“For Funsies”

Howdy

I returned to Fairfield on Monday, to find that during my absence the whole campus had turned into a giant garden (ok I’m exaggerating but there is a multitude of flowers).

I can’t believe it’s been a year since my trip to Germany…

On Wednesday, there was an event called “Jail n Bail.” The idea is that someone could pay $5 to have someone else “arrested”, and then the person who gets arrested needs to raise money in order to obtain their freedom. My roommate had me arrested. There were pieces of paper (“warrants”) which had the name, location, and reason for arrest. The reasoning behind my arrest was “for funsies.”So I was brought before a judge, who asked me where I was from. I told her Melrose (perfect opportunity to make something up and I messed up) and she told me my bail was $47. So I started to make phone calls.

A few people gave me money, and eventually I had enough to say that I’d made an honest attempt. Five students started a band, so they played while we wished for our freedom. When someone asked me what I was in for, I told him I was innocent. “Everyone’s innocent” was his response. Someone else’s reason was: “for having picture-perfect hair.” I got a T-shirt, but it was extra large so I gave it to a friend whose dad is 6’2. The money was for Special Olympics Connecticut.

And then Friday happened. Once a year the school has an event called “Relay for Life.” I had seen many posters and read many emails concerning this particular event, but I thought nothing of it. Then I realized that I had a lot of friends there. In the middle of Fairfield’s campus is a traffic circle, which is where the event was. I wasn’t there for the beginning, but it mostly consisted of people selling things at their respective tables/tents, and walking around the traffic circle for hours. The purpose behind all of this was cancer awareness, and it ended up raising over $40,000, which is not too shabby.

At around 10:30pm there was a fire show (or whatever you call it), during which four guys played with fire. They juggled torches, doing a variety of impressive tricks. They would toss the torches to each other while juggling them, and sometimes would jump through the fire. At one point they chose a girl from the audience to participate (don’t worry, this part of the act wasn’t dangerous). At one point the guy with dyed-red hair (which was shaped like fire) told us all to find what we’re passionate about, and to enjoy it live it learn it love it. He also ended up being the guy to hand out stickers when the show was over.

I walked and conversed with some friends throughout the night, just because. All the guys had pretty much left, so it was basically me and a bunch of girls (and also the guy to whom I’d given the T-shirt earlier).

And today is Clam Jam. This is a huge party on the beach to which most of the campus goes every year. According to what I’ve heard (and an email we all received), there are always arrests, vandalism, fights, etc. I was awoken today by loud music down the hall, and people talking/yelling. Now everything is silent. Is it surprising that the same people who stayed up all night for a cancer-awareness fundraiser are (for the most part) the same ones who are not going to clam jam? I shall take this opportunity to do some studying, read a book, go for a run, and eat…wherever I feel like. Maybe I’ll say hi to the janitor (actually I think he gets weekends off…).

Finals are soon, and to that I say: bring it on.

Can’t think of an interesting title

So today I realized that there is actually a website which contains all the articles for Fairfield’s newspaper: http://fairfieldmirror.com/

Other things happened today too; for example I had Chinese food for dinner, I wore a T-shirt and shorts all day, and my hallmates are obnoxious.

But in the realm of unusuality , three things are noteworthy.

Firstly, in English class we watched a documentary called “Young @ Heart,” which is about a group of elderly people (the average age is eighty) who sing rock songs. My guess is that it fits into the theme of “U.S. Diversity” although I don’t really think it counts…The documentary follows the gang as they try to get the lyrics and rhythm correctly.

Later, I went to “Calculus: The Musical” which as one might imagine, is bizarre. There was one actor and one actress. They sang, they danced, they told jokes, and taught us all about Newton and some important formulas to remember.

And finally, I went to another building, at which I found the 3 gentlemen with whom I will be living next year. We will be living in room 304, which I surmise is something about which to be elated, judging by the reactions of my future roommates. They seem nice enough, so I’m sure we’ll get along. Three roommates…that’ll be interesting.

Lavender

Well it’s been another week here in the tri-state area, and it’s been cold and windy. Except for today, during which it was warm and sunny 😀 And then tonight there’s THUNDER. There’s something comforting about the thunder, as though some invisible force is demonstrating  its superiority (and thus our insignificance). Also some light rain.

On Friday afternoon, I joined a few other students and went to Bridgeport to help with “Bridgeport Rescue Mission,” which was basically a soup kitchen. The food consisted of a choice of fish or a cheeseburger, some fries, some vegetables, and dessert. I was the dessert guy. Also the new guy. Guess who was the most popular.

It’s a house-type building in which several guys live, and they were served first, after which anyone could come and and get a free meal. First, I was in charge of the cake. Then, it was a tray of random dessert items, such as doughnuts. Then it was cherry pie. Last but not least, muffins. At one point, Rob (who I believe is in charge of managing the kitchen operations), looked at me and said (and this is not verbatim) “Look at this guy, he’s got this kinda look to him, it’s like fire, so it’s hot, but it’s like cold at the same time! It’s like James Dean, like Jesus. Do you know who Jesus is? Heard of him? Well he was cool. You’re like him. You what your color is? It’s lavender. Not purple, not even violet. No. Lavender. Very specific. I can tell.”

