I am throwing in the towel on learning how to drive a standard. It’s just not for me. I tried twice, and just today, as I stalled trying to move from a stop sign on a hill, came to the firm conclusion that it isn’t worth it. Not that bad, you say? It’s all a part of the learning process, you say? Wait. It gets better.
As I tried to talk myself through the process – push in the clutch, let off the brake, no wait, let off the clutch, give it gas, oh, stalled again, restart the engine, crap!, push in the clutch before restarting the engine to avoid death-warmed-over screeching noise, ease off the clutch again, give it gas, should be moving now, stalled again??? – a giant 18-wheeler truck pulled up behind me. Impatient, he first honked his horn, as if that would magically reveal to me the secrets of moving a standard up hill. The horn not working, he then attempted to pass me, but graciously decided to back up when he came within inches of hitting Rachel’s car. In case that wasn’t enough for one afternoon, the lovely truck driver put his 18-wheeler in park, hopped out of his truck and proceeded to yell at me. In Italian.
Completely frazzled at that point, I told Rachel to take over. She hopped out of the car and ran quickly to the driver’s side door. Too mortified to even show my face, I just slid over the cursed stick shift and hung my head, back in the passenger seat, where I belonged, and where I very well intend to stay until I find myself an automatic. I want my Honda back.
April 22, 2009
April 18, 2009
Like a true European
As much as I love to write, I can already tell that I’m going to have a hard time keeping up with this blog. Every day brings a new adventure, and it’s all I can do to remember what stories I need to tell by the time I sit down at my computer. I’m going to do the best I can to recap the last week, and maybe even start taking notes as I roam across Italy so as not to forget anything important!
Since the beginning is usually a logical place to start, I’ll jump in at last Friday, April 10, my birthday! Rachel and I took a trip to Livorno with our Benvenudi class. As is typical with these trips, we toured the Emergency Room (“just in case”), the mall and several markets. I had my first Italian gelato and was nothing less than impressed. Always up for an adventure, I ordered the ‘zuppa inglese’ flavor. Turns out, that translates to English soup. It was a yummy mixture of cherries, cake, vanilla and chocolate pieces – not sure how that translates to English soup, but I’ll take it! I’ve since tried out a few other flavors and fruti del bosco is my favorite.
Friday night, we met up with Jessica and John, friends from Benvenudi. Jessica brought her husband and his friend along – both Italian carabinieris. The boys took us to the only pizza place they’ll eat at in Livorno where we experienced our first 3-hour meal. I had heard the Italians were notorious for lingering over dinner, but I didn’t believe it until I experienced it first hand. We arrived a little after 8pm and didn’t leave until 11pm. Funny thing was, all we had was pizza, dessert (tiramisu, mmm) and coffee. The company was great and the food was even better… I’ll get used to this life style, for sure!
Despite our late dinner the night before, Rachel and I woke up early Saturday morning to head to Camp Darby, where we met the tour bus for our trip to the Tuscan wine resort. We met our tour guide, Tony, who I swear was straight out of The Sopranos and took off for the hour and half bus ride to Borgo Tollena (http://www.borgotollena.com/). As we pulled in to the vineyard, I knew we were in for the most amazing afternoon. The sun was warm, the sky was bright blue and the Italian country side, complete with the rolling hills and olive trees you’d expect to see only in the movies was in a word, breath-taking.
We spent hours eating and drinking before boarding the bus for San Gimignano to shop at Tollena’s retail shop in town. I need to get back to this place and explore more on my own. The tour group spent less than an hour there, but I could tell it was my kind of place – narrow, winding roads open only to pedestrians, quaint shops and restaurants, friendly people, beautiful mountains all around, centuries of history behind every door and all only an hour or so away from my new home in Ponsacco. Yep. I’ll definitely be back soon.
As if wine tasting and a quick trip to San Gimignano wasn’t enough fun for one day, Rachel and I met Maria and Frank, a co-worker and her boyfriend, in Livorno later Saturday evening for, get this, sushi! I’m not going to lie, I was a bit skeptical of sushi in Italy, but the restaurant and the food were both great. I was completely exhausted after dinner, so when a hunt for birthday gelato (I declared the whole weekend my birthday weekend) failed, we went home to sleep. I didn’t get out of bed until 11:00am the next day!
On Tuesday, I went house hunting again with Riccardo. Again, he only had two places to show me, this time in Tirrenia. Both places were in the same building and under going renovations until the end of May. (When the Italians tell you the end of May, what they really mean to say, is sometime by the Fall.) Neither place was great enough to warrant waiting who-knows-how-long. A little disappointed, I asked to see the house in Ponsacco again. I saw this place the first time we went looking, but worried it was too far from base (about a 30 minute drive) and not near any real town. After the second walk through, I loved the place even more, and decided to ask Riccardo to take me through the city center. As it turns out, about 1 mile away from the house, is a cute square with bars, restaurants, shops and even a market that runs every Wednesday. The commute will still be a pain, but everything else was too perfect to pass up. I signed the contract on Thursday.
