Happy International Women's Day.

It was dark.

As I was getting on the bus, he said, “You know, you could get off at Broomfield instead.”

Oh wait, let me explain. I was heading home. I usually time it so that I can catch another bus that will deposit me pretty much directly in front of my house. But I had missed that bus, which meant having to walk from King Charles Road – about 15 minutes from my house. Not that a fifteen minute walk is bad. In fact, I actually enjoy fifteen (and more) minute walks, and more often than not, I choose them over the bus.

But it was dark.

“It’s a bit shorter walk from there,” he said, knowing that I was wearing heels and wasn’t particularly looking forward to a long trek.

“Is it well lit?” Those were the first words out of my mouth. After dark was not the time to go exploring on my own.

It’s depressing that I even have to think about that, but it’s typically the aspect that holds the most weight when it comes to making a decision like this. Because when I say, “Is it well lit?” what I mean is, “I don’t feel safe.”

And I don’t. Why? Because I’m a girl.

No, I’ve never been approached by a threatening individual while walking home by myself, let alone attacked by one. But I know the numbers, and I don’t want to end up a statistic. So every time I get off that bus and it’s dark and I’m alone, I walk quickly, eyes straight ahead, ears alert, and praising the good Lord above for the streetlights that make me feel a little safer. My heart races when I hear a rustling behind me, and I cross the street if a group of scary-looking guys is coming my way. I go through imaginary situations in my head: determining how quickly I could dial the police; whether I’d knock on the door of the nearest house instead of leading him to where I live; where I’d run if I had to; how hard I’d fight if it came down to it.

I realize all of this is incredibly depressing, but I would find it hard to believe that I’m the only girl who has these thoughts.

Whenever some creepy guy honks at me or hollers as I walk by, it doesn’t give me an ego boost or help my self-esteem. No. Usually it makes me want to scream, “I’m not just here for you to look at! I’m a person too!” Other times I just want to curl up in a ball and hide, because I feel disgusting and ashamed…despite the fact that I haven’t done anything wrong. And then I read articles about rape t-shirts and erotisizing violence, and (of course) The Sun, and my chest tightens and my throat constricts in a swirl of anger and frustration and indignation and terrible, terrible sadness.

Because the truth is that, regardless of how far we’ve come as a society, there is still this pervasive idea that while mothers/sisters/daughters are worth loving, protecting, and even respecting, there’s a whole mess of other women – usually those with whom we have no personal connections – who are nothing more than boobs and butts. It might not always be explicit or conscious, but it’s certainly there, and it leaves its mark.

Look, I know that not all men are creepers and rapists. On the contrary, I am blessed beyond belief to have so many amazing, supportive, kind, and caring men in my life – men who believe in me and encourage me and remind me that I am valued for way more than just my looks. And I also know that women (myself included) are often just as guilty when it comes to judging worth solely on physical appearance.

It’s just that when I got online this morning, Google informed me that today is International Women’s Day. However, unlike so many other days honoring a particular group of individuals (e.g. Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, etc.), it seems that International Women's Day is not primarily celebratory. It is combative. The theme of today is not the celebration of women and their accomplishments, but rather the ending of the gender-based violence of which they are so often victims. Did you know that up to 70% of women in the world report having experienced physical and/or sexual violence at some point in their lifetime? Or that there are over 600 million women who live in countries where domestic violence isn’t considered a crime? And before you start formulating images of far-off, distant, and culturally backward lands, consider that one in six American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape.
 
These statistics were still fresh in my mind when I saw a man reading The Sun on the bus to work this morning. Staring up at me was the Page 3 Girl, in all her topless glory, reminding me that despite my opinions and interests and my master’s degree; despite my right to drive and vote and run for office; despite my living in a ‘progressive’ and ‘egalitarian’ society, it’s apparently still entirely acceptable to reduce me to a pair of breasts. And not many people would even bat an eye. It got me thinking, Then it got me writing, which is how this long-winded post was born.

