Politics

I'm sure you remember student elections at whatever school it is you go to, and it just so happens that it was student elections week last week. Of course, people got stopped all the time by these people handing out flyers and pushing their agenda on you. And it was my turn I suppose.

Last Thursday I was walking from my 2nd to last to my last class of the day, passing in front of the Burchardt Library (which I should probably go to more often in an attempt to do work ...). It's the end of the week, and these guys are getting desperate, so getting past them requires you to almost literally be a ninja. One grabs me as I'm walking and opens with some sympathy: "I know you're probably sick of hearing about the elections, but if you could do me a favor and vote for Catalyst (the name of their running group), that'd do me a big favor." A good strategy at this stage of the game.

I say: "I'm sorry, but I'm an exchange student. I'm gone at the end of the semester, so I really have nothing invested in this."

The next thing he says is . . . "Well . . . don't you hate communists?!?"

I'm take aback by this a bit and I stogdedly answer "No."

He asks "Well, don't you hate what they do?!"

I reply calmly "I guess I have some trouble with some of the implementations of it . . ."

He goes "Hmm, this really isn't going too well for me . . . oh, well. We're all for students rights and equal treatment, so vote for us!"

"Equal Treatment" eh? Apparently not for communists . . .

This happened to be the same day as the Black and White party that was being thrown on my buddy James's floor. It was a cool little party but it crashed WAY too early. I got there at about 9 or 9:30 after going to the gym and people were already breaking up and going to watch movies. Luckily, though, people came back later on in the night and a good time was had. I even made some really nerdy physics and math jokes that I'm, uh, way too embarrassed to repeat here . . .

After that I ended up back at my tower instead of going off to the Eagle Bar with friends, which ended up being the correct decision. I ended up staying up and talking with Trevor, his girlfriend Jane, and his friend Ben(?) until the wee hours of the morning. It was a lot of fun, lots of laughs and great conversation. In my book, that beats annoying dance music, BO, and alcohol any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

The following Saturday I had an interesting experience or two. I needed to go food shopping, and Trevor's girlfriend was going because she needed to pick up stuff for a going away party for someone and gave me permission to tag along. I did. And there were far more people than just Jane and I. I was introduced to two new people: Salena (whom the party was for) and Dylan. There was a 5th person. I person I've met before but have probably mentioned only in passing if at all. Rod.

The first time I met this guy was pretty randomly while I was hanging out with James and Emma in their tower 1 kitchen. He was just around. This guy was really an oddball. He'd flip-flop between an Australian and American accent so many times - in what I now understand to be his attempt at flattery - that at first I had no idea which he was. He kept saying he was leaving . . . and walking out the door . . . and coming back in. He would talk in round, sweeping generalizations that sound intelligent on the surface, but are clearly just designed to make us think that.

We went to Safeway . . . and the whole time - I'm not kidding about this - the boy (which is an appropriate thing to call him, if you take his maturity level into account) followed me around like a puppy. We got back and everyone else went toward his tower and I went toward mine . . . which are in opposite directions . . . and he went in my direction. He claimed to be just checking his mail in the office. And took the long way to get to the office. I think someone has a crush on me.

Now, all those who know me know that I have no problems with gay people at all. To paraphrase Dennis Miller, I care so little about the differences in human sexuality that I refuse to treat homosexuals like a Faberge Egg. Someone being gay is not a distinction for me. Even with they hit on me, it's just someone I'm not attracted to. But gay or not, Rod's creepy either way.

Just yesterday I was going to meet my assignment partner at the lab to get some work done and he passed me by on the way there. He was about 20 steps from his tower at the time . . . and he turned around and followed me all the way to the building, asking me when I was leaving for America, if I was sad to leave, etc. It's kind of sweet and flattering in a way . . . but he's just CREEPY.

Anyway, enough of that. Jane's OTHER friends (and I use that term very loosely with Rod) are all cool people. That night we all sat and drank and ate and had a merry blast. I even got invited to come out with them to a pub the day after. That was a particularly interesting situation because Sunday night is music night. This isn't kareoke or even an open mic. It's just . . . a singalong. Everybody brings instruments and there are songbooks stuffed to the gills with old Irish folk songs, amongst others. And they just take turns singing songs. If you know it, you sing along. You're welcome to spectate and encouraged to participate. Should I go again, I might play a song or two. Who knows. I know a few that might fit in with that crowd. No one will know them, but fuck it. :)

I suppose I better wrap this up. I'm going out to see Dry Kill Logic tonight and I don't wanna be late. I'll blog about that concert afterward.