My land lady lives above me, and is the cutest little old lady, ever. She reminds me a bit of Carmen Martin, my host mother in Nerja, only calmer. She told me via Riccardo (my Italian definitely isn’t good enough to communicate without a translator yet) that if I ever want to practice my Italian, just ring the bell and come up to chat. Before me, there was an Air Force family living in the place for 6 years. She says they moved to New Orleans, but that she still keeps in touch with them. The home has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, living room, entry-way and office… Way more space than I need, which means I’ll need a lot of visitors to keep it full! I’m thinking about turning the office in to a make-shift walk in closet, but I’m not completely decided just yet. I’ll keep you posted as plans develop, and if I ever find my battery charger, I might even post photos!
My work week was shortened once again by more Benvenudi trips, this time to Pisa on Thursday and Florence on Friday. The weather was rainy and cold for our trip to Pisa, but I threw on my rain coat and made the most of it. It was a bit surreal to see the leaning tower in person. Again, we checked out the emergency room (again, “just in case”), the local mall and several markets. Friday was set to be the big trip to Florence, and I admittedly had very high expectations. Unfortunately, there is only so much a large group can see with only 4 hours in Florence. So, that trip didn’t quite live up to my expectations. We did get to ride the train over and took a brief walking tour with the guide pointing out things “we really should see one day” along the way. I’m all set to go back on my own –good thing I live less than an hour away!
Yesterday, after a full day in Florence, I grabbed a bar stool at the Community Club on base for a few drinks with my co-workers. While there, I met a few new faces and made a couple more friends. Since we didn’t have dinner plans, Rachel and I jumped at Maria’s invitation to get Indian food in Pisa. Since sushi proved to be such a success, I wasn’t worried at all about trying out Indian. Sure enough, it was awesome! The food was great but the company was even better. I’m constantly amazed at how welcoming everyone is here and how easy it is to make friends at Camp Darby. It’s a relief really, and I can already tell it’s going to make my adjustment to this new life so much easier.
Despite the fact that dinner wasn’t Italian, we still lingered for almost 3 hours. At least this time we had a few course. I ordered a chai, which kept me awake and alert for a while, but soon enough I started to get sleepy. When John and I started dozing off at the dinner table, we decided to get up for some fresh air. The rest of the party followed, and we headed back towards the car. On our after dinner stroll, we wandered past the leaning tower again, and John remarked, “We’re walking past the leaning tower of Pisa at midnight. We really are living in Italy, huh?” It was most certainly a magical moment that even your most seasoned tourist will never experience. The square was quiet and calm, and the tower was just barely lit up. I couldn’t decide if I felt like a true European or like I was on a movie set.
In need of some rest, I slept in again this morning until 10am. After wandering around the apartment in my PJs for a while, I got dressed and joined Rachel at the nearby café for what was the best cappuccino I’ve had yet. We picked up John after our coffee break and drove to a home store called Casarama – think Hobby Lobby meets Home Depot. Despite going armed with a page long list each, neither John nor Rachel made a single purchase. Since the weather was pretty rainy and overcast, we hunkered down at John’s house for hours and just lazed around. We ventured out only long enough to get a quick lunch between the rain drops. Later, we left John’s for Rachel’s apartment where we (actually, all I helped with was clean-up) made a spaghetti dinner in preparation for their half marathon tomorrow morning.
Depending on the weather – I’ve seen reports calling for a 90% chance of rain – I’m going to set off exploring on my own in Livorno tomorrow. John and Rachel are going to Florence to run a half-marathon, and while I toyed with the idea of going along to cheer them on, I just couldn’t stomach the 5am wake up call. I’m sure I will find plenty to keep me occupied and still get to sleep in a little bit. There is a great fresh market in Livorno that we discovered with Benvenudi. I’m just hoping its open on Sunday’s and I can find it…
Since the beginning is usually a logical place to start, I’ll jump in at last Friday, April 10, my birthday! Rachel and I took a trip to Livorno with our Benvenudi class. As is typical with these trips, we toured the Emergency Room (“just in case”), the mall and several markets. I had my first Italian gelato and was nothing less than impressed. Always up for an adventure, I ordered the ‘zuppa inglese’ flavor. Turns out, that translates to English soup. It was a yummy mixture of cherries, cake, vanilla and chocolate pieces – not sure how that translates to English soup, but I’ll take it! I’ve since tried out a few other flavors and fruti del bosco is my favorite.
