Markets and Marble

Today was a fantastic day.

I awoke much earlier than my body had hoped after a late night on Thursday, but the sun was shining brightly and after a shower and a quick breakfast I was headed off to the Mercato Centrale with a group of NYU students and our Office of Student Life coordinator Alexa. The OSL had planned this trip since before we even arrived on campus, and I signed up last week because I heard it was “not to be missed”.

We took the bus down into town and stopped in a little café before heading to the market. I, of course, don’t really drink coffee, but Alexa recommended I try a “Latte Macchiato” which is a drink that Italians give to their young children to help them start getting used to coffee! It’s basically steamed milk with a drop of coffee in it, but that was plenty enough for my taste buds.

The  Market was incredible. It’s not like I’d never seen raw meat and fresh vegetables before, but there was such a cultural authenticity about this place, it’s hard to describe. I posted some pictures here. It also helped that Alexa is INCREDIBLY knowledgeable about everything…I learned more about Italian history and culture in this ONE visit to the Mercato than everything I’ve previously learned since arriving here two and a half weeks ago.

I’ll highlight a couple of things that I learned: Italians take tremendous pride in their country and their food. Any item raised within the country is MORE expensive and considered higher quality than anything imported. The label on national food even translates to “ours”. Italians are also obsessed with digestion and diet. I guess that’s why there seem to be no overweight people. You don’t drink certain drinks or even take a SHOWER after eating because it disrupts the digestive cycle.

Italians are excessively resourceful. No part of the animal goes to waste; everything is edible. You’ll see from my pictures that people often by the entire animal (especially poultry) because you can use everything. Under the glass you see brains, heart, lungs, tripe, testicles, and every other body part you can imagine. Use your imagination: it’s there.

People complain about Tuscan bread because…it has no salt. Gross, right? Well…yes, it’s very bland, and it’s certainly not a taste that we are used to. I thought it was this way in all of Italy, but it’s specific to Tuscany. The story goes that WAY back when Pisa and Florence were at war, Pisa (being on the coast and the mouth of the Arno river) halted all transport of salt to Florence—just to be bratty. So (Italians are stubborn) the Tuscans said, “Fine. We don’t need salt.” And they’ve made bread with no salt ever since. They’re STILL too stubborn to say, “You’re right…it tastes better with salt.” And now they’ve acquired the taste. It might take ME a little longer than 4 months to get used to it, though…

After I left the market, I went by myself to the Galleria dell’Accademia to see David. You know…the David. It’s funny…everyone talks about how it’s “so incredible” and I’ve always just sort of thought, “Alright, I appreciate art and all of that, but really…it’s just a sculpture.” But as I rounded the corner and looked down the hall lined with Michelangelo’s abandoned sculpture projects to witness the colossal form of the Old Testament hero, posed with his sling draped behind his back in the moment before he strikes down the giant Goliath…it truly is breathtaking. On the plaque in front of the sculpture there’s a quote from an art historian who says something to the effect of, “Once you’ve seen David¸ you really needn’t bother looking at any other piece of art within the genre. This is the epitome of the art form.”

I can’t even fathom how someone took an enormous slab of white marble that people were throwing out because it was “defective” and created one of the most masterful works of art ever created in the history of the world. He is the ideal masculine form…he looks like an anatomy model. Except, however, that his head is disproportionally large because he was meant to be placed high high up on top of a building, so Michelangelo had to compensate and trick the eye of the beholder. But in the picture books in the museum gift shop there are certain photos of the statue taken in certain light that you honestly have to study really hard to realize that you’re not looking at a human being. There are even veins visibly protruding from the tops of his hands! It’s truly exquisite.

I know that I’ll be going back to look at it again. I found myself always coming back to it in the museum.

Which I shouldn’t discredit. There was a room full of literally HUNDREDS of plaster busts, many paintings throughout the halls of the museum of course, and another very very striking sculpture called Ratto delle Sabine that was extremely beautiful and moving as well. I managed to snap a photo of it before I realized that the taking of photographs was expressly forbidden in the museum. They’re not joking…they’re like hawks surrounding David just waiting to descend upon someone who even THINKS about whipping out a camera.

I’m glad I went by myself though…it made it very personal and special and I liked that about it.

There is an exhibit of historical musical instruments at the museum as well, which I chose to leave for another day! I am so grateful for this Museum pass card they gave us!

I spent the rest of the day relaxing at home, and tonight we watched Disney’s Enchanted for what was my first time! Hard to believe, I know…but I enjoyed the movie nonetheless. Although it did make me miss New York…a lot…

I've Been Workin' On The Railroad...

While I would love to say that I’m settling into a routine, my days remain somewhat irregular and filled with unexpected surprises. My Italian teacher was sick last week and canceled class. Today, she had to go to Sienna to see a doctor about a problem with her eye. So, we had a substitute.

It seems so “high school” to me to have a substitute for a college class. But then again, so does having the same class every single day. However, Valentina was quite enjoyable and I may even prefer her teaching style to that of Silvia’s. But, I also realize I’m becoming more and more comfortable with the material and the language, so class is becoming less frustrating than the initial shock of full immersion.

