my exit from paris was straight out of a movie. i walked along an empty sidewalk in the dark, hunting for one open boulangerie (it was about 6 45 AM) to get a baguette as i trudged on to the metro. it began to snow as i soldiered forward, bags already tugging at my arms, and i passed a delivery truck with two men arguing with one another. until next time paris, arrivederci!
now for more times than not, this would be an ideal spot to end the tales of my travels. however it would be stopping short, because although my travels were pretty much over, my tales were not. thanks to the aforementioned snowfall, flights leaving paris were justly delayed. my luck earned me an hour and a half, although what lay ahead on the plane was worth waiting for. sadly i didn't know this until after it was too late.
my first stint, i think around 7 hrs long, was from paris to toronto sure felt longer. that's because when you have a family of 4 in front of you, 2 of which are young and decide their in-flight entertainment would be screaming, it tends to drag. especially when she's convinced underneath her seat (which translates to my foot room) is a trash can. well the trash i've kicked out into the aisle on behalf of you disagrees ma'am.
however! once you do in fact get into toronto, through security (thanks canada, way to slow down efficiency), and to your gate it's not so bad. thanks to me paying it forward, my delay in paris did not cause me to miss my connection to LA. and in about 5 short hours, i was finally back to california, southern california that is. grazie a dio! so it's been a large circle, but i did in fact make it back to where i started -- LAX, only this time returning after many new adventures. ciao ciao!
xx
a
Sunday, December 27, 2009
paris -- in the thick of it
so our first full day started with a quick walk to a street which was known for its baked goods, and was nearby the pantheon (and what we soon discovered) the mosque. starting the day as every day should, with a baguette, we made our way in the rough direction of which we could remember was the right way. we did end up finding the street, which handsomely rewarded me with an almond croissant, which i acquired with my very little, very butchered, french.
after our morning walk, we headed to the flea market (real original, i know. but it seems to be what i do on the weekends) to hunt through whatever they had to offer and then some. sadly, this flea market had more antiques and less obviously stolen items, so prices were a tiny bit higher than what i have grown accustomed to. but that yields a better selection of higher quality goods set up in slightly more permanent establishments than the usual newspaper or bed sheet laid out on the ground.
from there we headed to the champs elysees to see the arc de triomphe and window shop a bit. i had us pull over, it's nearly required, at la duree to sample some macarons of the finest quality. after the champs, which was very nicely decorated for christmas, we headed to the latin quarter to find dinner and explore that area a bit.
that evening we got our dinner (went with the steak this time) which more than made up for our first blunder, and earlier that afternoon we discovered the joy of low-cost sandwiches from just about every boulangerie. after this meal we headed off to montmartre to explore and go see (not literally of course, no one can afford it) the moulin rouge.
the following day, we set off to the louvre where we were sure to get our ticket prices' worth and spent quite a few hours exploring. after leaving, fully 'museum tired' we went off to recoup in our room before meeting with my friend josephine, who's studying in paris for the year, for dinner.
she took us to bastille for a fantastic dinner, i had a chicken skewer, we headed to an apartment of josephine's friend's where we ate, drank, and were merry for the rest of our night.
james, sadly, had to leave the next morning so i saw him off in as best shape as either of us could be. i spent the rest of the day further exploring the montmartre/latin quarter/notre dame/left bank (at least i think it's the left -- the 'not notre dame' side)/palais de tokyo. i made sure to do my last minute shopping and had as much hot spiced wine (vin chaud) as was available, that is a delicious idea to get rid of the cold.
i also saw some of the christmas markets set up along the bottom (away from the arc de triomphe) portion of the champs elysees which pretty much just sold snacks, like soft pretzels/crepes/waffles/hot wine/hot chocolate/etc and a couple christmas items.
i kinda just explored what that area had to offer as i'd never been there before, and my destination was a hotel and store designed by and carrying goods done by my favorite graffiti artist. after a bit more walking around i started thinking about dinner options.
i settled on cous cous with a lamb skewer which turned out pretty good, but not ideal, as i'm sure i could've found a higher quality moroccan restaurant. oh well, it wasn't bad plus i got some free mint tea since business was slow that night -- score. i went from there to grab my bags from my first hotel and meet josephine who generously offered me her apartment to spend the night before leaving the next morning.
we went to get dinner (she hadn't eaten yet) and i got a creme brulee which was fantastic, she's yet to steer me to bad food -- che buona fortuna! so we hung out at her apartment with her friend that night before we settled in for a couple hours of sleep before i was up and off to the airport.
after our morning walk, we headed to the flea market (real original, i know. but it seems to be what i do on the weekends) to hunt through whatever they had to offer and then some. sadly, this flea market had more antiques and less obviously stolen items, so prices were a tiny bit higher than what i have grown accustomed to. but that yields a better selection of higher quality goods set up in slightly more permanent establishments than the usual newspaper or bed sheet laid out on the ground.
from there we headed to the champs elysees to see the arc de triomphe and window shop a bit. i had us pull over, it's nearly required, at la duree to sample some macarons of the finest quality. after the champs, which was very nicely decorated for christmas, we headed to the latin quarter to find dinner and explore that area a bit.
that evening we got our dinner (went with the steak this time) which more than made up for our first blunder, and earlier that afternoon we discovered the joy of low-cost sandwiches from just about every boulangerie. after this meal we headed off to montmartre to explore and go see (not literally of course, no one can afford it) the moulin rouge.
the following day, we set off to the louvre where we were sure to get our ticket prices' worth and spent quite a few hours exploring. after leaving, fully 'museum tired' we went off to recoup in our room before meeting with my friend josephine, who's studying in paris for the year, for dinner.
she took us to bastille for a fantastic dinner, i had a chicken skewer, we headed to an apartment of josephine's friend's where we ate, drank, and were merry for the rest of our night.
james, sadly, had to leave the next morning so i saw him off in as best shape as either of us could be. i spent the rest of the day further exploring the montmartre/latin quarter/notre dame/left bank (at least i think it's the left -- the 'not notre dame' side)/palais de tokyo. i made sure to do my last minute shopping and had as much hot spiced wine (vin chaud) as was available, that is a delicious idea to get rid of the cold.
i also saw some of the christmas markets set up along the bottom (away from the arc de triomphe) portion of the champs elysees which pretty much just sold snacks, like soft pretzels/crepes/waffles/hot wine/hot chocolate/etc and a couple christmas items.
i kinda just explored what that area had to offer as i'd never been there before, and my destination was a hotel and store designed by and carrying goods done by my favorite graffiti artist. after a bit more walking around i started thinking about dinner options.
i settled on cous cous with a lamb skewer which turned out pretty good, but not ideal, as i'm sure i could've found a higher quality moroccan restaurant. oh well, it wasn't bad plus i got some free mint tea since business was slow that night -- score. i went from there to grab my bags from my first hotel and meet josephine who generously offered me her apartment to spend the night before leaving the next morning.
we went to get dinner (she hadn't eaten yet) and i got a creme brulee which was fantastic, she's yet to steer me to bad food -- che buona fortuna! so we hung out at her apartment with her friend that night before we settled in for a couple hours of sleep before i was up and off to the airport.
gay (gray?) paris!
after getting to the airport from the city center of rome, and checking in, i made my plane with just about no problems. security was very easy, and continues to probably be the easiest i've endured of all my travels, and i found my gate relatively quickly. after a flight (of which i undoubtedly slept through), i had landed in paris!
thanks, sort of, to the parisian metro system you can get into the city's center by connecting a couple lines. both good and bad. good since you don't need a separate way of getting into the center, but bad as it does start you off pretty far out and isn't 100% direct. after my metro trip, i hopped out onto to the street to be greeted by my soon-to-be constant companion in paris -- the cold.
think "going snowboarding/skiing/to the snow right when you first get out of the car and don't have proper clothing," only without any snow, cold. and of course, gray.
so i walked (the map made it seem pretty short, it turned out to be short-ish), to my hotel and checked in to wait for the arrival of my cousin - james, my other companion for the trip. after about an hour, he found the place and we were settled in to go out and start our hunt for dinner as we were both hungry and tired from a long day's travels.
we finally settled on a place nearby the hotel and instead of going with the 'steak frites' option, we did a "andouillette" sausage and frites. it was described as a "chitterling sausage with fried potatoes" which, literally, on paper sounded pretty good. i have had andouille and knew that french sausage is more often than not good, and plus - neither of us have encountered a sausage we didn't like.
until this one.
with the term 'chitterling' as the tell-tale sign of what to expect, we bravely ordered. i figured the word, which i had no concrete definition of, had to be similar to crackling as in maybe cooked until the casing split, aka ideal. this sounded great as i am generally a fan of "well done" meat items, and a big fan of meats in casings. but boy was this not what i had hoped. the casing was rubbery and did not cut well, or pretty much at all. the interior mass was of bits of pork and a general brown mash (which is never a good sign with meat, as i've learned with the possible fried brain incident in rome).
its taste was both sour and unpleasant. it squeaked as you chewed and was only kept down by the fact that you could not think about what you just ate. james managed to get the whole thing down and i was lucky enough to keep down about a third before calling it quits and heading for the (thank god) frites and bit of salad that was included.
after the meal we asked the waiter and learned that this 'delicacy' (big red flag right there) was made of pork tripe. fantastic!
so we left and headed off to see the eiffel tower, since it was a mellow activity that would allow us to get to bed at a reasonable time in order for me to get healthy, at this point i definitely had a cold, and get up early for sightseeing.
thanks, sort of, to the parisian metro system you can get into the city's center by connecting a couple lines. both good and bad. good since you don't need a separate way of getting into the center, but bad as it does start you off pretty far out and isn't 100% direct. after my metro trip, i hopped out onto to the street to be greeted by my soon-to-be constant companion in paris -- the cold.
think "going snowboarding/skiing/to the snow right when you first get out of the car and don't have proper clothing," only without any snow, cold. and of course, gray.
so i walked (the map made it seem pretty short, it turned out to be short-ish), to my hotel and checked in to wait for the arrival of my cousin - james, my other companion for the trip. after about an hour, he found the place and we were settled in to go out and start our hunt for dinner as we were both hungry and tired from a long day's travels.
we finally settled on a place nearby the hotel and instead of going with the 'steak frites' option, we did a "andouillette" sausage and frites. it was described as a "chitterling sausage with fried potatoes" which, literally, on paper sounded pretty good. i have had andouille and knew that french sausage is more often than not good, and plus - neither of us have encountered a sausage we didn't like.
until this one.
with the term 'chitterling' as the tell-tale sign of what to expect, we bravely ordered. i figured the word, which i had no concrete definition of, had to be similar to crackling as in maybe cooked until the casing split, aka ideal. this sounded great as i am generally a fan of "well done" meat items, and a big fan of meats in casings. but boy was this not what i had hoped. the casing was rubbery and did not cut well, or pretty much at all. the interior mass was of bits of pork and a general brown mash (which is never a good sign with meat, as i've learned with the possible fried brain incident in rome).
its taste was both sour and unpleasant. it squeaked as you chewed and was only kept down by the fact that you could not think about what you just ate. james managed to get the whole thing down and i was lucky enough to keep down about a third before calling it quits and heading for the (thank god) frites and bit of salad that was included.
after the meal we asked the waiter and learned that this 'delicacy' (big red flag right there) was made of pork tripe. fantastic!
