Ok...so I'm still not getting better at updating more often! But I think that might change next week!
Here's the week in review:
Monday- We visited the American Cemetery and Memorial in Florence with my culture class. We took a bus to the cemetery which was about 20 minutes outside the center of Florence. It was created for all of the soldiers that were killed in the region during World War II. This cemetery has over 4,000 American soldiers buried which is only 39% of the total soldiers that were killed in the region. The other 61% are buried in the U.S at the request of the family. The cemetery was beautiful but so sad. It reminded me of when I went to Normandy. Francesca took us here because she wanted to stress how important the United States presence in the war effected the Italians. She says that the Italians owe the U.S. such a great deal and she doesn't think most people realize that. I really liked going here because I don't think I would have otherwise. In Italian language class that day Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A" came on the radio. How ironic!
Tuesday- Tuesday in Cultures we learned about the great Flood that look place in 1966 that destroyed the city and all of its art. After many days of rain and possibly human error by opening the dams, tons of water rushed to Florence overnight. When the people woke up in the morning they found the city feet high in dirty, polluted water. Many people died and so many historic paintings were lost. Along with the water came mud, one ton of mud for every citizen in the city. The city was also stranded by the country and left to clean everything up. The most water was collected in the Santa Croce area of town which is were my apartment is. There was 20 feet of water here and today all of the buildings are marked with a plaque indicating how high the water was in that area. I really love the cultures class. It is just so interesting and we learn about so many different aspect of Italian life. Francesca also told us about this special cake that we had to get called Schiacciate alle Fiorentina. So we searched all of the bakeries in town and finally found a place right after the corner from our apartment that had it. They won't make it again until Lent is over. It was good but kind of plain. It was lemony with powdered sugar on top and the Florentine symbol.
Wednesday- In Cultures we learned about the Mafia. Francesca said its so sad for her to talk about it. It was also Ash Wednesday so we went mass at the Duomo...oh you know...just the usual. It was the first time I had actually been in the Duomo, which is hard to believe considering its 1 block from my apartment and I walk by it at least twice a day! It was beautiful!! Another unbelievable structure. We plan to climb it sometime this week! Back to mass, so it was all in Italian, which is to be expected, so it was a little difficult to follow but for the most part I knew what was going on. It also wasn't heated, so it was really chilly! Instead of calling people up by aisle when it was time to get communion or ashes its just a free for all. Everyone just walks right up! It so unorganized, but I wouldn't expect anything else from Italy haha. So when it came time to get the ashes, I'm in line with Jes and some other people from the program, well a Priest comes ups and splits the line right between me and Jes, shes in the back of one line and I'm in the front of another line. Well...the Priest comes right up to me and I'm waiting for him to put the ashes on my forehead, but nope...he puts them on my head!!! Piles ashes right in top of my head, says something in Italian and goes onto the next person in line. I couldn't keep from laughing! It was so funny! Oh the cultural differences!
Thursday- I had my Cultures final which was in essay form but it was easy. Nothing exciting happened except studying for our Italian final.
Friday- Finals day. It was a little tough but I passed onto level 2...what a scary thought! After one month...I'm now in level 2 Italian! Then we had our usual Friday activities, shopping at the market and such. Nick had everyone over for a get together. It was really fun. He has a ridiculous apartment! He also found out that hes a writer and published a book called "Streetwise Italian." He also said that this is his second favorite job in the world, after his job that he had before which was giving tours of Italy on a bike! What a life?! How can I get his job?! After Nicks, a bunch of us went out to the discotecca. Had a good time!
Saturday- We ventured to Pisa to see that famous tower. Took the train which was about a hour and 20 minutes and it look us through some interesting towns. When we got off at the train station we walked through town, stopping at some stores along the way and then out of nowhere, the tower appears! And it really leans! About 15 feet or 5 degrees! Its actually really small, much smaller than I thought. The town of Pisa is cute but theres not much to do there besides see the tower. Of course, you can't go see the leaning town and not take crazy pictures of it! The majority of our day was spent taking pictures in all sorts of crazy poses! And its so funny to watch because legit everyone does it! Its very amusing! The day was beautiful...I didn't even wear a coat! We then walked around a bit seeing the Pisa's Duomo and its baptistery. Hung out in the "Field of Miracles" which actually isn't that big but it was fun to just hang out. Took the train back and got dinner at a place right across from our apartment. It was so nice to be back in Florence after the day out. We got lost a few times in Pisa and it was nice to be back in a place that I have a pretty good feel of. Then hit the hay as I was beat. Today we are off to a museum. Its cold and possibly going to rain today so we figured inside activities would be best.
Tomorrow we start our new set of classes. Now I will have 4 classes twice a week. I think I will have more free time since I won't be in class from 9-4 everyday. I also have Fridays off now so we can do trips on the weekends. So I will still be taking Italian 2 days a week and then 3 other classes which will be Art History, Renascence History and Italian Cinema which Francesca teaches.
I can't believe I've been here a month already! Its going by so quickly! Nick said the first month is the slowest...can you imagine?! I can't imagine time going any quicker! I also booked a trip to go to Sorento, Capri and the Amafi Coast for the first week in April. I'm really excited for that!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Bolonga!
Thursday we had lunch with Francesca. It was much different that I had thought but it was still really cool. We went to Trattoria Mario which is one of the oldest trattorias in Florence. We didn't get to actually sit in the restaurant which was packed so we went down into the celler which looked like a bomb shelter but was filled with food and supplies and chairs and candles for us. We got a two course meal. The first dish was Ribolita which is minestrone soup and bread made into a stew like soup. The second course was pasta with meat sauce. They were both delicious! Francesca explained to us the ingredients and about Florence cuisine. She is actually a chef on the side so she knows a thing or two. Florence uses very simple ingredients and only whats in season or what you can find in your home. Nothing too extravagant because the Florentine believe in tasting every single ingredient. Its days like these when I can't believe I'm getting 3 credits for this class! But I do have to do my fair share of work...don't get me wrong. Its just an awesome class!
