An Ode To Popcorn

Popcorn (a.k.a. "Poppy girl!!"), my favorite cat, died today. I got her when I was about 7 or 8 (hence the AWESOME name). She'll be missed : (

Partayyyy

We had people over a couple Saturdays ago and went all out. It was our first "party" mostly made up of Daniel's go friends. But I managed to invite a literary friend of mine, Monica.

I bought some awesome china —5 teacups and saucers and a few fancy plates— from an antique store going out of business; I was pretty excited to create an array of desserts fit for the china. The food was amazinggggg:

THE FOOD: appetizer plate with cheeses, salami, roasted peppers, toasted pita, and crostini, lasagna, marinated vegtables with mushrooms, artichokes, tomatoes, and potatoes, M'hanncha, a Moroccan dessert that tastes a bit like baklava, berries with marscapone cream drizzled in chocolate, peanut butter chocolate scones, and black currant scones.

Close up of the M'hanncha

Close up of the marscapone dipping cream

Close up of the black currant scones (SOOOO GOOD, Daniel made them)

In other news, Daniel and I signed up for Nanowrimo, a.k.a. National Novel Writing Month. You plan your novel in October and try to write 50,000 words or more in November. Last night Daniel and I stayed up until 2AM working on our outlines. I think that's going to be a pretty usual thing next month...

Movie

I made a movie of all the little movies I took in Europe. It's not very good, and I couldn't figure out how to add titles in iMovie after many frustrated attempts so...

1. The Colosseum
2. Taormina, Sicily (yes they are singing the pizza pie song)
3. The blowing up of the cart, Duomo in Florence
4. Magic fountain in Barcelona, Spain
5. Flamenco show in Barcelona, Spain
6. Concert in the Piazza Signoria by the Uffizi gallery, Florence

Sorry it's so small but I am sick of working on it.

Last Hoorahs

I am trying to stay up so that I can be on a semi-normal sleep schedule or something. It seems kind of pointless to sleep. My flight is at 6:45 AM and I am probably leaving for the airport at 4:30. I stop in Munich, have a 4-hour layover, then I fly to Philly.

I have spent the last few hours packing up everything. I have so much stuff…wow. I think I am just barely under the weight limit.

The last week has been really great but really hard. I have had an array of end of school parties and sentimental moments. For example, on my way back home tonight, I stumbled across and orchestra concert in the piazza signoria. They were playing phantom of the opera music and it sounded incredible. This piazza is beautiful, so it was kind of the perfect way for me to end my time here.

Concert in the Piazza Signoria (with a copy of Michaelangelo's David)

I also saw a really beautiful concert at an old church with my friend Emily the other night. There was an amazing pipe organ/organist, oboist, and mezzo-soprano. I wanted to see an opera, but this was close enough, and significantly cheaper! I was also hoping to do a wine tasting and tour the chianti region, but it was impossible to get in touch with the company and time ran out. Next time…

I finally met my cousin Carmella who lives in Firenze. She is 81, but doesn’t look it at all. It was kind of awkward though. I got really nervous and had trouble speaking Italian. Plus, how do you fill in someone on 22 years let alone 81 years? I was kind of confused on who the people were too… I know that she babysat for this one family for a REALLY long time, and I think she lives with them still. There was another random lady there too, though; I have no idea who she was, but she kept saying how she couldn’t understand me : (

Carmella and I

I’ve had to say goodbye to friends I have made here and acquaintances that I wish I had more time to get to know. Now my only option is to continue these relationships through facebook, or maybe a step up… emails. I know there will be a few people that I will be able to visit. Emily, for instance, lives in Queen Creek, AZ, not tooooo far from my soon to be family.

Me and Emily being the bandits that we are

On one of the last nights, I met up with everyone from a small book group I've been doing on the piazza michaelangelo. This piazza has a bronze copy of the David in the middle of the square and over looks the city. We all cooked different things and brought them, and were able to watch the sunset on all of Florence.

Sunset over the ponte vecchio taken from the piazza michaelangelo

One girl from the group, Michelle, is tranferring to Wheaton college in the chicago area. Both of us will be moving to a new place, not really knowing to many people, so I am super excited to continue my friendship with her and in one of the coolest places in the US!!! Woohooooo

Back: Michelle, Amanda, Molly, Audrey, Emily, Tetra, Kristen Front: Me, Megan

Sigh, I will even miss some of my professors. My Italian professor is such a darling. Our class only had 4 people basically (this one guy never came) and we had so much fun. I saw her at the end of the year party and she wished me luck in my marriage and emphasized that my fiancé was really cute hahahah (I showed her and this other girl a picture in class one time). I think she was a bit tipsy. Italian professors sure know how to party. Anyway, Micaela is actually going to Jerusalem pretty soon to study archeology there, which I think is totally awesome.

My Italian class: Christopher, Chelsea, My professor Micaela, Gina, and me

In order to prevent myself from chaining myself to the radiator, I guess I will try and focus on the things I WON’T miss about Italy. For example, the beggars everywhere, and especially the ones with dogs. If you can’t feed yourself…why did you get a dog? I know it’s for the sympathy factor, but it just pisses me off.

I won’t miss taking the bus every day either, though I will miss having to walk long distances. Italians on the bus annoy me. 9/10 times they try to sit in the aisle seat and make it difficult for anyone to try and sit in the window seat. You always have to climb over them or, maybe they will get up and let you into the window seat. Why don’t you just move over into the window seat? Or, better yet, just sit in he window seat in the first place!? I know, you’re thinking, they probably have a stop coming up, but no, trust me, I know what I’m talking about.

