So what about Fridays' Orientation .....

Dear Diary


Today was another orientation class, and Shanty was there. I decided to sit closer to the front of the class to avoid her. Only one of my mad professor types showed today and we broke up into groups to do a presentation on what we thought the degree entailed.

I saw the same girls from yesterday and as I thought, they were more willing to invite me into their group without Shanty attached. I say hi and introduce myself. The group had five girls and one guy. The guy was kinda cute but kinda young I think maybe 22. Everyone starts talking about the other orientation classes they attended and start putting together a presentation. Because this is basically my first class I don’t have much to add and I begin to feel like I am wasting space. When the 10 minutes are up everyone then turns to me, I am guessing this is where I am gonna contribute to the group ... their idea is for me to do the presentation. I am thinking in my head HELL NO am I getting up in front of a group of strangers on my second day and presenting on something I have very little knowledge on. I decide to put on my strongest Trini accent with broken English and Trini slang, ‘Meh nah know nuthin bout de course yet, Ah go mess up, allyuh do it.’ I know they would not understand and no way would they send me up talking like that. I know it is devious but a girl has to do what a girl has to do to get by right? In the end we didn’t have to present because everyone was shy,  did not want to present so we ended class early.

The girls in the group decided to head to the other city campus so we could pick up some discount cards (NUS, Met cards and travel cards) and I fell into the group on the way. I talked with two of the them, Alisa an Asian girl with long black hair and the biggest puppy dog eyes I have ever seen, and Sharkya a pretty light skinned South African. (In London Asians refers to Indians, Pakistans, Bengalese and so on and Africans are what we Trinis would call blacks)They were nice, and were both British. I have to get accustom to characterising people since I am up here, cause that is one of the first things people ask you..... ‘Where are you from?’ This is a little strange to me since everyone in Trinidad whether white, black, Chinese or Indian is a Trini ... and where you from means where you living. So when they ask where I am from I resist the urge to say I am staying on halls of residence. Sharkya says she thought I was Jamaican. It is the usually response most of the world thinks the Caribbean is only Jamaica some know about Barbados. I say no and give my best fake smile thinking she should know better since she is of African heritage. We all chat, I even chat with Leo the guy from class but he turns out to be so vain, and loves the sound of his voice that I decide to chat with Alisa. After a while, I realise that our five-minute walk to the campus has been fifteen minutes! I ask ‘Does anyone know where we are going?’ Then we realise we’ve been following each other... here I was thinking I was following them. But it turns out that no one in our group is from London. We are all tourists! ‘No one gets really lost in London’ I say. 'I mean it is somewhat big, but it is like a large circular maze you get where you’re going eventually.' We reach fifteen minutes later and get all our cards – which will be sent to our addresses but we get the Met card, which is the university’s (uni) discount card for parties and such.

I decide no more getting lost and wandering around London, so I get on the tube, a straight forward ride home. I get some groceries on the way home, prepare dinner and in the middle of it, I hear a knock on my door. Like Biggie I think – who the £$%^ calling me at ... well its only 830pm at night. When I open the door I see the guy I met at the bar a few days ago. He gives me his best player smile, but I am not impressed. He says he's been trying to get me to last few days, but I seem never to be home. ‘Hi’ I say wondering why he’s here.' I've just been settling in' I say.  'What you doing' he asks, with his Caribbean accent, and ask if I wanna head down to the bar that is in our hall to lime (this is a Caribbean word for hanging out). Hummmm he knows I am Trini I think cause only really Trinis use this slang or people who hang out with Trinis and I still can’t place his accent. I am just in the middle of eating, I say how bout I meet you at your room and when I am finished and we can head down. He says ok gives me his room number and goes.

When I knock on his door a little later, he tells me that it too late and the bar is closed. He’s watching a movie and asks if I wanna stay to watch. I think that’s cool and I turn looking for somewhere to sit. There is only the bed. I stand thinking it’s way too soon to be sharing a bed with this guy. Plus I don’t even remember his name. He laughs and asks if I’m afraid. He looks like a wolf in for the kill but I decide to show no fear saying ‘NO, afraid of what!’ I say but stay at the far end of the bed. ‘You’re a small guy and I could take you’ we both smile ‘Plus’ I say ‘I have an action plan if you try anything.’ Don’t mind that my plan has never been put into action, he does not need to know this. But looking at him he’s only a few inches taller than me, dark and honestly he’s skinny and I have always had boyfriends much bigger than me ... so I think I could really take him. As we watch the movie and it gets later, it gets chilly and I tug the duvet away from him and snuggle up on the bed. He moves over and ask if he could hug me through the duvet cause he’s kind of chilly too. Lame move player I say and we both laugh. When the movie finished, I head back to my room and as I leave he holds my hand as if asking me to stay. I look at him like please... and then look at his hand like if it’s gonna break if it stays where it is. He lets go and asks what I’m up to the next evening. It’s Saturday, I have nothing to do and I wanna be sociable, so I agree to met up.

Well I am off for now. catch yuh tomorrow.... I must say although Caribbean boy isn't my type .... hearing his accent reminds me of home and makes me feel comfortable. At least he gets me and those smiles and eye contact is kinda nice. We'll see what happens tomorrow.

N