:D

This past weekend was really, really pleasant.

An acquaintance of mine from MICA, John, visited Florence over the weekend (he's studying animation in Bournemouth, England this semester) and stayed with #10. We had never really gotten to talk much before this visit, and I was excited to get to talk to him more. I was stunned to hear how much we have in common (aside from our unhealthy obsession with Harry Potter)! And best of all, he said that he'd been excited to see me on the visit too! It was flattering and nice to have a new person to get to know. :)

And he said I was beautiful and have a "fantastic voice". That helps. :D

ANYWAY, I got some more work done for my crit with Kevin today, and Mel and I oversaw some awesome cooking that happened in our apartment this weekend! Saturday night we made roasted red pepper (vegetarian) chili, and last night we made baked mac and cheese (using fontina and pecorino instead of cheddar). SO. GOOD.

I also got to talk to Emily, which was a very, very pleasant surprise! I'm so excited for our trip!

Okay, I have to get to my crit! I hope you guys are having an awesome week so far!

Love you, miss you!

-A.

A Useless Little Filler Post.

I don't have much to report on, really, but I feel like I should be better at updating. Ab Fab is kicking my ass!

This weekend has been pretty uneventful--my roommates were away again: Melissa and Christine in Paris and Emily in Naples/Capri. So, I was alone. The first night was a little lonesome--I've been alone at home a lot lately--but it wasn't too bad. I spent most of my weekend at SACI screwing around on the computer (kind of like now, hm), which is lame of me, because I have a lot of work to do!

Last night was more successful, socially. I went to Sarah C's place for dinner, and we just talked for a few hours. It's been nice to catch up with her--we hung out all the time freshman year (I practically lived in her apartment), and we'd barely seen each other since then! She gave me a little perspective on the looming and inevitable conversation with Marla coming in the next weeks. It's nice to have someone who knows her sympathize, I guess. Most people I consult don't know her at all. Sarah, who has a little fear for Marla's temper to begin with, can at least share in my discomfort.

Today will (hopefully) be spent finishing a couple comic sketches, then this week I get down to the finals! I also downloaded Pocahontas and Beauty and the Beast as a little surprise gift for my roommates when they return, so hopefully we can watch one of those. :)

I live a boring life. :P

BUT, something sort of funny did happen yesterday. I was snooping through this one studio, and looking at a girl's notes and sketches, and this one HUGE painting--it was near the door, and so big, half the room was obscured. I decided to move around it to look at the neighboring studio space. As I stepped around it, I was startled by a guy sitting on a stool directly behind the big painting, one earbud hanging out. I gasped and one hand flew to my heart, like a cartoon. I stammered and apologized a few times, then, like a GOOF, I apologized for startling HIM. He unsmilingly apologized for startling me, then changed tack and started chatting me up!

As it turns out, this guy, Jordan, is roommates with Nice!Joey (have I mentioned him here? Great guy from Ohio, really cool), and goes to Alfred (he knows Maddy Crawford). He then invited me over to his place for dinner, "because, you know, me and Joey cook all the time". I'm not about to turn down a free meal with some nice guys, and Joey knows I'm taken and can fill Jordan in, so I accepted for a future, undetermined time.

I told Sarah about the embarrassment and comedy of the whole deal, and she proceeded to inform me that this was the Jordan who had made out with Michelle-The-TA-I-Hate in Venice! I mentioned this incident at the end of my March 11th entry. Minus major points, man. MAJOR points.

But, on the upswing, I'm going to see Watchmen with Nice!Joey on Thursday! This local place called the Odeon Cinema shows American movies with Italian subtitles. I am SO EXCITED. If you've already seen it, shut up, because I've already heard too much!

Ab--did you ever finish reading Watchmen?

Em's mom recently sent me our itinerary of sorts for Corsica, which is really exciting! I'm totally looking forward to it. :D

Just, a final note. Seeing the way God works in the lives of people I know--not just me--is humbling. I see people doing 180s. I see amazing things happening, and I can't help but be completely joyful. I can't really be detailed, but, God, you are so awesome! I can't help smiling! :D

Love you guys, and I'll talk to you soon,

-A.

La Citta Eterna!

So, I went to Rome this past weekend!

I caught an evening train, intending to meet Melissa at the Roma Termini station between 6 and 7. My train got in at 6:10. I knew Melissa's train got in at 6, so I looked around the relatively small platform, then planted myself nearby so she could see me. After 25 minutes, I decided to walk around a bit, see if maybe she was doing the same thing by staying in one place. No luck, so I waited in a different spot for about a half hour. By then I knew it was time to find a way to the hostel--maybe she had just gone ahead and checked in. I asked the guy at the Information Desk if he knew where I could find an internet cafe, and he just said "Outside". As in "Out there in Rome". Thank you, very helpful.

Luckily, there was one very nearby, right across the street. I went in, got my ticket, and got to work. Melissa had e-mailed me the hostel details earler in the week, so I got the name and address, and blessedly, a woman who spoke perfect English was sitting next to me, and she communicated with the owner of the internet point to direct me to 'Via Curtatone'. It took me about 20 minutes to find, despite being withing walking distance, but I got to Legends Hostel, and I was fine.

Unfortunately, Melissa was nowhere to be found. She hadn't checked in yet, and it was already 8:30, two and a half hours after she was supposed to arrive. Also, I hadn't talked to her in four days--who knows what had happened? She could be anywhere! Even worse, I had no idea which leg of the tour she was coming from.

So, I got to our room, where two guys our age were already sleeping. Or had been, because I woke them up. Thankfully, they were nice about it, and had intended to get up in order to go out and party. They were students from Lehigh, in Pennsylvania (what a coinkydink!) on spring break--Greg and Mike. I initially mistook them for my roommate Emily's boyfriend and his roommate, because they have the same names and were in Italy this past weekend, but I forgot the part where Emily's boyfriend is 28.

