30.1.11
So I am IN Florence! Finally! I have been here since Thursday, but haven’t done anything because I have been so cold! It is freezing here and we finally just now got our heater and shower fixed so now we can take warm showers and not shiver all the time, although it is still pretty cold and the heaters aren’t that much warmer. We didn’t shower for 4 days!! And washed our hair in the sinks. I know, it sounds disgusting, but I’d rather be dirty than have hypothermia. Haha My back hurts pretty bad ‘cuz I am so tense all the time with the temperature I am adjusting to.
We arrived in Florence on Thursday after a bus ride through the countryside. We stopped at a gas station rest stop thing for lunch and can I just say woah. I had a gormet pasta dish at this gas station and they cooked it right in front of me. These pit stops are definitely a notch above America…or like a million notches. Anyway, we got there and had to take our suitcases pretty far. I thought I packed a lot, but so many girls definitely brought way more than me and I was not that girl who kept dropping her suitcase so my self-esteem was good. When we finally got to our apartment, it was not at all the apartment I expected and had looked up on Google earth. It was better! Palazzo Della Signoria is the most important square in Florence and that is where we live.. and not in some alley or street near it. We live in the piazza. Literally, our next door neighbor is the Uffizi and David. That’s right, every day I get to walk out and turn my head slightly to the right to see naked David. Just another fun fact. The building the replica of the David is in front of used to have real lions inside and there are holes in the palace where men would throw scorching hot oil on warriors that were trying to climb the palace. We had our first homemade meal to celebrate. I will have pictures or videos soon.
The next day we had boring orientation schooly stuff and I walked to where my classes are which was pretty confusing, but it worked out. We also walked farther to the cooking classes, which I am not taking, and found a little restaurant to have lunch. It looked like a little café, but when we entered we realized it was a huge, every wall painted uniquely, every chair different and luxurious, restaurant! The menu was all in Italian and I asked the waitress what she would recommend (in Italian). She spoke so fast and all in Italian telling me all the dishes. Oops. “poco Italiano” I said. “Ohhh just get anything. It is good.” Well that didn’t help, so I just pointed to something. It ended up being a chicken marsalaish thing and it was delicious. So much food and I felt so great after finishing it all. Definitely never get that in the U.S. They tell us to get lost so that we can find places that we will love and be special to us. I think this is one.
That night we had a reception for Florence University of the Arts, which is the oldest university in the world ps and it was insane. Entered from a forgotten alley way, it was in a beautiful renaissance building with dancing, a dj, and food. After that, we went to a Scottish pub run by Asians to plan our semester travels. So many thoughts and plans- exhausting.
So.. I have a problem with alarms (I think EVERYone knows that), but didn’t think it would be too much of a problem, especially when we didn’t have to be somewhere until 1030. I was wrong. My roommates and I woke up at 1022, put on clothes, deodorant, and brushed our teeth and ran out the door! We made it in time to catch the group as they were leaving to go to the Piazzale Michelangelo, the best view of Florence . We didn’t even look at our hair, but it didn’t make much difference because it was so windy anyway.
For lunch we ate at a restaurant overlooking the Ponte Vecchio. It was beautiful. We looked up and down the Ponte Vecchio and went inside a couple gold stores, and also got pushed out of one by a mean old lady who was mad when I did not want to buy the watch I tried on. We explored the markets too. I need to learn Italian.
The story behind the locks. People propose at the Ponte Vecchio with these locks and probably a gold ring they may have got on the bridge. They attach the lock after this happens, (they love each other probably) they throw the key into the Arno river. yay symbolism about love.woo :)
Later, the walking tour was in the cold, but we learned so much history about every part of our city. When we were at the train station, there were millions (I actually think millions) of birds flying around together back and forth making tons of designs like the school of fish in finding nemo. It was pretty awesome, and a girl got pooped on-I think more than one girl actually.haha.
It was a very interesting tour and painful and the ‘Welcome Pizza’ with the ISA program after, was a very sufficient reward. I love the staff of my program! They are so nice and fun to listen to as they talk in English. I will be stopping by their office a lot to say ciao. :)
It is really hard not knowing Italian and just trying to adjust to the culture right now. I feel like every time I do something I am being made fun of or I look stupid or everyone hates me. It is sad, but I know it will get better.
Today I went to IKEA. Never eat IKEA food in Italy. I still feel like throwing up.
I start classes tomorrow so i will post eventually.
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