A lot has happened. I'm struggling a little here and blogging is not very often appealing. I will briefly list some things that I have missed
First off, there was an incident in France with the Global Beginnings group there and some people from the Italy trip were there while it happened. One student was accused of sexually assaulting another; no one knows who. Things feel a little different here now. The mood is very off. Everyone is weary and drained and confused.
Thursday:
- Miserable. Had to meet at the Duomo for Art History class. Apparently missed the info for the exact meeting place since I slept through Tuesday's class. Waited by the entrance for over an hour with Gabby and Mackenzie thinking we could not miss them there. Turns out they were going to the museum behind the Duomo. Missed the entire class. It seriously bew and the professor hates us but I don't really care because she has no respect for her students and thinks we are all completely stupid. We emailed her hoping to be able to make up the class in some way and she never responded or acknowledged that she received it. Today in class she called our names outloud and listed our number of absences... helpful.
Friday:
- Had finger food at our professor's house. We do not have an oven and a few people wanted to make cookies. We voted on best cookie and the winner got a bottle of Limoncello which we all shared. He then took a few of us out to an Irish pub near his apartment and bought us drinks. To return the favor, we took him to the club and he sang karaoke with us and held my purse. Pretty good night
Saturday:
- Nothing eventful. I think I went to the diner for breakfast (at 4:00 pm) soon after we woke up. Can't remember if it was this day but I think so. Went to SPACE later that night; realized I am sick of sloppy people and decided that I will no longer be going to the club on the weekends, atleast for a few weeks.
Sunday:
- Again nothing eventful. Worked on a paper that was due the next day and stayed up all night (literally did not sleep). Did not finish paper
Monday:
- Felt like a zombie. Had to get our temporary citizenship at the immigration office. Met with Phillipa at 9, walked to the station, and then proceeded to wait 4.5 hours to sign our names and have our fingers scanned. Process took about 5 minutes to do all of us. Then they told us we would have to come back to get our actual cards. Not doing it. Appointment ran into class so we got an extension on our paper. Stayed up til 3 am doing it
Tuesday:
- Passed in what I think may be the worst paper I have ever written, and don't really care. Suffered through Art History. I officially hate our professor and her class is excessively boring. Came home and slept. Went to culture class. Got home and Sean was gone along with all of his stuff. We're assuming he's going home but he didn't tell anyone he was leaving today. Pretty sad about it cause he was one of the only people here I had a connection with.
Having dinner tonight at the other girls' apartment I think as a thank you to Chris for letting us have a cookie party at his house. Potluck style. Not sure yet whether or not I am going to attend as I always feel pretty out of place in that apartment. Don't even know if we are having it; the mood here is very weird right now. We all feel strange about everything going on and no one is happy that Sean has gone home, especially without saying goodbye. We'll see.
Nothing else to report. Miss everyone from home. Getting sick of being trapped in this dirty little city. Trying to stay positive. Mostly just exhausted.
Ciao
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Catching up
Alright I haven't blogged since Sunday so I guess I have some catching up to do. I have been very busy and in turn very exhausted, and have also been trying not to spend too much time on the computer, so I just haven't gotten around to blogging. Since I have so much to write, I am going to use bullet points to avoid driving myself and others insane.
Monday:
- Classes resumed after an awesome weekend, but we only had one actual class. Ethics 9:30 - 11. We talked about... I forget, probably Aristotle. Oh yes, Nicomachean Ethics
- Instead of our 2:00 class, our professor, Chris, took us up to Boboli Gardens, a series of gardens and scattered art pieces on the side of a large hill. We hiked up and saw a lot of interesting things and beautiful views which I have posted pictures of on facebook. We rested in the shade of some trees for a while in one of the gardens, then proceeded to the observatory at the top where there is a flower garden overlooking the entire city of Florence, and a small pottery gallery with some very unique, deceivingly modern-looking pieces.
- We had a dinner reservation at 6:00, but we had some extra time, so we laid out in the sun for a while and then Chris offered to take us to a wine bar very close by that he had been wanting to try. No one really had much interest except for me and one other person, so the three of us went and Chris treated Rachelle and I to a glass of wine (which he also picked out for us because we had essentially no idea what to get). I'm not much of a wine person but it was delicious! I would reccommend it but I have no idea what it was... something white ;)
- We then went to dinner at Golden View which is supposed to be the nicest (and most expensive) restaurant on our meal voucher list. Drinks are not included under our vouchers, so Chris paid for all the drinks and told us to get whatever we wanted. He also ordered two bottles of red wine and two bottles of white wine for the table, just house wines, which were also quite good. I have learned that the wine is much better (and cheaper!) in Italy. Probably the only thing that is cheaper here. I ordered penne with quattro formaggi which is a four cheese sauce which they added truffles to. It was delicious and it was the first dish I had tasted with truffles in it. I also tried their pizza which was pretty good, but all Florentine pizza kinda tastes the same and I am a little sick of it. Florence is definitely not known for good pizza and to be honest it's a little bland!
- After dinner I was exhausted and not feeling well. I have been gettting sinus headaches for a few days now, and no one here is very healthy (they say it's germs from the airplane!) so I'm not surprised. I was supposed to go to see the orchestra at 9:00, but as soon as I got home (around 8), I fell asleep and did not wake up until around 11. I'm a little disappointed that I missed out, but there are still many free activities available and I would not have had much fun feeling the way I did.
Tuesday:
- The next morning I still wasn't feeling well. Our alarm never went off so we woke up just a few minutes before class and my head was pounding, and my two roomates (we moved Mackenzie's bed into our room so there are 3 of us now) were both really sick so we decided to get another hour or so of sleep. We missed art history, which is an okay class but the teacher is crazy and they made us buy a book which has all of her lectures in it, so none of us were too worried about missing that class. Plus, we have it twice a week so we can catch up with her tomorrow.
- I had a doctor's appointment at 11:40 to get a shot, so I got up and showered and left my roomates to sleep a little longer since our second class is not until 2. I had never been to the doctor's office and did not know where it was, but one of the AIFS girls, Isabelle, had made the appointment for me and gave me the address, so I mapquested walking directions and set off on a solo adventure. I had to navigate streets that I had never been on (to my knowledge) and I also needed to find an ATM on the way because I wasn't sure how much the appointment would cost. I also didn't have a watch, so I was practically running through the streets hoping to get there on time. I did eventually find an ATM, and only had to wait behind one person (short lines are very rare), and the transaction went smoothly. I then continued to run through the city to get to my appointment, having no idea what time it was.
- I found it just fine, but when I got to the address I didn't know exactly which building it was. Then my eyes fell upon a door surrounded by open shop windows with plenty of lighting and bright colors. I found the door so easily because it was the complete opposite; just a large wooden door with now windows in sight. I walked up to the door and found the buzzer that I was pretty sure had something to do with a doctor's office. I know the word for doctor is "medico" but I didn't see that at all, so I picked the one that looked like it would be a medical facility. I rang it and the door immediately opened. I walked in to a dark hall facing a large stone staircase. It seemed the only way to go was up, so I climbed the stairs. At the top, I saw a sign for the office which said that it was on the 4th floor. There were no more stairs in sight, but there was an elevator to my left so I pressed the button to call for it. The doors opened and I was horrified. The elevator was a small box that could not possibly have fit more than one or two people. It was dark and had no sort of window or anything. I reluctantly got in and pressed the button, then waited what seemed like hours for the elevator to take me to the top floor. I found the office and had to ring another buzzer. The door opened and I knew I was in the right place; doctor's offices don't look much different here than in America. The receptionist spoke very poor English, but she pointed at some forms that I needed to fill out. Unfortunately, they were all in Italian, so I had to struggle through that for a while. Finally, the doctor came out to get me, and spoke English so he helped me fill in the missing areas.