So, I laid out the whole deal to Greg and Mike (well, mostly Mike--Greg was still half-asleep), and after about a half hour of worrying, the snotty girl from the front desk knocked on our door, and Melissa and her giant backpack stepped out from the hall! I was so thankful! We were both pretty darn glad to see the other was okay. Since we had missed dinner at the hostel, the two of us decided to check out 'Insalata Ricca', a salad place that is apparently very popular. And with good reason. The walk was practically a hike to get there, but it was SO worth it. I had a 'miele' (honey) salad with walnuts, sliced beef, apples, and honey sauce. OMG. SO GOOD.

And since we got there so late, we were there past midnight, so Melissa was allowed to take her break from the Daniel Fast she's doing for Lent, and we shared a chocolate mousse. :)

Friday morning was the full day--We hit the major ruins first--the Colosseum (there's poetry in that diagonal, I swear), the Forum, Sacra Area (which was awesome for the new, as well as the old.), and we crossed the Tiber and checked out Isola Tiberina, this little island in the middle of the river, and I had this DELICIOUS prosciutto and brie sandwich. Then we crossed all the way and hiked up the hill to the Temple of St. Peter, where he was 'traditionally' crucified. Yeah, not so much. :P

We made it back to the hostel in time for "Pasta Night", and we met a few American students (one from Nebraska, one from Oregon) studying in Bulgaria. RANDOM! But they were so nice, and love Harry Potter. :D

That night, we went to the Trevi Fountain--it was lovely. So gorgeous--practically in motion. Melissa and I were pressured to buy a bouquet of roses (read: they were shoved into our hands and then he demanded payment), then Mel was scammed on by an aging punk-rocker with a crutch. SRSLY. Then we got giant, chocolate-dipped cones of yummy gelato, saw the Four Rivers Fountain and then walked to the Spanish Steps. The view was awesome. It's amazing to think that people live there and see it every day out their windows! It's awesome.

Saturday, we went to the Pantheon--it had been closed for a prayer mass the day before--and there was barely a crowd, which was great! Then we headed to Vatican City, got more tasty sandwiches and ate them in from of St. Peter's Basilica, then went to the Vatican Museum, where I was flirted with by one of the twentysomething workers in security. He thought I was French, then WHISTLED. It was actually pretty funny. :P

The musseum itself had some cool stuff--an early Christian art exhibit, which consusted of mostly sarcophagi from the 4th century, and the decidedly unexciting Egyptian exhibit. But it was all good preparation for the main event.

The Sistine Chapel Ceiling is, without a doubt, the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. The craft is impeccable, the motion and imposition--the bodies are COMING OUT OF THE WALLS. It was amazing. I just sat and stared for almost an hour. So gorgeous. :D

But we did have to go and get ready for our train ride home, which we caught around 6:50, and we were home by 8:30! Then we got to meet the REAL Greg and Mike. Greg was a total kind, invested, funny gentleman--Emily is a lucky girl! But she totally deserves it. And Mike was rougher around the edges, but a brilliant storyteller, and it's clear that he has a gooey center. :)

Emily and Christine's friend AJ (who goes to Pitt) also visited, and I found out that she and Brittney Nolfi happen to be great friends! But she didn't know the "Whoops, Brittney got crowned Homecoming Queen by mistake" story, so I filled her in, and AJ confirmed once again that Brittney and Tyler Kennedy did indeed date, and that he was, indeed, entirely obsessed with her. I don't think I ever doubted it--she would date any of the Pittsburgh Penguins she could get, and he would date anyone as hot as Brittney because he kind of looks like a pug. But he's a dab hand at hockey! Go TK! :P

Also, today I read a note Rachel B. posted about good men. The note wasn't important, but the responses were:

Nicole H.: I'd like to believe good men exist. All the bad men have ruined for them. it must be hard being a good man. You might never get recognized for it. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing” ~ Edmund Burke

Amiri H.:(Even though I never met her, this almost in direct response to Ms H.'s comment) Sometimes, and for various reasons, good men do bad things that do a lot of damage that was never intended. This unfortunately means that the world is even more complex than we thought! Isn't that wild?!

Nicole H.: Very true. How is it then that good men do bad things? Maybe they need stronger convictions, or a better reason to do good things? I’d like to think that a good woman is enough of a reason to do good things, maybe even excellent things. Unfortunately, I’ve seen good men treat good women quite badly. Maybe the good woman is not a worthy motive because even good women can do bad things. I think the only worthy reason for a good man to do good things is because he serves a good God. My conclusion is that more men need to understand God’s unquenchable love for them and know who they are in His eyes, which is truly good men (despite their failings and shortcomings). They must learn to walk in the honor and integrity that he has called them to, strengthened by His grace. And good women? They must know the same and extend grace just as the Lord has done so unto them.

Good response, I think. Great response.

I got to talk to Robin, Sam, and Jessie yesterday! It was so great to se them together--Sam and Jessie went to Baltimore on their spring break. I miss them!

As some of you may know, in about a month I am going to Corsica with Em! Have a mentioned this? OH WELL. It's very exciting and I can't wait to see her!

How are wedding plans going for Kamala, Drea? Maid-of-Honor speech coming out well? :) I can't wait to see photos!

Ab-Fab--I saw a motorcycle jacket here that I WISH I could buy for you! I know you've been wanting one! How's YOUR Greg?

Wow. This has been a looooooong entry. Time to go do something with my day! :P

Love you guys and talk to you soon,

-A.

Ahhhh! March!

I know, only 47 days until I come hoooome! But then, most of you won't even be there, so add two weeks to that. :)

Melissa, Noel, and David are touring Southern Italy, Morgan is in Morocco, Sarah is in Paris, and Emma is in London, leaving me all by my lonesome in Florence until tomorrow night, when I head on out to Roma to meet up with Mel.

