That probably doesn't make sense. It literally translates as, The last of the week last." But it means, to me, the last weekend. Cause the word for weekend is "fine settimana." See?
So Nemo arrived here on Wednesday. I was so excited! I haven't seen Nemo since senior year! He's studying in France, and so now here he is on his break. We went and signed up for our cooking class with Altrevento. It's a really good menu. Gnocchi in a sage and butter sauce, bruschetta, and some kind of chocolate cream thing. Florence for Fun was just offering pasta al arancia and carmelized apples, bleghhhh. Now, here's the rub - I corresponded with them entirely in Italian, I paid in Italian, and then at the very last minute I thought to ask, "è la classe in italiano o inglese?" O, Italiano! Haha, so... what an experience to anticipate! It's in a couple hours. But my teacher thinks that I have a good enough grasp on Italian that I can do it, and help him out too. In fact, she made me feel really good about my Italian. I think I'm rather good at it too, and I love it.
There was a cross cultural reversal shock meeting that day. It made me even more nervous to go home than I already am! My taste buds have changed apparently. I'm going to eat and all the food will be sweet for like a week and I'll have a very upset stomach. And lines! I've forgotten how to queue up! In Italy, you fight to get to the front, and if you don't, the little old lady certainly will! I'm going to get into so much trouble with customs and just everywhere. And I'm going to get hit by a car, because I'm so used to jaywalking everywhere and with less than a foot between me and that car but Americans will hit meeeeee oh noooooooooooo I'm really nervous to come home!
Gina and I made chicken marsala burgers that night, and of course Nemo got one too. But it was a lazy night. I just walked him around the city and showed him the sites at night.
Yesterday was my busy day, so he spent most of it alone. I went back to the Palatine Galleries with Ren Art and I think I want to go back one last time before I leave. Then psych we reviewed for our exam next week, because EXAMS ARE NEXT WEEK! OH NOOOOO
We took Nemo to the leather market, and I have almost finished buying gifts now. I also got a sweet white leather wristband that makes me look cool. Molto forte, yo.
Kevin and I made tacos again, only they were out of our sheep cheese at Coop! So we replaced it with provolone piccante. Spicy provolone?? Is this in the states? Somebody find out for me and tell me right away! It is so delicious! It's not super spicy, it just has a little bit of a kick and mmmmmm. We watched Catch me if you Can while eating and had just a really great time. Nemo and I taught Kevin how to play Convergence and it was really successful. I knew they would be besties lol!
If you can't tell, today I am joyous!
In Italian today, we played a funny game where we all pretended we'd been crashed on a dessert island. We all made a speech to try and see who could be the leader and who would be elected. My speech went, "Farò fare Will construcione tutti case. Farò uno fuoco e Kyle vedrà il fuoco. Sarò la cucina e sarete cogliere il cibo. Sopravvirremo!"
Or, I will make Will build all the houses. I'll build a fire and Kyle will watch it.I will be the chef and ya'll will gather the food. We will survive!"
But Will got elected, because he's going to make everyone cook for him and if we have to, we'll eat each other. Lol, what a terrible captain, I don't know why we elected him. I voted for Patrick, personally, because he had us build a boat.
I joined a group on the internet today. Back in Atlanta, it's a group of people who get together to speak in Italian. When I get there, I'm going to hang out with them. I'm going to look for one in Gainesville too, but I can probably find one on UF's campus. I'm going to miss speaking in Italian so much! I wish OU offered it!
I'M SO EXCITED FOR MY COOKING CLASS TODAY, YAYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!
Friday, April 16, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
I've done something really dumb
And that is... going to be prefaced. Every M,T, and F I have Italian. These classes are at different hours every day. Last night Gina and I were making plans and we agreed to go to the Ciompi Market, because I didn't have class until 11 30 on Mondays. I get to school around 11 20 and I'm not concerned. 11 30, I walk down the hallway, but the door is still closed. So then I check the schedule... and today is when I have class at 10 30, Friday is when I have class at 11 30. Ugh! My second to last week and I've forgotten my schedule?? That's so frustrating. Fortunately, there's another Italian I class at 12 30, and I'm going to go to that one, and feel like an idiot.