Friday night, we met up with Jessica and John, friends from Benvenudi. Jessica brought her husband and his friend along – both Italian carabinieris. The boys took us to the only pizza place they’ll eat at in Livorno where we experienced our first 3-hour meal. I had heard the Italians were notorious for lingering over dinner, but I didn’t believe it until I experienced it first hand. We arrived a little after 8pm and didn’t leave until 11pm. Funny thing was, all we had was pizza, dessert (tiramisu, mmm) and coffee. The company was great and the food was even better… I’ll get used to this life style, for sure!
Despite our late dinner the night before, Rachel and I woke up early Saturday morning to head to Camp Darby, where we met the tour bus for our trip to the Tuscan wine resort. We met our tour guide, Tony, who I swear was straight out of The Sopranos and took off for the hour and half bus ride to Borgo Tollena (http://www.borgotollena.com/). As we pulled in to the vineyard, I knew we were in for the most amazing afternoon. The sun was warm, the sky was bright blue and the Italian country side, complete with the rolling hills and olive trees you’d expect to see only in the movies was in a word, breath-taking.
We spent hours eating and drinking before boarding the bus for San Gimignano to shop at Tollena’s retail shop in town. I need to get back to this place and explore more on my own. The tour group spent less than an hour there, but I could tell it was my kind of place – narrow, winding roads open only to pedestrians, quaint shops and restaurants, friendly people, beautiful mountains all around, centuries of history behind every door and all only an hour or so away from my new home in Ponsacco. Yep. I’ll definitely be back soon.
As if wine tasting and a quick trip to San Gimignano wasn’t enough fun for one day, Rachel and I met Maria and Frank, a co-worker and her boyfriend, in Livorno later Saturday evening for, get this, sushi! I’m not going to lie, I was a bit skeptical of sushi in Italy, but the restaurant and the food were both great. I was completely exhausted after dinner, so when a hunt for birthday gelato (I declared the whole weekend my birthday weekend) failed, we went home to sleep. I didn’t get out of bed until 11:00am the next day!
On Tuesday, I went house hunting again with Riccardo. Again, he only had two places to show me, this time in Tirrenia. Both places were in the same building and under going renovations until the end of May. (When the Italians tell you the end of May, what they really mean to say, is sometime by the Fall.) Neither place was great enough to warrant waiting who-knows-how-long. A little disappointed, I asked to see the house in Ponsacco again. I saw this place the first time we went looking, but worried it was too far from base (about a 30 minute drive) and not near any real town. After the second walk through, I loved the place even more, and decided to ask Riccardo to take me through the city center. As it turns out, about 1 mile away from the house, is a cute square with bars, restaurants, shops and even a market that runs every Wednesday. The commute will still be a pain, but everything else was too perfect to pass up. I signed the contract on Thursday.
My land lady lives above me, and is the cutest little old lady, ever. She reminds me a bit of Carmen Martin, my host mother in Nerja, only calmer. She told me via Riccardo (my Italian definitely isn’t good enough to communicate without a translator yet) that if I ever want to practice my Italian, just ring the bell and come up to chat. Before me, there was an Air Force family living in the place for 6 years. She says they moved to New Orleans, but that she still keeps in touch with them. The home has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, living room, entry-way and office… Way more space than I need, which means I’ll need a lot of visitors to keep it full! I’m thinking about turning the office in to a make-shift walk in closet, but I’m not completely decided just yet. I’ll keep you posted as plans develop, and if I ever find my battery charger, I might even post photos!
My work week was shortened once again by more Benvenudi trips, this time to Pisa on Thursday and Florence on Friday. The weather was rainy and cold for our trip to Pisa, but I threw on my rain coat and made the most of it. It was a bit surreal to see the leaning tower in person. Again, we checked out the emergency room (again, “just in case”), the local mall and several markets. Friday was set to be the big trip to Florence, and I admittedly had very high expectations. Unfortunately, there is only so much a large group can see with only 4 hours in Florence. So, that trip didn’t quite live up to my expectations. We did get to ride the train over and took a brief walking tour with the guide pointing out things “we really should see one day” along the way. I’m all set to go back on my own –good thing I live less than an hour away!
Yesterday, after a full day in Florence, I grabbed a bar stool at the Community Club on base for a few drinks with my co-workers. While there, I met a few new faces and made a couple more friends. Since we didn’t have dinner plans, Rachel and I jumped at Maria’s invitation to get Indian food in Pisa. Since sushi proved to be such a success, I wasn’t worried at all about trying out Indian. Sure enough, it was awesome! The food was great but the company was even better. I’m constantly amazed at how welcoming everyone is here and how easy it is to make friends at Camp Darby. It’s a relief really, and I can already tell it’s going to make my adjustment to this new life so much easier.