I've been semi-productive: I've been drawing a lot, bought my train ticket, got my loan in. Little stuff like that. Caught up a little on The Office. :P I finally went to the Uffizi. It was amazing. The Botticelli room was GORGEOUS. It was just, so, so cool to see these things in person that I've seen in books a million times. :) I just wish it hadn't been so crowded. :(((

Got to Skype with Robin yesterday for the first time in a couple weeks. That was so nice--I sort of underestimated how much I missed talking to him. :D Emily, too! She's coming to visit in April, and I'm so excited! Yay! :DDD

Today I'm finishing a printmaking final, then going home and drawing/laundry/dishes, then going out for pancakes, then more drawing! :) Yay, leisure!

Also, I heard that Chase quit his job over Alli, the girl he dumped me for. Part of me feels bad for him, but the other part of me says it serves him right. Apparently after she rejected him he "couldn't stand" being there while she was. IDIOT. I guess the biggest part of me is trying not to gloat. (Gloat, gloat.)

ANYWAY, for those of you that don't read fmylife.com, DO IT. It's hilarious.

I love you guys. I have to go finish my etching, but I'll leave you with this funny Facebook story:


Madeline Kelley went from being "single" to "it's complicated."
Dane Gustafson and 2 others like this.

Madeline Kelley at 3:03am March 4
ha i didnt know id get so many responses from this

Dennis K Redmond at 6:25am March 4
i guess thats what happens when you date an asshole


:D

Muah,

-A.

I know, you're going to start expecting things.

But because I am a nerd who likes others to tell me what I already know about myself, I took the Myers-Briggs test. Needless to say, it was scarily accurate, for the most part. I've bolded the especially accurate parts. :) Because you care. :P (It's long--I understand if you want to skip through it.)

*Portrait of an ENFJ - Extraverted iNtuitive Feeling Judging
(Extraverted Feeling with Introverted Intuition)

The Giver

As an ENFJ, you're primary mode of living is focused externally, where you deal with things according to how you feel about them, or how they fit into your personal value system. Your secondary mode is internal, where you take things in primarily via your intuition.

ENFJs are people-focused individuals. They live in the world of people possibilities. More so than any other type, they have excellent people skills. They understand and care about people, and have a special talent for bringing out the best in others. ENFJ's main interest in life is giving love, support, and a good time to other people. They are focused on understanding, supporting, and encouraging others. They make things happen for people, and get their best personal satisfaction from this.

Because ENFJ's people skills are so extraordinary, they have the ability to make people do exactly what they want them to do. They get under people's skins and get the reactions that they are seeking. ENFJ's motives are usually unselfish, but ENFJs who have developed less than ideally have been known to use their power over people to manipulate them.

ENFJ's are so externally focused that it's especially important for them to spend time alone. This can be difficult for some ENFJs, because they have the tendency to be hard on themselves and turn to dark thoughts when alone. Consequently, ENFJs might avoid being alone, and fill their lives with activities involving other people. ENFJs tend to define their life's direction and priorities according to other people's needs, and may not be aware of their own needs. It's natural to their personality type that they will tend to place other people's needs above their own, but they need to stay aware of their own needs so that they don't sacrifice themselves in their drive to help others.

ENFJ's tend to be more reserved about exposing themselves than other extraverted types. Although they may have strongly-felt beliefs, they're likely to refrain from expressing them if doing so would interfere with bringing out the best in others. Because their strongest interest lies in being a catalyst of change in other people, they're likely to interact with others on their own level, in a chameleon-like manner, rather than as individuals.

Which is not to say that the ENFJ does not have opinions. ENFJs have definite values and opinions which they're able to express clearly and succinctly. These beliefs will be expressed as long as they're not too personal. ENFJ is in many ways expressive and open, but is more focused on being responsive and supportive of others. When faced with a conflict between a strongly-held value and serving another person's need, they are highly likely to value the other person's needs. (A note from me: Well, NO. Not really.)

The ENFJ may feel quite lonely even when surrounded by people. This feeling of aloneness may be exacerbated by the tendency to not reveal their true selves.

People love ENFJs. They are fun to be with, and truly understand and love people. They are typically very straight-forward and honest. Usually ENFJs exude a lot of self-confidence, and have a great amount of ability to do many different things. They are generally bright, full of potential, energetic and fast-paced. They are usually good at anything which captures their interest.

ENFJs like for things to be well-organized, and will work hard at maintaining structure and resolving ambiguity. They have a tendency to be fussy, especially with their home environments.

In the work place, ENFJs do well in positions where they deal with people. They are naturals for the social committee. Their uncanny ability to understand people and say just what needs to be said to make them happy makes them naturals for counseling. They enjoy being the center of attention, and do very well in situations where they can inspire and lead others, such as teaching.

ENFJs do not like dealing with impersonal reasoning. They don't understand or appreciate its merit, and will be unhappy in situations where they're forced to deal with logic and facts without any connection to a human element. Living in the world of people possibilities, they enjoy their plans more than their achievements. They get excited about possibilities for the future, but may become easily bored and restless with the present. (No, I get terrified of the future based on the present. :D)

ENFJs have a special gift with people, and are basically happy people when they can use that gift to help others. They get their best satisfaction from serving others. Their genuine interest in Humankind and their exceptional intuitive awareness of people makes them able to draw out even the most reserved individuals.

ENFJs have a strong need for close, intimate relationships, and will put forth a lot of effort in creating and maintaining these relationships. They're very loyal and trustworthy once involved in a relationship.

