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!