Holy Cats did I get busy

So, where have I been, not here obviously, but, even though I haven't been blogging I haven't stopped talking, so lets play the recap game:

Wens: As I was running late to class (my voice teacher let me out late) I saw the girl ahead of me approaching the door. We were heading into lecture, and this girl was not from my section so we had never met.
"Hey wait," I called out, "Are you late for Modes too?"
"Yeah, I forgot to pick up my equipment, and by the time class ends the place would be closed, so I had to go now, but of course, now I'm late"
"If we go in together maybe they won't notice how late we are,"
"Maybe"
"Strength in numbers and all that"
"Shall we go in"
she laughed, and then we quietly opened the door and crept in, all sneaky like.

Thurs: Alas, Thursday's encounter was a basic "oh life" conversation held in line to purchase a soda. The girl and I discussed how shocking it was to discover that it has been almost a month since school started, and how fast time moves, along with speculating about the game that was to be played this weekend. Sadly the details elude me. Here is a problem with tardy blogging, you forget the interesting details of conversations. However, I will note that being at a sports centered school makes forming a conversations with other students easier than other places. If I have nothing else to say I can always say, "Did you see that game/Are you going to the game?" Who knows what I am going to do when football season ends.

Fri: Friday had an interesting non verbal exchange. I was walking across campus when I saw a student fixedly looking at the sky, he was in the middle of the sidewalk just staring into the sky, and people were walking around him. For the most part just pretending her wasn't there.
Not me, I stopped, about five steps from him, and I too turned and looked at the sky. I didn't see anything, but I kept looking. Then I looked back at him. He looked back at me smiled, and looked back to the sky. I returned my gaze skyward, still missing whatever it was that he was staring at, but he seemed to appreciate the companionship. Then suddenly, he stopped, we made eye contact, he nodded, and walked away. It was very mysterious, ish.
Also on Friday, I spoke to a girl in my Infant development class, who I had never spoken to before, and discovered that she is also in my psychopharmocology class. We discussed our upcoming exams (both ID and Psypharm have one this week) and how the Psypharm teacher's accent reminds us of Antonio Bandaras (my first movie crush, Zorro, handsome, daring, not exactly law abiding) and how sometimes it makes it a touch hard to concentrate.

Sat: So this might be cheating, because it wasn't just me involved. John and I had gone to pick up food (a sort of late lunch/early dinner thing) when the guy in the resturant told us to turn on the Iowa game on the car radio. We asked which station, and I asked the score. He told us the score, the station, said go hawks, and then we said thanks, and turned on the game to make him happy. I don't really know if this counts, as John did as much talking as I did, but because it was Saturday I didn't really go anywhere except for some filming and editing, and watching stuff in preparation for the emmys. I didn't really go out enough to find myself a stranger. Sad I know

Sun: So now we have arrived at today, nothing super exciting, I made small talk when I went to the IMU to capture with a janitor about to clean the bathroom. I asked about the game, and what event was going on in the ballroom a few feet from us. It was a very general conversation, but again I didn't much outside world time today, with filming (we filmed a pool scene today, thank you for being willing to get in the water even though it was overcast and chilly, you are awesomes about averages, so thanks) and trying to recover the mess that the DM Recruitment video has turned into.

On that note. I am in charge of putting together all the videos for Dance Marathon this year, and the videos were going great. All I had to do to be finished was to finish popping in the newer interviews, touch up some facts, and we would be ready to print. Unfortunately, some of the archive footage from last years event was in standard definition instead of high definition so now I have to go through and refind everything and basically reconstruct the whole thing. I kinda want to scream. It is really frustrating, because I was really excited about it when I started, and all my wind is out of my sails being back at square one. I feel like Odysseus, and my men just opened the bag of wind. Back to the island, though, unlike the king, the DM people are being really understanding. Thank god, they are amazing, but I am going to do my best to trun around ASAP.

The Time That Almost Wasn't

Crap, I did it again,



I really am going to get responsible about this, promise

So for yesturday I almost got blown off for the first time since I began my journey.

I went out to lunch with a friend, and while I was waiting in line I made a comment to the woman ahead of me, 'wow, this place sure gets crowded at lunch.'
She turned and smiled, 'yeah,' and then she turned away, got out her phone, and called someone.

And I thought that would be it, I felt a bit let down, I mean, I knew that sometimes people wouldn't want to talk, but I had been a good enough reader of peoples energies so far. I could tell if people were feeling good, and I only approached people who didn't seem too busy to talk. Therefore, feeling that I had judged wrong, left me feeling crappy.