An ENFJ who has not developed their Feeling side may have difficulty making good decisions, and may rely heavily on other people in decision-making processes. If they have not developed their Intuition, they may not be able to see possibilities, and will judge things too quickly based on established value systems or social rules, without really understanding the current situation. An ENFJ who has not found their place in the world is likely to be extremely sensitive to criticism, and to have the tendency to worry excessively and feel guilty. They are also likely to be very manipulative and controlling with others.

In general, ENFJs are charming, warm, gracious, creative and diverse individuals with richly developed insights into what makes other people tick. This special ability to see growth potential in others combined with a genuine drive to help people makes the ENFJ a truly valued individual. As giving and caring as the ENFJ is, they need to remember to value their own needs as well as the needs of others. *

BAM. I rule.

Haha, minus all the stuff about being an insecure, slightly manipulative worrywart. :P

In other news, the resident Idiotic-28-Year-Old-TA-That-I-Despise, Michelle, made out with a student while entirely blotto in Venice, and there are photos. AND video. I wonder how the administration would feel about seeing those...

Unrelated Sidenote: My own Facebook stalking skills scare me sometimes. :/

Love you guys!

-A.

Two days in a row?! Insanity!

I guess I'm just making up for the slacking I've done lately. Besides, I haven't said much about Florence/Italy ITSELF. So, I'm going to do what I call an "Emily Post", and observe what's going on AROUND me, as opposed to what is just going on WITH me.

Italians have a very interesting taste. They dress fabulously well, usually in black. They are trendy as all-get-out, to a fault, even. (Puffy coats with elastic belts? EEK!) Every female here wears boots--it was one of the first things I bought besides food, firstly because they were cheap (I may have mentioned the January sales before), and secondly because Florence seems to have every style of shoe I ADORE. They also like blondes. At least the men do. :P Ask Morgan about the encounter she had her first week here, where a guy blatantly felt her ass up in the street.

The Italians practice what they call "Bella Figura". Have I mentioned it here? I forget. Basically, the objective is to look as good as you can before you walk out the door. Why the eff hasn't America gotten on that?! As a result, I LIKE to think I look more cleaned up than usual--I actually put on makeup 90% of the time now, and I try and make the effort to look aloof and bitchy. Hey, it seems to work for the Italians! I've barely been cat-called!

They also have a few obsessions: Marilyn Monroe and A Clockwork Orange. I swear, you see that shit EVERYWHERE. They pay a few respects to my girl Audrey, as well, but not nearly as much as Marilyn (typical! :P). And kebab. There's a place on every corner! This is great for my mouth, but bad for my wallet. (That's what she said.)

As for dislikes, I think that can be summed up in one big one: Traffic laws. I swear to God, the only rule is "Don't hit anyone". And the unspoken one is, "Be as big of an impatient tool as possible, too." Graar.

So, yeah! So far, that's my observation. Limited, I know, but you're reading the blog of a girl who hasn't even been inside the Uffizi for longer than an hour. And I live across the street. :/ I'm a shameful human being.

In other news, my mushroom soup went over VERY well last night! It was a little too salty, but I can fix that! I'm definitely making it for all of us when I come home! What do you guys think? My mushroom soup, and Em can make those little molten cakes of DELICIOUSNESS. Bri? Drea? Ab-Fab? Any input? Tasty bread? Salad?

The rest of my day is going to be pretty boring and slacker-y. I got about 2/3 of the way into my first little figurine (I changed my mind about the paper cutouts for now, but I'm not forgetting about them) and then, I think I changed my mind AGAIN and might do cute, tiny watercolors with my chubby little character running around and getting overwhelmed and gossiping and basically doing everything I do. :P

Did I tell you guys about my latest critique with Kevin, the MICA students supervisor? I told him I was interested in injecting more humor into my work--I feel like so many art kids take themselves SO SERIOUSLY. At that, he got really weirdly smug and "oh-yes-I-know-all-about-you" and was like "Yes, you do have that crooked smile." Do I? Really? I think he's thinking of the face I make when I'm trying not to laugh at him. I think he says shit like that because I hit the nail on the head with him in our first meeting and pointed out his caffeine jitters and mismatched socks.

Directly after this, he told me a horrifying story about a boy he was in 4th grade with who slit his wrists (and survived), due to bullying. #1: FOURTH GRADE. #2: KEVIN, WTF? DISTURBING.

Sidenote: I love my Facebook 'Favorite Quotes' section. I have a fantastic sense of humor, you know that? :P

I'm going to call my mom in the next half hour, and she's going to be all cute and engaged, and I feel a little bad to have to bring the hammer down on that in any way, but I NEED to get some solid info on the finances so I won't get beaten by the SACI:NY lady! She's out for blood, I swear.

On a lighter note, apparently Betsy and Jen (you remember, my MICA roommates from last semester) were not shy in asking Robin how far we've gone! He told them the (modest, ungraphic) truth--which is fine by me, I'm just surprised they were so forward about asking! Jen maybe, but Betsy was apparently the one who asked! Funny, and it makes me miss them. :)

Okay, I'm out. Love you guys! I'll update soon.

-A.

ETA: Just got off the phone with Mom, and we settled on a game plan for the SACI housing bill. She's really, really excited about her and Robert (of course!), and she told me that KJ is constantly playing his guitar and drums, that his grades are great, and he's taking up track and tennis! His play opens this weekend--I wish I could be there to see it! Man, he's going to be 14 soon. It seems like he's taking forever to age, but I know he'll be a man before I know it!

Let me let you in on an excerpt from an e-mail he sent after I asked him to assist me with the SACI bill: "As you well know, money is tight all over for most folks and last minute surprises are more difficult to handle. Lisa and I have always been happy to do what we can and I hope you understand that. This is frustrating for me because you're my daughter, I love you and I don't want this to create a hardship for you. I wish I could just pay it but that's not possible."

Logical, realistic and completely understandable.

