Hello again! So many things have happened in the past week, so please pardon the length of this entry as I paint you a beautiful picture...
Of most significance was Notte Bianca, which happened last Saturday. We started out by going to the zoo, where I saw some monkeys...blah blah some elephants... Meanwhile I am drinking wine out of a giant juice box. For a euro. We went to the piazza navona which is just a place of shops and art and things, but that night they had "assault poetry", which is where poets in black carrying umbrellas and long hollow tubes walk around stealthily and grab people from the audience and talk into their ears via long scary tube. They got my roomate Jenn, and Andrew, and said some creepy things, most of which was in Italian or French. But it was a sight to see! The night picked up later as the stragglers of our group went to bed, and four of us were left to brave the crowd. We went to the coloseum, and here there was this crazy show of people singing opera and playing instruments whilst suspended by a crane. They were wearing scary colonial/devil costumes, which im sure the Pope would disapprove of, but luckily he was asleep!
The night was incredible; to see a million people out in the streets and to be able to walk anywhere and be entertained by the sights and sounds, and monkeys, was quite unique. The highlight of the night was talking to the gypsies (or street vendors). They come up to you and start trying to sell you roses, or crappy bracelets that they make while you hold out your thumb and they ask "so, you have boyfriend?" So as one of these gypsies approaches me I turned the tables on him, and I whip out a peice of string and attach it to his thumb and started berating him with questions. So you have boyfriend? Where you from? He thought this was hilarious. And then he tried to sell me the shoes off his feet for 16 euros.
We got home at around 5:30 am, with enough time to get a few hours sleep before our trip to Todi.
Todi was a great day, they fed us courses from a "wedding menu". It was a religious experience!! I think there was 8 courses, including boar and venicen, as well as tiramisu for dessert and sweet wine with biscotti. We had appetizers of proscutto and cheesecake, then rissoto...oh man. I was in heaven. They also gave us wine that was made locally and didn't have any preservatives, but it was really strong!
My classes are wonderful so far, I just signed up for an art history class that my friend Andrew is in, called museums and galleries. Its kind of intimidating having no background in art history, but the teacher is good and we go out into the city every Thursday to observe studios and galleries as a class.
So most of the stereotypes I've heard about Italians are proving to be correct. Nobody here follows and sort of order; the vespas will run you over if you make eye contact with the cigarette smoking- cell phone weilding driver. The people are beautiful and usually friendly to Americans, which is refreshing. They all smoke and nobody knows how to stand in a line.
I've made some great friends and I'm starting to feel more at home here. Thinking of going to the beach this weekend! And Kurdistan in the near future. But more on that later...
I need to put captions up somehow but these are photos I have photos from white night and todi. You can see the assault poetry, my friend Andrew, the view of Piazza del Popolo with the crowd, and all the shots of Todi.
Take care everyone
love
julia
Of most significance was Notte Bianca, which happened last Saturday. We started out by going to the zoo, where I saw some monkeys...blah blah some elephants... Meanwhile I am drinking wine out of a giant juice box. For a euro. We went to the piazza navona which is just a place of shops and art and things, but that night they had "assault poetry", which is where poets in black carrying umbrellas and long hollow tubes walk around stealthily and grab people from the audience and talk into their ears via long scary tube. They got my roomate Jenn, and Andrew, and said some creepy things, most of which was in Italian or French. But it was a sight to see! The night picked up later as the stragglers of our group went to bed, and four of us were left to brave the crowd. We went to the coloseum, and here there was this crazy show of people singing opera and playing instruments whilst suspended by a crane. They were wearing scary colonial/devil costumes, which im sure the Pope would disapprove of, but luckily he was asleep!
The night was incredible; to see a million people out in the streets and to be able to walk anywhere and be entertained by the sights and sounds, and monkeys, was quite unique. The highlight of the night was talking to the gypsies (or street vendors). They come up to you and start trying to sell you roses, or crappy bracelets that they make while you hold out your thumb and they ask "so, you have boyfriend?" So as one of these gypsies approaches me I turned the tables on him, and I whip out a peice of string and attach it to his thumb and started berating him with questions. So you have boyfriend? Where you from? He thought this was hilarious. And then he tried to sell me the shoes off his feet for 16 euros.
We got home at around 5:30 am, with enough time to get a few hours sleep before our trip to Todi.
Todi was a great day, they fed us courses from a "wedding menu". It was a religious experience!! I think there was 8 courses, including boar and venicen, as well as tiramisu for dessert and sweet wine with biscotti. We had appetizers of proscutto and cheesecake, then rissoto...oh man. I was in heaven. They also gave us wine that was made locally and didn't have any preservatives, but it was really strong!
My classes are wonderful so far, I just signed up for an art history class that my friend Andrew is in, called museums and galleries. Its kind of intimidating having no background in art history, but the teacher is good and we go out into the city every Thursday to observe studios and galleries as a class.
So most of the stereotypes I've heard about Italians are proving to be correct. Nobody here follows and sort of order; the vespas will run you over if you make eye contact with the cigarette smoking- cell phone weilding driver. The people are beautiful and usually friendly to Americans, which is refreshing. They all smoke and nobody knows how to stand in a line.
I've made some great friends and I'm starting to feel more at home here. Thinking of going to the beach this weekend! And Kurdistan in the near future. But more on that later...
I need to put captions up somehow but these are photos I have photos from white night and todi. You can see the assault poetry, my friend Andrew, the view of Piazza del Popolo with the crowd, and all the shots of Todi.
Take care everyone
love
julia
2 comments:
OMG, all that food, so yummy!
I think The Mama is changing her ticket right now to one-way (in Italian: return?fuhgeddaboudit!)
WOW, so gorgeous! I can't wait to enjoy it all with my bella Julia! The white night sounds a little like the Cirque Du Soleil...kinda creepy but amazingly entertaining. And the meal...OMG!!!! I had better starve for the next few weeks to get ready. Susie and I arrive early in the morning on 19th of October. !!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY
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