August 25, 2005, [MD]
After having left my luggage safely in the hands of the kind populace of Fayetteville, I trudged into town to explore. I quickly found the main drag, Dickson street, got a free deodorant as a gift to incoming freshman in the bookstore, and chanced upon the university. Not only did they have a very kind policy of actively allowing random strangers to use their computers, but the campus was also buzzing with life, because it was the first day of school! After getting up to date on my emails, I grabbed the free campus weekly, and sat on the outside steps of the library, looking over Union Plaza I think it was called, onto the main student center. There were students milling everywhere, lost freshmen trying to find their classes, or supplies, or just a friendly hand to hold. Sororities and fraternities, clubs and organizations promoting themselves, the student association frying hamburgers on the square for anyone who wanted them. It all reminded me wonderfully of my first tentative days at UTSC about a year ago, fresh off the plane without a student permit, trudging my 50kg backpack up the hill to the UTSC campus. Ah, memories.
The next evening, I was checking my email in the living room of the kind group of girls that had agreed to host me, while they were completing their “moving in”, setting aside closets and lockers, deciding on house rules, how much food would be bought collectively and how much privately, planning dinners together and what not. Also this reminded me not only of many wonderful past collectives, but also of my new home in Augusta Ave. in Toronto with four others - we are moving in very soon, and no doubt will we have the same discussions about sharing bread, and who takes out the garbage.
Thank’s for having me, Fayetteville.
Stian
Stian Håklev August 25, 2005 Toronto, Canada comments powered by Disqus