- In the office, I told the doctor that I just needed to have a shot administered and gave him the prescription. He was very nice and funny, so I felt much more comfortable than I had up until this point. He then asked me if I normally received the shot in my "arm or buttock" and I quickly answered arm, to which he launched into a long explanation as to why I should probably start getting it in my butt muscle instead of my deltoid, since it is a long lasting shot and the butt muscle is much larger. I pretended that I would take that into consideration and asked him to put the shot into my arm. He seemed to think that I was going to be in a lot of pain but it's a very easy shot and I could barely feel a thing. The tough part is the arm soreness for a few days after, which I now realize I would definitely not want to be feeling in my "buttock" at all. I paid him 20 euros, which is much cheaper than I originally thought it would be because medical care is quite expensive here, and told him I hope I don't have to see him again while I'm here (let's keep our fingers crossed for no accidents), and left.
- On my way home I got a huge 2 euro slice of pizza and came back to have some peach iced tea while I ate. It was a very satifsfying meal after everything I had been through that morning, and I even had time to take a short nap before class.
- Second class that day was Italian culture, and we convinced our teacher to take us on a little fieldtrip. Instead of talking about politics in the classroom, we hiked up to Palazzo Michelangelo, which is a large piazza-like area on top of a large hill with a view overlooking the city. I say hiked because it was seriously a strenuous walk. There is a steep staircase with very wide stairs that were killer on the calves, and it went on for what seemed like miles. We got to the top huffing and puffing, but it was worth it. We sat as a group and had our lecture out there, watching the light clouds roll in over Florence. It was much better than sitting in our stuffy little classroom and none of us had seen this part of the city at all so that was good.
- After class we walked back to the school to pick up the package my parents had sent me. It was "huge" in the words of Sophie, Isabella, and Phillippa, and they all wished me luck carrying it back to the apartment. I did get it there, and felt like a child on Christmas morning when I opened it. It contained tons of food and essentials that I had been living without. It felt really good to receive some comforts from home and life got a whole lot better and easier. Thanks family! I love you!
- After unpacking my box, I went to the Coop with my roomies to get a few things like drinks, butter, and milk (to make mac and cheese and mashed potatoes!!!!), then came home to cook some long-missed food and head to bed.
Wednesday:
- Today was a pretty routine day. We had ethics and animality. Between classes I ate a quick lunch and took a very refreshing nap. After animality I earned a bonus point on my final by going to Billa with Chris and helping him shop for things to have at his house on Friday where he is having a cookie making party (requested by us) because he has an oven in his apartment and none of us do. Gabby and Mackenzie came with us and we carried the groceries back to Chris's apartment which is about four blocks past the Duomo. I now appreciate how close our apartment is to school, because I would not be able to make the trek he makes every morning at 9 am.
- After this I was honestly exhausted and my body is sore from all the strenuous walking we have been doing. I came home and made mashed potatoes (comfort food<3) and took a shower, and have been just relaxing since.
- I am hopefully off to skype my parents and then get to bed, as I have been trying to go to bed earlier to avoid the feeling of being a zombie in our 9:30 class every morning. I don't want to hear that 9:30 isn't early! I'm in college.
- Tomorrow through Sunday there is a beerfest in Santa Croce from noon to 11 PM. They have been setting up for days and it seems like it is going to be a crazy event. So glad my weekend starts tomorrow at 4 o' clock!
Ciao!
Monday:
- Classes resumed after an awesome weekend, but we only had one actual class. Ethics 9:30 - 11. We talked about... I forget, probably Aristotle. Oh yes, Nicomachean Ethics
- Instead of our 2:00 class, our professor, Chris, took us up to Boboli Gardens, a series of gardens and scattered art pieces on the side of a large hill. We hiked up and saw a lot of interesting things and beautiful views which I have posted pictures of on facebook. We rested in the shade of some trees for a while in one of the gardens, then proceeded to the observatory at the top where there is a flower garden overlooking the entire city of Florence, and a small pottery gallery with some very unique, deceivingly modern-looking pieces.
- We had a dinner reservation at 6:00, but we had some extra time, so we laid out in the sun for a while and then Chris offered to take us to a wine bar very close by that he had been wanting to try. No one really had much interest except for me and one other person, so the three of us went and Chris treated Rachelle and I to a glass of wine (which he also picked out for us because we had essentially no idea what to get). I'm not much of a wine person but it was delicious! I would reccommend it but I have no idea what it was... something white ;)
- We then went to dinner at Golden View which is supposed to be the nicest (and most expensive) restaurant on our meal voucher list. Drinks are not included under our vouchers, so Chris paid for all the drinks and told us to get whatever we wanted. He also ordered two bottles of red wine and two bottles of white wine for the table, just house wines, which were also quite good. I have learned that the wine is much better (and cheaper!) in Italy. Probably the only thing that is cheaper here. I ordered penne with quattro formaggi which is a four cheese sauce which they added truffles to. It was delicious and it was the first dish I had tasted with truffles in it. I also tried their pizza which was pretty good, but all Florentine pizza kinda tastes the same and I am a little sick of it. Florence is definitely not known for good pizza and to be honest it's a little bland!
- After dinner I was exhausted and not feeling well. I have been gettting sinus headaches for a few days now, and no one here is very healthy (they say it's germs from the airplane!) so I'm not surprised. I was supposed to go to see the orchestra at 9:00, but as soon as I got home (around 8), I fell asleep and did not wake up until around 11. I'm a little disappointed that I missed out, but there are still many free activities available and I would not have had much fun feeling the way I did.
Tuesday:
- The next morning I still wasn't feeling well. Our alarm never went off so we woke up just a few minutes before class and my head was pounding, and my two roomates (we moved Mackenzie's bed into our room so there are 3 of us now) were both really sick so we decided to get another hour or so of sleep. We missed art history, which is an okay class but the teacher is crazy and they made us buy a book which has all of her lectures in it, so none of us were too worried about missing that class. Plus, we have it twice a week so we can catch up with her tomorrow.
- I had a doctor's appointment at 11:40 to get a shot, so I got up and showered and left my roomates to sleep a little longer since our second class is not until 2. I had never been to the doctor's office and did not know where it was, but one of the AIFS girls, Isabelle, had made the appointment for me and gave me the address, so I mapquested walking directions and set off on a solo adventure. I had to navigate streets that I had never been on (to my knowledge) and I also needed to find an ATM on the way because I wasn't sure how much the appointment would cost. I also didn't have a watch, so I was practically running through the streets hoping to get there on time. I did eventually find an ATM, and only had to wait behind one person (short lines are very rare), and the transaction went smoothly. I then continued to run through the city to get to my appointment, having no idea what time it was.
- I found it just fine, but when I got to the address I didn't know exactly which building it was. Then my eyes fell upon a door surrounded by open shop windows with plenty of lighting and bright colors. I found the door so easily because it was the complete opposite; just a large wooden door with now windows in sight. I walked up to the door and found the buzzer that I was pretty sure had something to do with a doctor's office. I know the word for doctor is "medico" but I didn't see that at all, so I picked the one that looked like it would be a medical facility. I rang it and the door immediately opened. I walked in to a dark hall facing a large stone staircase. It seemed the only way to go was up, so I climbed the stairs. At the top, I saw a sign for the office which said that it was on the 4th floor. There were no more stairs in sight, but there was an elevator to my left so I pressed the button to call for it. The doors opened and I was horrified. The elevator was a small box that could not possibly have fit more than one or two people. It was dark and had no sort of window or anything. I reluctantly got in and pressed the button, then waited what seemed like hours for the elevator to take me to the top floor. I found the office and had to ring another buzzer. The door opened and I knew I was in the right place; doctor's offices don't look much different here than in America. The receptionist spoke very poor English, but she pointed at some forms that I needed to fill out. Unfortunately, they were all in Italian, so I had to struggle through that for a while. Finally, the doctor came out to get me, and spoke English so he helped me fill in the missing areas.
