November 2012

Christmas is right around the corner.
In less than a month, I will be sitting on the floor, patiently waiting for my parents to wake up and to open the beautifully wrapped gifts under the tree. In a really corny way, I will be more looking forward to the fact that I will get to see my family's expressions when they open their gifts. I also won't be able to wait for Christmas dinner with the family, and champagne being acceptable to drink at 11am.

Christmas is definitely a time of love in England. Everyone cosies up and has fun. Playing games and spending the whole day together.

Another major part of Christmas - DOCTOR WHO! This episode looks spectacular. I don't want the Doctor to move on from Amy and Rory but I guess it was inevitable at some point. Oh my Doctor Who geekiness. I remember the first episode starring David Tennant on Christmas Day - I literally did not sleep the night before, purely for Doctor Who reasons.

But America seems a bit slow on the uptake. I mean, I complain that Budgens has mince pies and advent calendars in August but where is the Christmas stuff.

There are a few decorations littered around here and there but i-walk is where you get to see the real Christmas stuff, you know why BECAUSE WE ARE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS. Europeans celebrate Christmas. For Americans, it seems they are a bit tired after Thanksgiving so Christmas is no big deal, and because they eat Christmas dinner on Thanksgiving, it doesn't really mean that much.

I hope once December hits this changes. Although, Americans do not even have advent calendars! Or Pantomimes! Clearly Christmas is not as important!

Saying that, my lovely friend Laura seems an exception to the rule. She has even given me my Christmas present already! A beautiful tea mug! So me! My other friends got quite interesting presents.....thanks god that wasn't me.
x

`

Wow. So by popular demand (not from Mum) I have been asked to write another post. Frankly, I am flattered. So thanks so much :)

However, the few people who have asked me to write kind of want me to write about a particular thing (Or as Laura says - write about something juicy). And I can't possibly write about such a thing on the internet. Just in case it falls into the wrong browser.

What I will say though is it makes me blissfully happy. To the extent that I am so scared that it will end and I will feel utterly horrendous, and consequently I try to stop myself feeling so happy. But hey, you guys will pull me away from a cliff edge right? When it comes to it?

So what's new to tell? Well, I spent all of the thanksgiving weekend cooped up in Andy's apartment with my friends. We watched countless foreign films (on one day we watched only foreign films) and ate a lot of turkey and pop tarts (classic Geneva combination). We talked about relationships, parents, friends and trust and it was one of the best weekends yet :)

As of this week,
I received a lovely hamper from my Mum, full of fruit, crackers and shortbread. I also received my Christmas Advent Calendar! So happy! Now I can say it is Christmas. It is definitely time to start getting excited.

Now for some reason my friends wanted more of the videos from that Sunday...because they want to know what we are saying. Um, so I'll add some below to make it interesting. Maybe one a post...I don't know....you odd readers now having demands.....

Ok, so imagine your most embarrassing scenario....got it? Triple the embarrassment by a few hundred. Yep? Got it? Now maybe, just maybe, you will be able to understand why I was trying to conjure up black holes in my friend's apartment the other day.

Do you remember in a previous post I may have mentioned my amazing Portuguese friend Betty had been filming my friend Andy and me when we were out in La Jolla Shores. Yeah. She threatened to turn it into a movie. Yeah. I laughed along thinking this was an empty threat. Little did I know that Portuguese people do not joke around! When they say they will do something, they will do it. I was in Andy's apartment when Betty came in and told us she had a video to show us.

Yeah.

Well I'll let you be the judge of the finished product, shall I?

The evening of thanksgiving was lovely. 

Happy thanksgiving!!!
Excuse me whilst America just shuts down.
Seriously! I have never seen anything like it! I-walk and I-house is pretty dead, there is no one about, and everything is shut for the next few days. It is like it is America's time to hibernate.
It is odd for me especially as I don't celebrate it at home, although everyone continually asks me if I do and if I am going home for Thanksgiving. Alas, if I was MADE OF MONEY then maybe I would fly home for four days but right now, no.
It is also weird because it is celebrated like Christmas. Everyone comes together to celebrate and eat food together. It is a lovely tradition. However, it is so not like Christmas on all over levels. It is not cold. I have no underlying feeling of excitement and I am not with my family. It is bizarre. It is sunny. I went for a run in the morning and then sat round the table and had lasagne for lunch with a bunch of possibly the nicest people ever!

