first day of HKU classes, internat' students dinner, and i somehow acquired friends?

To the approximately four people (plus random creepers - hi!) who actually read this blog:

GUYS, GUYS, GUYS.

Today, I made friends. I might not be completely friendless at HKU for the next four months, I am so relieved! ... Everyone seems very amused by my hiccups.

The classes I sat in on today were kind of mixed. I think I'm going to enjoy "Hong Kong Popular Culture" (a sociology course) but I don't plan on taking "Highlights of Chinese Dynasties" since it actually covers material I've done in my Chinese Civilization course freshman year. It actually seems like an even more simplified version of that course. Most of the students in the class have no background whatsoever in China/Chinese history and it's a very easy class, only 3 credits (most classes are worth 6).

I sat in on another soc. class called "Body, Beauty and Fashion" and it seems promising but I'm a little undecided plus there's a good chance I'll get lotteried out.

Tonight there was an organized dinner (I use the term 'organized' a bit loosely) among HKU and a bunch of colleges/universities in the area at a restaurant for mostly international/exchange students. I met people and am now slightly more reassured that I won't be friendless simply because I don't live in a residence hall.

I'd like to think that I'm relatively funny, likable, and fun to be around. And while I'm aware I'm not socially inept, I am afraid there might be something about me that simply screams 'HELLO, I AM DESPERATE FOR SOCIAL INTERACTION' because I have been terribly lonely thus far with no built-in residence hall network.

One of the guys I ended up talking to a lot is a senior at UC Davis named Eli and he was sweet enough to walk me home (even though it was a few blocks out of his way) after a bunch of us missed our bus stop. I'm touched since his response to my thanks (on Facebook) was "It was no problem, girls shouldn't have to walk back in the dark ^^".

Maybe I'm strange, but aside from the the chivalry factor, I'm a little touched that he was aware that it's not always safe for girls to walk home in a strange new city late at night. It's not a "you're a girl and you can't take care of yourself" thing, it's just honestly not safe. Especially in a city like Hong Kong when there are a lot of underground paths/tunnels and not a lot of foot traffic at this time of the night.

I'm accustomed to Bryn Mawr's safe campus (which apparently made the top of one of America's safest schools, interestingly enough) but Hong Kong is very different.

Anyway, I have plans to meet up with Eli for lunch and to shop a couple of more classes tomorrow. Should be fun! I'm just excited at the prospect of actually having a social life and not like, sobbing into my pillow every night for the next four months. I'm also now completely exhausted since our dinner didn't start until 8 and it ended at 11 plus all us non-locals were left to navigate the confusing MTR system.  It was... interesting. And confusing. Give me a couple of weeks, I'll have it figured out by then.