The Student Mack Book

by Emily

We’ve all been there. Getting a conversation started with someone you find interesting can be painfully awkward, but it doesn't have to be. A few tried and true approaches to get a conversation rolling are listed below.

1.     Blunder At The Bar: The Classic Mis-Ordered Drink.

Stand beside someone you think is cute. Make eye contact, smile, say “hi” and then order your drink. After the bartender leaves to fix your drink, exclaim to your cute neighbour that you just bombed your drink order (e.g. “I just messed up my drink order. You know, I had the words ‘Gin and Tonic’ in my head, and somehow it just came out ‘Screwdriver’. Dammit!”)  They may buy a Gin and Tonic and gladly exchange it for your mis-ordered Screwdriver and then: Boom! Instant connection.  It may work or it may not work. In my experience it works. And if this should end in a make out session, so be it.

2.     The Conversation Selfie: A Simple Introduction.

Sounds simple because it is. Starting a conversation is as easy as walking up to someone, saying “hi” and introducing yourself, and then telling them that it is nice to meet them. Phew! Palms may be sweaty before, during, and afterwards but your conversation partner will be most appreciative of the initiative and kind gesture. Make sure you have made some kind of visual connection before you do this (i.e. eye contact and a smile) otherwise you might surprise them. Guerrilla-style flirting is a big no-no.   

3.     The Inquiry-Based Approach: How’s Your Day Going?

This works well for special occasions but can be applied to any day of the week really. Start by asking how their day is going. Then go in for the follow-up question. This can lead to dangerously boring conversation babble so don’t be too general here. Ask a follow-up question that zeroes in on a tangible experience of theirs. For example, instead of asking what they do for fun, ask: what was the last thing you did for shits and giggles? Instead of asking what kind of music they are into, ask: what is the last song you listened to, or, what are the top 3 songs on your playlist right now? This should get the conversation rolling nicely.  

4.     The Approach: Pick-up Lines

Pick up lines can be used, even if they are a bit on the cheesy side, but you don’t want to overdo it on the fromage here. Nay: Girl, heaven must be missing an angel because it looks like I just found one. Yay: Tell me, do you know how much a polar bear weighs? Enough to break the ice! Hi, I’m ___. Yay: What has three legs, two heads, and a scruffy tail? I have no idea; I’m just trying to break the ice. Nay: Hey boy/girl, can I get some fries with that shake? As a rule of thumb, if in your head your pick up line begins with “Hey girl, …” leave that one behind. You’re not a Ryan Gosling meme. Keep it light and friendly, never sleazy or insincere.

Top 5 ways to get your daily F and V’s

By Emily

Getting your daily recommended servings of Fruits and Vegetables is like the plot line of a James Bond movie. It seems impossible, is somehow doable, and is always sexy. Not that we’re saying your colon is a sexist, misogynistic dinosaur. We just want you to eat well.

If you’re having trouble getting your daily F and V’s, here are a few tips to make this easier.

1.     The Giant Tupperware Salad.

Buy a giant tupperware container. Fill with a giant salad (1 whole head of lettuce, cucumber, bell pepper all chopped up. Throw some peeled and chopped carrots in there for good measure. Every day, eat a smaller, but still giant bowl of salad (think mixing bowl sized). Add half an avocado, some whole grain croutons ($2 at No Frills) and your favourite salad dressing. 4-6 servings of vegetables easy.  The giant Tupperware salad should last you about a week. 

2.     The Backpack Veggie Box.

On the topic of Tupperware, get a smaller, but decently sized food storage container and fill that baby with a few handfuls of veggies and toss in your backpack. Stock your fridge with pre-cut carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers, mushrooms, lime squeezed on pre-cut sticks of jicama peppered with cumin… whatever floats your boat! Instant supply of F and V to last you the day. Probably about 2-3 servings.

