During my first week I signed a lot of paperwork at the scuola for registration. Most of it was in Italian. At that time I asked our segretaria about paying tuition and he said I could pay in installments and that he’d rewrite the paperwork with the dates the installments will be due. That was the 9th of January and two weeks ago I went into the office to inquire about paying my first installment as I hadn’t yet received the dates. The segretaria, who is very personable and just an all-around good guy, said "Yes, come in and pay anytime but not right now. Come in tomorrow or the next day." In pure Shannon fashion, I forgot. So last week he and I met at Arci, the bar that many of the students and staff frequent, and he said "Ciao Shannon. You should come to the office to make your first payment." And I said, "I can come in today." He said, "Well, not today, tomorrow or the next day will be fine." Again I forgot to pay. Today we ran into each other again at Arci and this time he just talked about calcio.
Utilities are often an issue here, moreso than in the states. My roommates requested Internet access a few months ago and it was supposedly scheduled for installation a few months ago. As this is Italy, we still have no access. Francesca called them to inquire about the status, and they told her to go to the store. So she went to the store to inquire, and they said she should call the phone number. From the store she called the phone number. To make a long story short we still don’t have an installation date.
At this point I’m curious about how the Italian economy functions!
> View Bruno Bozzetto's Europe and Italy
28.2.07
Calcio
My Livornese friend and I exchange language on a daily basis. I speak to him in Italian and he speaks to me in English. On Monday we were sitting in the courtyard and he appeared a bit down, so I say "Cosa mi dici Livorno." (Tell me something about Livorno.) He says that the city often takes on the mood of the calcio team and the previous day Livorno lost their match and therefore is out of the Champions League. The following morning no one was in the town squares and the government workers didn’t go to work, they all went on sciopero (strike). I asked him if that’s why he was down. He said probably, so maybe for him it was also sciopero in the courtyard.
One of the stories commonly in the media in the past few weeks was the return to Italy of calcio superstar Ronaldo. But a running joke is surely he came back, but he came back fat. So I found the following stunt amusing. As Ronaldo is exiting a building they first throw a soccer ball for him to head. Then they throw a panettone his way.
> Watch Ronaldo dodge the flying panettone
One of the stories commonly in the media in the past few weeks was the return to Italy of calcio superstar Ronaldo. But a running joke is surely he came back, but he came back fat. So I found the following stunt amusing. As Ronaldo is exiting a building they first throw a soccer ball for him to head. Then they throw a panettone his way.
> Watch Ronaldo dodge the flying panettone
How am I different?
I was listening to a song by Aimee Mann titled How Am I Different. And it made me think about my life in Firenze and how I’ve changed in the past few weeks since I’ve been here. I can think of a few things, but in particular I’ve developed a great amount of adaptability.
A few weeks ago my PowerBook had a little accident. Specifically, I kicked it off my bed in the middle of the night and one of its corners hit the hard tile floor. It’s all crunched up and the DVD player can’t eject. Steve Jobs and the other gods at Apple have been extremely kind to me, as the computer appears to function in all other ways. The DVD player not being able to eject affects me in a few ways.
- I’m unable to burn any of my art, design or photo files to CD.
- I’m also unable to burn music playlists to CD.
- I had an evening ritual of watching episodes of MI5, 24 or a movie on DVD each evening, as it’s refreshing to hear English at the end of the day. The DVD in the player at the time was Pride and Prejudice. And the only other thing I have on my computer to watch is the PBS documentary, The Medicis: Godfathers of the Renaissance.
In my newly discovered calm and relaxed manner, I came up with the following solutions:
- I’ve ordered a plug-in DVD player, which I’ll receive in about a month. (Don’t ask. It’s Italy.)
- In the meantime I use a USB flash drive to transfer my art, design and photo files as necessary.
- I have made some iPod playlists for friends, and rather than burning CDs I periodically lend my friends my iPod to listen to the tunes.
- I watch Pride and Prejudice and The Medicis in rotation. (If you have any lingering questions about Miss Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy, Lorenzo il Magnifico or Cosimo I, feel free to add a comment and I can surely post the answer for you.)
Boh. (An Italian expression with no particular meaning, most often accompanied by a shoulder shrug.)
