Episode 28: You Should Eat Before Partying

How is it, I can sleep only 6 hours and wake up feeling more rested than some days when I wake up after closer to 10? I went to be at 2:30 last night (well this morning I guess) and woke up (on my own, no alarm, no disruptions, nothing) at 9 this morning. And I felt perfectly rested. I wasn't really tired until almost five.

I had no class until 2 today, so I mostly doodled around on Facebook and finished writing up my monologue for the presentation on Friday in Theatre. It's not amazing, and I'm not a spectacular actress, but I think it'll work okay. I hope it'll be good and not lame.

I also began watching A Very Potter Sequel and I have to say, so far, I love it. I was wondering where they were going to go with it and I love how Lucius actually says, "There's literally no where to go from here." Also, I love how their set, matches up with the motif on the cover of the first Harry Potter book. Just such a nice touch. Plus we see how Ron got his headband! And there's Lupin! "I'm Harry freakin' Potter" (Best song ever.)

About noon, I started getting ready for class and went to make a sandwich for my dinner. Well, I found that most of my bread had the beginnings of mold on it. The bread that was going to get me through to the end of Friday, had to be thrown away, only one slice able to be rescued and made into my half sandwich for dinner. Which meant I had a chocolate and banana granola bar for lunch and then dashed out at one to meet Rachael and Montana so we could go to class.

Of course we arrived early, since it does not take an hour to get to class. So we just went up to the classroom and spent the extra time talking. Again, I feel like I've known these people so much longer than a month.They're just so awesome and it's easy to be with them. Totally going to miss them when I get back to the States.

Anyway, class was pretty chill. We talked about Comedy of Errors and went over what we've learned in this class. And I even remembered part of it thanks to pictures and good memory. Woo, go me. On Friday we have a quiz, but it's not a grade sort of quiz and it involves prizes. I'm excited. I like prizes and (as conceited as it sounds) showing off what I know.

When class was over, I hopped on a bus (well, technically I hopped on two buses since the one I was on went to Surbiton Station and then went the complete opposite way of the way I needed to go) and raced back to the dorm real quick. I had forgotten, but I wanted to give Antony my number so he could text me if he came to Oceana. I also got to drop my backpack off for once. Score.

Got back to Surbiton Station and hopped on the train to Waterloo. At this point, I was feeling a little exhausted, so I took a seat on the inside, flipped my purse over to the side of the train, where my hand rested over it and its zippers the whole time, and then took a nap all the way to Waterloo (come on, I had to get a little bit of rest somehow. I had to be awake for Oceana tonight).

Got on the right tube trains and made it out to the Bush Theatre. Where I then went in search of a Coke and something to eat (since I ate my half sandwich during the quick interval at my dorm room). I found a little convenience store and bought a Coke. I also discovered one of my new favorite granola bars. It's called Eat Natural: with Almonds and apricots in a yoghurt (yes, that's how it's spelled here) coating...and nothing dodgy. It also has coconut and a little honey. And I'm totally buying like eight of them for the plane ride home. Because they are gluten-free.

Met up with most of my theatre class (Mareika, Kelsi, Tyler, Julia, and Allison) in the pub attached to the theatre. Where I go to take more research shots for the second book of my trilogy. I also got to watch the group consume desserts and dinner which looked fabulous. And I actually am content with just looking at that. It's perfectly fine with me. I get to be like "That smells so good" and not get sick because I ate too much or my body reacted badly. I personally had half of that granola bar and about a third of my Coke.

This play was freakin' awesome. I had so much fun watching it. First of all, it's in this little tiny theatre that is about the size of Mom and Dad's bedroom and there are some bleachers across the back and a couple cushions on the floor, all of which are filled by about thirty people. Then, the cast is only three actors, but they play like twelve characters altogether. Plus it was a musical (I like the song about jam)!

One of the best parts was when the old woman was going around and giving people jam. When she got to Kelsi and Julia, she gave one to Julia and Kelsi reached for one. And the woman was like "Not for you!" and swept it away. It was hilarious. And they really got the audience involved in their play. It really was a great end to the quarter.

But my night was only half over at this point. For it was Oceana night. So I raced back to my dorm and go changed. Then I went to Abby and she did my make-up and hair and we headed off to Coronation Hall (the pub which is the official pub of the Kingston University Summer Students). Where I tried Alyssa and Stephanie's drinks and promptly felt queasy (like sick to my stomach). Might have been because I hadn't eaten much, but it still sucked. Jim was there, but I was still confused after last night, so I didn't really go over and talk to him.

I did nearly have a little emotional breakdown because I was in Coronation and suddenly, it seemed like everyone had left and I was worried they'd all gone to Oceana without me. But Abby was still there, so I was good. I still had someone to head to Oceana with.

While I was there, Jim gave me this rose he made out of a napkin (it's rather impressive actually) and asked what people had told me about him since I seemed distant after last night. I told him how people said he was a player. I don't remember exactly what we said, but it felt like we smoothed things over, kind of.