So what am I thankful for?
I am thankful for the amazing friends I have made here (and yes, I am talking about those who also had to fly and see their families today). Everyone is so lovely. Everyone is so kind. I can't get over how genuinely nice these people are and how they will look out for you even when they don't know you that well. My thanksgiving plans kind of fell through because I didn't double check that the Cheesecake Factory was open. yet after Lasagne with my friends, the boys apartment from Geneva said I was welcome to come to their thanksgiving and that they had, last minute, decided to cook a turkey. Catalina also said I was most welcome to come to their host family's thanksgiving but I felt guilty at having to tell Mikey that the Cheesecake Factory plans had fallen through and now I was going off with another person's host family. So I am going over to Geneva tonight. And I am sure it'll be amazing. Because the people are amazing. And even when we were eating lasagne out of Cafe V bowls (that I had managed to assemble together over the last few weeks), and we were squished around this teeny table, I felt overly happy.

I love you International House.

Some chocolate, four girls and the classic phrase "Boys suck"

My friend Betty said something really interesting yesterday. She said that our year abroad will change us a lot. We will come back different people and our original friends will not understand us or our experiences. Betty and Catalina have had years abroad before this year and apparently they said everyone changes, from our morals to our personalities.

I just can't see it happening. I really can't.

I will still be the geeky girl obsessed with Doctor Who and Sherlock, I will still have has many posters in my room of those two series as I do DVDs. I will still be the naive girl who has had absolutely no concept of what people are referring to when they say certain things. I will be waiting for someone to notice me (Benedict Cumberbatch, I'm still waiting for you) and hopefully, I will still always have this instinct to feel guilty and try to please people.

If I do change, I hope I change for the better. I'd quite like to be less of a doormat which Laura (see Laura you are mentioned in my blog :P) says she can already see is starting to happen. I'd also love to banish most of my insecurities and be more confident but ha, I do not think that will ever happen. I also know I will never lose my friends back at home. I am so lucky to have them. I don't think that will happen.

I've always been a girls girl and I miss this lot :) my eight from secondary school :) x

A bit of a perfect weekend.

Saturday:-
Consisted of the gym, swimming pool and then a really fun trip to Ralphs with Laura and Betty. I just found it really fun. We were chatting around, walking in the glorious sunshine and being total girls. Later that evening, I experienced my first proper Basketball match. It was really fun. The atmosphere was incredible and people were beating down on their chairs, screaming, throwing their hands up and doing the triton sign...meanwhile the band were playing during time outs and half time (a real marching band in blue uniform just like in Taylor Swift's music video 'You Belong To Me'). Everything was just so perfectly well done! We then went back to Andy's place and played on the Wii (I think I have gathered I am way to enthusiastic and jump around when all you really need to do is flick your wrist but hey ho)

Sunday - Andy, Betty, Catalina and I took a trip to La Jolla Cove Shores to see the seals. It was a really fun day and one I will never forget. It was November, I was standing on the beach with live wild seals literally inches away from me. I so badly wanted to go swimming but obviously, it isn't exactly approved behaviour. We didn't even do that much today but the amount we chatted meant the day lasted forever. I was getting increasingly embarrassed by my Spanish friends stating Andy and I were on a date and they were our photographers (yes they literally were taking photos of us everywhere meanwhile filming our conversations and doing over the shoulder shots because they are going 'to make a movie'). Meanwhile making comments like "Oh you f**king blonde people with your perfect matching hair like the most perfect Californian couple." Yeah Spanish people don't hold back. Andy and I soon realised also the fact we had blonde hair apparently made us immediate enemies of them as we were continually called "you f**king blonde people". Yeah Betty has all the pictures of the day and literally I would say 80% of them are paparazzi style filming or taking pictures of Andy and me. At the end of the day, Andy even said "So thanks for date, you know the one we didn't know we were going on." Spanish people. Seriously. Best craziest friends ever. I don't think I have laughed as hard as I did today for a very long time. The amount of tears streaming down my face and the fact my throat is now really sore shows it was good day even if we did just go and visit the seals and then go for lunch (at a place Eduardo recommended so we were a bit wary at first due to previous experience but turned out to be pretty great).

x

Hullabaloo is an exciting event that takes place at UCSD every year.  A massive funfair comes to campus and a massive party is thrown outside with huge rides, stalls, and a massive stage with some wrapper and dj playing beats all night long.

