I have a new 'local' number if anyone wants to call....it's a skype number, 15039287586. I am told it will be just like you are calling my phone, but in fact you are calling my computer. Give it a go, I even have a voicemail...I think?
I am trying really hard to keep up on the blog...it’s hard though, life here is a little harder than I am used to. Everything seems to take WAY more time than I am used to, but that seems to be the way in Italy. If they say 2 days, they really mean 2 weeks. I think if my Dad lived here he might go crazy...it isn’t bothering me so much, I think Dad would say its my 'yellow' coming through. Maybe I was meant to be an Italian?
Last Sunday I decided to venture out and take the bus to Siena, it was very beautiful...but part of me wishes I hadn’t gone. The weather here has been very, very wet. So wet in fact, that I bought an umbrella. I have lived in Oregon, one of the rainiest states, my entire life and never used an umbrella. Living here though has made me appreciate the invention. When you are always walking, never in a car or a bus, you need that umbrella to keep you dry or sane, however you want to look at it. Back to Siena, I had to take a bus out there, about an hour with stops. On the way I was listening to my ipod and I accidentally dropped it and it died. Moment of silence for the ipod. I am honestly lost without it, I am getting by, but really lost. I get to Siena and it is SO cold and rainy I just want to stay on the warm bus, instead I ventured out into the down pour. It is a very beautiful city, but I think I would enjoy it so much more if I was to visit in the summer. I did go into the duomo, La Cattedrawl di Snata Maria Assunta (Holy Mary of Assumption). It was very impressive, much of it was under restoration...but I did get to see Michelangelo’s ‘St Peter’, which was MUCH smaller than I imagined and very similar to his Moses in Rome. I also fell in love with the Piccolomini Library the frescoes on the ceiling are absolutely stunning, the brilliance of the colors amazed me. What truly blew my mind was that they are all in their original form, they have never been retouched, restored or cleaned. Considering they were painted over 500 years ago...that’s is amazing. The library was built to house a huge library of illuminated manuscripts, which, by themselves were enough to draw me into the room. I could have spent hours just in this one little area....I ended up walking around for awhile, roaming the streets. Siena is the oldest and truest medieval town with it’s great walls still surrounding the city. You definitely felt it as you walked the narrow streets, and up the cobble stone stairwells. Here are some pictures so you might see it for yourself....sort of?
This is the fresco ceiling I LOVE!
So I have completed my first week of classes...I only go to each class once a week for two hours, but the work load is very, very heavy...which can be expected. I really feel I will learn a lot in the next year, some I know, which is great for me to build on. Most of my instructors are Italian, one is from San Diego. The classes can be funny, the instructors seem to go between speaking in Italian and english...or the way they phrase/translate things is very funny. For example, my photography instructor kept talking about this female self portrait artist who ‘liked to play with herself for the camera’, over and over again he kept saying this. Most of us trying not to laugh, he was meaning to say ‘she likes to use herself, or dress herself up, or pose herself’? Classes are good though, I have been meeting a lot of people, spent some time with a few...hope fully more to come.
I have learned something strange today..,Kelly, my roommate, told me today that it is illegal in Italy to give out other peoples e-mail addresses. She found this out by asking for her instructors e-mail via the director of the school. We have realized we are truly living on an international race track of sorts. The noise around five is horrible, the only thing we hear are horns. I tried to capture this special moment on video, but of course the horns had more or less stopped for the moment. So imagine this video with horns, but 10 times more horns and 5 times as long...
We have been trying to cook at home, Kelly made the most delicious dinner the other night. I have yet to make the grade...it was eggplant with palenta....so good. There are a few pictures attached...it was really good.
We did have a great success yesterday. We have been trying to find a some what ‘normal’ grocery store. The ones in the city are so small, so expensive and with not much variety. Two of our classmates told us about this grocery store down the road from us, they said it was big, not as big as an ‘American’ grocery store, but big. So yesterday afternoon we went exploring, when we rounded the corner and saw that the entire building was the grocery store we got really excited. I am not sure how big our classmates think the grocery stores in ‘America’ are, but this one was about average for the states. They even have ‘club cards’ which we each signed up for, big savings. It was a great find, made our day. After our shopping we saw a glimpse of a sunset and no rain. We decided to bundle up and go sit on the ‘terrace’ to watch the sunset with a glass of vino. It really was cold, but very beautiful end to a day.
