A note to my followers

My sincerest apologies for being off the grid for the past several weeks. You see, first I had exam week, which was altogether unexciting and unworthy of a blog entry. Secondly, I spend ten days in Venice and then London, both of which deserve an entire novel of description. However, I have returned to Florence at last, and will try to make up for lost time. Please stay tuned for a two-part tale of my adventures in two exceedingly different cities...

Roman Holiday

This weekend has now replaced the previous in terms of my "favorite weekend in Italy award."After much anticipation, I caught a train to Roma on Friday morning and eagerly rode the 1.5 hours to my destination. Upon arriving alla stazione, I ran into Kelly's arms like I was her long lost love returning from war (which I pretty much am!) Kelly proceeded to take me on a wonderful adventure that included cappuccini, gelato, the Colosseum, the Spanish Steps, the Roman Forum, sunshine and many hugs. I was graciously invited to stay the night with Kelly's host family; an act that led me to purchase some thank you tulips.

The next day began with more cappuccini and blood oranges, which sound suspicious but are very delicious! Then Kelly took me to see some ancient bones in a Roman crypt. I was not allowed to take pictures, but I shall steal some from the Internet to give you an idea. As an avid bone lover and anthropologist, I was blown away by the intricacy and sheer volume of these ancient skeletal designs. It was slightly eerie to see the bones of probably thousands of Roman martyrs, but I thought it was so fascinating!

The rest of the day involved hours and hours of wandering around the back streets of what Kelly and Colleen call "real Rome." I was able to experience the touristy sites as well as the cobblestone-covered streets less traveled. Later that night I sat beneath the moonlight in front of the Colosseum and shared a bottle of wine with Colleen and Kelly. Life does not get much better! We were then reunited with Sage and John, our fellow SLU-goers, who have been abroad in France since September. The night was filled with more city exploration and wine consumption, all in a responsible fashion I assure you!

The next day, Sunday, was my favorite! After a hasty visit to the Vatican where we got our slates wiped nice and clean, we quickly set off to dirty them up again. The five of us wandered to many different corners of the city, acquiring various cheeses, olives, fruit, chocolate and you guessed it-wine! We then hiked to the Borghese gardens and sat in the sunshine while enjoying a lovely picnic. The whole thing made me deliriously content! I love that it is perfectly acceptable to sit anywhere in Italy and enjoy a bottle of wine with your friends. That night we fought off hoards of men at a bar, using a strategy that involved all members of our group. This reinforced my idea that I must find at least one male friend in Florence! Sadly, my last night in Rome had to draw to a close, and we all retired to our respective beds with weary feet but happy hearts.

I had a very nostalgic train-ride back to Florence on Monday, and arrived just in time for my 3PM class. Overall it was a magical weekend, and I was very grateful to see my friends! Part of me almost wishes I decided to study in Rome, but let's just attribute that to another honeymoon phase. Many more adventures to come!

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

   Perhaps it is the large dose of vitamin D I am finally getting, but my week has started off quite wonderfully. In the past two days I have spent a lot of time wandering around the city in the sun, sketching various scenes. This city really is picturesque, and I am filling my brand new sketchbook with many delightful drawings. I had my ego handed to me on a plate last week when one of my drawing professors very simply told me I was drawing incorrectly. I admit I can be slightly arrogant when it comes to my crafts- drawing, painting and dance. Suddenly I had the rug pulled out from under me, and since then I have been contemplating my whole foundation of art. I have been trying this new strategy of sketching, where I only use pen, and I draw very quickly and loosely. Apparently I was focusing too much on detail and complexity. I shall attempt to remain open and adaptable...

Some scribbly samples...

La Piazza Della Repubblica 

Ponte Vecchio

Ponte San Trinita

Galleria dell'Accademia

I am starting to appreciate my long afternoons of solitude. Yesterday after my early class, I went to the Museo della Specola. I admit I was skeptical, because I was told it was a museum full of taxidermy. I was picturing the janitor from Scrubs with his army of stuffed squirrels. I was pleasantly surprised by a huge zoological exhibit, and another whole wing for anatomical wax sculptures. The first part is devoted to countless cases of every kind of animal you can imagine. There were three whole rooms devoted just to birds! It was actually really amazing, and I wandered around for hours, sketching of course!

