Ah, residence. The first year of university, the first year away from my parents, and my first year in Ottawa. Also, the year I was introduced to Fear Factory, Dream Theater, and Refused.
I found these old pictures while organizing my pictures folder. Boy, do they take me back.
Take a look at this photo, for example, where I strapped a pair of khakis to my head, and started head banging to Deftones — Shove It (My Own Summer). Why did I strap a pair of khakis to my head? Cause I didn’t have long hair. Why did Pita and I decide to do this one day? I have no idea.
Or how about these ones, where the girls agreed to give me red chunks, back when I was obviously in my Tool phase. Nadine mis-read the instructions, mixed the wrong chemicals, and it came out all sparse.
Highlights include:
- Failing Calculus 2 with Dave and Jarod. When we wrote the supplemental exam, it was five people total in the program who failed, three of whom were us. I guess I had the wrong study buddies. In the end, I was the only one who passed.
- Most of the guys on the floor getting sued for sexual harassment.
- Jarod and Jono’s rave room, lit with a blacklight and disco ball, which was somewhat famous around campus.
- Constant conflict between neighbors, me and Pita included, over the volume of music.
- Going to the gym with Dave, and having him spot me while I benched the bar. As in, the bar without weights. Afterwards, I would spot him while he benched 240. I don’t think I could have helped much.
Pita took these photos, got them printed, and scanned them. Dated ’99. Sure they aren’t great. They’re dark. They’re grainy, taken with a cheap film camera. But they’re still unforgettable memories, and it gives them a certain dated style. Makes me wish I had a taken some pictures myself.
I miss residence. A lot. As difficult as it was to be social, it was fun to be mixed in with so many new and different people.
Looks like a lot of good times. Never did rez myself. Or social for that matter. A month or so into university, got my hip-joint surgically rebarred to he-who-is-now-Hubby.
Maybe you need a revolving door or boarders to reproduce the experience. (kidding, kidding.…)
These are precious pictures. I hope you still keep in touch with these buddies of yours. So you actually CAN enjoy meeting new people despite claiming to be not social. I was never at residence, too expensive for me :)
This is a highlight?
“Most of the guys on the floor getting sued for sexual harassment.” o_0
@Pearl — I considered having boarders actually…not just for the experience but for some extra money as well. But in the end, it’s totally not worth it. Having the house to myself is priceless in itself.
@Uncle Joe — I only keep in touch with Pita now. I’ve tried to stay in touch with Jeff and Jono in the past, but we lost track of each other.
I do enjoy meeting people, but I think it’s more of the experience itself, than the people. I’m often filled with hope that I’ll meet someone whom I’d consider a friend in the future. It doesn’t happen often (I’d say out of 50 people I meet, one will become a friend), but the hope and excitement is always there.
@Tiana — Perhaps I should have said “Notable memories” instead of “highlights”. Also, I should have said “charged” instead of “sued” because they had to do sensitivity training, but no cash settlement was involved. There might also have been something on their records, but I’m not sure.
Yeah that year seemed like a lifetime. Crazy too, unlike real life.
You did take pictures. Only problem is that the clerk at the photo place fucked it up pretty good. I really wanted the ones you took of us air guitaring.
I do remember taking a couple shots. After all, you’re in these pictures, so I must have been holding the camera. I never trust photo clerks anymore.
Ah, dorm life. I went by a couple of guys in the grocery store yesterday. I hadn’t looked at them but peripherally, and overheard only one sentence:
“But I’m paying for your marshmallows!“
and I knew their relationship in an instant.