Finally, at 3pm, something finally caught fire. Smoke was pouring out from the partitiion between me and M, who was frantically trying to pound out a story about Cosmo mag. As I hurriedly turned off my two computers [yep, I need two old cranky systems to do my work] and gingerly pried open the partition that houses the plugs, more and more people were gathering around my desk, some in alarm, some just glad for some diversion from work.
As toxic fumes now poured out into the office, I tried to fan the smoke away but it didn't seem to work. I was getting panicky.
Someone exclaimed: "We should use the fire extinguisher!"
Someone else pointed out: "There's one behind us."
Yet, no one picked it up, 'cos no one knew how to use it.
In the meantime, another colleague called Maintenance for help, while brave H used a tissue paper [tissue paper, how does it protect the hand?] to swiftly turn the switches off.
And C the hero[ine] of the day very calmly pushed her way to the front, put her hand into the smoke and unplugged a melted and still smoking adaptor. She then sashayed almost nonchalantly to the pantry sink, holding the fire hazard in her bare hands.
And because I sit near to the Picture Desk, my annoying photographer Foo Soo rushed over with the tool of his trade and snapped some "accident scene" photos of me.
I was so shaken after that my fingers were unable to type properly for half an hour, and had to calm my nerves with cookies and tea.
Turns out that my adaptor, which I brought from home yesterday to plug in a heater to warm up my feet, was not SISIR approved. To think I could have killed the whole office. Now, that would have made the headlines.
food diary
two slices tasteless pandan cake
half cup Milo
wanton noodles [oooh, I feel so wanton after eating it]
two cookies
calming tea
Kerala curry chicken with baguette and papadum
half bowl of CQYD [the spicy sesame oil is spicier than expected]
some Mentos
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