But wait, what's that I hear? DAD BOUGHT A 2-SEATER CONVERTIBLE. SRSLY.

Thank you, Daddy. Thank you for focusing on the important expenses. For real.

But you've all heard me complain about this a million times. :P

Ciao, Venezia!

So, this weekend was a sometimes-fun, sometimes-obnoxious foray into Venice Carnevale!

Me, Mel, and three of the four members of #10 (Noel, Morgan, and Emma) caught the train out of Florence at 8:30 AM on Friday morning, and made it into Venice, and into the hotel by noon. Once good thing I can say about the cheap-but-should-have-been-cheaper hotel was that it was WARM. Venice was freezing! Naturally, being near all that water.

Friday was really amazing--we got the obvious gondola ride (but at 20 euro less than usual! Score!). We had the privilege of having a cute gondolier, Thomaso, who informed us that one needs over 6 YEARS of training to be a gondolier! Holy EFF.

After the ride, we hit the market at Piazza San Polo, where we saw the hot Catholic priest calendars that make me want to weep--the cover priest should not withhold his glorious genes from humanity! Interestingly enough, there was also a hot gondolier calendar, and we started joking around about Thomaso being in it, and lo and behold! He was Mr. August! That was pretty fantastic, to say the least. :)

That night, we got all gussied up in our masks, and hung out in one of the piazzas with live music, apparently cobbled together by three drummers, a sax player, a trumpeteer, and a tambourine. Fun, but all the shoving and bumping kind of made me want to smack a bitch. We poured ourselves into bed around three AM.

Saturday was okay--a lot more people in the city, that's for sure. The density must have tripled overnight! Mel and I went separately from Noel, Morgan and Emma, who decided that sleeping was more imporant than being in VENICE. WHATEVER. We met up with the missing member of #10, David, briefly, then with our other roommates and our building-mates (who came to Venice with SACI), and hung out at Piazza San Marco for the afternoon, tooling around in our masks and feeding the pigeons, who are not shy and WILL land on you if you prompt them.



BAM. (My new profile pic, naturalement.)

Melissa and I made it out of Venice after an HOUR of shoving through the crowd, but we made it to the bus, met up with our oversleeping travel buddies, and caught the train home. We. Were. EXHAUSTED. To say the very least. But that didn't stop Me, Mel, and Emma from staying up 'til 3 AM to watch Green Wing, which is the UK's solution to Scrubs, but BETTER.

Sidenote: I've been making a ton of allusions to how awesome "Hey Arnold!" was this week. Like, a TON.

Sunday was lazy--Mel and I just lounged around, made a big breakfast, then got a pancake dinner. :) I had a mini-freak out about money and my art and the future, and I was reminded of how lucky I am to be friends and roommates with Mel. Once again. :) As if I could forget!

Today was fine--went to Santa Maria Novella and sent my belated V-Day gift to Robin. I have to run, actually, I'm making dinner for my roomies tonight and I need to pick up a few things!

I love you guys, and I'll try and be less of a lame about updating! (Although I must say, I'm keeping up the best out of all of you! Save Ab-Fab, who seems to be on-par. Ab--how are you and G? Everything good?)

Have a great day!

-A.

P.S. Did I mention my mom is OFFICIALLY ENGAGED?! WOOOOOOOO!

I know, I know... :P

We made it official.

(I can hear you smirking smugly from here, Brandon. :P)

I guess I just figure, if everyone was concerned about the chance of breaking up, no one would ever get together and truly and fully enjoy another person!

Also, I told my mom about us, and she was surprisingly okay with the whole thing, even encouraging!

My roommates are going to Rome this weekend, so I get the whole house to myself! :D However, this DOES mean I'm spending Valentine's Day mostly alone, but Emma will still be here, and both of our boys are in the States, so maybe we can just have a Chick Flick night. Or watch Lord of the Rings. :P

I'm also auditioning for Godspell on Saturday! Yay! I met two boys, Calvin and Tom, who are my age and doing the show! It's exciting to meet new people who I can talk with about faith and theater!--not that I don't LOVE talking to Mel, as she's really helped me to look deeper into the basics of faith: patience, prayer, LETTING GO OF CONTROL. As most of you know, this is very hard for me--I want all the info and all the access all the time. With God, it's like I hand Him a broken toy to fix, and I watch and micro-manage, and when I think I've figured out EXACTLY what He's doing and how, I take the toy back to finish fixing it myself, and more quickly. But obviously, I am not God, and I usually eff it up. :P But I'm working to be more peaceful and willing to give up control to the being that ACTUALLY has the knowledge and power.

What a novel idea. :P

But for today, I'm going to go home and have lunch, then etching at one--I'm working on a soft ground, copper plate etching of a halved and eaten grapefruit I sketched at the beginning of the semester. Then at 4:30, a painting conservation lecture with my teacher, Roberta Lapucci, AKA the Goddess of Conservation. I just found out that she helped conserve Botticelli's Primavera! And she took us to this amazing exhibition about the 10-year-long conservation of Raphael's Madonna del Cardellino. It was SO gorgeous--the painting was practically glowing and the reassemblage (it was shattered in an earthquake/rockslide in the 1400s) was practically invisible!

Then dinner and some reading/sketching. I just started this book called The Origin of Satan, which basically calls into question that Satan ever existed as the New Testament portrays him, and suggests (AKA, leans heavily) that "Satan" is actually a metaphor demonizing the Jews during the wars in 60-70 CE, when the gospels were written. So far it's interesting, but I'm not convinced. This woman spins her language so heavily, it's like being smacked with the Bias-Stick. But it's important to examine all sides of the "faith debate" (haha, what a paradox!). I want to be educated. :)

Okay, I love you guys and I'll update soon!

-A.

Wow, February.

Already! That means I haven't exactly 2 months and 3 weeks left here!