So Italy has got these monstrously big misquitos. A couple weeks ago Renee and Gina kept getting bit on their faces while they slept. They get inside because we have to open the windows if we want to avoid mold in our apartment. I was feeling pretty glad that they weren't biting me, and I figured that it was because I close my door all day. Then a week ago one bites me in my sleep and leaves a gigantic red spot bigger than anything the other girls have gotten. Since then I've slept with the covers over my face. Last night I'm about to turn off my light when I look up at the ceiling above my pillow. There's a misquito there, just... waiting. Waiting for me to go to sleep. I thrawted him and slept covered all night til this morning. Ha! I hate misquitos. One bit my hand the other day and it itches really bad.
Other than that, I've had such a cultural weekend! Friday we went to the Boboli gardens and sat around and tried to get some sun. I did the first cartwheel that I've done since my ankle injury because I was feeling so good and I'm pretty sure I sprained my wrist. It made a big "crack" sound and hurt really bad and I saw spots for a while. I wore a tank top though, which was fantastic! That was the night of our best tacos yet, we finally got the sheep cheese to mozzarella cheese to parmesean cheese right and we mixed in three different kinds of meats. It was super good. We had a lazy night in because the next day, Gina and I went... horseback riding through the Chianti region!
They drove us out to this farm house and it was really nice and strange to be in a car. My horse's name was Rien (Rienne) and we fought a little bit. She was a trekking trained horse, and I was a Western trained rider. Trekking horses get more slack in the rein than Western trained horses. We argued right up until I hissed at her in Italian, and then we cooperated more. "Facciamo una coda!" Which means, We make a line, because she kept trying to walk on her own side. The path through the woods was a little bit precarious - the horses' hooves kept slipping. It was a little nervewracking sometimes, but it was a lot of fun. Then we had a wine tasting. The white wine was really good but the red was really dry. Really really dry. The day ended with a Tuscan meal that was super delicious. I played with dogs and wore a tank top and it was so sunny and wonderful. The ride home was down this little winding road through all these villages and it was super fantastic. He drove really fast and it was just a lot of fun, and we all sang songs. Bushes kept coming in my window haha.
It was so sunny and wonderful that Gina and I didn't want to go home. We sat in the grassy area outside of the train station and just basked. What a wonderful day!
When we did go home, I fell asleep. I probably would have stayed asleep until the next day if a misquito hadn't bit me on the face. Arg misquitos! So I woke up and make lasagna soup, which was really good. Only it was really spicy, because I forgot my pepperocini garlic mix doesn't have a little filter and I poured in like 1/5 of the bottle. I watched Breakfast on Pluto and then Kevin and I watched V for Vendetta. Good lazy night to pair with my good active day!
We were sort of lazy yesterday. I cleaned and excercised. But I needed to go listen to the Gregorian chanting, which I thought was at 4 30. It was at the church of San Miniato al Monte, which is on the oltroano and up some really steep hills. So I booked it and was there by 4 36, only to discover that at this time of year it isn't until 5 30. Once it started, it was really interesting for about 15 minutes and I was making a lot of observations to myself and enjoying it. Then I started getting sleepy. Then maybe 10 minutes later it turned into a Catholic mass. I was in the middle of the bench and couldn't get up so... I stayed for mass. Until the sacrament was dispensed, when I got to get up and leave while everyone else got up to partake of the host. It was a little awkward for me to be sitting there as a tourist while there were other people there for Church. I was literally pained when some woman started taking pictures. It hurt. I don't know if she was American or not, which would make me feel a little better if she wasn't. But it was an active religious ceremony, not Disney world!
So leftover lasagna soup on a quesadilla is really delicious.
And now we get to the most exciting part of my weekend! Alex calls and asks us if we want to go to some hotsprings in the middle of nowhere with this Italian guy she knows. I can predict reactions. Some of my friends are cheering this idea on, and some of my friends and most of my family is thinking, Oh good, Jessica would never do something like that. Actually, everyone is probably thinking I would never do something like that. Because I wouldn't. Go out into the middle of the woods, into the middle of nowhere, over an hour outside of Florence with people I don't know? When I have no way of leaving if it goes bad? Who wants to get raped? I don't.
