Lost in Translation

Seems like forever since I have updated! Started off the week with Valentine's Day. Surprisingly enough, Italy doesn't celebrate Valentine's Day quite like America (damn, Hallmark tricked us again!). Sure, you'll see store fronts with hearts here and there, but it isn't exactly a holiday celebrated by most. Considering my Valentine was half way around the world, I can't say that I was too disappointed by the lack of commercials, glittery cards, and candy hearts. After complaining to him about how hard it is to be without him while Italian couples are making out on the street corner, he simply advised to not look in their direction (why didn't I think of that?). I must say, that did help, along with a sweet card he sent me and spending the day laughing with Lacey and treating it as any other day in Florence, Italy.

Tuesday evening the roomies and I went to a "language tandem" where Americans can practice their Italian and Italians can practice their English. It was held at a local community center, but not the kind with knotty pine walls and chairs with tennis balls on the feet. The artsy building has a courtyard with a clear tent with heaters in it. The tent is filled with contemporary furniture and there is also a matching artsy bar and small restaurant inside. I opted for the 7 euro aperitivo, which includes a drink and a buffet of food. Shortly after arriving, I found myself surrounded by Italian people speaking a mile-a-minute. Immediately, I was overwhelmed and decided to take a deep breath and grab a drink. Being newly 21, I still find myself awkwardly deciding what alcoholic beverage to order, especially being in a country with very different social customs. After asking a few fellow classmates what they were drinking, I went up to the bar and ordered: vodka alla fragola-vodka with strawberries. I ended up, however, getting straight strawberry vodka. Wow. Needless to say I didn't get to chat it up with many Italians. While it was a cool setting, I felt awkward walking up to someone and asking their name in my broken Italian. I guess all I can do is work on my networking and drink ordering, and pray this week will go smoother. One benefit of the night though, was the opportunity to sign up for a day trip to Carnivale in Venice this coming weekend. I am so excited!

Classes were good this week. I still learn something new each day and while early mornings aren't anyone's favorite, I never dread going to class. Wednesday, in Italian class, we had students from University of Florence come to chat with us. We each prepared a list of 20 questions and interviewed an Italian student in small groups. At first it was a little awkward, especially when I couldn't understand what she was saying, but she was very sweet and I learned that she is 27 and hopes to be an architect someday. The next day I saw her as I was walking to grab a cappuccino, we both exchanged a friendly "Ciao!"

Friday, for my Villa and Garden class, we visited two villas about 15 minutes outside of Florence. The first was beautiful. One interesting thing about villas is how the villa evolves from its original state to how we see it today, and how the owners and the trends of the time are a reflection of these changes. For example, the courtyard was originally open and meant as an entryway, but later a glass roof was added and the room was made into a ballroom. After a tour of the inside, we toured the gardens. The three tiered garden in front of the villa overlooked the city of Florence and even the mountains beyond the city. With the sun brightly beaming down on the boxed hedges circling a beautiful fountain set against surreal views, I could see how this villa was once not only a physical, but also mental escape from the city. Saturday, Lacey and I planned to tour Florence: climb the Duomo, see the David and do some shopping. Unfortunately, everyone else had the same idea. The beautiful spring-like weather had long lines and people everywhere, so we got brunch at an American diner and just walked around the city for the rest of the day. When we got to an intersection, we would look around and choose the street we'd never been down before. We walked from one side of the city to the other, which of course meant treating ourselves to a large gelato. While passing through the Central Market, we were snagged by a leather shop owner. Man, was that an experience! The guy was quite the salesperson. He gave us "discounts" because of Lacey's smile, how much he liked us, because we were poor college students, and how beautiful we were. I mean these are all worthy reasons for discounts, especially Lacey's smile, but the jacket I fell in love with was stained on the sleeve. Even after all of these discounts, and trying to convince me "that is the style," I passed on the jacket. I wasn't even planning on buying a jacket here, but now I think I have the leather jacket bug. We'll see if another one comes along with the right price.

Yesterday, we went to watch Florence's soccer team play. Despite the rain, the roomies and I got decked out in purple (the team's color) and trekked to the game. Florence doesn't have the best soccer team in the world, but the stadium still roared with cheers. We wondered what they would serve inside the stadium considering they don't eat hamburgers or hot dogs. There was basically one option: pork sandwiches, which were good, but couldn't compete with a juicy cheeseburger and fries (ugh, I'm such an American). Another highlight was a guy walking around with a keg backpack, selling beer. I had never seen anything like it before! The game  ended in a tie, 0-0.  It was a good time and I enjoyed watching the game surrounded by people who truly appreciated the sport. That about raps up last week. Time is starting to fly. This week is going to be busy, especially with midterms coming up and Venice on Saturday! Until next time, ciao!