So while I’d much rather write about fluffy, sunshiney, chocolate-covered things, this is currently weighing heavy on my heart, and I needed to get it out. It ended up turning into a full-blown essay. If you’ve made it this far, I’m impressed.

Thanks for listening.

Time travel.

I'm convinced the closest thing we have (and perhaps will ever have) to time travel is music. In seconds, a song can take you back years. There are other things that trigger memories -- sights and smells and such -- but music has this rare ability to transport you back to a particular moment (or even particular people) from your past. 

It might be purely accidental. A song comes on the radio, one you haven't even thought of in ages, and all of the sudden you find yourself back in your hometown, riding in the bed of someone's pickup a couple days after your high school graduation, feeling that this night is somehow incredibly significant -- that soon, people will move and things will change, and that you should try to take it all in because someday in the distant future, you'll want to remember how things were.

And for those three minutes and thirty-four seconds, you do remember. And quite clearly.

Or maybe it's purposeful. You're missing your best friends, so you put on that CD you always used to play in the car when you made your weekly run to Sonic for happy hour, and the memories come flooding back and you can't help but smile as you sing along.

Regardless of how it happens, it happens. And it's a wonderful and incredible thing.

I put this on, for example, and it's suddenly 2006, and I'm getting the longest hug of my life, because we both know that as soon as we let go, one of us will be moving far far away.

  

And this will forever remind me of the summer of 2008 and asking if Penland was open and whether or not we should just go play volleyball at the SLC and order pizza.

 
  

This one (forgive me) makes me laugh, transported back to my graduation from Baylor, and how "the party don't start till I walk in" played as we pulled up to the ceremony.  

 

This makes me think of winter in Illinois -- watching the white slowly pile up against our window while we stayed inside and baked our way through the Snowpocalypse.

 

And this makes me think of dancing spontaneously in the kitchen, but only during the chorus, because once the verse hit we went back to nonchalantly tending to the pots on the stove.

There are so, so many more. And more often than not, they catch me by surprise. Not only that I remember all the words (which, by the way, how is that even possible?) but also how an event that hasn't crossed my mind in years is instantly brought to the forefront, crystal clear, with all the accompanying emotions. It's an incredible thing.

What songs take you back?

 

Wednesday randoms.

The other day, as I was getting ready to take my lunch break, I asked if it was raining. My coworker responded, "Well there are people going by with brollies up." What? Apparently "brollies" are umbrellas. Who knew?

 

This is kind of old news, but I still think it's wonderful. Thanks, Google.

 

I came home to this the other night. So thankful for sweet housemates who know that my love language is dessert.

 

Beautiful.

 

The problem (well one of the many problems) with cold weather is that it makes my hands shrink, which means that my rings start slipping and sliding all over the place whenever I type. I've readjusted the ring on my right hand 4 times while typing this. Weird, I know. Please tell me I'm not the only one...

 

I got my National Insurance number last week, so I'm officially official! Which means I get to...start paying taxes. Hooray.

 

The other day, one of my besties was talking about how it's weird working full time and that she was still trying to get used to this whole you only get a couple days off for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Well me, I'm still trying to get used to there is no Thanksgiving thing. And Halloween's not that big of a deal either. You pretty much just go straight into Christmas.

Seriously? But it's barely October.

 

It's terrible. I'm a huge proponent of letting each holiday have its own time, so I never do Christmassy until after Thanksgiving. But they started putting out the Christmas stuff at the beginning of October. Not cool.

 

I'm heading home for a little visit in just two weeks! Can't wait to see some of my favorite people in the world...and to eat some Mexican food.

 

Wednesday randoms - Olympics edition.

Happy August! Yeah, it's August...already. I know I say that like every month, but it's crazy to think that I've been living abroad for almost 11 months now.

I'm starting to really dislike NBC's prime time tyranny, because it severely limits my freedom to post about the outcome of Olympic events. I get excited watching the US women's gymnastics team win the all around team competition, and start to give them a Twitter shout out...then I realize no one at home (aka 90% of my Twitter followers) haven't seen it yet, and I don't want to ruin it for them. Lame.

