Parla Inglese?

It has been very interesting to see my learning process with this whole Italian thing. At first, you just feel like an alien on another planet. After a while, I really sank into saying, "Parla Inglese" (Do you speak English?) and if people said no, I just kind of gave up. Later, if they said no, I moved into my charades and pointing mode which was always fun. If you ever want to feel like an idiot just try to do the hand signals for, "my shower drain is clogged and needs Drano". It's like, I might as well get some balloons and try to making you a balloon figure of what I am trying to talk to you about.
But, just recently, i've noticed that I am trying to "use my words" more. I know a lot of the words- it's just that in the moment I freak out and can't remember anything. The last week or so I have very calmly been able to understand what people are trying to say and I have been saying enough that they can understand me. I'm sure I am butchering the language, but at least I am getting my point across. It is such a funny sense of accomplishment when you can conduct an entire transaction in a store without doing any weird hand motions or saying "UMMMMMM" for five minutes before giving up. In fact, yesterday in a store I had to help the store owner add up what I owed her and tell her what it was, which was very funny.
But, I feel like I am getting somewhere. Italian is fun, but not that applicable when I get home. I think when I get back to the States and get my schedule in order, I may try to take some Spanish classes because I feel like knowing another language- especially Spanish, is such a huge asset in today's society. Besides, it would be nice to be bilingual- you know, like most of the world's population is (besides us Americans because we just make everyone else speak our language...).
Anyway, I'm supposed to go to Rome tomorrow which should be fun. I'll be back on Sunday, so I guess i'll blog again then!

The Agony and The Ecstasy

To put it the short way, our weekend didn't quite go as planned. But, i'm going to tell you the long way, because I need to vent about the weekend that I just had.
It all started well enough. We had to get up at the crack of dawn to make a 6:30 AM train. It was about a 4 hour ride which went just fine. I have fallen in love with the train. I find I do my best thinking on the train, looking out the window at the Italian countryside. So, we took the train to Naples and then got on a ferry to Capri. I was excited about the ferry because in Lake Como, we took the ferry everywhere and loved it. It was the best way to be on the water. However, when the ferry pulled up I saw trouble. There was almost no deck space on this ferry. The entire thing was indoor seats, and lots of them. They herded us on this ferry like cows and then took off. I knew that it was a bad idea to sit inside, so I stood outside on the deck. Shortly into the trip I could tell that we were in for trouble. The water was extremely rough because it was a gloomy day- a little drizzly and windy. The boat headed out into pretty open sea and began really swooping and lurching. It was awful. One by one people came stumbling out of that cabin of the ship as white as ghosts. And that's when the vomiting began. Everywhere. Now, i'm sorry to be so graphic but I was traumatized and need to get it out. Luckily, the ship provided plastic bags for people (which should have been the first sign of trouble) but not everyone used them. I couldn't get away from the vomit that was all over the railing of the ship because I had to stay outside so I wouldn't get sick and I had to hold on because it was a really rough sea. People were puking everywhere around me. fortunately, I didn't feel very ill and I put on my headphones to some calming music and tried to get through this hell ride. We thought it would be 45 minutes, but we were wrong. It was an hour and a half of people vomiting everywhere. My roommate Cara ( the same one that sneezed on the dishes) is an infamous vomiter. She has thrown up in every country on this trip, and most cities. She threw up in our sink at home, in a bar in Amsterdam, on a roller coaster in Paris and yes, on the vomit comet on the way to Capri. EVERYWHERE.
Now that I have probably sickened all of you ( and again I am sorry, but I have to get it out), we have finally arrived at Capri. By the time we get off the worst ride of my life, it's raining. It continues to rain for the entire few hours we are in Capri. I was so nauseated I couldn't eat anything so I missed out on the world renowned sea food. But not Cara. She ate a huge creamy seafood dish at lunch. I kept wanting to shake her and tell her what a mistake she was making, but I didn't. We do find out however, that the ride to Sorrento (where we were sleeping) was only about a 20 minute ferry from Capri and it stayed closer to shore so it wouldn't be as rough. Oh, and let me back up and tell you that I packed an umbrella and Dramamine foreseeing both of these situations and I accidentally left them on the bus that was meeting us in Sorrento. I wanted to punch myself in the face.
While we were waiting for the Sorrento ferry we pretty much got soaked to the bone. My water "resistant" jacket had held off the rain for a good few hours and it buckled. Everything was soaked, and it was freezing. It was really a "combo flashback" of being near hypothermic when I was stuck in the rain at Waterworld as a child and that ill fated deep sea fishing trip i'll regret for the rest of my life.
The ride to Sorrento went fairly smoothly, and surprisingly, Cara held down the lunch. Once we got off the boat in Sorrento we found out we have a few mile walk to our hotel, in the downpour. We're trudging along and i'm thinking about how I only packed one pair of jeans and only have one coat and neither of them will be dry by the morning....it's dark at this point. We come to some old stone steps going up a cliffside. Now, picture this, 50 students walking single file, heads down, in torrential rain up steps that seemed never ending. I felt like the soundtrack to the Ten Commandments should be playing in the background.
I was pretty sure it wouldn't get worse, but it did. I miss a step. I fall up the steps. These steps are really vertical, which means that before my hands have a chance to catch me, my right knee cap catches me. I thought it was broken. I still had 4 more flights to go up, in the downpour. I really almost cried.
I drag my leg up to the top of the steps and guess what? There's Cara. Vomiting. You know you've been traumatized when it finally doesn't even bother you. It was survival at that point.
I could go on and on but this is a really long blog so i'll just tell you that my knee is ok, but still hurts when I walk. I just banged the shit out of it. The next day we put on our wet cloths and went out into Sorrento. For about three hours the skies were clear and that was the highlight of the trip. We had a great time and it was GORGEOUS. We got on a bus to Pompeii and I think it was the most beautiful bus ride i've ever had in my life. Lemon and orange trees, lush cliffsides, and aqua blue mediterranean sea below. It was amazing.
Inevitably the rain came again and the entire time we were in Pompeii it poured- even hailing at some points. I couldn't see anything because I had to watch where I was walking the whole time so I missed most of Pompeii. I am really sad about that but as my Aunt Frayda said, at least the volcano didn't blow while we were there. Our tour guide was talking about how it errupts every 40 years and it's been 60 since the last erruption and i'm thinking...with the way the rest of this trip has gone I wouldn't be that surprised. So here are a couple of pictures of the beauty of it all that we were able to see in between the vomiting and the falling down. I can imagine it would be one of the most beautiful places on Earth when it is sunny and everything is in bloom.
Oh, and P.S.- I finished this dream weekend by biting into a raw hamburger at MacDonalds in Naples. It was the only thing open and we were starving so I got MacDonalds. Then I spent the train ride home wondering what kind of horrible food poisoning I was going to get from it. Love those grand finales.

