It's always surreal when the students return

Today was my first day back on campus since classes started. Just like last year, it was a shock to see the hoards of undergrads all over the campus. It was so strange remembering what it was like last year, as I was so lost and thrown off by the trendy students all around me. But I had such a strange day, which I will now outline in bullet points:

• It took me until today to notice that they moved the History MA office away from being across the hallway from the PhD office. I'd been noticing that someone had been using (what I thought was) the MA office, and he didn't look familiar. I thought he was a super-keener new MA. I also noticed that the keener MA using the office seemed to have disposed of all of Dawson's posters! I felt sad for Dawson, losing all his posters because a new student felt so possessive of the office. Then today I noticed that there was now a nameplate on the door, like with someone's name and not saying "History Masters Students." I wonder where they went.
• Speaking of offices, every time I use the PhD office, there's always the evidence that one of the other members of my cohort had just been there. Her computer's always set up on the other desk, her reading glasses perched on top of a notebook, a box of crackers and her computer bag nearby. I always see evidence of Mona, but never Mona herself. Today, I noticed that everything was in the exact same place as it was a week ago. Same half-opened package of crackers, notebook opened to the same page. This is a mystery. (And I wonder if this is an explanation for this behaviour. Especially the first frame, because I sure didn't get any sort of bribe to pretend she was just in.)
• Today I discovered that a friend of mine just started his MA in my department! Last winter he'd contacted me and asked whether he should apply here; I told him that he really should, but then I never heard back from him. I always assumed that something else came up. Then today I went to check if my scholarship cheque was in, and as the grad secretary was flipping through the cheques in her drawer, I noticed his last name. And then I ran into him as I was getting on the bus! Such a strange way to find out that he lives here. (Secret message to Lyn: obviously it's Justin.)
• Right now there's a cat peering in my window, looking straight at me. I just noticed that and had to share.

As if the day was not surreal enough with the sudden influx of tens of thousands of students.