What had happened previously that night had put me in a very good mood so I knew I would have a good time in the evening. We had a little bit of fun at our apartment where one of our friends got very tipsy and shared a lot. It had been rather hilarious. I tell you, American openness...has no boundaries. When we finally got going to Hullabaloo, it looked incredible. The stalls were up and had lines of people outside them and the music was pumping.

We waited for one of the rides. FOREVER. Literally, forevvvverrrr. We were playing with the leaves whilst Betty took lots of photos (she is an amazing photograph and has the most beautiful camera).

The ride was so much fun (once we got on it). We whizzed around and around, clinging onto the sides and screaming like crazy. We also got a beautiful view of UCSD. After the ride, it was 11.30pm and this meant all the stalls were shut down. I was bit upset because I wanted to go to the Harry Potter stall but ah well, it couldn't have been helped. We walked back to the apartment and waited for other friends to return too. And they did. And many things happened.

Apart from being serenaded by our friend from i-walk to our window, there was a lot of lust in the air. Suddenly our friends were all making out with people (our being Betty, Catalina and me). We rather enjoyed watching all of the drama evolve and it was quite hilarious when Betty decided to get out her paparazzi camera to document the entire evening. I now have many an interesting film footage on my computer but I shall never be sharing it with anyone.

It was a very fun evening.

I embarrassingly was forced by my friends to show my other good mate my room. I had to quickly tidy it beforehand. Literally for about two seconds so sorry for the mess but thought you might like to see it. My brilliant friend Betty was with her beautiful camera.

So today marked the day when a professor from back in England came to visit.

At first I was quite scared it would be really awkward, and I was also a bit worried because I had an essay due and really needed to get back to it.

However, it was really nice. The teacher was lovely! She offered to buy me lunch even! We talked for quite a bit, there was the occasional awkward silence, but it was usually quite natural. I even got her to talk about Benedict Cumberbatch! Score!

She asked me if everything was ok at University and I had to keep repeating myself and telling her I was fine. There was nothing worrying me about University and I was just enjoying myself immensely. I discovered I had been taking more classes than I needed to (even if I wanted to continue editing) but I really didn't mind. It means a) that I get to experience everything I want to whilst here and b) each course counts as less and less.

We started talking about my year abroad project. I thought I had to do it on something I am studying...something historical...something to do with literature. No. It just has to have something to do with the Americas. Literally anything. I could do it on the frequent attacks by killer whales on their owners in recent years. OR...OR, wait for it, wait for it, I could do it on Benedict Cumberbatch and his impact on America or about Doctor Who's relevance in Britain compared to its relevance in the United States. I am going to have fun with this project.

On another note my lovely professor heard about my love of editing and said she was sure she could talk to our head of department whether I would be able to enrol in the internship program whilst I am abroad which means instead of doing courses I would do an internship at a television station or something along those lines. I am going to go and investigate at the careers centre tomorrow.

I also played Water Polo yesterday for the first time since being here. It was so much fun. It was with a whole bunch of people I didn't know so I made lots of new friends including with those on the opposite team. We even swapped team mates at half time as a joke. It was a new type of water polo too, I was in a rubber tyre! it was hilarious! But my backstroke came in handy. It was surprisingly hard work in all the areas that you never use in Water Polo! It was great. I got asked by a girl I met briefly in the first week of term as I was walking to the laundry room, so I abandoned my laundry basket and ran off to get changed - my swimming costume was still wet from surfing and my legs ached from yoga - but I was off. It was really nice! Good day.
x

Ok, I have to keep you updated on my surfyness!
I stood up again! Quite a few times. The sea was really calm today so it was quite nice being able to paddle out and catch waves without being petrified that you were going to be thrown into the sea and have salt literally invade every single part of you.
It was good fun but a bit chilly. I may have to invest in a full wetsuit after all. Although when ever anyone asked me if I was cold I kept doing the manly British thing and saying "No, I am fine. You're forgetting I swim in the channel."
Yeah. I don't think I have ever swum in the channel. Mum and Dad never took us to the seaside in England. Mum's idea of a holiday was not a beach in England, it was a beach abroad. I am very grateful for this!
I also scared one of my friends quite a lot when I turtled quite a few waves. Turtled being flipping under your board to avoid being smacked by waves if you don't remember. I suddenly realised someone was swimming frantically over to me and so I popped up thinking the waves must have gone by now only to receive
"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING UNDERWATER FOR SO LONG!!!"
"Um, avoiding the waves."
"I thought you were dead! How big are your lungs!"
Note to self. People aren't away quite yet that I am part fish.
I have started to make some really close friends in my surf classes though which makes me so happy.

