Today is going real good.
The weather is perfect, sunny and warm. I had Italian class then the two Italian classes. One of the Art history classes is a medieval/ renaissance overview and one is about curatorial studies. We visited the Pinacoteca Nazionale and the Museo dell'opera. It's crazy to be able to see the Duccio's up close instead of on paper because there is so much detail that just can't be appreciated on a handout. Then I went with two friends and got pizza and this HUGE gelato. They have amazing flavors here (Mom and Dad, I will take you to this place when you visit). I got fondente (dark chocolate), caffe (coffee), ricotta and fig, and tiramisu and in one giganto delicious cone. It was everything a Friday should be.
Yesterday we went to the Tea Room past the campo which has really cool decoration, chairs, and millions of awesome teapots/ flaming desserts. It seems like a cool/ chill place to hang out and just talk. It smells like wonderful burning outside, like just after a campfire.
PS- I just want to say thank you to Miriam, Maria, Geraldine, Bridgette and Casey for the wonderful package. I miss you guys (and everyone else).
Happy Friday!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
woop
Bought a plane ticket to visit Hannah in Greece for the long Easter weekend in April and I can't wait.
A friend's pic of some random night out
Here's the book I've been working on (it's still in progress):
Monday, February 23, 2009
veNICE
Venice during Carnivale was madness in a good way. So many people mulling around in crazy costumes. I'd forgotten how small the walkways and streets are in Venice (it's worse than Grand Central during rush hour). We were literally on top of each other while walking and trying to get to San Marco took a good two hours or so but it was well worth it. The energy was fantastic as were the costumes. I loved how everyone was totally into Carnivale, kids, parents, and drunk college students alike.
The food wasn't great/Venice is kind of expensive but I wouldn't have missed the experience for anything and I feel like I would definitely go back during Carnivale some other time. We stayed on Lido which I can imagine is pretty in the summer but at this time it was a bit cold. The ferry ride was pretty though.
The masks were really pretty. There was a wide range of quality (from 6 euro to 200+ euro) but all of them were so unique. The long nose ones were popular (alla cyrano de bergerac? or Pinocchio?) and I got one that is white with gold trim. Buying a mask during carnivale is pretty much a must since there are eeeeverywhere. The costumes, below, were intense and intricate.
At night, we headed to San Marco and it felt like there were a million things going on at once. There was a huge stage complete with a ringmaster. There were a few marching bands playing cheesy music from Grease, Abba and other things of the sort. There was a comedy acrobat duo, a kind of Balkan brass band, some kind of theater troupe, and then some dude cranking out techno from a huge speaker (this one was popular with the college students and I definitely got my rave on). The grand finale was a helium-type balloon suspended by two strings guiding a woman who spun around and around in the air over our heads.
Here are some pictures so you get the gist of what it was like:
masks everywhere
on the way to San Marco
The food wasn't great/Venice is kind of expensive but I wouldn't have missed the experience for anything and I feel like I would definitely go back during Carnivale some other time. We stayed on Lido which I can imagine is pretty in the summer but at this time it was a bit cold. The ferry ride was pretty though.
The masks were really pretty. There was a wide range of quality (from 6 euro to 200+ euro) but all of them were so unique. The long nose ones were popular (alla cyrano de bergerac? or Pinocchio?) and I got one that is white with gold trim. Buying a mask during carnivale is pretty much a must since there are eeeeverywhere. The costumes, below, were intense and intricate.
At night, we headed to San Marco and it felt like there were a million things going on at once. There was a huge stage complete with a ringmaster. There were a few marching bands playing cheesy music from Grease, Abba and other things of the sort. There was a comedy acrobat duo, a kind of Balkan brass band, some kind of theater troupe, and then some dude cranking out techno from a huge speaker (this one was popular with the college students and I definitely got my rave on). The grand finale was a helium-type balloon suspended by two strings guiding a woman who spun around and around in the air over our heads.
Here are some pictures so you get the gist of what it was like:
My travel mates: Fumie and Arielle
standard face
masks everywhere
on the way to San Marco
two broads
The mob scene: San Marco
Fewer pigeons since they outlawed feeding them
Rococo?
Family getup
One of my favorites
Just some clowns, you know
Some knife-juggling unicycle-riding street performer
The Peggy Guggenheim museum courtyard
Clown band at night
comedy duo
Stilt people giraffes
Music
Helium spinner gal
crazy
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Un Sacco di Soldi
Excited for Friday to go to Venice's Carnivale! I hear they have a lot of crazy masked people hired to roam around and scare tourists.
Things have been pretty good. Checking out more places around town. Last Friday was fun because it was Leann's (a classmate) birthday so we all went to a few bars (Irish pub, Bella Vista, Caffe del Corso) and this dance place called The Gallery which was fun but the music wasn't great.