By the way, as a project at the end of the semester, Silvia wants us to perform the American classic "I've Been Working On The Railroad" for a school of Kindergarteners in Florence as well as some traditional Italian songs. Something tells me "Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah" is better left unexplained to the 5 year olds...

Anyway, being one of the 10 musicisti in the class, I have been appointed as musical director of what I'm certainly will prove to be a groundbreaking performance. I'll keep you posted.

My Music History IV Professor is (ironically) in New York this week, so we had no class this afternoon, which allowed me to simultaneously do my laundry and work out. Today was a good work-out. I feel like this study abroad trip is rehab or something. In any case, I’ve never been this motivated to work out in my life, but I’m not complaining. I’m establishing habits here that I hope will carry me through the summer. I’m going to have to join a gym this summer, that’s for certain. I should go back to the YMCA so I can swim…

But I digress.

“Allora” is currently my favorite Italian word. It means many things, which I think is why I like it so much. I hear it ALL THE TIME when I listen to native speakers talking to each other so I finally asked what it meant. Here’s a post from and Italy forum on tripadvisor.com that explains it pretty comprehensively:

Allora is something like you could use a word like “well”.

Allora, andiamo a casa.

Well, let's go home.

Mia macchina ha una panna, allora prendo un taxi.

My car is broken, in that case I'll take a cab.

Allora tutto bene.

You see, everything is fine.

Allora...prendo un risotto milanese.

Let's see... I'll have risotto.

It’s Often used in situations where it means very little, a toss away word.

It also can mean “now” like “Now, what was I saying…?” or “okay” like “Okay…let’s get started”.

In other news:

I have a job! Yes, thanks to Federal Work Study, I am paid by the government to:

·         Work the reception desk at Villa Ulivi (the academic villa where all our classes are). Here I help people who want to check out movies, need to see a copy of their syllabus, make copies, sell copy cards, give people their course packs they ordered downtown, etc etc

And

·         Set up the Art Studio at the end of the day for the next morning’s art class. I work with one other person to re-arrange the room according to the respective professor’s preference as to how the room should be set up for his/her class.

It’s 6 hours a week, at $8.50 and hour. Not amazing, but it’s $102 every two weeks, and I’m here for 14, so I’ll be making roughly $700 when all is said and done. If anything it’s a nice cushion for expenditures over here…

Speaking of which, there’s a ski trip to the Swiss Alps that I’m seriously contemplating. It’s € 180 for the trip, and I think another € 80 for rentals at the mountain…but otherwise pretty much everything is covered.

I don’t know…a bunch of my friends here are planning to go…it would totally be a blast. I’m so torn between wanting to explore Europe, and wanting to be frugal. Just having the opportunity to study here is amazing…and lots of people who return actually say they wish they had traveled LESS because they wanted to get to know the city more intimately. That certainly won’t be my problem…but I’m still trying to find the right balance.

A Trip to Terni

(Click on the Links for PICTURES!)

Friday’s highlight was the showing of The Dark Knight in the “Blue Room” of Natalia. They projected it on the big screen in that room and we sat in the darkness munching on popcorn.

This weekend, we were offered the chance to attend a jazz performance by Greg Burk (our Aural Skills teacher) and his trio in Terni, which is in the region of Umbria in Italy. It’s about 2.5 hours south of Florence by bus. NYU paid for our bus and hotel, and we just had to pay for dinner Saturday night.

WHICH, while we’re on the subject, was INCREDIBLE. It was my first “authentic” Italian meal. Not that the food I’ve been eating hasn’t been legitimate Italian food, but this was a multi-course, pull-out-all-the-stops dinner. We started with bread and wine, followed by plates of appetizers which we thought we would share, but there was one for each person! That was followed by the first pasta dish, and then the SECOND pasta dish (always with more wine…haha) and finally, we had to go to the concert so they rushed straight to dessert. We’re PRETTY sure that if we’d had the time to stay, we would have had a meat dish after the pasta and then salad after that all BEFORE the dessert.

Some of the appetizers were…interesting. Definitely “cultural” but I tried most everything because I wanted to get a sense of what authentic Italian cuisine was like.

Titillating Terni Trivia: It’s the birthplace of St. Valentine!

The jazz concert was great, if you like jazz. Most of the NYU students passed out, and while I did struggle a little bit, I managed to maintain consciousness throughout most of it!

Our teacher is incredibly talented.

At the sound-check before the show, we had a short presentation by a man who tunes pianos. But not just anyone’s pianos…

ELTON JOHN’S pianos, to name just ONE of his clients. This man talked about tuning a piano in a way I had never thought about it before: it’s an art, it’s a science, and what he can accomplish with just a few tweaks of a wrench is pure magic. It just goes to show that there are so many intricacies to every trade, and if you’re not truly immersed in something like that, you have no idea what goes into it.

After the concert we went to a little restaurant/café/club where there was MORE jazz…(it’s a popular art form in this country…) But we were all tired and went back to the hotel to sleep.

