14 planet of the arts / december 1997 SERENDIPITOUS SPACES The Operator -.continued from page 13 And I’m like, “Pm not telling you!” And she’s like, “How am I going to know who you are when I see you'at school?” And I’m like, “All I'm gonna tell you is that I have a white scooter, and that’s it. Just ask around about who owns the scooter?” And she’s like, “Aw c'mon! Just tell me your name!” But I didn’t give her my name. She says, “Well, I’m going to be at Emily Carr on the 28th for Foundation Year orientation.” She says she'll be wearing a Smiths t-shirt. So, I’m at school that day to pick up my student loan, and | totally forget that it’s orientation day. | see this girl wearing this Smiths t-shirt, and | think, “Woah man, is that that girl? What's her name Alison? Or something like that? Well, okay, maybe it’s not her. again?” I totally forget her name... ‘Cause she looks really young. And I’m like, “Oh man, if that’s her, she’s really young!” A week goes by. I see her walking by me, and all of a sudden, her name comes to me. I pull off my walkman headphones and I go, “Alyssa, is that you?” She’s like, “Who are you?” I go, “I’m that operator guy.” She’s like, “Oh my God, no way!” So I put my headphones back on and walk away like it never ever happened. This was the first time I ever met a customer, and I guess it was a good expe- rience, ‘cause Allyssa turned out to be a fresh girly. Ol Alyssa — ...continued from page 13 He says to me, “So, what other music do you like?” I say, “You gotta love The Cure.” Silence. I ask, “What’s going on?” He says, “You are scaring me. Are you a witch? I’ve been listening to The Cure all night long in my cubicle here.” I'm like, “Bullshit!? Bullshit! I cannot believe you!?” We both start flipping out. First of all, why did I ask him if he’s a Morrissey fan? And also, I love a hundred bands — The Cure’s only one of them. Why did I say Cure? People at my house are walking by and start asking me, “Are you still talking to the operator?” I am ecstatic. I can’t help it, so I say to him, “I’m sorry, but Iam in love with you. Where do you live? I have to track you down. We have to listen to The Cure together. We have to listen to The Smiths together.” He says, “Well, I live an hour away from you.” I say, “How do you Know where | live?!” With a cocky attitude he says, “I’m the operator, I know everything.” He then tells me he lives in Vancouver. I say, “Well, that’s perfect! I’m moving to Vancouver in two weeks! I'll be going to this little art school on Granville Island for Foundation...” I’m trying to sound cool and nonchalant for this guy, like it’s no big deal, when I’m really ecstatic g one Between ning day, BurnadeHe a snuck over to Her best friend Ben's corntc reading, vt of the Hive. He was busy was debghicd io have ove Surprise visit of his darling! He welcomed het to seme honey and fe3... ILLUSTRATION BY ALYSSA HUTSUL over that fact that I’m moving away from home. Deep silence. He says, “I can’t believe this. | am in my third year at Emily Carr.” “Shut up!” I say. | swear to God, there are tears rolling out of my eyes. We have been talking for about forty minutes, and I am crying. I am so excited. I am really nervous to move, but I am tak- ing all of this as some kind of special omen that everything is going to be okay. Out of all the oper- ators, and all the phone lines, out of all the nights, and everything, why? So he says, “I gotta go,” in a kind of hostile way. Maybe he was getting in trouble for talking so much. I say, “What’s your name? How will I know it’s you at school?” He says, “What’s your name?” So I say, “It’s Alyssa.” : He says, “Okay Alyssa, how will I know you?” I say, “I'll be wearing the Smiths t-shirt. How will | know you?” He says, “I drive a white scooter. If you ever see it around school, just leave me a note and we can go out for tea or something.” I'm really happy and I say, “Okay, goodbye Scooter-Boy!” We get off the phone, and I call Sarah in Banff and tell her all about what just happened. Have you ever seen the video for Venus as a Boy by Bjork? There’s these little twinkly animated stars superimposed around her in the part of the song where she’s really excited. For the next week, I walk around with these little stars all around me. It’s a week and a half into the school year. I’m about to head in through the automatic sliding front doors of Emily Carr Institute, and | hear someone call my name. “Alyssa?” I look around, and