It's been super cold here recently but blue skies mostly.
One of my classes, Book Art, is really fun and interesting. The teacher is from Australia and it probably one of the most good natured and patient people I've known. I guess you kind of have to be in her line of work. Basically, we learn how to bind books/journals and eventually the final project is of our own creative conception. The examples of previous projects are so beautiful/ painstakingly made with care. I'm really into the class and I think everyone else is too. We all get caught up in the physical processes: the sewing, folding and cutting of paper, designing etc. Tomorrow= two art history classes.
This is also weird: the canned tuna here is infinitely better than dumb albacore. Also there's a powdered instant drink which is orzo (barley) mixed with coffee which is the bombbbbbb. coffeecoffeecoffee. hahaha
more later
Things have been pretty good. Checking out more places around town. Last Friday was fun because it was Leann's (a classmate) birthday so we all went to a few bars (Irish pub, Bella Vista, Caffe del Corso) and this dance place called The Gallery which was fun but the music wasn't great.
It's been super cold here recently but blue skies mostly.
One of my classes, Book Art, is really fun and interesting. The teacher is from Australia and it probably one of the most good natured and patient people I've known. I guess you kind of have to be in her line of work. Basically, we learn how to bind books/journals and eventually the final project is of our own creative conception. The examples of previous projects are so beautiful/ painstakingly made with care. I'm really into the class and I think everyone else is too. We all get caught up in the physical processes: the sewing, folding and cutting of paper, designing etc. Tomorrow= two art history classes.
This is also weird: the canned tuna here is infinitely better than dumb albacore. Also there's a powdered instant drink which is orzo (barley) mixed with coffee which is the bombbbbbb. coffeecoffeecoffee. hahaha
more later
Saturday, February 14, 2009
more pictures
Natural History:
The view:
Friends:
Another friend:
Hall of stuffed birds:
on a passagiata:
the Duomo in Firenze:
Friday, February 13, 2009
fruit
Happy (almost) Valentine's Day!
I have always liked Valentine's Day for some reason although I know a lot of people don't. And even if you don't have anyone specialspecial you still have family/ friends and you feel fuzzy all day. That sounds really lame but I think it's a nice thing overall.
This is also weird but nice: I got a little sack of blood oranges (they're popular here) at the grocery store and am going to eat them all really fast (haha not really, but kind of). They taste fantastic and are beautiful.
I just read Lady Chatterley's Lover (another book from the school collection). I haven't felt this enthusiastic about a writer since I don't know when. I definitely recommend the book and I mean, the wording is pretty scandalous now so I can't imagine how racy it must have seemed way back when it was written. D. H. Lawrence has a way with words that I envy. That said, I'm going to let the book speak for itself and when you read it you'll know I'm talking about.
Today was the last day of the Italian intensive and we had a short test. Monday we start real classes. I can't believe I've been here for three weeks already. It feels like only one or two weeks. TIME. AHHH. But in a good way.
Hope you're all well and warm.
I have always liked Valentine's Day for some reason although I know a lot of people don't. And even if you don't have anyone specialspecial you still have family/ friends and you feel fuzzy all day. That sounds really lame but I think it's a nice thing overall.
This is also weird but nice: I got a little sack of blood oranges (they're popular here) at the grocery store and am going to eat them all really fast (haha not really, but kind of). They taste fantastic and are beautiful.
I just read Lady Chatterley's Lover (another book from the school collection). I haven't felt this enthusiastic about a writer since I don't know when. I definitely recommend the book and I mean, the wording is pretty scandalous now so I can't imagine how racy it must have seemed way back when it was written. D. H. Lawrence has a way with words that I envy. That said, I'm going to let the book speak for itself and when you read it you'll know I'm talking about.
Today was the last day of the Italian intensive and we had a short test. Monday we start real classes. I can't believe I've been here for three weeks already. It feels like only one or two weeks. TIME. AHHH. But in a good way.
Hope you're all well and warm.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
A rainy Tuesday
Here is the information for the art show:
The opening reception for the Arches Student Show is Sunday, Feb 15, 3-5pm at Boston University, 808 Gallery, 808 Commonwealth Ave.
Please go and see everyone's work (and my print) if you're in the area.
I enjoy how they always have fruit and nuts for dessert here. It's very light and nice. Except I think Fulvia thinks that I'm weird (nuts haha) because she brought out some nuts and I said "what are these?" and she said something like "nuts!" but I actually meant "what kind are they?" since we had to husk them ourselves and I guess I'm not too familiar with what nuts look like in their natural state. They were actually hazelnuts, walnuts, and almonds. Now I know for future reference.