- In the office, I told the doctor that I just needed to have a shot administered and gave him the prescription. He was very nice and funny, so I felt much more comfortable than I had up until this point. He then asked me if I normally received the shot in my "arm or buttock" and I quickly answered arm, to which he launched into a long explanation as to why I should probably start getting it in my butt muscle instead of my deltoid, since it is a long lasting shot and the butt muscle is much larger. I pretended that I would take that into consideration and asked him to put the shot into my arm. He seemed to think that I was going to be in a lot of pain but it's a very easy shot and I could barely feel a thing. The tough part is the arm soreness for a few days after, which I now realize I would definitely not want to be feeling in my "buttock" at all. I paid him 20 euros, which is much cheaper than I originally thought it would be because medical care is quite expensive here, and told him I hope I don't have to see him again while I'm here (let's keep our fingers crossed for no accidents), and left.
- On my way home I got a huge 2 euro slice of pizza and came back to have some peach iced tea while I ate. It was a very satifsfying meal after everything I had been through that morning, and I even had time to take a short nap before class.
- Second class that day was Italian culture, and we convinced our teacher to take us on a little fieldtrip. Instead of talking about politics in the classroom, we hiked up to Palazzo Michelangelo, which is a large piazza-like area on top of a large hill with a view overlooking the city. I say hiked because it was seriously a strenuous walk. There is a steep staircase with very wide stairs that were killer on the calves, and it went on for what seemed like miles. We got to the top huffing and puffing, but it was worth it. We sat as a group and had our lecture out there, watching the light clouds roll in over Florence. It was much better than sitting in our stuffy little classroom and none of us had seen this part of the city at all so that was good.
- After class we walked back to the school to pick up the package my parents had sent me. It was "huge" in the words of Sophie, Isabella, and Phillippa, and they all wished me luck carrying it back to the apartment. I did get it there, and felt like a child on Christmas morning when I opened it. It contained tons of food and essentials that I had been living without. It felt really good to receive some comforts from home and life got a whole lot better and easier. Thanks family! I love you!
- After unpacking my box, I went to the Coop with my roomies to get a few things like drinks, butter, and milk (to make mac and cheese and mashed potatoes!!!!), then came home to cook some long-missed food and head to bed.
Wednesday:
- Today was a pretty routine day. We had ethics and animality. Between classes I ate a quick lunch and took a very refreshing nap. After animality I earned a bonus point on my final by going to Billa with Chris and helping him shop for things to have at his house on Friday where he is having a cookie making party (requested by us) because he has an oven in his apartment and none of us do. Gabby and Mackenzie came with us and we carried the groceries back to Chris's apartment which is about four blocks past the Duomo. I now appreciate how close our apartment is to school, because I would not be able to make the trek he makes every morning at 9 am.
- After this I was honestly exhausted and my body is sore from all the strenuous walking we have been doing. I came home and made mashed potatoes (comfort food<3) and took a shower, and have been just relaxing since.
- I am hopefully off to skype my parents and then get to bed, as I have been trying to go to bed earlier to avoid the feeling of being a zombie in our 9:30 class every morning. I don't want to hear that 9:30 isn't early! I'm in college.
- Tomorrow through Sunday there is a beerfest in Santa Croce from noon to 11 PM. They have been setting up for days and it seems like it is going to be a crazy event. So glad my weekend starts tomorrow at 4 o' clock!
Ciao!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
This is incredible, starving, insatiable...
Yes, this is love...
TODAY WAS AMAZING. I had such a good day, and as Mackenzie put it "we done good, girls."
We woke up to a beautiful morning and wanted to do something since it was not too hot out. It was the perfect day to go out and explore the city, so Gabby, Mackenzie, and I decided to take a CitySightSeeing Firenze bus tour since my mom has been trying to convince me to take one. We got ready and headed out across the city to find a bus stop that we had never been to before. We printed out directions and set off with them in hand. Instead of walking down Via Ghibellina which is the street we live on that we see everyday, we walked on a street parallel to it that we had actually never been on before and found a bunch of little tabacchis and restaurants and bakeries that look awesome and had really good pricing. We grabbed some drinks then continued walking until we were across the Arno and in a neighborhood we had never been to before, so we saw a lot of new things. Along the way, we walked through a piazza with a lot of tents set up and huge crowds of people and a lot of noise. We kept walking, unsure what was going on, and saw cars speeding down the road beeping with people out the sunroofs screaming and waving and a lot of cops on mopeds too. Then we turned a corner and realized that we were at the finish of what seemed to be a decent size bike race. The racers were just coming in to the finish as we walked by and everyone was really excited. It was pretty cool. We kept walking and got to the end of the directions without problems, but once we were there, we could not find the ticket place and bus stop that was supposed to be there. We ended up walking for about an hour and we asked a few people but no one could tell us where to go, so we decided to go back to the other side of the Arno to the train station where we knew this company had a stop. After another long walk and plenty of picture taking, we arrived at the place and bought tickets for a bus that pulled in right after we purchased them. We had gotten a little discouraged but now things seemed to be looking up.
Right behind the bus stop there was a man selling jewelry on the street. We each got a silver cuff bracelet for 10 euros. Very pretty!
The tour was fantastic. We went around Florence then left the city and went up a huge hill into a cute little town with an absolutely breathtaking view. You could see miles and miles of Italy. I can't even describe how pretty it was. Luckily I took quite a few pictures.
After the tour we were starving, so we went back to the new street we discovered to eat at a Mexican restaurant we had seen earlier, but it was closed. However, we were really craving Mexican, so we went back to Tijuana, the restaurant we went to the other night with the realy good daquiris. It was happy hour, so they were only 3 euros. Perfect! It was delicious.
We came back to the apartment after a very long and strenuous day, and now we are exhausted, although it's not even 9 yet. I'm headed off to bed soon, because I'm expecting a long day tomorrow. We have class at 9:30 tomorrow, followed by a 3 hour break. Then, instead of our normal 2 o' clock class, Chris is taking us to the Boboli Gardens which are atop a high hill that overlooks the Tuscan countryside., where we can just hang out and enjoy the view for a while. Then, we are all going to dinner at a meal voucher restaurant called Golden View, where Chris will pay for our drinks since they are not included under the vouchers. After that we have an optional free activity (we have one every week), which this week happens to be an orchestra concert at a theatre in the city. Hopefully tomorrow will be an awesome day as well!
Seeing some things that I could really appreciate today made me much less homesick and a lot happier to be here. It felt very good to get out of the apartment and see new sights and actually have some fun with my girls :) Once the college freshmen drama is out of the picture, it's much easier to enjoy Italy like I came here to do.
Ciao belli!
TODAY WAS AMAZING. I had such a good day, and as Mackenzie put it "we done good, girls."
We woke up to a beautiful morning and wanted to do something since it was not too hot out. It was the perfect day to go out and explore the city, so Gabby, Mackenzie, and I decided to take a CitySightSeeing Firenze bus tour since my mom has been trying to convince me to take one. We got ready and headed out across the city to find a bus stop that we had never been to before. We printed out directions and set off with them in hand. Instead of walking down Via Ghibellina which is the street we live on that we see everyday, we walked on a street parallel to it that we had actually never been on before and found a bunch of little tabacchis and restaurants and bakeries that look awesome and had really good pricing. We grabbed some drinks then continued walking until we were across the Arno and in a neighborhood we had never been to before, so we saw a lot of new things. Along the way, we walked through a piazza with a lot of tents set up and huge crowds of people and a lot of noise. We kept walking, unsure what was going on, and saw cars speeding down the road beeping with people out the sunroofs screaming and waving and a lot of cops on mopeds too. Then we turned a corner and realized that we were at the finish of what seemed to be a decent size bike race. The racers were just coming in to the finish as we walked by and everyone was really excited. It was pretty cool. We kept walking and got to the end of the directions without problems, but once we were there, we could not find the ticket place and bus stop that was supposed to be there. We ended up walking for about an hour and we asked a few people but no one could tell us where to go, so we decided to go back to the other side of the Arno to the train station where we knew this company had a stop. After another long walk and plenty of picture taking, we arrived at the place and bought tickets for a bus that pulled in right after we purchased them. We had gotten a little discouraged but now things seemed to be looking up.
