Kicking and Screaming (Much Love to the Gritty City)

I will not come back from this place, no matter how homesick I get. I love the city life and I cannot believe I have spent years of my life without this place. Milan and I are like this epic tragic love story, we met, we wooed, we fell madly in love, the semester ended...and I went back home?

No thanks.

I love living here, from the Clementines (tiny oranges) I buy at the Mercato to the cobblestone streets and the breathtaking monuments lit up at night, Milan and I work.

Friday was field study day. This means that our professors were to take us out on an excursion that furthered our understanding of our class. My first field study was at Mediaset Studios, there, my classmates and I were audience members for the Italian morning show, Mattina Cinque. This show is nationally syndicated and the hosts are equivalent to Regis and Kelly. We had to wake up very early and catch the metro, but we also had to dress up nicely. Needless to say, we were late, but my hair looked fantastic...in case you were wondering.



We made it to the studio and watching the show being filmed was tough because it was entirely in Italian. I was astounded at the amount I understood. Immersion is no joke.

My next field study was in Torino, so I boarded a train with my classmates and away we went. The museum in Torino was all about cinema, it had a fascinating collection of old props. We rushed home, I had some gelato. Twas a chill night.


The next night I went out to a Milanese discoteque. HOLY COW, do they know how to get down! I danced the night away. FUN FUN.

Then today I spent a lazy day at home sleeping (we got home pretty late) and procrastinating. Then I cooked dinner for my housemates and watched Harry Potter with my roommate.

I keep telling myself I'm going to sleep after this cup of tea, but I keep drinking more cups. Cammomile. <3

Para-Para-Paradise

There we were eating gelato and planning our lives as midnight approached in Milan,Italy. I kept looking around in a state of disbelief, here I was surrounded by 3 of my best friends in the world, experiencing something I had only dreamed about.

This weekend, one of my best friends, Grace, came to visit myself, Hannah and Theresa in Milano. I cannot fully express how right all of us being together again felt. We had last seen Grace as she drove away from Smith Hall at the end of last semester. Fast forward through 6 months of growth, loss and distance and you find us there, in a gelateria, eavesdropping on English speakers with american-sounding accents.

We had a very chill weekend, we introduced Grace to Italy's finest in pastries, pasta and night life. Friday night was spent waiting in anticipation for Grace to arrive at Malpensa. When she finally did, we became those obnoxious airport people who hug each other multiple times and squeal in delight. The next night we had dinner with some friends and headed out to the Navigli (Canal District) of Milan. Sunday was a pastry party and Monday was a whirlwind tour of the city.

Today, somewhere a midst the evening rush of tourists and locals, I stop and stare at the cathedral beside me. My eyes start to water and I’m startled by my emotional reaction. I’ve seen this building dozens of times since living in Milan, but somewhere it hit me, this is what I’ve always wanted. When I was a little kid clutching the book “Bloomability” as I slept at night, I dreamed of this. I knew somehow, despite being poor, despite what everyone said, despite the fact that so many people never leave Newark, I knew it would happen. I wanted it so badly.

When I chose to stay in Washington to work so I could go abroad, I knew I was risking my relationship. I knew I was going to distance myself from my family.

But I was just a girl with a dream, and I can’t believe it has come true.

Sometimes it isn’t always to give up something you love for something you dream about, but sacrifices have to be made on your journey.

In the end, I still have my family, I still have my best friends and I’ve gained the experience of a lifetime. I’ve worked so hard to get here and I feel so lucky and blessed and happy.

Subterranean Homesick Blues (Politics as Usual)

My professor haughtily asks the question directly to me, he stretches his arms, sits down in his chair and stares, he places his arms behind his head, like a sunbather resting on the beach, it's a stance of sheer cockiness...This man. I'd be lying if I said I didn't chuckle at his attitude, this professor of comparative politics has been a thorn in my side since classes started, and despite my "A" on my midterm, he's still testing me.

I blink, I'm fully aware I'm about to pull an academic sucker punch. It's the sentence that stops everything, a theory most social scientists accept as true, it is the alpha and omega of theory. We'd been studying media Americanization in Europe and he'd asked if the shift the author wrote about was real. I blinked and told him, "Technically no, I mean media is a social construct, it only has meaning if we give it meaning, technically there is no difference in culture either, everything is all in our heads." I felt bad for doing it, it was a smart ass answer, but he looked at me and said something like my answer was "more sophisticated" than he expected, so I felt my smartassery was justified.

I haven't written about this particular struggle in Milano yet, the one between political cultures and ideologies, because it's such a touchy subject. It's been an interesting experience to be sure. I'm inexperienced in dealing with those of a different political vein because in California and Western Washington, Republicans are often pressured into silence. Here, the political composition of the program differs sharply from the political culture of Europe and the one at home. It has been a surprising source of cultural exchange. I'm legitimately grateful for some of the conversations I've had here, with Italians and Americans, and for the clashes with my professor. I'm not going to lie, I fought tooth and nail to get out of this class. He criticized the constitution really cavalierly once and I almost went into cardiac arrest.

