I developed a new theory.
Canada is a capitalist developed country, with plenty of goods available, a reasonably efficient and non-corrupt administration and businesses are quite customers-oriented. However, all this change the minute you step foot on the university campus. Suddenly, you enter another world.
A French exchange student I met in my class asked me recently if Canada was suffering from penury. I assured her that indeed, we were doing okay. I know it does get cold in the winter, but thanks to our neighbors in the South, we don’t want for anything. She went on explaining that she often noticed empty shelves at the supermarket and that she never seemed to find what she needed.
I would have dismissed her claim if I hadn’t felt the same on the campus. Indeed, things seem to work differently on these few square kilometers.
The other day, I had an hour break before my class. I decided to get a coffee at Starbucks, conveniently on campus, and sit there for a little while reading my course materials. I stepped in and joined the queue. There were about ten people in front of me, nothing out of ordinary for a rainy and cold day: we all need our fix of coffee on those ones.
After five minutes, the queue hadn’t moved. I opened my book and started reading. Another ten minutes went by and there were still eight people in front of me. Another ten minutes. Finally, one of the barista (is that how we are supposed to call Starbucks employees?) moved from behind the counter to the queue:
— Alright people, just to let you know, we are out of coffee and tea! So I repeat, if you want any coffee or tea, well, we don’t have any. Thanks!
I frowned. Er… Running out of coffee in a Starbucks is a problem.
Since I didn’t want what they had to offer — according to my understanding, that would have been plain hot water I guess — I left. Great. Queuing for almost thirty minutes for nothing.
I crossed the street and went to the Second Cup. The queue went much faster (still a good twenty minutes though) but this time, they had ran out of disposable cups. Er… okay. I sat there with my China mug, drinking my latte as fast as I could since everybody wanted a seat to do the same and left.
I also needed to buy a textbook. I did exactly what the teacher told us to do: I went to the student-owned bookstore. I first climbed the stairs to the second hand books section of the store. A woman my age informed me that: “like, if (I) wanted used books it was totally cool but that (they) had kinda ran out of my textbook, ya know“.
I was directed downstairs, to the new books section. I started queuing in the tiny store. After ten minutes, I realized the queue was all around the stores, and was therefore about four times longer than I had expected. Never mind. After twenty minutes, I was given a little piece of paper and a miniature pen, and I was told to write my class number on it and hand it to one of the employee. When my turn came, I did just that. Eventually, the employee came back from the shelves and handed me a biology textbook. I’m mentioned that I was studying political science. He replied that biology was a different subject. We both agreed on that but couldn’t figure out why my textbook, supposedly ordered by the teacher, was missing. I left empty-handed.
I went to the university bookstore. I first attempted to walk though the door, like most people would have done. But as I was stepping in, a security guard called me and told me to go through the other entrance — the one I hadn’t seen because it was blocked by yes, you guessed it, a huge queue. And why were people queuing for enter the bookstore? Because all bags had to be left at the counter. Seriously. My wallet in my hand, I browsed the store and found my book. Nearly $100 and a twenty minute queue later, it was mine. I then queued again to reach the counter where I had checked in my hang bag — I was almost surprised I wasn’t searched, I mean, it’s very easy to steal a bunch of ten inches thick books you know.
I could go on and on, but all the stories are similar. Attempt to do something simple, something you do in every day’s life, and it won’t work easily on campus. Photocopying a few pages at the library? First, you must find change (and more difficult, change that the machine accept since it seems to favor some 25 cents coins over others) to buy a photocopy card. Then you have to load it. Then you have to figure out how it works, because for some reason, the machines don’t seem to follow any logical international photocopying standards.
The most annoying side of my campus theory? So far, I haven’t been able to find a bathroom that actually had some toilet paper. I have been carrying a few sheets of my own paper for a few weeks now, like I used to do when we were traveling in Central America.
Very interesting. Isn’t it simply because of the early semester rush? Where everyone is keen on starting the new semester? Or is this the same condition for the whole year? Here in Buffalo, the bookstore gets weird every beginning of the semester, with long lines and all, but it all normalizes after two weeks.
And I am surprised too at the toilet paper situation. I never had that problem here in Buffalo. Maybe the cleaning staff in Ottawa is having a strike?
.-= Linguist-in-Waiting´s last blog ..Book Review: Blindness by José Saramago =-.
I got into the habit of carrying tea bags and coffee pouches in my purse. Given that hospitals have lately become an integral part of our lives, we spend a lot of time in waiting rooms and I just don’t like vending machine coffee very much. They do always have hot water though so I am good.
