Looking Back

Mike: "Remember back in highschool, when you passed my chemistry exam for me?"

Me: "Haha, Oh ya..."

Mike decided that this was a good time to recount this story to the group of friends:

So [Friend] and I are sitting in a classroom on our own, trying to do the make-up exam to pass the chemistry course. We're both really bad in Grade 11 chemistry (Quebec students graduate from highschool at Grade 11) and we had no idea what to write on the exam we were given.

Thomas then walks into the classroom. He knows we're doing our final tests and there isn't any teacher supervision so he essentially decides to do the test for us. (Chemistry and highschool in general for me were really easy). So he starts listing off the answers in sentences, for us to copy down as he says them.

Our teacher, Mrs. [Teacher], then walks in and sees us two and Thomas. She looks over at him and asks if he's helping us on our tests - Thomas looks over at her confused and says that he wouldn't help us cheat. He then walks over to some containers of magnesium strips and tells her he was just playing around with he chemistry supplies, since it was the last day of classes.... Maybe she bought the excuse or maybe she could have just given less of a fuck (she was pretty awesome that way) but she walks out to another class.
While trying to light magnesium stripes on fire (Ow, my retinas!) Thomas then goes back to dictating the answers to the tests' questions. Because of Thomas, [Friend] and I both managed to pass chemistry.

My reply:

Me: "Hehehe, I'm awesome!"

Grandma's rocked it since 1930

I had a talk with my Grandmother today. She's been in Montreal for Easter weekend and is heading back home tomorrow.

We were speaking about what types of places I go out to with friends. After listing off the types of bars/clubs I like, I turned the question back on her and asked what she used to do back when she was my age.

Seems likes her young 1930s life (yup, she's in her mid 90s right now!) was a lot like mine.

Her and her friends would get all dressed up and drive together to a hotel downtown. Back then (at least in her region) bars did not yet exist. Instead, hotels had lounges that offered places for people to relax, socialize and drink alcohol. The men and the women of my Grandma's group would split up, since such establishments' entrances were segregated based on sex. The lounge interiors were also segregated: men and women each had their own exclusive sections, cordoned off by drapes, whilst there was also a 3rd section where the two sexes could socialize together. All of my Grandma's friends would meet up in the mixed section, where they'd sit down, order some drinks and have fun.

What I loved so much about hearing this story was that after 1 or 2 beers, my Grandmother and all her friends would most of the time all start signing together and cause an all-out ruckus (well, 1930s-style ruckus) until they'd get thrown out of the hotel's lounge. They'd then go to find the next hotel and repeat the process.

Hehehe, if there was genetic evidence for the fun I have with friends, bars and alcohol, here it is. Of course, I don't dare to imply I'm as badass as her.