Only... I did! Gina, Kevin, Alex, this guy Massimo, and I all went to these hotsprings in the middle of nowhere over an hour outside of Florence and it was fantastic. We were back in a car (and here I thought I was going to die - I was in the middle seat, which has no seatbelt, and he drove at the average speed of 120 km per hour.) The music was good. The baths were fantastic! Someone went and carved actual tubs into the stone and there were little thermal waterfalls. It was a really Italian experience, because only Italians go there (unless you're not Italian and you know someone that is.) It was so relaxing and so much fun. My skin feels really good now too, because they're healing waters. We were there for a couple hours and then we went home, where I had one of the best sleeps since I've been here. I'm so glad I ditched my old prudish self and went.
So Italy has got these monstrously big misquitos. A couple weeks ago Renee and Gina kept getting bit on their faces while they slept. They get inside because we have to open the windows if we want to avoid mold in our apartment. I was feeling pretty glad that they weren't biting me, and I figured that it was because I close my door all day. Then a week ago one bites me in my sleep and leaves a gigantic red spot bigger than anything the other girls have gotten. Since then I've slept with the covers over my face. Last night I'm about to turn off my light when I look up at the ceiling above my pillow. There's a misquito there, just... waiting. Waiting for me to go to sleep. I thrawted him and slept covered all night til this morning. Ha! I hate misquitos. One bit my hand the other day and it itches really bad.
Other than that, I've had such a cultural weekend! Friday we went to the Boboli gardens and sat around and tried to get some sun. I did the first cartwheel that I've done since my ankle injury because I was feeling so good and I'm pretty sure I sprained my wrist. It made a big "crack" sound and hurt really bad and I saw spots for a while. I wore a tank top though, which was fantastic! That was the night of our best tacos yet, we finally got the sheep cheese to mozzarella cheese to parmesean cheese right and we mixed in three different kinds of meats. It was super good. We had a lazy night in because the next day, Gina and I went... horseback riding through the Chianti region!
They drove us out to this farm house and it was really nice and strange to be in a car. My horse's name was Rien (Rienne) and we fought a little bit. She was a trekking trained horse, and I was a Western trained rider. Trekking horses get more slack in the rein than Western trained horses. We argued right up until I hissed at her in Italian, and then we cooperated more. "Facciamo una coda!" Which means, We make a line, because she kept trying to walk on her own side. The path through the woods was a little bit precarious - the horses' hooves kept slipping. It was a little nervewracking sometimes, but it was a lot of fun. Then we had a wine tasting. The white wine was really good but the red was really dry. Really really dry. The day ended with a Tuscan meal that was super delicious. I played with dogs and wore a tank top and it was so sunny and wonderful. The ride home was down this little winding road through all these villages and it was super fantastic. He drove really fast and it was just a lot of fun, and we all sang songs. Bushes kept coming in my window haha.
It was so sunny and wonderful that Gina and I didn't want to go home. We sat in the grassy area outside of the train station and just basked. What a wonderful day!
When we did go home, I fell asleep. I probably would have stayed asleep until the next day if a misquito hadn't bit me on the face. Arg misquitos! So I woke up and make lasagna soup, which was really good. Only it was really spicy, because I forgot my pepperocini garlic mix doesn't have a little filter and I poured in like 1/5 of the bottle. I watched Breakfast on Pluto and then Kevin and I watched V for Vendetta. Good lazy night to pair with my good active day!