Despite the fact that dinner wasn’t Italian, we still lingered for almost 3 hours. At least this time we had a few course. I ordered a chai, which kept me awake and alert for a while, but soon enough I started to get sleepy. When John and I started dozing off at the dinner table, we decided to get up for some fresh air. The rest of the party followed, and we headed back towards the car. On our after dinner stroll, we wandered past the leaning tower again, and John remarked, “We’re walking past the leaning tower of Pisa at midnight. We really are living in Italy, huh?” It was most certainly a magical moment that even your most seasoned tourist will never experience. The square was quiet and calm, and the tower was just barely lit up. I couldn’t decide if I felt like a true European or like I was on a movie set.
In need of some rest, I slept in again this morning until 10am. After wandering around the apartment in my PJs for a while, I got dressed and joined Rachel at the nearby café for what was the best cappuccino I’ve had yet. We picked up John after our coffee break and drove to a home store called Casarama – think Hobby Lobby meets Home Depot. Despite going armed with a page long list each, neither John nor Rachel made a single purchase. Since the weather was pretty rainy and overcast, we hunkered down at John’s house for hours and just lazed around. We ventured out only long enough to get a quick lunch between the rain drops. Later, we left John’s for Rachel’s apartment where we (actually, all I helped with was clean-up) made a spaghetti dinner in preparation for their half marathon tomorrow morning.
Depending on the weather – I’ve seen reports calling for a 90% chance of rain – I’m going to set off exploring on my own in Livorno tomorrow. John and Rachel are going to Florence to run a half-marathon, and while I toyed with the idea of going along to cheer them on, I just couldn’t stomach the 5am wake up call. I’m sure I will find plenty to keep me occupied and still get to sleep in a little bit. There is a great fresh market in Livorno that we discovered with Benvenudi. I’m just hoping its open on Sunday’s and I can find it…
April 9, 2009
From one Thursday to the next
Today officially marks my one-week point in Italy, and I still forget occasionally that I’m living in Europe. Let me explain… since arriving, I’ve spent most of my time at Camp Darby, where we speak English, use dollars, have Diet Dr. Pepper in the commissary and drive big pick-up trucks around base. Admittedly, I have had some “Italian” experiences, which I’ll detail below, but for the most part, I’m still in America, only with better weather and views.
All that is set to change this weekend, though! My friend and co-worker, Rachel, invited me to live with her in Livorno until I find a place of my own. I was set to check out of one on-base hotel (Casa Toscana) and in to another (Sea Pines Lodge) this weekend, so the timing was right as I was facing packing anyways. While I like Camp Darby and all the comforts of home it provides, I am so ready to BE in Italy. We have exciting plans lined up this weekend, thanks to Rachel, and I’ll even have a few chances to celebrate my 27th birthday.
On the schedule this weekend: drinks, more Italian food (finally!), wine tasting at an 11th century castle, sushi and Easter in Italy.
This week, I’ve stayed busy with settling in, which normally finds me running from one end of the base to the other and back again. I’ve managed to accomplish a few important things, including:
- Applying for my soggiorno, codice fiscal and ID card
- Taking and acing (!!) my driver’s license test
- House hunting – I think I’ve found THE place, so there should be some good stories to follow, I just want to do a little more comparison shopping next week before committing…
- Learning about each of the areas I’ll serve and my volunteers
- Setting up my new webcam (thanks, Dad!) and learning the wonderful world of Skype
I started my 2-week benvenudi class this week as well. We had a full day of briefings on Tuesday, and I comprehended about 25% of the information. I’m still having a hard time remembering military acronyms, ranks, titles, uniforms, paperwork, rules, etc. It all leaves me with a splitting headache at the end of every day. There are a handful of others, including Rachel, in the class, and it has been nice meeting other ‘new kids on the block.’ Camp Darby is such a small place, I run in to my classmates everywhere – outside of the commissary at lunch, in the mailroom when wrestling with my box’s combination, at the coffee bar picking up our morning cappuccinos…
I was supposed to attend language classes in conjunction with benvenudi, but I’ve had too many other work commitments and appointments. However, there are Italian classes on base every Monday during lunch, and I plan to start frequenting those. I need to learn some basic Italian fast! And, I’d still really like to be quasi-fluent by the time I leave. It seems like such a waste to be here for such a long time and not learn.
My benvenudi class is taking an early morning trip to Livorno tomorrow, and it’s getting late. So for now, I’m off to bed – my last night in the hotel!
~ Ciao
All that is set to change this weekend, though! My friend and co-worker, Rachel, invited me to live with her in Livorno until I find a place of my own. I was set to check out of one on-base hotel (Casa Toscana) and in to another (Sea Pines Lodge) this weekend, so the timing was right as I was facing packing anyways. While I like Camp Darby and all the comforts of home it provides, I am so ready to BE in Italy. We have exciting plans lined up this weekend, thanks to Rachel, and I’ll even have a few chances to celebrate my 27th birthday.
On the schedule this weekend: drinks, more Italian food (finally!), wine tasting at an 11th century castle, sushi and Easter in Italy.
