Another week...

10/13/08
Today I slept in and went to the San Lorenzo Market with some of my roommates. On our way there we did some clothes shopping I got this really cool white sweater and a red shirt. I then got some fresh pasta and super tasty fruits and veggies.
Then I came home cooked, ate, did some laundry, and worked on my blog.
Then after I worked on my blog cooked and ate again. I made some soy sauce chicken with fresh pasta and then I got dressed to go out to an Opera.

The we went on an adventure and made it to the Opera 5 minutes late. It was really cool because it was held at an ex church. It had religious paintings all over the place and an alter piece that was pretty cool. I have never been to an Opera so this was my first time and I was pleasantly pleased. There were like 6 or 7 songs or pieces and I was amazed at the awesome tone of her voice and how it fluctuated through the room. There were times when it reverberated through my body and I would get the chills. Then the piano man played some really nice piano songs.


10/12/08
So the alarm goes off and it is so dark that I thought it was like 4 in the morning. But in reality it was 9am!! The Bolognese people have blinds that look like garage doors and completely block out the light. Great for afternoon naps when all the restaurants are CLOSED!! It all makes sense now!
We shower eat breakfast pay for the hotel and leave. This time we were smart and took the bus downtown.
We got off at the train station and start to wander. We end up checking out one of the most elaborate and elegant ancient city gates. Next to it was what I can only assume to be the ancient sewer because it smelled pretty bad. (INSERT PIC)
We then went up to a park with a pretty marble staircase and sculpture. (INSERT PIC)
I observed something really fascinating about the Italian culture. I was proud of myself for being able to observe the world around me with such great detail. So what I observed was that ALL the benches around the fountain were occupied by mature women in pairs or threes. It was the coolest thing to observe. The guys were at a different part of the park at the tables. Then the children were playing on the jungle gym. I was able to see the lifestyle that this society lives in. Sundays are family days everyone goes out and relaxes. Later that night when we were eating at the restaurant the waiter said it was slow because that's the day people eat with their families.
But before I get to that we met up with some friends of some of the people we were with and they gave us a locals tour. It was really cool because we got to see and learn about some unusual things. Such as this crazy cool phenomenon...you speak into a wall and the person opposite you can hear you!! (INSERT PIC)
Then we went to two churches and then to what I consider to be THE BEST gelato I have tasted yet!!! (INSERT PIC) It was sooo amazingly good on Via Castilogone or something like that right past the city wall gate. Oh wow it was really amazing. I had Strawberry and Limon and it was like I was eating the actual fruit and it just melted in my mouth. It was soo good that I wanted to get another one and another.

We then made our way to another church and had some toasted chestnuts that were very good because they were freshly baked and were still warm. All these churches were really really high and elaborate. The main church had an astrological clock where everyday at noon through a hole in the ceiling it shines on the spot that marks that day. It was really cool to see this awesome precision of measurements.
We then went to a Church called San Lucca at night and what's cool about it is that it has a covered portico going all the way up the mountain! This was for all the pilgrims and each arch was made by a different person or in honor of someone or commissioned by someone different.
The meal was...do I really have to say it? Nothing less than amazing. We sampled all of the typical authentic foods of Bologna in one sitting. Read more about it in my food blog.
Our trip back was interesting because we got a ticket back to Florence but to an out skirt of the city. From her there was suppose to be another train that takes us to the main station. So we get here and we watch the other train take off... the crazy thing is that at no point in time did I feel fear or panic or anything like that. It was funny because I had told some of my friends, "Not to be negative but what do we do if there is no train to take us to the main station?" They said "Oh don't worry there will be one"
From experience I have learned that, that's not always the case and I can't always count on things to go as planned. So we were walking down the stairs and I ask this girl in Italian where she was going and our situation. I figured she was in the same boat and then we both walked out of the station and she took care of the language barrier and got us on a bus with her. It turned out she was from Spain and we talked the whole way home. It was cool getting to know her and learn about her story. I have learned to trust the world and know that if I let it unfold it will take its natural course and help me achieve my goals and reach my destinations.
I can't impose my will on it and try to change it. I just have to be in touch with my surroundings and in touch with the world and it will give you all the answers. I have learned that things happen for a reason and I just have to trust the world. It's crazy talk sometimes but I think that when placed in a situation like this (Foreign Environment) were you are forced to see the world in a different way you get to experience and learn a lot about yourself and the world around you and about life in general and what is important.
In this case I met a really cool person and who knows what will happen.

I have a great sense of peace and serenity. When it comes to things that I have to do I have them all in my mind and simply do what needs to be done one at a time and forget about he rest. I am practicing disciplined focus of tasks. Basically, I do one thing at a time and forget about the rest...a kind of trance. When I am done I work on the next project. Nothing else matters until I am done, I think that this is what people consider living in the moment. One moment at a time and that's it, until the next moments.

"Life should be measured not by your breaths you take but by the moments that take your breath away."~Don't know who said this.

I am thankful for being able to learn to trust the world and have the opportunity to grow as a person.