There was also a fascinating wax anatomy exhibit, which I found absolutely amazing! 

This weekend I am taking a trip to Rome to see Kelly, Colleen and other friends from SLU that are visiting from France. I am sure to have many adventures and stories to report upon my return!

The Agony and the Ecstasy

This weekend may have been my happiest since arriving in Florence! I was content to stay in the city and enjoy the lovely weather and copious amounts of kiwi and gelato. It was sunny and in the 60s all weekend, which I don't mind bragging about considering the last few weeks of cold!

On Friday I went on a walking adventure with Riley to the outskirts of the city. We walked up a very steep, hilly pathway up to the Piazza Michaelangelo. This is a huge open terrace/piazza on a hill outside the center of the city. The piazza is beautiful, and was created to provide a spectacular view of Florence. It was also quite a leg workout to hike to the top!

I also went to the much anticipated Danza in Fiera festival! It was held in a huge, old military fortress in the city. Riley and I approached the fortress, quite unprepared for the massive amounts of bun-headed girls crowded around the entrances. Once we made it inside, we were bombarded with dancers, people selling dance apparel, dance company representatives, loud music and an atmosphere of frivolity! We walked around and tried to understand the layout of everything. In the end, we ended up browsing through all of the buildings and watching a fantastic ballroom competition. We planned to return the next day for round two, and to get in on some free classes!

Today I returned to the festival, but this time I was prepared. I was wearing a leotard and my hair in a bun, and I was ready to knock over some twiggy ballerinas in order to get a spot in one of the classes. The atmosphere reminded me of the many dance competitions I experienced growing up...but on steroids. Trying to get a spot in the limited classes was close to impossible, but we managed to get into a pilates for dancers class. While waiting for class to start, we walked around and peered into the classes that were already in progress, as they have windows in all of the studios. I glanced down at my program, to try to figure out which classes were in which studio, when I saw the name Polina Semionova. Most of you will not recognize that name, but she is a rock star in the ballet world, and someone I have idolized for years. I used to watch youtube videos of her on a daily basis, and here she was, in the flesh. I attempted to watch her as she taught a ballet class, but I was not the only awestruck fan crowded around the windows. 

A visual...

I felt like a drug addict in a meth lab, completely strung out on dance, and experiencing an odd sort of emotional pain. The pilates class helped a bit, but with the language barrier, and a whole new set of italian dance jargon I did not know, I gave up on trying another class. It is hard for me to describe the combination of relief and frustration I felt in this dancer parallel universe. It was amazing to be in an environment where everyone shared my complete obsession and passion for dance. On the other hand, it was a horrible tease...Water water everywhere and not a drop to drink. 

I was able to watch some breathtaking ballet and contemporary performances this afternoon. Several of which brought tears to my eyes. I think I either need to find a dance class or some counseling services soon. Either way my body is restless, and only dance is the cure!

Mummies and Yummies!

Ciao ciao!

Today was a lovely day in Florence! It was sunny and perfect, and I finally got some much needed vitamin D. I spent several hours walking the streets with my new friend Leah, and discovered an unlikely flavor of gelato...yogurt? It was amazing, trust me. I have also been returning to a specific gelateria every day in order to try a very strange, but highly recommended flavor that includes ricotta cheese and figs. They tell me everyday that they ran out and will have more the next day...sounds like a scam, but if it is, I'm okay with it.

I also got to see the Archeological Museum in Florence! I was thrilled to see real Ancient Egyptian mummies, canopic jars and hieroglyphics! I couldn't understand why the other girls in my class were so grossed out...I think it is utterly amazing that I was in a room with ancient dead bodies! You could even see blood stains on the cloth, and they had hair and petrified skin! COME ON THAT IS COOL!

