first day of school and the hunt for the elusive textbook

School was all right initially, until I had to scramble over the city to get the new textbook.

At first I thought I'll try out the bookstore in town to see if they carry the book, but no that branch doesn't sell course literature, so I have to go to another branch which is a few stops away, and when I located the store, I spotted the Psychology section and secretly hoped that there it is on the shelf, but to my utter disappointment it wasn't, so I decided to ask the person there, but no the person says that they don't carry that book so what I can do is to book it online and have it sent to me. All right I thought I would check it out using their computer and guess what! The textbook freaking costs a SGD91.00 including delivery charge! I reeled a bit and decided to walk out of the store and 从长计议 (consider from where I am and decide again).

No way am I going to pay $91 for a book I'm only going to use from tomorrow 8th Sept until 16th Oct which is the date of the final exam of this course! That's like, 1 month and 8 days!

So I decided to head to the library (mind you, by this time I was rather desperate 'cos I needed to finish 4 chapters of reading before seminar on Wednesday and walking here and there, the city is not very big but still it is when you walk here and there) and I hoped and hoped that all are not checked out yet.

The library from the first looks looked quite nice, bricks and all, the study room from a glimpse was filled with mugging students (don't know what they're mugging for when it's the first day of school only my goodness), looked rather medieval which I like, but I had no time to appreciate the beauty of it all, I shall go back another day to explore further, so I proceeded to the computer terminal and frantically searched for the "in english" button because everything is in freaking Swedish! Directions on the wall, floor plans on the wall, instructions on the wall behind the photocopying machine etc etc, they should consider their poor exchange students!

Okay so I managed to locate the book from the online catalogue, but it's not the latest edition that we were supposed to use, but I was desperate, and there was only one available copy, so I began my fanatic frantic search for it. Beside the computer terminal there were these shelves with books that had this label "kursbok" on them with slips of paper which I took them to be the authors, edition etc, and I thought, ok maybe this is where the course books are for loan, maybe only in-library reading only. So I began to look, but no it's not there. *Nervous sweat*.

I ventured to the next room where there were more computer terminals, don't know if they have the same functions, and then the photocopying machine where the instructions is in Swedish. The only time when there is English version is when they remind us of the copyright laws -.- How will we flout the copyright laws if we can't even operate the machine in the first place?! And even the instructions on the machine screen itself is probably going to be Swedish as well. 25kr for 20 copies, which is SGD5.00 for 20 double-sided copies. Slightly on the pricey side, but reasonable I guess.

Okay so I finally located the book in another section, thinking to myself what a genius I am. Then the next problem is, can the book be checked out or it's for reference only? I asked, and yes! I can borrow out. Phew, that means I don't have to camp in the library every day to do my readings. But but, next issue is, I have no library card! Because I need a personal pin number to apply for it, and I don't have it, so I haven't applied for it. And I was planning to buy my textbooks anyway, not knowing the prices are this ridiculous. And I didn't have my address with me so the nice man let me write down my name on a slip of paper and put it in between the book so that I could go back later and take it. Then he proceeded to show me how to apply online using the computer, then I told the person I don't have a pin number, but he says I must have a pin number in order to apply for it, so I thought, ok sigh I shall go back and try to find.

When I was outside of the library already I called my friend and asked how many books can a card borrow, if there's enough space on hers can I borrow hers, she said yes of course, so I went to the library and asked is there a limit to the number of books one card can borrow, they said no, which is good, then I asked, can I use my friend's card to borrow, they said no! Why no! Sigh. So I thought I would go back and have a look if I really have no pin number on the university letters, and get my address as well.

So I treaded my heavy footsteps back home, dropping by the supermarket on the way to get some groceries, stomach growling the whole way 'cos it was 3 plus 4pm already and I haven't had lunch. Took the tram back around 20 mins. Had lunch in my room, searched the emails for any pin number, looked at all the letters I have which isn't many, one admission letter only in fact, no pin number! I mean, library cards are considered a necessity right? Surely at some point of time we would need it? They should've issued one to us sooner! I just didn't know I would need the library card so soon.

So how now? I call a friend and asked how she got hers. She said she got it long ago 'cos she needed it to apply for courses way back. So I called another friend who's at another library (Humanisten library) and decided to borrow from her. Since I can't apply for one, I might as well have one on hand so that I can beg the person to let me borrow the book on my friend's card. So I went to meet the friend at the tram stop where the Humanisten library is, and by this time it was getting quite cold. And I was thankful 'cos my friend was actually leaving but was willing to wait for me to arrive to collect the card from her.

So after collecting the card I took the tram again to the other library, and the tram doesn't actually stop in front of the library, so I had to walk some distance. And it started raining! Thankfully I brought umbrella and a plastic bag to store the wet umbrella in. Brrr.

I went into the library and prayed that it wasn't the man and woman behind the counter, and yay it wasn't! It was a younger girl, so I told her I reserved a book in the afternoon, she asked if I received an email, I said no, she said if I reserve a book and if it's ready for collection I'll receive one, I was like, sigh. She asked for my library card, so I passed her my friend's. Then she tried to help me look for it.

Then I noticed that those books with the slips of paper in between are actually reserved books! Not slips of paper with authors/titles on them! Hahaha. She asked me to go to the shelf I searched the first time to see if I see my name there. Rahhh so those are reserved books! Not reference books. Ok at least now I know. Then I told her that I didn't really reserve a book online, but I wrote my name down on a piece of paper and told her that her colleague kept it for me. I tried to look over the counter and yes! I thought I saw a familiar book with a familiar piece of paper between the pages! So I told her, I think it's that book! She brought it over and I happily said, yes it's this book, then she said, "oh 'cos it's under different names" (my name and my friend's name on her library card), then I mumbled something like "err yeah I used different names" den I grabbed the book and flew to the check out counter before she could say anything else. I think I even forgot to say thanks, ooopsss.

The book gets overdue in 3 weeks, which means I only need to renew it once or twice before the course ends, which is good. On my way out I asked her again, can I renew the book online? She said yes you can and this time I remembered to say thanks and gave a weak smile and went on home, it was still raining outside but at least I have my book now. On the way to the tram stop which was not very near the rain was quite heavy but I noted that so far there were only showers here in Gothenburg, no lightning and thunderstorms, and along the way only a few people carried umbrellas. The rest just walked in the cold rain. Brrr. Are umbrellas not in fashion here?

Anyway I just recovered from my runnynose/flu/cough so I sure don't wanna catch a cold again. But then again 'cos it was so cold the nose inevitably got a bit runny too. But it was those kind of only-runny-cos-the-weather-is-cold kind of runny. I'm thankful that I've recovered from my runny nose and cough! If not it would've been terrible.

I can sleep well tonight. Sigh. I will do 4 chapters worth of reading all by tomorrow night. What seminar lor, more like discussion group/project meeting. The seminar group only consists of 5 people -.-'''.

It'll be like tutorials where you split into groups to discuss questions. If you read everything up until here, kudos! Haha, more exciting posts next time.