Right behind the bus stop there was a man selling jewelry on the street. We each got a silver cuff bracelet for 10 euros. Very pretty!
The tour was fantastic. We went around Florence then left the city and went up a huge hill into a cute little town with an absolutely breathtaking view. You could see miles and miles of Italy. I can't even describe how pretty it was. Luckily I took quite a few pictures.
After the tour we were starving, so we went back to the new street we discovered to eat at a Mexican restaurant we had seen earlier, but it was closed. However, we were really craving Mexican, so we went back to Tijuana, the restaurant we went to the other night with the realy good daquiris. It was happy hour, so they were only 3 euros. Perfect! It was delicious.
We came back to the apartment after a very long and strenuous day, and now we are exhausted, although it's not even 9 yet. I'm headed off to bed soon, because I'm expecting a long day tomorrow. We have class at 9:30 tomorrow, followed by a 3 hour break. Then, instead of our normal 2 o' clock class, Chris is taking us to the Boboli Gardens which are atop a high hill that overlooks the Tuscan countryside., where we can just hang out and enjoy the view for a while. Then, we are all going to dinner at a meal voucher restaurant called Golden View, where Chris will pay for our drinks since they are not included under the vouchers. After that we have an optional free activity (we have one every week), which this week happens to be an orchestra concert at a theatre in the city. Hopefully tomorrow will be an awesome day as well!
Seeing some things that I could really appreciate today made me much less homesick and a lot happier to be here. It felt very good to get out of the apartment and see new sights and actually have some fun with my girls :) Once the college freshmen drama is out of the picture, it's much easier to enjoy Italy like I came here to do.
Ciao belli!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Stop ta ta talkin' that blah blah blah
Aaaaand the drama begins. Roomates talking shit... not having it. I'm not in Italy to be liked by anyone, so I am staying out of the drama. Heads up to those people: say what you want, I really couldn't care less, and you look absolutely ignorant and unintelligent for judging someone you barely know, and INCORRECTLY judging me at that. Good luck being here for three months if you already have problems in the first two weeks. That is all.
So it's Saturday and I just got back from lunch at Il Teatro, one of our favorite voucher restaurants right near our apartment. I was planning on going to the beach today, but decided not to spend the money since yesterday I spent quite a bit getting my nose pierced! I went with Gabby, Mackenzie, Jenna, and Amazjah. Jenna got her nose pierced as well, while Gabby got a snake bite on her lip and Mackenzie got a monroe. It was a lot of fun all getting piercings together. It was kind of hard because only one person there spoke any English and it was barely any, but we amused ourselves trying to communicate what we wanted in mixed languages and using our hands. I think we all ended up pretty happy with what we got.
On the way to the piercing place, we were starving and wanted to stop for sandwiches. We were looking into a small cafe to see if we wanted to stop there, and one of the men inside came out and started talking to us. He spoke absolutely NO English, but really wanted to have a full conversation. He ended up ushering us inside and we had no choice but to buy something. We got pretty good sandwiches for only a couple euros, but it was all a little weird. He even slipped a business card into Mackenzie's pocket on the way out. The men here are obviously very forward and outgoing and usually pretty touchy feely. It takes some getting used to.
After getting our piercings, Gabby and Mackenzie stopped at, get this: Ben & Jerry's. Yeah, they have Ben & Jerry's in Italy. Pretty crazy considering there are gelato places every ten feet, but I guess everyone wants icecream once in a while.
Our apartment has been pretty filthy, and yesterday I decided I couldn't take it anymore. While most people were out around town, I washed all the dishes and cleaned the kitchen, then, with some help from Casey, tidied up the entire common area. It's really frustrating that people haven't been cleaning up after themselves here, especially in the areas that are supposed to be for everyone. I hope that changes soon and people realize they need to keep things clean.
I will probably spend the rest of the day working on a paper for Animality (yes, we are here for school! I know it's easy to forget) and then if I decide I want to pay for the club tonight, a bunch of people are going out to Sinful at Space. The weekends seem so long here since they start at 4 on Thursday, which is really nice. I'm off to get some work done! Ciao!
So it's Saturday and I just got back from lunch at Il Teatro, one of our favorite voucher restaurants right near our apartment. I was planning on going to the beach today, but decided not to spend the money since yesterday I spent quite a bit getting my nose pierced! I went with Gabby, Mackenzie, Jenna, and Amazjah. Jenna got her nose pierced as well, while Gabby got a snake bite on her lip and Mackenzie got a monroe. It was a lot of fun all getting piercings together. It was kind of hard because only one person there spoke any English and it was barely any, but we amused ourselves trying to communicate what we wanted in mixed languages and using our hands. I think we all ended up pretty happy with what we got.
On the way to the piercing place, we were starving and wanted to stop for sandwiches. We were looking into a small cafe to see if we wanted to stop there, and one of the men inside came out and started talking to us. He spoke absolutely NO English, but really wanted to have a full conversation. He ended up ushering us inside and we had no choice but to buy something. We got pretty good sandwiches for only a couple euros, but it was all a little weird. He even slipped a business card into Mackenzie's pocket on the way out. The men here are obviously very forward and outgoing and usually pretty touchy feely. It takes some getting used to.
After getting our piercings, Gabby and Mackenzie stopped at, get this: Ben & Jerry's. Yeah, they have Ben & Jerry's in Italy. Pretty crazy considering there are gelato places every ten feet, but I guess everyone wants icecream once in a while.
Our apartment has been pretty filthy, and yesterday I decided I couldn't take it anymore. While most people were out around town, I washed all the dishes and cleaned the kitchen, then, with some help from Casey, tidied up the entire common area. It's really frustrating that people haven't been cleaning up after themselves here, especially in the areas that are supposed to be for everyone. I hope that changes soon and people realize they need to keep things clean.
I will probably spend the rest of the day working on a paper for Animality (yes, we are here for school! I know it's easy to forget) and then if I decide I want to pay for the club tonight, a bunch of people are going out to Sinful at Space. The weekends seem so long here since they start at 4 on Thursday, which is really nice. I'm off to get some work done! Ciao!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Three very LONG months
I can't believe that we have only been here two weeks. A lot of the days drag by because we do the same thing over and over. Our schedule is the same everyday and since everything is so expensive we spend a lot of time just sitting in the apartment. Atleast it is the weekend now. I was planning on going to the beach this weekend but it is supposed to be rainy, so I think I am going to go get my nose pierced tomorrow with a few friends who also want piercings. We are desperate for things to break the routine. We are all dying to get out of Florence, but really have no money for that. On the upside, due to complaints from us and our parents, we will now receive 50 euros a week for food. Hopefully that will help with the budgets a lot.
I am having trouble thinking straight because it reeks like cigarettes in here right now and it is giving me a huge headache. I absolutely detest cigarettes and HATE the fact that in Europe people smoke them left and right no matter where they are.
I haven't blogged about gelato yet but I have gotten it twice and it beats ice cream by a long shot. In the US, gelato is usually expensive, but here it is one of the few things you can get for fairly cheap. There are so many flavors it's almost overwhelming. So far I have tried caffe (coffee), biscotti (cookie), pesce (peach), crema (cream) and bites of a few other flavors from friends. When you order gelato here you generally get more than one flavor at a time. A very popular flavor is nutella, but since I don't really like actual nutella I have not personally tried it.
I saw peanut butter today. It looked weird and not very good. I did not buy it and don't plan on it.
We went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner. I got cheese fondue which came in a little personal pot with a candle under it. My meal (including drink) was less than 12 euros which is much cheaper than anywhere else we have seen so far. I got a peach daquiri which was probably the most delicious thing I have ever tasted. I went with Gabby and Mackenzie, who are the only two people here that I feel like I can be somewhat myself with because I know they aren't judging me, and I really like them. It was nice to have a girls night out.
We were going to go to SPACE tonight for black & white night, but ended up kinda poopy after getting back for dinner. Instead we are going to Sinful on Saturday which is a special night at SPACE with a bunch of different DJs.