What Will I Do?

Yesterday I had a great day. I mean, everyday here is good, but as I said yesterday, for some reason I was in an especially good mood. Michelle's parents and sister came into town yesterday and my best friend's brother called me and said he was in town. So we ended up going to our favorite restaurant, il porcuspino, with about 14 people. I love il porcuspino because Franco works there and he knows all of us. I call him "Uncle Franco" (but not to his face). Anyway, he always gives us the star treatment. When we got home all of us girls we sitting around laughing for a good couple hours. All of my roommates and I get along so well. We are all SO different but we all have really genuinely clicked with each other. I can't believe it has only been a little over 2 months that I have known them. Last night it occurred to me that I only have like a month left with them. And then we're going to scatter all over the country. I know we'll be able to visit each other but I will be so sad to leave them. I was picturing being in my apartment in Denver and it will be so weird to be alone. I think I will definately go through a major re-adjustment period when I get home. I think I will feel very out of place for a little bit. Which is so weird because I haven't been gone THAT long, but the adjustment will harder going home than coming to another country! However, even though leaving them will be sad, it is better than having had roommates that were horrible and being thrilled to leave them. I think they are the one of the reasons why this abroad experience has been so meaningful to me.
On another note, we're going to Pompei and Capri this weekend. I'm so excited about both of those places but especially Capri. It should be really fun. So, I won't be able to blog again until Monday. But, i'll let you know how it goes!

