If it 'funny' for me to read this. You might be someone at the same faculty I am. I know there must be people struggling. Especially foreigners. But I feel I wouldn't notice or wouldn't be able to help even if I did.

I have all kinds of baggage and problems 'normal' people don't have. I also have problems accepting that there are no 'normal' people, and that everyone struggles. I guess I am lucky all the academic stuff is not a problem for me.

I recently also tried to network at a faculty party. I only did so because of a special reason/person. I found out that at age 33, I can actually network a bit. I can't imagine how I would have survived at age 20. As for my special reason, my hopes and feelings there where crashed in spectacular fashion at exaclty that faculty party.

Most of the evening though, I didn't talk to the girl sitting at the table to the left of me. She might have been you. And I am not sure if she talked to the other people there. I didn't know anyone, as I am a student who did a 4 week project. I only knew 3 other students, and they decided to sit somewhere else (special person included, as special person avoided me). There was actually an asian person sitting across me that was atypical and reached out to me a bit(turned out she actually shares my nationality). The people I was vaguely familiar with, they were sitting too far away for me to talk to. It is hard, this networking with strangers. And this foreigner girl next to me, I had nothing to offer to her. And that despite my goal of someday, at some age, becoming a person who makes others feel comfortable, included, at ease, and someone who can get a social event moving. Rather than just being that silent person that only listens and then says something witty or interesting only once every half an hour.

At least my experiences made me feel a tiny bit better about my own eventual overseas internship. But I still feel that's going to be hell. But I want to go through it because I want to know I am strong and social enough to do it.

At the same time I know that my person of special interest is, or appears to be, as your exact polar opposite, and mine as well. And that she probably likes someone who is even better than she is. And she is masterful.
A faculty of people aged 25 to 65, all from different cultures, she seemed so at ease in that enviroment, talking to everyone. Making a connection with everyone. Impression most, I am sure. But I doubt you want to hear more, I fall in my mistake of talking too much about myself.

What can I say? I am supposed to be able to give advice, as I have been in similar situations, though I have experienced them differently. The review paper, that is supposed to be new material to you. If you don't understand something, just ask your supervisor anyway. It is her(?) job. So she will do so, even if she rather spend her time on something else. And it's still the first few days, so it won't be odd. If you ask the same questions over and over 3 weeks in, sure then she will be annoyed.

You say you look forward to the weekends the most. The weekends is what dread my the most about going overseas. Can I ask you how you spend them? I see myself locked in my room, alone, behind my computer, in some huge city somewhere, not knowing anyone and not feeling a connection with anyone.