Redacted Journal - July 8-14, 2019

(This has been edited and most names have been changed.)

July 9th, … Easton the janitor was going into room 214, and offered me a fan, presumably from that room, as though he were cleaning it out. Today I volunteered at a charity store. It went well except the guy who was operating the scissor lift told me I could use it to paint the shelves, while holding his cell phone up, tilted, the camera towards me. It turns out I would need to be certified before using one, so he was trying to get me to do something illegal. The store’s manager, Dorian, tried to take a picture of me working but his phone died, so I took some good selfies. The first picture on reddit was a cat taking a selfie, saying how handsome he was.

July 10th, Last night I read some law on refugees. This morning the internet was slow and multiple websites kept coming up with errors. Wifi on my new phone kept cutting out until it eventually wouldn't connect. The other phone did connect. This is around 10:30 am. Issues seem to abate right after I take a screenshot or write about them, but then there are different issues to follow. I had issues with Google maps a little using cell data while I was walking... The internet kept flaking out, but I found the correct password for a wifi and now it works well. I listened to some French this afternoon and zonked out. I used to do that when I felt overwhelmed. Mom asked if I was speaking a lot of French on Facebook tonight. I asked her to mail the passport and birth certificate via USPS priority mail with delivery confirmation. She said she would do it tomorrow. The Canadian border security’s website had two notices which said they would seize any passports and identity documents of refugee claimants, and also that I should expect long delays through Canada Post mail and no tracking number.

July 12th, ... When I got back I saw my mom had asked for me to confirm the address I had sent her by text. Today I volunteered at the charity store again and had a lot of fun. I met a guy … who said he didn't realize how much of a problem it was to try to get a job in Montreal without knowing French. ... Ellie and Lucas found a bedbug in someone's room. ... I was burning my hand on the steam and yanked it out of the microwave and broke-ish one of the door hooks. I told Ellie and Lucas. Ellie said it was always like that, and not to worry. Lucas walked to the microwave and said now he understands, bugs and hookers... then jumped away from me and told Ellie how I make this face and he can't tell what I'm thinking. Ellie said Lucas will bug me a lot, and is good for "links," by which she meant associations. Lucas asked me if I studied psychology, and mentioned the inkblot test. They went back to talking about bedbugs and I left. ... Facebook loaded the newsfeed after I wrote about it. There was a meme that showed a burned down building and a sign that said "We found a spider, fixing problem."

July 13th, ... When I was coming back 2 guys were talking outside loudly. The black guy was talking about Pearl Harbor and how they are going to kill us all. ... I went to a yard sale. On my way back a piece of cardboard was on the grass, saying there was a yard sale going on at my street. I couldn't find a house with that number. .... I went to do laundry. ... Then Lucas opens the door and says he had this thought that I was in some dark room, and that it would be crazy if I were there, so then he opens the door and there I am. I say I did walk past him with my laundry, so maybe he did see me out of the corner of his eye. He said he did in fact see me go first one way and then the other, and said I looked so confused that it bothered him, and then he was feeling bothered. I said I was still a little lost around this place. He recommended I not leave my laundry unattended, and noted again how confused I looked and how much he was affected by it. I said I would try to be-- but he said it was something with him, related to his own confusion. I asked him if he had laundry to do, and he didn't. He just wanted to check and see if I was in the laundry room. Easton came back to get his laundry, but he left a set of earplugs. I went to his room, and after not seeing him on the main floor, I knocked on his door. He cracked it open, not wearing a shirt and having a towel on his shoulders. I handed him the earplugs and left. I had recently taken a picture of a package of earplugs at Home Depot as well.

July 14th, I woke up a little in the night. I took some ginger tea, as I did not feel well, and there was a picture on Facebook that showed a beat up car getting gas, and it said this is when you try to drink coffee on two hours of sleep. I went to New Story Church. Mary spoke to me and asked me what I thought about abortion. The sermon was about God's leading which can sometimes be illogical and have no clear benefit and is like a very strong feeling. (I disagree) ... My Google maps app was flaky today, and wouldn’t load before I left for church. ... There was a guy in the info building at Jean Drapeau Park saying there were so many good things in French, but he couldn't access them because he doesn't speak it. While I was walking on a bridge listening to the radio, the song, "Drifting Away" came on. Then after that a song saying "If you are going to say something you don’t mean, cover my ears and go lalalala"...