Then I pulled myself together, 'oh well, too bad for her'

Then, after I had gotten my food, I noticed that the line had gotten twice as long. The woman from the line walked past me, looked at the line, and turned to me, saying 'aren't you glad we got here when we did'
I lit back up inside, 'absolutely'
She smiled, and we both walked to the soda dispenser.

It just goes to show, my instincts are usually right, even if it doesn't seem so at first

Ketchup

So today's encounter is brought to you by Ketchup.

I say this, because I have been watching with increasing horror as the bottle of ketchup in the fridge has drawn closer and closer to empty.

You see, some people need oxygen to survive, and while that is all well and good, I personally, need ketchup. Perhaps not need, but definitely use, in large quantities.

So when the line of remaining ketchup had reached critical, I set forth outside and next door, to the grocery store. Where I procured a new bottle of ketchup, along with some juice, and cereal. Then I went to stand in line. Now I do not know what the occasion was, but the couple in front of me were attempting to acquire some cigars. They ended up going with an it's a boy, and an it's a girl cigars, but they also looked at a wide variety of ones that had nothing to do with childbirth. So I cannot say for certain that there was anything to do with babies and this couple in front of me.

Whatever the reason, it was taking forever, the cigars wouldn't scan, and the computer didn't recognize the UPC code when it was typed in. I stood there, while the cashier bravely tried and retried to get the computer to respond, and then continued waiting after her manager came over and fixed the problem only for her to have to now ring up the second cigar.

Then the man paid for the cigars with change, not cash, change, over a dollar worth in pennies, and the rest in nickels, dimes, and quarters. Truly, it was a checkout line that would not have felt out of place in the eighth circle of hell.

Finally I reach the counter, "Long day?" I ask
"I don't understand it," she replies, "that's the fifth person today that has paid with change, and earlier today I had to make change for a fifty, and the guy wanted it all in quarters, dollars, and fives"
"Wow,"
"I can't figure out whether it's some colossal joke, or just a weird coincidence"

We chatted a bit more, about how quickly the weekend had gone by, wishing life wasn't so busy, etc.

This has led me to realize something that I think I always kinda knew:
Given the chance, people desperately want to talk about their lives

Especially to strangers, because you can be more honest, you don't have to candy coat how something affected you because you don't have to worry about hurting a stranger's feelings.

So when the girl behind the counter tells me that not only is work stressful but that her roommate keeps coming and going at all hours, loudly, you shouldn't be surprised.

Still, I'm surprised that people are willing to tell to someone they don't know intimate details of their lives.

Anyway, on to learning more about other people, perhaps more than I wanted or needed to know.

Oops

So....

I didn't post yesterday, it kinda slipped my mind.

See, yesterday was video boot camp for SVP (student video productions), we held a training day where we covered a basic introduction to all the aspects of video production.  There was an introduction to using the HD cameras, a how to for Final Cut editing software, and lighting.  Because I am on staff I was leading one of the sections, lighting to be specific, along with one of my fellow staff members.  We spent the whole day discussing what lights means, how to change the feel of the scene using lighting differently, how to set up lights, and basic etiquette with equipment and content

It was a long day, and I missed the free pizza because I took too long after striking the equipment we used, so me and my roommate grabbed some fast food on the way home.

I don't know what went wrong, whether it was something wrong with the chicken, or me just not being quite right, but I got ill, like gross ill.

My roommate went back in to edit, deadlines wait for no man, and I crashed on my bed with Shakespeare's Henry IV, it drifted through my mind that I hadn't blogged yet, but I couldn't seem to get up and take care of it, and then it slipped free from my mind and I didn't think about it until about 20 mins ago.

The sad thing is that I actually had a pretty funny encounter to tell you all.

See, my partner for the boot camp and I decided that compared to using HD equipment and special effects in editing, lighting might seem kinda lame.

So we did what any logical person who needs approval does.  We went to get bribes.  He went home to get movies with cool lighting to show, (Sin City for cool noir lighting, Slumdog Millionaire for cool ways to use overexposure and natural light) and I went to get candy.

Maybe I over did it, I just knew that if we ran out it would suck for everyone who didn't get any, and I got both chocolate candy and non because some people (crazy people) don't like chocolate.  Basically, I had a ton of candy spilling from my hands.

Anyway, I got to the checkout line and dumped my load of candy on the counter.  The cashier gave me a look.

