and on the seventh day...she sort of rested.

my first week is already gone! it's been a rough couple first days, but as of thursday afternoon, i've been feeling much more settled in. and as of last night, it finally hit me that i'm in London!

i went out to dinner last night with Jiwon and Esther. it's always nice seeing familiar faces in an unfamiliar setting. we went to a wooden themed thai restaurant called busaba.

(they had really pretty bowls...)

afterwards, Jiwon and i were feeling spontaneous and decided to walk around in Soho. never in my life have i ever felt so...baby-ish and uncool! i didn't dare take pictures while i was there, out of fear that someone would jump me for being such a tourist. i wish i did take pictures though! so many different pubs, cafes, restaurants, clubs, shady looking stores, and yummy looking windows! the thing is, i seriously need to age another 10 years to look like i could fit in with the crowd that hangs around those parts. we tried mustering up courage to go to a pub, but we ended up just getting a bottle of beer each at a bar and taking it out. we must've looked like little high school punks trying to be rebellious, walking those streets on a friday night. note to self: next time you go out at night in london, at least put in SOME effort in what you're gonna wear. don't just wear comfy tights, t-shirt, and a cardigan.

for the first time this week, i slept in till 10:30. i woke up laughing about how silly and bashful i felt last night. had a light breakfast: a scrumptious Pear Puff that i picked up at a patisserie last night, a glass of milk, and a crispy Pink Lady Apple.

then i went out for a walk around Regent's Park. what a beautiful park! i promise i'll take more pictures when i go back. on my way back, i stumbled upon a bridge and watched these people playing a peculiar game on kayaks...i couldn't quite figure out how the game worked.

i'm off to a little dinner party to meet some new people tonight! wish me luck! i've been so awful at meeting british people and socializing since i've been here. i missed orientation, so i didn't get to meet the other study abroad students. i met a few people in my classes, and i actually bumped into some girls from bryn mawr, which was a nice surprise! but i've been so busy trying to figure out how to function in London that i haven't had the energy to branch out. plus, i'm not the most outgoing person in the first place. i've always been more of a wallflower.

i was talking to Edin the other night about how awkward i am...he always knows how to make me feel better about any situation.

conversation w/edin

Me: edin...i managed to sit with a full table of people during breakfast and ended up talking to no one around me by the time i finished eating.

Edin: oh no! rachel that is so awkward haha. just remember--they lost the war!

here's to socializing!

sleepless nights...

its 4am right now.

we are, by nature, complainers. it's our natural instinct to complain, whether it be out loud or in our minds, when we're put in an uncomfortable situation. most of you are probably are aware of this, and most of you have probably tried to (and continue to) work on not complaining, as i have (and still try to). the thing about trying to restrain yourself from complaining is that you're able to hold your tongue, but it's soooo much harder to hold your thoughts from complaining. and if you're actively trying to refrain from complaining, you find yourself going back and forth, battling and counteracting your complaints with attempts to think of reasons why you shouldn't complain so much, only to go back complaining...

by the time i arrived in London, i was unsmiling--it was an awful trip. my connection from Calgary was a disaster--all the passengers boarded the plane and the plane was getting ready for take off on the runway, when all of a sudden, there was a pop noise. the captain announced that the left engine was not working. an hour later, we were told that another plane from Vancouver was on its way to take us to London. we would have to wait 6 hours--that is, until 1:30am.

aside from the fact that the airport's stupid wi-fi only allowed access to facebook (which really is enough for any college student, right?), the wait for the second plane wasn't too bad. it was the flight itself that made me realize how much i complain, and how much i try not to complain, and then end up complaining again, miserable from my fruitless efforts.

below are some conversations/complain battles i had with myself during the 8 hour flight to London:

oh my gosh...that baby has been crying for an hour...please stick a pacifier in her mouth or something...anything to shut her up...(minutes later) i totally feel her pain though. i wanna scream right now too...gosh i hate flying. in fact, if i were a baby, i'd probably be crying right now too...it's ok, baby, you go right on crying. i know it's awful...(minutes later) how can a baby produce such a sinfully ugly noise?

need water...water...when are they gonna serve drinks/snacks? wow...it sucks sitting toward the back of the plane...can't they hurry up? (minutes later) oh goody! cookies and water! i love water...cookies...nom nom nom...(minutes later) oh my gosh my throat is parched. i can't breath...

why am i leaning on the wall? it's freezing. lemme just move over a little bit...HEY! this man is totally invading my space. why do men have to sit with their legs wide apart? mister you need to remove your arms from my arm space. i don't like touching strangers. the boundary is behind the armrest...i don't like touching strangers...(minutes later) well...he is a pretty big man, horizontally...if i feel cramped, he REALLY must feel cramped. oh look he's crossing his arms and is trying his best to keep his arms from flopping over to my side. he must feel very uncomfortable. they should make airplane seats wider for people his size. poor guy...(minutes later)... why couldn't a skinny 7 year old girl sit next to me?

plane rides are no fun. since this entry to is getting too long, i'll save my next horror story for later this week. but just so you know, even though getting here and settling in the first night was pretty rough, i'm super excited to be here! i went to an awesome church on sunday that made me feel so glad and so blessed to be here. i'm much more at peace now. can't wait for happier adventures :)

i have a meeting with my advisor in about 4 hours...i'm gonna go to bed.