I SPENT A NIGHT IN CHI WAH!
Brandon Lee
Chi Wah Learning Commons is one of the places that symbolize and represent HKU. Despite its Antarctic coldness, lots of students spend their days and nights in Chi Wah for various purposes. It is the quintessential go-to destination for students who want to study, to socialize, or simply to
rest. Lots of students claim that Chi Wah is their spiritual home. And on this glorious day, I decided to make it my home too. But this time, it was not merely going to be a spiritual home, but a physical home too. Yes, I spent a night in Chi Wah. Before I describe my night at Chi Wah, I want to tell you about the motivation behind what might be seen as a puzzling decision. As exams are coming up, I’ve noticed lots of students are
staying until late night there. Naturally, students that camp in Chi Wah until the sun rises question whether they should just sleep in there for a night or drag their dilapidated body back to home. For those that are facing such a dilemma, this article is for you. I’ve made myself the lab
rat, and will critically evaluate – with the bags sagging on my eyes – whether the decision to sleep at Chi Wah was worth it or not at the end.
My account:
20:00-I came to Chi Wah after a late dinner at Alfafa. I was expecting an empty Chi Wah, but to my surprise, Chi Wah was more packed than I had imagined. HKU students do really study hard, I thought. Motivated by their diligence, I reached for my computer.
21:00-I finished watching three episodes of Money Heist. I was planning to study for the numerous upcoming exams and assignments, but my fingers somehow magically clicked on Netflix. I couldn’t help it. (Besides, it’s more important to look like you’re working than to actually work) Afterwards, I took a walk around Chi Wah. And still! There were still tons of
students in Chi Wah. And once again properly stirred by them, I finally logged onto my Moodle and started studying.
22:00-I texted my friends who said they were going to spend a night in Chi Wah with me…but they replied that they were too lazy to join. I was all by myself. What already was an arduous journey had just become worse. I doubted myself for a second. Should I continue on with this daring escapade? After a few minutes, I decided. Nothing could stop me from finding out whether spending a night at Chi Wah was worth it or not.
22:30-My initial plan was to sleep on the beanbags on the second floor. After reviewing for my exam on the first floor, I walked toward the staircase. Oh no. I saw the disheartening sign. “Second floor is closed after 23:00” was what was written on the sign. My plans of an at-best mildly comfortable sleep were shattered. Where should I sleep now?
23:00-After panicking for a while, I started to look for places on first floor that seemed somewhat comfortable. Chi Wah didn’t let me down. I found a couch in zone A that was even more comfortable than the beanbags.
23:30-It was time to sleep. I knew Chi Wah would close the next day at 6AM so I had sleep early to get my much-deserved beauty sleep. However, another problem arose. Chi Wah was way too bright. There was no way for me to fall asleep with what felt like the sun right above me. I flipped through my bag, and I found an ingenious solution to this problem. A mask. I always bring an extra mask with me just in case the one in use breaks. I put the mask on and pulled it over my eyes like a blindfold. Spectacular. It worked. I could finally end my seemingly never-ending day.
5:30-I woke up to my alarm. First reaction? I stood up and touched my body to make sure all my body parts were intact. I was fine. I successfully spent a night in Chi Wah.
Here comes my very important critical evaluation on this matter. Sleeping in Chi Wah wasn’t as bad as I thought. The couch was very comfortable, and there weren’t any noises that woke me up through the night. The biggest downside was that I had to wake up really early. If I couldn’t wake up by myself at 5:30, the security guard would’ve woken me up and chased me outside.
So, is sleeping at Chi Wah worth it? Short answer, no. Right after I woke up, I unconsciously dragged my battered body back to my house and lied down on my bed. It felt like as if I was lying on clouds. I fell back asleep and had a much deserved 5-hour compensation nap. At the end of the day, if you’re looking for a quality sleep, nothing beats your bed. Furthermore, if you stayed in Chi Wah until 3AM to study, you deserve good quality sleep for your body to recover.
As said in the introduction, Chi Wah is a spiritual home for lots of students. But from my experience, I have concluded that letting Chi Wah to only be your spiritual home is enough. Don’t let it be your physical home too.