So I’ve been dropping weight at the speed of light while eating pasta, pizza and biscotti daily. (Atkins, ha!) And at this rate, I’ve had to buy a new pair of jeans every two weeks. You wouldn’t believe the price of Levi’s here, and the women’s styles aren’t offered in various lengths so I pay for them with a cringe on my face, then take them home and hem them myself. In my little sewing kit I have straight pins, but no pincushion. I thought to myself, why buy a pincushion, as it seems a frivolous purchase for a studentessa, so I made one from the denim I cut off the length of the jeans. This felt like a bit of a revelation. I may be crafting more household items in the future as it’s a great way to save a few euro.
Another way that I’m changing is that I’m apparently unlearning English. Saturday evening a few of us went out for drinks at Caffe Sant’Ambrogio. They serve cocktails and I ordered a chi-chi, which is similar to a pina colada, but vodka replaces the rum. (I enjoyed this drink so much because I found that the flavors of coconut and pineapple remind me of my Hawaiian-Californian home!) As we’re cocktailing, in walks Ricardo, a friend of Jean Claude. Firenze is starting to feel like a small town to me. I’ve run into many a friend at the supermarket, on the street and at bus stops. This time it’s Ricardo, the guitar instructor from Treviso. We called Jean Claude and decided to meet up at Ambasciata di Marte – a creative space with a gallery, bar and live music. To get to Ambasciata, we walked down one of the large streets that circle il centro. As in many European cities, the old city walls were removed and replaced by large boulevards. During our walk one of my friends asks me "Come si dice semaforo in inglese?" I couldn’t think of the answer. It took me two entire minutes to remember. "Traffic lights", I finally replied.
As I was riding the bus home tonight I was chatting on the phone with my mom and I said "I bet you 20 euro…". Recalling this conversation, my first thought is does she have 20 euro? My second thought is if I win the bet the current exchange rate will work greatly in my favor. I also made a new word during this conversation. I was saying something about balloons. And out of my mouth came the word "paloon". (The word for balloon is palloncino in Italian.)
> Ambasciata di Marte
A few weeks ago my PowerBook had a little accident. Specifically, I kicked it off my bed in the middle of the night and one of its corners hit the hard tile floor. It’s all crunched up and the DVD player can’t eject. Steve Jobs and the other gods at Apple have been extremely kind to me, as the computer appears to function in all other ways. The DVD player not being able to eject affects me in a few ways.
- I’m unable to burn any of my art, design or photo files to CD.
- I’m also unable to burn music playlists to CD.
- I had an evening ritual of watching episodes of MI5, 24 or a movie on DVD each evening, as it’s refreshing to hear English at the end of the day. The DVD in the player at the time was Pride and Prejudice. And the only other thing I have on my computer to watch is the PBS documentary, The Medicis: Godfathers of the Renaissance.
In my newly discovered calm and relaxed manner, I came up with the following solutions:
- I’ve ordered a plug-in DVD player, which I’ll receive in about a month. (Don’t ask. It’s Italy.)
- In the meantime I use a USB flash drive to transfer my art, design and photo files as necessary.
- I have made some iPod playlists for friends, and rather than burning CDs I periodically lend my friends my iPod to listen to the tunes.
- I watch Pride and Prejudice and The Medicis in rotation. (If you have any lingering questions about Miss Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy, Lorenzo il Magnifico or Cosimo I, feel free to add a comment and I can surely post the answer for you.)
Boh. (An Italian expression with no particular meaning, most often accompanied by a shoulder shrug.)
So I’ve been dropping weight at the speed of light while eating pasta, pizza and biscotti daily. (Atkins, ha!) And at this rate, I’ve had to buy a new pair of jeans every two weeks. You wouldn’t believe the price of Levi’s here, and the women’s styles aren’t offered in various lengths so I pay for them with a cringe on my face, then take them home and hem them myself. In my little sewing kit I have straight pins, but no pincushion. I thought to myself, why buy a pincushion, as it seems a frivolous purchase for a studentessa, so I made one from the denim I cut off the length of the jeans. This felt like a bit of a revelation. I may be crafting more household items in the future as it’s a great way to save a few euro.