The Hotel Michelangelo was nice, but certainly not the American equivalent of the “Four Stars” it boasted.

I’ve always enjoyed bus rides. Whenever I’ve gone on school trips in big charter busses, I always find they are the best time to reflect and recharge yourself. The Italian countryside in Umbria is gorgeous, although I wouldn’t say it was the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. In many ways, the hills and trees and rolling pastures reminded me of home in the more rural parts of Washington or on your way up to the Mountains.

I find it difficult to listen to contemporary music when I’m here. Traveling through this country that looks and feels so much older than anything I’ve ever seen, it seems like I would taint it, and even OFFEND it by listening to Jay-Z or Lady Ga Ga…it doesn’t fit here. Only instrumental music or sacred music feels appropriate in this place.

Something calm, whatever it is. Even in its most excitable moments, there is a calmness and serenity that is so pervasive here. Maybe it’s the antiquity of the place; even though there is always new life being born into it, this land is ancient, and it’s seen so much. The spirit of this country is one of an old, wise, sage…one that has lived a long and fruitful life. It struggled through adolescence, flourished in its adult years, and has stayed strong throughout its years and years of life…but has now retired and resigned…letting the younger ones lead, and staying out of their youthful quarrels.

I will also say that while old can be beautiful, it can also be ugly. There’s a point at which ancient becomes tattered and shabby if it’s not kept up. While I’m fascinated by the Italian graffiti, I’m also saddened by it. It takes away so much from the beauty and the history of these places. The city of Terni was a nice change of scenery, but even Antonio told us, “It’s now a very ugly city…”

Fascism left its mark on Italy. Even in Florence there are signs of the bombings that took place during WWII. America is so young, we just knock everything down and start over when something like that happens. But here, these buildings are so much older and bigger than anything we know or can imagine. You can’t just knock them down. Attempts at “modernization” are monumentally more difficult. The streets I walk through in town look much the way they did when Michelangelo and Galileo walked them. That is so incredible to me.

But nothing lasts forever, and just as the paintings hanging in the Uffizi museum have slowly faded over time from their brightly colored originals, so too do the buildings and streets and memories of everything that has happened here.

And Then There Were Four / It's a Small World After All

It's 12:10 A.M. and I'm forcing myself to post an entry against my will because I already feel guilty for not posting yesterday. Which, by the way, was a complete accident. In any case, I apologize in advance if this entry proves to be a cursory recount of the last 48 hours.

Up until Tuesday, my schedule for Wednesdays was completely open after Italian in the morning, but I received an email from Antonio telling me my private composition lesson had been scheduled for Wednesday afternoons at 2:30, though he didn’t say who it would be with.

Before my lesson I went down into the city by myself to find Paperback Exchange, an American bookstore near the Duomo that is selling our textbooks. I GoogleMap-ed it before I left, but I clearly didn’t study it carefully enough. The network of roads and alleys just south of the Duomo is a labyrinth of narrow passages and unmarked streets. I wandered around in circles for a while, and even asked someone “Come si va a via della ocche?” (How do you get to Via Delle Ocche) but just as I was losing hope, I found it.

My Italian book was € 48,50 and I’m hoping I can sell it back at the end of the semester…

On my way home I ran into several people I know, which is weird. I think it’s just a testament to how many study abroad (and particularly NYU study abroad) students are in the city.

My composition teacher is Ricardo Ricardi.

That’s actually his name. How brilliant is that?

He’s a composer of opera  and “musical theater” although the art form as WE know it in the US literally doesn’t exist in this country, and no one knows what it is. This semester, I’ll be working with Ricardo on orchestration, setting text, and he even gave me a 12-tone serialism assignment. We’ll see how that goes…

Wednesday night I went to dinner with some people at an off-campus residence. It was very nice.

When I arrived home Wednesday night, I got an email from my Italian professoressa saying she was very ill and class had been canceled for the next day, which meant I got to sleep in!

Thursday:

I DID get up for breakfast, but then went back to bed until about noon. It felt good to sleep in.

My first class at 1:30 was Aural Skills (or “Ear Training”) IV. It’s going to be a challenge. Since the Theory and Aural courses are generally correlated with the History courses (I-IV) we have now moved on to 20^th Century music, so in Aural Skills we’ll be learning to sight-sing atonal melodies, which is extremely difficult. We’re also expected to do dictation of atonal chords…the teacher is originally from Michigan, and comes to Rome via Boston where he taught Ear Training at Berkeley School of Music…so I guess he knows his stuff!

During our break I came up to my room to grab something and check my email and Frank Garcia walked in the door (our fourth roommate)! He was at the inauguration, so he had to come late to Italy (poor baby). It’s nice that all four of us are finally here and we have a complete room.

After Aural Skills was Music History II: The Baroque and Classical Eras. This class is probably the class I’m most excited about because it is my favorite musical period (not including contemporary music). Our instructor was British, slightly neurotic, though quite funny, and certainly entertaining to listen to at any rate.

