My haste was for naught, however. Omar and I arrived at Jarvis Hall ten minutes before everyone else. When Daniel arrived with Summer, I was lightly scolded for my impatience. After that, the day dragged on at a painfully slow rate. Many guest speakers dropped by and gave lengthy lectures on their topics; everything up to and including medical insurance, the school's policy on plagiarism, and advice for avoiding depression was mentioned.
When everything had finally come to a close, we all headed to lunch. Amazingly, and for reasons I still do not know, one of the school's several cafeterias was open to us. I feasted on mushroom lasagna, chipotle mashed potatos, and baby carrots; while it may not seem like much, after two days of pizza, it was like heaven.
After I had finished eating, Angel and I started off towards the library with so that I could help him collect his textbooks. However, before we got too far we ran into VJ, Kalofer, and Germany (I don't remember her real name as of yet). Kalofer said that he was going to throw a party that night and that we were all invited. VJ, Angel, and I all agreed to meet up outside of the international dorm at seven so that we could walk to Kalofer's place off-campus. Kalofer said that he would go to Germany's place and fetch her while we were on our way.
Once Angel and I had collected his textbooks, we headed back to our dormitories. I attempted to finish reading Dracula, but found that the day's prior events had left me exhausted. I slept until about six twenty, but got up and made my way over to the international dorm before seven. When we had all gathered there, we headed off to find Kalofer's house. It took us a little while, but we managed to locate it without anyone losing any limbs.
About two minutes after we had found his address, Kalofer walked up with Germany. Angel, VJ, and Kalofer went off to purchase some alcohol while Germany and I sat and waited inside. They returned with some rose wine, a six pack of beer, and some rum that I see advertised all the time, but don't recall the name. Kalofer pointed at the rum and mentioned how that it was more expensive in England, but even more expensive in Belgium (his home country). That he found it for twenty dollars seemed to please him immensely.
Germany mentioned that she was hungry and Kalofer said that he had some food, but that she ought to know it was Belgium food. We opened the fridge and saw two types of meat (sausage and jerky of some kind, I believe) and some white cheese. After looking at it for a moment, Germany dismissed it, but I asked if I might try it. Kalofer proceeded to cut them into thin slices and place them on a plate.
When we all got settled in the living room, everyone picked their favorite alcoholic beverage. Noticing that I declined to have any, Kalofer questioned me. I told him that I was underage and didn't like the stuff any way; this appeared to have offended him down to his core. Judging by his actions last night and today, it has become nothing short of his sacred mission to get me intoxicated.
We stayed at his house until about ten. Around that time, the other girls and I decided that we were tired. If my refusal of alcohol had been saddening, this was nothing short of devastating to Kalofer. He proposed we go out to a club, and when this was met with a "nay" by all short of Angel (and that is a lot as he is quite tall), he proceeded to tell us that we were the "most boring party goers" he had ever been with. However, as we were dropping Germany off at her place, Angel stated that he would quite like to go bar-hopping with Kalofer. This perked the latter up quite a bit.
With those two off doing their thing, VJ and I headed back to our dormitories together. When I arrived at my room, I was so tired that I simply performed my nightly ritual and went to sleep.
The international group was scheduled to meet in the parking lot beside the clock tower at ten thirty so that we could go to the Mall of America in Minneapolis until six. Fortunately for me, I was well rested with all the sleep I had gotten the day before, so I woke up in time to take a shower and eat before heading over to the international dorm. Once VJ, Angel, Daniel, and I had met up, we walked over to the parking lot. The bus headed off at around ten forty-five and the journey to the mall was an hour long.
Now, I hadn't known precisely how to dress for this occasion, but I had done my best to thing it over properly. Since I hadn't wanted to deal with either of my hulking coats, I decided to wear my thick, cable knit sweater. But that wasn't really the problem. I kept going back and forth wondering whether I ought to wear long underwear beneath my corduroy pants. Eventually I decided that I ought to, and just ran with it.
With the aforementioned knowledge in mind, I tell you that the bus ride to the mall was miserable. The heat was on, but it was concentrated (guess where?) at my legs, so for the whole trip I felt as though I was burning alive. When we arrived at the mall I couldn't have been any more grateful for the cool air outside the bus. VJ, Germany, Kalofer, Angel, and I stuck together in a kind of group when we went inside, but as soon as the first two spotted a Victoria's Secret, off they went like a shot.
Kalofer recommended that we purchase tickets to ride in the theme park at the center of the hotel. As we were looking over the prices, a man came up to us and explained that he had purchased a certain membership which had given him several unlimited passes. He offered to sell us these at twenty dollars apiece, which was ten dollars cheaper than it would have normally been. After little debate, we three purchased one for each of us and decided to hunt down the other two girls so that we could get them the same good deal.
After a while, we five entered the theme park with our unlimited passes. Angel, VJ, and Germany were concerned about their personal items, so they purchased time on a locker. While they were doing so, Kalofer and I rode one of the roller coasters. Once they returned from their locker, we convinced them to ride the very same ride we had just ridden ourselves. When the ride was over, they all went to look at the snapshots that are automatically taken during the ride. It was quite a hilarious sight: both of the girls were screaming bloody murder, Kalofer had his mouth hanging open in a funny faux-scream, Angel looked like somebody was forcing him into a girl's toilet, and I was grinning like an idiot.