Bizarro World

Yesterday, Danielle and I were walking to class (that by the way was being held in the Bargello-the first museum in Italy, hurray for school in Italy...) and I saw a really bizarre and slightly cool thing. We were walking past the Duomo and there was a line of people following a tour guide...on Segways. They were on a Segway tour. This just speaks for how ultimately lazy our population is becoming and i'd put money on it that they were American- i'm surprised they weren't eating MacDonalds whilst rolling along-but it was still kind of cool. These people rolling on these high-tech machines, learning about buildings that are centuries old, in a medieval city. Such a juxtaposition. It was one of those situations where you see something that looks like it would be taking place way in the future, only it's happening now. Next thing you know, people will be flying around in little saucers.
On another note, I woke up in the most annoyingly chipper mood this morning. Not that I wake up in a bad mood other mornings, but this morning I may have woken up with a smile on my face. We got to watch Grey's Anatomy last night (Oh my gosh Issie and George...for those of you who watch!) and I got a new good book that I read before I fell asleep.
The book thing is interesting, because at home I don't read nearly enough. But here, we don't really watch tv at all and so I read a lot. I read while I eat breakfast, I read during breaks and before I go to bed, and I love it. I've already read like 3 books since i've been here and i'm on the fourth. It really makes me realize how much I miss reading. Now that I have this new book that I bought yesterday at the English book store, it feels like I have a whole new adventure to go on- I love that.
I'm sorry the pic of the Segway people is sideways...I took it on my phone- I totally embarassed Danielle because when I saw them they were rolling by and I went running after them while I was digging in my bag for my phone so I could take a picture...she pretended not to know me. For some reason when I rotate it and save it on my computer, it still uploads sideways. You all will just have to tilt your heads.

The Weather

I'm really distressed about the weather. I came to Florence picturing rain and sleet and maybe even a tiny dusting of snow. I expected cold and dreary, creepy and foggy. Damnit I was looking forward to gloomy. Now, after over 2 months here, i've gotten maybe three or four good rainy days and the rest of the time it's been pure sunshine. Most people think that I sound crazy when I complain about the sunshine- and believe me, when it was first sunny and springtime like I thought, "oh, isn't this lovely weather we're having". But the sun never went away. This city is a creepy, medieval city. The sunny weather doesn't suit it. When it is dark and gloomy the city feels the way it is supposed to be...the buildings feel right and everything seems in place. When it's sunny these creepy buildings look weird. They just don't fit. And it's not just the sun that annoys me because at least before it was cool and sunny. Now it's hot and sunny. If I wanted hot and sunny I would have gone to fricken Guadalajara for a semester. Yesterday and the day before we had rain and gloom and I loved it. However, I think that was the last of it because it looks as though we're going to be launching into summer weather now and that means hot and sticky. Ughh. I just want some thunder and lightening. I'd even take a drizzle. Just give me a little drizzle, or a patch of fog. A patch of fog would be nice.

What Is Going On In There?

We have a shower problem. One of our shower problems is that there are 5 of us using the shower. But, aside from that, the shower has a slow drain. Lately, you have to stop showering because the tub is filling up rapidly. So, today I decided to go to the hardware store to get "Drano" or some Italian version of Drano. I found one on my map and went on a search for it. It's pouring rain outside, and i'm out there, dodging umbrellas and puddles, in search of this place. I finally come upon a store that says m-whatever (the word that means hardware store, I can't remember it now) and I go inside. As soon as I open the door, I know i'm in trouble. There is a tiny room that resembles more of someone's disorganized garage than a store, and you can't tell what is for sale and what belongs to the shop owner. In the middle of the room, two older women are sitting on chairs having a discussion. In fact, at first I thought maybe this wasn't a store at all. I kind of wanted to turn around and run outside (you know, have a "do-over") but I couldn't. They were staring at me, I was trapped. So I said my favorite phrase, "Parla Inglese?" and they said, "no." So, I start doing my I-don't-know-the-words-stammer, like maybe if I say, "Ahh. Ah. Ummm. Hm. Ummm," the Italian will just come to me. It never comes to me, because I CAN"T SPEAK ITALIAN. So, in my brilliance, I say, "Drano?" No response. Blank stares. Silence. I launch back into the the stammer of ah's and um's and one of the old ladies says, "Verbo." Meaning, to tell them a verb. I'm thinking, If I had one lady, i'd have given it to you by now. So, I look around, say Grazie, and leave, heading back into the storm.
To fast forward a bit, I end up finding another hardware store that resembles more of a store and a man who spoke a little English got me a bottle of something used to unblock drains that are clogged.
Feeling very proud of my new drain stuff, I go home and start cleaning the house. When it comes time for the shower drain I open the bottle and start to pour the stuff in, not expecting anything unusual. But the second the stuff hits the drain it starts fizzing and I can hear it fizzing and burning stuff all the way down the pipe of our ancient barely standing plumbing system. I call Cara into the bathroom to hear this stuff eat through "absolutely everything" and we're both just standing there, listening to the weirdness. That's when I started to see some "smoke". Now, I don't think it was actual smoke, but whatever it was, it was a visible gas coming out of the drain. And then came the smell. Burning hair smell. I have no idea what was going on in there except whatever it was involved an obviously corrosive and insane acid mixture that I don't think they have any business selling in some weird hardware store. Now our entire house smells like burned hair. All I know is that drain better be faster now.