Then I realized that people had left without me again and I bolted out the door (because I'd already been left behind once and didn't want it to happen again). Which confused Jim, according to Abby. She was like "how'd it go?" and Jim was like "I gave her the flower and it went horribly wrong." Abby caught up with me outside of Coronation and talked to me. So I went back in and set things back to sort of right with Jim.

Ugh, this sucks. I hate having awkwardness and I'm still so inexperienced at this kind of thing. I really, really suck at it. And it really sucks when I just have other people's opinions and rumors to go on. Why can't life be more simple? Why must it be messy, complicated too ("And you think killing people will make them like you but, but it doesn't. It just, it just, it just makes them dead")? I like Jim, he's easy to talk to, and he makes me laugh. And he's pretty good about making sure I'm not just left on my own with no one to talk to.

Anyway, Abby, her friend Natalie, and a guy Natalie met at the pub all left for Oceana. And because Natalie's pub guy knew the bouncer, we go to skip the whole line and just go in. Plus he paid our cover charge. Sweet. I love not having to pay for things. The last two times I've gone out, Jim, Stan, and Antony have bought my drinks.

Abby and I met up with Lyanna, Montana, and another Ashley. Then Abby disappeared so I went with Montana and that group. Sadly, karaoke was not up and running tonight, which was a bummer since I love karaoke. Someday after I turn 21, I want to go to some karaoke bars. I think it'd be fun (yes, I just said going to a bar would be fun for me. Shut up. If you have a good group of friends it could be).

I also learned that I am far too white to dance in the R&B room. Seriously, I cannot do it. I tried but I mostly looked like a idiot (although I usually do when I dance). Jim also called when I was in that room and Montana and I tried to go and get him (since they wouldn't let him in unless he had two girls in him group) but the bouncer said it was too late. A little while later Montana, Lyanna, and Ashley decided to head home.

I figured I could just go back to where Abby had disappeared and find her. Yeah, you cannot find someone in the flashing strobe lights of the super crowded dance floor. And Abby and Ben (who I think she was with) are very distinctive in a crowd. Partly because Ben just towers over everyone. You'd think I'd be able to spot them, but I couldn't.

I was about to just throw in the towel, call a cab and head for home, but I spotted Stephanie and Alyssa. So I went and danced with them. And they helped me dance like a little less of a dork. Thing is, I can feel rhythm but I get self-conscious. Steph and Alyssa helped loosen me up a little so I could dance better. I think I would dance even better if I didn't have my purse, but oh well.

We danced for quite a bit in the Grand Ballroom, which was an odd mix of music. The one bad thing about Oceana is the detritus littering the floor (because apparently, drunk people cannot find a garbage for their empty drinks) and the floor is sticky. So a couple of times I nearly fell from being a klutz and stepping on debris.

But I also had problems with feeling dizzy which made me trip a couple of times. And the strobe lights didn't help. After a while in the ballroom, we went to what I think is my favorite room (at least when there's no karaoke), the Disco Room. I knew the songs they were playing, which was great. And I got to impress Steph with my nerdy knowledge of some of Thriller when it came on. Because of Ron, I knew some of the dance and was able to demonstrate it for her.

At least until some guy carrying a girl (both probably drunk off their gourd) knocked into me and Stephanie had to catch me to keep me from falling. The only bad part was that it was insanely hot and stuffy in there, so we moved back to the ballroom, where we met up with some people. But by this time, I must have been really dizzy because I kept tipping over and Steph had me lean against a wall. After a few more songs, we decided to leave.

We walked to the bus station and Stephanie and I sat there forever waiting for a bus. I got to ask her advice about Jim and she gave me some sound advice and said I could always ask her about boys and relationships. Then this guy sat on the benches that backed ours and we asked if the bus was ever coming.

Which opened up a conversation with him. In which I was named June and I was from Canada. He asked if we were from Seattle and Steph said she was from Canada. I started to say that I was actually from around Seattle, but she put her hand on my arm, very subtle thing, but I took it as a signal not to give any personal details. So when he asked our names, I became June and Steph was April. He seemed harmless, but you can never be too careful.

Because sometimes you end up with the crazy drunks who kept trying to engage us in conversation and creeped me out. He was like "I love you baby." It was rather uncomfortable and disconcerting. Another two people had joined us at this time and we'd been waiting a good thrity minutes, still no bus.

So we asked a taxi how much it would be to take us back to Seething Wells. The guy was really really nice and he was like " 'Round nine pound." So the four of us hopped in the back of his taxi, happy not to walk any further than to our front doors from the Seething Wells entrance. And we gave him a three pound tip because he was such a great guy to us. I went into my dorm, and ate the rest of my granola bar and soda because Steph maintained part of my queasiness and dizziness is because I didn't eat well before going out. I wonder what can fix my aching, heel-abused feet?

Well, the sun is coming up, because it's five am, but yay for no class tomorrow (well, today). I can sleep until I feel like getting up and then Carlie and I are going to Platform 9 3/4. After which I will write my essay and pack a little before going to the farewell dinner tomorrow night.

Today's lesson: strobe lights+little food+loud music+heat= dizzy Ashleigh and a gateway to fainting. Eat before going out. Also, June is a pretty name to use on strangers. Ciao.