Tuesday, September 7, 2010

The College Adventures: Day 16

The Wonders of Mass Transit
     What can you really do when you're sitting in a bus full of strangers on a seat that looks like a cross between a Picasso and the carpet at Chuck-E-Cheese (see above photo of bus seat material)?  In my case it amounted to finishing off the Reader's Digest that I stole from my mom, and text messaging a lot. I also did some people-watching, though my fellow bus riders were disappointingly uninteresting. I did, however, decide that the middle of the bus, more towards the back is the best place to ride on the bus. For one, there are usually seats left there when you get on the bus since most people either sit in the front or scurry to the back; and two, when the bus is going up or down hills, it feels almost disconcertingly like a roller coaster. 
     FREE TIP: When riding a bus and you don't feel like having a potentially strange seat mate, first drop a purse, backpack, or laptop case into the seat next to you, then DO NOT look anyone in the eye: this is anthropologically recognized as a gesture of welcoming, which you don't want to extend. If you don't have a purse, and no energy to avoid eye contact, sit in the aisle seat and pretend to be asleep. Most people are polite enough that they won't want to wake you by climbing over you or asking if they can sit with you. That's another thing about bus/train etiquette that I just don't understand! When somebody walks up to you and says, "Can I sit with you?" or "Do you mind if I sit here?" I mean, you kind of have to say yes unless someone is legitimately sitting with you. If you say nothing, they sit there anyway. If you just straight up say no (because they look creepy, smell bad, or you're feeling antisocial) they either expect some sort of explanation (ie: Someone's sitting there already) or they just assume you're a total jerk. 
     Anyway, my train was late departing, arriving, and dumping me at the Carlinville Amtrack "station," which is really more like a glorified bus stop. It's an enclosed, lit building, about 15 x 20 feet, possibly a little bit larger, but I didn't feel like laying down on the floor to use myself to measure it...not to say I didn't consider it. I was a little bit unnerved to be waiting for my ride in this strange neighborhood, with nothing but my luggage, a dying cell phone and someone's abandoned Newports to keep me company. Especially since I don't even smoke. Eventually my ride got there and I arrived safely in my sub-arctic dorm room around 12:30 this morning. I have never been so grateful for the frozen safety of my awkwardly small bed before in my college career. 
     In other news, I put teal and blonde streaks in my hair. Just a few and they're very subtle. The blonde was actually a happy accident, since Ashley missed the bleached streak when she was putting in the teal, rendering it a nice honey blonde color. I'll include a photo at the end of this post. 
     I got out of my morning lab early today, to the tune of about 30 minutes, which was a nice start to the day. I also don't have to work until tomorrow, allowing me to slowly re-immerse myself into college. Today is looking pretty relaxed. I have two more classes: Drawing and Choir, and then nothing for the rest of the day. I may actually have time to eat lunch today: it's a Christmas miracle! 
     Well, I actually have a few things to accomplish today, so until next time, TTFN - Ta Ta For Now!

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