I better run, my dinner time is upon me...I hope this finds you all well! Until I write more.
Ciao,
Katie
Some have asked to see the apartment...the video is not the best. I may have had a glass of wine or five before filming? Enjoy...
For some reason it's not showing the dates on my blogs? Not sure why...so now I am trying to remember to add it in the title.
More coming...
K
Today was a short day, yet it seemed so very long. Kelly and I went to our orientation...got a lot of good information...still have a lot of unanswered questions. The program appears to be really intense...which is bene (good), I am looking for the challenge. For those of you wanting to come visit, I am still not sure of my schedule...I think I get out May 16th for a long break..then back again in September. Again, not sure of the dates.
After orientation we had to go and register with the city, as well as buy our health insurance, all which is done at the post office. I have never had to jump through so many hoops. First we had to go to a Tabaccheria, basically a smoke shop to buy some 15 euro stamp for our papers. But every shop we went into didn't have them, so we were walking around in circles...after finding the stamp we then went to the post office and waited to get our paperwork done. Supposedly they send us a letter in a few months and we go meet with someone about who we are etc...not really sure.
That night we decided to go out and try a few places, just to see the atmospheres...We ended up meeting some very interesting people. There is this huge convention in town, a mens clothing convention. All the master tailors where in town, we ended up meeting some of them. One, Gerome was quit interesting. Kelly thinks he is like a modern day Austin Powers...I would agree. He was very funny. I learned some new terms from our Irish friend, my favorite was 'glamour puss', that was how he referred to his mother.
We ended the evening on our roof top terrace. It was extremely cold, thus the layers. It was a great time though.
A view from the terrace
Straight on looking at Firenze
Kelly& the Irish tailor, Gerome
Kelly& the Irish tailor, Gerome
Gerome...in a nut shell
Up on the terrace.I would like to give a special shout out to Kelly, who made this blog possible.
It’s around 6 am, I am up and ready to roll. My sleep is so messed up right now, I am not sure when it will ever be normal. Yesterday I slept till noon, I haven’t done that in years, went to bed late again last night and I am up at 6? Go figure...maybe I am excited for my orientation today? I also still can’t get used to how cold it is in my apartment, the heat is on, I am just not sure where it goes? We have been sleeping in layers and beanies hats, numerous blankets...yet it is still cold. I am ready for it to warm up a bit.
I feel like this first week has been a test or something. It’s like everything kept going a rye, things kept happening that were out of my control. I have yet to freak out, or have a panic attack...just going with it. From my first day here with the hotel reservation, to yesterday when our plumbing flooded the bathroom and into the rest of the flat. But I seem to have just laughed at it all. My roommate keeps referring to ‘in my old life I would have freaked out, or gotten angry’. I like that, cause ‘in my old life’ I would have probably dealt with things much differently. Not to say I am some changed person already, things are just different here, right now. That could change tomorrow, and that’s okay.
Our first night here the circuit breaker blew from my voltage safe hair dryer. We figured out that we can’t use it in the bathroom, only in certain more powerful outlets? It was a good thing I had my head lamp...took us over an hour to find the circuit board, we found others, flipped them ALL on and off. Our neighbors might not have been so happy about it. We did knock on all their doors first, hoping for help? The agency gave us several books to help us, one explains things like how to use the washer, or what to do if the electricity goes off. So we used the book and matched the pictures.
Then yesterday I decided to take a bath and flooded the bathroom. The drain in the floor is clogged so everything came up. That was interesting. We got a plumber to come over, he showed up with only a piece of garden hose, their only tool. We laughed a few minutes, then as the time dragged on it was not so funny. I got to shower, but my roommate had not. The plumbers where here for like 3 hours and it’s still not fixed. They have to come tomorrow to fix it, but we are supposed to be gone? Who knows...they spoke no English and our Italian is not up to par as of yet.
