Tired + grumpy = no chit chat.
BUT:
Really tired = just don't care and babbly.
IF really tired = just don't care and BABBLING.
AND just don't care and babbling = success
THEN: really tired = success.
Stranger: Similarly Stressed Looking Student
Points:
Started conversation: 10 points
Bustop: 15 points
Length - 5 minutes: 10 points
Total: 35
Ha! Really does add up the points when I start the convo...
What I learned: The new student bus pass truly does inspire laziness.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Tired + Grumpy = Little Chit Chat
Before Heather "subtly" reminds me to post again, I guess I should just say that I have had only very lame conversations with strangers lately.
Examples:
"And what can I get for you?" (Stranger)
"Medium medium, please." (Me)
"What would you like today?" (Stranger)
"A grande mild, please." (Me)
"Hello. How are you today?" (Stranger)
"Not too bad, thanks." (me)
"And what would you like?" (S)
"This much coffee, please." (me, handing over my travel mug).
Needless to say, these encounters do not qualify for points.
Also needless to say - I have been drinking a lot of coffee. This is due to the Day of Paper Doom which is quickly approaching, probably the last really stressful due date (THREE! papers) of my undergraduate degree. A certain degree of lack of sleep has been not only causing a considerable number of coffee purchases, but also a high degree of grumpiness. This has, sadly, cut down on the amount of chit chat I've been able to muster up for strangers. Sigh. Although this might be a good thing... I've been noticing that the lack of sleep has been messing with my sarcasm filter in conversations with people I know... I might scar strangers.
BUT, there's hope! I'm off to Vancouver on Friday for a week and a bit... think of all those strangers!
And, speaking of strangers far away: I occasionally look at the stats for my blog. I don't do this in order to boost my self-esteem --the numbers are by no means impressive. Or even notable. Not even remotely. That being said, they occasionally surprise me: for example, the most recent week has seen almost as many American visitors as Canadian. Being as I generally assume that the only people reading this are friends of mine from facebook who are similarly procrastinating and see the link I put there, and that most of these friends are in Canada, the American visits confuse me. Not a bad sort of confuse, just the kind that makes me say, "huh." Americans - who are you?
Examples:
"And what can I get for you?" (Stranger)
"Medium medium, please." (Me)
"What would you like today?" (Stranger)
"A grande mild, please." (Me)
"Hello. How are you today?" (Stranger)
"Not too bad, thanks." (me)
"And what would you like?" (S)
"This much coffee, please." (me, handing over my travel mug).
Needless to say, these encounters do not qualify for points.
Also needless to say - I have been drinking a lot of coffee. This is due to the Day of Paper Doom which is quickly approaching, probably the last really stressful due date (THREE! papers) of my undergraduate degree. A certain degree of lack of sleep has been not only causing a considerable number of coffee purchases, but also a high degree of grumpiness. This has, sadly, cut down on the amount of chit chat I've been able to muster up for strangers. Sigh. Although this might be a good thing... I've been noticing that the lack of sleep has been messing with my sarcasm filter in conversations with people I know... I might scar strangers.
BUT, there's hope! I'm off to Vancouver on Friday for a week and a bit... think of all those strangers!
And, speaking of strangers far away: I occasionally look at the stats for my blog. I don't do this in order to boost my self-esteem --the numbers are by no means impressive. Or even notable. Not even remotely. That being said, they occasionally surprise me: for example, the most recent week has seen almost as many American visitors as Canadian. Being as I generally assume that the only people reading this are friends of mine from facebook who are similarly procrastinating and see the link I put there, and that most of these friends are in Canada, the American visits confuse me. Not a bad sort of confuse, just the kind that makes me say, "huh." Americans - who are you?
Friday, October 15, 2010
Parties and Neighbours - Not in that order
I met my new neighbour this evening. She seems nice... this is good.
Stranger: New Neighbour
Did not start conversation: 0 points
Length: Less than a minute - 5 points
Location... my apartment building. I don't know how to count that one... let's say 5 points.
And we'll just leave it at that.
TOTAL: 10 points
What I learned: The apartment next to mine will not be empty any longer.
What I cannot remember: HER NAME.
On that second point - on the off chance that I ever meet someone who has read this blog and doesn't know me, know that there is a good chance I will not remember your name. Don't take it personally. I am just terrible with names... and often faces. Clearly I am just doomed. The name thing was perfectly exemplified recently when I met the friend of a friend for the second time.
"Oh yes, I remember you," I said. "I can't remember your name, but I know you have a math-teacher boyfriend."
