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.