Guess who got to hold an Olympic torch. That's right. This girl.

If you're here for the Olympics, or just planning to visit. Here are some good tips on how to blend in.

I was so so so excited to see the US women completely rock the team final (as in, I may have gotten teary-eyed). They were really incredible. It's especially fun, because the last time the US won gold in the event was at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, and I was there. Now, I'm here in London and they win again. I think I'm good luck. How about an honorary gold medal, ladies?

Speaking of gymnastics, You've probably already seen this video, as it's kind of exploded onto the scene recently. But it's maybe the funniest Olympics vid yet...

Still on that topic (can you tell which Olympic sport has my heart?), I feel like beam mounts used to be so much more creative. These days, they just hop up and start their routines, but I remember when the mount used to be a major part of the routine. Can we bring that back, ladies?

This also made me laugh. She's just so cute, bless her. And I'm sure I'd be making those faces too if I were made to stay up past midnight at 86 years old.

Did anyone watch the men's beach volleyball game between the US and South Africa? One of the South African guys was named "Freedom," so of course we joked about how it was the US vs. Freedom. And when the US won, there was plenty said about how Freedom didn't stand a chance against the US, and how we destroyed/defeated Freedom. It got pretty ridiculous, but it sure was fun.

Found this article about the medals race between US and China, and definitely laughed out loud. 

That's all for this week. Hope you're enjoying London 2012 as much as I am!
  

Wednesday randoms.

Well, summer has finally hit London, and sunshine abounds! The highs this week have been in the upper 80s (20s and 30s for you Celsius lovers). I know that's nothing compared to the 105+ degree weather back home, but it certainly feels hot.

Say you want to shave some calories off your Starbucks beverage. You'd probably ask for "no whip," right? Well that would get you confused looks here. Instead, you'll be asked whether or not you want "cream." Whipped cream is the homemade stuff that you actually have to whip yourself. The stuff out of the can? That's "squirty cream."

To get the full effect, say it out loud.
But don't pronounce the 't'.

Now that the rain has stopped, I keep looking for excuses to be outside. The past few days, a bunch of us have gotten together to play football (European style), which has reminded me just how out of shape I am. Still, so much fun.

A fellow American and I really wanted to get an American football to throw around, so we went to this giant sports store in town to find one. It was four floors of every piece of sports equipment you could think of, including baseballs and bats, but alas...no pigskins. It worked out okay, though, because his brother is visiting, and he brought one. Since no one (and I mean no one) from here has ever thrown one, my sloppy spiral might actually look good for once!

The most frustrating thing about job searching is the fact that you don't often hear back if you're unsuccessful. And I guess I kind of understand. Companies get hundreds of applicants. But the not knowing just means you sit there waiting, indefinitely. It can be very frustrating. I'd so much rather get an outright rejection, even in the form of a mass email. And I'm not the only one...

Just to clarify, that's hyperbolic language.
I promise she didn't mean it.

Hannah showed me this months ago. I still laugh out loud.

Imagine you're sitting in your room trying to get some work done, and all of the sudden, you hear this blaring from your flatmate's speakers. You may or may not almost fall out of your chair laughing, like I did...after a brief moment of pure horror, of course.

And finally, since today is July 25, I want to wish you a happy Christmas in July! Take some time to celebrate with these boys.

Enjoy your Wednesday.

Wednesday randoms.

The other day, I was asked how to make a particular sweet treat, which meant that, for the first time in my life (though hopefully not the last!), I got to give directions that started with, "Bake a whole cake." How fun is that?

You know those red solo cups that you see everywhere in the States? When I first moved here, I had a conversation with my flatmates about them. They were wondering if they were as prolific as TV made them seem. I told them yes. Of course. They're everywhere...especially in college. Well guess what, guys. They've made it to London...

Who knew these were such a big deal?

This was a pretty interesting read. I knew those parakeets I saw at Richmond Park weren't just somebody's escaped pets!