Saturday we took our first Rutgers excursion to Bolonga. This is a town about 1.5 hours away in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. We all boarded a very nice bus at 8:00am and we're off. Within about 15 minutes the bus had to pull over due to some "technical difficulties" which included a fan that didn't work but our handy bus driver fixed it and then we were really off. The ride there was beautiful! The mountains with tiny little towns and villages are something you would see in a movie! It was a beautiful day but very cold again but it did warm up during the day. When we arrived we were greeted by our tour guide for the day who was no other than....drum roll please...that SAME tour guide that I had on the trip to Rome last weekend that spoke very little English! Of course...my luck..out of all the tour guides in Florence..or even in Italy!! His name is Samuello and he is extremely intelligent. He knows everything about all of the architecture and paintings everywhere we go but at times he tends to drag on little bit to much and I felt bad because he was losing everyone's attention at time and even Nick had to speed him up a few times. But this time we spoke almost all English..thank goodness! We got our "whispers" as Francesca calls them. (Our one-way walkie talkie, we're the tour guide talks and we can all hear him through our headphones.) After a much needed coffee and potty break, finally the whole group was ready to explore Bologna. First we went to Santa Maggiore Palazzo. Since this weekend is Caravale in Venice they were celebrating in Bologna too with a celebration for the kids. There were tons of little kids running around in Halloween costumes throwing confetti and getting balloon hats! It was so cute! In the Palazzo, we visited the San Petronio Basilica which is the 5th largest Basilica in Europe only after The Vatican in Rome, The Duomo in Florence, St. Paul's Cathedral in London, and Notre Dome in Paris. It was very beautiful inside. It is unfinished in the back because the creator died and it was never completed. Inside there is the worlds largest sun clock. All along the floor there are numbers in the marble floor and then in the ceiling there is a little hole where the light comes in and shines on the numbers telling the exact time. Its really cool! From there we went to the University of Bologna which is the oldest university in Europe and the first to let women attend. Originally, the University was specified in Law or Medicine. It is persevered really well with all the coat of arms of all of the students and special professors hand painted on the walls throughout the school...it looked just liked Rutgers...NOT. It was amazing to think how old the university is and that it is still attended. The library looked like something out of Harry Potter's Hogwarts School of Witchcraft! We also got to see the "Anatomy Theater" where they would dissect bodies and learn about the human anatomy. This room is made completely of wood and with statues of all of the famous professors on the walls. Most of the room was destroyed after Bologna was bombed during World War II so everything had to be carefully restored but they tried to keep as much of the original things as possible. After that we had a few hours of free time to explore on our own and get lunch. The town of Bologna is just so quaint. Its much smaller than Florence and less touristy. There were open flower, fish, meat, and cheese markets and it seemed like almost everyone had a cute dog or a baby. It was just really fun to people watch and check out some of the stores. This is a lot of history in the town and it is really pretty. Much different from Rome and Florence but I like that I'm getting a feel for all kinds of different towns in Italy. For lunch, I had this incredible tortellini with a cream sauce. It literally melted in my mouth. So delicious! After lunch we went to the Two Towers of Bologna. Bologna used to have many towers but most have collapsed or have been destroyed. The Two Towers are the symbol of the city where built in 1375 and both of them lean (this is a fact I am happy I did not know until after I climbed the tower.) You can climb the higher one and see the whole city. Nick warned us that if you are afraid of heights or if you're claustrophobic you should stay down but I was not about to miss out on this so I decided to climb it. Well..Nick wasn't kidding when he said it was tight inside. There is a total of 480 steps. The first few flights were spiral and then this just go straight up. I had a minor panic attack probably half way up. I knew I couldn't turn back but I didn't want to go any further. I started getting really sweaty, my hands were shaking and my heart was pounding. All I could think of was that if the stairs broke because they were so old. It was so small inside and there were so many people. It was really scary but I was really happy when I reached the top. It was a beautiful view and I would have been upset if I had missed it! After I recovered and got down on the ground, we went to one more church, the Santo Stefano Basilica which was very interesting and different than all the other churches that I've seen. Then it was back to Florence for dinner out with Nick and Maria.
One of the head directors of the Rutgers Study Abroad office, Lauren Randolph, is staying in Florence this weekend to check up on things. She came with us yesterday to Bologna, she just came out to check on our apartments, and tomorrow she will be at school with us. Its reassuring to know that they check up on things here, even though Nick does an awesome job. She is very nice and said she would help us with anything we needed.
Tomorrow for culture class we are going to the American Cemetery in Falciani. It is there that all the American soldiers that died in World War II are buried. Should be really interesting.
Saturday we took our first Rutgers excursion to Bolonga. This is a town about 1.5 hours away in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. We all boarded a very nice bus at 8:00am and we're off. Within about 15 minutes the bus had to pull over due to some "technical difficulties" which included a fan that didn't work but our handy bus driver fixed it and then we were really off. The ride there was beautiful! The mountains with tiny little towns and villages are something you would see in a movie! It was a beautiful day but very cold again but it did warm up during the day. When we arrived we were greeted by our tour guide for the day who was no other than....drum roll please...that SAME tour guide that I had on the trip to Rome last weekend that spoke very little English! Of course...my luck..out of all the tour guides in Florence..or even in Italy!! His name is Samuello and he is extremely intelligent. He knows everything about all of the architecture and paintings everywhere we go but at times he tends to drag on little bit to much and I felt bad because he was losing everyone's attention at time and even Nick had to speed him up a few times. But this time we spoke almost all English..thank goodness! We got our "whispers" as Francesca calls them. (Our one-way walkie talkie, we're the tour guide talks and we can all hear him through our headphones.) After a much needed coffee and potty break, finally the whole group was ready to explore Bologna. First we went to Santa Maggiore Palazzo. Since this weekend is Caravale in Venice they were celebrating in Bologna too with a celebration for the kids. There were tons of little kids running around in Halloween costumes throwing confetti and getting balloon hats! It was so cute! In the Palazzo, we visited the San Petronio Basilica which is the 5th largest Basilica in Europe only after The Vatican in Rome, The Duomo in Florence, St. Paul's Cathedral in London, and Notre Dome in Paris. It was very beautiful inside. It is unfinished in the back because the creator died and it was never completed. Inside there is the worlds largest sun clock. All along the floor there are numbers in the marble floor and then in the ceiling there is a little hole where the light comes in and shines on the numbers telling the exact time. Its really cool! From there we went to the University of Bologna which is the oldest university in Europe and the first to let women attend. Originally, the University was specified in Law or Medicine. It is persevered really well with all the coat of arms of all of the students and special professors hand painted on the walls throughout the school...it looked just liked Rutgers...NOT. It was amazing to think how old the university is and that it is still attended. The library looked like something out of Harry Potter's Hogwarts School of Witchcraft! We also got to see the "Anatomy Theater" where they would dissect bodies and learn about the human anatomy. This room is made completely of