When I lived in Madison, I had someone in my life named Sarah. Sarah knew what she was doing all the time, or at least she looked like she knew what she was doing. So when I complained to her about a minor problem of mine, she would offer the solution she would employ. She even did it abroad. I told her about the odd wart on my foot, and she told me to get some salicylic acid to put on it and then put on duct tape. She even said the acid wasn't really necessary if the wart was small enough, but it's nice to have just in case it comes up again.
About the time I was telling this to Oscar, I had an epiphany. In Madison, I was surrounded by people who were already living on campus and knew the ropes of everything. And even if someone was new like me, they knew someone who knew the ropes and was currently teaching them or had already taught them. I think about Intervarsity when I say this because the groups of Intervarsity are led by one upperclassman leading a flock of freshman. This upperclassman teaches the freshman upperclassman ways, and thus the freshman know better than other freshman.
Since coming to the UK, I've been lost in a sea of unfamiliar brands and similar but different customs and nothing but observation to learn what to do. But some things you can't learn by observing. For instance, I don't know anyone else with a dying watch battery. Therefore, I don't know where to go to fix my watch. Oscar said a jeweler's, and I swear I found one somewhere -- I just can't remember where that somewhere was. So I'm going to keep on looking until I do find one. Or find another watch. Whichever comes first.
I may act like a fresher over here in the UK, but there's something missing over here that I didn't have in the US: A guide of some sort.
I don't have anybody who will say "Oh, there's this little shop on Tottenham you should try. The name is blartyblart by yadda street." Yes, everyone's in the same boat as me, but people can at least help me with unfamiliar brands or customs. For instance, the bottle of laundry detergent I have is completely different than the bottles in the states. It's smaller and more rounded and very compact. I discovered this fact on my own a few days ago. No one told me "Look for a small and curvy bottle." There isn't anyone to say "Try this small jeweler's shop. They're cheap and good quality too." Hell, I don't even have anyone to say "The library is on such and such street. Just stop at this tube station, it's right there."
And the stress of that has been sending me into tears the past couple of nights. But you know what? I'm all better now. I had my chat with Oscar, I had my pizza, and I had a late night excursion to Sainsbury's to get it. Everything's hunky dory (except in terms of textbooks. Oh, textbooks . . . . )
With that being said, I can now laugh at this story:
While on my way to my first class, I exited out the usual Oxford Circus tube station. Except, I exited out the wrong door, and I found myself walking five blocks along Regent Street looking for that dratted University building! Then I saw the sign pointing me towards Trafalgar Square, and I knew I was going the wrong way. Oh well, turn around, storm back to Oxford Street, recognize the strange needle tower that marks the correct way to campus. Then finally make it to said campus. I walk in, I go through the barriers, walk up the stairs, and attempt to find room WS106 and find there's a door in the way. A minute of "What do I do now?" later, I walk downstairs and ask a security guard (because that's what they're there for besides keeping the peace). He tells me I'm in the wrong building. Go out the doors, take a right, third right on the right, it's on your right. Got it? Okay.
I didn't get it. I went the wrong way out the building and I came to a small park and I figured it wasn't the right way. I even asked a random stranger on the street, but she didn't know where Wells Street was. So I walked back to the Regent building and I asked a different security guard (I wasn't going to the same guy!). He pointed directly to the street I should go down and told me the third right, building's on the left side of the street. Got it, thanks a bunch.
And that's how I managed to get lost TWICE on my way to my first class. Now have your laugh.
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