i-tal-ia!

Note: This entry was originally posted to an old blog of mine called Go Out and See the World. It can be seen in its original here, including all comments, which were not imported. The entries are separate from Sunny Day Happy Face, but were imported for posterity! Enjoy!

It was a once-in-a-lifetime oppertunity to be in Italy when Italy won the World Cup for the first time in over 40 years. Everyone was crazy - flags hanging out of every window and car, cars began honking randomly at about 5pm, hours before the game began. Rosie, her boyfriend, Jonny, and I, went over the bridge to Piazza Michelangelo where there is a giant TV screen to watch the game. There were thousands of people there and they were all nuts... climbing up trees, standing on garbage cans, wearing flags around their necks, falling off walls (there were many ambulances there) and of course, drinking, drinking, drinking. Beer bottles were smashed on the ground everywhere. So, we got to the piazza at 9:00, 1 hour into the game, at half time. We sat on a wall where we only saw less than half the screen, eventually moving places several times, never getting a good view. Eventually we came back to Ghibellina, which is our street, to an Indian restaurant, where we were the only ones and got a seat right in front of the TV to see the penalty shots, when Italy won the game. Then we went out onto the streets and to Santa Croce to see everyone celebrating - kids ran through the square with flags, everyone was singing, a man was jumping and singing on his balcony. Eventually, cars starting honking and this part lasted for hours, I know because they were still honking when I fell asleep at midnight. I'm happy for the Italians that they won! It was quite a celebration (that I did not participate in because Rosie got sick and we all went home instead.)

Currently, I have no roommates. I might come home to find someone there, but at present, I am alone in an apartment that can host 7! It's not all that bad, only the fact that I feel like at any moment someone could come is just a bit nervewracking and that I hung out all day waiting for no one to come!

After the internet, I am going to go out to eat with Natasha, the former roommate - suprise, suprise. I expect I'll hang out the rest of the day and after dinner, at about 5:30, 6:00, I will go down to the river again to see if I can find the market I was looking for on Saturday. Donato, my teacher, said I shouldn't be able to miss it if its there.

Tomorrow my class is going to the best market in Florence, that's only open on Tuesday mornings. We are taking a bus. I'll have to stop by an ATM to be ready to buy tons of gifts!

Lately I've been eating Nutella and rice cakes every morning and then pasta for lunch and dinner. (So, in response, Brittany, it took me a week to polish off one jar of Nutella, but today I'll buy another jar!) Quite good. I've even lost a few pounds in trying to keep cool and with all the walking around and less of an appitite. However, I still get mosquito bites (though I load on the bug spray every night) and some of the ones I have make me look like I have the measles. Hopefully they will dissapear quickly once I get back to the States.

I've met people from so many places at school: Montenagro, Mexico, England (Cambridge and London), Croatia, Canada (Motreal), Japan, USA (TX, PA, D.C.)... I'm sure the list will keep growing until the last day that I leave.

Anyway, the general idea right now is that I am having a great time in my last week, enjoying every moment. I'm very able to navigate the streets confidently and I know where things are, where I want to go, etc. This continues to be a great experience, one that I would love to do again in another country or city (such as, staying for a few weeks to take an art class, for example). Though, I know I won't continue with Italian and I don't wish to learn another language. But, now that my bad energy from traveling alone has worn off, I am more than ready, eager and able to start dreaming up my next trip (with a group or friends, of course), next time in winter or spring, though. Being abroad, as usual, is eye-opening.