NOTORIETY

Wow, who knew slacking off the first two weeks of school would cost me so much in terms of work now. The odd thing is that I don’t even have any assignments to work on. I’m just doing reading.

Actually, it’s all the damn marking I’m doing that’s costing me. There are over sixty students in my tutorial and I haven’t been given answer keys to their assignments. I have to make up the keys before I even mark a single question. I’ve talked to a few of my fellow grad students here at SJC and according to them, this is not normal nor fair to me. I learn a little bit more each time I teach and each time I mark, but I still have lots to learn. The good thing is that I’m pretty sure I’ll be a kick-ass TA for this course next term. I just hope I can get through this term first.

So today, I had two odd run-ins with total (almost) strangers on campus. I decided today was the day I would get my U-Pass. All of this stuff is done at Koerner Library, which I like to avoid since it’s so busy with undergrads. On the way there, I’m minding my own business when out of the blue someone says my name.

“Erwin!”

I stop and look and it’s this young lady going by me the other way. I have no clue who it is. I gamble and make a split-second decision to bluff my way out of it.

“Oh hey, hi”

I guess I had a really bad poker face on because she saved me from further embarrassment.

“I’m Molly’s younger sister, we met last Thursday.”

Yes, in fact, we did meet. Molly was one of the bridesmaids from the wedding I went to on Friday. Molly drove me home from the rehearsal dinner, but she stopped off at her parents’ home before that and I met her family.

Her sister was able to recognize me again from a five-minute meeting and this time in daylight instead of night. Weird. We talked a bit about the wedding, but it got progressively weirder. I made some mention about my U-Pass and left.

Once in the library I was met with some bureaucratic red tape, but luckily that resolved itself quite quickly. To get your U-Pass you have to hand your student card to any number of student workers manning workstations. Out of the many workstations, my turn in line directed me towards one where a young lady took my student card. Not five seconds after I handed her my card, she asked me a question which was most surprising.

“Hey, did you work at EA?”

I was surprised enough at her question that I didn’t answer right away. I eventually did though.

“Now, why would you ask me a question like that?”

“My brother is Alex Murdoch, you played softball against him this summer. I was there too.”

Too weird. Two separate run-ins. Both with sisters of people I know. Murdoch and I worked at EA togther. During the summer softball league, Murdoch played as a ringer for another team. I didn’t know he had a sister, nor that she was on his team when I played him.

Since there was no one else lined up behind me, I decided to chat with Murdoch’s sister. It turns out she’s finished her degree at UBC in Theatre. She told me Alex is engaged. Of course, if you’re an EA employee, you might already know this. After a few minutes of small talk I decided I to take my leave. I thanked her for my U-Pass and went on my way.

It’s amazing how many people you can run into on campus on any given day.

Ok, sleep time!