We were sort of lazy yesterday. I cleaned and excercised. But I needed to go listen to the Gregorian chanting, which I thought was at 4 30. It was at the church of San Miniato al Monte, which is on the oltroano and up some really steep hills. So I booked it and was there by 4 36, only to discover that at this time of year it isn't until 5 30. Once it started, it was really interesting for about 15 minutes and I was making a lot of observations to myself and enjoying it. Then I started getting sleepy. Then maybe 10 minutes later it turned into a Catholic mass. I was in the middle of the bench and couldn't get up so... I stayed for mass. Until the sacrament was dispensed, when I got to get up and leave while everyone else got up to partake of the host. It was a little awkward for me to be sitting there as a tourist while there were other people there for Church. I was literally pained when some woman started taking pictures. It hurt. I don't know if she was American or not, which would make me feel a little better if she wasn't. But it was an active religious ceremony, not Disney world!
So leftover lasagna soup on a quesadilla is really delicious.
And now we get to the most exciting part of my weekend! Alex calls and asks us if we want to go to some hotsprings in the middle of nowhere with this Italian guy she knows. I can predict reactions. Some of my friends are cheering this idea on, and some of my friends and most of my family is thinking, Oh good, Jessica would never do something like that. Actually, everyone is probably thinking I would never do something like that. Because I wouldn't. Go out into the middle of the woods, into the middle of nowhere, over an hour outside of Florence with people I don't know? When I have no way of leaving if it goes bad? Who wants to get raped? I don't.
Only... I did! Gina, Kevin, Alex, this guy Massimo, and I all went to these hotsprings in the middle of nowhere over an hour outside of Florence and it was fantastic. We were back in a car (and here I thought I was going to die - I was in the middle seat, which has no seatbelt, and he drove at the average speed of 120 km per hour.) The music was good. The baths were fantastic! Someone went and carved actual tubs into the stone and there were little thermal waterfalls. It was a really Italian experience, because only Italians go there (unless you're not Italian and you know someone that is.) It was so relaxing and so much fun. My skin feels really good now too, because they're healing waters. We were there for a couple hours and then we went home, where I had one of the best sleeps since I've been here. I'm so glad I ditched my old prudish self and went.
Friday, April 9, 2010
una bella fine settimana!
It's a beautiful weekend!
Yesterday I ate McDonalds (we all get there eventually.) I just wanted a soda, and then I realized I was hungry because I hadn't eaten all day. Then I got lost for the first time in a long time. I was tired and a little malcontent.
I went to bed yesterday before 7 30 and I woke up today at 10 30. Whoops! That's 14 hours!
I'm going to go to the Boboli gardens soon, because it's a beautiful day and we're all going to go get some sun.
Ciao ragazzi!
Jessica
Yesterday I ate McDonalds (we all get there eventually.) I just wanted a soda, and then I realized I was hungry because I hadn't eaten all day. Then I got lost for the first time in a long time. I was tired and a little malcontent.
I went to bed yesterday before 7 30 and I woke up today at 10 30. Whoops! That's 14 hours!
I'm going to go to the Boboli gardens soon, because it's a beautiful day and we're all going to go get some sun.
Ciao ragazzi!
Jessica
Thursday, April 8, 2010
the worst part about having a blog is trying to think up clever titles for each post
Yesterday Pati and I met up around 6 40 and decided to go to the leather market. We ran into Alex on the way there. We just wandered around. I'll need to go back eventually, but I don't want to lol. It's awful right now, with all the tourists.
Alex and I decided to to to dinner. I haven't been to a sit down dinner since spring break (well, that I paid for. Cheri and Kathy took me to two.) It was really good - fountain soda (a coveted and longed for object,) gnocchi with smoked salmon and little shrimp, and we both got an appetizer. So, when you go to Italy and the English menu says, soup of mussles, it's not a soup FYI. It's a giant bowl of mussles that you eat out of the shell and it's almost too much for two people. But dinner was good and I was glad to go out. I don't know why I didn't just read the Italian menu.
Afterwards we went to the bar J.Joyce and played foosball with some Italian guys. We asked them and they just wanted to play. When we were done, they didn't try adn skeaze on us. I appreciated that.