Also, yesterday for dinner Fulvia's daughter and son-in-law came over for dinner (tortellini in broth, meat wrapped around some egg/ bread concoction) and I just listening to them talking in Italian. I think they were discussing Il Papa, the Pope. Then she whipped out this jar of skin salve which was actually olive oil and wax together (it works really well and now I kind of want some).
Siena has a wood shack set up in the Piazza del Campo with delicious fried rice balls with powdered sugar (they may sound strange but are actually amazing amazing amazing). They call them Fritelle and it's a special deal every year near carnivale. They're 4 for 1 euro or 8 for 2 euro, etc. I usually get 8 because I'm so obsessed with them. I don't think I will ever get sick of them.
Today we stopped by the Accademia dei Fisiocritici Natural History Museum. It's a super small museum full of glass cases chock full of shells, stuffed animals, and bones. I took some pictures and will post them soon. The second floor had a section full of stuffed birds. Everything else was mostly okay but for some reason I couldn't take all those birds on sticks. I ran away from that section because no one else seemed to be around and it was getting creepy.
I'm going with a friend Arielle, and her home study room mate to Venice at the end of the month for Carnivale and we're staying on beachy Lido. I can't wait to go back to Venice.
The opening reception for the Arches Student Show is Sunday, Feb 15, 3-5pm at Boston University, 808 Gallery, 808 Commonwealth Ave.
Please go and see everyone's work (and my print) if you're in the area.
I enjoy how they always have fruit and nuts for dessert here. It's very light and nice. Except I think Fulvia thinks that I'm weird (nuts haha) because she brought out some nuts and I said "what are these?" and she said something like "nuts!" but I actually meant "what kind are they?" since we had to husk them ourselves and I guess I'm not too familiar with what nuts look like in their natural state. They were actually hazelnuts, walnuts, and almonds. Now I know for future reference.
Also, yesterday for dinner Fulvia's daughter and son-in-law came over for dinner (tortellini in broth, meat wrapped around some egg/ bread concoction) and I just listening to them talking in Italian. I think they were discussing Il Papa, the Pope. Then she whipped out this jar of skin salve which was actually olive oil and wax together (it works really well and now I kind of want some).
Siena has a wood shack set up in the Piazza del Campo with delicious fried rice balls with powdered sugar (they may sound strange but are actually amazing amazing amazing). They call them Fritelle and it's a special deal every year near carnivale. They're 4 for 1 euro or 8 for 2 euro, etc. I usually get 8 because I'm so obsessed with them. I don't think I will ever get sick of them.
Today we stopped by the Accademia dei Fisiocritici Natural History Museum. It's a super small museum full of glass cases chock full of shells, stuffed animals, and bones. I took some pictures and will post them soon. The second floor had a section full of stuffed birds. Everything else was mostly okay but for some reason I couldn't take all those birds on sticks. I ran away from that section because no one else seemed to be around and it was getting creepy.
I'm going with a friend Arielle, and her home study room mate to Venice at the end of the month for Carnivale and we're staying on beachy Lido. I can't wait to go back to Venice.
Monday, February 9, 2009
florence
A few things:
I went to Florence with some friends from the school. There's a bus that runs there every hour (although it seems like it's always late) so we spent the day just walking around. It was definitely a lot different than when I went with my parents last year. I think because it was the weekend there were double the amount of tourists. It's much more crowded than Siena and it was more of a hassle just to walk from point A to point B without having to elbow people. I remembered it as being totally different but it was cool to be able to recognize some buildings. It's a short bus ride so I'll probably go back a lot and we go there with the art history class a few times too.
It's not raining today but it's still cold.
We picked classes today and I'm pretty sure I'm taking two art history classes, book art, and Italian.
Sunday I didn't feel like going out so I woke up late and then read Cyrano de Bergerac all day (meaning 2pm on) because some former student left it at Fulvia's house. It's a great play. I forgot how much I liked it when I read it for 9th grade. In some ways I admire Cyrano's character. He has intense pride and integrity as well as being but then I want to shake him and say " WHY DID YOU WAIT FOURTEEN YEARS TO TELL HER? YOU COULD HAVE HAD IT ALL. but no." It's all very frustrating but that must be why I like it. I guess it wouldn't exactly have the same effect if it all ended peachy-keen. It's hard to find cheap books in English here so I have to read what I can get although the school has a small library.
I went to Florence with some friends from the school. There's a bus that runs there every hour (although it seems like it's always late) so we spent the day just walking around. It was definitely a lot different than when I went with my parents last year. I think because it was the weekend there were double the amount of tourists. It's much more crowded than Siena and it was more of a hassle just to walk from point A to point B without having to elbow people. I remembered it as being totally different but it was cool to be able to recognize some buildings. It's a short bus ride so I'll probably go back a lot and we go there with the art history class a few times too.