Another way that I’m changing is that I’m apparently unlearning English. Saturday evening a few of us went out for drinks at Caffe Sant’Ambrogio. They serve cocktails and I ordered a chi-chi, which is similar to a pina colada, but vodka replaces the rum. (I enjoyed this drink so much because I found that the flavors of coconut and pineapple remind me of my Hawaiian-Californian home!) As we’re cocktailing, in walks Ricardo, a friend of Jean Claude. Firenze is starting to feel like a small town to me. I’ve run into many a friend at the supermarket, on the street and at bus stops. This time it’s Ricardo, the guitar instructor from Treviso. We called Jean Claude and decided to meet up at Ambasciata di Marte – a creative space with a gallery, bar and live music. To get to Ambasciata, we walked down one of the large streets that circle il centro. As in many European cities, the old city walls were removed and replaced by large boulevards. During our walk one of my friends asks me "Come si dice semaforo in inglese?" I couldn’t think of the answer. It took me two entire minutes to remember. "Traffic lights", I finally replied.
As I was riding the bus home tonight I was chatting on the phone with my mom and I said "I bet you 20 euro…". Recalling this conversation, my first thought is does she have 20 euro? My second thought is if I win the bet the current exchange rate will work greatly in my favor. I also made a new word during this conversation. I was saying something about balloons. And out of my mouth came the word "paloon". (The word for balloon is palloncino in Italian.)
> Ambasciata di Marte
23.2.07
Aperitivo
Just 60 cents a bag.
The boys play biliardino.
We love the aranci (oranges) from Sicilia.
Just another evening at the socialist bar. (Me and Jun)
Le scarpe (shoes).
This is what happens when you get a Belgian drunk in Firenze.
22.2.07
Stupid things I've said this week (in English)
- "It is but that I have to go to the farmacia."
- "Ceci n'est pas un pigeon." (I know this is partly French.)
- "I have no idea what day it is."
- "I understood the first sentence."
- "Totti is so sexy."
- "Do you yet have need of this stone?"
I'm sure this post will be shortly followed by Stupid things I've said this week (in Italian).
20.2.07
The zinc has arrived. We are happy.
We placed an order for zinco (zinc) a few weeks ago and it arrived today! This is the material we most commonly use for our etchings. Bijou picked up the zinc in his car and parked it in the courtyard. Some of the guys helped to unload it from the boot. To purchase the zinc was quite expensive. 40 € for a 100 x 50 cm sheet. There were about 15 sheets. We each picked up our own sheet and wrote our names on them with permanent marker. Then I cut my hand on the side of my metal sheet. I found the first aid box and decided to use something that looks like mecuricrome to clean it, then wrapped it with gauze and some tape.
Not the first time I've cut myself on-the-job. We spent the last couple of weeks doing woodcut with sharp tools. And not only have I lost some feeling in the tip of my right index finger due to overuse, but I've shaved off various bits of skin on a regular basis. Acqua ossigenata is what I use at the apartment. Maybe it's like hydrogen peroxide as it also fills the cut with white bubbles when you apply it.
Band-Aids as sold in Usa... those are the best. If anyone wants to send me a care package, please send Band-Aid brand sheer bandages. All sizes. I'd love it!
Not the first time I've cut myself on-the-job. We spent the last couple of weeks doing woodcut with sharp tools. And not only have I lost some feeling in the tip of my right index finger due to overuse, but I've shaved off various bits of skin on a regular basis. Acqua ossigenata is what I use at the apartment. Maybe it's like hydrogen peroxide as it also fills the cut with white bubbles when you apply it.
Band-Aids as sold in Usa... those are the best. If anyone wants to send me a care package, please send Band-Aid brand sheer bandages. All sizes. I'd love it!
10.2.07
A pizza party
Tonight I went to the supermercato to buy rations and we made pizze for dinner. I invited my Swedish friend over for the occasion. We place the dough on top of the radiator to rise. This was the menu:
- Margherita (tomato sauce with mozzarella)
- Bianca con melanzane e zucchini (eggplant, zucchini and mozzarella)
- Rossa con salsiccia e funghi (tomato sauce with sausage, mushrooms and mozzarella)
- Bianca con mais, funghi e rucola (corn, mushrooms, arugula and mozzarella)
Tomorrow night I will make fajitas. Avocados are pricey now and I couldn’t locate sour cream. So my fajita dinner may be lacking in some respects. And I’m taking a wild guess that Italian parsley might be a reasonable substitute for cilantro.