.-= Agnes´s last blog ..Happy October =-.
Hello Zhu,
It looks like Uni life is off to a great start ! Remember that word from the old country of France ” Bordelique” ( I guess I would translate it like a freaking mess)?? You could utter it to yourself even there !! I would think that things would be better oragnized.
Then everything is new, and in a new environment the smallest problem takes on proportions. Hang in there .
BTW… I finally got through my stuff and finished your expat meme( 10 things). Online now ! Bises 🙂
.-= barbara´s last blog ..10 clues I’m still American =-.
This is so weird, they didn’t expect the high volume of human traffic in the campus? It always run of toilet paper here Singapore 😉 Always carry extra tissue paper.
It’s weird that coffee shops will run out of things. I learned on how to safe money at Uni. I get photocopied textbooks for a very cheap price…I would never buy used or new textbooks anymore. It’s a total rip off and they only give you few dollar when you sell them to the bookstore.
At the beginning of a new semester the main entrance of the bookstore is blocked so we have to do the line up from another from and wait patiently in line to pay. But we don’t have to leave our bags though.
I sort of miss University life now… 🙁
It is proof that the male is the favored gender as we do not require toilet paper to pee — or porcelain facilities. Just direct me to the nearest bush.
.-= Tulsa Getleman´s last blog ..Sunday Jigsaw Puzzle =-.
Yeah yeah fall semesters are awful in that respect. ‘Coffee people’ (what else can I call them?) in my class don’t even stand in the queues in centralized coffee shops. Now I am hoping that you don’t have to book an appointment for career counseling or changing courses or something like that because the last I heard, people were given a date 2 weeks later. So busy! 🙁
.-= Final_Transit´s last blog ..Bogolyubovo’s Church of the Intercession on the Nerl =-.
The only one of those experiences I can relate to is the bookstore…the long lines to get in (and to check out) and the confusion of finding the proper books. By my senior year, I finally got smart and started buying all my books on line.
.-= silverneurotic´s last blog ..“Handle with Care” by Jodi Picoult =-.
don’t they call universities “ivory towers” because you are supposedly separated from the rest of the world in order to engage your mind in learning the higher principles of being?
the decline of a civilization is certain when there is no longer toilet paper in the loo.
.-= Seraphine´s last blog ..Attention Penguin Employees: Kekeke Kaka =-.
I can vouch for the fact that university book stores are always out of the textbook you need! I think that is universal.
As for running out of coffee at Starbucks… I mean come on, that is egregious! The inventory manager must be a real doofus.
.-= Seb´s last blog ..More Alphabetic Misadventures: V is for Vampires =-.
Hehe..I carry toilet paper in my backpack no matter which part of the world I travel to.
.-= Celine´s last blog ..Shades of Green =-.
@Linguist-in-Waiting – No, the cleaning staff isn’t on strike… at least not that I know of. I don’t know if it’s gonna be like that the whole year. It was pretty quiet this summer when I took my class, but then, it was summer. I do believe Ottawa U. isn’t very well-organized.
@Agnes – I perfectly understand, I do the same. And tea is always comforting…
@barbara – Oh yes it is so bordélique that I thought the place was ran by French! 😆
@shionge – They should expect it. I think there are 35,000 students in total, but the campus is big.
@Bluefish – Oh, so the books things is not just Ottawa U… I wish I could have photocopied the book. Last summer, I bought mine second hand on Kijiji, but this time I need a brand new edition. That said, I may keep the book because it is very good (yes, I know I’m weird!).
@Tulsa Getleman – What??? Male don’t use toilet paper???? I don’t want to know, I don’t want to know (running away with my hands on my ears) 😆 😆
@Final_Transit – Oh, I always ditched a class because of a conflict in my schedule (with work). It was hell… I queued for two hours to be told I should have dropped the class on my intranet. Errr… I wish, but the intranet crashed two days ago… 😆
@silverneurotic – I always check online for books now, especially on Kijiji.
@Seraphine – I think you said it! I didn’t realize it before because when I went to uni. in France I was straight out of high school. But I get the meaning now!
@Seb – Yeah, this manager won’t be promoted anytime soon! 😆
@Celine – Always useful, isn’t it!
LOL Hey Zhu,
At least, your life is never dull, cherie :D!
It is pretty odd, though, that the campus is so “poor”, isn’t it? Perhaps it is being mismanaged…
Have a great week ahead and have fun in class :D!
Cheers
.-= Max Coutinho´s last blog ..Journalism: Rest In Peace =-.