so we left and headed off to see the eiffel tower, since it was a mellow activity that would allow us to get to bed at a reasonable time in order for me to get healthy, at this point i definitely had a cold, and get up early for sightseeing.
wrapping up rome
so it's taken me quite a while to get back here, and that's for good reason -- i've been busy. my stint in rome ended with finals (par normal), a goodbye dinner, and the ever-favorite joy of last minute packing and getting out of an apartment by 11, which soon turned into leaving at 11 45.
the finals were pretty much what i'd come to expect, plenty of studying followed by plenty of writing. i was lucky enough to have my cousin rebecca come visit but sadly didn't get to spend too much time with her as i was in the thick of studying. all of my classes included zero multiple choice and plenty of short-answer questions on one-sided, slightly too long, italian test paper.
after finals, we had a final 'good-bye' dinner (we had a welcome dinner at the start of the program) with all the faculty in attendance. it was there that i was able to tell my sociology professor that his picture on the faculty page of the program's website made him resemble tom wolfe nearly to a t. he responded by saying he hasn't seen it in a while but kinda laughed that i pointed it out.
the next morning we had to be up relatively early to entirely clean and leave the apartment by 11. we did a great job cleaning, however ended up making it out by 11 45ish. good thing no one stopped by to make sure we were out early, huh? after that my roommate philippe and i trekked over to our hotel for the night by the stazione termini where we'd stay before leaving the next morning.
on our final night, all of us roommates and some others who had not quite left hung out by the trevi fountain with plenty of libations to ward off the cold. it was pretty low-key, but that was a good thing because i was starting to get a cold and a night of clubbing probably would've resulted with me in pieces. this couldn't happen because that next morning on was set to head off to paris! and in a city like that, i'd need all the strength i had left.
the finals were pretty much what i'd come to expect, plenty of studying followed by plenty of writing. i was lucky enough to have my cousin rebecca come visit but sadly didn't get to spend too much time with her as i was in the thick of studying. all of my classes included zero multiple choice and plenty of short-answer questions on one-sided, slightly too long, italian test paper.
after finals, we had a final 'good-bye' dinner (we had a welcome dinner at the start of the program) with all the faculty in attendance. it was there that i was able to tell my sociology professor that his picture on the faculty page of the program's website made him resemble tom wolfe nearly to a t. he responded by saying he hasn't seen it in a while but kinda laughed that i pointed it out.
the next morning we had to be up relatively early to entirely clean and leave the apartment by 11. we did a great job cleaning, however ended up making it out by 11 45ish. good thing no one stopped by to make sure we were out early, huh? after that my roommate philippe and i trekked over to our hotel for the night by the stazione termini where we'd stay before leaving the next morning.
on our final night, all of us roommates and some others who had not quite left hung out by the trevi fountain with plenty of libations to ward off the cold. it was pretty low-key, but that was a good thing because i was starting to get a cold and a night of clubbing probably would've resulted with me in pieces. this couldn't happen because that next morning on was set to head off to paris! and in a city like that, i'd need all the strength i had left.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
western europe's largest gypsy camp is located in rome's periphery.
and boy is it big! it had gypsy camp streets and everything, although i can't say i needed any closer of a view than what i saw as we drove by in the bus on our 'tour of the city periphery' yesterday for my sociology class. it was however very nice to see the lush greenery available just minutes from the city center, and even nicer to see remnants of aqueducts placed amidst that greenery.
as usual, i am late on an update so as usual this will probably be a long one. not too much has been happening though, i've hit the point of the semester where all the papers are due before finals so i've been kept quite busy. luckily i did have time to have no luck finding a leather jacket (i'm not giving up hope though, i've gotten close a couple times!). in fact, i'm currently on break from writing a paper - one of two due this week.
but, that said, i am still trying to find time to enjoy my last bits of roman life before i fly back to california. last weekend was thanksgiving and i personally didn't have a bad one although it was a far cry from what i'm used to, the food was good though. i also caught up with a good amount of the cousins/relatives over for the 'day after' being put on at our house and they all seem to be doing well.
however, on the topic of food, i did get a chance to try a newly discovered seasonal product known as porchetta. for those of you who don't know, it's slow-roasted pork rolled with rosemary. on paper a pretty sweet gig, no? unfortunately with pork people they generally also like to eat things like fat for "flavor." that is where they and i differ. so although the lean meat of the porchetta is quite delectable, the fair portioning of fat was not so much. and thus i don't think the price justifies the parts that i enjoy eating, although a good experience in itself.
in fact, along the lines of food, i have been lacking! looking back on my absence from updating you, it's almost pathetic the proportion of worthwhile memories i've made in relation to the schoolwork i've had to complete. a huge bummer! for instance, i'm still yet to try this cake in the jewish ghetto, in spite of hearing fantastic things. perhaps its time to take my studying elsewhere in hopes of further snack options. too bad i'm not here to just spend money on self-indulgence and visit the periphery huh? maybe sometime in the future though i'll be so lucky.
actually, on the topic of the future i will be quite lucky. not only is my cousin rebecca coming to visit this weekend, i will be attending an as roma soccer (calcio) match. this is notably fantastic because our first scheduled one to go to was canceled due to the local govt declaring it "too dangerous" and only allowing tickets to be bought by showing proof of residency within rome, permanent residency not 'alex' residency. so my fingers are crossed on that one in spite of being a little gun shy from the first go getting canceled. plus when rebecca's here i can indulge in some nicer food and treats while showing her around! va benissimo!
anyway, i think it might be paper time again. not the best post, i'll admit it (especially with such a promising title!), however if it helps no one's winning here. i'll try to live a bit more, and get back to you on things like the roma match. a presto! baci!
as usual, i am late on an update so as usual this will probably be a long one. not too much has been happening though, i've hit the point of the semester where all the papers are due before finals so i've been kept quite busy. luckily i did have time to have no luck finding a leather jacket (i'm not giving up hope though, i've gotten close a couple times!). in fact, i'm currently on break from writing a paper - one of two due this week.
but, that said, i am still trying to find time to enjoy my last bits of roman life before i fly back to california. last weekend was thanksgiving and i personally didn't have a bad one although it was a far cry from what i'm used to, the food was good though. i also caught up with a good amount of the cousins/relatives over for the 'day after' being put on at our house and they all seem to be doing well.
however, on the topic of food, i did get a chance to try a newly discovered seasonal product known as porchetta. for those of you who don't know, it's slow-roasted pork rolled with rosemary. on paper a pretty sweet gig, no? unfortunately with pork people they generally also like to eat things like fat for "flavor." that is where they and i differ. so although the lean meat of the porchetta is quite delectable, the fair portioning of fat was not so much. and thus i don't think the price justifies the parts that i enjoy eating, although a good experience in itself.
in fact, along the lines of food, i have been lacking! looking back on my absence from updating you, it's almost pathetic the proportion of worthwhile memories i've made in relation to the schoolwork i've had to complete. a huge bummer! for instance, i'm still yet to try this cake in the jewish ghetto, in spite of hearing fantastic things. perhaps its time to take my studying elsewhere in hopes of further snack options. too bad i'm not here to just spend money on self-indulgence and visit the periphery huh? maybe sometime in the future though i'll be so lucky.
actually, on the topic of the future i will be quite lucky. not only is my cousin rebecca coming to visit this weekend, i will be attending an as roma soccer (calcio) match. this is notably fantastic because our first scheduled one to go to was canceled due to the local govt declaring it "too dangerous" and only allowing tickets to be bought by showing proof of residency within rome, permanent residency not 'alex' residency. so my fingers are crossed on that one in spite of being a little gun shy from the first go getting canceled. plus when rebecca's here i can indulge in some nicer food and treats while showing her around! va benissimo!
anyway, i think it might be paper time again. not the best post, i'll admit it (especially with such a promising title!), however if it helps no one's winning here. i'll try to live a bit more, and get back to you on things like the roma match. a presto! baci!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
italian taralli and pizzelle, i'm gonna say better homemade.
and i know this because i recently bought some of each and was not as impressed. i think the biggest issue with them was simply not crunchy enough.
anyway, as some of you may have recognized my posting trend has been pretty much as upside down and backwards as can be. this is because both: i have been very busy with school, and that we had our second break! now luckily for you, i already know that "busy with school" needs to go no further than that and i'll pretty much just focus on the break. unfortunately i won't break it down like last time but i can just about recall everything that went on. allora andiamo!
at the beginning of the break we went to tuscany/florence area. well, to be fair the very beginning of break was halloween, which i naturally celebrated to its fullest. this, as always, resulted in my sleeping pretty much the entire drive to that area (a solid 3ish hours? who knows, non me importa). but what was pretty funny was the italian way of dressing up for halloween. they did a lot of generic costumes, the most common being -- bloody guy.
this consists of wearing a white shirt, then putting fake blood on it and yourself. done. real creative guys, realllll creative. that or my other favorite: 'non-continuity costume guy' which was a puma sweatshirt, hood up, wearing an alien mask and a freddy krueger glove. hey is that alien freddy krueger? awesome! and this, mind you, were the italians who dressed up. a good 75% of them didn't at all, instead they dressed like always. great spirit guys. i however went as a devil with some cheap face paint i bought next to the metro shop, yahtzee! of course it came at a price when it left splotchy red marks the next day just in time to go to florence with.
however (italian: comunque), to be technical, we started in rome seeing what there is to see (not much of anything, right? WRONG! we left many a stone unturned before the full fiek force had to leave). we also went to the vatican/st. peter's where we climbed the duomo, saw my dad trip on a step -- make enough commotion in the process to turn heads, and the sistine chapel. all went well, even our fiek travel tradition of generally skipping lunch, awesome.
so, our break started in the quite cold, somewhat more northern, area of tuscany. like last break, i packed the morning of (this is the second time i've done this, both times turned out just 'ok' -- try to avoid it) and left out one or two essentials. this time it was a second outer layer and boy was i cold! but i made it through it and learned my lesson about what i should definitely bring to berlin later on in the week.
back to tuscany, we toured around the wine country in our rented fiat. we ate panforte (actually not bad for that many candied/dried fruits in one place -- you know who's not a panettone fan? this guy!). apart from visitng the cinghiale (which, as a symbol of florence, is essentially a boar), we also visited some rad florentine sites, revisiting one of my favorite sets of stairs to get winded on, and ate (more) highly indulgent meats. i shouldn't love veal as much as i do, but more on that later.
after florence, we came back to rome -- after enduring a longer-feeling-than-duration car trip, where i overdid it on nutella and felt sub-par the rest of the night. after checking into the 'eco-hotel' i hopped on a bus, in the pouring rain, to get back to my apartment to re-pack before berlin. after florence i needed proper winter clothing for berlin.
but in true alex form (it's starting to become a trend) i had some bizarre adventure the night before our departure. so after taking the bus to the end of the line, then kind of sticking my head out of the window, in the rain, i got to the metro. then took that (it was the second to last stop!) back to my area to grab stuff. thank GOD the rain stopped when i was heading back because little did i know i had quite the walk ahead of me.
after getting off the metro (on my way back to the hotel) it was nearly midnight. now midnight in bus time means that the bus comes once an hour, on fewer routes -- it's appropriately named the 'night bus.' so i missed the first one on account of it not going my direction, options are limited when you're OUTSIDE of the aurelian walls -- meaning quite far from the city center aka my apt. now my options were hanging till 1 (after finding a stop to help me) orrrr walking to the hotel.