I know, don't get too excited. :P

In other news, the Steelers are AWESOME. I admit, I got a little nervous in the end! But we pulled that shit out and reminded people who we are.

I'm supposed to meet with my teacher today for critique BUT I don't have anything. :D OH WELL. I'll just tell him I need a little more time and get cracking!

Hiked from Fiesole to Settignano on Saturday--the sun came out just for us, and it's been raining ever since. I wish I had more to report on!

I love you guys. Drea--I haven't heard from you in a while. Are you still reading?

Muah!

-A.

Pisa e Lucca!

If you guys make your way to my Facebook, you can see that I've posted some new photos! The photo uploader is a little bit of a bitch, so they might not all be there when you log in to see them, but soon enough! Promise!

Our trip was really fun, although it was SO rainy, and subsequently freezing, which wasn't great, but the churches and museums were so awesome.

Pisa was my favorite of the two--the Tower was awe-inspiring, and the Baptistry was so amazing! They did this acoustical demonstration, where one of the attendants sang up into the cone/dome structure, and it sounded like a choir of people singing softy with them. It was wonderful. I didn't climb the tower (it cost 15 euro!), but it was enough to just see how cool it is.

Lucca had it's charms too--it's churches housed two really interesting tombs--one was a well-preserved body of a 13th century saint, St. Zita (allegedly), and the other was a commemorative marble tomb built for a teenage wife who died in childbirth. It was so gorgeous. And there were some 900 year old manuscripts in the cathedral museum! Excellent calligraphy.

All in all, a very successful trip. I'm going to try to go to Rome with them in two weeks, too, if it doesn't cost too much. Wish me luck!

Melissa and I attended an American Episcopal Church a little ways down the Arno yesterday. They're choir was small but powerful (I want to join, and I'm attending a meeting on Wednesday), but the sermon and hymns were so weird. One hymn talked about how the fishermen were happy and content before Jesus called them, and how Peter and John suffered horrible endings as a result of their service to God, and how God's Peace isn't peace at all, but we should pray for it. It was so weird.

And the female rector gave the sermon, which started out talking about Jesus calling the fishermen to follow him, and then she had this theory that they'd all known each other for years, and that the following was the culmination of a decades-long argument about 'vocation' and misunderstanding Jesus. THEN it was about a Holocaust survivor who stayed alive in Auschwitz because he was a tailor and could sew German uniforms. He came to the US, remarried, and had a daughter and a son. He taught the daughter to sew (his 'vocation'), and somehow his transferring of his suffering to her via sewing caused her to become anorexic, or something? I have no idea. It was so random. Then it was like "There is no fate or destiny, we all have a choice in our vocation." And I'm like, "Yes, we have a choice, but there's GOD'S PLAN, remember?" I don't know. I can't judge the whole place by one sermon.

ANYWAY, I guess I'll go back one or two times and see if it's for me. Mel and I are going to visit a home church next Sunday night and see what that's like as well. :)

I made a mix back for Robin. I hope he likes it! :D I miss him a lot.

I miss all of you! Florence would be so much more amazing if you were all here with me. Muah!

I have to go grab a quick snack and head back to class. I love and miss you all dearly. Have a great day!

-A.

Buon Giorno!

Morning! It's about twenty-to-twelve here right now, and I had some time to update you on my life, so here we go!

Robin made me a wonderful little "I Miss You" mix. I just wanted to brag about that. :D

Anyway, I've basically been attending class, eating, and hanging out with my main peeps! David got food poisoning (perhaps from falafel that was cooked in the same pan as meat--David is vegetarian). :( But he's doing better now. I'm going to try and download Gossip Girl for us to watch soon to get him back to 100% health!

I met with my MICA advisor/professor for independent, Kevin Labadie. Why do I always end up talking about faith with practical strangers? About intimate things? I swear, I could tell you a few sex stories ALREADY about some people here. It's crazy.

ANYWAY, I mentioned that Melissa and I are Christians (he asked how we got so close), and he took that and ran with it. It wasn't a personal thing, though. We discussed the differences between philosophy and faith, and he told me a story about this comparative religion teach he attended a party with once, and she said that all religion is philosophy, because religion is the "search for God". I about had a stroke when I heard that. I seriously put my hands over my face and had to keep myself from screaming in frustration! Thankfully, Kevin agreed with me, and defended our point to that teacher. Kevin is an agnostic (who went to Catholic military school--YIKES!), but he understands faith and understands that faith isn't a search for God, but a relationship WITH God.

Either way, it was nice to delve into that side of a teacher, and to be able to have those personal connections. I made a few simple observations about Kevin to him--mismatched socks, jittery, always in motion. Kevin noted that I seem very perceptive--detective-like, and with my sense of justice and passion, it could border on blackmail/vigilantism! I liked that. :P I've never thought of myself as having those scary tendencies, but it's reassuring to know that I have some capacity for bad-assery. :D

I think I might base my independent body of work on the concept of secrecy, told in cut paper, selective silhouette--pulling out important details on the paper with a blade. Secrecy has been a big part of my life in general--well, I should say, having the power to release the secrets has been. I like that power, and it's exciting to think about translating it into something visual and illustrative.

I'll catch up with you guys very soon. I'm going to Pisa and Lucca this weekend (have I mentioned that?), so I hope to bring home some pretty pictures!

Love and miss you guys. I hope you're all well! Update, update!

-A.

My sexiness is complete.

I've been having a lovely day!

This morning, Mel and I got up and Emma met us at our place, and we went out to shop the January saldi! (Sales.)