So here’s a random story (and testament to the genius of Facebook): a couple of days ago, Kora Kilpatrick, graduate of Curtis High School the year before me, posted on my wall to say she saw my profile picture (of me rubbing the nose of the pig statue in the market) and so she knew I was in Florence. She is here in Florence as well, and has been since September with Gonzaga University in western Washington State.

So! Tonight she and her friend met me and some of my friends for dinner at one of their favorite Florentine restaurants called Il Gatto E La Volpe (The Cat and the Wolf) based on characters from Pinocchio. We had a lovely dinner with some of the best homemade bread, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar I’ve ever tasted. The house red wine was also incredible, and the food was fantastic.

Florentine Fun Fact: Alfredo sauce doesn’t exist. It’s an American invention.

We went BACK to Grom for more gelato (because, of course, we had to take Frank on his first night here!)

You can never have too much gelato. And when it’s only € 2 for a piccolo (small), it’s pretty hard to resist!

Italian Inauguration

Today I had Italian again in the morning, and then ran downtown with Molly and Vanessa to buy our “course pack” that’s being printed in an Italian “copisteria” (copy store). We ordered it and it will be delivered to campus tomorrow.

I love going into town. The city is so beautiful. Sometime this week, I’m hoping to get down into the city by myself and go exploring on my own.

On the way home we stopped at a little shop and bought laundry detergent, since our previous attempt to buy it was a failure (we didn’t know what we were buying, and the people running the store only spoke Italian).

We also stopped for gelato and pizza on the way back up Via Bolognese to campus.

My afternoon class on Tuesdays is Music History IV: 20^th Century. I am already really excited about this course. They professor is great and the subject matter will be really interesting. I’m not saying I’ll come out of it ENJOYING atonal music, but…I’ll have a great appreciation for musicology and the recent development of music. We’re also spending time on more “tonal” composers of the 20^th Century, so that makes me excited.

Then tonight was the inauguration. Starting at 4:00 pm (when CNN started coverage) there was an event at Villa Sassetti with snacks and refreshments, and multiple viewing rooms for the ceremony. This event was also open to the entire city Florence, I found out, and they were selling pins (probably left over from the campaign) that read “Americans in Italy for Obama”. People were wearing t-shirts, too.

It was a really special event for all of us who were there, who sat in silence as we listened to that incredible address by the most historic president ever elected. I’m glad we got the chance to celebrate, even from 4,000 miles away.

Monday Monday

Today was the first day of classes. I failed to get up in time to work out, but I at least showered before breakfast. Monday-Thursday I have Italian class from 10:30—11:45. It will be a nice way to start off my school day.

Silvia Chegia (KAY-jah) is my Italian teacher. She spoke basically no English for the entire class, but while the man we had last week for our “crash course” was good about making it simple for us to understand him despite the language barrier, this woman spoke to us as though we were fluent: very rapidly and without any hand motions to help us understand. Perhaps we will learn it by immersion. We shall see…at this point, most of us just look back at her and smile and nod, or with blank stares.

She did say, however, that learning Italian would be easy for the musicians in the class, because “Italian is a very musical language.” I thought that was interesting. It’s true, those of us who are auditory learners have an advantage, and we’re able to easily mimic the sounds that she’s making. Repetition is a snap. The Italian language has a lot of stereotypes associated with it and the culture in general. But the thing is, they’re all mostly true. The language is very sing-songy.

In the afternoon I had Music Theory IV, taught by Richard Trythall. He moved to Rome in the 1960s after winning some composition award. He fell in love with the country and hasn’t left. He’s pretty elderly. I’m not sure how old, but he’s up there. However, he’s EXTREMELY likeable and everyone else seemed to enjoy him as well. He is/was a concert pianist…so he played us some music of his performances and compositions on the piano. I will definitely enjoy this theory class, even though it’s 2.5 hours long. It turns out there’s a half-hour break in the middle! And since the class is held in Villa Natalia where I live, that will be very convenient.

I interviewed today for a work study position on campus as part of the “Villa Ulivi Team” of assistants. Hopefully I will get that. They pay $8.50 (yes, in US dollars) an hour and you can work a maximum of 10 hours a week. I feel like I’m going to have a lot more free time here than I do when I’m in New York, so I might as well make the most of it and earn some money.

It was raining today, pretty hard at one point. It’s still beautiful when it’s raining, but I definitely prefer the sunshine.

Random Italian fact today: in the bathrooms there are two buttons in the wall that you push to flush the toilet. One button is bigger than the other. Bigger button = bigger loads. This is because, according to my introductory materials, Italy’s plumbing system dates back to the Renaissance, so…it can’t handle a lot. We are reminded to be very conservative when it comes to toilet paper…

I’ll write more about my room (and show some pictures) in the coming days.

Also, L’Alfabeto Italiano: A B C D E F G H I L M N O P Q R S T U V Z

Notice anything missing? That’s right, 21 letters. J, K, W, X, and Y do not exist!

(notice the two buttons! and tiny shower...)