Above all, I won’t miss the disgusting guys that make kissy noises at me and/or say “ciao bella” among other obnoxious comments. “Eh…sexy…eh…what are you doing tonight?” or my favorite “my dream is to be your ice cream” (said to my friend who was eating gelato at the time). I just don’t get it… does this technique actually work on some girls? It must or they wouldn’t keep doing it I guess. I am sick of trying to walk by without glaring back at them or saying something really nasty back. In fact, today a friend of mine called this guy a turd in response to him and he got really mad and started freaking out at us and calling American girls sluts etc, etc. I agreed with some of the stuff he was saying, but he was being so extreme. I tried to reason with him but he was all “I’m from Napoli… we have mafia there. Blah blah blah. You come to italy and disrespect us, this is our home… blah blah.” I felt obligated to show this guy that not all Americans suck, but he was really mad and Emily kept exasperating him further. Whatever. Turd. Hehehehe.

Similarly, I won’t miss pushy street vendors that make noises/pretend like you dropped something just for you to stop for a second and look in their direction, or ones that say things like “hey baby.” So inappropriate. Like… how is harassment a sales tactic?

I can’t believe I am leaving in a few hours. I keep kicking myself, wishing I could do it all over. I feel like this was my one chance and I approached it all wrong or did it all wrong or something. I can write Italian a million times better than I can speak. If only I could write notes to everyone instead of talking. I expected to leave fluent… how naive. For anyone who tells you that immersion works, it doesn’t in 4 months.And the best time I have had here has been probably these last two weeks… figures. Makes it really hard to say goodbye.

I have taken quite a few short videos here. Some time soon I will try and figure out if I can put them up on the Internet somewhere so that you can see them. Talk to you soon...in America(!)

Una zanzara intelligente

I have a mutated half human mosquito living in my room. Seriously.

The last couple nights I have woken up to loud buzzing in my ear. When I turn the light on and try to hit this thing, I always miss, and then cannot find it. I search the room high and low and it is nowhere to be found. This mosquito only tries to attack me when it's dark in the room. Guerilla tactics I tell you!

Last night I slept with the light on because I was getting annoyed. I woke up this morning and turned it off (some light came in with the morning). Soon enough, I heard the buzzing. I turned my light on and hit it, but somehow it escaped. Then... I saw it hiding...in between my bed and the wall. He's a cunning little thing. I missed him again and now he is lurking somewhere in my room only to begin la guerra again tonight.

I am north American

You may remember a while back, me mentioning a song I overheard in the non solo sport store. I originally thought it said “I’m not American scum,” but it isn't insulting; it's a song about being an American in Europe. I saw the music video a while ago.

Oh I don't know where to begin
We are north americans
And for those of you who still think we're from England
We're not, no.

...

I hate the feelin' when you're looking at me that way
cause we're north americans
but if we act all shy, it’ll make it ok
makes it go away.

(so true)

...

You see I love this place that I have grown to know
alright, north america.
and yeah, I know you wouldn’t touch us with a ten-foot pole
‘cause we’re north americans.

(heheheh)

We are north american scum
We are north americans
We are north american scum
We love north america.


I do love North America, and I am definitely ready to come home! : )

The exhibition

I went to our student exhibition on Saturday night. There was champeign, cheese, and olives, and I got to see my professors tipsy heheheh. I was supposed to have 3 pieces in the show, but apparently none of the works from our art therapy class were put in the show (though they were oddly put in the catalog of all the works). Meh...whatever, it's not like I need random people trying to analyze my issues ; )

I really enjoyed the exhibition. Many of the works were excellent, and had I not been obligated to vote for myself, it would have been hard to choose.

A work I liked called, "Norway is the perfect place for a hero convention" (sorry about the flash glare)

It was really cool overhearing people say things about my work. Kristen came with me and took some "mommy photos."


A closer look at my accessory design project:




It's a bag composed of mixed media -- woven strips of Italian love grafiti and then the words Ti amo Italia. I sewed random beads and sequins on it and also put them through the clear plastic tube handles. The sides are 4 scribbles I found by the same girl (Niky) who kept setting herself up with different guys, hahah. I don't know if I will have room to take this back with me... maybe someone else will want it.

I have had a really good week spending time with friends and relaxing. Finals week won't be too stressful, either, thankfully. Things are coming to an end and it feels bitter-sweet. While I am sad to leave this place, I have a whole 'nother chapter of my life beginning once I come home.

This year has been full of leaving things behind: I am graduating and leaving my college, I have studied abroad and left my country, friends and family, and very soon I will be getting married moving to another state. Daunting isn't it?

But how can I change if I stay static? And what will I miss out on if I never take risks and branch out? I try to be more excited than scared.

It hurts to know I will be leaving Pennsylvania. After I visited Allison in Alicante, I realized that I might not see her again for a long time. I was hit with how much I would be leaving behind. I know, though, that eventually my friends will be leaving Havertown too. And then there is my family... sigh... I guess I am only a short plane ride away, right?

I know I will meet new friends and have new opportunities in chicago. God will use me in new ways, put new awesome people in my path, and my life will really begin. No more school, entrance into the working world, and real pursuit of my hobbies. My life could go in any direction. Never before have I had so many possibilities. So cool. Thank God for the hope in Possibility.