"It's not what you think," I said

"Sometimes people just need sugar, it's OK" he laughed

"No, it's not for me, see I'm leading a class thing today, and I'm afraid of being boring, so I'm bringing bribes"

"Of course, that would have been my second guess"

"Of course"

"Well, good luck"

"Thanks, as long as they like candy I think things will be OK"

"Who doesn't like candy?"

"Crazy people"

Not a particularly long exchange, but an amusing one, and the guy was still laughing as I left the store.

In case you were wondering, I think the bribes did help, and we all had a good time, until the chicken of doom of course.

Hopefully this won't happen again, both the late post, and death by chicken.

Anyway, I will see you again later today, hopefully with another entertaining tidbit of life

A New Challenge

So, I realized something today, sometimes I do nothing, for a whole day.  Not a big deal right, unless you are trying to meet strangers. Then it could be a problem.

Unless they're trapped in your broom closet or something, then again it would at least give you a way to break the ice, "Hi nice to meet you, how the hell did you get in my house?!"

Seriously though, when you spend your saturday watching a Lost marathon how are you supposed to come across strangers?  I mean, I guess I could've ordered delivery, imported my strangers from a pizza place or something.  But I didn't.

And I thought that I might miss today, which would be pretty disappointing missing a day on day 3, how would that look , luckily, we went in to edit.

For those of you who don't know, I work on a TV show for the university station.  Its pretty awesome.  And we spend a lot of time filming, editing etc.

So anyway, we've been editing a while and I decide that I feel the need for caffeine.

And down to the IMU quickstore I go.

I approach the counter, noticing that the clerk has a sudoku tucked mostly out of sight behind the cash register.

"Slow day," I ask

"Incredibly," she replies

"Have you been working all day, or did you get to see some of the game?"

(Interesting note, I actually did not see any of the Iowa vs Iowa State game, but I had seen the final score on Facebook, so I knew enough)

"I came in at one, so I got to watch most of it"

"That's good, the final score was 35-3"

"Ouch"

"Tell me about it"

"A friend of mine who goes there was giving us shit the other day"

"I guess we showed them"

"I guess, have a nice day"

"You too, I hope things pick up around here"

And that was that, it was not a particularly stimulating conversation, in fact the only amusing thing about it was that I had not seen any of the game in question (I know, what kind of Iowa girl am I) but there was Lost to watch (I'm trying to catch up, and I've almost finished season 2)

I am, however, impressed that I managed to meet anyone at all today, as my main intention was to just chill at home, and even when I am editing, we are usually in the office and don't go out amongst the rest of the IMU.

It gives me pause, because I realize that under the rules for the project I will not have the opportunity to never leave the house for a full day.  Never have the chance to not get dressed, just stay in pj's and read a book.  My world is changing, it requires traveling out of doors, venturing forth for no reason, making unnecessary trips to grocery stores in hopes of bumping to someone in the pasta aisle so that I can make a comment on how funny the names of spaghetti are.

Basically, I need to only buy one item from the supermarket at a time, then I will always have a reason to go out and meet people.  Or I could go to social places, like coffee shops, though honestly I very rarely find friendly people in coffee shops.  Maybe its a caffeine deficiency on their part, but everyone always seems hassled or in the mood to keep to themselves.

But yeah, that's today's post, sorry it wasn't more exciting, just a cashier in a general market, living life, working hard, waiting to go home

Until we speak again remember, jam is one of the few things in life that really only has one purpose, to go on toast.

Seriously, no puts jam on apples, or a baked potato, just toast, maybe a muffin, but thats still in the toast family

Day Two

I awoke this morning with this project on my mind. I was worried, what if I was wrong, what if yesturday was just a fluke, what if it's too awkward and too much to try to make conversation with one stranger a day, what if I couldn't do it. What if it made me focus too much on making conversation with strangers, so much so that I missed out on life, or ruined my friendships, or got so focused on the goal that everytime I went somewhere I was thinking about talking to strangers instead of whatever I was going there to do.

Luckily I ran into a door and conked my head, thus shaking me from my escalating panic. Bruised, but with clarity, I decided that it was only 9 am. I had time.

Honestly I have no idea why I was so worried.

As I walked into the building for Shakespeare (a personal fav) I saw a girl from my class.

