Kulture Shock

So yesterday I was miserable. The heat, the stranger in my backyard incident, bad internet connection at my house, and cafes that close really early, let alone $3.36 in my checking account. Today was better, then weird. It was cooler out and with gusty winds. After class I worked on my abstract for submission to the SEASSI Graduate Student Conference, which they liked despite the fact that I am not a graduate student. Then we finished filming our 1st term final project bidyo. Then I walked down to a really nice park by my friends apartment "the clubhouse". It almost felt like I was by the ocean. Huge waves were crashing up onto the breakwater, and the wind was carrying the spray all the way over to my park bench. There were even flocks of seagulls playing in the wind. I sat on the bench for an hour and pretended to study while for one of the first times since I have been here I actually enjoyed the weather. Then I started to get cold so I began to walk back toward my bus route, but the weather was so nice that I walked all the way home, wondering what of the strange assortment of food I have left I could assemble into a adequate dinner. When I got home, the house smelt like really good food. I walk to my room to set my bags down and notice that the sliding door is open and somethings had been moved around. Then I see my roommates and two guys having a barbecue on our back patio, and they are using my room as a hallway, which is against the rules in my book of roommate etiquette. But the good news is they invited me to eat dinner with them. It gets weird after that. Other than my roommates once in a while, and my awkward 'puti classmate, I have not talked to any white people in a social setting since getting here. THEN, we played cards and they played country music. Then my mom called and told me that the guy who kidnapped/molested/murdered the 22 year old Madison girl recently was probably the guy in my backyard and that I should not only be miserable here, but now also paranoid too. And tonight it is working. But hey, at least I am not hungry anymore.