About my roommate...some have asked. Her name is Kelly, we met in the mad dash to find an apartment. She is the same age as me, which I like very much. She has been living in NY the last few years working for a large fashion designer in marketing. To me, she is like a mix of some of my favorite people. I feel like she is part Rachel, part Meg, part Christy a little of each of you all rolled into one. She is very much into fashion and style, extremely particular - which I think is so great. She is also particular about her products... She is very health conscience, exercising, eating right, and she is so funny, so very funny...I feel like all we have been doing is laughing. I think, and hope we will be good influences on each other. She is in the masters program for interior design...so we might have some classes together, but not many.
I best run, need to get ready for school. Here are two pictures taken from m bedroom window...Caio
Where to begin...after arriving at my 'new' hotel Tuesday morning I went directly to the school. There I was greeted by a line of people waiting to speak with 'the secretary' or the 'least knowledgeable person in all of Italy', as my roommate likes to refer to her. My main goal was housing, as I only had a hotel room for the one night...In the end, we found the most wonderful little 'flat', the process however was very stressful. It's very cut throat in Italy when it comes to finding an apartment. An agency sets you up with some appointments, you go look at them, if you like it then whoever gets back to the agency first gets the apartment. This made me a little anxious, I felt like I was on the amazing race or something. Three other girls wanted the apartment we got, but we were sly and got the agent to let us in early. We walked as fast as possible to the apartment, looked for two seconds and then ran back to the agency as fast as we could to claim it as ours. After wards, I felt like I could breathe easy...it was so nice to know I had a place to rest my dreary little head.
After our tiring experience of finding a place to live we decided to nurish ourselves with some good wine and a little food. We wanted to go back to my hotel and eat in the lobby, but that wasn't allowed...so we took our wine and food outside, which was freezing, but fun. We sat by the carousel in the Piazza della Republica attempting to warm ourselves from the inside out with our vino. Our next big task was a cell phone, so we staggered our tired selves to the cell phone store and each got a cheap little phone. My number is 3481768593, the country code is 39 I believe me. Anything incoming for me is free, you all will just have to pay...
After getting some serious business done we went our separate ways to rest a bit, but decided to meet up later for drinks. We met up with some guys Kelly ran into the night before, young boys traveling...one from Australia, one from Egypt and a third from Idaho. We had a few good laughs...one of the boys looks identical to Barack. I guess the night before numerous people thought it was him and were having there pictured taken with him.
On Wednesday we moved into our lovely little place. I want to take a little video of it to post, and I will, I just have not done it yet as we have had numerous set backs, blown circuits and flooded bathrooms(I will right more about that later). After moving into our place first thing Wednesday morning, we decided to head out to IKEA to buy a few neccesties. That was a true test of our Italian abilities, which at the moment aren't much. Trying to figure out what things are, or ingredients, is very trying right now. We walked around with our English/Italian dictionaries sticking out like sore thumbs. We had to taxi it back, as we haven't figured out the buses yet.
When we got back it was then decided we HAD to unpack and settle or things. One of the rooms in the place is considered a double and very large, the other, the single is very small. We flipped a coin and I won for the big room. In the end we decided to switch rooms every 2 months or so, and whoever has guests gets the big room. It should all work out just grand. The best part of our place is the terrace overlooking the river, we are right on the river! Did I say that? You will see it all in the video...soon I promise.
I have to run now...the plumber is finally leaving and we have been in our apartment ALL day, hoping her will fix the flood. I will write more later...
Love,
Katie
So I think I made it, I am little tired. Been up like 28 hours....feeling good. Ran into a few glitches here and there but things seem to be working themselves out. When I got to my hotel she informed me that my reservations were for the night before and tonight, thus leaving me nowhere to sleep tomorrow night....whoops. I sort of freaked, but not visibly. I decided to take a shower and go for a walk to check in at the school.
I get to the school, which isn't far and they are closed for the day. My flight from Frankfurt to Florence was a little late, backing everything up so I missed them. I am going first thing tomorrow morning. With nothing to do I decided to wander the streets...really was a beautiful day. I should have been hunting for a room for tuesday, but instead I just soaked it all in. It still doesn't seem right, or real that I am here.