Weekend Update

Saturday, January 17:

Saturday breakfast is from 9:00-11:00, so everyone enjoys sleeping in. Of course, I still got up early and went down to work out in the gym.

After breakfast, we had a “Gelato Neighborhood Tour” where our PAs (Peer Advisors, like RAs, basically…) lead us down through the eastern part of Florence to a good gelato place.

Which was closed.

So we went back toward home and found another place, and I had my first taste of Italian gelato. It was quite good, of course.

After that we all just kind of bummed around until dinnertime. I slept, did some reading…

Dinner gets more and more chaotic every night. Why?

The freshmen have arrived.

And boy, have they EVER. My hall is now constantly filled with loud running footsteps and screaming adolescents who should NEVER have been sent to Italy for their first year at NYU, but somehow have done just that because their parents are rich. Students admitted to the LSP (Liberal Studies Program) have the option of spending their entire first year abroad here in Florence. So essentially, they are rewarded for their mediocrity. And we reap the benefits here in the second semester and endure their over-zealous reunions.

The other arrival we had was roommate 3 of 4: Carmen! He was taking a Winter Session course at NYU so he arrived late. We thought he wasn’t coming! He’s from Jersey, and he’s an Economics major with an English minor. I think. He’s very nice.

Saturday night was a blast. My British friend Rishma said she knew a couple of Italian guys through a friend of hers, and they would take us around Florence and show us the cool places to go at night. On the way to meet them, we stopped at one of the “off-campus” housing sites in downtown Florence. I won’t lie, it was REALLY nice. But you still can’t beat the beauty and convenience of living at La Pietra.

We met the guys on the steps of the Duomo. They took us to a small, CHEAP little bar that had a nice atmosphere. Then we went to this club called “Astor” which was just…insane and loud and filled with Americans, so we left. We wandered around before ending up at this place called “21” which is also popular among Americans and study abroad students, but it’s huge and they play music and there’s dancing.

European clubs and dancing are VASTLY different from American ones. I became keenly aware of how sex-oriented our music and dance is in America. I mean, I knew that, of course, but it’s just so evident in Italy because no one on the dance floor is getting “freaky” and the music doesn’t condone it. We all found it sort of difficult to dance to, to be honest. They’re very into techno music here. Heavy beat, not a lot of variety, certainly no vocals.

On our way home (at 2:30 AM or so) we tried to find food, which was QUITE difficult. EVERYTHING closes in Italy at about 10:00. So…the only places open are these Turkish places (that are common) that sell Kabobs. We, however, got chicken nuggets and French fries. It was a late night, but a lot of fun!

Sunday January 18:

I woke up at quarter to 10:00. It felt good to sleep in. Today was the day for the Red Bus city tour of Florence! After taking the city bus for the first time down to the Santa Maria Novella train station, (and making a coffee stop at the gourmet McDonalds) we got on our red double-decker bus and took off around the city! It was nice to see Florence from that view. I took lots of pictures, the best of which can be seen on my facebook (even if you don't have one!) by clicking here.

It’s raining today, but it was nice when we went out on the bus.

After the tour, we found a restaurant and I had delicious authentic Italian lasagna for only € 5,80!

Then we went shopping. I’ve been on the hunt for a journal and a nice leather wallet. I managed to get both, today! We first looked on this street market that reminded me of Canal Street in atmosphere and quality of the items…so we moved on.

We went past the Duomo and the Piazza della Repubblica to Mercato Nuovo, a covered market where vendors were selling lots of leather products. I successfully purchased a nice wallet for € 17,00 and a journal for € 20,00.

It started to rain on our way home, but otherwise our day was dry, though cold and overcast with sun-breaks.

Classes start tomorrow! AH!

Pictures at an Exhibition

My sleep cycle is improving. I woke up at the somewhat decent hour of 8:00 AM and managed to go to the gym again. I’m really going to go every day. At least that’s what I tell myself. It’s too convenient to not take advantage of it.

Breakfast on Fridays is graciously offset by one hour, from 9:00 – 10:30. I had arranged to meet Molly at 10:00 so we could eat before our first session at 10:30. Breakfast in Natalia is great. I really just like coming down and knowing I’m going to see people I know, because there are only so many of us on campus (roughly 100, I think). So it’s inevitable that when I head down for a meal, there will be familiar faces.

The Director of the program here said in his welcome speech that what they strive to accomplish is achieving the “small college” atmosphere that most of us would otherwise never have experienced while at NYU. I can already tell that will be the case. I know so many people already, and classes haven’t even started yet. Once we start falling into a regular routine, I know I’ll be seeing many more people.

We kicked off the day with a meeting about the work study options available to us on campus. There are only about 20 jobs available for hire…so…our odds aren’t too great. But I’m still really hoping I get something. Interviews are next week.

Then I sat through (reluctantly at first) sessions on Travel Tips and Shopping Tips in Florence, but they were actually extremely informative. I’m a little bit scared to travel in Europe because apparently there are transportation strikes all the time.