Mel and Emma were on the hunt for boots, and I was just tagging along really, and if I found something cheap, great! Now, my feet are far too big to find boots here in the EU (a 41 [the largest size I saw] was about the right length, but my feet are WAY too wide), BUT, I did stop into this shop called Goldenpoint, where I knew I could find some cheap tights. So, I was looking at the wall of tights, and I saw a particular package of sheer black, lace-topped thigh-highs. I was, naturally, smitten. They weren't in my size, so I had to dig around a little to find the right pair.

Then I saw a pair that were seamed, and my heart skipped, so I grabbed those in my size too. THEN, at the counter, I saw a small box with a picture on it. A picture of a gorgeous lace garter belt and matching stockings. And I think I died a little with excitement. (I was inspired by you, Em! :P) SO, I bought the seamed stockings and the garter belt set for about 25 euro, which isn't bad at all. AND, to satisfy my little girl side, I found a pair of bright red tights practically next door for 4,75! IT WAS AMAZING. And now, I am sexy.

So, the three of us crossed the Ponte Vecchio, still looking for boots (we were unsuccessful, as they were A. Very expensive or B. Not our taste), and we stumbled onto this awesome, cheap mini-supermarket. I bought 1,5 liters of Sprite for 1,60! (Very cheap, let me tell you.) And cereal! And butter! It was exciting. :D

Anyway, tonight, #10 is coming over to our place to make a yummy, communal dinner, and then me, Morgan, Emily and Christine are going to find this bar that's broadcasting the AFC championship between the Steelers and the Ravens! Hopefully we kick butt! Go Steelers!

I love you and miss you all. Hope you're all having a great day! Let's talk soon!

-A.

The Marcato.

Let me briefly describe a trip to the Marcato Centrale.

You walk past hundreds of street vendors, selling t-shirts and leather goods, and telling women that they'll give them a "deal for [their] pretty smile".

Then you get to the warehouse, and you walk up the steps and into a wall of raw meat smell, which isn't pleasant, but somehow amazing to see all of the butchers with their aprons stained with pinkish blood carving up chickens and pigs and cows. I even saw a whole rabbit carcass today, frozen in mid-leap, but on it's back, skinned and tasty-looking.

The first floor is all meat, cheese and bread (there's a cute bread stand with yummy baguettes where the workers wear straw hats with sunflowers on them). There's a candy stand and a few produce stands, but the good produce is on the second floor. You can get almost anything there. Dried fruit, nuts, blood oranges, delicious apples. God, so GOOD!

It's hard to order what you want initially, especially if you don't know the numbers. So you do a lot of pointing and holding up the right number of fingers, until you learn to say "Una uva moscotello" (a scoop of black raisins), et cetera. It's actually really rewarding once you get through a transaction by yourself, even if you use a little English. :P

It's always a bustle, and I like going, even if it is a walk to get there. :) And, bonus! There's a Bank that ACTUALLY changes money nearby! Pretty amazing.

I got to talk to my mom and Robin yesterday. Mom is doing fine, and KJ (for the brief time we spoke) seems just as silent on the phone as usual. :P I'm sorry I missed you Em! When I got off with Robin you had signed off! I'll catch you soon.

Me, Mel and #10 (what I call Noel, Emma, Morgan, and David's apartment) watched Hook and ate half-price gelato, which was TRES tasty. (Or MOLTO, my bad.) ALSO, I found out that David watches Gossip Girl! We totally bonded, and we have a date to watch the new episode tonight (Obviously not a real date, just a nerdy GG one)! He is the BEST. EVER. :P

I love and miss you guys! How are all of you? Update!

Muah!

-A.

OKAY, NEW PLAN.

I'll be online tonight between 9:30 and 12, which means 3:30 and 6 to you dear people. :) Come talk to me and let me tell you how much I miss you!

People I've hung out with so far:

-Morgan: Tall, blonde, and full-figured (AKA typical American bombshell to the Italian boys), she's very funny, and although she likes her party-time, she's no bimbo. She also happens to live right off Mt. Nebo Road!

-Christine and Emily: My roommates, who are Penn State girls, and kind of boring. Nice enough, though. Emily seems a little brighter, but Christine is more kind-hearted.

-David: ONLY THE SWEETEST GUY TO WALK THE EARTH! I don't think he knows how to be mean to people. He is thoughtful, considerate, kind, attentive, and interested in what everyone has to say. And you should see the way he talks about his girlfriend! (Of four years! Wow!) Shame he lives the farthest away in the US--all way way in upstate NY.

Just got out of the first half of my Conservation of Archeological Objects class. Pretty amazing so far. My teachers are an old Italian man who speaks ZERO Inglese, but has 40 years of experience, and a young Italian female translator/conservator. It seems like it's going to be an amazing class. We got to check out some 1500 year old artifacts from some Etruscan tombs (not touching yet, of course), and we started our study by putting together broken terra cotta pots, like plant pots, to practice for the real thing, which will be WAY more difficult. But it's been surprisingly fun! (If a little frustrating at times!)

The Giardini Boboli were stunning--I'll be putting up photos on Facebook tonight!

Talk to you tonight, I hope!

Love,

A.

Would you feel better, better, better; would you feel anything at all?

Okay, I'm feeling much better. I'm still not at 100%, but I've barely cried today! :P

But serioualy.

I went to the Marcato Centrale today to buy some food, and in the evening, my roommates and I met this random guy in his forties who said he was a private detective. I think actually has ties to the mafia. :/ He gave us some good tips about where to eat, though!

And he said Mel and I have "smart eyes". :D

Mel has been my rock. She is a patient, warm, wonderful Christian who I am BLESSED to have here with me. I came to a serious revelation last night (that I'll let you in on soon enough), and she was so great to me, and so comforting, even as I was sobbing my eyes out.

I feel bad for not having more to say, but I (foolishly) saved this update for the end of the night,and it's almost one AM and I'm sleepy! My friends and I are going to the Piazza di Michaelangelo and the Boboli Gardens tomorrow, so I'll hopefully have some pictures for you soon!