I went back to the room to see if they had any cancelations...then I grabbed a book Meg got me and started calling every hotel (in my price range), third time was a charm. I am not exactly sure what type of room it is? I couldn't really understand him, he talked so fast. I think I have a bed, but I am sharing a bathroom...BIG step for me. :)
Now I am sitting in a cafe type place, starving and tired. So I am signing out for today, I am sure there will be more tomorrow. I am attaching a few pics I took with my point and shoot on my walk.
Love you all!
Okay, so I can't get these pics to attach and I am hungry! Later...I promise.
Here are the pcitures now....nothing grand
I can't figure out how to make these pics look nice on the page, but here ya go....
Love,
K
Love,
K
I am leaving tomorrow, wow how time flies. It seems like only yesterday I was deciding if I should do this or not. I have had so many words of encouragement, so many positive thoughts sent my way - thank you, you know who you are.
I am excited, yet I am scared out of my mind. Have I made the right decision? Have I taken a wrong turn on my journey? Only time will tell.
I know this will change me, hopefully for the better. I hope to see things differently, more clearly. I hope to understand myself more, be more confident. I hope to learn my craft better, to be really good at what I do. But most of all I hope to find my piece of true happiness, that piece that fits within myself where no one else can see. That's what I truly want.
When I write again it will be from Firenze, Italia. Until then....Arrivederci
All my love,
Katie
So today tops one of my most embarrassing moments, by far. I can't pass up the opprotunity for my friends and family to poke fun...what type of sister, friend, or daughter would I be?
I went to the mall today, not just any mall, I went to Washington Square, I have stepped foot in there maybe twice since high school? This is the mall were the people who spend more then $40 on a pair of underwear shop. I went there in search of a specific shoe last week, they didn't have my size so they ordered me one, it was in, I went this morning to try it on. I didn't shower, just threw on sweats and what not, I was looking a little 'homely', or maybe 'homeless' is a better term?
I LOVE the shoes, just so you know. They are fabulous. Here it is, I bought the brown...
http://www.keenfootwear.com/product.aspx?p=447
So I picked out some socks and met the guy at the counter. We chat, he told me how great the boots were, water proof and all, I said I know that's why I am getting them...bla, bla, bla The nice man helping me needs to help someone else, so he hands my VISA slip to some other guy who sets it down for me to sign. I am chatting with him now, talking about Italy, more bla, bla, bla. I begin to sign the VISA and WHAM, my left ankle just folds out from underneath me. Mind you I am wearing the tennis shoes I hiked all over Europe's fine cobblestone roads, with absolutely no problem. I really don't understand how standing on flat ground, motionless, would cause my ankle to go out.... So the ankle just goes, I grab for something to save me from falling, I choose the 'counter' I am signing my VISA on, which is 'foe', or fucking fake! It rips of the counter and goes with me. I am heading towards the wall of danskos, and BAM I make contact. I sit there all discombabulated for a minute. I get up, start to cry because of my shear embarrassment. The people are all looking at me, asking if I am okay...I am fine, I am fine, I am SO embarrassed, I am SO sorrry....that's all I could mutter through the tears of shear embarrassment. I haven't even realized that my ankle is already the size of a grapefruit. The guy asks, 'Is your back okay?' What did he say? I rolled my ankle...He points behind me to the dozen or so shoes on the ground with there little persoonal plastic shelves shattered into a million pieces. My back end did that, awesome. Now I am really embarressed. These people probably think I am some crazy whack job. I grab the bag and walk out of the store. The whole time feeling everyone's eyes on my back waiting for my next 'act'.
I hobile to the car and then the water works opened up. It hurt, but what hurts more is your pride. I will never see those people again. If anything comes from this accident, I hope it's that one person who saw it told someone else, and they laughed. Cause dam, even though I am in pain, and I am freaked that I leave in a week and I might be going gimp style, it was funny, dam funny.
I called my sister Meg first, to cry and laugh about it. When I got home I called Christy. She laughed, she couldn't stop laughing. She said 'Before comedy central called I was going to take a nap'...thanks Christy, it hurts.
7 days and counting....
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