wood and with statues of all of the famous professors on the walls. Most of the room was destroyed after Bologna was bombed during World War II so everything had to be carefully restored but they tried to keep as much of the original things as possible. After that we had a few hours of free time to explore on our own and get lunch. The town of Bologna is just so quaint. Its much smaller than Florence and less touristy. There were open flower, fish, meat, and cheese markets and it seemed like almost everyone had a cute dog or a baby. It was just really fun to people watch and check out some of the stores. This is a lot of history in the town and it is really pretty. Much different from Rome and Florence but I like that I'm getting a feel for all kinds of different towns in Italy. For lunch, I had this incredible tortellini with a cream sauce. It literally melted in my mouth. So delicious! After lunch we went to the Two Towers of Bologna. Bologna used to have many towers but most have collapsed or have been destroyed. The Two Towers are the symbol of the city where built in 1375 and both of them lean (this is a fact I am happy I did not know until after I climbed the tower.) You can climb the higher one and see the whole city. Nick warned us that if you are afraid of heights or if you're claustrophobic you should stay down but I was not about to miss out on this so I decided to climb it. Well..Nick wasn't kidding when he said it was tight inside. There is a total of 480 steps. The first few flights were spiral and then this just go straight up. I had a minor panic attack probably half way up. I knew I couldn't turn back but I didn't want to go any further. I started getting really sweaty, my hands were shaking and my heart was pounding. All I could think of was that if the stairs broke because they were so old. It was so small inside and there were so many people. It was really scary but I was really happy when I reached the top. It was a beautiful view and I would have been upset if I had missed it! After I recovered and got down on the ground, we went to one more church, the Santo Stefano Basilica which was very interesting and different than all the other churches that I've seen. Then it was back to Florence for dinner out with Nick and Maria.
One of the head directors of the Rutgers Study Abroad office, Lauren Randolph, is staying in Florence this weekend to check up on things. She came with us yesterday to Bologna, she just came out to check on our apartments, and tomorrow she will be at school with us. Its reassuring to know that they check up on things here, even though Nick does an awesome job. She is very nice and said she would help us with anything we needed.
Tomorrow for culture class we are going to the American Cemetery in Falciani. It is there that all the American soldiers that died in World War II are buried. Should be really interesting.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
When in Rome...
I've been extremely busy! I'm going to try and do shorter posts but update more frequently starting next post. This one is long!
Saturday I went to Rome. The weather was beautiful! Not a cloud in the sky but it was chilly. Rome is awesome! Such a cool city but much different than Florence. Of course I only spent the day there but it is very big and very metropolitan which couldn't be further from what Florence is like. Some parts of Rome looked exactly like New York City and some parts look like San Francisco. Some buildings are just so incredibly old and some are brand new. It was very strange but very cool at the same time. Oh and then of course there the fact that you can just turn the corner and see the Colosseum! You know...just walking down the street next to the Colosseum! So the trip started at 7:30 when we boarded a an express train to Rome. The train was awesome. Definitely a step above NJ Transit! The scenery was beautiful. I tried staying awake long enough to get some pictures of the Tuscan country side. The ride was about an hour and a half and then we arrived in Rome. There were about 25 kids that went. Most were Rutgers kids but there were also some from England and Sweden. Our day was jammed packed. We started off at the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica which was gorgeous. On the trip were 2 teachers from school, one of them also served as tour guide. Unfortunately for those that don't know Italian well (aka me), were out of luck when it came to getting all the facts about all the places we went. The teacher slash tour guide spoke VERY little English as they are trying to get us to learn Italian so quickly. So I got the majority of the points but I did miss some things here and there. So anyways...back to the trip. We were just walking along and turned the corner and there was the Colosseum staring right at me. It was so cool! This was something that I had learned about since elementary school and now I was five feet from this ancient structure that I had only seen on TV or in books. It was really unbelievable. I think that might have been the moment when I finally realized I was in Italy...for real. Because is was a walking tour we didn't get to go in, which I would have loved to do, but I'll just have to save it for another trip back. (Plus it was a Saturday and the line was legit a mile long!) From there it was on to a few other monuments and the the Roman Forum which was also unbelievable. We were looking at it from atop a hill so we could see the whole thing in its entirely. Its just so hard to believe that those structures are thousands of years old and still standing. After that it was a stop at the Trevi Fountain which was also something I was really looking forward to seeing. I thought it looked much different in person than in pictures I had seen but it was still beautiful! I always remembered it being so bright blue and it wasn't THAT blue but it was still cool. I tossed a penny in and made a wish! Then we had a quick lunch break where we went and got some very delicious pizza. Then it was off to see the Spanish Steps. On our way to the Spanish Steps we noticed a man quickly ripping something small and black out of another guys hand. Then all the sudden the two guys come racing through our little pack pushing me against a table of venders and punching Jes in the chest. We had in fact, just witnessed a man being pick-pocketed! The thief, who was not a very good at his job, was chugging along and the guy who had just been stolen from was racing behind him until he finally cut the thief off in the street, shoved him against a building and grabbed his wallet! The thief ran off and the guy walked backed toward us looking very accomplished! It was a happy ending to a scary scene. So lesson learned: People do really get pick-pocketed in Rome! Thanks to the many layers Jes was wearing, she was fine and we marched on to the Spanish Steps. There is a neat looking fountain in front of the steps that has water from the aqueducts so I decided to have a try! You know what they say...When in Rome! So I figured I'd try the water from the fountain. It was really good actually! Tasty but very chilly! From the Spanish Steps to the Pantheon. I didn't really know too much about the Pantheon before but it was really neat. The word Pantheon means "All the Gods." The dome on the Pantheon is made of one complete piece of cement. It is the biggest solid structure in Europe with a large circle at the top which lets air in to preserve everything inside which is entirely original. I was thoroughly impressed by the Pantheon. After that we made a few more stops to some really neat Piazza's along the way but the grand finale was what I was most excited about seeing which was the Vatican. And it was worth the wait. It was so incredible. We got to go inside and looking around. Inside there is one of Michelangelo's most famous sculptures, the Pieta. It is a depiction of the body of Jesus laying laying on the lap of Mary after his crucifixion. He created a series of Pieta's with similar themes but this is his most famous. He also painted some of the domes at the Vatican. The detail and work that went into this masterpiece is truly incredible! We didn't get to see the Sistine Chapel which is also on my list of "must see" but that just means I have to go back. The day was awesome. It was exhausting but it was absolutely worth it. It was rumored that we walked 10 miles around Rome...and I'd believe it! Rome is so big that it was nice to have a guided tour (even if it was in Italian) but I will definitely make a trip back at some point. Who else can say they spent their Valentines Day in Rome?! We arrived in Florence around 9ish and then all of my roommates and a few other people from Rutgers went out to this Mexican restaurant called Tijuana to celebrate Morgans 21st Birthday! The food was delicious and it was a lot of fun!
