Hi guys! I know I've been lazy about updating this, but the truth is that I haven't had much time either.

Ceren (the other volunteer) and I feel like in a socializing marathon: WE NEED TO MEET PEOPLE AND MAKE FRIENDS! and those things take time and effort - there's a lot of small talk to be done and awkward silences to fill.



But seriously, in the first weeks I was having a hard time coping with that beginning awkardness, when you're starting to get to know someone. All the initial shyness and pauses in conversation. 
People, how do you deal with the awkard silences?  Honestly, how???

Last time I was with Telmo, before he left to Berlin, he was telling me about a birthday party he went to, where everybody was kind of quiet and conversation wasn't really quicking in.. Telmo, like me, feels physicly disturbed with unconfortable silences. He gets all itchy and has to say something, anything!




"So, can you imagine your parents having sex?"

Apparently, after he said that, everyone was grossed out, laughing: "eeeeugh! don't put those images in my head!!" Some even had funny stories about catching their mum and dad in the action.  
Everybody relaxed and spent the rest of the night chatting merryfully. - All thanks to Telmo and his filthy mind.

When he told me this, I remembered our first year of university, when we all met.

Everyone ate lunch in the school canteen and, for some reason, fecal vomit was one of the most recurrent topics of conversation.  I have no idea how it first came about. It's the most desgusting thing to talk about while eating, but that's exactly why we loved to bring it up, as soon as we run out of things to say to each other. 
Later it became a game. If you were in a party, dinner, or some social gathering, and the crowd suddenly went quiet, you had to count to ten and then scream: "FECAL VOMIT".

Works everytime. 

 

More recently, about a year ago, I was going to Ezstergom with Sarah and Jen, and the latter was telling us she had reached a point in her life where she was ok about being embarassed in front of other people.."I would go eat spaguetti on a first date. I'ts the messiest, most embarassing thing to eat in front of someone you want to impress. There's no way you can look cool while slurping pasta, and we could both laugh about it. Because after you feel awkward, it really can't get worse and you actually start bounding." 

The only good thing about unconfortable silences is that they are generally mutual. The other person is feeling it too and probably thinking desperatly of something to say, just as much as you.
I reckon unless you're super social and easy-going, meeting new people always comes with those annoying parts of not feeling very confortable yet, and the trick is just admitting, and laughing it out.

 

but that's easier said than done.
so if you guys have any tips like the slurping-pasta or parental-sex ones, please share the knowledge with me.

I don't always travel in high heels, but when I do, it's a 18 hours trip to Vilnius.

part 1
After losing my phone at the security check, in Porto. I got to London Gatwick where I was told my flight to Riga was delayed an hour and a half. With this delay, I was probably going to miss the next one, from Riga to Vilnius, and wasn't even sure how I could call and warn Elena, who was picking me from the airport.
I went to the Airlines Office, looking visibly nervous (as I always get about airport things) and barely forming sentences. The man at the desk told me I would be fine and Airbaltic had all the responsabilty and would, for sure, provide me with a way to Vilnius that same day.
He was in his late sixties, gray-haired with blue eyes, and looked exactly like a worker from Megabus that had helped me when I was in London, earlier this year, waiting for my night bus to Glasgow. 
Both times, they were so nice and paternal, calling me "dear" and assuring me that everything would be alright, that I really wanted to hug them and scream "thank you so much! I wish we were related in some way and I could send you a present for christmas!" Later on, I wrote on my sketchbook this note:

Dear Joana from the Future,
Nerver forget you're undying love and respect for old british men that work in station/airline desks.


part 2
After talking with him. I tought about turning my computer on and writing Elena an email, but I quickly remembered that plugs in England are different. Instead, I went around the airport trying to find a payphone I could use with Euros (just picture me walking fast and mumbling to myself like a grumpy old lady "mghghghthisdamncountryghghrhrhghheverything'sdifferentghghgtheythinktheyresospecialhhghg"
I finally found one and managed to call her. After having some trouble getting the country code right, it finally started ringing.

but Elena wasn't picking up.
so I called my mum at her workplace.
nothing.
(oh maybe she's at home) I called home.
nothing
I called Elena again.
Finally! She picked up, but as I was starting to tell her what had happened the phone beeped and this appears on the screen:

£0.00

"FUCK!!" I screamed to the phone speaker.
THE PHONE HUNG UP! GAAAAH! WHAT IF I CANT CALL HER? WHAT IF THERE'S NOT ANOTHER FLIGHT TO VILNIUS? WHY DID I GO AND LOSE MY PHONE?! AND WHY ARE THE PLUGS ALL DIFFERENT HERE?! JEN TOLD ME THEY WERE SAFER, BUT ARE THERE REALLY THAT MANY PEOPLE DYING FROM ACCIDENTS WITH NORMAL TWO-HOLE PLUGS? I DON'T THINK SO!
I'm going for my wallet cursing everything and wondering if I would have enough money to make a second call when I hear Elena's voice shyly saying
"aaa.. is everything ok?"

I didn't know if I was relieved the call was still on, or mortified that I had just sweared loudly at the girl who was picking me up from the airport.