I don't really have much to report about the week. It was mostly full of classes and plenty of watching LOST (I am on the 5th season now). It's getting a little lonely here, not just because I'm in Italy, but because I'm in college in general. I miss being surrounded by people that I love and people who love me. It's hard being with the same 15 people all the time and I often feel like kind of an outsider.
I have been very inspired to draw lately and think I am going to get myself a sketch pad. The architecture here is absolutely crazy, and I have been wanting to sit in the Piazza de Santa Croce one day and draw the church.
I have been listening to the Rocket Summer in excess this week. Bryce Avary is my absolute favorite and his music puts me in the mood to create. It's kind of an awesome soundtrack for studying abroad and experiencing new things, especially when I am having a hard time getting through.
I literally just sat and scratched a bug bite ON THE BOTTOM OF MY FOOT for a full 5 minutes before I could proceed. I have never had chicken pox but I certainly feel your pain! I cannot even describe how miserable these bug bites are. Yeah, it just happened again. I have to stop blogging to go scratch and KILL NAZ.. MOSQUITOS. (That reference is for Katy Devine<3)
Buona notte!
I am having trouble thinking straight because it reeks like cigarettes in here right now and it is giving me a huge headache. I absolutely detest cigarettes and HATE the fact that in Europe people smoke them left and right no matter where they are.
I haven't blogged about gelato yet but I have gotten it twice and it beats ice cream by a long shot. In the US, gelato is usually expensive, but here it is one of the few things you can get for fairly cheap. There are so many flavors it's almost overwhelming. So far I have tried caffe (coffee), biscotti (cookie), pesce (peach), crema (cream) and bites of a few other flavors from friends. When you order gelato here you generally get more than one flavor at a time. A very popular flavor is nutella, but since I don't really like actual nutella I have not personally tried it.
I saw peanut butter today. It looked weird and not very good. I did not buy it and don't plan on it.
We went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner. I got cheese fondue which came in a little personal pot with a candle under it. My meal (including drink) was less than 12 euros which is much cheaper than anywhere else we have seen so far. I got a peach daquiri which was probably the most delicious thing I have ever tasted. I went with Gabby and Mackenzie, who are the only two people here that I feel like I can be somewhat myself with because I know they aren't judging me, and I really like them. It was nice to have a girls night out.
We were going to go to SPACE tonight for black & white night, but ended up kinda poopy after getting back for dinner. Instead we are going to Sinful on Saturday which is a special night at SPACE with a bunch of different DJs.
I don't really have much to report about the week. It was mostly full of classes and plenty of watching LOST (I am on the 5th season now). It's getting a little lonely here, not just because I'm in Italy, but because I'm in college in general. I miss being surrounded by people that I love and people who love me. It's hard being with the same 15 people all the time and I often feel like kind of an outsider.
I have been very inspired to draw lately and think I am going to get myself a sketch pad. The architecture here is absolutely crazy, and I have been wanting to sit in the Piazza de Santa Croce one day and draw the church.
I have been listening to the Rocket Summer in excess this week. Bryce Avary is my absolute favorite and his music puts me in the mood to create. It's kind of an awesome soundtrack for studying abroad and experiencing new things, especially when I am having a hard time getting through.
I literally just sat and scratched a bug bite ON THE BOTTOM OF MY FOOT for a full 5 minutes before I could proceed. I have never had chicken pox but I certainly feel your pain! I cannot even describe how miserable these bug bites are. Yeah, it just happened again. I have to stop blogging to go scratch and KILL NAZ.. MOSQUITOS. (That reference is for Katy Devine<3)
Buona notte!
Pannacotta Recipe :)
Panna Cotta:
6 grams of gelatin (the sheets)
40 ml of milk
200 ml of whipping cream
40 grams of sugar
1/2 a vanilla bean (fairly certain you can use extract)
Strawberry Sauce:
300 grans fresh strawberries
180 grams of sugar
Procedure:
Whisk together the cream, vanilla, and sugar
Put the gelatin in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes
Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat until hot but do not boil
Wring out the gelatin and put it into the warm milk; stir until gelatin melts
In a saucepan, warm the cream mixture over low heat stirring continuously until just boiling; remove from heat; add the milk/gelatin to the cream and stir to mix well
Run individual-serving foil cups (look like mini pie plates) or ramekins under cold water. Shake out excess water but do not dry
Fill each cup with the panna cotta until full, being sure the tops are level; refrigerate for atleast one hour before serving (he told us 3 to 4 hours, but a quicker way is to put them in the freezer for 45 minutes)
We ate ours in the cup with the strawberry sauce on top but you are supposed to flip them out of the cups and then top them. I don't know how to make the sauce but I'm sure you can find the procedure for that only any cooking website, it was just a very smooth sauce kind of like a jam!
There you go! Delicious!
6 grams of gelatin (the sheets)
40 ml of milk
200 ml of whipping cream
40 grams of sugar
1/2 a vanilla bean (fairly certain you can use extract)
Strawberry Sauce:
300 grans fresh strawberries
180 grams of sugar
Procedure:
Whisk together the cream, vanilla, and sugar
Put the gelatin in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes
Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat until hot but do not boil
Wring out the gelatin and put it into the warm milk; stir until gelatin melts
In a saucepan, warm the cream mixture over low heat stirring continuously until just boiling; remove from heat; add the milk/gelatin to the cream and stir to mix well
Run individual-serving foil cups (look like mini pie plates) or ramekins under cold water. Shake out excess water but do not dry
Fill each cup with the panna cotta until full, being sure the tops are level; refrigerate for atleast one hour before serving (he told us 3 to 4 hours, but a quicker way is to put them in the freezer for 45 minutes)
We ate ours in the cup with the strawberry sauce on top but you are supposed to flip them out of the cups and then top them. I don't know how to make the sauce but I'm sure you can find the procedure for that only any cooking website, it was just a very smooth sauce kind of like a jam!
There you go! Delicious!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Stephanie Ura is my bitch
Oh hi Steph ;) Love you <3
Steph, like my mom, just yelled at me for not blogging every second. So here is a report of my day.
With our art history class this morning, we visited the Basilica de Santa Croce, a large church very close to our apartment and school. It is the burial place of many famous Italians such as Michelangelo and Galileo, and there are many tombs and monuments dedicated to historical figures from Italy. The ground underneath the church is lined with corpses, and the floor is covered with tombs with human shaped facades on them. There are huge paintings and many different rooms and courtyards. It was absolutely beautiful, but I forgot my camera! So I didn't get and pictures of that.
After classes today I went to the Coop again with my roomates and had a more successful trip than last time. I bought apples, tomatoes, lettuce, canned pears and peaches, dried apricots, yogurt, and tortillas, along with a few key items that I was running out of. I'm extremely happy to finally have some fruit and veggies in my diet again and to have some easy and healthy options to make for breakfast and lunch when I don't have much time. It was also a really nice day so the walk to the store was enjoyable.
Yesterday, we found a place right down the street that sells huge pieces of pizza for two euros, which is very cheap compared to other cafes around here. We stopped on our way home from class and grabbed a piece for brunch, and it was delicious. They also have pastries and cheap beverages, so I'm happy that we found it!
Tonight, we had a cooking class at a culinary school across the city. It was such a cool experience to take a class from a real Italian culinary teacher. The chef was awesome and hilarious! We made ricotta and spinach ravioli in a sage butter sauce, a layered eggplant dish with potatoes, zucchini, and cheese, and pannacotta with strawberry sauce for dessert. It was a delicious free meal and they gave us a book with all the recipes in it so we could make them at home.
Today was a really good day because I kept busy and we did some really cool things. The one thing that's driving me crazy is all the mosquito bites! I'm itchy all over.
I want to go hangout with my roomates now, but I wanted to blog for Steph hahaha :)
Ciao!
Steph, like my mom, just yelled at me for not blogging every second. So here is a report of my day.