Meanwhile, my friend Betty and I have decided to set our goals high and start training for a marathon. Laura, Betty and I ran for roughly an hour last night down to the beach and along the sea. It is rather interesting running in the dark particularly when you pass cars which suddenly have shining lights inside and you get lost on the way down to the beach and begin to take unlit paths which look suspiciously like they are taking you towards cliff edges. We then all walked back up the hill talking about girly things and having a good laugh. It felt good. I have never been a runner though so I don't know if I'll be able to stick to it.

In other news two of my friends have booked flights out to come and see me! I am so excited and flattered they are spending their money that way! It is so sweet of them! I have the best friends :)

Week 7 is almost up. Weird to think I am nearly a month away from coming home. Time to start pampering myself I guess...

The Marber Family came to visit.
Well I say Marber, King and Queen Marber aka Michael and Eunice. Wow. I didn't realise quite how excited I would be to see them. I saw them walking along I-walk and literally sprinted out of the apartment to give them a massive hug. My friends Nathan and Christina walked behind them staring - probably thought they were my parents the way I was acting.

The first thing Eunice spotted was how nicely dressed I was (it is a bit of shock after seeing me in such rubbish for so long). She told me I really didn't have to dress up for them but I kept what I was wearing on as I sprinted to grab my bag and leave with them.

In the car I felt so happy. It was like being home but in a surreal dream of some sorts. I was so happy to chat away with them and they were so lovely, offering to get me things at the drop of a hat which of course, I didn't want to ask them for anything. They proceeded to tell me all about the places that they had raised my best friend Rachel! I didn't know she lived here for a while! I knew she had lived at one point in America and frequently visited San Diego but I didn't realise that she lived here! She learnt how to swim in the pool I have been swimming in every day! How weird a coincidence is that! I couldn't believe it. Meanwhile, the beach I have had surf lessons on is the one she used to be taken to as a child.

We drove to their apartment near Solana beach (another blast from the past as this was where I got the train to LA for Disneyland - never expected I'd be back a few weeks later in a completely different situation). It was beautiful. Their apartment has glass walls which looked out onto the beach and a massive bedroom with a study and beautiful lounge area. When I heard they had invited my Mum to come and stay I thought she would kick herself if she knew just how beautiful and peaceful this place was! Bad move Mum! We sat on the balcony and chatted for ages! I felt so comfortable with them and loved telling them about my mishaps and goings on here. They, in turn, told me lots about their own experiences and why they loved San Diego.

We went to a Mexican restaurant for tea. It was gorgeous restaurant (I ate so much - seems to be an ongoing theme of this long weekend but I have plans to counteract it next week). I had shrimp fajitas and it was the best Mexican food I have ever had! I can never look Chiquitos back at home in the face again! Nothing can compare. We were then going to look around some shops but Eunice was scared I would be too cold so we drove back home.

I showed the Marbers my apartment and I think they were a bit shocked at how messy it was (seriously though...they came on a good day) and then my bedroom (which I had tried to quickly clean before they came) was a shocking mess in Eunice's eyes (thank god she didn't see it before!). She was saying she wanted an update on Skype to make sure I cleaned it up.

It was so nice seeing them. When they said they would see me once again at Christmas it made my heart leap into my throat. I love it here I truly do, but seeing the Marbers who are like my second family made me realise I do miss my family - joking and laughing with them and telling them about my new life. I also miss Rachel Marber - my sister from another mother.

It was an amazing evening and I had such a fun time. Definitely worth now needing to work into the night on my homework. It was the best way to finish a day and hopefully now I have set Eunice on a mission to make my Mum USE Skype.
x

Having watched the recent SkyFall movie in the cinema, I have realised just how proud I am to be British.

I couldn't have been happier that I was watching the famous stage actors who I had supported and loved for the longest periods of time finally recognised on the big screen (Rory Kinnear and Ben Whishaw), alongside English gems such as Daniel Craig, Judi Dench and Ralph Fiennes. Furthermore, I couldn't stop myself grinning when there was an endless amount of London background shots streamed together, and I also was delighted by the fact that I was finding it pleasantly reassuring that in almost every English scene there was rain; they captured it beautifully.

