Only two more days for me down here in the South of Italy. I have my final exam tomorrow and then on Thursday, me and my boy Jake are departing for Roma.
I'll be a little sad to leave because this has been like vacation. Class consisted of playing taboo in Italian to talking about pizza and movies. The rest of the time, as I have mentioned before, varied from beaches to hiking, to gelato and napping.
I am real excited to be going to Roma and have numerous things I want to do. My teacher here is from there and she compiled a list of great things to do. I really want to try and get to a soccer game but it is the first home game of the season for A.S. Roma so we shall see about that. Of course I'll be checking out The Vatican, Sistine Chapel, Trevi Fountain, The Coliseum to name a few.
I have been itching for a hamburger or some other typical American food. Some bacon, pancakes, etc. Italians put little to no emphasis on breakfast. The typical food of the South is light: pasta with clams, salad, and vegetables. All this has been tasty, don't get me wrong, but hot damn, your boy has been itching for some good ol fashion red meat. However, I been eating pizza alot and will continue to do so.
I have bought my train ticket to get to Roma but as far as a hostel or sleeping accomodations, still working on it. Yes, I am indeed cutting it close but what are ya gonna do? Its not like I haven't been trying. Space is limited in Roma in August and I only have internet access for 2 hours a day.
The second fan in my bedroom broke last night so I am worried about napping and sleeping for these final two days. Fortuanetly, everyone here is sweating all the time so I don't have to be too concerned when I emerge for group dinners or activities with my face glistening like a Thanksgiving turkey.
Ahhh, turkey. Damn, I would love some dark meat right now, mashed potatoes, and gravy...
Excuse me, lunch time.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Monday, August 20, 2007
Friday the 17th
Last Friday, we all went to the beach. This beach was a little different than normal in that there was water, but no sand. It was basically a whole bunch of cliffs with sharp and uneven rocks to go with it.
The water was just fantastic. Had that blue and green tint and I was even treated to my first European bathing suite performance by two Italian women laying on floaters.
Upon my second round of water time I encountered a little problem. As I reached to propel myself out of the water I placed my hand on what I thought was another rock. How wrong I was. It turns out that it was an Italian sea urchin that has thorns/spikes comparable to that of a porcupine.
Oh, the pain
I emerged from the water with about 20 pieces of stingers in my ring and pinky fingers. I have, however, since recovered thanks to Sarah and her expert skills with tweezers and a sewing needle.
It gets better.
When it was time to get back on the bus the group split into two; the first going to get espressos and the second to spend more time in the water,
My group made a worng turn and we ended up way the hell in the wrong direction. It took us an additional 30 minutes to get to our bus and lets just say, nobody was thrilled.
There's more.
As we were 30 minutes late to get the bus, we were 30 minutes late coming back. I wanted to go to the supermarket and buy some um beverages for a little party that night. My boy Luca was leaving the next day and so were those girls from Serbia. But, of course, we got back at 8 instead of 730 and I couldn't buy anything for anyone. (Supermarket closes at 8 here)
Hold on.
Fortunately, the Serbian girls decided to get some snacks and such for everyone and we all kicked it outside. I learned some curse words in Serbian and put that King family charm on them.
As I was sitting there, two grils from my group came back from dinner and drinks early. One went inside, the other came over to talk to me. She informed me that the other girl just had an allergic reaction and the Epipen was needed. The girl who had the reaction had some choclate gelato and the container was either too close too pistacchio or the same spoon was used. Either way---no good.
The girl is all good now but a scary moment indeed.
As the outdoor party (no music, just sitting at a table shootin the shit) died down, I knew my oppourtunity was here to make a move. They began to throw away the plastic cups and gather themselves for bed and I asked:
"so what are yall gonna do now?"
"Pack" They responded
"Um. Uhh- Ok. Ciao"
I froze. Plain and simple. I was overwhelmed. Outmatched. I was dealing with foreigners here. I was out of my element. I wasn't used to this.
I tell you what though. You give me a second round with those damsels from Serbia or any other ladies from the former Soviet Union and just like Michael Jordan in the closing seconds of a game, its a guaranteed victory.
The water was just fantastic. Had that blue and green tint and I was even treated to my first European bathing suite performance by two Italian women laying on floaters.
Upon my second round of water time I encountered a little problem. As I reached to propel myself out of the water I placed my hand on what I thought was another rock. How wrong I was. It turns out that it was an Italian sea urchin that has thorns/spikes comparable to that of a porcupine.
Oh, the pain
I emerged from the water with about 20 pieces of stingers in my ring and pinky fingers. I have, however, since recovered thanks to Sarah and her expert skills with tweezers and a sewing needle.
It gets better.
When it was time to get back on the bus the group split into two; the first going to get espressos and the second to spend more time in the water,
My group made a worng turn and we ended up way the hell in the wrong direction. It took us an additional 30 minutes to get to our bus and lets just say, nobody was thrilled.