Sidewalk Chalk

There are a lot of people selling things in Florence. Actually, let me rephrase that- there are a lot of people soliciting money in Florence. You have your run of the mill Gypsies at the very bottom of the food chain. These are women who all have braided hair and babushkas (Sp.?) and are wearing outfits that set them apart from every other person in Italy. I can't really figure this out because if these gypsies aren't begging on the street they are pick- pocketing you, and you would think they would have more success if they DIDN"T LOOK LIKE GYPSIES. But, I can't explain this to them, they don't speak English, so I move on. So, you have your gypsies. Next up on the food chain (in my opinion) you have the mimes. Now, I am biased because I HATE MIMES, but really, how hard is it to paint yourself white, put a sheet over you and stand on a milk crate with your eyes closed? I'm sure at first there is may be some tetering or leg cramping, but after a while, you are really just a white guy standing on a box, and what is so special about that? What the hell are these people dressed up as? beats the hell out of me, and I'm certainly not going to pay them for doing something stupid. After the mimes you have people selling weird shit. Now, this is not a stereotype, these are real facts. You have Africans selling fake designer purses (and yes, they are ALL Africans.) By the way, it is actually very illegal to buy these purses and if a cop catches you, you can be fined up to 3,000 Euro, which most people don't know. Anyway, Africans, purses. Next, there are Asians selling weird little dolls that sing things like "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" in Italian. Yes, they are both creepy and annoying at the same time. Someone must buy them though because they are out there everyday selling them. Then you have the Romanians and Albanians selling crappy 11x16 posters of everything from Florence landmarks to unicorns. Don't ask me- I want to slap the people who buy them just as much as the people who buy the singing creepy dolls. After those people you have the market people who are mostly Albanians and Romanians mixed with some Italians. They want to sell you purses and belts, t-shirts and wallets and if you're not buying something from them they are verbally assaulting you as you walk by. Love those guys.
But there is one solicitor that I respect and enjoy. They are the sidewalk chalk artists. And i'm not talking about some little doodles in chalk. These people are INCREDIBLE artists who slave over the sidewalk all day reproducing masterpieces in chalk. As you can see from the picture, this guy is doing a famous work by Leonardo Da Vinci, and if I do say so myself, it is worth some pocket change at the very least.

WOWZA!

It has been a crazy few weeks! sorry to be so erratic in the blogging, but i've been all over the place. The weekend before last was Paris, last weekend was Amsterdam, this weekend was Venice...i'm just a travelin' fool. Next weekend I have Pompeii (keep your fingers crossed about that whole "volcano" deal they got going on there) and then it's Rome two weekends in a row (one of which on Easter, which should be interesting), and then it's about time for me to head home!
Mom and I were in Venice this weekend and had a great time. I feel like I may have walked off maybe a little of the fat that I accumilated in France ( who can resist the chocolate? I can't). I even found my way (walking of course) from my hotel to the train staion today through the maze of Venetian streets, which is no small accomplishment! Now, i'm back in Florence. It's funny what a sense of temporary "home" I feel here. I love travelling around, don't get me wrong, but everytime my train arrives in Florence I feel a little of that feeling of coming home. Which feels weird when you're not home....if that makes any sense.
My midterms actually went very well. Got a B in art history, an A in Roman history, and an A in Italian. Now, my sociology class was different... my teacher hasn't handed back the midterms yet, but she made a point of telling us last week how terrible they were and how she cried when she graded them. I was thinking, really? is that really something you want to share with the class? We all agreed that she is on some form of drugs- the woman is weird, and she always acts strung out on something. She's a terrible teacher and hasn't really taught us anything. So, i'm going to wait and see what grades she gave me and then decide if I want to make her cry again by throwing the hissy fit of the century. Other than that, all is quiet. Back in my computer lab down the street from my apartment, trying to download Grey's Anatomy, and the download timer says "14 hours remaining." Blast.