Interesting note about shopping: at the supermarket, you have to flow through in one direction and you can’t back-track. So if you forget something, you either just do without it or you go back through again. Also, you have to respect little old ladies and they “will probably tap you on the shoulder if you’re tall and ask you to get something down from the top shelf”. You CANNOT touch any of the produce, but rather you have to wear plastic gloves. Also, you have to “rent” your shopping cart for one Euro, which you get back when you leave. You have to pay for your grocery bags, so most people bring their own.

There are lots of little quirks like that about everything here. More than you would expect.

Lunch was finally edible: pasta. I had two.

After lunch we met with Antonio Vanni, the director of the music program here in Florence. He works three days a week at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, “one of the oldest and most famous art museums in the world…housed in the Palazzo degli Uffizi” (according to Wikipedia). So, he took us there for a chance to experience the museum “from a musical perspective”…which…was only moderately successful. But it was a good first trip to the museum of what I’m sure will be many more.

They encourage us to go to the museums at least once a week because there is SO much there. They accomplish this by giving us museum passes that let us in free to all the museums in the city and even allow us to skip the lines to get in.

I was under the false impression that David was at the Uffizi...but he's someplace else...but I can't wait to see him.

But trust me, I saw enough male genitalia in one visit to the Uffizi to last me a lifetime...

Coolest thing I saw: Birth of Venus

We came back for dinner and spent another quiet night at home, which was just fine by me. My roommate Ryan also stayed in, which made me feel like less of a loser. We all plan to go out this weekend, though.

I started composing the choir anthem I’ve been commissioned to write for my church’s 50^th Anniversary. I’m excited about it…

I'm beginning it with the celebratory text from Psalm 118:24, "This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Appropriate.

I decided I need a journal. For private thoughts. And some alone time.

I'll work on that in the coming days.

Yea, Though I Walk Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death...

Thursday, January 15:

I’m still not sleeping well.

I wake up every hour.

My body thinks I’m taking a nap.

As I lay in bed wide awake at 6:30 AM I decide to make the most of it and go to the gym. My roommate is also awake and gets up too.

I worked out in the small gym in the basement of Villa Natalia where I live. It felt good to exercise, and of course the place was deserted at 7:00 AM.

I took my time getting ready for the day after working out, and met Molly for breakfast at 9:00.

We had Academic Orientation at Villa Ulivi, across the “Valley of Death” that runs between either side of the campus. There’s a path from my building to Villa Ulivi (where most of the classes are held) that’s shaped like a steep “V”. We have to go down and back up again every time we go to class. It will be good for us.

We had another unsatisfying lunch and then went across campus to Villa Sassetti for and information fair, where local businesses came and handed out paraphernalia. I left with about 20 pamphlets, but luckily, St. Mark’s Episcopal/Anglican (explain THAT one…) Church gave us a bag to carry everything else in.

We had a short break before it was time to officially immigrate into Italy. We had to show our passport to an Italian Consul who checked us off and confirmed that we were officially temporary residents of Italy. Kinda cool.

I came back to my room and took a nap for a few hours before dinner. Molly and I played a little piano last night after dinner. It was nice to get our hands on an instrument!

Some people went out last night, but I simply couldn’t. I was WAY too wiped out. I had a nice night at home, and forced myself to stay up, talking with friends via AIM or Skype.

Interesting things I’m noticing in Italy:

They use commas instead of periods for the decimal place. So something in the USA that is $3.75 would be € 3,75 in Italy. It’s not that big of a deal, but when you look at a whole receipt full of prices like that… you get really thrown off. It’s incredibly disorienting at first, and I’m still not totally used to it.

I have a strong desire to speak in Spanish when I’m here, simply because it’s ANY language other than English. When I hear a foreign language being spoken all around me, my default response it to think in the foreign language that I know, even though it’s worthless here.

One of the coolest things I’ve seen is Italian graffiti. I don’t know why it intrigued me so much, but when I saw Italian phrases spray-painted on the wall that runs along Via Bolognese, it just struck me that graffiti is, of course, everywhere.

The other thing that sounds completely cheesy but is really true is the international language of emotion. Since I’ve been traveling and hearing so many languages, you start looking at what is in common once you take away the language, and what stands out is emotional expression. Smiles. Laughter. It’s all universal, and I think that’s why they call music the “universal language” because it’s just that – emotional expression. And every culture and language can relate to that.

Getting Oriented

For this entry, I’m exploring a less-prose, more list-like style.

Our internet went out on Wednesday afternoon, so I haven’t been able to post until now. Just one of those things I have to get used to. Internet is still a relatively new and luxurious commodity in this country.

Wednesday was orientation. We were lectured on topics including: NYU in Florence 101, Health and Safety in Florence 101, Housing in Florence 101, Getting Around Florence 101 and my very first language “class” and hour and a half crash course called “Survival Italian”. Our teacher basically didn’t speak a word of English for the whole class, but rather used a lot of pantomime to teach us what he was saying. He of course spoke perfect English, but I think it really helped that he only spoke Italian in class.

Il mio nome è Michael.

Io sono Americano di Tacoma, Washington.

