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.
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