This week, I’ve stayed busy with settling in, which normally finds me running from one end of the base to the other and back again. I’ve managed to accomplish a few important things, including:
- Applying for my soggiorno, codice fiscal and ID card
- Taking and acing (!!) my driver’s license test
- House hunting – I think I’ve found THE place, so there should be some good stories to follow, I just want to do a little more comparison shopping next week before committing…
- Learning about each of the areas I’ll serve and my volunteers
- Setting up my new webcam (thanks, Dad!) and learning the wonderful world of Skype
I started my 2-week benvenudi class this week as well. We had a full day of briefings on Tuesday, and I comprehended about 25% of the information. I’m still having a hard time remembering military acronyms, ranks, titles, uniforms, paperwork, rules, etc. It all leaves me with a splitting headache at the end of every day. There are a handful of others, including Rachel, in the class, and it has been nice meeting other ‘new kids on the block.’ Camp Darby is such a small place, I run in to my classmates everywhere – outside of the commissary at lunch, in the mailroom when wrestling with my box’s combination, at the coffee bar picking up our morning cappuccinos…
I was supposed to attend language classes in conjunction with benvenudi, but I’ve had too many other work commitments and appointments. However, there are Italian classes on base every Monday during lunch, and I plan to start frequenting those. I need to learn some basic Italian fast! And, I’d still really like to be quasi-fluent by the time I leave. It seems like such a waste to be here for such a long time and not learn.
My benvenudi class is taking an early morning trip to Livorno tomorrow, and it’s getting late. So for now, I’m off to bed – my last night in the hotel!
~ Ciao
April 6, 2009
I walk the ground that shook
Just a quick update to let you all know that I am safe and sound, far away from the earthquake’s epicenter that hit L’Aquila early this morning. Sadly, there are a lot of others who cannot say the same thing. If you find yourself with a free moment today, please send your thoughts to the families of those killed and the thousands of Italians who were left homeless in a matter of seconds.
April 3, 2009
Infine! Sono qui.
Just two days in to my stay in Italy, and I’m already completely smitten.
There are so many stories to tell, I don’t know where to start. I’ve started a few anecdotes and erased what I had typed. So, instead of worrying about chronology and flow, I’m just going to tackle the last two days in bullet points. I’m assuming no one tunes in to hear things about my flight (uneventful) and such, so I’m jumping right in to the good stuff!
- On my first day in Italy, at Camp Darby, in line at the shopette, an Italian Carabiniere’s (police officer) cell phone rang. The ring tone? Sweet Home Alabama. I kid you not.
- This morning, as I tried to shower off the jet lag and airplane grime from the day before, I stood in the tub for 5 minutes pushing and twisting the shower knob. I twisted so much, the knob fell off. Worried that I was going to have to be that American and call the front desk, asking, “How do you work this here shower?” I stepped out to put my glasses on. I pulled a few more times, ready to give up when I just happened to push. And, wah-lah! Success!
- When I logged in to Google yesterday, to look up info on Brussels flower carpet (only displayed bi-annually, and I don’t want to miss it!) I realized everything was in Italian. At that moment, I realized that, oh-my-god, I’m really in Italy! And then, I realized that, oh-my-god, I really only know 3 words in Italian. I’ve been practicing with Margaret, and intend to take classes on base every Monday during my lunch, but still… I have so much to learn. As an aside, the Flower Carpet will be displayed again in August, 2010. Info is here: http://www.flowercarpet.be.
- I fell asleep watching America’s Next Top Model last night – the new season. Apparently, the Armed Forces Network (AFN) shows all sorts of new shows, just a day late. Tonight, I watched Thursday’s episode of the Daily Show. So, I can continue to stay up to date on current affairs through Jon Stewart’s snarky reporting. I have TV in my hotel room, but will also get a free box when I find an apartment.
- Carol (my boss) and her husband Larry invited me over for dinner last night. We had a mushroom soup that Larry made with bread and olive spread. All very, very good. Carol and the other staff members have all been so gracious and welcoming. There’s no way I would be able to navigate all the military “stuff” without their help, and Josh’s patient answers to the questions I’m too embarrassed to ask anyone else.
- I went to dinner tonight at a small restaurant in Tirrenia (pronounced much like the Italians pronounce my name, believe it or not) called Piropo. It was my first real Italian meal, and I’m hooked. I was expecting delicious, amazing, mouth watering, but this meal was simply beyond words. Instead of trying to describe it, I’m just going to list what I had and tell you that you must visit and eat it to believe it! I started with Gnocchi dela Sorrentina, followed by spinaci and the most amazing panna cotta con fruta bosco (with fruit of the forest, or wild strawberries and wild berries). Best of all, perhaps was the house red wine for 3.50-euro per liter. Let me repeat that – Italian red wine. An entire liter. For 3.50-euro.