Sunday was just a resting up day. My roommates and myself decided to venture to The Coop, our favorite (NOT) food store. We travel to The Coop, which is on the edge of town, because it is much cheaper than the other mercadi's in centro (in the center of Florence) and because it is much bigger with way more food but it is a decent walk and the trouble is carrying all the bags back to our apartment. Well we walked there to find that it was closed! Obviously we have not adjusted yet to the fact that things in Italy are closed on Sunday and Mondays! Oops!
On Monday in Culture class, we look a trip to the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum which is in the center of Florence. Salvatore Ferragamo is a famous shoe designer to the celebrities who used to make fit-to-wear shoes for major stars like Ava Gardner, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Gretta Garbo and many more. All of his shoes were hand crafted. Ferragamo was known for improvising when it came to materials he used for his shoes. The museum was packed full of his original collection of high heels including several of Marilyn Monroe's original shoes. She would only wear Ferragamo shoes. They had to be the same style but in different colors. Ferragamo is also known for introducing color into the world of shoes. I really enjoyed the museum! It was really interesting and totally different from anything we have done in Culture class so far.
On Tuesday night I went with a bunch of Rutgers people to this club called Be-Bop to see the Beatles cover band that plays there every Tuesday night. It was so much fun! Definitely an experience! It was so funny to see Italian guys fake a British accent and sing Beatles songs! A lot of fun though! I'm sure I'll be back!
Today for Culture class we went to one of the oldest family run Trattoria in Florence called Mario's. Our class got a two course meal, wine, and water while Francesca explained to us the ingredients that go into making the delicious meal! Florence is known for using simple ingredients and for only what is in season and what you have in your house. Everything was really yummy and perfect on a cold day. After lunch we went to finally go see Michelangelo's David! After he stood us up last week due to the strike, I was really happy to finally see him! The Accademia Museum itself, doesn't have too much to see. David is definitely the main attraction. As you walk in there is a hallway full of some of Michelangelo's unfinished works which was interesting. David is really huge and unbelievable that he still in such perfect condition since being created in in 1504. Francesca says we have to see David at least 6 times before we leave Florence so I know I'll be back!
Tomorrow after class we are meeting with an Italian official for get our Permesso di Soggiorno or permit of stay. Then its off to the market and from there who knows! Tomorrow night the boys are having another group party with Nick and Maria (not themed this time) so that should be fun as well.
Saturday is our first Rutgers Extrusion. We are traveling by bus to Bolonga, which is in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. The food is supposed to be delicious! We will spend the whole day there traveling around on a guided tour and then Nick will take us out to dinner.
On Sunday I am thinking about going to the Uffizi Museum but thats not definite yet.
Oh and I booked a ticket to Dublin with Jes, Jen, and Morgan to go visit Jacquie for St. Patrick's Day weekend! I'm so excited!!
Saturday I went to Rome. The weather was beautiful! Not a cloud in the sky but it was chilly. Rome is awesome! Such a cool city but much different than Florence. Of course I only spent the day there but it is very big and very metropolitan which couldn't be further from what Florence is like. Some parts of Rome looked exactly like New York City and some parts look like San Francisco. Some buildings are just so incredibly old and some are brand new. It was very strange but very cool at the same time. Oh and then of course there the fact that you can just turn the corner and see the Colosseum! You know...just walking down the street next to the Colosseum! So the trip started at 7:30 when we boarded a an express train to Rome. The train was awesome. Definitely a step above NJ Transit! The scenery was beautiful. I tried staying awake long enough to get some pictures of the Tuscan country side. The ride was about an hour and a half and then we arrived in Rome. There were about 25 kids that went. Most were Rutgers kids but there were also some from England and Sweden. Our day was jammed packed. We started off at the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica which was gorgeous. On the trip were 2 teachers from school, one of them also served as tour guide. Unfortunately for those that don't know Italian well (aka me), were out of luck when it came to getting all the facts about all the places we went. The teacher slash tour guide spoke VERY little English as they are trying to get us to learn Italian so quickly. So I got the majority of the points but I did miss some things here and there. So anyways...back to the trip. We were just walking along and turned the corner and there was the Colosseum staring right at me. It was so cool! This was something that I had learned about since elementary school and now I was five feet from this ancient structure that I had only seen on TV or in books. It was really unbelievable. I think that might have been the moment when I finally realized I was in Italy...for real. Because is was a walking tour we didn't get to go in, which I would have loved to do, but I'll just have to save it for another trip back. (Plus it was a Saturday and the line was legit a mile long!) From there it was on to a few other monuments and the the Roman Forum which was also unbelievable. We were looking at it from atop a hill so we could see the whole thing in its entirely. Its just so hard to believe that those structures are thousands of years old and still standing. After that it was a stop at the Trevi Fountain which was also something I was really looking forward to seeing. I thought it looked much different in person than in pictures I had seen but it was still beautiful! I always remembered it being so bright blue and it wasn't THAT blue but it was still cool. I tossed a penny in and made a wish! Then we had a quick lunch break where we went and got some very delicious pizza. Then it was off to see the Spanish Steps. On our way to the Spanish Steps we noticed a man quickly ripping something small and black out of another guys hand. Then all the sudden the two guys come racing through our little pack pushing me against a table of venders and punching Jes in the chest. We had in fact, just witnessed a man being pick-pocketed! The thief, who was not a very good at his job, was chugging along and the guy who had just been stolen from was racing behind him until he finally cut the thief off in the street, shoved him against a building and grabbed his wallet! The thief ran off and the guy walked backed toward us looking very accomplished! It was a happy ending to a scary scene. So lesson learned: People do really get pick-pocketed in Rome! Thanks to the many layers Jes was wearing, she was fine and we marched on to the Spanish Steps. There is a neat looking fountain in front of the steps that has water from the aqueducts so I decided to have a try! You know what they say...When in Rome! So I figured I'd try the water from the fountain. It was really good actually! Tasty but very chilly! From the Spanish Steps to the Pantheon. I didn't really know too much about the Pantheon before but it was really neat. The word Pantheon means "All the Gods." The dome on the Pantheon is made of one complete piece of cement. It is the biggest solid structure in Europe with a large circle at the top which lets air in to preserve everything inside which is entirely original. I was thoroughly impressed by the Pantheon. After that we made a few more stops to some really neat Piazza's along the way but the grand finale was what I was most excited about seeing which was the Vatican. And it was worth the wait. It was so incredible. We got to go inside and looking around. Inside there is one of Michelangelo's most famous sculptures, the Pieta. It is a depiction of the body of Jesus laying laying on the lap of Mary after his crucifixion. He created a series of Pieta's with similar themes but this is his most famous. He also painted some of the domes at the Vatican. The detail and work that went into this masterpiece is truly incredible! We didn't get to see the Sistine Chapel which is also on my list of "must see" but that just means I have to go back. The day was awesome. It was exhausting but it was absolutely worth it. It was rumored that we walked 10 miles around Rome...and I'd believe it! Rome is so big that it was nice to have a guided tour (even if it was in Italian) but I will definitely make a trip back at some point. Who else can say they spent their Valentines Day in Rome?! We arrived in Florence around 9ish and then all of my roommates and a few other people from Rutgers went out to this Mexican restaurant called Tijuana to celebrate Morgans 21st Birthday! The food was delicious and it was a lot of fun!