We decided to ride another roller coaster in the middle of the park. This one was a bit longer, and personally, a bit more fun, because it turned as it went through its various loops. After that we decided to ride the only water ride in the park. The girls and I objected at first, not liking the idea of getting wet, but Kalofer was quick to point out that no one was coming out of the ride wet. Even as we were standing in line, the other girls expressed their hesitance, to which Kalofer replied that if they got wet he would buy each of them something. I heard no more complaints.
With only so much room per "log", Kalofer rode with the other two girls and I rode with Angel. After the ride was over, the girls went over to the photo booth for this ride. VJ laughed at her, Germany's, and Kalofer's expressions, but when she beheld my idiotic smile and Angel's mildly surprised face, she exclaimed in mild disgust, "Does nothing get to you?"
We then went to the food court on the north side of the mall. I had tried to say that we ought to eat at the south side, but either no one heard or paid me no heed. Our meals were rather plain: the girls both ate Chinese, Angel and I both ate Arby's, and I have no idea what Kalofer ate. Once we had finished eating, the girls went off on their own. Kalofer, Angel, and I went nosing about in various stores. In one, Angel bought a hat. Eventually, I tracked down the Yogen Früz, and we ate there. We then walked around the mall a bit more before Kalofer said that he wanted to ride the rides some more.
At this point, the theme park was overridden with children and their acquiescing parents. All of the lines were ridiculously long, so I said that I was going to go explore the first floor. Both of the boys remained in the park while I hunted down the Build-a-Bear Workshop. I had hoped to find a little sweater with my adopted school's logo on it, but I found a Chicago Cubs jersey instead. My dad and I are fans of the team and frequently attend games together when the Cubs face off against the Braves, but they don't have Cubs jersey's in Columbia. Now, if I ever want to, I can take my bear with me to a game, and he won't disgrace me with his lack of regalia.
As it didn't take long for me to find the store and make my purchase, I went back into the theme park and found Angel and Kalofer. We decided to give the water ride another go, so we stood in the long line for what felt like forty minutes, but was actually only fifteen. It was quite funny to stuff all three of us in the log. While I'm sure Kalofer had plenty of room, I held my purchase and Angel's backpack in my lap, and Angel sat squeezed in behind me. In truth, I felt worse for him, for though my legs are long, his are even longer.
The ride was much more enjoyable this go round, but I suspect that it was because we had more weight between the three of us, and that helped our downward momentum. After we disembarked, Kalofer said that he wanted a beer, so we all went upstairs to a restaurant. While Angel and Kalofer sipped their foamy glasses of bread, I sat at the bar, sipping water through a straw. This displeased Kalofer, and he said, "I have convinced many friends to drink with me and you are not the exception." I found this rather funny.
After that, I stopped by the cookie store that all malls seem to have, purchased quite a few for myself and one for Kalofer (Angel refused my offer). We then proceeded to head towards the entrance of the mall so that we could go outside and see the ice castle. I ran into the girls while I was using the facilities and told them of our plans. They decided to go with us, so we all headed outside.
I have often fancied that if Hell were an actual place that it would be frozen, and as we stood outside in those biting gales, I became convinced of that very notion. The wind was biting and buffeting all at once, and made my very body ache. Opon discovering that I couldn't even look at the ice castle without a payment of ten dollars, I promptly turned and walked back into the bitter cold. Keep in mind that I had dressed very warmly, but still had not brought either of my thick coats which would have better protected me from the cold. By the time I had re-entered the mall, each of my earrings (I have five) burned, my nose was slightly numb, and my fingers (though they had been in mittens) throbbed with pain.
I stood not too far off from the entrance of the mall because we didn't have long until the bus would arrive to pick us up. Other members of the international group appeared, and then Ms. Vickie did as well. Presently, Germany, VJ, and Kalofer arrived. Remembering some tasks that they needed to accoplish, VJ and Kalofer sped off to the T-Mobile store, but not before telling Ms. Vickie that they woudn't be long in coming.
Eventually, Ms. Vickie told us that the bus had arrived. Germany and I replied that we would wait for VJ and Kalofer. I asked Germany where Angel had gone off to, and she replied that she didn't know. Angel appeared soon after, brandishing a new wallet and looking quite pleased with his purchase. We told him that the other two would be shortly returning, but we quickly grew nervous with waiting and decided to head to the bus. The other two made it back in time, and we left the mall without leaving anyone behind.
Despite the fact that I had been relatively uncomfortable and warm throughout the entire mall expedition, I was grateful that I had worn as much as I had on the journey back. If the heating unit was on, I certainly couldn't tell. However, the Saudi Arabian students made the return trip very entertaining as they had something of a singing competition/chorus the entire way home. At one point even I was encouraged to sing something, so I went with "Many a New Day" from Oklahoma.
No comments:
Post a Comment