- Before dinner, we stopped at the pier and I got my first view of the ocean. From where we were, we could see Elba Island, the location of Napoleon’s exile in 1814. He stayed on the island for 300 days before Veronica Portelli, his mistress, convinced him to escape. What followed in France is known as the Hundred Days, and he was subsequently captured at Waterloo, which I visited the last time I was in Belgium. Apparently, there are ferries to and from the island. I think that’s going to be one of my first weekend trips once I get settled!
The few parts of Italy I’ve seen are exactly as you would picture them – a lot of red and yellow Tuscan colors on all the buildings with bits of exposed brick, an amazing view of the ocean and Elba Island (where Napoleon was exiled) from the pier, lemon and orange trees everywhere, sunshine and clear, blue skies every day, friendly people, AMAZING food… However, whenever I start to get frustrated that I can’t speak more Italian, or worried that I’m never going to be able to navigate the roads, I go back to base where they speak English and have Diet Dr. Pepper in the commissary for 34-cents. It’s the perfect mix of living in Italy and still keeping the comforts of home. It’s hard to describe, but trust me when I say this might be the best job on earth. I can’t wait to find a home and a car and start entertaining all my visitors. I’m holding out for an apartment with a patio or some sort of backyard so I can invest in a small fire pit or chimenia type thing at the PX. Maybe even a grill, too.
Tomorrow, I’m going to a real life Italian mall with Carol. I have no idea what to expect, but will of course, let you know how it all turns out. She assures me that I can find an Italian hair straightener, lest I melt the hotel outlet with my high voltage, American appliance.
There are so many stories to tell, I don’t know where to start. I’ve started a few anecdotes and erased what I had typed. So, instead of worrying about chronology and flow, I’m just going to tackle the last two days in bullet points. I’m assuming no one tunes in to hear things about my flight (uneventful) and such, so I’m jumping right in to the good stuff!
- On my first day in Italy, at Camp Darby, in line at the shopette, an Italian Carabiniere’s (police officer) cell phone rang. The ring tone? Sweet Home Alabama. I kid you not.
- This morning, as I tried to shower off the jet lag and airplane grime from the day before, I stood in the tub for 5 minutes pushing and twisting the shower knob. I twisted so much, the knob fell off. Worried that I was going to have to be that American and call the front desk, asking, “How do you work this here shower?” I stepped out to put my glasses on. I pulled a few more times, ready to give up when I just happened to push. And, wah-lah! Success!
- When I logged in to Google yesterday, to look up info on Brussels flower carpet (only displayed bi-annually, and I don’t want to miss it!) I realized everything was in Italian. At that moment, I realized that, oh-my-god, I’m really in Italy! And then, I realized that, oh-my-god, I really only know 3 words in Italian. I’ve been practicing with Margaret, and intend to take classes on base every Monday during my lunch, but still… I have so much to learn. As an aside, the Flower Carpet will be displayed again in August, 2010. Info is here: http://www.flowercarpet.be.
- I fell asleep watching America’s Next Top Model last night – the new season. Apparently, the Armed Forces Network (AFN) shows all sorts of new shows, just a day late. Tonight, I watched Thursday’s episode of the Daily Show. So, I can continue to stay up to date on current affairs through Jon Stewart’s snarky reporting. I have TV in my hotel room, but will also get a free box when I find an apartment.
- Carol (my boss) and her husband Larry invited me over for dinner last night. We had a mushroom soup that Larry made with bread and olive spread. All very, very good. Carol and the other staff members have all been so gracious and welcoming. There’s no way I would be able to navigate all the military “stuff” without their help, and Josh’s patient answers to the questions I’m too embarrassed to ask anyone else.
- I went to dinner tonight at a small restaurant in Tirrenia (pronounced much like the Italians pronounce my name, believe it or not) called Piropo. It was my first real Italian meal, and I’m hooked. I was expecting delicious, amazing, mouth watering, but this meal was simply beyond words. Instead of trying to describe it, I’m just going to list what I had and tell you that you must visit and eat it to believe it! I started with Gnocchi dela Sorrentina, followed by spinaci and the most amazing panna cotta con fruta bosco (with fruit of the forest, or wild strawberries and wild berries). Best of all, perhaps was the house red wine for 3.50-euro per liter. Let me repeat that – Italian red wine. An entire liter. For 3.50-euro.
- Before dinner, we stopped at the pier and I got my first view of the ocean. From where we were, we could see Elba Island, the location of Napoleon’s exile in 1814. He stayed on the island for 300 days before Veronica Portelli, his mistress, convinced him to escape. What followed in France is known as the Hundred Days, and he was subsequently captured at Waterloo, which I visited the last time I was in Belgium. Apparently, there are ferries to and from the island. I think that’s going to be one of my first weekend trips once I get settled!