I thought the film was brilliant. James Bond, like Doctor Who, Sherlock Holmes or Harry Potter, is clearly an English icon (despite the fact one of my Americans friends said to me "But why does it come out first in England, James Bond is American?"), and I found myself loving it even more for this fact. It made me very smug.

Another reason why I found myself feeling very proud to be British this week was because I found myself defending the Royal family when one American friend asked what exactly was the point of them. I rose to the task of outlining their importance and cocking my head to the side and tactfully asking what was the point of the President (yeah that didn't go down too well especially as election week has very much JUST been and gone and also, I know there is quite a lot of difference between the royal family and the President).

Another reason why I am proud to be British? Because we celebrate Veterans day properly. We buy poppies at the stores and wear them with pride. We give that money to the Veterans so that we can thank them and if you are anything like me, you loose your poppy so many times that you end up giving almost a months allowance so as to be able to wear your poppy proudly until November 11th. However, here, there is no such thing. Veterans day is a day off. A day to lie in bed and do nothing. It is a bank holiday. I find this quite shocking because England was thoroughly involved in the World War before America and lost many men having fought from the beginning. However, America is country with the day off. Don't get me wrong, I think we should celebrate our soldiers, but I also think that we shouldn't forget the meaning of the holiday (which many Americans seem to do have done) and  spend time remembering those who had served us so loyally.

x

Ok, I will call this certain person 'Matt'.
Imagine having organised to go on a friendly date with a friend. Ok. You text this friend in the week to confirm you are definitely doing something that Friday. You start to get quite excited by the prospect on going on said date. No concrete plans are made as of yet but Matt and you are very good friends and you know you will have fun.
Friday comes.
You texted Matt first in the week to double check the plans, and you don't want to appear needy (you're British) and consequently, you don't text him about the said plan.
Friday night comes and goes.
You discover that no, Matt didn't just not go.
No, Matt didn't go with someone else.
No, Matt didn't end up going somewhere with a girl he was interested in and consequently gave up a friend date for a hotty.
No, Matt didn't just forget.
No, none of the above.
Matt went by himself.
He would rather go by himself than actually take you to go and see this fun thing with him.

So basically, I have seen myself on a new scale when it comes to going out for a fun outing.

When it comes to a trip with you:-
Boys will think: -
1. I want to go out with a hot girl I am interested in
2. I want to go out with an interesting girl.
3. I want to go out with a girl a bit interested in me.
4. I want to go with a mate.
5. I don't want to go.
6. I want to go by myself.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16
etc.
etc.
etc.
600,000,000: I want to go with Melissa.


Joy.

My Spanish friends are so hilarious. 

As you probably know due to my dramatic post previously, I have had my TB vaccination. UCSD wanted students to have their TB vaccination if they were staying longer than a quarter at UCSD. Firstly, they wanted us to fill out a questionnaire and they would evaluate whether we needed the vaccination, and then they wanted us to have the vaccination before we came to America.

Well I filled out the questionnaire and got no reply. Nothing. Nada. But Dad, very rightly stated that it being America, I should probably get it done anyway because they would turn around last minute and say "Oh no, health is super important here, you were meant to get it done despite our poor organisational skills"

So I got it done. I sent in all my paperwork and thought Voila. No need to worry. That was until it came to enrolling in classes for next quarter. Traditionally international students get a slightly earlier enrolment time so we can try out all the new classes here before they get filled up. I went online yesterday, excited to enrol, when I saw a hold on my account. What was the hold? That I hadn't had my TB vaccination so therefore I couldn't enrol until ten days after all my peers - basically it is going to be really hard for me to get onto courses I want.

I WANT TO SCREAM.

And today I rode a wave! Finally! I jumped up on the board and rode the wave into the beach! It was the last wave we were allowed to catch as well and I felt so pleased with myself! I was over the moon! Meanwhile my instructor ran across the beach yelling "WOOOOOOO GO MELISSAAAA! WOOO" Finally, he had managed to get me to stand up! I was over the moon and I was grinning like a lunatic throughout the entire day. I stood up. Once. On my fourth lesson. AND I WAS PROUD!