In other news- Last weekend I went to a Gavin Degraw concert in Nonantola, Italy! Don't worry if you've never heard of him...nobody has! We caught a ride with my amazing host parents, who coincidentally were driving to Bologna for work. After tromping through a lot of dirty snow, we found the train station in Bologna. Now I must confess, Bologna did not make a good impression on me. It was very anticlimactic to arrive in a dirty, snowy city, and then have to walk about 3 miles to the station. From there we went to Modena, a smaller town/city about 30 minutes away. Modena was very cute, and I laughed deliriously over a street called F.Crispi. In my defense, I was somewhat delirious from hunger and exhaustion by that point. To sum up a long story, we had a great time at the concert that night, but the next morning was less than ideal. We hauled our not so eager butts to the station in the morning, very ready to return to Florence. On our second train from Bologna to Florence we were forced to squat like hobos because we had no seats. This was entirely our fault because we missed our original train....oops. It looked a lot like this... What an adventure!

This weekend is supposed to be BEAUTIFUL and sunny and 65...who's jealous now New York?!?! I plan to attend a dance festival that will be here for the whole weekend. They have performances, dance apparel, information and visiting dance companies in all genres! A whole festival just for me! I also plan to take a long trek to the yonder regions of Florence, up in the hills and out of the city. It can't be that far because I can see it all from the river. I need some nature in my life!

Arrivederci! 

Culture Shock?

I believe I am experiencing my first culturally shocking emotional experience. I am starting to get very annoyed, because wherever I go I am being harassed by someone. Now don't get all worried over there, because it's all harmless, I promise! However, it becomes exhausting when you cannot walk down the street without men ogling you, or gypsies asking for money.

When I first arrived, I thought it was kind of great that wherever I went there were guys on the street saying "Sei Bellissima!" After coming from a small liberal arts campus where I pretty much feel like I would have to stand naked in the middle of the quad to get any attention from guys, this was a very interesting discovery. However, I am now sad to say that I am losing my faith in Italian men (for the most part). There are skeevy guys on the street that make noises when I walk by on my way to school at 7:45 AM. This is way too early for me to deal with creepers. Also, there is always someone trying to sell me something, or shoving advertisements in my face. I used to be polite about it, and I would take their little pamphlets, or say "no grazie" and continue on my way. Now on my way to school I put my headphones in and keep my tunnel vision turned on until I get to school. For the most part, I don't make eye contact with anyone when I'm alone, because I don't want to be bothered. I have also given up on being polite, and now I am perfectly comfortable putting on my bitch-face (I know you all have seen it from time to time-scary, yes?) and I tell them to go away "Via Via!!"

I'm also getting pretty good at dodging gypsies and beggars. I know where they hang out, and I have adjusted my walking routes to bypass them. For anyone who has never seen a real gypsy, don't be fooled by the disney version of Esmerelda in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Most of the gypsies here resemble Quasimodo...seriously. They are all hunched over with missing teeth and crinkly faces and long skirts. I always picture them arriving home at night, to their gypsy lair, and finally standing up straight like I know they can; working out the kinks from a long day of unnecessary hunching. I have been wondering...is there some universal law that says gypsies must wear long, obnoxious skirts? I'm not sure if it's in the gypsy handbook, but I'm glad they do, because they are very easy to spot. They also carry around bundles of blankets and baby bottles, and try to convince people they have a baby. I'm still gathering fieldnotes on my gypsy observations, but these are my preliminary notes.

Besides that, the most annoying thing here to me is the other American students. I have definitely met some nice people, but I can understand why there is a stereotype associated with the American students in Florence. I resent the fact that there is nothing I can do to escape my association with majority of the idiots here. Many of them do not care to learn the language, or truly experience the culture. They mostly live in apartments with other students, and go to the bars and clubs everyday of the week. Maybe I don't have a ton of friends here, but that's because I refuse to associate myself with any of these types. The friends I do surround myself with are genuine and intelligent people; some of the few in the American student pool.

I had a particularly unpleasant experience with a group of these girls in one of my classes. First of all, it has always been a huge pet-peeve of mine when students whisper while a professor is talking. This becomes even worse when you are in a foreign country, and everything you do is a reflection of where you come from. Anyways, my very soft-spoken and sweet professor, who is italian, was giving a lecture, and a group of girls would not stop whispering. The professor is not the type to address the problem, so he just kept talking, and looked kind of sad and exhausted. It was all I could do to not leap across the table and strangle all of the bimbos. They are so disrespectful and self-absorbed-NOBODY CARES HOW DRUNK YOU WERE LAST NIGHT! I grit my teeth and tried to look extra-attentive, in hopes that he noticed that someone was paying attention.

