Entry FORTY-THREE

UNI CLASSWORK AND RESIDENTS She's difficult, but I knew that from the start. She thinks from a Chinese prospective, forgetting we're in Australia, thinking I'm lying about Aussie women working while pregnant! And then the presentation. She's a fucking hard-head. On the bus to Pacific Fair, where I offered to join her for her mistake while she returned a shirt, she was arguing with me about the presentation. She told me, not asked me, that I had to give it...even though so far I'm the one doing all the fucking work. Things got better, but then in her room on the way back she was odd. Cold. Upset? And I asked when to meet for lunch and she said something about doing some reading and going at 11:40, but not about meeting me. I told her I would be there at 11:30, but never went. I don't play games.

What to do, what to do?

"Hey guys," Jillian said as she passed through while the skinny Malaysian just mouthed something to me (so unusual). I was surprised by both: that Jillian bothered and the Malaysian wasn't her usual chatty self.


IM/Text/Email/Post Just happen to be awake as it came! It was such a pleasant coincidence.

UNI RESIDENTS I got back to my room after the meeting not worrying, but wondering what was up. Why did she act so pissy? She took over, wouldn't listen, wouldn't look at me at first, and didn't want to present any part of the presentation. And yet things changed and we were all talking and laughing at the end, all such headstrong personalities, and she waved goodbye with a "Bye, Jennifer!" I just didn't understand.

But then she called my dorm and sounded really strange. Not cold, but scared or worried or sad. She asked to have dinner with me so we could talk (after I offered to come over, why Liz has helped so much in the past). Honestly I was worried, it was like she was depressed.

I sat outside the brasserie waiting, not afraid of people looking, and she came. For forty-five minutes we talked about her problem, how she doesn't think she can do well with the Aussie school system, or English. That's why she was acting strange, trying to hide the fact that she is scared and doesn't think she'll do well (hence wanting me to present). I tried to help, assuring her that I've been through it, and at the end she looked better. She said I had helped, and it looked it, but she still looked a bit worried.

It felt great to help. And now I know our friendship is okay, too.

DISCOVERED I get really frustrated when a non-native English speaker misunderstands me and acts like I'm the unitelligent one. Also, I need to be more patient when this happens.

INVITES Audrey caught me as I was going in my room and she was coming out. She's so cute, that smile on her face the entire time, and waving hello and goodbye. I was talking to her before she had to leave, about how "jealous" I was that she was going swimming, and she invited me to come next time. That made me feel very good.