Today I went to see.... the David, again. After yesterday! The really frustrating thing about taking the art history courses here is that you always go to the same place. But, interesting fact you don't learn about the David usually. So, when you look at it, it's obvious that his hands are too big, and everyone says so and how could Michelangelo mess up his proportions? Well, the David was made to be viewed from the top of our cathedral. So the proportions had to be tweaked so you could see him from up there. All the sculptors do that here. They don't teach you that in your basic art history course, and they should. We also went to the New Sacristy today, which is just a big Michelangelo room... slash tomb for the Medicis, but Michelangelo himself pretty much said, no one will care about these people in 1000 years.
Oh. I just had a weird moment. I've been thinking it's 2 30, but it's only 12 53. Weird. That just messed up everything I was thinking about not doing. Now I have time to do it.
I'm really frustrated. Today, I had the brilliant thought that maybe I could pay for my summer UF classes with my bright futures, because you have until like the end of your sophmore semester to activate it. I go to open my bright futures email... and then I remember that LESS THAN A WEEK AGO I was trying to send myself this really big document that I needed for class and my mailbox was full and it wouldn't take it and I kept deleting everything trying to get it. I deleted the bright futures email and then I deleted my deleted folder just to try and get this one stupid document. A week ago. Not even!
I emailed bright futures and told them the gist and asked if there was a way to get my pin number back. They have to have students who've had emails crash or something. Most people probably wrote theirs down. I never did, because I go to school in ATL and I knew I was going to stay there. The UF summer classes thing was unexpected. Well crap. Also, trying to enter the public system is confusing me. I can't figure UF's website out at all. The registrars website gives you someone to email with questions. But it's not the registrars office your email goes to, it goes to the admissions office, where someone says, sorry, we can't help you out, go to the registrars website to get their email. ... really? really.
Oh hey, it's homemade taco thursday.
Alex and I decided to to to dinner. I haven't been to a sit down dinner since spring break (well, that I paid for. Cheri and Kathy took me to two.) It was really good - fountain soda (a coveted and longed for object,) gnocchi with smoked salmon and little shrimp, and we both got an appetizer. So, when you go to Italy and the English menu says, soup of mussles, it's not a soup FYI. It's a giant bowl of mussles that you eat out of the shell and it's almost too much for two people. But dinner was good and I was glad to go out. I don't know why I didn't just read the Italian menu.
Afterwards we went to the bar J.Joyce and played foosball with some Italian guys. We asked them and they just wanted to play. When we were done, they didn't try adn skeaze on us. I appreciated that.
Today I went to see.... the David, again. After yesterday! The really frustrating thing about taking the art history courses here is that you always go to the same place. But, interesting fact you don't learn about the David usually. So, when you look at it, it's obvious that his hands are too big, and everyone says so and how could Michelangelo mess up his proportions? Well, the David was made to be viewed from the top of our cathedral. So the proportions had to be tweaked so you could see him from up there. All the sculptors do that here. They don't teach you that in your basic art history course, and they should. We also went to the New Sacristy today, which is just a big Michelangelo room... slash tomb for the Medicis, but Michelangelo himself pretty much said, no one will care about these people in 1000 years.
Oh. I just had a weird moment. I've been thinking it's 2 30, but it's only 12 53. Weird. That just messed up everything I was thinking about not doing. Now I have time to do it.
I'm really frustrated. Today, I had the brilliant thought that maybe I could pay for my summer UF classes with my bright futures, because you have until like the end of your sophmore semester to activate it. I go to open my bright futures email... and then I remember that LESS THAN A WEEK AGO I was trying to send myself this really big document that I needed for class and my mailbox was full and it wouldn't take it and I kept deleting everything trying to get it. I deleted the bright futures email and then I deleted my deleted folder just to try and get this one stupid document. A week ago. Not even!
I emailed bright futures and told them the gist and asked if there was a way to get my pin number back. They have to have students who've had emails crash or something. Most people probably wrote theirs down. I never did, because I go to school in ATL and I knew I was going to stay there. The UF summer classes thing was unexpected. Well crap. Also, trying to enter the public system is confusing me. I can't figure UF's website out at all. The registrars website gives you someone to email with questions. But it's not the registrars office your email goes to, it goes to the admissions office, where someone says, sorry, we can't help you out, go to the registrars website to get their email. ... really? really.
