Mon 8/22 8/23 Tues
Ok, well, on the twenty-second, I got to New York. The night before I got no sleep. The excitement kept me up. At 3 AM, I started to get ready, the adrenalin pumping already. I said my goodbyes, and took a taxi to the airport. I got there at 5 and found out about how I couldn’t get a first class upgrade because I didn’t send in for the stickers. Too bad.
Anyhow, I called up Noah when we got to Chicago. Man was it good to hear his voice again.! After 12 years, I won’t ever see him again on a regular basis. It really actually hurts. I don’t think I ever thought about it before. Noah is more than a best friend, he’s my brother.
I got to New York & picked up my luggage. That’s when I met Scott, Michelle & Sig.
Scott. Ok, he’s a great guy. He doesn’t talk too much at the beginning of a conversation, but he’ll get into it. From the City of Oil City, Pennsylvania. Football & Track. Intelligent.
Michelle talks. And Talks. Doesn’t quite know when to stop or know exactly what kind of input to contribute to a conversation. A white, female version of Albert. Worse. Al knows what he’s talking about (sorry Albert, you know I love ya).
Finally, Sig. She was shy at first, but I’ve been getting to know her. I think I’m in love (Just Kidding). But, not only is she beautiful, but I’ve found that she’s witty and intelligent. She has short, very dark brown (let’s call it black) hair, which is curly, large curls. Her body is near perfect; with shockingly subtle green eyes.
I somehow ended up leading the conversation on the way to the Post. Sig was quiet at the time, feeling out the situation, speaking only when spoken to. Michelle was saying many things, mostly irrelevant. Scott talked a little more than Sig, but I was doing all the relevant questions and talking. God, I felt needed. Brad was right about me. He told me I make friends easily and “everyone” knows who I am in “any” group. It feels good to bring people closer together and closer to themselves.
We got to Post, got our name tags and room assignments. Only a few more people were due in after us, and my roommate was already there. The guys (4 in all) were on the first floor (yeah!!), [10 (yeah!)] were on the third.
I found out that my roomie’s name is (get this) Jason Edward Kirby, and he’s from Tahoe . He was born 12-13-69. My fake II.D. is 12-13-66. When I went in, he was zonked, so I dumped my stuff, he woke up & introduced himself, then went back to sleep> and went up to the 3rd floor. There I found Amy ,not Angie> and Annika (they were rooming), the only ones besides Jen who were awake. Jen and I went to their room and talked, finding out about one another.
Michelle & Sig (short for Sigrid) showed up, then Trish (one of the volunteer group leaders).
Banana Slug –w- a Banana [margin note]{ Jen, Mich, Sig & I went to lunch, where we met up with Scott, who was wandering around the campus. We ate pretty [unintelligible] food, then sat in the cafeteria & talked.
About the food: it was great. Compared to what they served us on our second day. It seems that since only 14 AFSers (plus staff) were on campus, we got cafeteria privileges. “Real” food (college cafeteria food – still bad) for “free.” The next day for lunch (breakfast was the cafeteria), the others (the other countries) started showing up, so we got AFS cuisine.
Not-quite-dead-red-sauced-meatball-sandwich, generic iced tea, brown salad, and a 3 year old cookie. Jason & I ordered a pizza instead (on the 23rd).
Orientation began at 7 (PM), but I went around and introduced myself to the rest of the group.
Marian (Blond, LA, not stereotypical, intelligent), Suzanne (intelligent, witty), Nancy (should’ve been a model, Marin)Katrina (NY , intelligent, a little sarcastic), Juliette (Santa Barbara), and Robin from Montana.
Groups for orientation were formed, and we orientated.