so i did what anyone else would, and calculated some rough timing estimates as i hung out under mcdonald's light telling people you can still get food from the side window as i read my map. i figured in at most 45 min i could get pretty damn far, and that's still 15 min before the bus would arrive. and just like that i was off walkin. after roughly 40, i did in fact not only get a sweet tour of the aurelian wall (due to me walking along them) but i also made it to the hotel. take that night bus! and was quickly to bed before our flight the next morning.
we awoke and after our breakfast, went to wait at the airport. upon finally boarding and, naturally, getting back some sleep mid-flight we were ready for our in-flight snack. ham sandwich? "aw man, if this is anything like the flight to canada this sandwich is gonna rock!" and you know what? berlin is nothing like canada. a 'ham' (it looked more like bologna and tasted more like nothing) sandwich is german for 'ham and butter sandwich that tastes like cream cheese and is on nearly-pita bread' which is alex for 'not getting eaten.'
after arriving we were warmly greeted by jurgen and brigitte who are the brother and brother's wife of my grandfather. actually, i should say i personally was greeted by jurgen's awesome bowtie, THEN by the pair. we were actually staying in the nearby city of wannsee (which believe it or not is not pronounced 'vahn-sie' -- like onesie but with a vah- prefixing it) which was in the forest. a forest which looked frightening both the night we arrived and essentially every other time. of course this may be attributed to the wild pigs that roam (rome?) these forests, at least 1500 of em in fact, but the jury's still out.
so after touring around wannsee and seeing a bit of fiek family history, we had a great first dinner. i opted for the schnitzel, which is as good as the name is fun to say. after further wannsee and potsdam touring we had coffee and cake at the relative's and the next day we were off to berlin.
berlin was fantastic, as a modern city, but not as rad as a charming city of yore. this, naturally, is due to rebuilding after the war and there are enough leftovers to remind of what once was. including parts of the wall and the holocaust memorial.
but on a brighter note, it was still flooded with sausage! we tried the local go-to 'curry wurst' which tasted like sausage in watered-down barbecue sauce, and a bratwurst of course. we also had a soft pretzel. i loved them all. we later had some very posh cake in a very upscale store which was rumored to house over 1000 types of sausage. at least that's what we were told, but whether or not 1000 types or just 1000 sausages was the claim, that's a mystery yet to be solved. certainly not 1000 types though. also, berlin was not as cold as i expected and apart from some wind chill the weather was gorgeous with plenty of fall foliage and colors. che bellissima!
anyway, that was the trip, i got back to a paper that needed writing and no groceries. luckily a few of my favorite dj's are coming to rome so i'll get that work done ahead of time in order to go see them play! also, peter was kind enough to upload pictures onto the picasa so tutto va bene when it comes to that (and captions!). until next time, hopefully sooner than later, baci e ciao ciao!
*side note, there was an article recently released about part of a corpse being sold to a kebab stand in russia, no comment on whether or not customers were served. now i'm not saying i'd buy ANY food off the street in russia, but at least now i know where it's coming from, right?
*side note, i may or may not have eaten fried brain. when you get a "fritta mista" it's just that, a fried mix, and if a little grey ball is in there it could be brain. all the signs point to it however i'm not convinced because it was supposed to be vegetarian, so i think it's best left unknown.
anyway, as some of you may have recognized my posting trend has been pretty much as upside down and backwards as can be. this is because both: i have been very busy with school, and that we had our second break! now luckily for you, i already know that "busy with school" needs to go no further than that and i'll pretty much just focus on the break. unfortunately i won't break it down like last time but i can just about recall everything that went on. allora andiamo!
at the beginning of the break we went to tuscany/florence area. well, to be fair the very beginning of break was halloween, which i naturally celebrated to its fullest. this, as always, resulted in my sleeping pretty much the entire drive to that area (a solid 3ish hours? who knows, non me importa). but what was pretty funny was the italian way of dressing up for halloween. they did a lot of generic costumes, the most common being -- bloody guy.
this consists of wearing a white shirt, then putting fake blood on it and yourself. done. real creative guys, realllll creative. that or my other favorite: 'non-continuity costume guy' which was a puma sweatshirt, hood up, wearing an alien mask and a freddy krueger glove. hey is that alien freddy krueger? awesome! and this, mind you, were the italians who dressed up. a good 75% of them didn't at all, instead they dressed like always. great spirit guys. i however went as a devil with some cheap face paint i bought next to the metro shop, yahtzee! of course it came at a price when it left splotchy red marks the next day just in time to go to florence with.
however (italian: comunque), to be technical, we started in rome seeing what there is to see (not much of anything, right? WRONG! we left many a stone unturned before the full fiek force had to leave). we also went to the vatican/st. peter's where we climbed the duomo, saw my dad trip on a step -- make enough commotion in the process to turn heads, and the sistine chapel. all went well, even our fiek travel tradition of generally skipping lunch, awesome.
so, our break started in the quite cold, somewhat more northern, area of tuscany. like last break, i packed the morning of (this is the second time i've done this, both times turned out just 'ok' -- try to avoid it) and left out one or two essentials. this time it was a second outer layer and boy was i cold! but i made it through it and learned my lesson about what i should definitely bring to berlin later on in the week.
back to tuscany, we toured around the wine country in our rented fiat. we ate panforte (actually not bad for that many candied/dried fruits in one place -- you know who's not a panettone fan? this guy!). apart from visitng the cinghiale (which, as a symbol of florence, is essentially a boar), we also visited some rad florentine sites, revisiting one of my favorite sets of stairs to get winded on, and ate (more) highly indulgent meats. i shouldn't love veal as much as i do, but more on that later.
after florence, we came back to rome -- after enduring a longer-feeling-than-duration car trip, where i overdid it on nutella and felt sub-par the rest of the night. after checking into the 'eco-hotel' i hopped on a bus, in the pouring rain, to get back to my apartment to re-pack before berlin. after florence i needed proper winter clothing for berlin.
but in true alex form (it's starting to become a trend) i had some bizarre adventure the night before our departure. so after taking the bus to the end of the line, then kind of sticking my head out of the window, in the rain, i got to the metro. then took that (it was the second to last stop!) back to my area to grab stuff. thank GOD the rain stopped when i was heading back because little did i know i had quite the walk ahead of me.
after getting off the metro (on my way back to the hotel) it was nearly midnight. now midnight in bus time means that the bus comes once an hour, on fewer routes -- it's appropriately named the 'night bus.' so i missed the first one on account of it not going my direction, options are limited when you're OUTSIDE of the aurelian walls -- meaning quite far from the city center aka my apt. now my options were hanging till 1 (after finding a stop to help me) orrrr walking to the hotel.
so i did what anyone else would, and calculated some rough timing estimates as i hung out under mcdonald's light telling people you can still get food from the side window as i read my map. i figured in at most 45 min i could get pretty damn far, and that's still 15 min before the bus would arrive. and just like that i was off walkin. after roughly 40, i did in fact not only get a sweet tour of the aurelian wall (due to me walking along them) but i also made it to the hotel. take that night bus! and was quickly to bed before our flight the next morning.
we awoke and after our breakfast, went to wait at the airport. upon finally boarding and, naturally, getting back some sleep mid-flight we were ready for our in-flight snack. ham sandwich? "aw man, if this is anything like the flight to canada this sandwich is gonna rock!" and you know what? berlin is nothing like canada. a 'ham' (it looked more like bologna and tasted more like nothing) sandwich is german for 'ham and butter sandwich that tastes like cream cheese and is on nearly-pita bread' which is alex for 'not getting eaten.'
after arriving we were warmly greeted by jurgen and brigitte who are the brother and brother's wife of my grandfather. actually, i should say i personally was greeted by jurgen's awesome bowtie, THEN by the pair. we were actually staying in the nearby city of wannsee (which believe it or not is not pronounced 'vahn-sie' -- like onesie but with a vah- prefixing it) which was in the forest. a forest which looked frightening both the night we arrived and essentially every other time. of course this may be attributed to the wild pigs that roam (rome?) these forests, at least 1500 of em in fact, but the jury's still out.
so after touring around wannsee and seeing a bit of fiek family history, we had a great first dinner. i opted for the schnitzel, which is as good as the name is fun to say. after further wannsee and potsdam touring we had coffee and cake at the relative's and the next day we were off to berlin.
berlin was fantastic, as a modern city, but not as rad as a charming city of yore. this, naturally, is due to rebuilding after the war and there are enough leftovers to remind of what once was. including parts of the wall and the holocaust memorial.
but on a brighter note, it was still flooded with sausage! we tried the local go-to 'curry wurst' which tasted like sausage in watered-down barbecue sauce, and a bratwurst of course. we also had a soft pretzel. i loved them all. we later had some very posh cake in a very upscale store which was rumored to house over 1000 types of sausage. at least that's what we were told, but whether or not 1000 types or just 1000 sausages was the claim, that's a mystery yet to be solved. certainly not 1000 types though. also, berlin was not as cold as i expected and apart from some wind chill the weather was gorgeous with plenty of fall foliage and colors. che bellissima!
anyway, that was the trip, i got back to a paper that needed writing and no groceries. luckily a few of my favorite dj's are coming to rome so i'll get that work done ahead of time in order to go see them play! also, peter was kind enough to upload pictures onto the picasa so tutto va bene when it comes to that (and captions!). until next time, hopefully sooner than later, baci e ciao ciao!
*side note, there was an article recently released about part of a corpse being sold to a kebab stand in russia, no comment on whether or not customers were served. now i'm not saying i'd buy ANY food off the street in russia, but at least now i know where it's coming from, right?
*side note, i may or may not have eaten fried brain. when you get a "fritta mista" it's just that, a fried mix, and if a little grey ball is in there it could be brain. all the signs point to it however i'm not convinced because it was supposed to be vegetarian, so i think it's best left unknown.
Monday, October 26, 2009
red pants, they're going to be a thing.
and i only bring this up because as i sit here watching "il grande fratello" (big brother of italy) the first person introduced was sporting some strikingly red pants. just saying.
my last week essentially ended on tuesday when i had three tests (an italian oral, then both classes i had that day). i nearly got a sweet case of carpel tunnel from all the writing i was doing that day. but luckily, it was over soon enough and i could take a quick breather before my last (of the first round of midterms) which happened today.
that is why i'm a bit late in this post as well, i have been quite busy. although luckily with all these things to keep up with, i've earned myself a break. this coming thursday, the rest of the fiek's are packing their bags (according to predetermined dimension and weight requirements, of course) and heading to italy! unfortunately for them, one of the best parts of a prolonged stay anywhere foreign is getting over jet lag and into the full swing of things. this is an aspect of short-term travel that can pose as a problem, a personal let down for me is when i get good and hungry at about 1 AM. super.
but as their destination is italy, there will be no shortage of available food. after touring around italy for a few days we're headed to berlin to see the fatherland. i'm personally very excited because not only have i heard great things about berlin from just about everyone i've asked (including an international relations advisor with plenty of travel experience), you can literally buy sausage all over the city, and great sausage at that. of course there's also the rich history (both familial and historical) that i am far overdue in visiting, much like italy -- big year for lineal reconnection eh?
so that will be a blast, and of course i'm looking forward to halloween (who wouldn't!). anyway, i better get heading off as my italian class (having past the halfway mark, it switched times) now starts an hour earlier. that coupled with our recent daylight savings is giving me quite the run for my money so i play it safe and just get plenty of sleep.