What a Day

Yesterday was the most gorgeous day we've had yet here in Florence. It hit about 70 degrees and the sun was shining. It was actually almost hot. After class, I met up with Mom and we walked to the Piazzale Michelangelo. We got there just as the sun was going down. There was a little cafe on the overlook, so we sat down and drank some wine, looking out over Florence. It was beautiful. From up there Florence doesn't look real. Although it is a hike to get to the top, it is always well worth it.
On a different note, I visited an Italian high school today. The students from this class came to visit us in our school about a month ago, and we went to their school this time. It is very interesting. The Italian education system is very different from the United States ( a lot better, I think). It is much stricter as well- most exams are oral exams and the students are in class for 36 hours a week, so they go on Saturdays as well (try to tell that to an American high school student). Although many things are different, some things appear to be the same. They may be students from a different culture but you still get that feeling of being in a high school. You can look at them interact with each other and can immediately tell that there are preppy kids and loner kids, bookworms and popular people. Even though we were in Italy, it still gave me the creeps to be in a high school. High school sucks in the same ways, it seems, no matter where you go.

Ahhh...Back In Florence

I am back in Florence now- sitting in the student lounge, waiting to go back to class and find out what kind of blood bath occurred on my midterms... I know I didn't do very well on my art history test because many of the paintings that we were tested on, that I said were located in various places in Italy, were in fact in some of the museums I visited in Paris. Oops. But that's ok.
Mom is here in Florence and I was telling her that it is very surreal to have her here. This universe feels very separate from the universe that exists outside of here (like separate bubbles, you know?) and it seems so weird for the bubbles to combine. But it is really fun showing her where I have been living these past two months.
I feel a little sad to start the second half of my program here because from this point on there is just a whirlwind of activity and trips and visitors and I just know the time is going to go even faster. It's great, don't get me wrong. Fun to have friends and family visit and to take weekend trips, but it makes the time fly by. I feel like before I know it, it will be over...can't believe how fast it has gone by already!
But alas, Florence will always be here! and I still have 7 weeks or so!

So Much To Say

Wow. We have seen so many amazing things this week. From the Eiffel Tower to Versailles, Mont St. Michel to Normandy, Brugge, Belgium and now, Amsterdam. I have been struck by so many things this trip that each one could have it's own blog...but I guess to sum it up i'll say this. When we were in Normandy visiting the American Military Cemetary it really hit me how if we hadn't been successful in the war, my family and I wouldn't exist. We would have been wiped out and the world would be a very different place. This trip has also made me so aware of languages and what a handicap it is to only speak English. Coming from Italy where I was just getting used to the Italian and going to France, I was totally lost. And now that we're in Amsterdam, I don't even try to speak Dutch. Without meaning any disrespect, it is the most ridiculous language I have ever come across. It just doesn't seem necessary to have that many vowels in one word...
I'm posting a picture of Mont St. Michel, which is an amazing cathedral on top of a hill that is surrounded by water at high tide...as well as a picture of the battleground near Omaha beach in Normandy. It is incredible how the ground has huge craters from the bombs. It really makes everything snap into perspective.