There's more.
As we were 30 minutes late to get the bus, we were 30 minutes late coming back. I wanted to go to the supermarket and buy some um beverages for a little party that night. My boy Luca was leaving the next day and so were those girls from Serbia. But, of course, we got back at 8 instead of 730 and I couldn't buy anything for anyone. (Supermarket closes at 8 here)
Hold on.
Fortunately, the Serbian girls decided to get some snacks and such for everyone and we all kicked it outside. I learned some curse words in Serbian and put that King family charm on them.
As I was sitting there, two grils from my group came back from dinner and drinks early. One went inside, the other came over to talk to me. She informed me that the other girl just had an allergic reaction and the Epipen was needed. The girl who had the reaction had some choclate gelato and the container was either too close too pistacchio or the same spoon was used. Either way---no good.
The girl is all good now but a scary moment indeed.
As the outdoor party (no music, just sitting at a table shootin the shit) died down, I knew my oppourtunity was here to make a move. They began to throw away the plastic cups and gather themselves for bed and I asked:
"so what are yall gonna do now?"
"Pack" They responded
"Um. Uhh- Ok. Ciao"
I froze. Plain and simple. I was overwhelmed. Outmatched. I was dealing with foreigners here. I was out of my element. I wasn't used to this.
I tell you what though. You give me a second round with those damsels from Serbia or any other ladies from the former Soviet Union and just like Michael Jordan in the closing seconds of a game, its a guaranteed victory.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
A Fine Dining Experience
Last night, for the first (and likely last) time of the trip, everyone in the program was taken out to dinner by the directors. This date had been marked on my calendar for quite some time because I knew it was going to be nice. And boy, was I right.
Everyone got dressed up to go out (we still paled in comparison to the Italians) and everyone was excited.
There was a long walkway to enter the restaraunt with paintings on either side and two giant scultpures of lions to greet those dining. Given the summer time and the heat, all of the tables were outside and the setting could not have been more lovely.
The entertainment for the evening was middle aged man who was dressed head to toe in white. I especially took notice to his Panama style hat that was white witht the exception of a black ribbon. Each server was wearing a bow tie and the lighting on the tables and the nearby tress was well executed.
There was a pre-determined menu so everything was going to be a surprise. If you are not too familiar with the Italian lifestyle there are many courses and it is always tasty.
For the anitpasti we had six dishes total: prosciutto, prosciutto with vegetables, cuscos, zucchini with muscles, fried tofu & cheese, and beats. I had every single type on my plate and I ate every single one.
Next, we had risotto with lemon al dente. I am usually not that big of a fan of the al dente but I did think this was tasty. Again, I ate it all.
For the secondi, we had pasta with muscles and shirmp. This was delicous. Everything was extremely fresh and cooked perfectly. And yes, I ate it all.
My apologies, I forgot to mention that we had the option of red, white, or rosse wine. And as much of it as we wanted. (Although this was ideal, I must admit that girl seated to my immediate left could have benefited from a fixed amount. However, we were able to get a video of her singing along to a Christina Agueilara song using a bottle of Pellegrino as a microphone)
Onto dessert. We began dessert with a tasty little lemon sorbet. This was followed by three little sweets. They were as follows: croissants with choclate inside, a muffin with rasberry filling, and shortbread cookies with choclate.
Lots of pictures were taken as well as requests for more wine. From the food to the music to the layout of the restaraunt itself, the ambiance was amazing.
After dinner, I went out with my teaching assistant from Wesleyan as well as my current Italian teacher here in Lecce. We shared what is called a "Maxi Mojito" and talked about everything from The Simpsons to Italian men and women to the best pizza in Italy.
All in all, I'd say it was an enjoyable night. What do you think?
Everyone got dressed up to go out (we still paled in comparison to the Italians) and everyone was excited.
There was a long walkway to enter the restaraunt with paintings on either side and two giant scultpures of lions to greet those dining. Given the summer time and the heat, all of the tables were outside and the setting could not have been more lovely.
The entertainment for the evening was middle aged man who was dressed head to toe in white. I especially took notice to his Panama style hat that was white witht the exception of a black ribbon. Each server was wearing a bow tie and the lighting on the tables and the nearby tress was well executed.
There was a pre-determined menu so everything was going to be a surprise. If you are not too familiar with the Italian lifestyle there are many courses and it is always tasty.
For the anitpasti we had six dishes total: prosciutto, prosciutto with vegetables, cuscos, zucchini with muscles, fried tofu & cheese, and beats. I had every single type on my plate and I ate every single one.
Next, we had risotto with lemon al dente. I am usually not that big of a fan of the al dente but I did think this was tasty. Again, I ate it all.
