You know how strange things always happen to me? Especially in the boy department? I hope you are already laughing.
The following would never happen in Minneapolis:
Around 12pm I was standing in a massive line at the L&T in the Cougareat. I like that place, especially all the random rolls they sell at about 3 different venues. Anyway, I was standing in the long line...
This somewhat cute curly headed boy/man (?) walked by me twice, and then disappeared. Like everyone else in this town he smiled at me. People in Provo like to smile at strangers. Consensus: nice, but kind of strange. I mean, my cheeks kind of hurt. I am trying to prevent wrinkles so smiling is sort of a once a week thing. That last sentence was jokey.
As I grabbed my tray the man/boy walked right up to me:
curly: Hi, what is your name?
me: I'm Katie
curly: I'm M. Will you come sit by me?
me: Ok. It might take me a while, the line is long
curly: That's ok! I'll be over there (he points to this area beyond the regular tables where there are even more tables, under a TV that is constantly on CNN (my kind of school!) and behind the service center. Kind of hard to "get" unless you know BYU)
In Minneapolis we do not go up to strangers and ask them to eat with us. But this is not Minneapolis, so you know, I am always trying to "when in Rome..." and adjust to new environments. So I had to get over the knowledge that lunch would be a new experience and eat with curly.
Curly turned out to be really... um... nice, but uh-ya-uh-no.
Is this a Provo thing?
My co-workers were cracking up over the entire incident, and told me it would not be the last time someone uh-ya-uh-no talked to me.
The following would never happen in Minneapolis:
Around 12pm I was standing in a massive line at the L&T in the Cougareat. I like that place, especially all the random rolls they sell at about 3 different venues. Anyway, I was standing in the long line...
This somewhat cute curly headed boy/man (?) walked by me twice, and then disappeared. Like everyone else in this town he smiled at me. People in Provo like to smile at strangers. Consensus: nice, but kind of strange. I mean, my cheeks kind of hurt. I am trying to prevent wrinkles so smiling is sort of a once a week thing. That last sentence was jokey.
As I grabbed my tray the man/boy walked right up to me:
curly: Hi, what is your name?
me: I'm Katie
curly: I'm M. Will you come sit by me?
me: Ok. It might take me a while, the line is long
curly: That's ok! I'll be over there (he points to this area beyond the regular tables where there are even more tables, under a TV that is constantly on CNN (my kind of school!) and behind the service center. Kind of hard to "get" unless you know BYU)
In Minneapolis we do not go up to strangers and ask them to eat with us. But this is not Minneapolis, so you know, I am always trying to "when in Rome..." and adjust to new environments. So I had to get over the knowledge that lunch would be a new experience and eat with curly.
Curly turned out to be really... um... nice, but uh-ya-uh-no.
Is this a Provo thing?
My co-workers were cracking up over the entire incident, and told me it would not be the last time someone uh-ya-uh-no talked to me.
lol! Well, I'm glad to hear that you are being immersed early on.
Ya, one thing to know about that place -- there are A LOT of brave/friendly guys. But you have to understand it's a result of the environment -- always being reminded to date, participating in their roommates' crazy/creative efforts to ask a girl to homecoming or to Hogi Yogi (I've seen some otherwise quiet & painfully shy guys literally, jump out of a box), and a host of other reasons.
Unfortunately, you do have to sift through the "uh-ya-uh-no" ones once in a while. Have fun - and keep smiling! haha!
Posted by: shan | May 23, 2008 at 10:28 PM
Yeah, okay, so Utahn's have some quirks. :D I can't even count the number of "uh-ya-uh-no" guys I've had to get through. lol. I hope you're having fun nevertheless!
Posted by: Becca | May 24, 2008 at 03:36 PM
okay so provo utah is a whole other world...I moved from the big city (washington dc) to utah (but in logan). EVERYONE is overly friendly, always smiling and just too cheery!! you'll get used to the happy go lucky mormon people...and you'll get to know why we call them "utah mormons" as opposed to the rest of the 'mormons' in the world.....yes i'm lds too but after 5 years in logan totally understood the 'utah mormon' kinda mormons and was happy to move out and get back to a grumpy city people!!
have a great time though.
noelani
Posted by: noelani | May 24, 2008 at 04:06 PM
LOL
Posted by: Keya | May 24, 2008 at 07:27 PM
Well, I personally resent the reference to "utah mormons" above. Not everywhere in Utah is like Provo and Logan. I would agree that yes it is a BYU thing, but no it is not a Utah thing. In Provo, or Logan or Rexburg or wherever it's a product of being so densely populated with young, active members of the church, who may or may not be from Utah. Like Shannon said, it's a product of the environment in those areas.
Posted by: Emily Kate | May 25, 2008 at 12:04 PM
I think its more a product of Provo. I have spent a lot of time at all of the BYU's, and all I can say is there is no place like Provo. It's fun though. I live in LA and only homeless people talk to you on the street.
Posted by: Emmie | May 25, 2008 at 07:13 PM
lol, crazy forward guys! i guess you have to be on your toes with that sort of thing. never lived there so can't help you but i'm laughing because, like shannon said the guys are constatnly being told to DATE, so hey, at least they're trying!
Posted by: heidi | May 25, 2008 at 11:28 PM
He he! My sister was once asked out on a date in line at the grocery store in Provo, and then once while she was out with another guy (while her date stepped away for a minute) - pretty normal for BYU, but still very odd. Oh, and I love the Cougareat - fun times!
Posted by: Lisa Brown | May 27, 2008 at 01:49 PM