10/11/08
Today we decided to go and get some good grub in Bologna. We left our house at 10am to leave at 10:38am but it turns out that not everyone wanted to pay the premium price of 30 euros to get a direct trip there. So we went to Prato and then from Prato we went to Bologna.
The deal was that we paid less but we would leave at 11:38 and then when we were in Prato we had to wait another hour. So it took us about 4 hours to get to Bologna which is only an hour away...
But we got there and we went to our hotel and left our stuff. We were super hungry so we went on a mission to find food in this paradise for the palate...boy were we wrong. We walked about 10 minutes and arrived at our first Trattoria and it was closed. We thought okay one closed not a problem. We then walked some more and soon realized that the only thing that was open was cafe's who sold pizza slices and panini's.
So we were starving but not going to eat what we can eat in Florence. Oh and a funny story is that when we were at the front desk of the hotel we asked the receptionist where we could eat. He said and I could not believe it..."Burger King is that way." I just laughed and felt so offended but after an hour of looking for a place to eat even McDonald's looked good and we were close to getting a burger when we stumbled on a bar that had an Aperitivo and we at there. I had this small cheese pizza and one of my friends had a plate of veggies and cold pasta it was funny that this is what we had come down to.
Then on our journey to the city center we stopped by a grocery store and I bought a packet of salame and ate that alone. It was ridiculous yes I know but I had to do what I could to quench my hunger.
We finally made it to the city center and as if we hadn't walked enough we decided to walk up the tallest tower of the city to get a panoramic view. It was long narrow and exhausting but at the end or should I say at the top it was all well worth it. (INSERT PIC)
By now it was like 6:30pm so we start our restaurant search. We were looking for something that was not on the beaten path. We find something and decided to stay by the flip of a coin.
It was fate that led us to this place and it was really good. I remember looking at our primi and thinking "Oh man this looks weak" then I took a bite and it was so good. It was buttery, but for the details I'll right them in my food blog. We then make our way home and walk back the whole 40 minutes. This time it didn't feel like it was that long though. We played games on our way there and time flew. We get to our hotel and talk for a little bit then crash out we were tired.

10/10/08
Today we went to a Pecorino Cheese factory and learned how to make cheese and then went to a winery to sample the wine with the cheese we got at the factory. It was a glorious combo and I drank on an empty stomach because I apparently didn't eat enough in the morning. I just burn through my calories like a Ferrari goes through gas!! I am serious I don't know what to do.
The wines were really good and I am looking to see how I can work with this winery.
So we get back and I took a two or three hour nap and then I wake up eat, shower and get ready to go out and dance the night away. I went out with some locals to a place were they dance Salsa. I gave my friend a lesson and I was just so happy to even be there and in the ambiance watching people dance. I felt like I was in Santa Barbara for some reason...
I had a great time overall. At one point the DJ did a line dance with salsa and it was really fun.
So here is a story worth telling...Italians are known for A) not being very organized and planning their stuff out and B) being extremely good at improvising and coming up with solutions in the moment.
I witnessed these two things that night. First off the driver wasn't sure how to get there but we made it through all these crazy narrow streets that literally only one car could pass through thankfully there were no other cars coming.
When we left we could leave the same way we came, maybe it had something to do with the lack of two way streets I don't know. Anyhow, we get in the car and just go...where literally nobody knew but somehow we ended up on some main street. I saw a sign that said PORTA ROMANA -> but I didn't say anything I am not the local. So we go another way and we end up outside of Florence we then turn around and head back through some other streets at one point we were literally going to go in a circle then the girl goes in reverse in the street and pulls back into a red light...totally illegal, but waits at the red light until it turns green and then goes some other way.
We end up somehow in Florence's center and I just get out near the Central San Lorenzo Market which is like 10 minutes from my house and then I walk home. All this took place around the hours of 2:00am. So there wasn't much traffic but still it was late and I got to see a different side of Florence. The one that doesn't have any tourist and only the locals are out yelling and drinking.
I briskly walked past all this and crashed into my bed when I got home.

10/09/08
Today for my Leonardo Da Vinci class we went to the Human Anatomy Museum that was founded in like 1700's. It was crazy to see all these human body parts, granted they were made from wax but still they were very very accurate, realistic, and too vivid for me. I wasn't too fond of today's little field trip.
Then on my way back I saw this rotisserie place and I got some lasagna and potatoes with sausage for 6 euros, it was alright nothing special.

Then I ate it at my food and wine class and I got to learn about the production of wine which was really cool and interesting!! I can't wait until next week when I learn how to properly taste wine. I am so excited.

I came home slept for like two hours woke up and then had a metaphysical conversation about a human's purpose in life with my roommate. It was interesting because I get to strengthen my beliefs and learn about other people's thought process and perspectives.

We then went to an aperitivo with our school, but I had invited a girl from another school who wanted to check out the whole aperitivo scene too. We pretty much got a full meal for the price of one drink and the food was really good. We had all kinds of pasta and stuff like that. It was cool because we taught each other about the history about Florence and where we are from which was pretty cool to learn about.

Then I went home and I was invited to go clubbing and I did. I wasn't too excited to go out but I am very glad I did, I had a lot of fun and I danced until I left. It was a lot of fun, but I was kind of weird hanging out with so many Americans and being surrounded by so much American Culture. I got to see a lot of people from my class and it was cool to see them in a very relaxed social setting outside of class. Its such a completely different interaction that you can have with people.

I am thankful to be surrounded by good people who can give you that little push to be great and live life. I would not have gone out had my roommate not invited and convinced me and I had a great time.

10/08/08
Today we watched a movie in our international class that was boring and one sided. After class I caught up on some internet work and then we went to the Pitti Palace's Bobili Gardens. They were amazing here are some photos (Photos here) I just find it hard to believe that this was a families house!!
After that I went home and cooked some food and got ready for my soccer game. We ended up losing but it was a lot of fun and I built a lot of team bonding spirit. Or what ever you want to call it. Here is a picture of my team. (Photos here)
I played everything from goalie to defense and offense. There could only be 5 people on the field from each team at a time.
Then one of the girls from the opposing team came to our house to eat because she lives with an Italian family and doesn't get to meet a lot of people so she hung out and turned out to be pretty cool.

I am thankful for being able to take advantage of all the opportunities that I am presented with while here.