Thursday, February 09, 2006

Something funny

On the Friday before CNY, I was attending a presentation since morning and it was the second last presenter's turn.

I am sure you have seen presenters who use a red laser pointer to point on-screen something relevant or important. Back in school, teachers would (still?) use a ruler or a long cane to point on the blackboard.

The presenter came into a meeting room holding something about a foot long, shiny and metallic looking. It was an antenna, those which you can find on cars or on TV. You know, those antennas which can be extended by pulling out a thinner one from the hollow space inside.

I was wondering whether she would actually use that.

Well, she did.

I am not trying to be mean here but ten seconds into her presentation, I started laughing.

Or at least, wanted to laugh out loud.

The more I tried to control it, the more it wanted to get out. You know that kind of feeling, right?

Eventually, I made a semi-laugh which (I hoped) sounded like a cough and sniffle.

What made it worse was my colleague sitting next to me. She wanted to laugh as well, but I could see out of the corner of my eye that she was trying to stifle it. I couldn’t look at her directly because I knew that if I did, I would really burst out laughing.

After sitting there for about two minutes, still trying to not think how hilarious she looked so as to not laugh, I couldn’t stand it anymore and excused myself to the gents.

Once inside the bathroom, I let it all out. I laughed for about 15 seconds. It was a private one, so there was no one else around.

Of course I wouldn’t be caught dead laughing like a mad man in the bathroom by my clients.

There was still the occasional snigger while I washed my hands and dried them.

After making sure that there was no more laughter in me, I got back into the meeting room. Luckily, she was close to the end of her presentation.

My colleague and I didn’t discuss what happened till today. When I told CF, he didn't find it that amusing.

Looking back, it wasn’t so funny after all.

Though I do wonder what would happened if I didn’t manage to control myself? It would be like a scene out of a comedy, where someone would suddenly laugh loudly at something funny only to himself and not others, right at the precise moment when the agenda was most serious, and he would then be very embarrassed ….

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hemm...Derek seems got funny reaction toward things which are 'extendable' :P

Interesting...

MrBunnyBan said...

Gwah? Was it really that funny? I've had lecturers use antennas- it's more practical than a metal ruler. They made those particular antennas for exactly that purpose.

Anonymous said...

Back in college, my math lecturer would use an antenna exactly like that, and at that time, 8TV was just launched. I`d whisper into my friend's ear and tell him " I think he's searching for 8TV " while class is going on and we'd all burst out laughing at the back.

LOL

;)

Legolas said...

Well, I have to say I think that's quite normal, I mean using that metallic stick.

In the previous course I went, the tutor had that thing, and somehow it was slightly bending downward when stretched. And he used that thing in front of the projector, which cast a shadow on the screen, and it looked like... ;-p

Anonymous said...

ahaha...i think it was hilarious. i was actually laughing trying to imagine that scene. Once i have a similar situation where i have to hold my laughter...i couldnt control. My face totally turn red. The funny part, it was not only me, my 2 other colleagues also. We had to run outside of the office and laugh like 20 minutes non stop of so. And you know why we laughed? There thsi FAT external consultant who came into our office. Sitting at the cubicle all by herself listening to her iPod, she SANG OUR LOUD to the music!! I really mean loud!! And what makes it funnier..she was singing a very very old Aaron Kwok song!!! Hhahaha!!

my-name-is-also-derek

hrugaar said...

Aha, so Derek is a giggler? :oD

My boss and I are terrible in presentations, we always get the giggles and have a reputation for being the mischievous ones.

AJ said...

i love those antenna thinggys! I had a few in the office as they are great as sticks for mini tour flags. I stuck put them on my head and and pretended to look for hitz fm! yeah i'm such a shameless clown some times..

Musang said...

you are not a nice person...hmmph.

but...

to think it again, it can be hilarious at the moment... when you are bored, not focusing to presentation and switched on you funny side.

hell, i would write the joke on notes and pass it around so they also wanted to laugh.

more evil than you...heh.

Derek said...

kit: I don't usually laugh at extendable things, kit darling. ;P


mrbunnyban: They were made for presentations? Really??


anonymous: That is really funny! LOL Were you always the one making jokes in class?


legolas: Oooh, that would be more distracting and stimulating, rather than funny. ;P


anonymous-derek: Heh, I can understand why you were laughing. I would too!


jay: Nope, I keep a straight face, jay honey. ;P


hrugaar: And you have never been kicked out of the room? Bad boy you! LOL


aj: AJ darling, it's always a good thing to be able to make the people around you laugh. It's a gift, you know.


musang: And is that why you're called bitch? ;P

hrugaar said...

Well, Derek, there was one time when I was in a French poetry-speaking competition. I was giggling with a couple of guys in our group, and the judge came over and threatened to have us thrown out and disqualified if we didn't stop, which of course made it worse. We didn't actually get kicked out, though.