Sunday was just a resting up day. My roommates and myself decided to venture to The Coop, our favorite (NOT) food store. We travel to The Coop, which is on the edge of town, because it is much cheaper than the other mercadi's in centro (in the center of Florence) and because it is much bigger with way more food but it is a decent walk and the trouble is carrying all the bags back to our apartment. Well we walked there to find that it was closed! Obviously we have not adjusted yet to the fact that things in Italy are closed on Sunday and Mondays! Oops!
On Monday in Culture class, we look a trip to the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum which is in the center of Florence. Salvatore Ferragamo is a famous shoe designer to the celebrities who used to make fit-to-wear shoes for major stars like Ava Gardner, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Gretta Garbo and many more. All of his shoes were hand crafted. Ferragamo was known for improvising when it came to materials he used for his shoes. The museum was packed full of his original collection of high heels including several of Marilyn Monroe's original shoes. She would only wear Ferragamo shoes. They had to be the same style but in different colors. Ferragamo is also known for introducing color into the world of shoes. I really enjoyed the museum! It was really interesting and totally different from anything we have done in Culture class so far.
On Tuesday night I went with a bunch of Rutgers people to this club called Be-Bop to see the Beatles cover band that plays there every Tuesday night. It was so much fun! Definitely an experience! It was so funny to see Italian guys fake a British accent and sing Beatles songs! A lot of fun though! I'm sure I'll be back!
Today for Culture class we went to one of the oldest family run Trattoria in Florence called Mario's. Our class got a two course meal, wine, and water while Francesca explained to us the ingredients that go into making the delicious meal! Florence is known for using simple ingredients and for only what is in season and what you have in your house. Everything was really yummy and perfect on a cold day. After lunch we went to finally go see Michelangelo's David! After he stood us up last week due to the strike, I was really happy to finally see him! The Accademia Museum itself, doesn't have too much to see. David is definitely the main attraction. As you walk in there is a hallway full of some of Michelangelo's unfinished works which was interesting. David is really huge and unbelievable that he still in such perfect condition since being created in in 1504. Francesca says we have to see David at least 6 times before we leave Florence so I know I'll be back!
Tomorrow after class we are meeting with an Italian official for get our Permesso di Soggiorno or permit of stay. Then its off to the market and from there who knows! Tomorrow night the boys are having another group party with Nick and Maria (not themed this time) so that should be fun as well.
Saturday is our first Rutgers Extrusion. We are traveling by bus to Bolonga, which is in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. The food is supposed to be delicious! We will spend the whole day there traveling around on a guided tour and then Nick will take us out to dinner.
On Sunday I am thinking about going to the Uffizi Museum but thats not definite yet.
Oh and I booked a ticket to Dublin with Jes, Jen, and Morgan to go visit Jacquie for St. Patrick's Day weekend! I'm so excited!!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Out and About
Had a great week. Went to the San Lorenzo market with my culture class. It was awesome! Its huge! Its inside and outside with tons of fresh fruit and veggies and meat and cheese. The outside as all kinds of leather bags and coats. And everything is very cheap! Its so Florence! I think this is where I am going to do all of my produce shopping from now on. Plus, its definitely one way to learn the language because not everyone there speaks English. And its near school so today we stopped on the way home and picked up some things. I got a really cute new purse.
The midterms are over! They both went well. It Italian class today we had a Saint Valentina's Party! Everyone brought in chocolate and we hung out and they played Justin Timberlake and Madonna in the background haha. It was a lot of fun though. After lunch, myself and a bunch of my roommates decided to go see Michelangelo's statue of David (Francesca says we have to see it at least 6 times before we leave Florence) at the Accademia Museum. After walking there we were disappointed to find that the museum was closed due to the workers on strike. While we were standing outside trying to figure out where we should go now (we wanted to take advantage of our Museum card that lets us cut the line and get into most of the museums in Florence for free), a couple probably in their 50's came up to us and asked us where we were planning on going instead. We decided to go to the Uffizi Museum instead since its very big and takes a few days to see everything. They asked if they could tag along because they had no barrings of the city. They were very nice, from Chicago, and when we told them we we're from Rutgers the husband said, "oh some smart ladies I see" haha. They were only in Florence for 2 days (totally not enough time to see everything). So anyways, we walk across town to the Uffizi to find that it too is closed!! The employees are on strike at this museum too! It was very disappointing. Good thing I live here and can go back whenever I want! I felt bad for my friends from Chicago! They weren't going to be able to see any of the big exhibits! I was surprised to see that both big museums were closed. There were tons of tour groups and kids on class trips just sitting outside. But as Jes said, "those Italians are very temperamental!" Since it was such a lovely day we decided to walk around and do some window shopping.
