Barcelona!

Barcelona has such a great vibe! I mean, it's kinda dirty and it's a little shady, but at the same time it's bustling, fresh, and muy guapa! We saw pretty much everything we wanted to see...and then some!

The first day Brittany and I decided to start with the free walking tour of the gothic district of the city. Here we met Rick, a guy from Australia who's backpacking through Europe. We ran into him about 4 times in the street throughout the trip...it was so bizarre! After the tour, we walked up Las Ramblas and decided to watch some street performers who were doing acrobatics. They were ridiculously strong and limber. Brittany, of course, got plucked out of the audience do be a spectacle herself (when Rick refused to participate) and ended up like this (!):

Later the evening, the three of us were the only people who had bought tickets for the cooking class. We learned how to make tapas, sangria, and pallela from this really cute Spanish girl. Mmmm...it was so good!

That night the three of us ended up rambling up Las Ramblas again, and while we were talking, these two people walked up to Rick and it turns out they had just met a few days ago in Rome on the pub crawl! So we chatted with Ben and Bea for awhile before heading to a bar and talking some more. They're all from the same town in Australia, too. What a small world. It was so spontaneous and spontaneity is what makes for the most memorable experiences.

We came home to meet the roommates that had woken us up with their drunken hullabaloo at five that morning. They were German twenty-something hard-rock punk guys that had been paired with a couple of dainty California girls. They were far to funny and kept suggesting places for us to go where they "make good party". I had to get a picture of them to share with you all:

The next day we wanted to start with the Picasso Museum. While in the metro we ran into Rick, who was going to the same place, and why wouldn't he be? Hehe...He asked if he could continue the stalking and tag along, and so we all had a great time seeing a great collection of Picasso's earliest works.

Afterwards, we split up and Brittany and I ate at a small restaurant with a really sweet Spanish lady who kept trying to explain what the dishes were. Later on we set out on a quest to discover the works of Antoni Gaudi who was a modernist architect and did seemingly all the interesting architecture in Barcelona. Everything of his is curvy and colorful. His main ongoing masterpiece is the Sagrada Familia (Sacred Family) Cathedral which is so huge and so intricate and so absolutely original that we had never seen anything like it. It might not even be completed in our lifetime.

That afternoon, after a bit more Modernist building watching (during which we got somewhat lost and some Italians thought it would be wise to ask me of all people for help...it was neat though because I actually was able to help them find their way!), I gave in to hot chocolate and churros because it's a common Spanish dish I didn't want to miss out on! The place was really popping and had a cute atmosphere. Churros dipped in chocolate are so much better than churros dipped in, well, not chocolate.

So after that we were planning on going back to the hostel to rest for a bit before going out for tapas and then to a club. However, we got totally sidetracked when we saw the fresh market off of Las Ramblas. I've been to several markets before but this one wins hands down. Everything was so colorful and so lively and so fresh!

Needless to say, we dropped our dinner plans, bought a bunch of fresh food, and went back to the hostel to make our own tapas like we had learned at our cooking class the night before! Our impromptu Friday night dinner paired with a bottle of wine made for such a fun night! So as I'm tipsily munching on salami and cheese atop tomato bread, I say to Brittany, "I'm glad we saved eating tapas out until tomorrow so I can eat meat." Then I look down at the salami in my hand and we both started dying laughing. Oh well. I actually think dinner was so fun that I didn't mind quite as much when the club experience later on bombed. Man we hate house music.

Even before we went home to eat all our lovely purchases we wanted to make sure we didnt' miss the light show at the Magic Fountain, so we took another detour, this time to Placa Espanya. Wouldn't you know it, we ended up running into the Australian couple again there.

The fountain was so cool! It's at the foot of the Catalan Museum and in the evenings they do this really spectacular light show. We watched it twice, it was so good.

The next morning on our way out we took a detour to check out the cool graffiti in the park near our hostel. There were even people tagging while we were there!

