Chapter 8: Part 2: Conversations with Chris

Spent most of the evening speaking with Chris, my new Canadian roommate who is living in Ireland while he studies medicine, while I wait for Anna's call, "I worked as a labourer for a while, while I waited in the holidays before school," he said, "and I worked with this one guy who was that little bit cool, and that little bit creepy."
"Whaddaya mean?"
"Well, he was really nice and really interesting, but he had a weird obsession with serial killers. So, you'd always catch him at the library taking out books on [Charles] Manson or Jeffrey Dahmer or something."
"That's kind of creepy..."
"Yeah, and he carried a hammer everywhere."
"...what?"
"Yeah, he always had one, you know, just in case he got in a fight."
"...righto. I reckon he'd win. That's pretty creepy though."
"Yeah."
"Never get in a fight with a guy with a hammer." I said.
"Well, that's a rule I live by," he said, laughing, "always that specific - he can't have a hammer."
"Yeah," I said giggling, "Crack. You're bound to come out of there with a broken bone."
"IF you come out of there."
"Yeah."
"This is by far," he said, "the strangest hostel conversation I've ever had."
"Well, I'm honoured." and we laughed.
"So, where're you from?" I asked.
"A small town of 1800 called Chase in BC, surrounded by 3 Native Reserves."
"Wow, what was that like, compared to this big city?"
"Well, it was different. My dad was the only doctor, so he knew everyone. It was a place where you didn't have to lock your doors and could leave your keys in your truck if you wanted," I couldn't believe what I was hearing, it was like a bad stereotype out of a badly scripted movie, "there was almost no crime, but there was a very aggressive attitude amongst the people, especially the youth. If there was someone they didn't know that came to town it'd be like, 'who the fuck is that?' and they'd probably fight them. They were big on fighting. On more than one occasion I saw some guys, who just came to town for a party or something, get the shit kicked out of them. And not just by a couple of guys, like a whole group of people."
"Woah, intense."
"Yeah, it was."
"So, you must know how to fight."
"I was never much of a fighter. I mean, I could, but that was mostly my friend. I still had the aggressive attitude, though. So when I got to university and I was really into meeting people and learning, everyone thought I was this aggrssive dick., Under the layers, I still have that aggressive streak." I found this really interesting, "My parents were from Montreal and my dad was a university educated doctor."
"You were a different kid."
"Yeah, I was always going to be a different kid, like you said. I wasn't homophobic. There was a strong sense of homophobia in the town there. But it's pretty picturesque. I show people photos and they go "wow" 'coz it's so beautiful. It's a place that's a part of me and I wouldn't mind settling there, you know, getting married, raising a family, stuff like that."
"So, when did you get into Paris?" I asked.
"This morning. I was REALLY drunk last night, though, so I'm actually still a little hung over," I laughed, "Yeah, I get to bed - or at least, last checked my watch at - 3:30 a.m. and I had to get up at 7:30. Lcukily my mom called me and she was the only reason I got up, ot I'd've slept through my alarm. I spoke to her and then called for a cab and he asked me something I've never been asked before."
"What was that?"
"Well, at this point, I'm still pretty drunk - because it was the last exam, right - and so, with the disgusting amount I had to drink, 4 hours or less isn't going to heal me. So, I call a cab and kind of roar hoarsely into the phone, 'I need a cab' and the guy asks me," here, he imitaes a pleasant Irish accent, "'Have you gotten out of bed yet, sir?' And I was like, 'Yes, I'm in my kitchen' 'Very good sir, a cab is on its way soon' and then he hung up. They must get a lot of drunk students around this time calling for cabs and then just passing the fuck back out. And I totally would have done that if my mopm hadn't called." I just laughed. We soon started talking about religion and our problems with its fallability when Anna finally called and Chris put in his headphones to give us some privacy.

- from The Journal December 18/19 2008