Tomorrow I am going to Roma! Our school is having a trip to all the famous landmarks in Rome. We leave at 7 in the morning and take the train (its about a 1 1/2 hour ride) and don't come back 8pm. But we get to see pretty much all the big attractions in Rome. I'm really excited! Tomorrow is also one of my roommates, Morgan's 21st birthday so we are going out to celebrate when we get back tomorrow.
Jes and I have had some interesting experiences with not knowing the language at the market (but we are learning!) Everyday in an adventure for sure!
Happy Valentines Days!
The midterms are over! They both went well. It Italian class today we had a Saint Valentina's Party! Everyone brought in chocolate and we hung out and they played Justin Timberlake and Madonna in the background haha. It was a lot of fun though. After lunch, myself and a bunch of my roommates decided to go see Michelangelo's statue of David (Francesca says we have to see it at least 6 times before we leave Florence) at the Accademia Museum. After walking there we were disappointed to find that the museum was closed due to the workers on strike. While we were standing outside trying to figure out where we should go now (we wanted to take advantage of our Museum card that lets us cut the line and get into most of the museums in Florence for free), a couple probably in their 50's came up to us and asked us where we were planning on going instead. We decided to go to the Uffizi Museum instead since its very big and takes a few days to see everything. They asked if they could tag along because they had no barrings of the city. They were very nice, from Chicago, and when we told them we we're from Rutgers the husband said, "oh some smart ladies I see" haha. They were only in Florence for 2 days (totally not enough time to see everything). So anyways, we walk across town to the Uffizi to find that it too is closed!! The employees are on strike at this museum too! It was very disappointing. Good thing I live here and can go back whenever I want! I felt bad for my friends from Chicago! They weren't going to be able to see any of the big exhibits! I was surprised to see that both big museums were closed. There were tons of tour groups and kids on class trips just sitting outside. But as Jes said, "those Italians are very temperamental!" Since it was such a lovely day we decided to walk around and do some window shopping.
Tomorrow I am going to Roma! Our school is having a trip to all the famous landmarks in Rome. We leave at 7 in the morning and take the train (its about a 1 1/2 hour ride) and don't come back 8pm. But we get to see pretty much all the big attractions in Rome. I'm really excited! Tomorrow is also one of my roommates, Morgan's 21st birthday so we are going out to celebrate when we get back tomorrow.
Jes and I have had some interesting experiences with not knowing the language at the market (but we are learning!) Everyday in an adventure for sure!
Happy Valentines Days!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
"Theres a gypsy to your left"
So my Italian Culture teacher named Francesca is a riot. For most of our classes we go on walking tours throughout the city. On Monday we went to Michelangelo's house and saw some of his original works of art. It was really pretty neat and his house slash museum is actually on the street that I live on (Via Ghibellina) so I thought that was really cool! But back to Francesca...so when we go on these walking tours since our group is so many (48 people total) we all have walkie talkie like things that have a special ear piece. Francesca talks into the microphone that she has and then we came all hear her through our ear piece. So the other day for example, we were walking through town and she says "theres a gypsy to your left!" or "awww cute puppy!" in the middle of her explaining an ancient building hahah. So at the Michelangelo museum, the lady that worked there took her job a little too seriously and did not care for us too much. She was yelling at us for taking pictures so the second she walked away Francesca tells us to take as many pictures as we want because this is a once in a lifetime experience. Of course we are all cracking up as she's saying this in our ear but the lady has no idea why we were all laughing. After our tour of the museum she took us to the only synagogue in the world to be built and designed by a Christian man. And during World War II it was occupied by the Nazi's and used as a base to store weapons. It was really beautiful as it has been recently restored. Then she took us to her favorite gelato place in town where I got chocolate hazelnut and vanilla almond flavored. The guy that owned the place makes all his own chocolate in the store and had every flavor imaginable including chocolate with chili powder! It was delicious!
All these Italian professors seemed to be characters. My Italian language professor named Manola is also quite the character. She explained to us yesterday that when you go out on a date with a boy there are two questions you must ask: #1. Are you rich? #2. Can you cook, clean, and iron? If the answer to #1 is yes...you sit down (if he has money you can pay someone to cook, clean, and iron), if the answer is no you hope that the answer to #2 is yes. If the answer to #2 is Yes than you sit down. If its no to both then you say "Arreviderci!" and walk away! HAhaha! She is really too funny! Today she explained to us that there is a strict dress code in class unlike class in America. She almost fainted when we told her that kids wear their pj's to class at Rutgers! Once the weather gets warmed we are not allowed to wear flip flops or shorts in class. This is going to call for some shopping as I only brought 3 pairs of flip flops and nothing else for the warmer weather! (Which I can't wait for!)
This cold, raining weather is doing me in. I have a nasty, lingering cough. Today I bought some cough medicine at the farmacia (thats Italian for pharmacy haha). It was a little challenging because the man barely spoke English but so far I'm still alive so it wasn't poison! haha. Who knows...maybe it works wonders...hopefully!!
Oh and remember that flood in the kitchen? Well it was never actually fixed and was even more of a flood on Monday morning and all day Monday when the whole apartment was out at class. We returned home to find the bucket (that was supposed to be catching the water) completely overflowed and water rapidly running down the sides. Of course the plumber was at other apartments because there were "emergencies" that were more important than the rapids that were quickly filling the kitchen. Finally after several turns of mopping it up and dumping the bucket the plumber showed up at 12:00 am!! (yes...12:00am..thats one thing I have learned about Italians...they do not rush for anything!...that includes a leaky pipe thats filling the kitchen!) So thankfully this morning we woke up to a dry kitchen floor!
Tomorrow its off to language class and studying for midterms. Then for culture class we are going to the San Lorenzo Market which has all fresh foods and produce where Francesca is going to teach us how to by things there. I'm excited. And then hopefully and finally to Ikea (said I-kay-ya in Italian) to get hangers so I can finally hang up my clothes in my closet!! I can't wait to get them!! And we need some other stuff for the apartment but then I think I will finally be settled in. Later gators!