However, today I did realise just how dangerous the sea could be. We were swimming far out today to catch waves and ride them into the beach. I kept sitting a bit too far on my board and the waves were extremely fierce and would literally force you down into the sea. I wiped out multiple times. It meant being spun around like crazy, thrusting my arms above my head like I was taught so as not to get my head hit by my board or anyone elses. At one scary point, I reached out for the surface, and my hands hit the floor, which meant I didn't have a clue which way was up and which way was down. I ended up nearly running out of air as I was dragged across the floor before managing to jump up out of the water, gasping for air and quite shocked. The second worst wipe out was when my board crashed into my face and smacked my nose to bits. It began streaming and I felt like the most elegant person ever...not. It's a bit spewiff now but ah well :)

My seal friends also popped up again. And then the sun came out once again and everything was good!

Guy Fawkes - a concept that many Americans have not heard of.
You also receive quite a lot of odd looks when you try to explain to students especially that you are celebrating the night when a man failed to blow up the government. This is because many of them are anti-government and also because they believe it very sadistic for english people to celebrate by dressing up a dummy and throwing him onto a bonfire. However, it is an english tradition and one I was going to sorely miss...or so I thought.

Some of the English girls here, who I hadn't actually met, I seem to be out of the loop with the 'English' crew, threw a mini Guy Fawkes celebration on the beach tonight. This basically meant a bonfire with smores. It was really fun. It reached 30 degrees celsius today so the night was pretty warm and the fire burnt prettily in the night.

I was invited by my friend Andy to go, so we went along with Glennis, Eduardo and Solveig down to the beach. It was really funny. Andy, Eduardo, Glennis and I even went in the sea. We waded out through the seaweed (Which literally tried to pull us back towards the shore) and splashed around in the waves. Andy wasn't meant to get his bandages wet so he was jumping around with his hand in the air meanwhile completely soaking his full length chinos in the sea. I, luckily, was wearing shorts so didn't get any clothing wet. Meanwhile, some of the others went running into the sea in their underwear - most of these were French.

It was a really fun evening and I enjoyed it so much. Surrounding the fire we joked about the fire literally burning our eyes and getting lungs filled with smoke. I made the comparison of the bonfire being like onions and got the literal mic taken out of me for the rest of the evening by my friend Andy.

"Yeah like onions, yet really hot...and it doesn't smell like onions, and you can't breath, and you cry a lot....yeah JUST LIKE ONIONS! JUST LIKE ONIONS!"

It was just a brilliant and spontaneous night where I met a lot of new people, stepped out of my comfort zone and met lovely new people.

-

SIDENOTE: My friend who injured himself last Friday is absolutely fine. However, it is hilarious how much rumour spreads. One of my friends in Spanish came up to me today and said "Is it true? In I-house someone jumped out of the third floor window and broke their arm!" Errr NO.
Meanwhile, one person came up to my friend and went "Dude! I heard you committed suicide last Friday."
Clearly not.
Ohhhh the good old rumour mill.
x

What is triton eye?

Right, I'll explain.

As mentioned in a previous blog, my friends have warned me that I may become the victim of Triton Eye. I have definitely become victim to Triton Eye, but then again I went to Warwick University so you can't really blame me.

Triton Eye occurs when one has been in UCSD too long. The main symptom is that one starts believing that other UCSD students are good looking. It is an ongoing joke that UCSD students (especially boys apparently) are not good looking and consequently, when one develops a crush for one it is considered that you become the victim of Triton Eye (you have only been exposed to UCSD students and it has been so long since you've seen a 'real man' that your brain begins to shift and you find the student good looking - once you return to the real world, you will apparently realise your mistake).

Now, maybe I am just an easy victim to such diseases because I found UCSD boys good looking the first day I got here, but I think it is more to do with the fact that UCSD has loads of good looking students and also I have been in Warwick for the past two years! We were voted the second ugliest University in the UK (and yes this was regarding students and not the architecture). So I have been suffering with Warwick Conjunctivitis for a while now. Now I'm hardly the right person to judge, and trust me I am well and truly grateful that Triton Eye exists because maybe after a couple of weeks it might start to work in my favour, but hey, I'm allowed to love watching good looking boys strut around campus! My friend Catalina even goes a bit further and whistles at boys when they walk past, or she goes even further and tells them they are good looking, like the other week when she walked up to a boy on the telephone and said "You are beautiful, no?"

Another popular term around campus is 'Yellow Fever' based on the famous video created by UCSD alumni Wong Fu Productions. The YouTube video was shot on campus by UCSD students (who have now grown to become internet celebrities) and based around the large amount of asians on campus. UCSD is known for having a lot of asians. The video was comical sketch about the fact that whenever someone sees a couple which contains an asian and then another race it is the female that is the asian. It is basically a humorous video on how white guys were stealing all the asian girls and that no asian guy could ever go out with a white girl but frequently one sees a white guy with an asian girl. The term 'Yellow Fever' has developed from this video and means when a non-asian girl finds herself attracted to an asian guy. It is another joke about the fact one has been cooped up to long on the UCSD campus. There are many good looking asians but alas I have not yet become victim to 'Yellow Fever'.

