H squared

My office is in a building called Dwinelle Hall. It is in two parts, an "office wing" and a "classroom wing". Rumor has it that each wing was designed by two brothers in the same architectural firm, who had a falling out (probably over a woman) and therefore refused to cooperate in designing their building. The office wing is shaped like an square- four halls and hollow in the middle. The class room wing is shaped like an stumpy H. The two connect together at one leg of the H and one corner of the square, but at an odd 30 degree angle. Worse yet, the numbering of the floors on the two buildings are not the same. The office section has offices with 4 digit numbers (I am in 6416) where as the classrooms are 3 digit numbers (I teach in 235). But here is the kicker. The room I teach in is less than half a flight down from my office. There are two office floors for every one classroom floor. I have taken classes, had an office, and taught in this building on and off for 20 years, and I still sometimes get confused.

Today, walking into campus, I took a path I had never taken before, and ended up somewhere I did not expect to be, down the hill and around the corner from Dwinelle.

I have therefore decided the story of the feuding brothers is not true. Instead, there is a conspiracy here at Berkeley to constantly play games with one's sense of orientation and direction.

And when the world is teasing you, the only proper response is to laugh.