sono fame... sempre!

i am hungry... always!

Today was the last day of my italian language classes. Its amazing to think of how much i've learned in the past three weeks. How much of our lives do we spend learning to speak our native tongues, let alone those strange to us? Often now, I find myself mixing up my English; i spend so much time trying to get my italian sentence structure down that when i speak native, my thoughts come out in two different languages. I dont know... its confusing and absolutely hilarious.
Beth, James, and I are words dorks now. We have made so many lame play on word jokes!

We've been in our new apartments for a week now. We live on Via San Gallo, right near Centro Firenze, which is a dream because i despise taking the bus. James has 4 Italian male roommates, and Beth and I have 6 Italian female roommates. We dont know them very well at this point, but it seems like life will be pretty fun in the homes,... because there is always going to be something to teach each other. So far, we've figured out that jokes dont transfer well from one culture/language to another.

On Wednesday, Beth and I skipped classes (a much needed break) and spent hours and hours just walking around Firenze. The sun was out, and we could finally just meander without a destination. I find that I gravitate to the river. Reaching it is like bursting out of water, gasping for air. The buildings inside the city are so close together and tall; there isn't much space to maneuver. The italian bubble (you know, like safety bubble) is pretty much just their skin. But being near the river is amazing! There is open space, you can SEE the city, the sky, grass, people boating, dogs and their masters, you can see the mountains/hills (we are in a valley) surrounding Firenze, the air is clean there, and the sun hits your shoulders.
Anyways, Beth and I walked to Piazza Michelangelo which offers a birds eye view of the city and ogled at the fact that we lived inside what we were seeing. Its really quite a new experience!

Tuesday night, the three of us were invited to a dinner party with Professor Malagigi (a well-known professor and artist at the Accademia). It was like a book, like a movie, like a dream. There were about 15 people there, talking, eating together. The eating was easy: first course was the best lasagna (aside from Grandma Hedrich's) EVER, and the second course was pasta carbonera (pasta, with eggs and bacon). The pasta was the BIGGEST quantity of pasta i have ever seen at one time. The bowl was as big as a lamptable, bigger still. Delicious! The talking though, that was difficult and very tiring: trying to speak in Italian for 4 hours straight while you know only elementary things (even though you think with a matured mind) is intense. Thats why none of us went to class the next day... and because the dinner lasted until 1 in the morning. zoiks!

Anyways, we begin our courses at the Accademia and the Institute in two weeks and we are all very excited! Right now, I am just happy to feel myself get a little bit more used to life here. The first 2.5 weeks were almost horrible. But, my familiarity is growing. I bought white rice and at that last night and it felt like home. I've eaten cinammon toast and cereal for breakfast, a lot of fruit and steamed broccoli to comfort myself and to inform my body that im not Actually trying to kill it. hehe.

Not this weekend but the next, we will be taking the train to a city called Valleggio by the Eastern sea-side for Carnivale. Beth had wanted to do Venice, but I bargained for the cheaper trip. And I guess the one at Valleggio is supposed to be the oldest and most famous anyways? so.... works out perfectly. I think we'll have a blast (and i'm REALLY looking forward to the train!)

loving you and you and you!