First month at university

Nathaniel Christopher 2 Comments

Sunday, January 30, 2000

“Well, tomorrow I move to Vancouver. Sitting here in this empty living room, I am overcome by calmness. I am so excited about the prospect of moving to Vancouver. I pray for happiness and prosperity.”

trentcard.jpg
My Trent University student card… the photo was taken during my very brief stint as a blond.

January 30, 2002

With those words my simple life in Nanaimo ended. I traded in my plaid shirts for fleece vests, 3 oclock tea-time for 5 minute McDonald’s Breakfasts on the Sky Train. I was reborn as a stylin’ Vancouverite, rocking it up at the Gap and drinking frappucinos. I came to Vancouver to live the “exciting” life of bright city lights, oversized malls, fast sky trains, boutiques that I’d never shop at, and employment. I got everything I wanted out of Vancouver and after almost two years I am tired of part time jobs, crappy community college, and paying a king’s ransom for everything. If I don’t leave this place right now by the time I’m 40 the only words in my vocabulary will be “Paper or plastic?”. As a measure to avoid the above fate I have made the irrevocable decision to pursue a University education.

Thursday, February 21, 2002

No much to happen. life to unravel like backwards fortune cookie in mist of dim sum! Meaning, life goes on in a simple, quiet way. This is what I intended. Trent University is situated about 7 km outside of town so it’s like its own little world. It’s like Malaspina but smaller. The land area is bigger and so are the buildings but there are far fewer of them and they are REALLY spread out! I am used to walking insane distances out West, but here it’s not so simple. It’s so fucking cold and windy here and to walk to the next building can be murder! I am such a wimp to the cold. The buildings are ALL stone, the architecture’s pretty modern and innovative.

Swearing in Class!

The professors are nice, one really likes me and the other doesn’t know what to make of me. I was walking into class late for a lecture the other day and I dropped a thing of yogurt on the floor and said out loud “Ah FUCK!” and the whole class stopped for a second and many laughed. hehe 🙂 This has happened like three times this semster in various classes.

Hookers and Jibberish

This university is located outside town so I have to take a bus for about ten minutes to get to civilization. The Town (Peterborough), has the same population of Nanaimo but it has a much more comprehensive, pretty, and vibrant downtown core. The buildings are very old and very English. Everything is made of stone and it’s so neat and looks like a scene out of a Dickens novel. The bus terminal is indoors and even has bathrooms. The malls however, suck. There is no Bay or Future shop or even a Gap. The nicest thing is Sears and Le Chateau. The nicest Mall is about the size of Country Club and then there are two others which are smaller than Harbour Park. I think you’d re

ally enjoy the downtown here, there are so many mentally ill patients stumbling and mumbling about. There’s this one man who wears a trenchcoat, oversized gumboots, and a fishing hat. He has an old beard and caked, frozen snot is stuck to it. He carries a bucket on a stick like a bell and he talks to himself as he wanders down George (main) street. There’s this Hookerish lady (not a hooker but sure looks and acts like one) who’s about my height and bone thin. She wears pink stirrup tights and a pink and baby blue ski jacket and high heels. She holds her purse protectively against her chest as she searches ashtrays for butts. She has a wrinkled face and frizzie bleached blonde hair that’s all too familiar with a dryer. She curses to herself and sometimes she is with her worker. This is an idea of the “townies”. Students here at Trent don’t like Townies and they go to great extents to avoid them completely. The townies are suspicious of us.

Fat Chicks Eating Pizza!

Trent students have created their own little world independent of town. Hell, I almost never go to town or leave the building for that matter. Trent’s a bunch of big buildings that include classrooms, residences, and cafeterias so I don’t need to even go outside. One week I did not leave the building at all. Hehe 🙂 I’ve even gone to class in my PJ’s. Lots of kids do this. There’s like five kids here from BC and it’s so weird. I feel like I am from a different country. This University seems to be nothing but fat chicks eating pizza. I have never seen so many fat chicks eating pizza in my life! But it’s all good.

I like to visit Toronto but I’d never live there, it’s just like a bigger Vancouver. But a lot fucking colder!!! Colder than Peterborough (Peterborough’s inland). I’m only about an hour’s drive from Toronto. People here call Toronto “The Big Smoke”! I can’t say that without laughing.

I am a resident of Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada who has blogged here for 20 years. I like to share my thoughts and feelings on my own online space. From 1998 until 2017 I worked as a journalist and I hope to use this website as an archive for all of my stories.

2 Comments

  1. As a current Trent student, can confirm Trent hasn’t changed a ton. Townies are still weary of us.

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