Sorry for the morbid title but it seems to be this week has really homed this message in on me.
Life is very short. And that is why we have to live it to the max. I am going to be very cliché in this blog so you may as well turn away now if you don't like cheese or sentimental comments. You have to be warned.

Firstly, my great Aunt Jean died this week. I loved her a lot and felt she was very much part of my immediate family. She always remembered our birthdays and when we saw her she was always so happy and jolly that I don't think I have ever heard a bad word about her. She was lovely and such a strong woman.

However, where this message has really arisen from is last night. One of my best friend's here got seriously injured. He jumped through a window and cut his arm. Blood is currently all over I-walk and he is in hospital. He seriously is one of the nicest guys I have ever met and seeing the blood everywhere and his friends covered in blood as they tried to help him was horrifying. My friends and I had left the party temporarily to get some diet coke from the shops and in those short twenty minutes, the RSO's had come, tried to close down the party, people had been trying to escape through a bedroom window, peer pressure mixed with excitement mixed with a lot of shoving meant my friend had been forced through the window and cue a massive blood trail, more RSO's and paramedics. Part of me wishes I had been there because I am trained in First Aid; I even went on a course only just a couple of weekends ago and I could have helped. However, you never know how you would react in that sort of situation.

The blood, the scenario, and the fact that he seriously could have died if he had managed to cut any deeper into his wrist or had cuts elsewhere made me realise that my Mum is completely right when she tells me "You could die tomorrow, live now." The incident made me remember all the things I haven't done and all the things I haven't said in my life. It made me think of all the times I have shied away from opportunities because I am scared I will be rejected and scared I will fail. But who cares right? That is the point of life. Sometimes you fail and sometimes you will be rejected but at the end of the day, you tried. And even then, you are that bit closer to winning, that bit closer to not being rejected and also, at least you know you tried. You will never look back in regret. I think I am definitely going to put that into practice from now on.

Imagine the scene. I am paddling out to sea, just about balancing on my blue board and the sky is overcast. It is a bit chilly because I find myself a lot more flexible in my rash vest and shorts than my wetsuit and consequently, today my legs and body have goosebumps running up and down them. As I swim towards the ocean, waves try to push me backwards, causing me to either 'push up' (place both hands on the side of the board and do the yoga Cobra position), or perform the turtle tumble (where you flip over onto your back, under the board and then roll back up once the big wave has passed).

I see a rather large wave coming towards me so I am about to turtle tumble when....when...a dark shape also appears in the wave.

Now I don't know how to describe how much fear literally gripped my heart when I saw that grey shape. I was already turning despite the fact all of my body was now screaming at me not to but I turtle tumbled and then desperately scrambled back onto my board, panting, and whipping my head around like crazy to see where the dark shape had gone. Another one shot under my board. I glanced upwards to see one of my friends surfing and the same kind of shape was outlined in the wave beside her. My whole body froze, I literally couldn't help thinking "I knew a Shark would always get me. If I was doomed to go, it was going to be in water because karma has a real ironic sense of humour."

And that's when the Seal popped his head up curiously, just a few feet away from my board.

I guess I had been a bit of a drama queen.

Immediately my whole body relaxed and I was on top of the world. I have not yet seen a single wild seal since being in San Diego and my friends have all said that is one of the most famous attractions. This small family of seals kept poking their heads up above the water and looking at us as if to say "What are you doing?" Not quite sure what I was doing to be honest, kneeling on the board once again, or occasionally squatting before being thrown to the ground by the wave. But I loved swimming out and sitting on my board. I could do that quite easily. And I love to turtle tumble the waves, it is so much fun (until you think about what could be underneath you).

A whole flight of Pelicans came to join us too. They swooped so low to the water that one of my friends jumped off her board to avoid them when she managed to catch a wave! They are not exactly scared!

It was a good Halloween :) Surfing was great despite the slightly overcast weather and later on, Yoga was fun too! I'm getting less and less sore as the weeks continue!

Glad I didn't think like Laura when I saw the seals! "Hey, aren't seals like the sharks' greatest food source."