With our art history class this morning, we visited the Basilica de Santa Croce, a large church very close to our apartment and school. It is the burial place of many famous Italians such as Michelangelo and Galileo, and there are many tombs and monuments dedicated to historical figures from Italy. The ground underneath the church is lined with corpses, and the floor is covered with tombs with human shaped facades on them. There are huge paintings and many different rooms and courtyards. It was absolutely beautiful, but I forgot my camera! So I didn't get and pictures of that.
After classes today I went to the Coop again with my roomates and had a more successful trip than last time. I bought apples, tomatoes, lettuce, canned pears and peaches, dried apricots, yogurt, and tortillas, along with a few key items that I was running out of. I'm extremely happy to finally have some fruit and veggies in my diet again and to have some easy and healthy options to make for breakfast and lunch when I don't have much time. It was also a really nice day so the walk to the store was enjoyable.
Yesterday, we found a place right down the street that sells huge pieces of pizza for two euros, which is very cheap compared to other cafes around here. We stopped on our way home from class and grabbed a piece for brunch, and it was delicious. They also have pastries and cheap beverages, so I'm happy that we found it!
Tonight, we had a cooking class at a culinary school across the city. It was such a cool experience to take a class from a real Italian culinary teacher. The chef was awesome and hilarious! We made ricotta and spinach ravioli in a sage butter sauce, a layered eggplant dish with potatoes, zucchini, and cheese, and pannacotta with strawberry sauce for dessert. It was a delicious free meal and they gave us a book with all the recipes in it so we could make them at home.
Today was a really good day because I kept busy and we did some really cool things. The one thing that's driving me crazy is all the mosquito bites! I'm itchy all over.
I want to go hangout with my roomates now, but I wanted to blog for Steph hahaha :)
Ciao!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Missing the Pats game...
Today was a pretty sheisty day. I did absolutely nothing except miss home. I'm seriously upset about missing football season considering it's my favorite part of the year back home. The only thing that really keeps me going is skyping with my friends, although it's still hard to figure out a time to skype a lot of people. Last night I skyped with my friend Erin right before she went out on a date, and it was nice to have some girl talk and gossip again. Then I skyped with Megan aka Lisa ;) which is always brightens even the worst of days. Through everything I have made her put up with, good and bad, she has been the greatest friend to me and I know I can trust her with anything and turn to her in any situation. One thing I miss about BG (there aren't many) is the hilarious antics we created every morning in the car on the way to school. You can't have a bad day when you start it off with your best friend being a goofball... oh, and Romero & Pebbles. Happy Lis? :)
For "dinner" tonight I went to a diner with Gabby, Mackenzie, and Teagan. It kinda blew. I don't have an appetite so I just got a milkshake and a Sprite, but everything I did try to order, they didn't have. It was just one of those days where the world was against me. My body still isn't used to being here; the food makes me feel sick and I'm exhausted all day but can't sleep at night. Anything from home is always comforting because a sense of normalcy here is hard to find.
I'm burning bridges with people back home that don't care about me as much as I care about them. There is no room for baggage here. All I have and need is my family and a few of my very close friends (you know who you are and I love you to death).
Hopefully the days will get better and the city more enjoyable as we begin to have organized activities and trips. We are working on getting a weekly stipend for groceries, as our counterparts on the France trip get two free meals a day. That will be extremely helpful because money here is tight since most things are much more expensive. It's already stressful enough adjusting to a living in a new country without having to think constantly about money.
I'm trying to remain appreciative day to day, but it's hard not to wish for home sometimes. Before I left, I told myself no matter what, I wouldn't come home. So I'm sticking it out in hopes that things will turn around.
Until tomorrow, ciao!
For "dinner" tonight I went to a diner with Gabby, Mackenzie, and Teagan. It kinda blew. I don't have an appetite so I just got a milkshake and a Sprite, but everything I did try to order, they didn't have. It was just one of those days where the world was against me. My body still isn't used to being here; the food makes me feel sick and I'm exhausted all day but can't sleep at night. Anything from home is always comforting because a sense of normalcy here is hard to find.
I'm burning bridges with people back home that don't care about me as much as I care about them. There is no room for baggage here. All I have and need is my family and a few of my very close friends (you know who you are and I love you to death).
Hopefully the days will get better and the city more enjoyable as we begin to have organized activities and trips. We are working on getting a weekly stipend for groceries, as our counterparts on the France trip get two free meals a day. That will be extremely helpful because money here is tight since most things are much more expensive. It's already stressful enough adjusting to a living in a new country without having to think constantly about money.
I'm trying to remain appreciative day to day, but it's hard not to wish for home sometimes. Before I left, I told myself no matter what, I wouldn't come home. So I'm sticking it out in hopes that things will turn around.
Until tomorrow, ciao!
Friday, September 10, 2010
Lazy day
It's almost 6 on Friday and I have barely left my room yet today. I am feeling exhausted and annoyed by a constant headache. I stayed in bed most of the day half awake, until a few minutes ago when I got up to shower because we are most likely going out later tonight. I'm feeling a little homesick today, thinking a lot about summer and missing my family and friends. All of the roomies are having relationship problems, and I am in a similar place, so we are all kinda bummed out about losing our summer romances. It feels like we made quite a lot of sacrifices to come here, and so far it doesn't always seem like it was worth it. Earlier, we were talking about how it feels like we've already been here a month and it has only been a week. It's very early in the trip and we are already hoping it will fly by. I am grateful to be here, but it's sad thinking about everybody back in the states and knowing that for a lot of them, it's out of sight, out of mind.
So, since I am missing everyone from home, here are a few shout outs to keep us all going:
It's my best friend's birthday, so shout out to mah boyyy HHOOLLLAAAA ;) happy birthday Sammy<3
Also, MEGHAN TEDDER is missing. I have barely spoken to her since I left Colby... if you see her please tell her I miss my partner in crime/mini me. And to the rest of the Milford crew, y'all know I miss you like crazy; keep it going without me ;) even though it's hard hahaha!
Katy & Steph... I wish we had more time to talk while I'm here, but when I get back we will have a trio reunion. Love you more than ever<3
Mommy, dad, Maggie, and BROTHHHERRR :) I can't wait to come home for Christmas and have a delicious family dinner filled with endless antics. Emm & Josh-- you better be there too ;) I love you all to pieces and appreciate everything you did to get me here
Since I think there is a chance Pam will read this... Cam Holt you are a hickey queen. That is all :)
Awww, I feel better already :) Ciao!
So, since I am missing everyone from home, here are a few shout outs to keep us all going:
It's my best friend's birthday, so shout out to mah boyyy HHOOLLLAAAA ;) happy birthday Sammy<3
Also, MEGHAN TEDDER is missing. I have barely spoken to her since I left Colby... if you see her please tell her I miss my partner in crime/mini me. And to the rest of the Milford crew, y'all know I miss you like crazy; keep it going without me ;) even though it's hard hahaha!
Katy & Steph... I wish we had more time to talk while I'm here, but when I get back we will have a trio reunion. Love you more than ever<3
Mommy, dad, Maggie, and BROTHHHERRR :) I can't wait to come home for Christmas and have a delicious family dinner filled with endless antics. Emm & Josh-- you better be there too ;) I love you all to pieces and appreciate everything you did to get me here
Since I think there is a chance Pam will read this... Cam Holt you are a hickey queen. That is all :)
Awww, I feel better already :) Ciao!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Weekend Update
So my mom yelled at me for not blogging day to day details, as I have not posted in a few days. I was really only going to write about I do every second of the day so I will try to post daily from now on.
I am done with classes for the week. Monday and Wednesday we had ethics and animality classes from 9:30 to 11 and 2 to 3:30 with Chris, our professor from Colby-Sawyer. Tuesday and today we had art history from 9:30 to 11 and either Italian culture or Italian language from 2 to 3:30/4. We are learning some interesting stuff, but most of us are getting sick of classes already. Other than class, I mostly spent a lot of time at the apartment doing homework and relaxing. Sleeping here at night is difficult. It is very hot and extremely loud. Last night a car actually crashed right outside our apartment at around 2 am. Most of the time it is just cars and vespas speeding by or drunk people in the street screaming. We wake up in the morning exhausted and usually nap between classes, and sometimes after class as well.