The few parts of Italy I’ve seen are exactly as you would picture them – a lot of red and yellow Tuscan colors on all the buildings with bits of exposed brick, an amazing view of the ocean and Elba Island (where Napoleon was exiled) from the pier, lemon and orange trees everywhere, sunshine and clear, blue skies every day, friendly people, AMAZING food… However, whenever I start to get frustrated that I can’t speak more Italian, or worried that I’m never going to be able to navigate the roads, I go back to base where they speak English and have Diet Dr. Pepper in the commissary for 34-cents. It’s the perfect mix of living in Italy and still keeping the comforts of home. It’s hard to describe, but trust me when I say this might be the best job on earth. I can’t wait to find a home and a car and start entertaining all my visitors. I’m holding out for an apartment with a patio or some sort of backyard so I can invest in a small fire pit or chimenia type thing at the PX. Maybe even a grill, too.
Tomorrow, I’m going to a real life Italian mall with Carol. I have no idea what to expect, but will of course, let you know how it all turns out. She assures me that I can find an Italian hair straightener, lest I melt the hotel outlet with my high voltage, American appliance.
April 1, 2009
So close, I can almost touch it.
Attempting to pick up where I last left off, I think this story finds me on the train once again to Philadelphia Friday morning. Having learned my lesson the last time, I just bought my ticket that morning when I arrived. I did hit the snooze button a few too many times, so I ended up catching the later train, which put me to the consulate about an hour later. Bad news for me, as this also landed me about 15 names lower on the sign-in sheet. After waiting about 20 minutes, I couldn’t take it any longer. There was a nun and a priest (I’m not kidding) at the window, attempting to get their visas for a pilgrimage to Italy in the summer. I politely yet forcefully pushed my way into the visa officer’s line of vision and asked if I needed to wait in line if I was just picking up a completed visa. Thankfully, she recognized me from my visit two days before, pulled my passport, complete with visa from a filing cabinet and sent me on my way. I made it back to the city before noon.
I stopped in at the office again that afternoon to drop off my completed paperwork, and then headed back to the hotel where I took the most powerful of power naps. When I woke up, Anne and Alison were back. We took the train out to Brooklyn where we met up with Jamie, who drove in from Syracuse just to see me. As Anne said, “Now, that’s love!”
We had dinner Friday night at Perilla, the best restaurant in the whole world. (Website is http://www.perillanyc.com/ if you’re curious.) If you’re hungry, stop reading here… we had edamame falafel, and I ordered the grilled Hudson Valley quail and passion fruit tres leches. All very, very delicious. Alison had the duck – shocking – Jamie had the bass and Annie had the steak. I think we all enjoyed our meal and went back to the hotel very full. That night, Jamie and Anne made a bed on the floor, and we all giggled and stayed up talking way too late, just like a full-fledged slumber party. No pillow fights though, sorry to disappoint.
Saturday, after a quick brunch at Connelly’s, we dropped Alison off at work while Anne, Jamie and I set off for Canal Street. Chinatown was particularly crazy, with people everywhere. We spent at least 3 or 4 hours wandering around, laughing at the Asian women whispering, “Gucci, Gucci, Gucci” in our ears. Anne found a bag and Jamie bought a wallet. I, on the other hand, added two more fake $5 pashminas to my expanding collection. We lingered a little while in Little Italy over a cappuccino and pastry. Jamie took my picture in the street and with the coffee, as an “I’m almost there” or “This is what it’s going to be like” memento.
We were exhausted by 6pm, and headed back to Times Square to see a movie. Nothing was showing at the right time, so we opted to bother Alison and then eat more food… You never go hungry in New York City! Sleepy, we all headed back to Brooklyn to crash at Alison’s house that night, around 10pm.
I woke up really anxious about leaving the girls Sunday morning. This was, after all, my last goodbye. My friends in Charlotte were tough and my parents and Josh in the airport were even tougher, but this goodbye was, I don't know... More official, more final? Once I left Alison, Anne and Jamie, I’d be on my own for who-knows-how-many months. I made it on to the train without any crying but did let a few tears escape as we pulled away.
After a brunch at Blue Finn Grille (that was just so-so) came the train that took me away to the Edith Macy Conference Center in Chappaqua. I’ve been here, at Macy, for the last few days, getting to know my co-workers that will live/work with me in Italy, and other Global Girl Scout staff members. Some live and work in Japan, others do their thing from New York. We are an incredibly diverse team, responsible for an extraordinary amount of work, considering there are only 20 of us. In the last few days, I’ve just been bombarded with info on who we as Global Girl Scouting are, what we do and how we do it. All great stuff, just overwhelming amounts of info. I’m taking lots of notes to revisit when I get settled in Italy.
