Finally! The Interwebs!

Picture 1: A view from Princes Street
Picture 2: The Church near my dorm across the Meadows
Picture 3: a TARDIS cake!
Picture 4: My dorm

I finally have internet in my room! SWEET! Now I don't have to walk twenty minutes to campus to receive free internet!

Let me update you on my life in Scotland. The weather has actually been quite charming (with several exceptions of light drizzling) Overall, it has not been too shabby. I live at Warrender Park Crescent--which is absolutely stunning, but it is a walks away from main campus, but it'll be good for me. Thus far, I have walked everywhere (well not everywhere, but far enough!) around Edinburgh. It is stunning and breath taking.

I am a wee bit homesick, but i'm adjusting here slowly but surely. I'm in a flat with four other girls whom I now call the "pack" One night I was excruciatingly exhausted so I did not go out with them and they came back the next day bffles. They were besties. They refused to do something without the other. I am quite insecure about it and a little resentful. Because they are hypocrtical and exclude me. I guess the pack does not have to LOVE me and let me be part of them (which I don't wish to be--they party way too hard) I would like to be invited every now and then--or asked what my opinion was on regarding decoration in our flat. Yargh. It was incredibly awkward last night when Emma (the one from Bristol) brought home a boy at one in the morning...and introduced him to me as "Ollie" or that's what I heard. So I kept referring to him as Ollie, Ollie this, Ollie that, thanks Ollie. He even helped me with an ice cube situation--but it turns out his name was Ali, short for Alastair. Whoops!

I've been trying to woo people with my wit and awesomeness...but the campus is too vast. I have met several nice people. I met a Japanese American from Hawaii who I want to become besties with--he was extremely nice. And Sara's suitemates have been nothing but angels to me. The pack though--I need to infiltrate--get them alone and individually charm them! The first night here I had my story time (chinese camp, always a crowd pleaser) made them laugh their socks off...but who knows what happened?

I drank my first cider. In fact I bought it too! It was quite exciting!

The other night I went on a ghost and ghouls tour. That was wicked. There are the old Edinburgh haunted vaults--and it was spine shiveringly awesome. Our guide was a zany woman named Harriet. She asked for volunteers--the first one she whipped (as they were being tortured), second she accused as a witch (and slowly described the ear numbing pain accused witches were put through) and finally she asked for a third volunteer. No one raised their hand. She coaxed people by reassuring them nothing was going to happen...Feeling brave. I raised my hand. She asked me my name, and as I said, "Alex..." She yelled to the touring crowd, "Everybody say GOODBYE to ALEX!!! This will be the LAST time you'll see her...ALIVE!" My job was to hold the door open as we entered the vault making me the last person in there. And she add fuel to the fire by saying, "Alex, do you watch horror movies?" "No, I tend to stray away from them...i'm more of a romantic comedy kind of girl." "Well, those always last, always die first." And I said under my breath "No, it's because i'm Chinese & a minority that i'll die first!" The suspense was nerve wracking...and as I held the door open for people, people came by and said, "good luck, alex." "nice knowing you, alex." "thanks, alex." I rushed in and was afraid that something would attack me from behind! But it was all well. Harriet proceeded to tell us stories of all the ghosts that haunt the vaults--from the "watcher" to jack, the playful six year old. It was spooky, but a TON of fun.

I think that's all you have time to read...I do tend to post some hefty entries. More later on how i've been getting along. Much love to you all. I hope you're all doing fantastically State side. <3