I was sitting in the last row; this guy comes in late and decides to sit in the middle, thus crushing every foot from the right. Later on, he pretends to be cleaning his shoes (with the back of his palm, how hygienic) and then he opens his book and starts going through it page by page. I was flabbergasted not because of his courage, but for the fact it’s a writing exam. How can you cheat on a writing exam?

            Students come in without pens. Yes, that’s a fact. I could never leave home without packing at least three or four, a pencil, ruler, and two highlighters. The funny part is, they come in late and then start “whispering” — more like screaming — “Does anyone have a pen?” The professor always watches in silence, with a frown or a smile of sheer amazement. Now, the funny part about this, is the fact that one guy in my English Literature in the 19^th Century final, told this girl who was kind enough to give him a pen: “Oh, I don’t like blue. Don’t you have black?” You know what Arabic proverb comes to mind?

            Students always seem to ask for extra answer booklets, that makes me a bit anxious. I only use one booklet with like three pages left, yet they go on asking for extra booklets. What are you writing? Did I miss anything? Where we supposed to write a manuscript for the final?

            Finals are over. I’m glad they are, for one reason: I can actually sleep without dreaming about sleeping in and missing the exam.

Wouldn’t that be awesome?

That’s just me high on sugar.

Happy Holidays…

            Many of the movies nominated for the Academy Awards, we don’t even know of, and probably wouldn’t enjoy, my example, would be 2004’s Academy Nominated for Best Picture “The Aviator” had the lion’s share of that ceremony and press for that year. However, I didn’t watch or hear of the movie, until they hyper-publicized the plot and wrote odes in favor of the breathtaking performance. After watching it, I was gravely disappointed and wondered what on earth they were thinking. Therefore, there must be a lot of documentaries out there that are good enough for our taste, yet did not make it to the nomination table.

The question of the day would be: any documentaries you’d recommend for me to watch?

So far, my schedule seems to be:

Tonight — Jesus Camp, 2006, Directed by Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing.

December 13^th — Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, 2005, Directed by Alex Gibney

Your suggestions are welcomed…

This is very creative, my dream job is definitely at Apple.

++ Idea trapped in a jar by Moey

            “You do realize that this job is different from writing a novel or a play?”

            Funny thing is, in three interviews, the three interviewers asked the very same question using the same words. Yes, I’m aware that it is different. The job interview would careen into a discussion of my works, and the themes behind my work, and then a debate of the validity of such writing techniques/themes. Quite charming isn’t it? But I still do need a job, you know?

            As you read, I’m filling out a job application that looks more of the Big Book of Family History, yes, indeed, it is an Embassy. You make a wild guess.

            Of course, if an interview was ever to happen, the bet of the day is when would the interviewer ask about my writing and decide never to give me a call.

            What is it about writing and writers that seems to make employers shy away? Do we come across as rebellious creatures that could never be tamed to sit at an office? Or is it the imagination that worries them? Mmm… I wonder.