Pass the Cheese Please!

Go Big Red!

Here we are.  August 2011.  The semester following my time abroad.

As I am moving back into my fraternity house, I felt that it was only appropriate for me to write discussing the differences between living with my brothers, and living with three women.

For me, this past semester featured a living arrangement that was quite different than that of last fall.  Last fall I lived in my fraternity, Alpha Gamma Rho (social-professional agricultural fraternity).  This semester, as you know very well, I was living with three women.  As a result, I learned a lot and was forced to do many things.  Here is a summary.

1.  Toilet seat.  On the first day there I learned that I must always, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, put the toilet seat back down when I am finished in the bathroom.  I am proud to say that I have only forgotten to do this twice.  In the frat, you simply put the toilet seat in the desired position before you do your business.  I believe that the frat toilet seat protocol is a much simpler system.

2.  When around women all of the time, the do not think that “that’s what she said” jokes are funny, as clearly, a “she” did say the statement.  Had to quit saying that after a week.

3.  Women can be funny and play jokes back on you too

4.  Don’t pee in the shower.  Or at least don’t bring up that discussion at dinner.

5.  Girls will buy anything at little markets.  Personally, I have never seen a bunch of my brothers go to a market in downtown Ithaca soley to purchase underwear that has cows on it.

6.  Dinner Call.  In my frat, when dinner is ready , we simply yell up the stairs “DINNER!!!!”  Apparently this is unnecessary in our apartment.  I just did not want anyone to miss a good meal.

7.  No one gives you a high five for a good belch at dinner.

8.  Excusing yourself after burping is required.

9.  The question “what do you want to make for dinner?” Literally means “what do you want to make for dinner?”  Those nights I usually made grilled cheese.

10.  Why am I making my bed?  Apparently an unmade bed makes a room messy.  My room is by the bathroom so there is lots of traffic by it, so apparently it just looks better with the bed made.

This was a great semester for me, and I hope you got some entertainment out of this post.  I may have had to change some simple things, but the girls usually took good care of me too.

I am excited for the fall semester to start back up here at Cornell.  Whenever I see a reference to Italy on TV or hear one in conversation, I think to myself how awesome it was that I was there, and how badly I want to return.  It will not be nearly as relaxing as my semester in Parma, Italy.

Bouna Fortunata!