Inverno Inizia...

My title means "Winter is Starting" and that's because for the first time here it has started to feel legitimately cold. Honestly, I kind of like it since it makes me feel a little bit more at home. Yet still, we continue to have some days that are beautiful - I am looking out my window at a blue sky right now, even though I think it is quite chilly outside.

There's quite a few things to update on... I think starting with Wednesday night. After tossing around a bunch of possibilities for movies to see, I met up with Cindy and Laura (both Swiss girls from my orientation school) to go see the movie "Changeling" - the new one with Angelina Jolie directed by Clint Eastwood. It was a little too exciting getting there, because Cristina had to make dinner for me fast (I had warned her in advance), then I had to rush out to try to make the bus, which was then late. What's more, at an intermediate stop, it basically stopped working, or at least the doors did, so we all had to get off and get in the bus right behind us (which had a similar route). To add insult to injury, I get out on the sidewalk to change buses and this guy sitting along the sidewalk in front of me just like... pukes onto the ground. What?!?! So I tried to erase my memories of that and hoped the bus would be on time. I got to the theater right before it was supposed to start but had no idea if Cindy and Laura were there. I tried to ask the woman taking tickets if she had seen people with their descriptions, and she didn't know, but she was nice enough to let me check the theater and then come back to buy a ticket. Luckily the girls were near the front, so I rushed back out to get the ticket and came back.

I enjoyed the movie, it was well done and I understood the Italian dubbing. I may watch it in English sometime though just to get the full audio performances. As much bad luck as I had with the bus getting to the theater, I had great luck getting back - I managed to find the stop I needed (which I had never been to before and only seen on the map), AND only a minute or two after I got there, the bus came - which was good because I was either going to get the 12:04 or the 12:29 and I wasn't too keen on standing out there for a good 25 minutes waiting for a bus. So in the end that worked out well.

Toward the end of this week I managed to find a couple new lunch options, which was nice. I found a sushi place, where it is a little expensive and not the best sushi ever (pre-made in those plastic containers) but after so long without sushi it is still a refreshing change. I also went back to a place I had been once with Lucia, and the woman there was so nice to me, which I always enjoy. And on Friday I went to a Mexican place I had read about online and had a burrito... yum. It was nice after so long without a quesadilla or a burrito or nachos! Those of you who know me well at all know that I very much enjoy all of those foods!

So yes, it's true, you CAN get a little sick of Italian food. Not that it's not great, and I especially am spoiled by dinners at home made by Cristina, but when you are used to pizza one meal, then Thai, then sushi, then Mexican, you sort of end up missing variety. So I am glad I have found some ways to mix it up at lunchtime.

Also on Friday afternoon, I went out looking for a gift for Lisa's birthday (which is today, Sunday). Since she likes Hello Kitty I went to a couple stores where I'd noticed various Hello Kitty products. For the most part anything cool is actually quite expensive, so I ended up buying a tin box thing with candy inside, decorated with Hello Kitty and "Happy Birthday" written on the outside. I had been wondering where I would find wrapping paper and supplies, but luckily enough the woman taking care of my purchase offered to do the wrapping, with Hello Kitty paper, and even put a nice pink ribbon on the outside. I double checked to be sure the price was the same, and she said "Oh, of course!" She seemed to think it was so quaint and unassuming of me, because she told her daughter (who also worked there) that I thought it might be extra. Her daughter replied with "Yes, but that's how they do it abroad" - obviously aware that it might be the norm to pay extra for wrapping wherever I was from. She was right, of course. So that was just a pleasant and humorous little interaction and I very much appreciated getting the gift all wrapped up for me!

I didn't end up going to Arezzo last night because I needed to sleep in and just couldn't get myself moving, but it's still there and I can go another time. I am even pondering going tomorrow, since I don't have class. Who knows, we'll see. I did make a short trip to a park I'd been to with my orientation class, and got to enjoy the river in the slightly crisp fall weather, but with the sun shining in the late afternoon, which was really nice. I also let myself indulge in some French fries from a snack stand in the park.

As I headed home, the chaos of Lisa's birthday party was imminent. She was having a sleepover with 6 friends, which isn't huge until you consider that this apartment is not that large. Chaos was pretty much inevitable. It all went pretty much par for the course - they were really loud and drove Cristina crazy, and every time she told them to be quiet it started right up again 2 seconds later. The issue is that groups that size of 9-year-old girls don't take turns talking - they talk all at the same time, and therefore the decibel level is quite impressive. For the first part of the night, I was in my room online, then I went to eat dinner (the girls all had McDonald's first then went up to watch a movie while Federico, Cristina and I had risotto that Cristina made). Actually I should pause a moment on the risotto - gorgonzola with pear! All of Cristina's risottos are good and this was no exception! Then we did the whole cake and candle thing and of course all the girls were adorable - Cristina took some pictures of all 7 of them with the cake and candles burning.

I was lucky that I had more or less the same sleeping schedule as the girls last night, otherwise I wouldn't really have been able to sleep. They woke up a couple hours before me this morning and were pretty loud, but I just laid around hiding basically, not ready to go out there and negotiate the chaos. By the time I finally emerged, some of them had left so it was less overwhelming. Also last night I started watching a movie I'd borrowed from the library - an Officer and a Gentleman, which I have never seen before. I was going to play it on my computer but wasn't sure if it would work since DVDs are coded for different regions, but finally realized, oh duh, my TV has a DVD player... so that worked out really well. I only got through part of the movie though, since it was late and I was falling asleep. I'm sure I can finish it by Friday, which is when it's due.

As chaotic as the house was when Lisa was having her party, now I'm alone since the family went out, I assume to celebrate with family. This afternoon I'll have to get lunch at some point, and I may try to go take some pictures of Florence, but after that I am going to make cookies again, since I have ingredients to use up from last time and Lisa really liked the cookies. So that should be fun!

I think that's all. I can't believe it's already almost Thanksgiving. It will be strange having class, not being with my parents, and all of that, but on Wednesday night I am going up to the villa, and my Italian family is coming (even the dog I think!), along with Lucia, so that should be fun. I'm glad I'm celebrating somehow. And starting next year it will be back to American Thanksgivings!
I should also really start getting down to business on some more academic work... we'll see how the self motivation on that goes, I'll let you know!