vignettes of this and that

As I am leaving for Scotland in exactly one week, I decided to draw up a list of resolutions for myself.

1) be friendlier. this includes: being better at small talk, initiating conversation, smiling more. i think i’m pretty friendly when i first meet people, but it still requires effort. i am so bad at small talk it’s actually kind of hilarious. what will i talk about? the weather? “it’s so sunny and warm and nice!” oh wait… i will probably never say that in the next five months. and i am a timid asian girl so the last conversation i initiated was probably with myself. also, i have a tendency to look like a psycho if i over-smile. so maybe i will super fail at being friendly.

with that said: i actually do like meeting people and i’d like to think i’m quite nice and open-minded. i act extremely different when i’m with friends that i know really well versus with strangers i’ve only known for a few minutes/hours/days. this is another reason why it’s a pain in the butt for me to navigate the path of Talking To Strangers And Making New Friends. i will come across as very subdued and reserved. i promise i’m not. 

2) learn to cook. this is a given. because if i don’t i will starve. or be broke within a month.

over this break, i have become very skilled at cooking ramen. i hope edinburgh doesn’t sell ramen because i’m not sure my body should be subjected to ingesting any more of that junk.

3) acquire a scottish accent. i am bad at accents. i can’t even fake a chinese one. this will be a nice challenge.

for the longest time i didn’t like the english accent because i found it pretentious and too refined. now i think it’s okay. but the scottish accent sounds more rugged and deep and there is a definite warmth in that comforting throaty-ness.

4) get out of my comfort zone. i know i act like i have two left feet and couldn’t follow a rhythm even if my limbs were controlled by some master puppeteer. but i can’t just go to a ceilidh and stand there like an idiot. i should at least, like, move… or attempt to.

5) squeeze everything culturally relevant into 4 short months. i know i’m technically STUDYING abroad but my classes there will be pass/fail and i’ve overloaded for the majority of my college career and now i’m just tired and burnt out and freaking exhausted and so sick of academics. this is my semester to just sit back, relax, and enjoy whatever life decides to throw my way. even if it consists of days of unceasing rain and sleet :)

6) buy tons of london 2012 olympics memorabilia. not so much a resolution as an item on my to-do list. i’m sure this is inevitable anyway…