Oberlin meets Montreal, Volume 1

On Sunday, I went to a Contact Improv jam at a studio about 10 blocks away from my apartment. The space was really cool, there were all these studios that were leased by different groups. It appears that also, within this one, they teach Modern Dance and Capoiera, as well as Contact. It's like Oberlin in one little studio.

Before the jam, I met this woman who is in her 40s named Annie, and then the rest of the people in attendance, with the exception of a 20-something Australian dude, were all far older than Annie. There was one guy who was clearly elderly grandparent age. It was CRAZY seeing all these dudes with gray hair (including one with a Euromullet) rolling around like people in their 20s at Oberlin. It was also really awesome that stuff I learned at Oberlin, like scoops and how to roll someone over your body, was known by all the people here too. It just made me believe in the possibility of world peace, if only just a little bit, if that makes sense.

Today I started class and it was slightly overwhelming, but nothing a grocery trip couldn't fix (I find grocery shopping to be bizarrely therapeutic. I don't know why that is). The class has 20 people in it, from all over the US and Canada, but today we just sat still and listened to three hours of French at us. It was challenging, but after having done a big chunk of the reading for tomorrow, I believe it will be different tomorrow and beyond.

What I realized while I was sitting in class was that it's been a long time since I've had to put myself out there and try to make friends. In Oberlin, you just build off of what you have and it grows and grows, and then I realized that I've never really been alone in a new place. When I came to Oberlin, I had Sally's friends (and Sally herself, to be sure), who I love, but it was just this little safety net. A big task, to be sure. Not only a whole class, but a whole city. Oh well, no big. I have more reading to do tonight, and hopefully I'll take a walk later.

I'm a huge fan of the fact that so much of what I want to do is within walking distance. I have yet to explore the Metro, although I'm sure I will because Annie invited me to a lecture that she's giving on Saturday (she's a physical therapist of sorts) and Australian dude (Jonno) invited me to a theater performance next week. Adventures are always forthcoming.

Also, a gift for the French speakers:

Je vis désormais dans la mémoire ainsi que dans l'espérance. Mon âme court entre deux amants qui prennent chacun en main une partie de moi. Je me raconte des mensonges sincères, de même qu'aux autres, pour que je ne les abandonne pas et ne sois pas abandonnée. Je ne saurais vivre sans l'un ni l'autre.
- L'errance, Ying Chen.