**side note, i looked up the term for a 'cobbler' in italian to see if i could get the zipper to my leather bag fixed prior to the aforementioned travel and have learned the term, either ciabattino or calzolaio. funny part is that a group of calzolai(?) have created a website to direct people to nearby cobblers throughout italy based on region and city. you too, can find your most convenient cobbler at www.calzolaio.it -- according to their front picture they'll also repair sneakers? i didn't think sneakers needed repair/could even be repaired? what's the guy doing just whipping out the "shoe goo" and going "eehhh, dieci euro." anyway, until next time (which may be delayed due to travel, as a head's up) a presto!
my last week essentially ended on tuesday when i had three tests (an italian oral, then both classes i had that day). i nearly got a sweet case of carpel tunnel from all the writing i was doing that day. but luckily, it was over soon enough and i could take a quick breather before my last (of the first round of midterms) which happened today.
that is why i'm a bit late in this post as well, i have been quite busy. although luckily with all these things to keep up with, i've earned myself a break. this coming thursday, the rest of the fiek's are packing their bags (according to predetermined dimension and weight requirements, of course) and heading to italy! unfortunately for them, one of the best parts of a prolonged stay anywhere foreign is getting over jet lag and into the full swing of things. this is an aspect of short-term travel that can pose as a problem, a personal let down for me is when i get good and hungry at about 1 AM. super.
but as their destination is italy, there will be no shortage of available food. after touring around italy for a few days we're headed to berlin to see the fatherland. i'm personally very excited because not only have i heard great things about berlin from just about everyone i've asked (including an international relations advisor with plenty of travel experience), you can literally buy sausage all over the city, and great sausage at that. of course there's also the rich history (both familial and historical) that i am far overdue in visiting, much like italy -- big year for lineal reconnection eh?
so that will be a blast, and of course i'm looking forward to halloween (who wouldn't!). anyway, i better get heading off as my italian class (having past the halfway mark, it switched times) now starts an hour earlier. that coupled with our recent daylight savings is giving me quite the run for my money so i play it safe and just get plenty of sleep.
**side note, i looked up the term for a 'cobbler' in italian to see if i could get the zipper to my leather bag fixed prior to the aforementioned travel and have learned the term, either ciabattino or calzolaio. funny part is that a group of calzolai(?) have created a website to direct people to nearby cobblers throughout italy based on region and city. you too, can find your most convenient cobbler at www.calzolaio.it -- according to their front picture they'll also repair sneakers? i didn't think sneakers needed repair/could even be repaired? what's the guy doing just whipping out the "shoe goo" and going "eehhh, dieci euro." anyway, until next time (which may be delayed due to travel, as a head's up) a presto!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
i'm not saying the best prep for an italian composition is going to an italian night club the night before. but i'm not saying it's not.*
last week, man what a calm before the storm. we did in fact have an italian composition, followed a day or two later by the test. the compositions have never been an issue, you get to use a dictionary AND notes, so essentially being literate is your best prep for that one. and lucky for all parties involved, i am literate. that said, the test was essentially what i was used to only longer, and earlier. since it was 2 hrs long we had to get there at 9 instead of my usual 10. apart from that, i did my thing and headed home to take a much needed pre-sociology nap.
apart from that the test didn't go well as my previous ones because up until now i hadn't missed any more than .25 of a full point (they're out of 20). so the length does have a negative impact on test-taking, let it be known. the rest of my week was pretty much a multiple day'ed lull followed by a pretty calm weekend. the weather's dropped down to "davis just before thanksgiving" temp and every now and again it'll either rain, or simply look like it. so bundling up has become a bit of a necessity.
it was gray one day of the weekend, but on the upside i have just about gotten to the point of the pointy shoes being a second skin. my goal is to wear em at least one night a week out to break em (and myself) in.
i went to an aperitivo** on friday for dinner where i not only got to indulge in some tanqueray (finally, it is so expensive here) and learn more about the wide, goofy variety of cocktails here in italy. for instance this one offered both a "long island iced tea" and a "long beach iced tea," difference being there was cranberry instead of coke in the long beach version. i had no idea long beach was so into cranberry juice? the aperitivo was very good though, located close to one of (i think) three roman universities, it was hoppin. no english spoken is the first red flag that you'll be eating well with your inexplicably named cocktail in hand.
i also went to the doria pamphilj*** gallery and the colonna gallery last week/end. one was thurs, the other on sat (since it's a private gallery they dictate when the public is allowed in). they were pretty sweet and helped to further convince me that i should someday be in the market to purchase my very own palazzo, i mean real estate's gotta bounce back soon enough. lots of cool works (saw a titian and a brueghel amongst others) and very ornate palazzi.
after a somewhat uneventful weekend i had to prep for 3 (count it!) tests today. one in italian -- the oral part of the test, i had a pretty sweet discussion about how i eat a banana with breakfast every day, one in renaissance city and society -- which was composed of 3 short essays, mamma mia! and finally, one in museum theory and history -- which was somewhat interesting as it was in fact a test about museums. i have one in sociology coming up, then it's halloween, and break round 2: this time featuring the entire family. i have nothing but confidence in the high levels of fun we'll have.
but arguably most importantly, halloween -- it's only a week away. what on earth should i be?! i mean, gotta keep the spirit alive. so i have essentially a sharpie and my clothes at my disposal...gonna have to get creative.
i also am going to a (and my very first european) soccer, or 'calcio' here, match. it's as roma vs livorno and in spite of livorno not doing so hot, i'm still pretty confident roma will win. additionally, sunday might be the least ideal time to put a soccer match as i'll either have to study before or get home and study. either way it spells a no-go on the half time peroni, gonna have to save it for next time.
that's about it, no new pictures (shocker) but in order to remedy that i'm gonna put more effort into uploading my last vacation's pictures onto picasa. also i will try to take more pictures. next week may be a day late too thanks to sociology (way to go guys!) but we'll see how it all unfolds, still a ways away. ciao ciao!
*it's language immersion! and i got home at a reasonable hour.
**aperitivo, if i haven't explained before, is a set of hours - usually like 7-9 - in which when you spend so much on a drink you get access to an all you can eat italian buffet. so you end up buying a (sometimes goofy/girly) cocktail since that falls in the predetermined price range. it's a great value for dinner AND a drink, especially when you find good ones like this. they had fresh pizza/pasta/salame/and some salad with tuna. i made an effort to try it all which turned out pretty well (lots of good food) but also made me super full. guess i got my money's worth.
***pronounced pam-phee-lee. tricky with the j right? the dude (living heir) on the audio guide seemed pretty pompous (didn't help he had a british accent) too, things like "with the role of pope filled, MY family began to take their hold on rome." what an ass.
PS buon compleanno, pietro! (even if it's a day-late and your card is far-more-than-that-late)
apart from that the test didn't go well as my previous ones because up until now i hadn't missed any more than .25 of a full point (they're out of 20). so the length does have a negative impact on test-taking, let it be known. the rest of my week was pretty much a multiple day'ed lull followed by a pretty calm weekend. the weather's dropped down to "davis just before thanksgiving" temp and every now and again it'll either rain, or simply look like it. so bundling up has become a bit of a necessity.
it was gray one day of the weekend, but on the upside i have just about gotten to the point of the pointy shoes being a second skin. my goal is to wear em at least one night a week out to break em (and myself) in.
i went to an aperitivo** on friday for dinner where i not only got to indulge in some tanqueray (finally, it is so expensive here) and learn more about the wide, goofy variety of cocktails here in italy. for instance this one offered both a "long island iced tea" and a "long beach iced tea," difference being there was cranberry instead of coke in the long beach version. i had no idea long beach was so into cranberry juice? the aperitivo was very good though, located close to one of (i think) three roman universities, it was hoppin. no english spoken is the first red flag that you'll be eating well with your inexplicably named cocktail in hand.
i also went to the doria pamphilj*** gallery and the colonna gallery last week/end. one was thurs, the other on sat (since it's a private gallery they dictate when the public is allowed in). they were pretty sweet and helped to further convince me that i should someday be in the market to purchase my very own palazzo, i mean real estate's gotta bounce back soon enough. lots of cool works (saw a titian and a brueghel amongst others) and very ornate palazzi.
after a somewhat uneventful weekend i had to prep for 3 (count it!) tests today. one in italian -- the oral part of the test, i had a pretty sweet discussion about how i eat a banana with breakfast every day, one in renaissance city and society -- which was composed of 3 short essays, mamma mia! and finally, one in museum theory and history -- which was somewhat interesting as it was in fact a test about museums. i have one in sociology coming up, then it's halloween, and break round 2: this time featuring the entire family. i have nothing but confidence in the high levels of fun we'll have.
but arguably most importantly, halloween -- it's only a week away. what on earth should i be?! i mean, gotta keep the spirit alive. so i have essentially a sharpie and my clothes at my disposal...gonna have to get creative.
i also am going to a (and my very first european) soccer, or 'calcio' here, match. it's as roma vs livorno and in spite of livorno not doing so hot, i'm still pretty confident roma will win. additionally, sunday might be the least ideal time to put a soccer match as i'll either have to study before or get home and study. either way it spells a no-go on the half time peroni, gonna have to save it for next time.
that's about it, no new pictures (shocker) but in order to remedy that i'm gonna put more effort into uploading my last vacation's pictures onto picasa. also i will try to take more pictures. next week may be a day late too thanks to sociology (way to go guys!) but we'll see how it all unfolds, still a ways away. ciao ciao!
*it's language immersion! and i got home at a reasonable hour.
**aperitivo, if i haven't explained before, is a set of hours - usually like 7-9 - in which when you spend so much on a drink you get access to an all you can eat italian buffet. so you end up buying a (sometimes goofy/girly) cocktail since that falls in the predetermined price range. it's a great value for dinner AND a drink, especially when you find good ones like this. they had fresh pizza/pasta/salame/and some salad with tuna. i made an effort to try it all which turned out pretty well (lots of good food) but also made me super full. guess i got my money's worth.
***pronounced pam-phee-lee. tricky with the j right? the dude (living heir) on the audio guide seemed pretty pompous (didn't help he had a british accent) too, things like "with the role of pope filled, MY family began to take their hold on rome." what an ass.