All these Italian professors seemed to be characters. My Italian language professor named Manola is also quite the character. She explained to us yesterday that when you go out on a date with a boy there are two questions you must ask: #1. Are you rich? #2. Can you cook, clean, and iron? If the answer to #1 is yes...you sit down (if he has money you can pay someone to cook, clean, and iron), if the answer is no you hope that the answer to #2 is yes. If the answer to #2 is Yes than you sit down. If its no to both then you say "Arreviderci!" and walk away! HAhaha! She is really too funny! Today she explained to us that there is a strict dress code in class unlike class in America. She almost fainted when we told her that kids wear their pj's to class at Rutgers! Once the weather gets warmed we are not allowed to wear flip flops or shorts in class. This is going to call for some shopping as I only brought 3 pairs of flip flops and nothing else for the warmer weather! (Which I can't wait for!)
This cold, raining weather is doing me in. I have a nasty, lingering cough. Today I bought some cough medicine at the farmacia (thats Italian for pharmacy haha). It was a little challenging because the man barely spoke English but so far I'm still alive so it wasn't poison! haha. Who knows...maybe it works wonders...hopefully!!
Oh and remember that flood in the kitchen? Well it was never actually fixed and was even more of a flood on Monday morning and all day Monday when the whole apartment was out at class. We returned home to find the bucket (that was supposed to be catching the water) completely overflowed and water rapidly running down the sides. Of course the plumber was at other apartments because there were "emergencies" that were more important than the rapids that were quickly filling the kitchen. Finally after several turns of mopping it up and dumping the bucket the plumber showed up at 12:00 am!! (yes...12:00am..thats one thing I have learned about Italians...they do not rush for anything!...that includes a leaky pipe thats filling the kitchen!) So thankfully this morning we woke up to a dry kitchen floor!
Tomorrow its off to language class and studying for midterms. Then for culture class we are going to the San Lorenzo Market which has all fresh foods and produce where Francesca is going to teach us how to by things there. I'm excited. And then hopefully and finally to Ikea (said I-kay-ya in Italian) to get hangers so I can finally hang up my clothes in my closet!! I can't wait to get them!! And we need some other stuff for the apartment but then I think I will finally be settled in. Later gators!
Sunday, February 8, 2009
On the Up and Up...
Hello All!
So I've successfully survived my first week! It was rough..but I guess thats to be expected. After several..."why am I here" moments...I finally realized that I truly love it here. On Friday...something fabulous happened...IT STOPPED RAINING! And the sun came out and it was beautiful! After class a bunch of my roommates and I walked around town and explored the city. I took lots of pictures and I was just so happy to be here. On Friday night the boys of the group, who have a ridiculously amazing apartment down the street from the Ponte Vecchio, had a Black and White party. The whole group came decked in their black and white including Nick our program director. Everyone just hung out and chatted with each other. It was a good time. Saturday I slept in which was wonderful! But when I woke up, I found a lovely flood in the kitchen. So then I had to call Maria (our other leader) who had to call the landlord who had to call the plumber who was then really late so I spent a lot of time waiting (which was super annoying!) Jes was really brave and decided to get her hair cut. Its really cute despite her disliking of it. After that, it was a trip to the food store to do a bigger food store where they had lots of food and it wasn't too scary not knowing the language. Today most of the roommates and I went to the Pitti Palace. This is where the Medicci Family used to live and then it was taken over by the Napoleon in the 1700's. Its huge and beautiful with millions of paintings. It reminded me of Versailles. It also has gardens but I didn't seen them today because..of course..it was raining and cold so I figured I'd save that for the warmer weather. We got this card which allows us access to most of the museums in Florence for free so thats really cool. My museum list is about a mile long. But tomorrow for my culture class we are going to Michaeangelo's house so that should be interesting! Thursday and Friday are midterms already. The first section of our program is only a month long so at the end of this week it will have been 2 weeks already! Time really flies! We are all trying to figure out our travel plans! The time is already going to quickly and the places we all want to visit are overwhelming!
So I've successfully survived my first week! It was rough..but I guess thats to be expected. After several..."why am I here" moments...I finally realized that I truly love it here. On Friday...something fabulous happened...IT STOPPED RAINING! And the sun came out and it was beautiful! After class a bunch of my roommates and I walked around town and explored the city. I took lots of pictures and I was just so happy to be here. On Friday night the boys of the group, who have a ridiculously amazing apartment down the street from the Ponte Vecchio, had a Black and White party. The whole group came decked in their black and white including Nick our program director. Everyone just hung out and chatted with each other. It was a good time. Saturday I slept in which was wonderful! But when I woke up, I found a lovely flood in the kitchen. So then I had to call Maria (our other leader) who had to call the landlord who had to call the plumber who was then really late so I spent a lot of time waiting (which was super annoying!) Jes was really brave and decided to get her hair cut. Its really cute despite her disliking of it. After that, it was a trip to the food store to do a bigger food store where they had lots of food and it wasn't too scary not knowing the language. Today most of the roommates and I went to the Pitti Palace. This is where the Medicci Family used to live and then it was taken over by the Napoleon in the 1700's. Its huge and beautiful with millions of paintings. It reminded me of Versailles. It also has gardens but I didn't seen them today because..of course..it was raining and cold so I figured I'd save that for the warmer weather. We got this card which allows us access to most of the museums in Florence for free so thats really cool. My museum list is about a mile long. But tomorrow for my culture class we are going to Michaeangelo's house so that should be interesting! Thursday and Friday are midterms already. The first section of our program is only a month long so at the end of this week it will have been 2 weeks already! Time really flies! We are all trying to figure out our travel plans! The time is already going to quickly and the places we all want to visit are overwhelming!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Rain Rain Go Away
So classes started and its been non stop raining. According to the weather...we're not supposed to see sun until Monday :( Classes are really good. They are definitely keeping us all very busy. We start at 9 am with an intensive Italian Language. The first day was very overwhelming. I had one of those "why am I here moments" when my teacher told us that she would stop speaking English next week so we better learn quick! Shes actually a really great teacher though. About 5 foot at most and a little ball of fire which makes the class very entertaining and the 3 hours go by quickly. After that I have to walk across town and the Arno River to the other school where we have our Italian Culture class which is pretty awesome. Again, its taught by an older Italian lady named Francesca. She has ridiculously curly hair and crazy glasses and shes a riot. On Monday we took a tour of the library that we will have access too. Its feet from the Duomo with and awesome view. Today we visited Dante's house (one of Italy most famous poets). It was really interesting. Then we went on a walk through the city. Unfortunatly it was raining so we were all soggy by the time it was over but it was still cool. Our teacher knows everything about Florence so she informs us of these neat little facts. Most of the time we do things outside the class room so we can get a real feel for the city which I think is awesome. Tomorrow is our first day without our program director slash best person to know in Florence, Nick. He has been with us everyday taking to class and helping all of us out. Tomorrow he's setting us free to find our own way to school (everyone is spread out in different apartments throughout the city). He says the best way to learn...and I agree but its still a little confusing. Although its a small city its not a grid which makes it difficult to learn. All in all, things are going really well. I've had a moments but like my mommy said "they'll be good days and bad ones." And although it seems like I've been here forever its only been 5 days and I still have a lot to learn.
xoxo
xoxo
Sunday, February 1, 2009
CIAO!