3.     The Grab-n-Go Sugar Fix.

Get your sugar fix from fruits. The ultimate grab-n-go fruit: banana. Honourable mentions: small bag full of grapes, peel-able oranges or clementines, and, the seductive apple. Remember, when it comes to getting your F and V, emphasis is on the “V”. You’re probably overloading on sugar if your daily routine consists of eating 7 pieces of fruit and 1 cup of lettuce. Sugar is sugar so tip the balance towards vegetables and your gastrointestinal tract will tip its hat for you.  

4.     Morning Vegetable Glory.

Love eggs in the morning? Scrambled tofu? Insert chopped vegetables here. A whole tomato, bell pepper slices, chopped mushrooms, salsa, pasta sauce…your options are endless. Thinly sliced fresh tomato and cucumber also pair nicely with crisp toast and cottage or ricotta cheese. A good 1-3 servings and it’s only 8am! 

5.     Smoothies. Oh God, The Smoothies!

So many options here. The perfect base is milk/soymilk and a banana. Then mix it up any way you please: chopped kale for a veggie fix, frozen fruit for something Boosterjuice-esque, peanut butter if you’re feeling like a funky monkey. Bulk up with protein by adding ¼ container of silken tofu (full container = $1 at No Frills). It goes great with orange juice. Grind whole flax seeds bought from Bulk Barn on the cheap in a coffee grinder and store in the fridge. Add 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed to smoothies, you know, for kicks. Fibre kicks that is. You just drank 2-3 servings.  

Your colon thanks you.  

Note: Adults should eat 7 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.  1 serving = ½ cup of chopped fruit/veg (fresh, frozen or canned), 1 cup of lettuce (or any other leafy green), or 1 piece of fruit.

Check out Canada’s Food Guide here: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/basics-base/index-eng.php for more info.

The Importance of Space

By Chris

Ever heard of amygdalae? These tiny guys that go ape-nuts when you are faced with a particularly familiar close-talker. They are responsible for that feeling you get when your personal space is being invaded. 

Personal space is something that even babies have an innate sense of. It’s arm’s length for some, others it depends on the company, but what are some of these factors that weigh on one’s idea of personal space?

First of all, it depends on the person. Some people don’t like to be touched, others are intuitively aware of the bond that can be formed between even the most modest of gestures. This factor for personal space comes down to personal taste, so next time you’re on a hug rampage, be aware.

There are also cultural factors for how flared up your amygdalae might get. If you’ve ever seen a Japanese subway car, it’s easy to understand that their amygdalae might have evolved to be a little more accepting of invading bodies. For others, personal space extends to the place they live, either their room, house or farm. This might account for the second-amendment, perhaps.

The importance of personal space is not a personal view, but rather a projected view on those around you. What is their space requirements? How can I not invade their idea of personal space? How can I propose the prospect of a group-snuggle? These are things that are on the minds of all people who live in close proximity to others. Aren’t they? Guys? Where you going?

The point being that these simple interactions have larger ramifications when considering the village ideal. Villagers live close together in mostly peaceful conditions because of an understood idea of personal space.

So enjoy your space, it’s important.

Why build this website?

By Chris

Why have such a site? To be frank, our goal is to put heads on pillows, bodies in rooms and feet on our floors. This is the mainstay of all student housing, surely, but if that was our only intent, wouldn’t your usual mundane housing campaign suffice?

Yes, actually, but that’s not our aim. While certainly, it is important in order to keep the lights on and the fridges cold, it wouldn’t properly serve the community we aim to serve: the students.

This website is built to be a survival guide for student life. That means we’ve spent a little more time writing pieces that will help you know when to put out the trash, how to ride the bus and whatever else helps the student survive the sometimes confusing world of student housing.

Simply making sure we’ve got our beds filled is just not good enough. We want our tenants to be happy with all aspects of student living and we hope that this site will help ease that transition.

When building this website, it was clear to us that we must take extra steps to make sure we have the raw info necessary, but also to have a conversation with our community. And it’s important to consider this site a community because otherwise, living anywhere just becomes occupation, rather than, cooperation. And that’s what we’re all about.