There could be a reason why I got C6 for my O Level Literature..

To me, Literature had always been reading "between the lines", and understanding the psyche of the characters in the whole context of what was being written, relative to the mannerism, setting, times of the piece in question. The proclaimed reason why I almost didn't pass my Lit paper, I attributed it to the Welsh teacher with the totally unrecognisable heavily accented language she spoke called English. But I guess the real reason was cos I prefer the quantifiable Geography topics to the evasive and hazy Literature. Though I could spot questions, but given limited resources (time and brain cells) I decided to gun for Geography.

But today I suddenly wonder if I should have paid more attention and effort to understand the study of Literature. Not that I hadn't enjoyed reading; in fact, I think reading is one of the best past time cos the power of imagination is unimaginable (pardon the pun..it just came out like that) that brings one out of the confined realm of reality.

It could really be useful in making me understandbetter why certain people say certain stuff, or do certain thing. Understanding the context of things, relating the deed to things that happened before, during or after. Reading facial expressions of the person, or others around him and their responses. All these add up to the true story.

I probably learnt it the hard way when I first started work, when I was tasked to write my first minute at work. I remembered my manager then had to tell me, "Delete this..these are just niceties..No, actually he was trying to say that he didn't want to do this...this one she is actually trying to shoot us down...this one you have to put it in another way, so not too damaging for MD....This one must write...she say she will do but she will try to siam, so must write down"

Functionality (in capturing the essential points) aside, that was probably my first most confused moment since graduation stepping in the private sector. I mean, why cant these supposedly corporate people just say what they had in mind??

But then as I learnt, I realise that you dont always get to say how you feel. That will so be the death of you, career or social wise. I guess I learnt along the way, but perhaps not fast enough. Probably not fast enough to catch undercurrents, to swerve away from potential pitfall, to know when to go in agressively and when not to, to guess why certain people behave a certain way and not cos they have anything against you.

But Literature as a subject is more straight foward as it contains a snapshot of the scenario,picking up the main theme and points, contrasting and blowing them bigger than real life ( like in the case of one of the Lit book I had to go through in schoool "The Winslow Boy", the characters were quite easily deciphered), it's more confusing in real life to have to keep second guessing so as not to step on any interpersonal landmines.

I guess Geography doesn't teach you that.

What had triggered this entry? Lemme think..

• I had to take minutes again. And yes, I wonder why things were said or not said.
• I am trying to understand the behaviour of a certain sneaky individual, saying one thing and doing another.
• And another one whose appearance frequency is getting more without any real apparent reasons.
• I am wondering if technology is going to be the death of "taking-two-steps-and-talk-to-your-cube-neighbour". And I dont understand how it could come to that. Was I that nasty to talk to?? But based on my acute observation honed through the many years of fiction-reading and tv-serial drama watching, I decided it's has nothing to do with me. But then I did almost fail literature and I am not sure fiction-reading or tv serial drama watching can help fill in that deficiency adequately.
• And fiction-reading and tv serial drama watching wont help me type out a politically correct and meaningful piece of minute. If only I paid more attention in class then...