Sometimes being abroad is just.too.much.
In a child development class I took back at Beloit I learned that when babies are over stimulated by their environment—if they are having trouble regulating what is going on in front of them, they simply look away. They avert their eyes. They take a moment for themselves.
Well, I feel like a baby who needs to look away.
My funky mood was confirmed today when I walked past the banana bush without checking on the banana.
Let me explain. There is a bush by my house that I pass every day on the way to the train station. Just a regular bush. Well, three days ago, a banana was resting on a few of the branches on this bush. I spent a good two minutes staring at it. I imagined a twelve year old boy, trekking home from school, remembering the banana in his backpack that his mom told him to eat, and putting it on the bush. Or a six year old girl living in the neighborhood who heard from a friend that if you put a piece of fruit on a bush then the bush will grow more of the fruit. Or an old man with a weird sense of humor.
Next day, it was still there. A little more brown, but untouched. I smiled at it and kept walking.
Then this morning, when I walked past it, the banana had been eaten, and the banana peel was resting on the exact same branches. I gawked for a few seconds and kept walking.
This afternoon, I walked past it without thinking of checking on it. I was too wrapped up in my mind. And I didn’t want to know. I didn’t care. I was thinking about the way the old woman on the train attempted to say something to me in Danish, and how her face had dropped when I said “sorry…I don’t understand you.” I was thinking about the homeless person I saw sitting on the corner holding a candle, protecting the flame with his hand. I was thinking about how I miss home, my dog, and my pillow that has the perfect amount of fluffiness. I was thinking, thinking, thinking. And now, after a hot bath and some tea, I’m done thinking. It’s time for the most non-thought provoking tv show reruns I can find. Here’s for a peaceful and relaxing Saturday. Cheers, everybody. Enjoy your weekends! (And don't think too much, unless you find a banana bush).
“So where are you from?”(Answer)
“Cool! What college do you go to?” (Answer)
“Oh! Do you know [insert name]? She’s a junior. She’s really good at playing the [instrument].” (Answer)
“What are you studying?” (Answer)
Based off of these three questions, you either become friends, or you don’t. You internalize their behavior, the way they laugh, the smell of their breath, their eyebrows, the sound of their voice, their shoes, their posture, and you decide: Yes, I like the smell of your butt, you’re my friend now, or, No, I don’t like the smell of your butt, you’re not my friend now. (OK I’ll drop the dog analysis). But really, how do you decide? What is it about their eyebrows that turns you off? Why are you completely drawn to the way they say “yeaaaah.”? WHAT IS IT??? Will someone tell me? Have you figured out yet that I’m extremely fascinated by this topic? My heads going to explode if I keep thinking about it.
I’ll just talk about it a little more.
Because after orientation week is over and classes start and you see those friendships in action, it is extra duper fascinating. Who is friends with who? How do they greet each other? What’s their body language? Wow, aren’t humans amazing? Is anyone else feelin’ me or am I alone on this one?
Anyway, I’ve made a few friends. It’s funny, because I don’t consider myself someone who automatically looks for people that dress the same/look the same, but then last weekend this picture was taken of me and my friend Bridget, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