I moved into the new apartment today. It was raining here and moving 10 girls into an apartment across town with 3+ pieces of luggage each and 4 flights of stairs was quiet a feat! Luckily we were picked up by this sweet Mercedes bus (it didn't help us with the fact that there is no elevator haha but it did help with the luggage part). So the apartment is in the theater district of town. The apartment itself is actually attached to a theater and we can watch people waiting in line to go in from our kitchen window. I ventured to the food store for the first time today. This was a stressful experience as I think it was the first time I had trouble with not knowing the language. Met a few other American students today (at the food store) and they all said that our apartment is in a good location. Lots of things to do and pretty close to everything. Our apartment is huge!!! It used to be an old bed and breakfast and was recently restored. Jes and I are together in what used to be an old kitchen. (thats evident from the sink and air vent thats still in our room). It doesn't have a terrace like the other rooms..but we're not going to complain...we're in Florence!! We unpacked, hung up pictures and made it homey. The girls we are living with seem nice to far.
Tomorrow its off to class bright and early at 8am! First I go to language class until 12:30 and then its off to culture class which is from 1:30 to 4. Then a possible trip to Ikea is in the works to get a few things for the apartment. Should be a fun day though!
Tomorrow its off to class bright and early at 8am! First I go to language class until 12:30 and then its off to culture class which is from 1:30 to 4. Then a possible trip to Ikea is in the works to get a few things for the apartment. Should be a fun day though!
Real World: Firenze
I am alive! And in italy?!! It is B-E-A-UTIFUL!! It actually looks like a movie set...no lie! So from the beginning...the flight was rough but I was enroute to Italy so it was fine. Jes and I pretty much died in the Frankfurt airport but once we we're on Italian land everything was a-okay! We managed to get our first taxi (between our luggage we barely fit!) and made it to our hotel. Dropped off our stuff and went out exploring! Then Nicholas, our program advisor, took us out for our first real authentic Italian dinner. 3 full courses and delicious dessert! So good! Then it was bed time as I had only 3 hours of sleep in 32 hours. And when I say sleep..I mean 13 hours of sleep! Today our group had to meet in the afternoon for orientation which included going to our school, learning about our excursion trips, getting our cell phones (YAY! 3 days without a phone is mad weird!), applying for a permit of stay so non of us have to go to Italian jail, and then Nick took us out for pizza.obvi! and then we got gelato! I then explored the town at night and took some really cool pictures. Internet is hard to come by...at least for me. I've had trouble picking up the hotel's signal so that is annoying. And the hotel is interesting...its me, Jes, and 2 other girls and with our luggage in the room we can't walk haha. Everyone has been very friendly and nice. Tomorrow we all move into our apartments...which is every exciting! I think thats when maybe...just maybe it will stop feeling like a vacation and finally sink in that I'm living here for the next 4 months! Jes and I are together in our apartment...with 8 other girls...yes 8!! Helloo Real World! This should be interesting! Most of them seem nice though and our apt is 2 blocks from the water so thats awesome. I'm sure I'll have lots of updates about that!
I am very quickly learning so many things about the culture (and my real culture class hasn't even started yet). I know there will be a new lesson everyday...here's what I've got so far...
Lesson #1: Hot Chocolate: When you order hot chocolater as for latte...or else you get HOT CHOCOLATE...legit no milk..just pure chocolate!
Lesson #1.2: Getting something "to go" is not popular nor is it encouraged. And then "to go" cups are super small and weirdly shaped.
Lesson #2: There is NO grass in Florence. Everything is cobble stone. This makes it quiet interesting considering literally everyone has a dog!
Lesson #3: Walking around Florence is a free for all. People, tiny cars, bikes, and vespas do whatever they want. And no one seems to mind. There is no beeping or yelling/cursing like in NYC. The cars just wait for people to cross the street. A lot of people just walk in the middle of the street and no one cares.
The lack of hustle and bustle is definitely a welcomes changed. Everyone is very relaxed, never seeming to be in a rush. The people are pretty nice so far. I haven't had too much interaction with them yet but I know there is plenty to come. There is a lot of American students studying here and the few that I have been very friendly and helpful. Of course everyone from Rutgers is friendly! I am making a lot of new friends!
So far I'm really loving it! Thats al for now as I have a busy day moving into the new apt tomorrow! More updates and pictures to come!!
XOXO
I am very quickly learning so many things about the culture (and my real culture class hasn't even started yet). I know there will be a new lesson everyday...here's what I've got so far...
Lesson #1: Hot Chocolate: When you order hot chocolater as for latte...or else you get HOT CHOCOLATE...legit no milk..just pure chocolate!
Lesson #1.2: Getting something "to go" is not popular nor is it encouraged. And then "to go" cups are super small and weirdly shaped.
Lesson #2: There is NO grass in Florence. Everything is cobble stone. This makes it quiet interesting considering literally everyone has a dog!
Lesson #3: Walking around Florence is a free for all. People, tiny cars, bikes, and vespas do whatever they want. And no one seems to mind. There is no beeping or yelling/cursing like in NYC. The cars just wait for people to cross the street. A lot of people just walk in the middle of the street and no one cares.
The lack of hustle and bustle is definitely a welcomes changed. Everyone is very relaxed, never seeming to be in a rush. The people are pretty nice so far. I haven't had too much interaction with them yet but I know there is plenty to come. There is a lot of American students studying here and the few that I have been very friendly and helpful. Of course everyone from Rutgers is friendly! I am making a lot of new friends!
So far I'm really loving it! Thats al for now as I have a busy day moving into the new apt tomorrow! More updates and pictures to come!!
XOXO
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