Crazy Lightening

This week was stressful, to say the least. With midterms right around the corner and this semester halfway done, things are really revving up. So, yesterday, as soon as my last class got out, my friend and I raced to our favorite little pasticeria "Pan e Vita" and bought fruit tortinos. Tortinos are exactly what they sound like, fruit torts of course, not tortillas. They were delicious, a sugar cookie type crust, filled with sweet custard, and topped with strawberries, kiwi, and blackberries. I almost died. I swear, why do we even bother eating in the states? Why do we even bother cooking? The food here is so good, I swear it deserves its own parade.

Later on, we ended up perusing the shops on Via Torino. Via Torino is a street near the central Duomo cathedral here in Milan. It's a more affordable way to shop for those of us who don't rock Gucci, Prada and Armani. We walked around and found some decent things, didn't buy anything, but that was okay. While walking around the Duomo, we noticed the Rinacinte was having some type of outdoor movie event (even though it was freezing). Their theme was India, so they had huge silk curtains hanging between the huge arches of the building. I wish I had a picture, it was gorgeous.

So, last night, I ended up meeting some friends for drinks. Our original plan was to head to the hip and trendy Navigli (canals) but we accidentally got on the Metro going the opposite direction. Being lazy and exhausted as we were, we opted to stay on the train and see where it led. We ended up at a little pub called Bar Magenta near the IES center. The fantastic thing about Milan is, there is always something happening and somewhere great to be. We inadvertently found a free live concert of some rockin' cover band. The music was awesome, most of it was in Italian, but twangin' guitars steal my heart in any language. So there I am, sipping on a Mojito, rocking out to Italian songs I don't know, then suddenly I hear the opening chords to REM's "Losing My Religion." This is the point where we stand up and rush to the stage where a huge number of Italians have gathered to sway and sing. This wasn't the first English song, there were others like "Grease Lightening," (the Italian lead singer sang Crazy Lightening, and so did the people), "Crazy Little Thing Called Love, (During which, the lead singer winked at Hannah and she almost died) and "Hey Soul Sister." When I say we had a good time, I mean my face couldn't stop smiling. It was such a good end to the week and exactly what the doctor ordered.

On our walk home from the Metro, we encountered some kind of impromptu bike parade, where dozens of bikers (led by a whistler) biked down our street Via Olona. When I asked "Cosa state facendo,"(What are you guys doing?), I was met with silence. This appears to be another Milanese mystery I won't solve. In any case, we headed over to Pizza OK and bought two pizzas, took it back to my house and went to town. The night ended with giggles and silliness.

Today's forecasts expects a little shopping and a karaoke bar. :)

Love love love to you all from Milano.

a day in the life

It just recently occurred me that I haven't blogged here half as much as I initially planned to, so from here on in, I will blog once a week, at the very least.

My everyday routine here in Italy is very

v
ery Milanese. I wake up around 7 every morning and sneak around my room because my room

mate, Amanda sleeps later than I do. Once I'm ready to leave the house, I embark on my short trip to campus. I am lucky enough to live within 15 minutes (walking) from the IES Center, but if I'm feeling lazy or running late, I take the Metro.

Milan's streets are always crowded in the morning, which I love. I'm fortunate enough to witness Milanese parents w

alking their children to school, which involves fabulously dressed parents holding brightly colored backpacks, as tiny talkative Italian children scurry underfoot. It is among the most enjoyable sights of my morning.

The streets are also full of crazed vespa riders who pay no attention to traffic laws. Walking in the mornings is dangerous, but kind of like a game. I try and j-walk as much as possible because it is characte

ristic of true Milanese. This weekend, a police officer helped me j-walk, that's how normative it is here.

Walking down Via Carducci is the highlight of my morning walk, it is very much a New York styled street in Milano. There are people everywhere, cars, taxis, shouting journal sellers, butchers, bakers, candlestick-makers, the whole lasagna! It's fun to walk and just watch everything that's happening, because honestly, there is so much going on.

I usually have breakfast at the bar across from IES. The traditional Italian breakfast is "una brioche e un cappuccino." I essentially live at this bar and the owners kno

w me now. Everyday it's the same exchange of pleasantries, followed by a fantastic cup of

cappuccino and a lovely croissant.

[Insert Classes Here]

LUNCH! Normally, I eat at Pan e Vita with some friends from IES, it is a little pasticeria near campus. It's traditional for students in Italy to have a panino (little s

andwich) for lunch and I love them. They also have foccaccia covered in vegetables and cheese which is a favorite of yours truly. Sometimes we get gelato, because realistically, we look for any reason to eat it. It's wonderful and I'm going to miss gelato so much when I go home. Italians love gelato, but we recently discovered that many gelateria close for the winter! Fortunately, we're having a bit of an Indian Summer here, so they're still open.

[Insert Evening Class]

Dinner! I cook alot here in Italy. The price of food is so much cheaper than in the US. Usually, I either cook for my housemates or help cook at dinner parties. There are usually at least 2 a week, and they are hosted by IES students. I must admit I enjoy the company of friends around a dinner table. We've formed a faux family here in Milano and it's comforting when things get stressful. Living outside the US can be really stressful, especially when the language is such a challenge.

In the evenings, I do homework and go for late night gelato with my housemate and best friend Hannah. Our evening walks around our neighborhood are among my favorite daily happenings, despite the onset of mosquito attacks! Then of course, I sleep.

:)

The Only Thing To Do Is Jump

So Theresa, Hannah and I are standing on the ferry dock in Vernazza, we're waiting to go back to Monterosso when we see a group of boys jump off of the dock and into the Mediterranean.

Theresa and I exchange glances, as if to say, "why the hell didn't we think of that?"

Hannah enables by saying we have time, so, the next thing I know Theresa and I are stripping down to our swim suits in front of the annoying Australian tourists.

We're at the edge of the dock, the drop is substantial and the water below seems bottomless. We start to count, 1...as if we're actually going to do this, 2... as if it's safe, as if it's happening.

3.

We jump.

I'm in the air when I start screaming. More of a celebration than anything else.

Then we hit the water.

This was the single greatest moment of my life. Even if I did graze a rock.

Kicking my way from under the water, the only thought in my head was:

this is what it is to be alive.

davvero.