PS buon compleanno, pietro! (even if it's a day-late and your card is far-more-than-that-late)
Sunday, October 11, 2009
apparently the piazza nearest to my apartment is a hit with the pre-teens
that's right, and not just because that seems to be the trend (because honestly, the age groups differ throughout the day) but because i was talking with someone who mentioned she used to hang out there -- when she was like 12. so not only are there nearby cannoli (from real sicilians mind you) there is also a hotbed for some of the most eligible preteens in rome.
so now that the mystery of the hottest chicks in rome is solved, there only remains one: how on earth they go out nightly and can get up in the morning. honestly i wish i knew, because then there would be nothing stopping me.
unfortunately i don't so getting home quite late does in fact guarantee me a call time of roughly 1 PM. no biggie. that said, the piazza also hosted boxing one night this past weekend. unfortunately, like most boxing, it's never as gritty as you hope. again, no biggie.
i did however get the chance to see a few dj's from one of my favorite record labels play and it was absolutely mind-blowing. if you've ever seen me dance, and i use the term loosely, you'll know that i love to try and squeeze in some fist pumping. well when the club they're playing is packed, that's about all you got goin on to choose from. yahtzee!
last week was pretty solid class-wise too (as much as possible, i guess). i did in fact visit the jewish ghetto -- no bagels, maybe a new york thing? but i did get some awesome cookies. they were some of the most unassuming cookies on the planet but they were tasty.
we also went to the non-catholic cemetery out by the pyramid. now i know what you're thinking, "non-catholic cemetery? isn't that just any cemetery that's not italian, and if it's not - it should be." and ya know, i can understand that, i had similar thoughts upon first hearing about it. but oddly enough that's where both keats AND shelley are buried, and let's be honest -- you can't point me to an old cemetery that i WON'T like. so it was a good use of a thursday afternoon. i even opted to stay a little longer (instead of going home early) to poke around a bit more. i'd like to come back when it's rainy and gray because i don't think it's open at night (aka the most peaceful time to be in a cemetery).
my weekend's food was sans-kebab/kebap which i personally am bummed about, but i just know my body's thanking me for it. i did however find a better pizza place than my usual so that's a big plus, and am in the process of trying more restaurants.
i have an italian test on wed, which means i need to both start speaking more frequently than i do AND actually study. what a drag. and the worst part is, when everyone's italian is at their best (roughly between drink 1 and 2) certainly does not fall into the hour of class (roughly 10-11 AM). additionally i'm gonna have to i guess be fully awake and ready to go on wed. double damn.
but that does afford me another weekend, so i suppose there is in fact a silver lining to every cloud. and on that note, i'm going to wrap this up here as to get a full night's rest because apparently for the first half of my week, i'll need it. until next time, ciao ciao!
so now that the mystery of the hottest chicks in rome is solved, there only remains one: how on earth they go out nightly and can get up in the morning. honestly i wish i knew, because then there would be nothing stopping me.
unfortunately i don't so getting home quite late does in fact guarantee me a call time of roughly 1 PM. no biggie. that said, the piazza also hosted boxing one night this past weekend. unfortunately, like most boxing, it's never as gritty as you hope. again, no biggie.
i did however get the chance to see a few dj's from one of my favorite record labels play and it was absolutely mind-blowing. if you've ever seen me dance, and i use the term loosely, you'll know that i love to try and squeeze in some fist pumping. well when the club they're playing is packed, that's about all you got goin on to choose from. yahtzee!
last week was pretty solid class-wise too (as much as possible, i guess). i did in fact visit the jewish ghetto -- no bagels, maybe a new york thing? but i did get some awesome cookies. they were some of the most unassuming cookies on the planet but they were tasty.
we also went to the non-catholic cemetery out by the pyramid. now i know what you're thinking, "non-catholic cemetery? isn't that just any cemetery that's not italian, and if it's not - it should be." and ya know, i can understand that, i had similar thoughts upon first hearing about it. but oddly enough that's where both keats AND shelley are buried, and let's be honest -- you can't point me to an old cemetery that i WON'T like. so it was a good use of a thursday afternoon. i even opted to stay a little longer (instead of going home early) to poke around a bit more. i'd like to come back when it's rainy and gray because i don't think it's open at night (aka the most peaceful time to be in a cemetery).
my weekend's food was sans-kebab/kebap which i personally am bummed about, but i just know my body's thanking me for it. i did however find a better pizza place than my usual so that's a big plus, and am in the process of trying more restaurants.
i have an italian test on wed, which means i need to both start speaking more frequently than i do AND actually study. what a drag. and the worst part is, when everyone's italian is at their best (roughly between drink 1 and 2) certainly does not fall into the hour of class (roughly 10-11 AM). additionally i'm gonna have to i guess be fully awake and ready to go on wed. double damn.
but that does afford me another weekend, so i suppose there is in fact a silver lining to every cloud. and on that note, i'm going to wrap this up here as to get a full night's rest because apparently for the first half of my week, i'll need it. until next time, ciao ciao!
Monday, October 5, 2009
a day late, a buck short -- or in italy it's roughly a buck fiftyish.
so as some of you may have noticed, i am indeed a day behind in my blog. generally i try to get it out on sunday, as there isn't a whollle lot else going on past the flea market, reading, and a nap. and in all honesty, yesterday was the same deal, only about 2 hrs past when i usually do these things. anyway, who cares, now you'll probably appreciate this one a slight bit more as it is, right? and if it helps, i'll include today too.
my past week started off, well, kinda weak. i woke up not feeling 100% on monday so apart from sleeping as much as i could and fighting a cold i squeezed in going to class. you know something's off when i both don't want to wear cologne that day, and don't want any espresso. so i stuck to pounding as much water as i could (we're talkin liters here), eating right, and zicam -- when it runs out, i will literally cry.
luckily however, my weekend included a healthy enough alex ready to go out. although as things turned out it was a pretty low key weekend and i guess life goes on even if you don't go to a club or bar? however if you ask me, that's not a life i'm looking to lead right now.
additionally i did have both a mediocre kebap and an outstanding one. what's the difference you ask? well, in the world of kebab/kebap/kebab-eries/kebap-eries, the meat is key. when you're working with what can only be cat meat (there aren't so many left in the colosseum these days) freshness is key, vegetables as well. and the really only deal-breaker is when the only roman in 2009 who has managed to contract, and continue to host, the plague is serving you during his break from watching tv. che fortuna! what you need is a man who speaks too fast and is willing to shave you some of the freshest mystery meat that a vertical log of the stuff will offer. and i know what you're saying at this point, if it is so low quality, why buy it? well, that statement in itself is hypocritical. it is quite the well-rounded, affordable, filling, delicious meal. especially with the veggies offered by a kebap, you're looking at bread, vegetables, meat (of some variety, maybe gyspy if not cat) and even some hot sauce to help you sweat out the toxins you are presently ingesting via your dinner, all in the palm of your hand (or in my girlish case, palms).
so, after a couple low key nights and plenty of rest, par normal (or in italian "di solito") i went to the flea market.
for those of you who have never been to a flea market/swap meet, they have an uncanny ability to be roughly 90-99 degrees fahrenheit no matter what time of year, but the exact difference is negligible as it will always feel uncomfortably hot. just hot enough, in fact, to get a slight sweat going that persists for hours and seems to make everyone around you stand out as "the guy who forgot deodorant that day" or in most cases, make that "everyday," kinda like the bus. benissimo.
but not to worry, because this time around my sweat (blood and tears weren't necessary) paid off, as i did make a much sought-after purchase. i bought a cheap chain to string things up around my neck as i see fit, thus far i've got some old keys. it'll likely give me a rash, but that's the price of beauty. i also swooped up my hard, sought-after shoes! not only did i haggle with the man, they both fit AND look great. i know what you're thinking, what about blisters? that's another point, these babies just work, so blisters? fughetaboutit. to put it as simply as possible -- pulling, them, off. the literal only downside is the fact that i did not shop for a sheath for these daggers i just bought. luckily though, i don't need a permit to take em out in public, but i'm pretty sure it is illegal to look this good.
monday was hardly a slap in the face as well. after class i did a little more shopping (leather jackets are a hard decision, it's like finding a wife)/passeggiata along via del corso, one of rome's major shopping streets. it runs from the piazza venezia down to the piazza del popolo, and includes names ranging from puma to zara to rolex to stefanel, essentially anything you'd need. and if you need more, it connects to the street leading up to the spanish steps/piazza di spagna, which houses even more large names. aka, great people watching and only a couple stores that fall into the price range of "anyone who is not berlusconi."
funny thing about the italians though, they love "guess jeans." they had a huge billboard in st. mark's in venezia, and today there was a lamborghini parked in front of the one on via del corso. on my way back i also saw a gorgeous maserati (at least they're buying italian, right?) and the combination of events and beautiful warm weather, it just about felt like i was back in newport. that is until i hit the police man on a stand directing traffic with a whistle, and i was right back to rome.
so i wrapped up (had to pee again from all the water i'm still drinking)*, got home, and here i am! tomorrow we are visiting the jewish ghetto in my rennaissance city and society class, maybe i can snag a bagel. either way it'll be cool. i'll be back on sunday (most likely) and i have since stopped with pictures, i continue to forget and thus, we all suffer. ciao ciao e bacioni!
*i recently have learned the term "to go (or make) pee" in italian is "fare il pipì" so i guess i had to "faccio il pipì."
my past week started off, well, kinda weak. i woke up not feeling 100% on monday so apart from sleeping as much as i could and fighting a cold i squeezed in going to class. you know something's off when i both don't want to wear cologne that day, and don't want any espresso. so i stuck to pounding as much water as i could (we're talkin liters here), eating right, and zicam -- when it runs out, i will literally cry.
luckily however, my weekend included a healthy enough alex ready to go out. although as things turned out it was a pretty low key weekend and i guess life goes on even if you don't go to a club or bar? however if you ask me, that's not a life i'm looking to lead right now.
additionally i did have both a mediocre kebap and an outstanding one. what's the difference you ask? well, in the world of kebab/kebap/kebab-eries/kebap-eries, the meat is key. when you're working with what can only be cat meat (there aren't so many left in the colosseum these days) freshness is key, vegetables as well. and the really only deal-breaker is when the only roman in 2009 who has managed to contract, and continue to host, the plague is serving you during his break from watching tv. che fortuna! what you need is a man who speaks too fast and is willing to shave you some of the freshest mystery meat that a vertical log of the stuff will offer. and i know what you're saying at this point, if it is so low quality, why buy it? well, that statement in itself is hypocritical. it is quite the well-rounded, affordable, filling, delicious meal. especially with the veggies offered by a kebap, you're looking at bread, vegetables, meat (of some variety, maybe gyspy if not cat) and even some hot sauce to help you sweat out the toxins you are presently ingesting via your dinner, all in the palm of your hand (or in my girlish case, palms).
so, after a couple low key nights and plenty of rest, par normal (or in italian "di solito") i went to the flea market.
for those of you who have never been to a flea market/swap meet, they have an uncanny ability to be roughly 90-99 degrees fahrenheit no matter what time of year, but the exact difference is negligible as it will always feel uncomfortably hot. just hot enough, in fact, to get a slight sweat going that persists for hours and seems to make everyone around you stand out as "the guy who forgot deodorant that day" or in most cases, make that "everyday," kinda like the bus. benissimo.
but not to worry, because this time around my sweat (blood and tears weren't necessary) paid off, as i did make a much sought-after purchase. i bought a cheap chain to string things up around my neck as i see fit, thus far i've got some old keys. it'll likely give me a rash, but that's the price of beauty. i also swooped up my hard, sought-after shoes! not only did i haggle with the man, they both fit AND look great. i know what you're thinking, what about blisters? that's another point, these babies just work, so blisters? fughetaboutit. to put it as simply as possible -- pulling, them, off. the literal only downside is the fact that i did not shop for a sheath for these daggers i just bought. luckily though, i don't need a permit to take em out in public, but i'm pretty sure it is illegal to look this good.
monday was hardly a slap in the face as well. after class i did a little more shopping (leather jackets are a hard decision, it's like finding a wife)/passeggiata along via del corso, one of rome's major shopping streets. it runs from the piazza venezia down to the piazza del popolo, and includes names ranging from puma to zara to rolex to stefanel, essentially anything you'd need. and if you need more, it connects to the street leading up to the spanish steps/piazza di spagna, which houses even more large names. aka, great people watching and only a couple stores that fall into the price range of "anyone who is not berlusconi."
funny thing about the italians though, they love "guess jeans." they had a huge billboard in st. mark's in venezia, and today there was a lamborghini parked in front of the one on via del corso. on my way back i also saw a gorgeous maserati (at least they're buying italian, right?) and the combination of events and beautiful warm weather, it just about felt like i was back in newport. that is until i hit the police man on a stand directing traffic with a whistle, and i was right back to rome.
so i wrapped up (had to pee again from all the water i'm still drinking)*, got home, and here i am! tomorrow we are visiting the jewish ghetto in my rennaissance city and society class, maybe i can snag a bagel. either way it'll be cool. i'll be back on sunday (most likely) and i have since stopped with pictures, i continue to forget and thus, we all suffer. ciao ciao e bacioni!