Lo and behold, the friend who invited me to come along looked it up, and sure enough, my aura is indeed lavender. Go figure. http://russellrowe.com/lavender_aura_color.htm

Other than that…not much of which to speak. Last night was game night on the 4th floor of Campion (the building where virtually all my friends live, and it also has “Healthy Living,” so no one is allowed to eat peanut products…), so I played some Rock Band. I also tried out “Kinex” for the first time, which is something for the Xbox 360 where all you do is move, rather than use a controller. It’s a neat idea, though I prefer games that use the controller. I suppose I’m old fashioned that way. I’ll be 80 years old and I’ll be asking the young hooligans about videogames, and they’ll laugh at me, because those will be so obsolete. Maybe they’ll be exercising in the future. Who knows.

Easter next Sunday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Status Update

Well Monday is today. Over the weekend Dad and Andrew visited! We drove around and stuff, and I got a roast beef sandwich out of it (and also seeing family and stuff).

Today was a “meet and greet” for next year’s residential colleges…I am still alone. I need to somehow find 3 roommates next Tuesday.

I’ve been running in the evenings, which may not make sense because it’s sunny during the day…but I’m usually doing things during the day…like eat and go to class. I try to wait to run after I eat. Monday I learned that 2 hours isn’t enough time in between if one has consumed: pizza/fries/a cheeseburger/salad/some sort of pork noodle smörgåsbord.

This week is “Islam awareness week”, so by the end of Friday I will be aware of Islam. Or at least have some Politics extra credit.

Yesterday was Saturday, today it is Sunday, and Monday comes afterwards

On Wednesday evening, (for extra credit), I attended an Orthodox Christian service which was in the chapel. Almost no one there was actually an Orthodox Christian, but my English professor had told us that if we were to write about it, we’d get extra credit. She thought my response was funny for some reason and read a sentence to the class. I think it’s a good sign. The service basically consisted of the priest singing things such as “O Lord you make the crops flourish and the rains plentiful,” and just more and more and more singing. Also incense was burned and brought up and down the aisle. That’s pretty much it, there was one reading and I don’t remember what it was.

Thursday…nothing really happened, did some work.I had a steak quesadilla for dinner, and it was tasty.

On Friday evening I went to bed at 6:30pm, and woke up at 7pm. Guess I needed the sleep.

Saturday was the most interesting day however. I went down to the train station and met up with a friend, and he brought 3 friends with whom I was not acquainted. I talked to him a bit, and read some of “Ben Liebt Anna”, which is a German children’s book about a ten year old German who has feelings for a Polish girl who gets made fun of because she doesn’t fit in. I didn’t get very far, but I’m moving along. I was also wearing my Berlin shirt. Anyhow, we went to Grand Central and then took “the shuttle” over to union square, where a spectacular event was taking place: Pillow Fight NYC 2011.

We had brought our own pillows. The four of us (the only girl had left, to do something fashion related or something) made our way over and gazed in awe at the hordes of people (I’d say a thousand, maybe more) hitting each other with pillows. We joined in. Music was being played. Toward the outside of the pillow fight, people just kind of stood around and occasionally bopped each other with pillows very lightly. There were many instances in which some girl would hit me over the head and I would turn around and she would cower away. People were climbing poles. People were sitting on each other’s backs. Some were dual-wielding (a term often used in videogames to describe when a player has one weapon in each hand). One guy and I shared a brief tussle, during which he shouted “You’re wearing a Berlin shirt!” There was a group of guys who were wearing masks, and they looked dressed for war.

My friend had actually been asked in Grand Central where the pillow fight was, by two large gentlemen with pillows at the ready. Nearly everyone at this event looked absurd in some way. At one point I walked by a very cheerful looking man with a pony tail. His sweatshirt said “FREE HUGS,” so naturally I asked for one. He smiled and gave me a hug. Then he started attacking me with his pillow and I let him know that I knew his tricks, and hit him back a bunch of times. On another occasion, one guy yelled “STOP STOP STOP” (and everyone near him stopped), “ok….GO!”…and without warning he attacked.

One young gentleman had some red paint on his face, and was wielding a sword (crafted by the mighty consortium of weapons-dealers known throughout the land as “Nerf”), holding it high in the air, and got people to separate. He split one area of the arena in half, and shouted “1…..2……3….CHARGE!!!!!!” and subsequently everyone charged. There was a guy whose pillow was long, and he whipped it violently (he was rather strong) at his enemies, and in another area, the group of guys wearing masks were replaced by two young hooligans wearing chicken suits.

Later, the 5 of us ate at BonChon and it was absolutely delicious.

After a few of hours hanging around and exploring, we finally got back to Grand Central, and then eventually to Fairfield, and then my friend and I walked back to my dorm. It was late, I was exhausted.

It was a pretty solid day.