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For the first time, a year ago, I was setting foot at Electa Hall.
Carrying my luggage, to the room 300, that expected me, I stumbled upon a young sleepwalker, as I surprised him with my arrival. Adam James Langton was suddenly kicked back into reality, after a few hours a rest that followed a very hectic night, as he later described me.
It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship, a truly life-jacket kind of a person who helped me realize some aspects of my reality, by sharing me some details of his own.
Electa Hall was composed of two buildings – Main and Annex. Main had 3 floors and a basement, while Annex had 6 floors. I was in Main. My room had a lovely view, towards University Avenue, Leddy Library, Assumption Church, Law School, a bit of the Ambassador Bridge, a bus stop, a set of stairs and a flag pole with the Canadian Flag.
Electa had everything I needed, a kitchen, bathrooms, laundry and several entertainment lounges. Most of all, Electa had people, who at some point of my 3 month stay, become my friends, some more than others.
David Stemp – a true giant in the city of friends, and in my opinion, one of the favourites to get the Award for Outstanding achievement in the field of friendship.
Bob Steele – a humorous person I know using the less number of words possible, a shy to some, a kind friend to those blessed enough to see it.
Hakeem Matti – the Eire-man who lived in Windsor, but that was kind to share with me my last resting place in Windsor.
Doran – the Russian who came from Vancouver. He might look harmless, but he has the mind of a twisted genius of crime that is living undercover.
Kaegan Walsh – a violent words pacifist, who did wonderful impressions of Goldfinger while playing chess with me. To many he was misunderstood, however I think of him as a good friend, who has many hidden talents, hopefully not for long.
Adam Langton – already mentioned, deserves all the best the world can offer him, even if he represents all the emotions that linger in a human being. A creative writer with a touch of magician; a unique rival in chess, as he both tied in 5 victories each and a draw during a series of 11 long games we had at Electa’s room 300!
I could try and find more things to say about all these persons and more.
For instance, I remember the heating man, who came to my room to fix my heater and was desperately in need of a friendly conversation. He rumbled on about his loving wife, his daughters, his depression, the fears he had that overcome him, the trip he was planning to have to Paris with the family but which scared him immensely.
Or the Janitor in a different building, who came from the Philippines over 20 years ago, who had a brother in California, and some Portuguese friends in a community in Leamington.
My experience has a foreigner in a strange land was very rewarding; it showed me that there are good people and bad people everywhere. That humanity thrives on perfection while dwelling in it’s on common imperfections.
The world is a beautiful place, for all to live in. I said this before, but to this I add that the world become ugly when all of us forget our place in it and develop a sense of blaming someone else in the process.
Electa was a home to me in the winter of 2003; it was a place where I laughed, I cried, I watched TV, I listen to music, I talked to friends, I did my laundry. I discovered a bit of my independency there in those rooms and hallways, that continuously was the stage for each of us to be the character we wanted to be.
I left Electa for good, but I brought a wonderful load of memories and a group of good friends. In the End, that is all that matters.
cocasman@zmail.pt
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