Io abito a Firenze in Italia in via Bolognese 106.

Io ho diciannove anni.

Io sono uno studente.

We were asked to say the above phrases on our own a couple of times and the teacher asked if I had ever taken Italian before, but it’s my Spanish background that is helping me.

I had forgotten how much I LOVE foreign languages. I can’t wait to dive into my real Italian class. I’ll write more about the language when I start up my classes next week.

Food: I had all three meals in the small cafeteria in my building. It will definitely take some adjusting too. The breakfast was similar to what I had experienced on my previous trips to Europe. Lunch consisted of flat, pita bread-like sandwiches with artichoke and…pesto? I don’t really ask, I just try to enjoy whatever it is. There was no meat at breakfast or lunch. Dinner was…interesting as well. I had my first Italian pasta. They don’t put anything on it, just oil and parmesan. But there were some flat, breaded chicken breast patties that were somewhat familiar. I’ll probably lose a lot of weight this semester.

We ventured out for the first time yesterday. Some people wanted to run up to the drug store to get laundry detergent and other stuff. The owners of the store didn’t speak any English, at all…I’m surprised at how often that’s the case here. I was told “most people speak English.”

We went down the long and narrow Via Bolognese from campus to the foot of the hill to try and get to a “Farmacia” (Pharmacy). The road is very scary. It’s very curvy and the “sidewalk” is maybe 2-feet wide in some places, so you have to walk single-file. We were told many times in orientation that they have had students get hit by cars on that road. Great…

When we got to the bottom of the hill we realized everything was closed.

Why?

Siesta.

Most businesses are closed daily from about 1:00 – 3:00 or 4:00. Live and learn.

When we came home, I took a nap of my own. My sleep cycle is really messed up still, but I’m doing alright. I just wake up really really early, because I think my body thinks I’m taking a midday nap. Dinner is served every night between 7:00-9:00…WAY later than I’m used to, but somehow I’ll survive. I need to by food to snack on in my room.

After dinner, we went out on the town to explore the city of Florence. It’s unbelievably beautiful. We saw the Duomo, Uffizzi, and the Ponte Vecchio. We went to a couple of clubs/bars in town. Legal drinking age in Italy is 16, so at the first bar we went to, it was weird to see what must have been high schoolers all in the bar taking shots together…

They were playing American music videos in the bar, but most of the songs were really old.

Our final destination was a club called “Zoe” across the Arno River. It was a cool little spot, but being that it was a Wednesday night, it wasn’t very busy. We plan to go back on a weekend for “Scramble Saturday”…whatever that means.

There were about 8 of us who all went out and stuck together last night, which made it fun. I’m already meeting new people and making friends quickly. You have to. But I’m thankful for the few friends I knew before coming here, and have been clinging mostly to them.

 

Roam if You Want To...All Around the World

International Flight – resetting your biological clock

Sea-Tac Int’l Airport was practically deserted when I arrived Monday afternoon. Thanks to the convenience of the internet, I had already checked in online and registered all of my passport information that morning. After making sure my bags were both under 23 kg, they were checked and being whisked away through the labyrinth of conveyor belts behind those dangling black rubber strips.

I knew that arriving three hours early would be a little excessive, but it allowed me some time to grab my last all-American meal at Wendy’s and make some last-minute phone calls. I was glad I chose to bring my phone along, even though I knew it would be worthless once I left American soil. The ridiculously sentimental part of me wanted to bring it along so that when I get homesick, I can turn it on and read through my 200+ saved text messages from friends and look at all my pictures.

I took the underground train to the South Satellite terminal from which Lufthansa Airlines departed. It had been almost four years since I’d been in that terminal. I have been to Europe twice before, both on performing tours with the Tacoma Youth Chorus. In 2003 we traveled to England and France. In 2005 we returned to England, and also toured Wales and Ireland.

This flight to Frankfurt, Germany, however, would be the longest flight I had ever taken, at 10 hours and 10 minutes. I was kindly reminded by my friend Yushin (who has studied Mandarin in Taiwan for the past two summers) that “that’s nothing.” Still, I was a little apprehensive. Sonya reminded me that “international flights were the best!” because they offered so many ways to keep you entertained for so long. I soon discovered how true that was.

Going to college in New York has meant that I travel by plane pretty frequently, and prior to that I had been privileged to travel at least a couple times a year for a trip of some kind. Over the years, I’ve watched the economy, the price of oil, and the paranoia inspired by 9/11 take its toll on the Airline industry. Meals disappeared flights, along with free headphones and even movies. You were lucky if you got a beverage and some crackers. It’s for these reasons that airlines like JetBlue are doing so well. Suddenly, offering those forgotten conveniences has become a pleasant surprise that keeps customers coming back.

