Odd

[marcmagus]

In College Center North Atrium, second floor, on a public computer, checking LJ and the like. Suddenly, I notice that it smells exactly like the food court at the Columbus Convention Center. I don't really know what the smell is, but I've always found it vaguely nauseating.

Comments

[directordale.livejournal.com]

Very strange. A food smell flashback (IIRC, the North Atrium is more or less above the Retreat.)Smell is a very powerful sense and people generally have long memories for smells especially ones that bring up extreme feelings like nausea.

[marcmagus]

That's south. North Atrium is where all the tabling and such goes on, and the walkway where the computer I was at is is more or less above the Kiosk. Although I think perhaps my words were misleading. It's not that it recalls nausea so much as that the space has this peculiar funk permeating it which I find vaguely nauseating. I think it may perhaps be the smell of rancid oil, actually, thinking on it further.

[jhadania.livejournal.com]

You'd think the Kiosk would smell of old coffee grounds more than rancid oil, unless things have changed more than I assume they have. But that Retreat sure could put out a smell if it wanted to, so it's not unlikely to have wafted over. Yum. Apartment living and subways are not better than college. But I still don't miss it.

[marcmagus]

Yeah, unless it's the oils from the coffee beans. *shrug*

I could well be wrong on the oil guess. Maybe someone else who's been to the convention center will know what I'm talking about and chime in. wylddelirium, glasscut, mosephine, mnemex, amyamy? Thoughts?

[penguinkraft.livejournal.com]

it doesn't smell like the oils from the coffee beans, at least not overly much. it smells sorta ok right at the bar of the kiosk.

the north atrium smells like years and years of rancid lard, bacon from the retreat, and the post office. the post office smells like the "lost and found" at the Hynes CC in Boston (like dirty, wet, lost paper that too many people have touched).

[amyamy.livejournal.com]

I'm with the Penguin, it's a bit of carry over from the Retreat, plus the P.O., along with a dash of the 'smell' of tabling - assorted foods, handled money and frustration.

Which would probably not be a smell far off from the Columbus Center, but I couldn't say for certain.

[marcmagus]

I'm actually far more interested in identifying the source of the smell of the convention center food court, which I've noticed every time I even got near the food court, than the source of the smell of the 2nd floor N. Atrium, which I hadn't noticed in many years of visiting that exact location until today.

[amyamy.livejournal.com]

My guess is going to be that the source of the smell in the food court is the food court. But that's just me.

[(Anonymous)]

Truly, the convention center is vaguely nauseating just by its very existence. Who designed that thing?

Unfortunately, I cannot help identify the smell. My overwhelming memories of the place are from when I helped run a day care center there. Very different smells.