Updates

It's been a while since last I posted anything...I got busy with school work, oh, and I caught a cold. I'm glad that it's just a cold because for the past week I kept waking up with headaches and felt nauseous; and I lacked any appetite. I also woke up a few mornings with vertigo, which is exactly what happened to me in the weeks preceding mono. I'm glad that I was only overreacting.

As a consequence, I've been spending a lot of time lying in bed and catching up on my homework--I need to finish reading Pamela by Samuel Richardson by monday, write a paper on James Thomson, read Hamlet, oh, and attempt to read Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy. Piece. Of. Cake.

I went to an improv comedy show last night. Long story short, the improv here is exactly like the improv back home, minus the difference of accents. Of course, all of the 'players' were British. I didn't catch several of the jokes because their accents were too thick, but I still found the night overall rather enjoyable. Afterwards I headed over with my friends to Rush, a pub that is in my flat complex. I did a lot of people watching--i find it fascinating to watch how men and women interact here. According to my deductions, most of the men here are just as masculine and puffed-up-rooster-esque as they are back in the states. A lot of the girls here wear dresses without tights; I have absolutely no idea how they don't freeze when they step outside. It has also come to my attention that many people here seem 'shy,' or at least, according to how I define the term. I mean, I suppose most people in most cultures aren't going to go up to people that they don't know, but still...most groups of people tended to stay within their respective groups, and only talked to their friends. Although this is perfectly normal, I feel like in the states people are a little more apt to meet new people...or perhaps I am merely reflecting my own interactions with people.


Hmm.

I went out with the Literary Society last Wednesday night. We saw 'The Road,' based on Cormac McCarthy's same-titled novel about a post-apocalyptic world. Afterwards we walked through the falling snow to a pub. Although I couldn't drink, I still enjoyed sitting and listening to the Brits talk. I enjoy listening to their accents; they really flow through my ears with more musicality than the American-accents I am more acquainted with. The group of people that I was with attempted to explain how the British government works, but alack! some of their accents were too thick for me to fully catch each and every word that spilled out of their mouth! (I made my friend Chris from USC explain it to me today, so no worries). I was surprised to find that the Brits knew more about American politics than me. I was almost embarrassed about this, actually, but then I realized that I don't ever really pay attention to politics...

At first the group of people seemed a little distant, but as time wore on, they warmed up to me a bit, and I felt more relaxed in tongue--the words fell out of my mouth with more fluidity than per usual; especially because I can be taken with shyness when in a group of strangers. But my degree of shyness has greatly decreased since being abroad, and this is mostly due to the fact that I am constantly out of my comfort zone, and thusly forced to interact more with strangers.

Well, this is possibly the lamest post ever. Oh well.