Whether it’s the airline, or simply the nature of an international flight, the emphasis on customer care and comfort was evident on my flight to Frankfurt. But even more interesting to me were the steps taken to reset our biological clocks. I moved my wrist watch ahead 9 hours when I got on the plane, but I knew it would be more difficult to convince my body. We left at 2:45 pm Pacific Time, which is 11:45 pm at our final destination. So soon after we got off the ground we were served dinner, either very early or very late, depending on how you look at it. We chose between chicken and pasta. I figured I would be getting my fair share of pasta in the next four months, so I opted for the former. It was the best plane food I’ve ever had. Drinks were served at least every hour; it looked like a giant liquor cabinet on wheels. All alcoholic beverages were complimentary. It seemed they were constantly coming down the aisle offering us something.

After dinner, it was bed time. The lights in the cabin were turned off and I tried my best to get some sleep, even though it was maybe 7:00 pm to me. I wasn’t very successful. “No matter,” I thought. “I’ll just choose from one of the twelve movie options on my personal screen in front of me. But of course, my screen was frozen. I could have asked the flight attendants to help me, but I figured I should just get some reading done instead. NYU asked us to read E. M. Forster’s A Room with a View before arriving on campus in Florence. I cracked it open for the first time on the plane, and read a few chapters.

I was seated next to a bulging man on his way to Wales. He was an authentic Washington redneck, complete with flannel shirt, blue jeans, and the faint smell of cigarette smoke that made me slightly sick for most of the flight. But he was very friendly. He told me his friend had been pestering him to come and visit her in Wales for three years now, and he was finally making the trip. He assumed I was ending my trip in Frankfurt, for whatever reason. In fact, I think most of the flight attendants thought I was German as well. Whenever they would come through to offer something or ask me a question, they would speak in German by default. At first I assumed they did this with everyone, but then I realized with other passengers they could “tell” were American, they simply spoke in English from the start. I found it interesting. Maybe it’s my look. Maybe it’s because I’m more “metro-sexual”, like most Europeans.

I was luckily seated on the aisle, so I could easily get up and walk around the cabin when I got restless, which I did a couple of times. I saw on someone else’s monitor that we were over Greenland. Just as I was beginning to get tired (it was now midnight, Pacific time) the lights came on. It was morning in Europe. We were handed hot towels to freshen up with, our morning “shower.” Breakfast was served shortly afterward. It wasn’t quite as impressive as dinner, but still quite good. We were making our decent into Germany.

We landed at 10:00 am in Frankfurt, and exited the plane down some stairs out onto the tarmac. It was cold and there was snow on the ground beyond the runways, but the sun was shining brightly and the skies were clear. We were herded onto shuttle busses that conveyed us to the main airport, which was enormous. I was amazed at how much English there was everywhere. All the signs were in both languages, it was very easy to find my way around and get where I needed to go.

I had to go through customs, which was easy, and also through security again. I was amazed at how much more lax the security is abroad compared to the US. I got to keep my shoes on, even. Then travel quite a long way to my terminal for my connecting flight. I was supposed to meet my friend Alana, who I had previously corresponded with and knew we were on the same flight into Florence, but there was no sign of her at the gate. So I just waited. I noticed my friend Yeseoul – a fellow composition major – arrive in the terminal and went over to sit with her. She had come from San Diego. Slowly, our NYU group continued to grow, including Alana who had fainted on her flight and was thus somewhat delayed. She was fine, though. Soon there were between 20 and 30 of us waiting for our flight at 4:25.

The time went fast and I passed most of it writing this blog entry.

We finally started “boarding” for our flight to Florence, but discovered that we really had to go down under the terminal and get on buses which then took us out to the plane. It was one of the small ones because it was just a short flight. I was asleep before we took off, and everything seemed to be going fine. Or so I thought. As we started descending into Florence, I suddenly felt the engine roar at full blast and the plane jerk back upward. We weren’t landing in Florence. The pilot came on and made an announcement in German. No translation was offered.

After about 20 minutes, another announcement was made in German and then in English. Poor weather conditions (wind) made it impossible to land and take off in Florence, so we had been re-routed to Bologna, about one hour north of Florence, where buses would then be provided to take us down to Florence. The wait for those buses to come, however, was extremely long. Almost as long as the wait for our luggage to get off the plane. It was my first taste of the “Italian time” I’d heard so much about. Things are just slower here.

Not all of us (or our luggage) fit on the first bus, so some of us had to wait for a second. It was another hour and twenty minute ride to the Florence airport. I tried feebly to look out the windows of the bus and catch a glimpse of Italy, but I succumbed to my exhaustion. A shuttle was waiting for us to take us to Villa La Pietra, where NYU is located.

I checked in, called my mom, found my room, saw a couple of friends who were already here, showered, wrote this entry, and collapsed into the bed I will become quite familiar with over the next four months.

Benvenuti

Welcome!

My name is Michael Bennett and I am currently studying abroad in Florence, Italy with NYU. For the next four months, I plan to chronicle my adventures hereabout and keep everyone at home updated about my latest happenings. 

This blog is for me as much as it is for you. I want to keep a record of what I do during my stay here, and I decided an online journal would be the best way to go. It's going to take me a little while to figure out exactly how this blog is going to function, and what all I'm going to include, so I hope you'll take that journey with me.

I'm very excited to be here, and I hope you enjoy reading!