Wednesday, September 30, 2009

What'sa matter? Are you... chicken?


Being a pedestrian in Calgary, especially on campus, has become a most interesting sport... that is, if you get a thrill out of wondering whether you'll have to run, jump, or dive out of the way to avoid a broken leg, like I do. Get a thrill, that is– I have yet to actually experience the broken leg. But every time I come to a crosswalk on the U of C campus, I get the fun of playing a game of chicken with a 4000 lb. vehicle approaching at 30 km/hr. Granted, not that fast, but still...

Here's how the game plays out: I walk happily through the fall weather on my way to my Industrial Organizations class. Luckily for most drivers, I am already above the average alertness for a university student because my ears are headphone-free. As I approach one of the drives that meanders through campus, I see a vehicle coming my way. Just to make sure that they've seen me, I slow down. Not that I'm forfeiting my pedestrian's entitlement to the right-of-way, I just would prefer to arrive at my class in one piece. Some vehicles, however, take my hesitation to mean that they can start to speed up in an attempt to get through the intertsection before me. 

Not so fast, bucko. I'm still walking. 

All the cars eventually come to a halt at the crosswalk, the aforementioned speed demons with a bit of a screech and all the others to a gentle stop. But they all watch me crossing with an impatient glance to their car clock, assumably thinking to themselves, "Gosh, why can't this girl just fly, or apparate to class or something? It would save me sooo much time!" The speed demons also give me a look that says. "Silly, why did you stop walking when I sped up? Obviously I was going to stop and not run you over. That's what accelerating the engine means!"

I'd rather arrive late than dead. 

Or chicken.

Needless to say, I have yet to lose. 

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

My Continuing Love Affair

Remember 2 years ago when I wrote of my roller-coaster relationship with a certain office at my university? That's right, the registrar. I don't know why I consent to be in such an abusive relationship, but it's one of those "can't live with you, can't live without you" situations. Every school year, the registrar helps me get into the classes I want (via my long-term student status and it's attending early registration date and my fake minor in business) and I feel happy to have such a considerate friend in the registration business.

Then the school year hits and I remember why we have this love-hate relationship. 

This year's complaint: why on earth can't you release the exam schedule before the middle of November? This concern arises from the fact that my dad bought me a ticket to go to Thailand at Christmas. Our tickets are for the 18th of December and the University of Calgary's exam period runs from December 11th to the 21st. Unfortunately, I won't know until approximately a month before my plane leaves for China whether or not I'll have an exam on that same day. 

Grrrrrrr...