Now here is where I have to be a tough judge because, though I had never had a conversation with this girl, I did kinda know her, so much as I like to go see the improv group she's in perform. Also she is in my class, so already it feels kinda grey, however, I believe it falls within the bounds of the rules. We made eye contact and I smiled.
"The instructions for the paper made no sense to me," she started
"I know, I couldn't tell which things were suggestions and which were requirements, so I just did everything"
Smiles were exchanged, and had this been the end of the exchange I do not know if I would count it. Then she looked at me and said, "Want to ride the elevator with me? I don't feel guilty if there's someone else doing it too"

Now, our class is on the fourth floor, and let me tell you, when you are running late, running up those stairs with the 5lb Shakespeare book in your bag, along with everything else you need for the day, is hell. I did not know of the existance of the elevator, so this revelation was simultaneously glorious for the project (without this I may never have learned of the elevator), and for me personally, I won't be late ever again (knock on wood).

In the elevator we chatted about the topic for the paper (Bottom from Midsummer Night's Dream, idiot, ass, or secretly deep sensitive guy?) And I arrived in class, early.

Where I sat next to Kassia, now I have sat next to her most times, but we have never spoken. However, she seems interesting, she has intelligent opinions and also talks in class. So I thought what the heck, might as well keep on the roll.

I looked in my bag for my paper and at first I didn't see it, another moment of irrational panic (did I leave it on the printer, or drop it, maybe I sold it to Albanian drug lords to use as a front for a conference for a secret drug lord meeting) then I saw it in my binder, phew.

And so I turned to Kassia saying, "Don't you hate it when you think you've lost something, especially if you have to turn it in"
"Yeah," she replied, "whenever I have something due I always check five or six times"
"I know, because you check and you're like 'oh good its here' and you zip up your bag, take five steps and suddenly you're all, 'oh god, did I take it out of my bag when I checked it, did I forget to put if back'"
"Exactly, and then the one time you tell yourself you're being silly is the time you leave it"

So not only did I meet someone who likes to talk in class, I have now met someone nearly neurotic as me. Huzzah

I've decided that talking to 2 people from my classes is the same as talking to one completely contextless person (we have no real reason to talk, no classes or work, etc) and therefore, I had finished my duty for the day, and it wasn't even 10 am yet.

This is going to be a snap

Hopefully

My First Stranger

My first official project encounter occured on my way home today. I stopped by John's grocery to pick up a couple staples that we were running low on, and as I was leaving I met Keith.

(on a side note, I'm not sure what to do about names on here, currently I've decided to go with just using the first name, if I learn it in the course of my conversation, and use things like "waiting in line guy" or "lost japanese couple" if I don't.)

So as I left the store I bumped into Keith, he was holding a stack of fliers and asked if I was a reader. I answered in the affirmative, as I am in fact one of the biggest book worms alive, and he handed me a flier. It turned out that Keith had written a book that had just come out. Not only that, but he is currently working with a screen writer to get it made into a movie. Also, he has another book coming out in a year or so. We talked about his issues with the book industry, he has changed agents twice and is working with a new publishing house on his second book.

The conversation lasted about ten minutes, on the steps of John's grocery, with my groceries slowly warming in the afternoon sun.

It was this conversation that convinced me once and for all that this project might actually be something that I can do. True he was going into John's to get them to put up one of his fliers, and perhaps I was just a target for his marketing abilities, but he seemed like a genuinely cool guy, and I might even try to hunt down his book and give it a read. Who knows, maybe it will be a huge success as a movie, and then I will have met some one who turned famous.

You can never know, and that is why you should always talk to strangers

Hello Stranger

Hello Strangers, welcome to my blog.

Inspired by the Julie/Julia project I am attempting a personal project of my own.

Of course, I can't cook, so I was faced with the task of finding a project all my own. Soon after I started I realized something that strikes fear into the hearts of all attempted non-conformists. My life is fairly ordinary.

So I went to my friends for advice, amid suggestions of movie, TV, book, etc related blogs one friend jokingly suggested I do something that involved talking. We all laughed, gave up, and watched Flight of the Conchords.

But then I got to thinking.

I love to talk, and I enjoy talking to strangers, I can be waiting in line at a food place, or walking to the post office, or anywhere, and I will find someone to talk to. The more I thought about it the more intriguing the idea became.

And so the No Strangers Project was born

The basic idea is:
Everyday I must strike up a dialogue with a stranger. It can be two sentences, or it can be a full blown conversation, but there must be an exchange of some kind.

The Rules
1. This person and I can not have ever spoken before.
2. Talking in the context of a group project for class does not count.
3. If someone introduces me to this person, it does not count.
4. It must be sporadic.
5. The conversation can be started with, but must consist of more than:
Excuse me
Can you pass me....
Sorry
Do you know where...
While it is an acceptable "in" to the conversation, there must be responses in more than just the answer to my statement.

I will develop more as the project grows.

For now I will just venture forth, and speak