don’t recognize anyone. Again, I hear: “Alyssa?” I turn around and I look at the person who I think belongs to the voice. This guy makes the phone receiver gesture with his right hand, and says, “You'll never believe this but I’m...” “Operator-Boy!” I scream. He had seen my Smiths t-shirt. Since then, we have had a very lovely, platonic relationship. When we walk by each other in the cafeteria, we exchange this glance that reads some- thing like, “Can you believe it?” It’s an unspoken “Wow”. I would almost have a crush on him, but I feel that our experience is above that. Iam such a believer in fate. ©! Studio space of Jane Thomsett, Visual Arts major at Emily Carr Institute. PHOTOGRAPH BY ALEXANDER DUFF 14 planet of the orts / december 1997 SERENDIPITOUS SPACES The Operator And 'm ike,"'m not elling you! And she like, “How am going to know who you ae when sce you at chool?™ And Tim lik, “All Tim gonna fel you i that 1 have a white scooter, and tha’ it, Just ask around shout who owns the scooter” And she’ like, “Aw Cimon! Just tll me your But Idi give her my mame he sys "Well, ging to beat Ely Carron the 2th for Fotdation Yea orientation She sys S8e1be wating a Smiths thir at gilt Whats her name ‘Well okay, maybe ally young. And Hm like, “Oh man, if tha’ he, she's really young! A week goes by. sce her walking by me, and all oa sudden, her name comes to me.I pull off my walkman headphones and I g,"Ays is that you?” She ike, "Who are your” Igo." that operator guy ‘She’ ks, "Oh my God no way! So put my headphones back on and walk ay ike t never ever happened This was the ist ime | ever meta customer, and I guess it was a good expe rience, ‘cause Allsa turned out 10 be a fresh sie <6 Alyssa He says #0 me, So, what other music do you ihe [say."You grt love The Cure Silence Task" What’s going on” He says "You are scaring me. Are you witch? Tre been listening to The Cre all ight lng in my bile ere alike, “Bullshit lsh! {cannot beieve a Mortiey fan? And als, 1 The Cure’ only one of house are walking by and staré sory but Lam in ave to tack yo Gare together: We ha together’ He says "Welle an hour away from you Taxy"How do you Know where Hive! Witha cocky attitude he sys “'m the operator know everything” He then tells me be lies in Vancouser 1 say, “Well, thats perfect! Tm moving to Vancouser in two wees! lhe going to this ite art school on Granville Island for Foundation, "im trying to sound cool and nonchalant for this uy ke it's o big deal, when Ym relly esate F getween rings ene day, Burnadette > gnudk& over to her bot friend Ben's corner of the Hive. He was busy reading, ,but was delighted 40 have the surprise visié of his darling! He welcomed her to geome honey and fea... ‘over that fact hat Fm moving away from home Deep silence. He says, "I can elev this. Lam in my third year at Emily Cre Shut up!” sy. swear to God thee are eas rolling out of my eyes. We have been talking for about forty minutes, and 1 am crying. 1am 50 cited. am really nervous to move but Tam tak ing all ofthis as some kind of special omen that verything is going tobe okay: Out of al the ope all the phone lines, ut ofall the nights, wh 1 gota go ina kin Maybe he ss getting in trouble f ay "Whats your name? Hove wil know its you at school He says "What's your name? 0135,“ Als He sys "Okay Alyssa, how wil know you?” 1 say." be wearing the Smiths tshiet, How el knoe you” He says"T deve a white scooter Ifyou ever ee it around school just leave me a note and we ean 0 04 for tea or something” realy happy and 1 sy, “Okay, goodbye seo ‘We get off the phone, and al Sarah in Banff and tel hell about hat just happened Have yu ever seen the video for Venus a Boy by Bjork? Theres these ite twink animated stars superimposed around her inthe part ofthe song where she’ relly exited. For the next week, [wall round with thes itl tars all around me. [nS a week and a half into the school year im about to head in through the automatic sliding front doors of Emily Carr Institute, and 1 hear someone cll my name “Alps? ook around, and He had sen my Smiths t-shirt Since then, we have had avery lovely, platonic relationship. When we walk by each other in the cafeteria, we exchange this glance tha reads some: thing ike, "Can you believe i?” Is an unspoken “Wow 1 would almost havea crush on him, but Ife that our experiences above that {am sucha believer in fe, A funky studio space ‘tudo space of Jane Thomaet, Visual Arts major at Emly Caer inte,