Yesterday in a seminar the TA didn't show up for 20 minutes so we had a lot of time to kill. Most people were listening to their ipods, texting or facebooking. I just sat there, bored. The guy behind me was reading an interesting looking book so I decided to ask about it. We got talking, which was awkard because we were the only ones talking in this room of silent technology-absorbed individualism. We were half whispering, not really being sure what volume our voices should be at.
We got talking about cities because he was from Toronto and we were discussing the merits of both Guelph and Toronto. Then he brought up that New York was a nice city and how he went there over the Christmas break.
I asked, "Oh, how come you were in New York?"
"I was modelling. I'm a model," was his reply.
It was a confusing moment for me. Should I be impressed? Should I be intimidated? Did he assume I was attracted to him - especially now that he had told me this peice of information about himself? I didn't know what the social protocal was for behaving around male models!
I suppose its the same for the way you behave around normal people, but I secretly don't like excessively good looking people - especially males, because I assume they are snobby so I snub them first. He wasn't excessively good looking, but one would assume that the fact that he models and the fact that he throws it out there in introductory conversations probably means that he thinks he is excessively good looking, which is (of course) just as bad - except that he wasn't being snobby because we were having a perfectly fluid conversation. He was messing with my heuristics.
And that's really all I have to say about that.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Actually Doing Something
I had a gruesome four hour talk with my Mom and new stepdad over the holidays. If you saw my facebook status around New Years, "Gloria is frustrated and drained," (when oh when will I learn to stop being so melodramatic?) this was mainly the reason for it. Though I'm still a bit hurt and frustrated about some of the things that were said, it got me thinking.
Sometimes I'm in love with the idea of "saving the world" rather than actually actively doing something NOW about it. Case in point: Today, I met a guy in my Philosophy class and we got in a discussion about International Development and how he's in it and how I'm not anymore. I said, half seriously, "I'm sort of sad I'm not in it anymore because I've noticed that the most interesting people tend to be taking that program and I miss being associated with that." Its true though. I love the artsy anti-Walmart fair-trade coffee drinking, soy bean-eating, philosophy-reading image. Those people are cool! Yet I know that looking cool is FAR from the point.
I have lots of future dreams of doing all sort of wild ministry, but I'm not really actively involved any social change movements right now. I sponsor a child, but throwing money at a situation isn't exactly love in and of itself.
Therefore, this semester, I resolve to stop waiting until I graduate and actually get my hands dirty NOW.
Sometimes I'm in love with the idea of "saving the world" rather than actually actively doing something NOW about it. Case in point: Today, I met a guy in my Philosophy class and we got in a discussion about International Development and how he's in it and how I'm not anymore. I said, half seriously, "I'm sort of sad I'm not in it anymore because I've noticed that the most interesting people tend to be taking that program and I miss being associated with that." Its true though. I love the artsy anti-Walmart fair-trade coffee drinking, soy bean-eating, philosophy-reading image. Those people are cool! Yet I know that looking cool is FAR from the point.
I have lots of future dreams of doing all sort of wild ministry, but I'm not really actively involved any social change movements right now. I sponsor a child, but throwing money at a situation isn't exactly love in and of itself.
Therefore, this semester, I resolve to stop waiting until I graduate and actually get my hands dirty NOW.
Ain't It Good to Be Alive?
"I thought that a fairer era of life was beginning for me, one that was to have its flowers and pleasures, as well as its thorns and toils. My faculties, roused by the change of scene, the new field offered to hope, seemed all astir. I cannot precised define what they expected, but it was something pleasant: not perhaps that day or month, but at an indefinite future period." - Charlotte Bronte in Jane Eyre
I love the start of new semesters! There's so much possibility. There are new concepts to learn in new classes that will twist and pry at the way I already think. There are new idiosyncratic professors to marvel at. Best of all there are new people to meet and new conversations to be had! Also, second semester is the time to turn casual friendships forged in first semester into deep friendships, and I much, much prefer the latter.
Today, as I am surrounded by the hope of new possibilities, I cannot help but feel that it is good to be alive.
It also smells of stew in this computer lab which is a lovely smell so woot!
I love the start of new semesters! There's so much possibility. There are new concepts to learn in new classes that will twist and pry at the way I already think. There are new idiosyncratic professors to marvel at. Best of all there are new people to meet and new conversations to be had! Also, second semester is the time to turn casual friendships forged in first semester into deep friendships, and I much, much prefer the latter.
Today, as I am surrounded by the hope of new possibilities, I cannot help but feel that it is good to be alive.
It also smells of stew in this computer lab which is a lovely smell so woot!
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