"Yes," she said. "And I remember we had a conversation about not being able to remember people's names but remembering weird facts about them."
This is when my friend Lisa laughed really hard.
BUT I met a stranger this evening at a party and I do remember her name. Helen. TAKE THAT, UNIVERSE. And my memory... mostly my memory.
WHAT I LEARNED: Theatre majors don't necessarily expect to have a job when they finish.
Stranger: New Neighbour
Did not start conversation: 0 points
Length: Less than a minute - 5 points
Location... my apartment building. I don't know how to count that one... let's say 5 points.
And we'll just leave it at that.
TOTAL: 10 points
What I learned: The apartment next to mine will not be empty any longer.
What I cannot remember: HER NAME.
On that second point - on the off chance that I ever meet someone who has read this blog and doesn't know me, know that there is a good chance I will not remember your name. Don't take it personally. I am just terrible with names... and often faces. Clearly I am just doomed. The name thing was perfectly exemplified recently when I met the friend of a friend for the second time.
"Oh yes, I remember you," I said. "I can't remember your name, but I know you have a math-teacher boyfriend."
"Yes," she said. "And I remember we had a conversation about not being able to remember people's names but remembering weird facts about them."
This is when my friend Lisa laughed really hard.
BUT I met a stranger this evening at a party and I do remember her name. Helen. TAKE THAT, UNIVERSE. And my memory... mostly my memory.
WHAT I LEARNED: Theatre majors don't necessarily expect to have a job when they finish.
Hicks and Thanksgiving
I won't be awarding points for this one, as I was not alone. I just think this is an interesting observation in the behaviours of hicks...(like myself).
I managed to hitch a ride home for Thanksgiving with a coworker and her husband, who hales from the same hometown as me. We stopped at the Tim Horton's in Renfrew, as apparently did everyone else, his cousin, and her paternal grandmother.
As we stood in line for food (first time a Timmy's stop has ever taken HALF AN HOUR to grab food and leave), we struck up conversation with the lady in line behind us. My coworker has described her husband as prone to striking up conversations with anyone, and I get the impression it's true... he's much better at it than am I. Although I was speaking to her while he was still getting gas, so HA! victory is mine.
Anyway, the stranger was also from a small town. We chatted quite happily... you must understand, this is not an out-of-character sort of thing for hicks to do. Of course, city people may do this as well, but I just feel that city people feel a little more separated from the people they don't know... meh.
WHAT I LEARNED: People who work in Tim Hortonses in hospitals make more than those who work in other locations.
WHAT I ALSO LEARNED: Hicks are social creatures.
But I always knew that second point... it took me a few months of living in Ottawa to realize that I may have been unnerving people on the street by making eye contact as I passed, expecting to see someone I knew with whom to chat...
(yes, that's right.. WITH WHOM. Hicks do sometimes use proper grammar).
I managed to hitch a ride home for Thanksgiving with a coworker and her husband, who hales from the same hometown as me. We stopped at the Tim Horton's in Renfrew, as apparently did everyone else, his cousin, and her paternal grandmother.
As we stood in line for food (first time a Timmy's stop has ever taken HALF AN HOUR to grab food and leave), we struck up conversation with the lady in line behind us. My coworker has described her husband as prone to striking up conversations with anyone, and I get the impression it's true... he's much better at it than am I. Although I was speaking to her while he was still getting gas, so HA! victory is mine.
Anyway, the stranger was also from a small town. We chatted quite happily... you must understand, this is not an out-of-character sort of thing for hicks to do. Of course, city people may do this as well, but I just feel that city people feel a little more separated from the people they don't know... meh.
WHAT I LEARNED: People who work in Tim Hortonses in hospitals make more than those who work in other locations.
WHAT I ALSO LEARNED: Hicks are social creatures.
But I always knew that second point... it took me a few months of living in Ottawa to realize that I may have been unnerving people on the street by making eye contact as I passed, expecting to see someone I knew with whom to chat...
(yes, that's right.. WITH WHOM. Hicks do sometimes use proper grammar).
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
The Joys of Old Age
This is my final semester on the University of Ottawa campus (at least as far as my undergrad is concerned). Having some electives left over, I’ve found myself in a few first and second year courses. I started this degree in the Fall of 2006… I am now sitting in classes with kids who started high school at that same time.
I feel old.
Now, when I make this comment to various friends of mine (especially those a year or three older than myself), they roll their eyes and grit their teeth and say “You’re not old.” Sometimes unnecessarily loudly. Well guys, you’re not old either. So there.