For the secondi, we had pasta with muscles and shirmp. This was delicous. Everything was extremely fresh and cooked perfectly. And yes, I ate it all.
My apologies, I forgot to mention that we had the option of red, white, or rosse wine. And as much of it as we wanted. (Although this was ideal, I must admit that girl seated to my immediate left could have benefited from a fixed amount. However, we were able to get a video of her singing along to a Christina Agueilara song using a bottle of Pellegrino as a microphone)
Onto dessert. We began dessert with a tasty little lemon sorbet. This was followed by three little sweets. They were as follows: croissants with choclate inside, a muffin with rasberry filling, and shortbread cookies with choclate.
Lots of pictures were taken as well as requests for more wine. From the food to the music to the layout of the restaraunt itself, the ambiance was amazing.
After dinner, I went out with my teaching assistant from Wesleyan as well as my current Italian teacher here in Lecce. We shared what is called a "Maxi Mojito" and talked about everything from The Simpsons to Italian men and women to the best pizza in Italy.
All in all, I'd say it was an enjoyable night. What do you think?
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
I'm Baaaaaaaaaaack!
YYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
What's happening. Your boy is officially in Italy and it is superb. It took a while for me to get adjusted with the time change and all the distance traveled but i'm good to go.
My days here have been sweet to say the least. Everyone in the program is real cool and as of now, there is only one other guy.And 15 girls. There is also some fly girls studying at our school from Serbia and Madrid so you know I'm testing out my Spanish and Russian.
I can't put it all in text but a typical day for me is as follows:
8:45 Wake up
9-10:30 Class
10:45-12:15 Class
12:30-1:30 Lunch
1:30-2 Nap and hang out
2-6:30 Beach
7-8 Hang out
8-9:30 Dinner
10-2 Rum & Coke
Now, this lifestyle won't exactly continue when I go to Bologna. This 3 week program is real casual and we only take one class. I imagine I will still get down with the get down when I'm in Bologna but there will be less trips to the beach and more classes. But for now I'll just stay charming the socks off those around me.
The hikes and beaches I have gone on have been great. The water is very clear and has that blue and green tint. This girl in my program brought googles and I have been having a field day with them.
We have gone to some small towns and I have been taking lots of pictures. It is real hot down here so I have been going through under shirts and boxer briefs like that one member of your family goes through plates at Hometown Buffet.
Two nights ago I went into town for some wine tasting. For 10 Euro (about $12-$13) You got a wine glass and you got to walk around and try whatever kind of wine you wanted. There was red and white at every table and about 25 tables. Need I say more?
I must say that last night might have been one of, if not the best night so far. It was karoke night. I initally wasn't excited for it but once I got outside and saw the setup, I was ready to rock. I knew what song I wanted and sure enough, they had it.
Michael Jackson-Bille Jean.
Better believe it. Could you think of a better song for me to do? I mean honestly. I was absolutely going nuts with it and I must say I put on quite a show. I have some pictures so expect to see them sometime.
I have been eating some great food so far. Croissants with nutella in the middle, great pizza, lovely wine. And its only going to get better.
I must depart for now and try to figure out how I can get out paying the 50 Euro I owe for the weekend trips.
Oh, by the way, eat your heart out
What's happening. Your boy is officially in Italy and it is superb. It took a while for me to get adjusted with the time change and all the distance traveled but i'm good to go.
My days here have been sweet to say the least. Everyone in the program is real cool and as of now, there is only one other guy.And 15 girls. There is also some fly girls studying at our school from Serbia and Madrid so you know I'm testing out my Spanish and Russian.
I can't put it all in text but a typical day for me is as follows:
8:45 Wake up
9-10:30 Class
10:45-12:15 Class
12:30-1:30 Lunch
1:30-2 Nap and hang out
2-6:30 Beach
7-8 Hang out
8-9:30 Dinner
10-2 Rum & Coke
Now, this lifestyle won't exactly continue when I go to Bologna. This 3 week program is real casual and we only take one class. I imagine I will still get down with the get down when I'm in Bologna but there will be less trips to the beach and more classes. But for now I'll just stay charming the socks off those around me.
The hikes and beaches I have gone on have been great. The water is very clear and has that blue and green tint. This girl in my program brought googles and I have been having a field day with them.
We have gone to some small towns and I have been taking lots of pictures. It is real hot down here so I have been going through under shirts and boxer briefs like that one member of your family goes through plates at Hometown Buffet.
Two nights ago I went into town for some wine tasting. For 10 Euro (about $12-$13) You got a wine glass and you got to walk around and try whatever kind of wine you wanted. There was red and white at every table and about 25 tables. Need I say more?
I must say that last night might have been one of, if not the best night so far. It was karoke night. I initally wasn't excited for it but once I got outside and saw the setup, I was ready to rock. I knew what song I wanted and sure enough, they had it.