*i recently have learned the term "to go (or make) pee" in italian is "fare il pipì" so i guess i had to "faccio il pipì."
Sunday, September 27, 2009
la prima settimana
buona sera! come state? i'm still goin strong here in rome. we had our first week of core classes, which is both a good and bad thing. good because it means 3 day weekends, and after this first one i can greatly appreciate the no class friday lifestyle. plus the classes do mix up the monotony of 3 hrs/day italian. so now my schedule looks a little like this:
10-11 italian
11 30-1 30 renaissance city and society (on tues/thurs)
2-4 sociology of rome (on mon/wed)
2-4 museum history and theory in rome (on tues/thurs)
if you're asking yourself if i made a point of not getting into the class from 4 30-6 30 you are spot on. who on earth would want that? it would've been a really poor decision for me to pick one of those classes. anyway, i am excited about them because i believe all have at least a handful of site visits including a trip to an as roma match (the local soccer - or football or here in italy 'calcio') team.
of course, 2 hrs per class is about 1/2 hr too long. and boy does that last half hour drag. good times though because it leaves enough time to both get work done and stay focused on the really important things, like finding a perfect leather jacket, eating well and making sure to hang out as much as i can.
speaking of which, my first 3 day weekend was splendid (apart from the steadfast flea market shoe vendor -- no one's buyin your pointy shoes amico, sell em to me at half price.) i decided to taste a bit more of the night life of rome, via its clubs, and was not in the least disappointed. even in spite of my own poor dancing skills there will always be a goofy italian guy just so into it regardless of not being able to dance. the patrons range from older mid 40's to the 20ish crowd and just about everything in between.
and the music, boy oh boy. i mean, i know they have dj's but for a good 80% of the time it might as well just be a soundtrack they're mixing. not that i'm complaining, you get used to em and hey when you're out there dancing (or in my case, faking it pretty poorly) it's kinda more about le ragazze anyway, and they dig it.
that and when every now and again a song comes on that is recognizable (they're almost all american songs, so it doesn't feel that far off from home) only it's about 4-5 years late. for example, did he just mix a beyonce song with any will smith song? oh he did? great. that's right folks, here in rome we party like it's 1999 just about every week, and that's mostly just the music. but good times were had by all and due to their late hours i've made a point to either nap or sleep in enough to ensure i get adequate sleep.
that said, no pictures this week as i'm clearly still lagging on the last ones. but also because you can pretty much paint a picture of me at a desk, sleeping, or eating. and as for the club, with my dancing skills, its probably best we not document any of that. until next time. ciao ciao!
10-11 italian
11 30-1 30 renaissance city and society (on tues/thurs)
2-4 sociology of rome (on mon/wed)
2-4 museum history and theory in rome (on tues/thurs)
if you're asking yourself if i made a point of not getting into the class from 4 30-6 30 you are spot on. who on earth would want that? it would've been a really poor decision for me to pick one of those classes. anyway, i am excited about them because i believe all have at least a handful of site visits including a trip to an as roma match (the local soccer - or football or here in italy 'calcio') team.
of course, 2 hrs per class is about 1/2 hr too long. and boy does that last half hour drag. good times though because it leaves enough time to both get work done and stay focused on the really important things, like finding a perfect leather jacket, eating well and making sure to hang out as much as i can.
speaking of which, my first 3 day weekend was splendid (apart from the steadfast flea market shoe vendor -- no one's buyin your pointy shoes amico, sell em to me at half price.) i decided to taste a bit more of the night life of rome, via its clubs, and was not in the least disappointed. even in spite of my own poor dancing skills there will always be a goofy italian guy just so into it regardless of not being able to dance. the patrons range from older mid 40's to the 20ish crowd and just about everything in between.
and the music, boy oh boy. i mean, i know they have dj's but for a good 80% of the time it might as well just be a soundtrack they're mixing. not that i'm complaining, you get used to em and hey when you're out there dancing (or in my case, faking it pretty poorly) it's kinda more about le ragazze anyway, and they dig it.
that and when every now and again a song comes on that is recognizable (they're almost all american songs, so it doesn't feel that far off from home) only it's about 4-5 years late. for example, did he just mix a beyonce song with any will smith song? oh he did? great. that's right folks, here in rome we party like it's 1999 just about every week, and that's mostly just the music. but good times were had by all and due to their late hours i've made a point to either nap or sleep in enough to ensure i get adequate sleep.
that said, no pictures this week as i'm clearly still lagging on the last ones. but also because you can pretty much paint a picture of me at a desk, sleeping, or eating. and as for the club, with my dancing skills, its probably best we not document any of that. until next time. ciao ciao!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
sono ritornato a roma!
ciaoooo roma! it goes without saying that i haven't updated the ol' (or should i say vecchio?) blog. and if you're still reading this it is also safe to say that you're a more patient person than myself, which is fortunate. that said i have a great excuse for not updating for a while and that of course is vacanza! i finished my first 3 weeks of intensive italian and was rewarded with a week-long break. naturally there's a week-long's worth of pictures but that may take even longer to update due to the quantity, stay patient! luckily i took notes on my trip so i didn't forget anything, side note it's gonna be a long one (think lord of the rings-long) so grab that caffè e biscotti and settle in. anyway i'll break it down locale by locale for continuity's sake starting with the very beginning:
PRE-DEPARTURE/DEPARTURE DAY/SUNDAY
like all sundays i went to the flea market, however getting up late meant that it was gonna be a shorter trip. and when it came time to return to the apt, i was greeted with a confidence-inspiring "No Servizio" on my necessary tram. i've only missed one train in my life and i was hell bent on keeping it at that, so naturally (for me at least) i hoofed it. is that a lanky boy dressed in a canadian tuxedo* running towards the colosseum? you bet it is. and for good reason, i did in fact make it, and after a short passport-forgetting scare, we were headed to stazione termini to get the hell out of dodge, because after that showing, rome clearly didn't want us here any longer.
VENEZIA
after a brief(?) 5 hr train ride my roommate philippe and i arrived in venice. the ride flew by on our 'eurostar' train, and not just because there was a man across the aisle intending to eat his way to venice. 3 drinks and 2 full size containers of cookies made it down his gullet by the time we pulled in. and when i mean in venice i mean the island of, because there is a mainland venice where our hotel was located -- sweet. another quick slap in the face was the fact that i naturally assumed venice was part of italy. this was wrong. as canada is to america, venice is an italy-light thanks to its seemingly constant tourism. luckily however that was quickly pushed off (as i try to do with most of my problems) until tomorrow, because after a quick gelato we had checked in and settled down to watch the "miss italia pageant 2009", yahtzee! we also ate at the only other open option for dinner on a sunday at 11 30 PM, which was chinese (our other option was mcdonald's, which for the record had a full bar built in -- yahtzee due?). now i only mention this to give you a scope of the obscurity of mainland venice -- our check came in euro AND lire options, i wonder if they took discover cards too?
however the island itself was a true wonder. things like, "no wonder it's sinking," (the rain drains right onto the sidewalk) came into my mind as we waded through what little streets they had. luckily rain (torrential rain) in venice means pretty much vacant streets, so i can deal. plus it wasn't cold. but after a bit of roaming (rome-ing?) we were ready for our second stop.
LA SPEZIA/CINQUE TERRE
what a place! as the trend follows, falling in love with something (generally somethings) italian - more often than not le ragazze - happens daily. this lovely town is lucky enough to belong to the region able to call itself the home of foccacia as well as provide some seriously proper pesto. or if you prefer, propsto. also lucky was the fact that i am a qualified aficionado of both, for the record i was not disappointed. cinque terre also lived up to its hype as one of the most beautiful places i've ever been, in spite of its rain. truly incredible. in fact, i'm letting you down for lagging with the pictures it was that gorgeous. but after a quick sojourn there, it was time for our chaotic day before reaching florence.
PISA/PONTEDERA/FIRENZE
yep, and in that order, which if you look at a map does in fact result in backtracking. and we did just that, backtrack. but boy was it worth it, because apart from pisa (honestly all it's got to offer is the tower) we went to pontedera! however, i will say pisa not only allowed me to walk clear across town to reach the tower (with my bag, thanks pisa) and have pine nut gelato. which was pretty good due to it being mixed with vanilla, otherwise i think the flavor would be too powerful and you're reading the blog of a guy who loves things piney.
so after arriving to pontedera, which is essentially the italian equivalent of any town you've ever arrived in and said "boy i'm glad i don't live here" we looked for any and everything 'piaggio'. luckily right as you get out of the station there is that word. unluckily is the fact that what you're greeted by is the manufacturing plant, and not anything close to 'il museo piaggio.'** sweet. so after a good 15 minutes wandering into the heart of the piaggio plant and realizing we were the only non-employee persons on the premise (when you trade a blue piaggio shirt for a duffel and rolling suit case with tags reading LAX to FCO the jig is up) we u-turned and headed out. so we asked the nearby bartender because i'll be damned if i made it out to god-forsaken pontedera and didn't make it to the museum. so we got directions and made it to heaven, i mean the museum. what a great place. 60+ years of vespa history can really complete one's day, ya know? but we wrapped up quickly to get to our accommodations in firenze.
FIRENZE
so cool! of course how could it not be when it's essentially the davis of italy. small enough that you can walk end to end, long enough that said walk will take you just long enough. and the place is home to artisan leather-work AND high quality meat? scoresville. needless to say i was a fan. we did the tourist necessities like get to the top of the duomo (463 steps, which they make very clear are not accessible by lift), see the birth of venus (very cool, i liked it better than the david statue) and the david statue (not bad, but it was no birth of venus). we also visited ponte vecchio and had a hostel which included one of the most 'charming' bathrooms we'd ever stayed in. just a shower head and push squeegee separated it from being called a shower to a toilet, because nothing quite says europe like getting all your stuff inevitably soaked by the shower you're taking as you watch in helpless agony. we also met up with an old school friend of mine, who's studying there now, and some others from our program which meant for a good time exploring florence's party scene. and honestly, that was its downside. as a smaller city, the night life noticeably died out after a certain hour, whereas rome essentially runs by whatever schedule you're on. other than that, i loved firenze and plan on returning for more good times (and maybe some leather or paper goods/inks?)
all in all, i had a great time, ate some great foods, and stared at some fantastic ragazz - i mean - monuments. i am however, glad to be back in rome in spite of starting real classes. so far, they're ok, 2 hrs is a little long but i am looking forward to doing the site visit (let's face it, their field trips) portion and getting past the intro stuff. sure it means waking up at 8.20 AM daily, but it's only mon-thurs so can i really be that bummed? in the words of kevin mccallister***: "i don't think so."
*canadian tuxedo - when one wears both a denim shirt/jacket, or both, AND similarly colored jeans.