Earlier this week I went to the "Co op" which is a large grocery store and stocked the fridge with basic foods like cheese, bread, pasta, sauce, yogurt, juice, pizza, and a few other items. Produce still proves too difficult to buy here, but hopefully we can figure that out soon. All of the food is extremely different here and it can be hard to figure out what you're looking at, so we mostly only buy very basic foods.
Last night was Rachelle's birthday, so a few of us took her out for dinner. We went to an American restaurant nearby called the House of Sizzle. There was a large group of crazy loud Australians there as well, but we had a blast anyway. We really like this restaurant because there is a lot of the same food around here and sometimes we miss the food from back home. We also just found out that they take meal vouchers there for a value of up to 12,50 euros, which is over the cost of most meals there. We also get international student cards which give us a discount on drinks and certain food items. I know it sounds weird to go to an American restaurant while we are here... but we get sick of pizza and pasta very fast! ;)
I've been spending a lot of time skyping people back home, but it gets hard with the time difference and crazy schedules. I'm not sure whether or not this is a bad thing however, because I don't want to be attached to my computer while I'm here. The internet is also not the greatest here... but it is fast enough for me to be able to watch a few episodes of lost whenever I feel like relaxing :)
Before I came to Italy I was set on getting out of America and finding something greater. While Italy is amazing in many ways, I'm not sure I could get used to living here after living in the US for so long. The lifestyle here is much different, and although a part of me wishes I could adapt to a European way of life and stay here forever, I don't think it's for me. I have started to appreciate little things about the US and I miss my life at home very frequently. However, I still think this is an amazing place and opportnity; I'm just glad I get to return home in three months.
We have some very cool field trips and outings planned for the weeks ahead, but as for now that's all there is to report! I'm off to hang with the roomies and probably make some dinner soon. Not sure whether we're looking for a night out or a night in, but we sure are glad it's the weekend! Until tomorrow, ciao!
I am done with classes for the week. Monday and Wednesday we had ethics and animality classes from 9:30 to 11 and 2 to 3:30 with Chris, our professor from Colby-Sawyer. Tuesday and today we had art history from 9:30 to 11 and either Italian culture or Italian language from 2 to 3:30/4. We are learning some interesting stuff, but most of us are getting sick of classes already. Other than class, I mostly spent a lot of time at the apartment doing homework and relaxing. Sleeping here at night is difficult. It is very hot and extremely loud. Last night a car actually crashed right outside our apartment at around 2 am. Most of the time it is just cars and vespas speeding by or drunk people in the street screaming. We wake up in the morning exhausted and usually nap between classes, and sometimes after class as well.
Earlier this week I went to the "Co op" which is a large grocery store and stocked the fridge with basic foods like cheese, bread, pasta, sauce, yogurt, juice, pizza, and a few other items. Produce still proves too difficult to buy here, but hopefully we can figure that out soon. All of the food is extremely different here and it can be hard to figure out what you're looking at, so we mostly only buy very basic foods.
Last night was Rachelle's birthday, so a few of us took her out for dinner. We went to an American restaurant nearby called the House of Sizzle. There was a large group of crazy loud Australians there as well, but we had a blast anyway. We really like this restaurant because there is a lot of the same food around here and sometimes we miss the food from back home. We also just found out that they take meal vouchers there for a value of up to 12,50 euros, which is over the cost of most meals there. We also get international student cards which give us a discount on drinks and certain food items. I know it sounds weird to go to an American restaurant while we are here... but we get sick of pizza and pasta very fast! ;)
I've been spending a lot of time skyping people back home, but it gets hard with the time difference and crazy schedules. I'm not sure whether or not this is a bad thing however, because I don't want to be attached to my computer while I'm here. The internet is also not the greatest here... but it is fast enough for me to be able to watch a few episodes of lost whenever I feel like relaxing :)
Before I came to Italy I was set on getting out of America and finding something greater. While Italy is amazing in many ways, I'm not sure I could get used to living here after living in the US for so long. The lifestyle here is much different, and although a part of me wishes I could adapt to a European way of life and stay here forever, I don't think it's for me. I have started to appreciate little things about the US and I miss my life at home very frequently. However, I still think this is an amazing place and opportnity; I'm just glad I get to return home in three months.
We have some very cool field trips and outings planned for the weeks ahead, but as for now that's all there is to report! I'm off to hang with the roomies and probably make some dinner soon. Not sure whether we're looking for a night out or a night in, but we sure are glad it's the weekend! Until tomorrow, ciao!
Monday, September 6, 2010
Busy busy busy
It has been a busy couple of days full of nothing. We have had seminars and homework, and that's really all I have done besides watch LOST online and attempt to get some sleep. I haven't gone anywhere new or seen anything interesting, which disappoints me because I came here to learn about Italy and see and try new things. Adjusting has been difficult, with different food, drinks, time zone, language, and schedule. Tomorrow, we start our new classes that are taught by Italian proffessors. I am looking forward to that because I anticipate learning a lot that I have never known before, rather than the redundant information that I heard over and over in highschool. Along with the classes we started back at home, we now have Italian life & culture, Italian language, and Italian Renaissance.
There is not much to report as this first few days has been mostly adjusting. Hopefully I will have some time soon to get out and go see some new things.
There is not much to report as this first few days has been mostly adjusting. Hopefully I will have some time soon to get out and go see some new things.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Day Two! Walking Tour
Today we had a short orientation at our school, which was pretty boring, but informative, I guess. After orientation I walked around with a few friends looking for a grocery store, which we never found. After that, I went to lunch with Gabby at a cafe near the Santa Croce, where we had to meet for our walking tour at 2. We got sodas and little pizzas, which were delicious, but we were definitely touristy Americans. We weren't sure where to order or pay, and you could tell how frazzled and confused we were. After lunch, we sat on the steps of the Santa Croce with our group and took a few pictures until our guide came to take us on a historical walking tour of the historical district of Florence. We passed by the main historical sites in the city and learned a lot about the history of Florence and Italian art. We also received our free museum passes today which allow us free, unlimited access to the museums in Firenze at any time. I took a lot of pictures, which I will hopefully be able to post soon. Everything was so beautiful and interesting; it's so historical here!
After the walking tour we found out where the supermarket was and went to buy a few basic, essential things: juice and vodka... We decided to make a list of all the food that we want to share in the apartment, and the six of us are going to go out tonight to stock up on that. Most of the day so far has been spent in the apartment looking for things that we may want to do while we are here. We definitely want to go to a beach (probably the Versilia coast) and there are some trips planned by AIFS to Sienna and Rome that we may want to take. We also learned that there are many activities like a soccer game, an opera, cooking classes, concerts, and many others, that we can participate in for free through AIFS. My friend who just recently returned from Italy reccommended a nightclub called SPACE that some of us are planning on checking out tomorrow night. We got walking directions and it is only twenty minutes from our apartment, and apparently a blast!
Not many interesting details to report today as a lot of time was spent planning and relaxing, since we are all still pretty jetlagged. Gabby and I missed our alarm this morning (thanks Billy...) and got up super late because we were so exhausted! The walking tour was awesome and very informative, and the sites we saw were amazing. Our tour guide also showed us practical things, like the post office, and a huge market to shop at. I saw a lot of cool shops and kiosks, and also some very interesting food such as tripe sandwiches, which are made from the lining of a cow stomach. I also saw my first gypsy! Very creepy. The best part was the historical buildings we saw and learned about, including the Duomo, the bell tower, the baptism building, the town hall, the Santa Croce, and many others.
I'm already tired of walking and navigating, but I suppose it will get easier within the next week. I'm considering renting a bike to get places faster and more effieciently. I would rent a vespa, but the drivers here are scary! As I am writing this, my eyes are starting to droop. Mackenzie and Teagan are currently asleep on the couches in our living room. As I said, we are all exhausted. I'm off to nap (if I can sleep with all the noise from the restaurant across the street and the vespas speeding by!), then do some shopping with the roomates and hopefully find ourselves an exciting night! Grazie per leggi ;) ("Thank you for reading" ?) Ciao!
