In addition to being a favourite TIFF memory, it's actually one of my favourite stories to tell period.
In July 2003 I was at a recruitment session at Roy Thomson Hall, I was wearing a t-shirt with a Roman Dirge illustration on it that day, it was a picture of a weird looking monkey that read "I like monkeys (except for this one)".
I was at the Elgin sign-up table when this guy walked up to me and said "I like your t-shirt. I like monkeys too!" and then he rolls up his sleeve and starts showing me his monkey tattoos.
If this guy had come up to me anywhere else, I probably would've started backing away. But, as it turned out, we chatted a little, he told me his name was Michael, and then I lost him in the crowd.
We would later see each other again at the Elgin, where he eventually became a captain as well. We'd cross paths and hang out both at TIFF and outside of the festival, there are so many photos of us at the TIFF parties and the old Elgin parties. After he changed jobs and could no longer volunteer, we still kept in touch, we played pick-up ultimate frisbee, hung out, etc.
It's been 12 years, Mike currently lives in Nova Scotia, but I still consider him a good friend and one of my favourite people. I love how we met, and I love how we still know each other. We've had so many good times, and thanks to technology I can text him like he's still living in High Park (and I do sometimes!) I wouldn't know him at all if it wasn't for TIFF (and that t-shirt).
Oldest photo I have of Michael (from the 2005 Elgin party)
Last photo of us before he moved home (in 2013)
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