Oh hey, it's homemade taco thursday.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
high waisted sailor skirt
That's what I'm wearing today, along with a shirt with... funny sleeves! If it hasn't hit the states yet, this trend is big ya'll.
So my paper is done! It was done on Monday I think. But I turned it in late because the when I put the flash drive in, the paper opened up a big page of symbols. So I had to entirely retype the assignment. My teacher was really nice though so he said it was okay. Also, I had my first draft to show him, but I'd written all over it.
I didn't leave my apartment for two days. That's what I do everytime I have a big assignment. I made Italian meatball soup on Monday and it was really good. I wanted to make Lasagna soup tonight, but I still have some of the meatball soup left. I should probably finish that off. Tacos again tomorrow, so I guess I'll make the Lasagna soup on Friday.
Sorry I'm so constantly talking about food lol.
Pati came home yesterday! It was really exciting to see her and just hang out. she's supposed to call soon and we're going to go get gelato and eat it by the river.
I'm registered for classes! Modern Art, Modern and Contemp Lit, 18th and 19th Century Lit, and Core.
I almost didn't get my classes. But I am no longer angry. Today everything is zen. We went and saw the David again, and went to Palazzo Vecchio in class and it was a really good class. Last night Kevin and I sat in the kitchen and listened to Paramore until 3 in the morning. I've been doing my quad and core excercises. I fixed my iPod shuffle to have really good songs on it. It's been a good day, despite the poor start.
So my paper is done! It was done on Monday I think. But I turned it in late because the when I put the flash drive in, the paper opened up a big page of symbols. So I had to entirely retype the assignment. My teacher was really nice though so he said it was okay. Also, I had my first draft to show him, but I'd written all over it.
I didn't leave my apartment for two days. That's what I do everytime I have a big assignment. I made Italian meatball soup on Monday and it was really good. I wanted to make Lasagna soup tonight, but I still have some of the meatball soup left. I should probably finish that off. Tacos again tomorrow, so I guess I'll make the Lasagna soup on Friday.
Sorry I'm so constantly talking about food lol.
Pati came home yesterday! It was really exciting to see her and just hang out. she's supposed to call soon and we're going to go get gelato and eat it by the river.
I'm registered for classes! Modern Art, Modern and Contemp Lit, 18th and 19th Century Lit, and Core.
I almost didn't get my classes. But I am no longer angry. Today everything is zen. We went and saw the David again, and went to Palazzo Vecchio in class and it was a really good class. Last night Kevin and I sat in the kitchen and listened to Paramore until 3 in the morning. I've been doing my quad and core excercises. I fixed my iPod shuffle to have really good songs on it. It's been a good day, despite the poor start.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
You've got it, you've got it, some kind of magic
I should be working on a paper. Actually, I am, in fact, working on a paper. I've been reading articles on rood screens and what the Uffizi's real function is supposed to be for hours. I've been reading about the life of Vasari. I've been taking notes and writing sentences and paragraphs, so I guess I'm doing good. I've also worked out, lifted my water bottle weight, and taken a shower, plus I read a little bit from Norman Mailer's The Castle in the Forest. So I guess today has been pretty productive. I'm really tired and I want to go to bed, but I want to try and have my paper done before all my roommates get home tomorrow night. Or at least, almost entirely done with just a little bit left to finish on Tuesday. This paper is due on Wednesday, so I think I'm in really good shape. I just need to not sleep until 1 tomorrow.
This is the first real work I've done since I've been here, and it's like... refreshing. I haven't had a hard time convincing myself to do research or to read these long historical documents. It's normally such a struggle at school, because I have so many other boring things to do and I get so stressed that I don't want to do any of it. But this time I'm okay with it. It's not like I've done anything but read and work on Italian and go out and have fun since I've been here. Why can't school always be like this?
Yesterday I made meatballs and they're really good. They were meant to be a snack for the next few days, but for some reason today I haven't eaten an actual meal, so every now and then I munch on them. I think I will go munch on them some more.
They might make it til tomorrow, but I'm not making any bets.
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