After the walking tour we found out where the supermarket was and went to buy a few basic, essential things: juice and vodka... We decided to make a list of all the food that we want to share in the apartment, and the six of us are going to go out tonight to stock up on that. Most of the day so far has been spent in the apartment looking for things that we may want to do while we are here. We definitely want to go to a beach (probably the Versilia coast) and there are some trips planned by AIFS to Sienna and Rome that we may want to take. We also learned that there are many activities like a soccer game, an opera, cooking classes, concerts, and many others, that we can participate in for free through AIFS. My friend who just recently returned from Italy reccommended a nightclub called SPACE that some of us are planning on checking out tomorrow night. We got walking directions and it is only twenty minutes from our apartment, and apparently a blast!
Not many interesting details to report today as a lot of time was spent planning and relaxing, since we are all still pretty jetlagged. Gabby and I missed our alarm this morning (thanks Billy...) and got up super late because we were so exhausted! The walking tour was awesome and very informative, and the sites we saw were amazing. Our tour guide also showed us practical things, like the post office, and a huge market to shop at. I saw a lot of cool shops and kiosks, and also some very interesting food such as tripe sandwiches, which are made from the lining of a cow stomach. I also saw my first gypsy! Very creepy. The best part was the historical buildings we saw and learned about, including the Duomo, the bell tower, the baptism building, the town hall, the Santa Croce, and many others.
I'm already tired of walking and navigating, but I suppose it will get easier within the next week. I'm considering renting a bike to get places faster and more effieciently. I would rent a vespa, but the drivers here are scary! As I am writing this, my eyes are starting to droop. Mackenzie and Teagan are currently asleep on the couches in our living room. As I said, we are all exhausted. I'm off to nap (if I can sleep with all the noise from the restaurant across the street and the vespas speeding by!), then do some shopping with the roomates and hopefully find ourselves an exciting night! Grazie per leggi ;) ("Thank you for reading" ?) Ciao!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
First night out
After settling in, we decided to go out to find something to eat and ended up at a meal voucher restaurant called Ristorante il Treato. The food was absolutely delicious and a great choice for our first real Italian meal! I had gnocche with tomato sauce and fresh fruit for dessert. The people there were fantastic and hilarious. They were super friendly and ended up giving our table a free bottle of wine. I was so full from my dinner I could barely eat my dessert (along with everyone else!) and when one of the men in the restaurant saw my plate, he actually came over and held my nose so I would have to open my mouth, then force fed it to me! It was hilarious, and really awkward... but funny and made us feel less out of place.
After dinner, a few of us decided to explore a little and try to find a place to get drinks or snacks for the apartment. We walked by the Uffizi and the Duomo, which were both beautiful. It was extremely inspiring and I was completely in awe. The streets were full of people, some playing with glowing discs that they would throw into the air and catch on a stick, which was really cool to watch. On our way back, we got pretty lost, but thanks to Gabby (who visited Florence a few years ago), a map that came in our welcome packets, and some nice people, we finally made it back to the apartment. A pretty tame night all in all, but really interesting and fun too. And I made it back in time to hang out with the group and skype some friends from home before I head to bed. Atleast I know falling asleep tonight will be easy!
Ciao!
After dinner, a few of us decided to explore a little and try to find a place to get drinks or snacks for the apartment. We walked by the Uffizi and the Duomo, which were both beautiful. It was extremely inspiring and I was completely in awe. The streets were full of people, some playing with glowing discs that they would throw into the air and catch on a stick, which was really cool to watch. On our way back, we got pretty lost, but thanks to Gabby (who visited Florence a few years ago), a map that came in our welcome packets, and some nice people, we finally made it back to the apartment. A pretty tame night all in all, but really interesting and fun too. And I made it back in time to hang out with the group and skype some friends from home before I head to bed. Atleast I know falling asleep tonight will be easy!
Ciao!
Arrivederci America!
Our flight departed at 10 PM on September 1st. We left Colby at around 5, and the wait was unbearable! We were all so excited to finally be on our way! We took a coach bus to the airport, which was an adventure in itself, as our engine over-heated and then we got stuck in typical Boston traffic. However, it was not bad, and we made it to the airport in plenty of time. The airport went smoothly, although we had a lot of overweight baggage to deal with, and the line for security seemed endless. The only road bump was that our professor had been overbooked on the flight and did not have a seat! He did end up gettig one, but for a while it seemed we were going to set off on our own. My wonderful parents and fantastic best friend, Sam, came to send me off at the airport, making it kind of bittersweet. I will miss them, but absence makes the heart grow fonder ;) and this is an amazing opportunity that we all know I cannot pass up.
From Boston, we had a 6 hour 45 minute flight to Frankfurt, Germany, where we then connected to Florence. I slept for most of the flight, but was awake enough to eat some awful airplane meals. The plane was HUGE and had about fifteen movies to choose from (which I couldn't stay awake long enough to watch -- thank you Benadryl!) so it wasn't too bad. The flight was smooth except for my ears popping like crazy! We practically had to run through the Frankfurt airport, so I didn't see much of Germany, but I was extremely excited to see some Arizona tea for sale at one of the kiosks... thought I had seen my last one until December! Security there was surprisingly quick and nothing got searched except for a few of my groupmates' bags. From there, we were off to Florence, an hour and ten minute flight, on a much smaller plane.
Our second flight was quick and painless. We flew directly over the Alps, which was the most amazing sight I have ever seen! Many people ordered beer or wine on the plane as a little celebration... I got sprite (I know, unusual) and it came in a cute little can and tasted very different! When we arrived at the airport in Firenze, we were joined by some AIFS staff members who led us to our taxis (yes mom, with real Italian drivers!) and sent us on our way with schedules, ID cards, meal vouchers, and a lot of other information that I haven't even begun to digest. What I do know is-- we're finally here! Feels like we waited an eternity. But it was worth it!
The city is beautiful and our apartments are very nice. I live with 5 other girls, sharing 3 bedrooms. My roomate, Gabby, is awesome! And we all get along fairly well. We are about to head out to stock up our fridge and grab some dinner. Hopefully I can get some authentic Italian pizza!
I love this place already and can't wait to get out there and explore! Ciao ;)
From Boston, we had a 6 hour 45 minute flight to Frankfurt, Germany, where we then connected to Florence. I slept for most of the flight, but was awake enough to eat some awful airplane meals. The plane was HUGE and had about fifteen movies to choose from (which I couldn't stay awake long enough to watch -- thank you Benadryl!) so it wasn't too bad. The flight was smooth except for my ears popping like crazy! We practically had to run through the Frankfurt airport, so I didn't see much of Germany, but I was extremely excited to see some Arizona tea for sale at one of the kiosks... thought I had seen my last one until December! Security there was surprisingly quick and nothing got searched except for a few of my groupmates' bags. From there, we were off to Florence, an hour and ten minute flight, on a much smaller plane.
Our second flight was quick and painless. We flew directly over the Alps, which was the most amazing sight I have ever seen! Many people ordered beer or wine on the plane as a little celebration... I got sprite (I know, unusual) and it came in a cute little can and tasted very different! When we arrived at the airport in Firenze, we were joined by some AIFS staff members who led us to our taxis (yes mom, with real Italian drivers!) and sent us on our way with schedules, ID cards, meal vouchers, and a lot of other information that I haven't even begun to digest. What I do know is-- we're finally here! Feels like we waited an eternity. But it was worth it!
The city is beautiful and our apartments are very nice. I live with 5 other girls, sharing 3 bedrooms. My roomate, Gabby, is awesome! And we all get along fairly well. We are about to head out to stock up our fridge and grab some dinner. Hopefully I can get some authentic Italian pizza!
I love this place already and can't wait to get out there and explore! Ciao ;)
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