previous entries here: http://www.youngwriterssociety.com/topic28484.html
Monday, September 8, 2008
I just go finished writing some emails to Mom, Dad, and my friend from high school. I know I said I was starting to feel at home here, but it made me feel homesick. I miss having dinner with Mom and Dad, and lunch with Gabriella. Today I had lunch with some people from my class. Those guys are always laughing, and it makes me laugh just being around them.
One good thing happened today. I thought of a way to show my real self without making myself look less human. I’ve been going barefoot in rez all the time since it’s technically my home. I never wore anything on my feet at home in Toronto. Except that people expect you to do that. Nobody expects you to go to school that way. So this morning, I dressed in my denim skirt, a T-shirt, and nothing on my feet. Now they all know I’m different but don’t think I’m a freak. At least not in a bad way.
While I was waiting for my first class to start, I discovered another thing I light about going barefoot. The prof hadn’t come to open the door yet, so I was talking to a few others in the class just outside the door. That hall is right next to the main entrance, so there was a lot of traffic. Someone, I don’t know who he is, notice my feet and had to comment. “You’re brave!” Hee hee! I am definitely going to keep doing this. People’s reactions are fun!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
And the information overload continues! Today wasn’t nearly as bad as last week, though. The profs have stopped bombarding us with new things every minute we’re in class and have gotten to the regular lectures. This time it was just during soc. We’re doing presentations on the community resources and agencies in Cornwall. The prof, Benoit, handed out guidelines (as if my binder wasn’t heavy enough) and divided us into groups.
Meeting my group made my stomach do back flips. They’re all older than I am, in their thirties and forties. They must think I’m a little kid, especially since I could easily pass for twelve if I wanted to. I can only hope they won’t treat me like one.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Wednesdays are quickly becoming my favourite day of the week. Only having one hour of class is great! Not that I’m lazy, but I almost always hate sitting in a classroom. I have ever since I started school in Canada. Every minute I’m in there, I wonder if people are giving me weird looks and whispering like they did back in elementary school.
But we’re all adults here. There is only one thing I’ve even noticed that anyone has made jokes about. Benoit is fluent in English, but he can’t seem to ever pronounce the word “difficulties.” He pronounces it “de-fickleties,” and the class laughs at him a little bit. That’s pretty innocent, I guess. As long as it doesn’t bother him.
Then again, other than going to class barefoot, what have I do? Nobody here knows how different I am. So I should feel safe in class. Speaking of which, I better put my lenses in. Class is starting in a few minutes.
Later
Greg was the only one in the common room after class. He has a pretty light course load this semester, so he practically lives in the common room. We talked for almost an hour.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Geez. I came very close to passing out from embarrassment just now. I really have to remember to knock before going into the bathroom. The door can only be locked to keep your roommate from getting into your room, not to keep you from getting into the bathroom. Guess that would just cause more problems. It’s easier to just learn to knock. When I opened the door, Kate was sitting on the toilet! Thankfully, she could reach the door from there and closed it before either of us saw something we shouldn’t.
Friday, September 12, 2008
There was a time when people liked fire drills. At least in high school. It got you an extra break from class. Now, they are pure evil. Maybe it made sense to Reina to have the rez fore drill at 7:00, since most classes start at 8:30 and nobody else would be here yet. And supposedly we would be awake by then. Shows how much she knows about college students.
I practically had a heart attack when the alarm went off. And I think I came very close to wetting my bed. It was really only instinct that told me, and everyone else on the floor, to go outside. Most of didn’t have anything on our feet, and most of the guys didn’t have a shirt on. Which was perfect, since we ended up going into the back parking lot. Only a few feet away from the river.
We were all pretty much zombies, so when one of the security guards came by and brought us up to where the bridge to the other building is, we followed without really thinking about why.
And there was Reina with her clipboard, acting like we should all be alert the way she was so seriously talking about how this was where we were supposed to go at night or on the weekend. When it gets too cold to go outside, we’re supposed to go into the other building. Right now, I’m not sure I care.
What I do care about is if anyone noticed my eyes during the whole thing. We were all such zombies, I doubt it. But still . . .
Gonna go up and watch TV now.
Later
Greg and I were the only ones in the common room again. This time it was over an hour. Not one person came in, even to use the microwave for two minutes. He asked me if I want to go to a movie with him tomorrow. This time it would just be the two of us, not a big group like last week. That was two hours ago. I haven’t even considered having a glass of water since then, my stomach feels so weird.
When he asked me, I just froze. I couldn’t say anything at all. All through high school, nobody asked me out to a movie. Or anything, for that matter. Someone tried to set me up once. The guy was at least as shy as I am, so the girl who set us up came a long. The entire thing was pathetic, and we never went out again.
It was such a relief when someone came into the room. He turned the TV onto some stupid wrestling thing. Gave me an excuse to leave. I have no idea what I should do now. I could go out with him, but what would happen if he found out the truth about me?