At Park Guell, we saw some more of Gaudi's visionary works. Apparently it was a flopped housing development...but it just looks like a cool park to me! There were tons of simply gorgeous mosaics littering the park. Brittany and I had a great time watching the hoards of people attempt to take pictures with this famous lizard gecko mosaic thing--all at the same time, all in different languages. It was a grand mess. Anyways, we figured we better follow suit, so here we are in all our cliche cuteness:

I had watched this French movie dubbed in Italian that takes place in Barcelona (hehe) with Azzurra and there were many shots from Park Guell so it was super cool to be there in real life. The weather was perfect...warm and clear...you could feel the ocean nearby. At one point Brittany and I were talking about the old days and fun stuff we used to do like her photo shoot with Julia, to which I exclaimed, "Why don't we do fun things anymore?!" Brittany agreed and then we looked at each other and realized, um, we're in Barcelona, and felt really stupid for our ignorant complaints. Hehe...anyways here's some various shots in the park, in which we spent a great deal of the day:

Then we went back to Las Ramblas for -Haagen Daas- woo! followed by a tour through the main cathedral, the most memorable part of which is the cloister which is outside with palm trees, fountains and geese in the middle!

Then we stopped for another snack...we're so bad! We had come across this adorable place, and so went in for tea and pastries. We decided to drop by the hostel for a little rest and warmer clothes and picked up an LA girl from our hostel, Roxy, who went out to dinner with us. We went to a place near the harbor for delicious tapas and wine, and were aided by Roxy's fluency in Spanish! We ate a great sampling of some very authentic dishes! After, we strolled the harbor and took one last tour of Las Ramblas before heading off to bed.

I had to be up for an 8 o'clock flight which permitted me only 3 hours of sleep! I just reminded myself I can sleep when I'm dead.

And finally, a special treat. Here's the video I took of Brittany with the acrobats!

Divertimento cuando dovrei studiare

There's been lots going on this week to distract me from my studies! However, all distractions have been welcomed with open arms. The days are set up so much better here and I have adapted my schedule accordingly. Instead of procrastinating all day and then studying through the night with a small break to eat (only because you NEED nourishment) like it is in San Diego, here we wake up early, study, eat a lovely long lunch, study, and then do whatever we want in the evening, including eating and going out if we so please! It's so nice to get up, get everything out of the way, and then not only feel accomplished but feel free to enjoy myself in the evenings. I love it.

I got the internship I mentioned before with the Migration Magazine in the Italian Lit department. The lady I'll be working with, Rebecca, is American and did her masters at UCLA. She's so sweet and is very excited to include me in the project and teach me all she can. She said, "I promise you won't make a single photocopy." I'm so lucky to have found an internship that will actually be worthwhile.

Wednesday was Elizabeth's birthday and she reserved the back room of Le Stanze for apperitivo. Everyone dressed up and there was a great mix of Americans and Italians there.

Thursday was Valentine's Day! We had a nice lunch the four of us girls (including a parmeseano compliments of Federica's mom--mmmmm) and then Azzurra and Federica brought their stuff into my room and we attepmpted to study. Who studies on Valentine's Day anyway?

Then in the evening I went to this kind of weird tortellini show thing with the program. They did a big skit and told us about the history and we helped make tortellini wearing awful yellow smocks. We were all disappointed because there wasn't really a full meal involved. There were two tortellini chairs though, and I thought that was pretty cool.

Friday was Federica's birthday so most of the day was spent NOT studying and just preparing. The girls in the apartment have been getting a lot closer lately...it's so much fun to be able to talk about personal things and joke with one another in Italian! All day I called Federica 'Principessa'. In the evening, the boys next door and a few others came over for dinner and dessert. It was nice to have a relaxed evening with everyone...and Federica's tiramisu was amazing!



Saturday I decided to get out of the house and go to the Republic of San Marino with Shawn, Giuliana, and her friend from home, Kim. It's actually it's own country within Italy, kind of like the Vatican, which means that the rest of Italy hates them because they don't pay taxes. It's up on a hill with castles overlooking beautiful views of hills, red-tiled roofs, and the ocean. I loved the getaway.

T minus 7 days until my exam...and T minus 9 days until Barcelona! Woo-hoo!