So, that brings us to the now… I have some packing to do (it’s amazing how my suitcases have this inate ability to unpack themselves and strew my belongings all over the room when I’m not looking) but otherwise, I’m ready to make the big trip over the ocean. I realized today that I’ve been “getting ready to go” for the last three months. I can’t describe how incredibly surreal it is to actually be going now…
I fly out tomorrow evening. I’m going over with my co-workers, which is a relief. I won’t have to worry about picking out a familiar face at the airport or trying to get a taxi with all my bags. (Have I mentioned I’m lugging around almost 200 pounds of luggage?) Since I’m not sure what the first few days over there will be like in regards to internet access, don’t worry if you don’t hear from me immediately. As soon as I can get connected, I’ll let you all know I arrived safe and sound. In the meantime, some highlights from my upcoming training schedule in Italy are below…
Thursday: Dinner in Tierrna with staff
Saturday: Day trip to Pisa
Monday: House hunting with Carol and Ricardo
Tuesday: Afternoon off to study for my Italian driver’s license test
April 17: Trip to Florence
Until next time… Ciao!
I stopped in at the office again that afternoon to drop off my completed paperwork, and then headed back to the hotel where I took the most powerful of power naps. When I woke up, Anne and Alison were back. We took the train out to Brooklyn where we met up with Jamie, who drove in from Syracuse just to see me. As Anne said, “Now, that’s love!”
We had dinner Friday night at Perilla, the best restaurant in the whole world. (Website is http://www.perillanyc.com/ if you’re curious.) If you’re hungry, stop reading here… we had edamame falafel, and I ordered the grilled Hudson Valley quail and passion fruit tres leches. All very, very delicious. Alison had the duck – shocking – Jamie had the bass and Annie had the steak. I think we all enjoyed our meal and went back to the hotel very full. That night, Jamie and Anne made a bed on the floor, and we all giggled and stayed up talking way too late, just like a full-fledged slumber party. No pillow fights though, sorry to disappoint.
Saturday, after a quick brunch at Connelly’s, we dropped Alison off at work while Anne, Jamie and I set off for Canal Street. Chinatown was particularly crazy, with people everywhere. We spent at least 3 or 4 hours wandering around, laughing at the Asian women whispering, “Gucci, Gucci, Gucci” in our ears. Anne found a bag and Jamie bought a wallet. I, on the other hand, added two more fake $5 pashminas to my expanding collection. We lingered a little while in Little Italy over a cappuccino and pastry. Jamie took my picture in the street and with the coffee, as an “I’m almost there” or “This is what it’s going to be like” memento.
We were exhausted by 6pm, and headed back to Times Square to see a movie. Nothing was showing at the right time, so we opted to bother Alison and then eat more food… You never go hungry in New York City! Sleepy, we all headed back to Brooklyn to crash at Alison’s house that night, around 10pm.
I woke up really anxious about leaving the girls Sunday morning. This was, after all, my last goodbye. My friends in Charlotte were tough and my parents and Josh in the airport were even tougher, but this goodbye was, I don't know... More official, more final? Once I left Alison, Anne and Jamie, I’d be on my own for who-knows-how-many months. I made it on to the train without any crying but did let a few tears escape as we pulled away.
After a brunch at Blue Finn Grille (that was just so-so) came the train that took me away to the Edith Macy Conference Center in Chappaqua. I’ve been here, at Macy, for the last few days, getting to know my co-workers that will live/work with me in Italy, and other Global Girl Scout staff members. Some live and work in Japan, others do their thing from New York. We are an incredibly diverse team, responsible for an extraordinary amount of work, considering there are only 20 of us. In the last few days, I’ve just been bombarded with info on who we as Global Girl Scouting are, what we do and how we do it. All great stuff, just overwhelming amounts of info. I’m taking lots of notes to revisit when I get settled in Italy.
So, that brings us to the now… I have some packing to do (it’s amazing how my suitcases have this inate ability to unpack themselves and strew my belongings all over the room when I’m not looking) but otherwise, I’m ready to make the big trip over the ocean. I realized today that I’ve been “getting ready to go” for the last three months. I can’t describe how incredibly surreal it is to actually be going now…
I fly out tomorrow evening. I’m going over with my co-workers, which is a relief. I won’t have to worry about picking out a familiar face at the airport or trying to get a taxi with all my bags. (Have I mentioned I’m lugging around almost 200 pounds of luggage?) Since I’m not sure what the first few days over there will be like in regards to internet access, don’t worry if you don’t hear from me immediately. As soon as I can get connected, I’ll let you all know I arrived safe and sound. In the meantime, some highlights from my upcoming training schedule in Italy are below…
Thursday: Dinner in Tierrna with staff
Saturday: Day trip to Pisa
Monday: House hunting with Carol and Ricardo
Tuesday: Afternoon off to study for my Italian driver’s license test
April 17: Trip to Florence
Until next time… Ciao!
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