While what they are saying is completely accurate, I still feel old. But this is not entirely problematic. My father has been telling me (and demonstrating, for that matter) for years that you stop caring what people think as you get older.
I must say, this makes talking to strangers much, much easier. Especially when the strangers are considerably younger.
Monday turned into a good stranger-talking class day. I spoke to three strangers in two classes! Huzzah! Not a stellar record for anyone born with a high degree of social skills, but for an awkward hick like me, this is an achievement. AND I initiated two of these conversations.
You may applaud now.
Unfortunately, my old age lack of care got me into a bit of trouble in one of these instances…
Conversant: Religions Class Seat Mate
Location - class: 10 points
Length - More than one minute, less than 5: huh... not properly in the scoring system... oops. We'll say 7.
Comfort zone: 2
Total: 19 points
What I learned: I have no ability to recognize that someone is in fact two years older than myself, not two years younger. Oooops.
I feel old.
Now, when I make this comment to various friends of mine (especially those a year or three older than myself), they roll their eyes and grit their teeth and say “You’re not old.” Sometimes unnecessarily loudly. Well guys, you’re not old either. So there.
While what they are saying is completely accurate, I still feel old. But this is not entirely problematic. My father has been telling me (and demonstrating, for that matter) for years that you stop caring what people think as you get older.
I must say, this makes talking to strangers much, much easier. Especially when the strangers are considerably younger.
Monday turned into a good stranger-talking class day. I spoke to three strangers in two classes! Huzzah! Not a stellar record for anyone born with a high degree of social skills, but for an awkward hick like me, this is an achievement. AND I initiated two of these conversations.
You may applaud now.
Unfortunately, my old age lack of care got me into a bit of trouble in one of these instances…
Conversant: Religions Class Seat Mate
Location - class: 10 points
Length - More than one minute, less than 5: huh... not properly in the scoring system... oops. We'll say 7.
Comfort zone: 2
Total: 19 points
What I learned: I have no ability to recognize that someone is in fact two years older than myself, not two years younger. Oooops.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Arguably the Best Wordless Stranger Encounter Ever
While it's not usually my style to repost from other blogs (pfft, style, as if I blog consistently enough to claim a style), I feel this particular gem (I stole it from Wedinator) just fits marvellously. It seems that sometimes you don't even need to speak to strangers to have a good time.
Also - reposting is largely a result of the fact that I just loaned my headphones to a stranger (I'm in the school library), and I'm waiting for him to finish with them so I can go home.
That approachability thing, again? Ah well...
Gatineau Park, Take One
Hiking is fantastic, even close to the city (if your 'close to the city' is Gatineau Park). I say this for a number of reasons. For one, there are TREES. This alone delights my small-town heart. Two, there is the Canadian shield in all it's glory, which also delights my small-town-on-the-Canadian-shield heart. Thirdly, EXERCISE. Fourthly... I like hiking. And, finally - PEOPLE ARE FRIENDLY.
I should probably stop excessively capitalizing things.
But, they are friendly - just about anyone you pass says hello. I think this is splendid. Might it say something about the effects of exercise and fresh air upon the human condition? I think it might.
Well, apart from the marvellous chorus of "Hi"s, "Hello"s, and "Bonjour"s I heard today, my friend Maria and I had an interesting encounter with an older couple. I'm not getting any points, as Maria handled the bulk of the conversation, but here's a few what-I-learneds.
1. Maria out-randoms me.
2. Trees shaped like benches are never forgotten.
3. Trees shaped like benches should be objects worthy of scavenger hunts.
4. Once you find a tree shaped like a bench, you will long to see it again.
Now that you have seen this one, I know that longing is growing in your heart. You wish it was you instead of that handsome stick man.
I should probably stop excessively capitalizing things.
But, they are friendly - just about anyone you pass says hello. I think this is splendid. Might it say something about the effects of exercise and fresh air upon the human condition? I think it might.
Well, apart from the marvellous chorus of "Hi"s, "Hello"s, and "Bonjour"s I heard today, my friend Maria and I had an interesting encounter with an older couple. I'm not getting any points, as Maria handled the bulk of the conversation, but here's a few what-I-learneds.
1. Maria out-randoms me.
2. Trees shaped like benches are never forgotten.
3. Trees shaped like benches should be objects worthy of scavenger hunts.
4. Once you find a tree shaped like a bench, you will long to see it again.
Now that you have seen this one, I know that longing is growing in your heart. You wish it was you instead of that handsome stick man.
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