I'm not sure if this is really about "culture shock." I get annoyed with my peers at home when they are disrespectful, and hate that I usually can't escape being associated with their behavior. I also get annoyed with any creepy old men that jeer at me in any context. One thing is for sure though- I have never seen a gypsy in the U.S.

A week of surprises

Buongiorno everyone!

I am very excited because I woke up this morning to sunshine! Now I can say c'è sole instead of c'è nevica!  I am currently enjoying a leisurely breakfast of cappuccino and kiwi as I look out onto our sunlit terrace. My plan for the day, because I don't have class until 3, is to go on a little solo adventure. I think I might make my way over to the Ponte Vecchio and walk until I find a lovely place to sit down with my sketchbook! For my Florence Sketchbook class I am required to have several pages in my sketchbook filled with direct observation drawings from the city. For my other drawing class I must have 5 sketchbook pages done with regard to facial expression/proportion. All in all I have a lot of drawing to do, but I am certainly not complaining!

Before I take off on my Monday adventure, I must fill you in on my very exciting week/end. It all began on Wednesday afternoon, while I was wandering the streets aimlessly between my very inconvenient 8AM and 3PM classes. I bumped into some friends, and we went to get lunch with some other friends. during this trip, one of the girls from a different school mentioned something about seeing a ballet later that night. Naturally I pinned her to a wall and demanded she give me her tickets immediately. No, just kidding, I actually went to the library to try and look up more information online. It turned out to be very mysterious and only certain students in one program were given free tickets (those bitches!). I went to class that afternoon very sad that there didn't seem to be a way for me to get to the ballet, as I've been experiencing some pretty severe dance withdrawal. Later, I arrived home to find that my friend, Riley, had somehow bought three tickets online for me, her and Sheila. I had very little time to throw on a nice outfit, grab some dinner and hop in a cab to get to the ballet. It was Swan Lake, and I'm still not even sure what dance company it was, but it was absolutely breathtaking. I was beyond giddy, because most of you know how I am about dance! I'm still not sure if it made my dance withdrawal worse or better, but it was a bittersweet fix to be sure.

Best Bruschetta in the world>

I got another surprise this weekend when my good friends Kelly and Colleen came to visit me from Rome! The three of us studied Italian for three semesters together back at SLU, and Kelly and I have been partners in crime since freshman year. Needless to say, I was pretty ecstatic about their impromptu trip to Florence! We spent the weekend walking around the city being very cold but very happy. We even accidentally stumbled upon a chocolate festival in one of the Piazzas. I have been there five times in three days...

Other highlights of the evening...

Kelly and Colleen stayed at an amazing hostel! For anyone that comes to visit Florence, I highly recommend it! I slept in their room on Friday and Saturday night, and it was a cozy place indeed. Everything was very clean and high-quality. There was a TV, computer with internet access, extra blankets and a functioning heater! This was all quite luxurious, and I didn't even mind sleeping in the crack between the two beds.

Cuddling on the very very cold and windy bridge!

We also discovered the true meaning of the Don Giovanni-esque stereotype among Italian men. On Saturday night I went to a bar with Sheila, Kelly and Colleen. We arrived somewhat early, and sat at a table, and had a very animated conversation while enjoying our cocktails. Eventually we were approached by some Italian guys, who did not speak a word of English. They sat down and we all struggled to communicate. As the night wore on they got more more pushy and inappropriate, and were also clearly lying about their age. They insisted that they were 20-22, but I would have put them in the 18ish age bracket. The guy that latched on to me was named Deivid (haha), and he kept calling me his girlfriend, and telling me he loved me. When I would brush these comments off, he would look like a hurt puppy and ask me why I didn't like him. At some point it became a bit of an emergency that we leave, because nobody was enjoying this heightened state of attention. On the way out, we had to squeeze through a throng of men, and I have never felt so objectified in my entire life. They will just grab you, or touch your face and make gross noises at you. The moral of the story here is that for anyone back home who thinks I will be bringing home a man, think again!