**il museo piaggio - www.museopiaggo.it - yea, it totally exists.
***macaulay culkin's character in home alone responding to the grocery store clerk asking if he's shopping alone. the answer includes a pretty great head-shake whilst saying the line.
PRE-DEPARTURE/DEPARTURE DAY/SUNDAY
like all sundays i went to the flea market, however getting up late meant that it was gonna be a shorter trip. and when it came time to return to the apt, i was greeted with a confidence-inspiring "No Servizio" on my necessary tram. i've only missed one train in my life and i was hell bent on keeping it at that, so naturally (for me at least) i hoofed it. is that a lanky boy dressed in a canadian tuxedo* running towards the colosseum? you bet it is. and for good reason, i did in fact make it, and after a short passport-forgetting scare, we were headed to stazione termini to get the hell out of dodge, because after that showing, rome clearly didn't want us here any longer.
VENEZIA
after a brief(?) 5 hr train ride my roommate philippe and i arrived in venice. the ride flew by on our 'eurostar' train, and not just because there was a man across the aisle intending to eat his way to venice. 3 drinks and 2 full size containers of cookies made it down his gullet by the time we pulled in. and when i mean in venice i mean the island of, because there is a mainland venice where our hotel was located -- sweet. another quick slap in the face was the fact that i naturally assumed venice was part of italy. this was wrong. as canada is to america, venice is an italy-light thanks to its seemingly constant tourism. luckily however that was quickly pushed off (as i try to do with most of my problems) until tomorrow, because after a quick gelato we had checked in and settled down to watch the "miss italia pageant 2009", yahtzee! we also ate at the only other open option for dinner on a sunday at 11 30 PM, which was chinese (our other option was mcdonald's, which for the record had a full bar built in -- yahtzee due?). now i only mention this to give you a scope of the obscurity of mainland venice -- our check came in euro AND lire options, i wonder if they took discover cards too?
however the island itself was a true wonder. things like, "no wonder it's sinking," (the rain drains right onto the sidewalk) came into my mind as we waded through what little streets they had. luckily rain (torrential rain) in venice means pretty much vacant streets, so i can deal. plus it wasn't cold. but after a bit of roaming (rome-ing?) we were ready for our second stop.
LA SPEZIA/CINQUE TERRE
what a place! as the trend follows, falling in love with something (generally somethings) italian - more often than not le ragazze - happens daily. this lovely town is lucky enough to belong to the region able to call itself the home of foccacia as well as provide some seriously proper pesto. or if you prefer, propsto. also lucky was the fact that i am a qualified aficionado of both, for the record i was not disappointed. cinque terre also lived up to its hype as one of the most beautiful places i've ever been, in spite of its rain. truly incredible. in fact, i'm letting you down for lagging with the pictures it was that gorgeous. but after a quick sojourn there, it was time for our chaotic day before reaching florence.
PISA/PONTEDERA/FIRENZE
yep, and in that order, which if you look at a map does in fact result in backtracking. and we did just that, backtrack. but boy was it worth it, because apart from pisa (honestly all it's got to offer is the tower) we went to pontedera! however, i will say pisa not only allowed me to walk clear across town to reach the tower (with my bag, thanks pisa) and have pine nut gelato. which was pretty good due to it being mixed with vanilla, otherwise i think the flavor would be too powerful and you're reading the blog of a guy who loves things piney.
so after arriving to pontedera, which is essentially the italian equivalent of any town you've ever arrived in and said "boy i'm glad i don't live here" we looked for any and everything 'piaggio'. luckily right as you get out of the station there is that word. unluckily is the fact that what you're greeted by is the manufacturing plant, and not anything close to 'il museo piaggio.'** sweet. so after a good 15 minutes wandering into the heart of the piaggio plant and realizing we were the only non-employee persons on the premise (when you trade a blue piaggio shirt for a duffel and rolling suit case with tags reading LAX to FCO the jig is up) we u-turned and headed out. so we asked the nearby bartender because i'll be damned if i made it out to god-forsaken pontedera and didn't make it to the museum. so we got directions and made it to heaven, i mean the museum. what a great place. 60+ years of vespa history can really complete one's day, ya know? but we wrapped up quickly to get to our accommodations in firenze.
FIRENZE
so cool! of course how could it not be when it's essentially the davis of italy. small enough that you can walk end to end, long enough that said walk will take you just long enough. and the place is home to artisan leather-work AND high quality meat? scoresville. needless to say i was a fan. we did the tourist necessities like get to the top of the duomo (463 steps, which they make very clear are not accessible by lift), see the birth of venus (very cool, i liked it better than the david statue) and the david statue (not bad, but it was no birth of venus). we also visited ponte vecchio and had a hostel which included one of the most 'charming' bathrooms we'd ever stayed in. just a shower head and push squeegee separated it from being called a shower to a toilet, because nothing quite says europe like getting all your stuff inevitably soaked by the shower you're taking as you watch in helpless agony. we also met up with an old school friend of mine, who's studying there now, and some others from our program which meant for a good time exploring florence's party scene. and honestly, that was its downside. as a smaller city, the night life noticeably died out after a certain hour, whereas rome essentially runs by whatever schedule you're on. other than that, i loved firenze and plan on returning for more good times (and maybe some leather or paper goods/inks?)
all in all, i had a great time, ate some great foods, and stared at some fantastic ragazz - i mean - monuments. i am however, glad to be back in rome in spite of starting real classes. so far, they're ok, 2 hrs is a little long but i am looking forward to doing the site visit (let's face it, their field trips) portion and getting past the intro stuff. sure it means waking up at 8.20 AM daily, but it's only mon-thurs so can i really be that bummed? in the words of kevin mccallister***: "i don't think so."
*canadian tuxedo - when one wears both a denim shirt/jacket, or both, AND similarly colored jeans.
**il museo piaggio - www.museopiaggo.it - yea, it totally exists.
***macaulay culkin's character in home alone responding to the grocery store clerk asking if he's shopping alone. the answer includes a pretty great head-shake whilst saying the line.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
how do you say "ice cream" in italian?
if you're in rome and really -- is there any other place to be, it's spelt g-i-o-l-i-t-t-i.
the very first sign giolitti is a very established place is if you look them up on google. the world's largest red flag about their serious stance on gelato is how nice their website looks and is maintained. this is something that very, very rarely exists with any italian website. the average italian site is full of links going nowhere and that's even if you're lucky enough to load a homepage.
not only does its interior resemble just about any ice cream shoppe on disneyland's main street, the producto truly does deliver. amidst the array of flavors (which for the record, and in my personal opinion, does not appear to beat the nearby 'il gelatone') it boasts pastries and of course a full bar. i sampled 'canella e tiramisu' which were both molto bene! canella (cinnamon) has been my newest revelation in frozen confection and is a must-sample whenever offered. tiramisu was chosen based on it being my old go-to when i was working at gelato paradiso so i could compare.
needless to say giolitti wins on both fronts, although the cinnamon was arguably just as good at il gelatone the tiramisu is what sealed the deal. with bits of lady finger within the gelato the attention to deal and noticeably fresh quality made it a 2,20 euro well spent. additionally they, just like most places, offer 'panna' or unsweetened whipped cream and i mean -- why not? all in all i will be back here, but more as a treat and less as a regular due to an equally tasty option much closer to my apartment for 20 cents less (think about it, after i eat 10 it's like getting the 11th free in comparison to giolitti!).
sunday wrapped up with a trip to the flea market where i was able to purchase, and in true scot fashion, haggle for -- not a coincidence 'haggle' and 'haggis' are so similar -- shoe laces. what's that mio amico? 1 euro, ehhh ho solo setanta, va bene? then when you put the money into the vendor's hand at the price you want it is near magic how they are far more down as they're literally so close to your money they feel it.
unfortunately (or fortunately as i know not every one of my readers is in support) i did not walk off - get it? - with pointy shoes this week. and so the hunt continues...see ya next sunday flea market.
my past school week was just that, pretty weak, although this coming one is the last of my intensive italian class. meaning no more 3 straight hrs/day and the start of having every friday off. i did however learn that nuns are bad luck and that italians both never say 'buona fortuna' (that is actually bad luck, instead you say 'in la bocca al lupo' to which you respond 'crepi!')* and that they knock on metal instead of wood, sweet.
tomorrow my roommate and i are going to the train station (stazione termini) to book train tickets to venezia with a german company (deutsche bahn) because if there's one group you can trust to have top-notch trains in the way of function and punctuality it's the germans. wunderbar! if all goes to plan, we'll be going to venezia, cinque terre, pisa, firenze, then back to rome. at least i think that's the plan now, not including a stop in between pisa and firenze in pontedera: home to none other than the museo piaggio, or simply put -- the vespa museum. hopefully it all works out and makes for quite the tour of italy, but either way i'm sure i'll find all sorts of new experiences during my upcoming week off. so, until then, ciao ciao!
*in english it directly translates to 'in the mouth of the wolf!' then the response being 'die! as if you're hoping the wolf die since otherwise it'd eat you when you're in its mouth. but it generally means more of a 'break a leg' sort of sentiment.
the very first sign giolitti is a very established place is if you look them up on google. the world's largest red flag about their serious stance on gelato is how nice their website looks and is maintained. this is something that very, very rarely exists with any italian website. the average italian site is full of links going nowhere and that's even if you're lucky enough to load a homepage.
not only does its interior resemble just about any ice cream shoppe on disneyland's main street, the producto truly does deliver. amidst the array of flavors (which for the record, and in my personal opinion, does not appear to beat the nearby 'il gelatone') it boasts pastries and of course a full bar. i sampled 'canella e tiramisu' which were both molto bene! canella (cinnamon) has been my newest revelation in frozen confection and is a must-sample whenever offered. tiramisu was chosen based on it being my old go-to when i was working at gelato paradiso so i could compare.
needless to say giolitti wins on both fronts, although the cinnamon was arguably just as good at il gelatone the tiramisu is what sealed the deal. with bits of lady finger within the gelato the attention to deal and noticeably fresh quality made it a 2,20 euro well spent. additionally they, just like most places, offer 'panna' or unsweetened whipped cream and i mean -- why not? all in all i will be back here, but more as a treat and less as a regular due to an equally tasty option much closer to my apartment for 20 cents less (think about it, after i eat 10 it's like getting the 11th free in comparison to giolitti!).
sunday wrapped up with a trip to the flea market where i was able to purchase, and in true scot fashion, haggle for -- not a coincidence 'haggle' and 'haggis' are so similar -- shoe laces. what's that mio amico? 1 euro, ehhh ho solo setanta, va bene? then when you put the money into the vendor's hand at the price you want it is near magic how they are far more down as they're literally so close to your money they feel it.
unfortunately (or fortunately as i know not every one of my readers is in support) i did not walk off - get it? - with pointy shoes this week. and so the hunt continues...see ya next sunday flea market.
my past school week was just that, pretty weak, although this coming one is the last of my intensive italian class. meaning no more 3 straight hrs/day and the start of having every friday off. i did however learn that nuns are bad luck and that italians both never say 'buona fortuna' (that is actually bad luck, instead you say 'in la bocca al lupo' to which you respond 'crepi!')* and that they knock on metal instead of wood, sweet.
tomorrow my roommate and i are going to the train station (stazione termini) to book train tickets to venezia with a german company (deutsche bahn) because if there's one group you can trust to have top-notch trains in the way of function and punctuality it's the germans. wunderbar! if all goes to plan, we'll be going to venezia, cinque terre, pisa, firenze, then back to rome. at least i think that's the plan now, not including a stop in between pisa and firenze in pontedera: home to none other than the museo piaggio, or simply put -- the vespa museum. hopefully it all works out and makes for quite the tour of italy, but either way i'm sure i'll find all sorts of new experiences during my upcoming week off. so, until then, ciao ciao!