Nevertheless, being here and hearing open discussions of the benefits of Marxism is fascinating. I like that here, revolution isn't a taboo, it's an expected cycle of social change. I'm drawn to the radical naturally, but I like it more in a theoretical sense. I find myself becoming ever more practical, it's something that scares me a little, but it makes sense, I'm getting old.

It's been interesting to see the Occupy Wall Street movement from over here, it's so amazing seeing the world taking action again. Obviously it's more complex than that, violence is erupting, which is tragic and terrible, but I admire when groups use their voices and make the government listen. I think the exchange is a beautiful thing when it's done properly and I'm proud that people care enough to say something.

The other day, I happened to walk through a protest near the Duomo here in Milan,it was in solidarity with the US Occupy Protests. I walked around it hearing Bob Dylan blaring in my ears, sometimes backtalk is a beautiful thing.

In any case, I don't need a weather man to know which way the wind blows. Enjoy the song. I love Bob Dylan.

Un Paseo Por Las Nubes and Other Stories

After hours on the bus, the familiar crunch of gravel meets my ears like an old friend. Then comes a moment of perspective. There I am, a tiny speck in the Tuscan countryside, surrounded by rolling hills, and endless vineyards. The horizon is painted in a pallet of rich golds, oranges and deep browns. The gold of the land and the soft hues of the sunset collide in a gradient of sheer perfection. For a moment everything stops.

Have you ever had a moment in your life where you contemplate everything that has led you to that particular place at that particular time?

At this moment, I couldn't help but think that I seriously had considered skipping study abroad, and standing on a hillside in Tuscany, the universe showed me what an idiot I had almost been.

This weekend was the IES Tuscany trip, and it was one of the m

ost beautiful experiences I've ever had. We started our journey early Saturday morning at the Cadorna station in Milano. 47 students piled onto a chartered bus and we began the drive. Soon the city streets turned into the vast Italian highway. Before we knew it, it was lunch. Sometimes it really sucks to be a vegetarian in Italy, not because I want to eat meat, but because I long for decent vegetarian food. At this rest stop, I bought a ticket for a panino, assuming they would have the classic, "tomato, mozzarella and basil" sandwich, only to find all of their panini had meat. In this instance, I ended up with a chocolate pastry, but I was starving and really wanted a sandwich.

I know, I know. Wahh wahh, #firstworldproblems.

Once we got back on the bus, time past quickly and we reached Siena. Siena is one of the most historic cities in Tuscany,

it used to be an independent city state before falling to the powerful capital of Flore

nce and then joining the unified Italy in 1861. Like many Italian cities, Siena takes pride in it's individual accomp

lishments before the "Resorgimento." In Siena, there are different districts with their own flags and they have horse races each year that have huge value for the citizens in the districts. It was interesting to see s

uch city pride. We visited the Duomo, which was probably my favorite thing we did in Siena. We trekked up the vast staircases to the top of the unfinished part of the church (the plague killed their expansion plans) and looked out over all of Tuscany. It was absolutely beautiful and after waiting an hour to be able to climb the stairs, the view made it worth

it.

Later we had dinner at the hotel and then returned to the historic center for drinks in the main piazza. We usually or

der typical american drinks, so I followed my friend Allie's lead and ordered an Italian one. The waitress confused what I said and brought me a Rossini instead of a Bellini but it was fantastic any

way.

The next day, we went on a whirlwind tour of Tuscan cities. We began with a tour of Montalcino. When we arrived we discovered that our bus couldn't drive into the city so we would have to walk up the hill to get to Montalcino. The walk was, okay,let's be honest, when do I ever enjoy walking up hills? However,
the view of Tuscany and the presence of excellent company made it bearable. I'm serious though, it was a hike. Fortunately for us, the town was having a festival. We were able to see traditional Tuscan dances and eat some traditional Tuscan food. In this festival, I happened to have the best cheese I've had in my life. It's called Pecorino and it's made from sheep's milk. If you just grimaced, you're either 1) a vegan, and I respect that, or 2) out of your mind because it tastes like heaven. I also witnessed a fantastic parade complete with drummers drumming and a king and queen!

Then we began the drive to Sant Antimo, it is a monastery in the Tuscan countryside that is over 1200 years old. Through the years, the monastery has seen waves of change, from a pope that robbed it of its riches and power to a post-plague society that wanted nothing to do with God. It stands, and hosts the daily sung prayers of 6 faithful monks. Their prayers, sung in Latin in the style of Gregorian chants, are a testament to the reverence people used to have for God. Though I am not Catholic, I find the prayers to be a beautiful expression of faith.

The monastery was situated in the Tuscan countryside, amid the most beautiful rolling hills. This was the location I described at the beginning of this blog. Something about this location stirred something within me. I can't describe it, it made me want to pray, so I did.

The next day, we found ourselves in Arezzo where the parts of the film, "Life is Beautiful" was filmed. While at lunch, my friends and I found the most charming bistro with the best service we've had in Italy. The food was delicious and beautiful and the location (central piazza) was fantastic. The trip drew to a close and I left Tuscany, incandescently happy.

Now, here are some beautiful pictures.