Swim
I was out having lunch at Toa Payoh Central when I saw a fellow Philosophy Major who is doing his Honours Presentation tomorrow, as I am. (I've already did mine some months back but I had volunteered to do so again) I couldn't believe my eyes at first because, really, what are the chances you see the only other person who is presenting along with you the following day, picking PE shorts on a typically warm and lazy Singaporean afternoon, at such a time and place that allows you to pick him out after your typically warm and lazy afternoon meal consisting of minced meat noodles iced milo and some yoghurt. If I had not bought a cup of yoghurt, I would have missed him. If he had walked a bit slower and missed his train, I would have missed him too.
A maths friend once pointed out to me that humans attach special significance to certain states of affairs, such that it would seem incredibly improbable they do happen. It's like seeing a special significance in the number 424,211 out of the numbers 1 to 1 million, when really there are so many other numbers out there that have the same incredulous probability should they happen to be picked. I don't disagree. If I had spotted, say, a primary school friend instead, I would be focusing on different aspects of commonality we might share, in such a way that it would seem that the chances of bumping into that very person would be just as low as bumping into this philosophy peer of mine, if not lower. But the thing to note here is that this still doesn't detract from the wonder one might have in encountering that perhaps arbitrarily picked out state of affairs. The universe might be a neutral entity, but we are not.
He was in Toa Payoh for a swim. He likes swimming. So I asked, what about the presentation tomorrow. And he said he would finish his preparation later, swimming helps him take his mind off things. I said that that's good, and I told him I would see him tomorrow.
A maths friend once pointed out to me that humans attach special significance to certain states of affairs, such that it would seem incredibly improbable they do happen. It's like seeing a special significance in the number 424,211 out of the numbers 1 to 1 million, when really there are so many other numbers out there that have the same incredulous probability should they happen to be picked. I don't disagree. If I had spotted, say, a primary school friend instead, I would be focusing on different aspects of commonality we might share, in such a way that it would seem that the chances of bumping into that very person would be just as low as bumping into this philosophy peer of mine, if not lower. But the thing to note here is that this still doesn't detract from the wonder one might have in encountering that perhaps arbitrarily picked out state of affairs. The universe might be a neutral entity, but we are not.
He was in Toa Payoh for a swim. He likes swimming. So I asked, what about the presentation tomorrow. And he said he would finish his preparation later, swimming helps him take his mind off things. I said that that's good, and I told him I would see him tomorrow.
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