Paris, Part II

We did a long exploration of the Louvre today. It was great to see a lot of the works that I have studied in art history classes, both recently and in the past, up close and in person. We got to see the Venus De Milo, many works by Botticelli, and of course, the Mona Lisa. Many people have told me that the Mona Lisa was a waste of time to see because it is very small and not Leonardo's best work- that it was a lot of "hubbub" over nothing. I still wanted to see it though and I have to say that I fully disagree. Even standing behind the plexiglass, the first barracade, the second barracade and about twenty people, I still found her to be breathtaking- and certainly something special and worth seeing. I will fully agree that she may not be one of Leonardo's most magnificent works- there are many that could give Mrs. Lisa a run for her money, but make no mistake, she is special. There is something about the look on her face that would tell anyone that she is worth all the hubbub. So, that's my two cents.
Then we went and saw Notre Dame which was also amazing, both inside and out. We climbed to the top (or almost to the top- i'm not the bionic woman you know...) and saw magnificent views of the city. Over all, I have to say that I am quite fond of Paris and that her food and sights make me retract any prejudice I may have had about the French- even if the prejudices are still true...anyone who thought of putting chocolate in a crepe is fine in my book. I hereby retract all negative statements ever made on the grounds of good food.
Tomorrow we are getting our rental car and moving out...going to see what other people in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands can do with chocolate.

Versailles

We took a short train ride to Versailles today to visit the Chateau of Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette. It was all so gigantic and beautiful. After we toured the rooms in the chateau, we rented a golf cart and drove around the gardens. It was hilarious because the golf cart played this classical music and gave you a tour as you went...as you can see, there were some very interestingly trimmed bushes...it was fantastic.
However, I would like to dedicate the rest of today's blog to what I have eaten in the last two hours. Upon recommendation by a friend of Anna's (my brother's girlfriend), we went to a very interesting restaurant for dinner. It didn't have a menu-they only have one dish available...steak and french fries. You are seated and immediately they bring you a salad. When you're done with your salad they ask how you like your steak cooked and they bring out steak with a special sauce on it, and piping hot delicious french fries. It was so wonderfully delicious I can't even give it justice in a blog. Not only is it delicious, but they just keep refilling your plate whenever you run out. It's a glutton's paradise. After dinner, we went and got crepes- I got one with chocolate in it. So right now, i'm on the cusp of a food coma but perfectly satiated in the food department...even if my cholesterol just rose 50 points.

Ah...Paris

We all managed to make it to Paris from our various different points on the globe...We had a wonderful day today which started with a chocolate croissant, had rose ice cream in the middle, (yeah, it seriously tasted how roses smell...it was delicious and very odd) and i'm sure will end with some more amazing food. We basically walked all over today, seeing many of the recognizable sights in Paris- which included the Eiffel Tower of course. Tomorrow, we are taking a train to Versailles which should be amazing. For now though, i'm taking a break from the incredibly long walk we took today.

Vacation From My Vacation

I just took my last midterm. Wahoo. It was in Italian class. You want to know the days of the week in Italian? I bet you do...here they are: Lunedi, Martedi, Mercoledi, Giovedi, Venerdi, Sabato, Domenica. Yay! (It's not as much fun when I don't have my Italian teacher here to say, "Bravisimo Kate!".....
Kinda funny side note here... as you all know soccer (futbol) is very important here. In fact, about a month ago someone was killed at an Italian soccer game. So, the government officials decided that unless the stadiums met certain security requirements, people were not going to be allowed to go to the games. Florence is one of the cities that had to shut down. So, the games still happen in the stadiums, but there is just no audience. These Italians are really serious. Anyway, my Roman history professor came into our midterm yesterday and was like, "Does anyone have earphones I can borrow? I brought my radio and forgot my headphones and the soccer game is on at 3 and I can't miss it." So, during our midterm, my hot professor sat and listened to his soccer game. Kind of funny.
Anyhow, midterms are over. Now I have to go pack because i'm going on vacation tomorrow. I'm taking a vacation from my vacation. Never done that before but I figure there can't be anything wrong with a double vacation. It is very odd to be in a situation where you feel like you're on vacation and then have to pack and go somewhere for a secondary vacation. I've just said vacation like 6 times in 3 sentences. VACATION!!!. I get to see my mom and my brother tomorrow when I meet them in Paris so i'm very excited. They're flying across the ocean to see me (and I guess maybe the eiffel tower, the louvre, and all the other things we're going to see). We're also renting a car in Paris and driving up through Belgium and finally ending up in Amsterdam. It's going to be quite the week and a half adventure. I'm going to try to blog while i'm gone, but in the event i'm too busy eating baghettes and waffles (not at the same time of course...one after the other...) then I will be back up and running around the 12th.
Wish me luck with the French!