Preferred supermarket:
> Esselunga
La casa mia
When I was searching for an apartment, my Belgian friend (whom I have renamed Jean Claude, as his native language is francese and he is a Van Damme fan) suggested renting a room in his friend’s flat. So one day after classes Jean Claude brought me here to view the flat and meet with my potential flatmates and their dog. Well, the place was quite nice, the flatmates are creative types who I knew I would get on with, but the fact is that I fell in love with the dog, so I took the room. I’ve been here for three weeks and it’s now a home to me.
I live in a neighborhood between Piazza della Cure and lo stadio (where Fiorentina plays calcio). It’s a residential area outside the old city walls. Around the corner is a pastry shop, a bar, a small grocery store, banks, and clothing shops. From the flat if you walk for 10 minutes into the hills toward Fiesole, there are palazzi and groves of olive trees. In the opposite direction it’s a 15 or 20 minute walk into il centro.
The flat is at ground level. From the street you enter an old wooden door and step down a few concrete steps to another old wooden door. This is where my flatmates’ dog Buskapé greets you. Buska is a good dog that gives hugs and kisses just like a human. He loves to walk and his favorite pastime is chasing i gattini (cats).
There is a sizeable kitchen with modern cabinetry and a dishwasher. It is combined with a living area with a leather chair and loveseat. The window looks out onto the sidewalk. On the average day I’m the first one up and about. I (try to) get to my classes by 11am. I return to the flat around 8:30pm. We prepare dinner while listening to music, dine around 9:30pm, then make caffé and watch TV. During the shows Antonio makes music on his computer, Francesca knits and I work on my drawings. Bedtime happens sometime in the wee hours.
My bedroom is at the end of the hallway. It has tile flooring and opens up to a patio with a mimosa tree and a palm tree. We have herbs growing on the patio. This is also the location of the lavatrice (washing machine) and biciclette (bicycles).
My bed has orange-colored sheets. Well, specifically one orange-colored sheet. When I went to shop for bedding I thought I had chosen two flat sheets and two pillowcases. The idea was to just hospital corner the bottom sheet. Shopping for sheets here is difficult, as the words on the packaging aren’t words they teach you in Italian grammar studies. Also the measurements are metric and I’m an American, so the entire exercise proved to be a bit of a challenge. The end result is that I now have two fitted sheets and not just two, but four pillowcases. The pillowcase packaging didn’t state that it was a set of two. Also on my bed you’ll find a Williams-Sonoma Home travel throw and a multicolor quilt.
Additional room accessories include two wardrobes, some hooks on the wall for coats and scarves, a shoe cabinet and a desk with drawers. Also some brushed-metal Ikea lighting and a radiator. Whenever I come home Buska asks to go out onto the patio. It’s a routine we have. He stands in front of the double doors, and I open them.
The neighborhood:
> Satellite view
9.2.07
Lists
Things you’ll find in San Francisco and Florence:
Pigeons
Kit Kat candy bars
A famous bridge
Salami
Drunk Americans
Messenger bags
Pringles
Outdoor produce markets
People on bicycles wearing funny things
Levi’s
Bus fare = 1.50
Puma shoes
Songs I’ve heard on Italian radio today:
Jefferson Starship – We Built This City
Huey Lewis and the News – Small World
Madonna – Cherish
Robbie Williams – She’s Madonna
American films I’ve found to be particularly funny when dubbed in Italian:
Dirty Dancing
Something’s Gotta Give
anything John Wayne
anything Chuck Norris
American TV series that are popular here:
House (but here it’s called Dr. House)
Desperate Housewives
Bold and the Beautiful
Starsky and Hutch
Knight Rider (but here it’s called Supercar)
Pigeons
Kit Kat candy bars
A famous bridge
Salami
Drunk Americans
Messenger bags
Pringles
Outdoor produce markets
People on bicycles wearing funny things
Levi’s
Bus fare = 1.50
Puma shoes
Songs I’ve heard on Italian radio today:
Jefferson Starship – We Built This City
Huey Lewis and the News – Small World
Madonna – Cherish
Robbie Williams – She’s Madonna
American films I’ve found to be particularly funny when dubbed in Italian:
Dirty Dancing
Something’s Gotta Give
anything John Wayne
anything Chuck Norris
American TV series that are popular here:
House (but here it’s called Dr. House)
Desperate Housewives
Bold and the Beautiful
Starsky and Hutch
Knight Rider (but here it’s called Supercar)
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