(1) At 11PM it was time for games. First Polar Bear (remember the holes and what’s around them). Say” The name of the game is in the name of the game, and the name of the game is Polar Bears… sitting around an ice hole in the days of Genghis Kahn, or petals on a rose. Now tell me, how many polar bears do you se? Roll dice. If a person gets it, then do the oath: say “I do solemnly swear” (Have them repeat) “never to reveal” (R) “The secret” (R) “of Polarbearism” (R) “And if I do” (R) “may all the world’s Polar Bears” (R) “Scratch my eyes out” (R) “You are now a Polar Bear. Hug all the Polar Bears in the Room.
(2) Cross them (legs, not markers): Pass 2 markers (spoons, knives, anything) around the circle of people. The person must say that they received them crossed or uncrossed, and the way they are passing them.
(3) Sculptures -> think ROMANCE. Statues: Get an equal number of guys and gals. Ask all but 2 to leave the room (the 2 who don’t leave are a guy and a gal). Tell the 2 who are left that they are clay, and they are to do whatever the sculptor(-tress) says. Call a volunteer in, one at a time (BGBG or GBGB), to have each make a statue representing “Romance and True Love”. The person before tried to do it, and that person has no clue. It really sucks. The volunteer can do better. After the person finishes and names it, the he/she takes the place of the person sculpted (the same sex).
(4) Bang , click, who’s dead? -> The first person to talk.
(5) Belts. Get 2 volunteers (guy & girl). Have them leave the room, get 2 belts (preferably different). Tell the rest of the group that the 2 belts are going to be held like this (demonstrate) [there’s a couple of hand drawn stick figures showing people holding a belt each, one end in each hand. The belts are interlocked in two circles, like interlocking rings] and that they are going to be in 2 interlocking circles, no way to get out. Imagine that the 2 are on their honeymoon & listen to what they say. Bring the 2 back in & ask what belt the girl would like.. Then set ‘em up and tell them that there is a way of getting out, and that communication is the key, they have to talk. After a few min., tell them the truth and why they can’t get out and what the audience has been hearing.
(6) Now I can say it. I totally and utterly humiliated myself. I left the room(after volunteering) and was brought back in. They had me sit in the middle of a circle of kids and put a blanket over me, and Stefan (the “game master”) said that “you are in the middle of a desert. Your camel died. It is 150 degrees outside. We can think of at least one thing that you should take off so you will survive.” I was down to my undies before I realized they meant the blanket. [I still remember that my reasoning fo not taking the blanket off was that I wouldn’t want to lose the shade…]
(7) Pick a guy or a girl to leave the room. Then have someone of the opposite sex (with pants on) stand up. Roll up the cuff of the pants a very little bit. Explain to the audience that you are going to tell the volunteer that the pants person wants the volunteer to “let his/her pants down”. There are 2 meanings. Call the volunteer back in and see what happens. Don’t stop it!!
Stefan (a volunteer) taught these to us, but by 1 AM almost everyone had gone to bed. Stefan, Annika, Marian, and some of the chaperones stayed up playing some other games.
(8) “My Aunt Emma, she died last night, s.d.l.n, s.d.l.n. Did she die?” NO.
“Look (watch, etc), M.A.E. , s.d.l.n, s.d.l.n. etc.?” Yes. For both, use hands and/or feet.
Snaps: “By tomorrow we’ll be in Tunisia.” 4 snaps. “Never forget to write” 4 snaps – BONO (1 snap = A, 2 = E, 3 = I, 4 = O, 5 = U)
I got to bed at 2:30 AM, asleep by 3, woke up at 9 on the nose.
The twenty-third. We orientated some more, ate, and left.
The airplane left NY at 7 PM (NY) and we got in Brussles at 7:20 AM (Br.) it’s still 10 PM for me. I’ve been wired all day and night. No sleep again.
The plane was fun, and we had some “shocking” experiences. Sig and I talked a lot, and I got a little tipsy. Rum & coke before dinner (Sig & I shared), wine with, champagne after (shared –w- Sig), a shared screwdriver & a shared beer.
We’re on our way inside the Br airport.
Margins
Sig & I shocked each other for a while (static electr)
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