I'm curious to know how his room smells
Thu, 12/14/2023 - 2:55pm
In order to avoid focusing or thinking about homework or things I should be doing, I like to observe things happening around me. The following are a bunch of random things that I have remembered observing in life around me lately.
I saw a student talking on a red flip phone coming out of class one today. Its oddness struck me as I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen a flip phone, especially not one on campus.
The clothing style around campus reminds me of Europe. College is the place to try new styles, whether they be eccentric or something just out of your comfort zone. Or stay the same, I don’t think anyone cares. I saw a girl wearing knee high socks that were fuzzy, hot pink with white hearts. But I’m not sure they were actually socks - they had elastic just under the knee and then they flowed down over her boots or whatever shoes she was wearing.
A lot of people are using the word “delulu” in their vocabulary and it’s an odd word for me that I don’t know how to feel about. Delulu is slang for delusional, but it’s been used in cases such as someone “staying delulu” about something. There’s also the word “dupe” meaning duplicate, or something that is the cheaper, non-brand version of something.
A lot of students have charms or key chains on their backpacks. Some are places, or sayings, or I saw one shaped like a little iguana lizard the other day. Backpack chains are a way people express themselves, I guess. But when they go “clink-clinking” past me, it definitely draws my attention. The athletes all wear the same backpack given to them by the University (so you can easily spot who is an athlete) and some of them have name tags tied to them, so if you walk behind them you can try to spot which sport they are from. It’s a fun game.
Speaking of clink clinking of backpacks, a lot of people like to put ice in their water bottles that becomes extremely apparent as they walk to class. Personally, I don’t think I could put ice in my water bottle. Not for that reason, but because I don’t necessarily like super cold water. I prefer to gulp down my room temperature water, thank you very much.
I walked out the side door of my apartment building the other day and practically hit a guy standing there. I am assuming he is homeless or in need considering he was a) standing there and b) had his stuff all splayed out over the step there. I apologized for hitting him with the door but he didn't seem concerned. He actually called me gorgeous and asked what my name was as I was walking away, so an overall good interaction in my book.
Speaking of my apartment, there’s a guy who lives a couple apartments down from me who very much enjoys wearing his cologne. You can tell if he’s recently been in the hall because the smell is just pervasive; I think it sticks to the walls or something. I’m curious to know how strong his room smells.
The University of Minnesota landscapers are hard at work completing their last projects before it gets cold again. I think a lot of the workers are students, but I can’t be sure. I’ve walked past them working in their neon jackets with LANDSCAPING printed across the back as they plant trees by the alumni center. Whatever it takes to make the campus look better.
As a student also working at the school’s newspaper, I get to interact with a lot of hard-working and inspired students. Which is awesome and amazing, but I don’t know how they do it all, I barely do it all myself sometimes.
My Determination: “The great art of life is sensation, to feel that we exist, even in pain.” - Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House