I've been applying for jobs like crazy lately. It's not the most enjoyable thing ever, but I actually don't mind it as much as most. I actually like cover letters. Editing and tailoring information to fit a specific audience is what I like to do (and what I hope to do), so it doesn't bother me. What bothers me is the waiting game. It can be tough to be patient.

I used to hate broccoli, so I never dreamed that something like this would have such a negative impact on my life. But it does.

One awesome thing about working with kids is it pretty much requires that you buy art supplies and get your craft on. I'm loving it. There's something incredibly therapeutic about coloring.

Good news! It looks like we might actually get some summery weather next week! And it's about time. So cross your fingers for us.
 

Wednesday randoms.

This week, I learned an important lesson. The quickest way to NOT hate the rain (even if it hasn't stopped in weeks) is to go outside and play in it.

We saw this ad in the underground. Now, I'm quite familiar with Mexican food, so my first thought was, "Oh no. Those white gloves were a bad decision." Obviously.

This made me laugh a lot.

Speaking of "a lot," my friend recently reminded me of this hilarious blog post on that phrase. Being that I too am a huge grammar snob (I swear, text speak kills my soul), I can so relate.

After 10 months of living abroad, I finally saw my first Baylor shirt in London! After a brief (but enthusiastic, on my part) chat, it was quite obvious that the guy knew nothing about my fair alma mater. But I gave him a smile, a "Go Bears!" and a assured him he'd made an excellent choice before dashing off to catch my train.

Remember when I said I hated those forks with only 3 tines? Well, my friend took it upon herself to make me feel better about the whole situation.

And I found this video really clever. I wonder what my 12-year-old self would have to say to me now...

Enjoy your Wednesday!

Wednesday randoms.

This morning, I woke up at 5am for no reason and couldn't get back to sleep. I was not happy about it. But thankfully, I had Kim to entertain me via text. And entertained I was. I swear I have the funniest friends in the world. No lie.

We finally had a good sunset! That's a big deal guys, because (1) I love sunsets, and (2) we don't really get them here. But this was definitely one of the best yet.

Makes me thankful for my west-facing window.

This recipe makes me sad that there's thousands of miles between me and my bundt pan. But I suppose I could make it into loaves...though it just wouldn't be as pretty.

I got a surprise delivery this morning! Pie tins and graham crackers! (Neither of which I've been able to find here.) And just in time for some 4th of July pie making. My mom is a star. (This one's first up.)

This fork is stupid and I hate it. I don't need a trident. These guys know what I'm talking about.

Dumb.

This made me smile. How to feel classy in three easy steps.

England might be out, but the Euro Cup continues on without them tonight. Spain v. Portugal. It's nice living in a country that actually likes this sport, especially during a big tournament like this one.

Apparently the Tower Bridge just got some bling. I'm excited to see it in person. Only one more month till the Olympics.

Kira's done with her study abroad in Italy, so she's coming to stay with me for a week! Sad to say that there London is seriously lacking in sunshine and gelato, but we'll make the best of it.

 

Thanks, Kingston!

Guys, I got some fun news today.

My university is having a student blog competition, and I just found out that they listed mine as one of the top five! So fun.

My blog was selected along with this nature-y one, this fashionable one, this random-assortment-of-stuff one, and this artsy one. They're all great. Go show them a little love. 

The competition runs through August, so they haven't picked an overall winner yet. But I'm just happy to be considered.

So thanks, Kingston! And thanks to all my sweet friends (back home and elsewhere) who laugh along with me as I stumble through my new life in London. I wish you could be here in real life (aka, come visit!), but for now we'll just have to settle for some long distance love.

Y'all are the best. Seriously.

The entire Internet...

Everything on the Internet, was not enough to keep me entertained today. I finished what I wanted to on my dissertation fairly early, so I decided to take the rest of the afternoon off. You know, just waste time and chill. But no. Later, I went back to it out of sheer boredom.

Basically I was so unmotivated that I couldn't motivate myself to stay unmotivated. Which meant that I ended up being motivated. Does that make any sense?

I think I just really need to go outside.

(source)

Though I did find this and this and this. Each of which definitely made me smile.