Quaresimo & the Dawn of a New Semester

Well, it's officially Quaresimo (Lent) and that means it's time to crack down on all this fun I've been having. Well, at least a little. Luckily, my Italian roommates are Catholic too so I'm not the only one who's not eating meat on Fridays and that helps me so much to remember! For Lent, I've decided to give up chocolate and take up diligence. One might be hard to achieve without the other. How I'm going to study without chocolate is beyond me.

On Ash Wednesday I went S. Maria Novella to find out their times for mass that day and ended up deciding to do confession with this priest I have a certain affection for. He's old and oh so sweet and made me feel so comfortable when I was trying to confess tutti i miei peccati in Italiano! Later that night I went to mass at my favorite church so far, Santo Stefano. It was such a small congregation (only 20 people) and I was so proud of myself for how much I was actually able to understand! Mass is practically like lecture here since I have to concentrate so hard to process everything, but it's certainly getting easier.

Meanwhile, school has started again. It's nice to see the city bustling with people. I had missed that. The only class that's started for me so far is one on the experiences of the people during the wars of the twentieth century. The prof is quite a character and she holds my attention relatively well...which says a lot. Later this semester I'm going to take a Dante class at the study center and then an English romance lit class at the University. Lit's hard enough without being in Italian. Right now I'm studying for an exam in my Italian lit class from last semester. Ahh. It takes me so long to get through the material.

I'm hoping to take on an internship this semester, most likely with the Italian literature department. I still have to meet with the lady I would be working under to secure the details, but if it goes through it should be really cool. It's for a new magazine the department's putting out with pieces written by immigrants on their experiences in this country.

In other news, I'm still tutoring English. Have I even mentioned before that I tutor English to two Italian sisters? There's Claudia, ten, and Elena, six. Claudia's English is already quite good because she's been studying it for a long time now. Tutoring them is fun and a good excuse to get out of the house.

Once I'm tired of being diligent, I still find time to go out and have a good time. Last Saturday night we went to the Mexican restaurant and there was dancing on tables, and tonight we're going to a birthday party for one of our Italian friends, Vincenzo.

And the most exciting of all things this month is that Brittany and I booked another trip! We'll be heading to Barcelona soon for some Sangria, Flamenco, and Tapas! Totally can't wait. Mostly just because I want to see Brittany. :)

How to be a Vero Italiano

1. Eggs may not be eaten before twelve noon.
2. Green means go, red means go. You, personally, always have the right of way.
3. After your three course lunch comes an espresso followed by a cigarette.
4. Family comes first. Period.
   
5. Chicken? In pasta? You can't!
6. Never walk barefoot in the house. You WILL get sick. Slippers are a must.
   
7. Mama always knows best.
8. In fact, while you're cooking, call her every 5 minutes to make sure you're following her recipe to a tee.
   
9. Own multiple cell phones so that you get the best deal with each company.
10. Buy either a big poofy down jacket or an ostentatious fur coat for the winter season.
11. In the summer, overtan.
12. Don't eat out. You can cook better and it will save you money.
13. Buy a motorino.
    
14. Look at waiting in lines as more of a suggestion than a rule.
15. If you are a man, you must own a pair of red pants.
16. Eat only Italian cuisine as that of other countries just isn't as good.
17. Only study in the morning. The evenings are for relaxation.
    
18. Take a break between the hours of 1 and 3 in the afternoon.
    
19. In fact, take the whole month of August off, too.
20. Be wary of prostitutes, their pimps are mafiosi.
21. Never be on time.
22. Don't make eye contact with men. They take it as an invitation.
23. Eat pasta at least once a day.
    
24. Whether it be a watch, a purse, or glasses, you must own something by Roberto Cavalli and something by Dolce and Gabbana.
    
25. You can be certain that your region is the most beautiful and has the best cuisine.
26. Go ahead and think that foods like tangerines and bread are native to your home country.
    
27. If you don't feel well, you probably have a fever.
28. Class is optional and you don't have to accept a grade you don't like.
    
29. Speak in a language that has 14 verb tenses, as opposed to the mere 6 the English language possesses.
30. Only eat sausage that was processed by your grandmother, wine that was fermented by your uncle, and olive oil that was hand-picked by your grandfather.
31. Don't live to work. Work to live!