Internationals

(for the second time of writing - grrr)

Today *shock* I helped out with the arrival of the new international students.
I didn't really do much as they seemed to have everything covered, but I did meet one girl and also got invited to a weekend in Paris. Never been there, so that should be cool.

She's from the USA and is living two doors down from me this term. She's friendly and bubbly and decided to hang out with me all afternoon which was cool. When we walked through college she said hello to the people we passed - although none responded... I've never done that! She didn't even appear that put off by their negative responses and her confidence certainly wasn't dented!

She even came to the drs with me where we had a long wait. This didn't bother her as she just talked to everyone who was there. When two girls came in she said hello to them but they looked at her as if she was strange. She turned to me and said, 'don't you guys to that in England?!' To which I replied, 'no, not usually, but I wish we did.' She still managed to get a conversation going with them and chatted for ages not in the least worried about what they thought of her or anything.

This all facinated and amazed me. The ease at which she strikes up conversation and keeps it going. I've only known her for an afternoon and yet I already want to be like her. It's at times like this that I hate being a reserved British person (yes I know Carl, I need to be who I am!). I want to strike up conversations with complete strangers. I want to be so confident in myself (or more accurately God) that I don't care what others think. The thing is, I'm even too scared to talk to her again. What if she didn't like me and found me boring or annoying? (although she did want to show me to her parents - 'my parents would so love to see an English girl!!!') Oh my silly brain. I think I have a lot to learn from Katie. I know I can do it, cuz I have in certain circumstances. It would be cool to be free.