Michael Jackson-Bille Jean.
Better believe it. Could you think of a better song for me to do? I mean honestly. I was absolutely going nuts with it and I must say I put on quite a show. I have some pictures so expect to see them sometime.
I have been eating some great food so far. Croissants with nutella in the middle, great pizza, lovely wine. And its only going to get better.
I must depart for now and try to figure out how I can get out paying the 50 Euro I owe for the weekend trips.
Oh, by the way, eat your heart out
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
It's been a while since your boy was on the keyboard but now he's back in action. Firstly, my apologies to my avid readers. So, sorry to my lovely motha and my boy Twill Burger. All that aside, let's get down to business...
I wouldn't say this thought just occurred to me but I will say that I have had to think about it a little more as of late.
Have you ever met somebody and upon first glance, you are hooked? You just know you are going to feel this person. Yeah, they look real good, got that cute little smile, and that just "oh boy!". If you have the privilege of meeting this person, you go through your standard Q&A.
Where ya from?
Where do/did you go to school?
Hobbies, Interests, Siblings, Pets, etc. etc.
Now this is all fine and gravy but in my opinion, one key element is missing: RELATIONSHIP STATUS
I don't know if you have been in this position before but it is a serious blow when you find out weeks later that your crush is currently occupied. All this time you had no idea. You have been conducting business under the impression there was a 'Inquire Within' sign; not a 'Sorry, Closed' one. You have put in some serious flirting and chivalry only to find out that some other person is where you want to be.
Now, it isn't that bad if the flirting and chivalrous ways come natural. Hopefully, if you played your cards right, you haven't done anything to drastic, obvious, or over the top that would result in some long term damage. But, it is tough when you have been under the impression that your potential honey is free only to have your heart (temporarily) broken.
As a result, I put this declaration onto you, my dear reader:
From this point forth, both males and females of the dating age (consult your State Laws and/or parents for precision) shall state their current relationship status within the first 7 minutes of conversation with a person(s) they have just met.
This way, people know right off the bat what the deal is. They can alter their approach or change tactics if need be.
Now, you just don't want to throw it out there: "Hi, I'm Roxanne, I have a boyfriend and I love Thai Food" Woah woah woah, slow your role their Rox! Ease it into the convo. If sports comes up and your significant other plays/played, drop it then. If the person you just met is from the East Coast and your partner went to school out that way, there you go.
Now, for some, knowing you are in a relationship won't stop them at all. Hell, it might even make them pursue you harder. However, it is a good thing to establish so others don't have to deal with the pain that comes with learning it a little ways down the road. Knowing this might not make you like your crush less but it will take care of the feeling when your hopes, after being built up on numerous occasions , come crashing down.
I am NOT speaking from experience. Trust me.
I wouldn't say this thought just occurred to me but I will say that I have had to think about it a little more as of late.
Have you ever met somebody and upon first glance, you are hooked? You just know you are going to feel this person. Yeah, they look real good, got that cute little smile, and that just "oh boy!". If you have the privilege of meeting this person, you go through your standard Q&A.
Where ya from?
Where do/did you go to school?
Hobbies, Interests, Siblings, Pets, etc. etc.
Now this is all fine and gravy but in my opinion, one key element is missing: RELATIONSHIP STATUS
I don't know if you have been in this position before but it is a serious blow when you find out weeks later that your crush is currently occupied. All this time you had no idea. You have been conducting business under the impression there was a 'Inquire Within' sign; not a 'Sorry, Closed' one. You have put in some serious flirting and chivalry only to find out that some other person is where you want to be.
Now, it isn't that bad if the flirting and chivalrous ways come natural. Hopefully, if you played your cards right, you haven't done anything to drastic, obvious, or over the top that would result in some long term damage. But, it is tough when you have been under the impression that your potential honey is free only to have your heart (temporarily) broken.
As a result, I put this declaration onto you, my dear reader:
Spectacular Decree Number 1
From this point forth, both males and females of the dating age (consult your State Laws and/or parents for precision) shall state their current relationship status within the first 7 minutes of conversation with a person(s) they have just met.
This way, people know right off the bat what the deal is. They can alter their approach or change tactics if need be.
Now, you just don't want to throw it out there: "Hi, I'm Roxanne, I have a boyfriend and I love Thai Food" Woah woah woah, slow your role their Rox! Ease it into the convo. If sports comes up and your significant other plays/played, drop it then. If the person you just met is from the East Coast and your partner went to school out that way, there you go.
Now, for some, knowing you are in a relationship won't stop them at all. Hell, it might even make them pursue you harder. However, it is a good thing to establish so others don't have to deal with the pain that comes with learning it a little ways down the road. Knowing this might not make you like your crush less but it will take care of the feeling when your hopes, after being built up on numerous occasions , come crashing down.
I am NOT speaking from experience. Trust me.
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