September 29th, 2010

It’s the frosh questionnaire!

Do you remember when you started your first year of university, you had all these new friends you didn’t really know, plus you missed your friends from high school, plus you had your own computer for the first time ever (I was a special case of lame/inept, and had had to share my father’s *email address* until I moved out)? So when those inane “Getting to know you” questionnaires came into your inbox, it was actually pretty interesting, and lots of people actually did them.

And then they came around every fall, and it got less interesting–people’s favourite beverages didn’t change that much from year to year. And gradually people stopped responding, because they actually knew their friends better than some lame email forward could help them with.

Unless you are me, and you just started writing your own questionnaires. Cause I liked the idea of just being able to ask a bunch of random questions all in a row and get answers–if it were socially acceptable, that’s what I’d do at parties! So I did these all through uni, a new one each year, and actually far beyond that, though I’ve fallen off recently.

But this year, I am filled with frosh nostalgia and the desire to procrastinate, so here it is: RR’s 2010 Frosh Questionnaire! I’ve tried to make it a bit bookish, given the ostenisble nature of this blog. But it is the actual nature of these questionnaires to be pretty random, so…

In case you’ve never seen one of these before, there are no rules but guidelines are: cut’n’paste it onto your own blog, onto Facebook, in the comments section, or in an email. Delete my answers, put in your own. If you think a question is dumb, or prying, or just not applicable, delete it and put in your own question, then answer it. If you’ve known me a while, you might see a rerun question from an earlier version–some things never cease to be fascinating, plus even old friends evolve.

If you post this somewhere, let me know so I can come read and be fascinated by the minutiae of your life. Minutiae is what I love!

1. What did you do on your last birthday? Went to giant Catholic church in Montreal, wandered around, then swam in hotel swimming pool. In the evening, tried to eat in restaurant that seemed, judging by service, to be front for crack house. Abandoned ship after a hungry hungry hour to go to Porgugese chicken place. Put a birthday candle in chicken breast. Judged evening a success.

2. Name something awesome about you that you’ve never been able to market properly. I don’t get bored easily. I’m happy to eat the same thing every day for lunch, I love talking about the weather, and I can kill up to 30 minutes just looking at stuff in the drug store. I think this is a good quality to have, but I can’t think of a way to phrase it in a job interview or on a date.

3. What book do you have to resist trying to force other people to read? I’m currently reading Alexander MacLeod’s Light Lifting, and that will certainly go on the list. And a lot of lesser-known John Update stuff–especially the Bech books, which are justifiably famous on the internet, but in real life I’ve never met anyone who likes them.

4. How good a swimmer are you? Good enough not to drown, bad enough to occasionally drift out of my lane at the pool without noticing. And I can’t dive at all, which caused me to fail my red badge 4x, and then to drop out of swimming lessons entirely. But I actually do like to swim.

5. Ideal pet? Small orange cat. But I like most pets, really.

6. If you don’t have to compromise with other diners or pay for extra toppings, what goes on the pizza? Standard vegetarian–tomatoes, onions, peppers, mushrooms–plus extra sauce. But I’m happy to pick off anything but olives or pineapple (the taste remains on the cheese with those)–pepperoni-lovers enjoy sitting next to me.

7. Can you, in your own estimation but also the viewpoint of the real world, sing? No. I can’t even stay on-key for *Happy Birthday.* I’ve only recently gotten self-conscious about this, though; I used to not care.

8. What are you wearing right now? Blue rosebud slippers from Chinatown, black yoga pants that I got for my 31st birthday, orange t-shirt that says “Aloha” on it that my friend J brought back from Aloha State Park in New York the summer I turned 13, navy blue hoodie my dad bought for my brother also somewhere in the early 90s. When my brother refused to wear it, it became mine.

9. When, in your opinion, is it appropriate to chew gum? Anytime one is not eating, singing, public-speaking or playing a wind instrument. Making out is open to debate with one’s partner.

10. What book did you read as a teen that made you realize how smart and misunderstood and *deep* you are? For sure The Bell Jar (and I had that black rose cover, too!) I actually still like that book, but also in that category was The Paper Grail. I’m not sure why I thought that, even if I didn’t understand *one word* of the book, if I finished it that made me smart.

11. What magazine would you never buy yourself but always sort of hope is in the stack at the doctor’s office? One of women’s ones that are printed on the cheaper newsprint and feature health scares, chocolate recipes, and diet tips.

12. Can you bake a pie? It was a point of pride for my mother that I learn how, so yes, technically I can, and have done so a number of times, always in company of talented bakers. I don’t like to flirt with pastry too much when alone, though–it frightens me.

13. Who lives next door to you? What is your relationship like? I used to have a friendly, slightly flirtatious relationship with my next-door neighbour, but since the onset of his paranoia, mainly I listen to him talk about how the other neighbours are out to get us both. Actually, he doesn’t talk to me as much now that he has that friend from SpyTech. I never spoke to any of the other neighbours. It’s a somewhat strange building.

14. What is the easiest way for you to learn a new skill? By someone telling me how to do it and possibly demonstrating, while I sit passively and take notes. Later, I will try it out on my own and practice until I get it. I am the person traditional schoolrooms were built for, but this actually applies to getting directions, cooking, assembling furniture–I like being told what to do.

15. What is that book you keep meaning to read and haven’t, and feel bad about every time it comes up in conversation? Oh, so many of these, but one is Consolation by Michael Redhill. But someone loaned it to me today, so I’m moving forward, at least a little.

16. What are you listening to right now Danny Michel.

17. Do you remember what you wore on the first day of high school? If so, what? If not, substitute some other important day when you remember what you wore. Faded blue-jean shorts and grey t-shirt with tiny flowers on it (from Northern Reflections, natch). I wanted to blend in with the lockers as much as possible. I was much shyer back then.

18. What are you doing tonight? Let’s go, Blue Jays!

19. What’s the last thing you ate? A whole bunch of grapes. They were about to go bad, so I had to eat them lest they go to waste.

20. Why did you do this questionnaire? Because I like to talk about myself, and as bait for other people to talk about themselves, which I also really like.