It's not raining today but it's still cold.
We picked classes today and I'm pretty sure I'm taking two art history classes, book art, and Italian.
Sunday I didn't feel like going out so I woke up late and then read Cyrano de Bergerac all day (meaning 2pm on) because some former student left it at Fulvia's house. It's a great play. I forgot how much I liked it when I read it for 9th grade. In some ways I admire Cyrano's character. He has intense pride and integrity as well as being but then I want to shake him and say " WHY DID YOU WAIT FOURTEEN YEARS TO TELL HER? YOU COULD HAVE HAD IT ALL. but no." It's all very frustrating but that must be why I like it. I guess it wouldn't exactly have the same effect if it all ended peachy-keen. It's hard to find cheap books in English here so I have to read what I can get although the school has a small library.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
pictures
Things have been kind of the same the past few days so I haven't written that much. Yesterday Fulvia made risotto with spinach and it was great. We've been talking more and yesterday was the first time I've watched TV in about three weeks but she only has two channels in English so I can pick from European CNN or this channel called InBox which is similar to MTV. I don't think I'll be watching too much television.
Today for language lab in the afternoon we went on a walking tour of Siena with one of the instructors, Roberto. It was interesting to hear about the different types of architecture and see the many different facades. We are learning to discern between original gothic, traditional gothic and neo gothic styles. It even stopped raining for a little bit today and I got to sit and paint outside for awhile. I'm probably heading to Florence this weekend, a 1.5 hr bus ride, with school friends.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
AHH
Just got a email from my printmaking professor that one of my prints was chosen and will be shown at the Arches Student Show at Boston University. I'm so excited about it but sad that I won't be in the states to see it. If any of you are in the Boston area please go check it out for me and take pictures. I'll give you more information about when it's showing soon. Hope you are all well.
(It's raining again today)
Also, yesterday Fulvia made me the tagliatelle with wild boar sauce (Siena is known for their wild boar) and explained how there are a lot of automobile-hitting-boar accidents.
PS my address here is:
Amanda Hu
c/o ISLA srl
Via Pannilunghi 10
53100 Siena
ITALY
(It's raining again today)
Also, yesterday Fulvia made me the tagliatelle with wild boar sauce (Siena is known for their wild boar) and explained how there are a lot of automobile-hitting-boar accidents.
PS my address here is:
Amanda Hu
c/o ISLA srl
Via Pannilunghi 10
53100 Siena
ITALY
Monday, February 2, 2009
11th day clubbin'
Friday at around 2pm the whole group of us made a trip into San Gigmagnano, a very small town about 1.5 hours away from Siena. It's completely walled in but definitely more of a touristy destination. We all walked around for a few hours and the views there are wonderful. I have a few pictures I'll upload soon.
Then, later in the night, some of us went to a disco called "Vanilla." I REALLY enjoyed it although I think some of the others didn't. I probably just liked it because there was that crazy techno/electro music with heavy beats/ repetition that I love (Azzara, you probably would have gotten really into it too). The name of the party was Il Primo Facebook party which didn't quite make sense. It was pretty hardcore because we had to take a shuttle to the club (which was in the middle of some kind of industrial district) and then we got there we were the only American ones there as opposed to many of the bars in Siena. Once we got inside and started dancing I think the Italians were probably scared of us (or maybe just me) because I tend to flail my arms a lot and jump up and down. Euro dancing is interesting. They don't really move around a lot and then do some kind of signature arm movement over and over= pretty boring moves if you ask me. We didn't get back until way late because the first shuttle back to Siena wasn't until 3am and of course it was late. I had a great time though. It's still raining loads here.
Then, later in the night, some of us went to a disco called "Vanilla." I REALLY enjoyed it although I think some of the others didn't. I probably just liked it because there was that crazy techno/electro music with heavy beats/ repetition that I love (Azzara, you probably would have gotten really into it too). The name of the party was Il Primo Facebook party which didn't quite make sense. It was pretty hardcore because we had to take a shuttle to the club (which was in the middle of some kind of industrial district) and then we got there we were the only American ones there as opposed to many of the bars in Siena. Once we got inside and started dancing I think the Italians were probably scared of us (or maybe just me) because I tend to flail my arms a lot and jump up and down. Euro dancing is interesting. They don't really move around a lot and then do some kind of signature arm movement over and over= pretty boring moves if you ask me. We didn't get back until way late because the first shuttle back to Siena wasn't until 3am and of course it was late. I had a great time though. It's still raining loads here.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