*in english it directly translates to 'in the mouth of the wolf!' then the response being 'die! as if you're hoping the wolf die since otherwise it'd eat you when you're in its mouth. but it generally means more of a 'break a leg' sort of sentiment.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
where's the beach?
i'll tell ya where, two metro stops, a train and a bus away, that's where.
and luckily, it's also only 2 euro round trip which if you translate back to ol' USD it's cheaper than parking at any beach back home. even more luck was involved when only one woman we passed had decided against shaving her armpits -- what's the deal? and the beach here offers women on a caliber that the US dare not know. sadly the men were equally scantily clad, but hey ya win some ya lose some. that said, it's easy to see how a day floating about the mediterranean would be ever seen as a hard activity to partake in. it was both really salty, pretty shallow (we're talkin walking on knees decently far out) and warm.
baby baby.
not to mention one of the most gorgeous women i'd ever seen rinsing off, just saying.
my sunday consisted of waking up early to make it to the porta portese flea market (i refuse to return home sans-pointy shoes and a leather jacket so best to start early, right?). it was well worth it, as i have never seen such a sweet mix of garage sale and swap meet action in my life. post-flea market, we went to the villa borghese which is essentially roman central park. it's a huge park filled with trees/sculptures/museums/caffès/rentals (of the boat, bike AND pedal car variety) and other oddities, like fountains.
unfortunately however, for every weekend there exists a preceding week. mine was blessed (staying with the holy theme of rome's proximity to the vatican) with our first week of italian language classes. it's an intensive course which means 3 hrs a day we're studying the lovely vernacular that is italian. honestly, it's not bad but it does drag at spots. i was also visited by my friend on her way to spain, she was traveling with another friend and they both stopped in rome. sadly, due to my newly filled schedule we didn't have too much time, but never bad to see a familiar face.
next week starts our second of three total weeks of the initial language class. after this class we have a week-long break until the start of our core classes (which will again include italian, but only for an hour/day this time round). so hopefully after this week ends i'll have an idea as to where i may be headed for that week to go on many more zany - yep, zany - adventures.
PS i am aware of the difficulties regarding pictures. i'm workin on it. think of it this way, when they do finally get posted you'll get a bunch to go through. kinda like making meatballs, it takes forever but then you have a bunch of meatballs, a huge score.
and luckily, it's also only 2 euro round trip which if you translate back to ol' USD it's cheaper than parking at any beach back home. even more luck was involved when only one woman we passed had decided against shaving her armpits -- what's the deal? and the beach here offers women on a caliber that the US dare not know. sadly the men were equally scantily clad, but hey ya win some ya lose some. that said, it's easy to see how a day floating about the mediterranean would be ever seen as a hard activity to partake in. it was both really salty, pretty shallow (we're talkin walking on knees decently far out) and warm.
baby baby.
not to mention one of the most gorgeous women i'd ever seen rinsing off, just saying.
my sunday consisted of waking up early to make it to the porta portese flea market (i refuse to return home sans-pointy shoes and a leather jacket so best to start early, right?). it was well worth it, as i have never seen such a sweet mix of garage sale and swap meet action in my life. post-flea market, we went to the villa borghese which is essentially roman central park. it's a huge park filled with trees/sculptures/museums/caffès/rentals (of the boat, bike AND pedal car variety) and other oddities, like fountains.
unfortunately however, for every weekend there exists a preceding week. mine was blessed (staying with the holy theme of rome's proximity to the vatican) with our first week of italian language classes. it's an intensive course which means 3 hrs a day we're studying the lovely vernacular that is italian. honestly, it's not bad but it does drag at spots. i was also visited by my friend on her way to spain, she was traveling with another friend and they both stopped in rome. sadly, due to my newly filled schedule we didn't have too much time, but never bad to see a familiar face.
next week starts our second of three total weeks of the initial language class. after this class we have a week-long break until the start of our core classes (which will again include italian, but only for an hour/day this time round). so hopefully after this week ends i'll have an idea as to where i may be headed for that week to go on many more zany - yep, zany - adventures.
PS i am aware of the difficulties regarding pictures. i'm workin on it. think of it this way, when they do finally get posted you'll get a bunch to go through. kinda like making meatballs, it takes forever but then you have a bunch of meatballs, a huge score.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
la dolce vita
a lot of people have asked me "how do you like rome?" and to be honest, at first it's decently intimidating. however aside from the heat, the entire city is pretty damn sweet. and it's never been hard to like a place that takes 3 hours for lunch, encourages j-walking, and can eat a sandwich/smoke a cigarette/talk on the phone while holding their helmet around their wrist (don't want to mess up the hair) and transporting groceries between their legs on a scooter.
that being said, i am doing my best to acclimate to the roman way of life. i now look for open pockets of traffic to cross in with a certain degree of confidence i never knew, all the while being ready to jump back if they're not gonna stop after all. i can order a cappuccino from the bar in the morning, or an espresso later on in the day. i know gelato is readily available at any time and that pizza shouldn't, for the most part, ever come sliced. all in all, i'm adjusting.
i start my italian practicum tomorrow which will help in doing things like ordering (food/drink/gelato/etc) and yelling at traffic which can get a little too close at times. i attempted to get a martini in search of what i had in france and ended up with a glass of red vermouth, not exactly the best stuff around.
my program is mostly girls (not bad) and a surprising number of which are from ucsb. my roommates are good guys, two go to sb and the other two go to berkeley and uci. i'm in a triple and the two sb guys are in the double next door. our apartment is a good one with 3 air conditioners, 2 bathrooms, and wood floors. however in true italian fashion, 1 air conditioner drips water, the shower's broken, and the washing machine's door won't latch. we're working on getting those fixed.
i forgot to mention the rare occurrence on my first flight. that was a fully grown/sane man coming back from the lavatory with a toilet-paper tail. i didn't think that happened! the goofy part was he exited the plane with it still there, i later saw him getting on my connecting flight and it was gone though. how embarrassing!
i'm so far so good and excited for the weather to cool down and rome to wake up from its month-long holiday known as ferragosto. pictures hopefully will be on the picasa page soon, it was uploading pretty slowly. otherwise there are some on facebook (for those of you with it) and are soon to be on picasa.
that being said, i am doing my best to acclimate to the roman way of life. i now look for open pockets of traffic to cross in with a certain degree of confidence i never knew, all the while being ready to jump back if they're not gonna stop after all. i can order a cappuccino from the bar in the morning, or an espresso later on in the day. i know gelato is readily available at any time and that pizza shouldn't, for the most part, ever come sliced. all in all, i'm adjusting.
i start my italian practicum tomorrow which will help in doing things like ordering (food/drink/gelato/etc) and yelling at traffic which can get a little too close at times. i attempted to get a martini in search of what i had in france and ended up with a glass of red vermouth, not exactly the best stuff around.
my program is mostly girls (not bad) and a surprising number of which are from ucsb. my roommates are good guys, two go to sb and the other two go to berkeley and uci. i'm in a triple and the two sb guys are in the double next door. our apartment is a good one with 3 air conditioners, 2 bathrooms, and wood floors. however in true italian fashion, 1 air conditioner drips water, the shower's broken, and the washing machine's door won't latch. we're working on getting those fixed.
i forgot to mention the rare occurrence on my first flight. that was a fully grown/sane man coming back from the lavatory with a toilet-paper tail. i didn't think that happened! the goofy part was he exited the plane with it still there, i later saw him getting on my connecting flight and it was gone though. how embarrassing!
i'm so far so good and excited for the weather to cool down and rome to wake up from its month-long holiday known as ferragosto. pictures hopefully will be on the picasa page soon, it was uploading pretty slowly. otherwise there are some on facebook (for those of you with it) and are soon to be on picasa.
rome wasn't built in a day, but i arrived in one -- kinda.
all roads lead to rome, unfortunately if you go through canada they also lead to customs and security.
my first day *if you can call it that* consisted of getting myself up and out of california and to la citta eterna, literally. my initial flight was to montreal where i would then home-alone it across the airport to my connection to rome. this was easy enough due to an early arrival even if canada insists on moving slower than molasses (or in their case maple syrup). not only was i forced to go through customs AND security, my gate to connect was essentially on the opposite side of the airport. sweet.
after canada we were all set to go until there was trouble with our plane and we needed to have the mechanic come out to look at/fix it prior to departure. luckily, an hour in the plane earns you a small bag of "chili-citrus corn snacks" which taste like wonky croutons, but even i was desperate enough to eat the entire thing. their in-flight meals however were good, i opted for the 'chicken' which was chicken in some white goo with wild rice. to wrap up the meal we were given chocolate mousse which was light, and surprisingly good for what i have grown to expect.
and 8 (in air) hours later, we were there. ready to take the "air bridge" to baggage and mingle with the nuns as i searched for my program trying not to be distracted by all the pretty girls.
my first day *if you can call it that* consisted of getting myself up and out of california and to la citta eterna, literally. my initial flight was to montreal where i would then home-alone it across the airport to my connection to rome. this was easy enough due to an early arrival even if canada insists on moving slower than molasses (or in their case maple syrup). not only was i forced to go through customs AND security, my gate to connect was essentially on the opposite side of the airport. sweet.
after canada we were all set to go until there was trouble with our plane and we needed to have the mechanic come out to look at/fix it prior to departure. luckily, an hour in the plane earns you a small bag of "chili-citrus corn snacks" which taste like wonky croutons, but even i was desperate enough to eat the entire thing. their in-flight meals however were good, i opted for the 'chicken' which was chicken in some white goo with wild rice. to wrap up the meal we were given chocolate mousse which was light, and surprisingly good for what i have grown to expect.
and 8 (in air) hours later, we were there. ready to take the "air bridge" to baggage and mingle with the nuns as i searched for my program trying not to be distracted by all the pretty girls.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
t-minus 13 days to liftoff
aloha and good day, mis amigos. just a head's up for those of you who don't know (or remember) of my upcoming studying abroad adventure in none other than the eternal city of rome, italy.
i'll be there for about 4 months and hope to keep up with a blog roughly once a week. this will, ideally, allow you to either live vicariously through me, feel as though your part of my journey, or just get your fill of alex - at such a length, i know it can be rough to go without.
that being said stay tuned as my departure is looming ever closer and i am forced to get my act together enough to live in a foreign country.
PS i have set up a picasa account and hope to be linking to more pictures through that as to not overwhelm the blog.
PPS for those of you with it, both my AIM and skype username can be found on facebook or find a way to let me know and i'll get it to ya as i'm not one to turn down good conversation.
i'll be there for about 4 months and hope to keep up with a blog roughly once a week. this will, ideally, allow you to either live vicariously through me, feel as though your part of my journey, or just get your fill of alex - at such a length, i know it can be rough to go without.
that being said stay tuned as my departure is looming ever closer and i am forced to get my act together enough to live in a foreign country.
PS i have set up a picasa account and hope to be linking to more pictures through that as to not overwhelm the blog.
PPS for those of you with it, both my AIM and skype username can be found on facebook or find a way to let me know and i'll get it to ya as i'm not one to turn down good conversation.
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