I love you guys. Very much, and I miss you!

:*

-A.

The Ounce of Relief.

My luggage arrived sometime in the last two hours. THANK THE LORD.

I really appreciate all your support! I've been pretty much freaking out for the last thirty hours or so, and the words of encouragement mean everything. I love you guys!

I'm SUPPOSED to go on this mandatory tour of the monuments at 3 this afternoon, but I'm so tired (I barely slept last night) that I'd rather just sit at home and unpack and relax for a little while. It's not like they're taking roll on the tour or anything. My personal wellbeing is more important to me at this point then the monuments I will undoubtedly see over my FOUR MONTHS in the city.

I'm still feeling overwhelmed, but I'm THRILLED that my luggage is here, which I'm sure will make a marked difference day-to-day.

There's a bookstore open 'til midnight around here, with free wireless, which will lend itself better to the Eastern Time Zone! Emily, I'd love to talk Sunday. Would morning or evening be better?

Alright, I should take my luggage home and unpack. I love you guys dearly, and I really miss you. I can't wait until March so I can see some of you! (Or at least Em--Drea, any news on a trip?)

Muah!

-A.

:(

I can't say I've been enjoying myself thus far. My luggage is missing, and I was locked out of my apartment last night (thankfully I was with Melissa and we knew where some classmates lived so we could ask to stay--although it's illegal to have overnight guests due to anti-terrorist laws. SRSLY.)

My apartment is actually very nice--we have a spiral staircase. Unfortunately I haven't been able to enjoy it because of my stress over my luggage. I feel like I'm constantly crying, which is horribly embarrassing, because I know I should be enjoying this despite the problems.

Also, no wireless in my apartment, which means no Skype until we make a specific date. If anyone has a day/time, I'd be happy to work around it.

Wish me luck with everything working itself out. I'll try and update soon.

I miss you guys very, very much.

Love,
A.

To-Do Today.

Dentist Appt. (My top wisdom teeth have erupted, but they look small enough to keep. Hooray!)
Post Office (I sent my apology letter to Marla AND ran into my paternal sort-of-grandfather and his big ol' dog.)
Bank (Still not enough money for me! :D)
Packing (And I'm still SO nervous about being over the weight limit!)
Haircut (You'll all see it soon enough. :P)
Gossip Girl (If you haven't watched this, we're not friends. >:( :P)

So, now I tackle packing, then at noon, haircut, then more packing, then Gossip Girl. I will never finish Breaking Dawn at this rate! :P

I can't even believe I head out tomorrow. OMG.

I said goodbye to Robin yesterday night. It was about as hard as I anticipated--I cried a little. I'm going to miss all of you SO much, but Robin was the guy I've gotten the closest to over the past months of planning and stressing. I love you guys. :)

Okay, seriously have to start now. :*

Love,
A.

ETA: 1/6/09, 12:25AM

The To-Do List is done, I get a last China Palace lunch with my family tomorrow, and then my plane leaves at 3pm! OMG!

Love you.

A.

Ripped from LJ, because it was too coincidental. (Ha.)

For those of you who don't/haven't used Livejournal, there's a widget called "Writer's Block" that pops up with a new question everyday to write about. This was today's:

Whether you believe in the paranormal or not, you've probably experienced something that you couldn't explain. What was it?

I guess I never like using the word 'paranormal'. Isn't that weird? I like 'supernatural' much better, because it suggests that all of those unexplainable, miraculous, scary things run parallel to and add to what we already know to be (ha) natural.

Oddly enough, the things I find unexplainable are not unsettling. Well, okay, that's a lie, but they don't make me feel insecure. They're little things--coincidences, I guess a lot of people would mark them as. Like, whenever someone pauses in a sentence, I know what word they'll use next, 99% of the time. Maybe that's just me reading people well, and I can let that go.

Being a Christian, I believe in all kinds of unexplainable things. And, the hints I see that reassure me are unexplainable themselves. Drea and I were just talking about the supernatural side of faith last night, then--ta da!--a question about supernatural phenomena pops up on LJ. The perfection of snowflakes (Cheesy, but they are too...too PERFECT to be an accident). Cross-shaped proteins holding our cells together--you know, little things. The little ways that turn into big ways that God is in control of my life, because I let him. This whole Italy trip wasn't possible because of anything I did, aside from filling out some forms. The finances, my fellow travelers, the obstacles and how they were cleared--that was entirely God. And it's impossible to explain. I can only list the ways and let you decide.

On the sillier end, my mom was in an Oscar pool in 2005, and the bonus question was "What color dress will Hilary Swank be wearing?" I guess Mom just asked whoever was in the house, and I remember saying, specifically, "Navy." Naturally, Mom laughed and was like "Navy? Why?" And I just said, calmly, "Because she looks good in navy."

I didn't watch the red carpet part, but I remember Mom SCREAMING: "SHE'S WEARING NAVY! HOW DID YOU KNOW?!" I just knew. :P It's silly, but a little strange all the same.

Maybe I'm psychic when it comes to Oscar gowns! ;P

Love,

A.

Well, I'm glad I checked this AFTER Christmas. :/

I got a C+ in Illustration Concepts. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?

Seriously, the grade I was worried about was 19th Century French Art, and at least she handed me a B- (I probably deserved a B, but I'll live). But a C+ from Jose? I was actually stunned when I saw that. I mean, I'm not breathing into a paper bag or anything, but come on! That was the last thing I expected. On the last day of class, I passed Jose on the way out and he was like "Oh, great work!" WTF?

SRSLY. WTF. The last C+ I got was in a class I despised above all others with a teacher who despised me right back. I was just happy to get through the class! But this is an actual shock to me. I'm really disappointed.

I still have my scholarship, blahblah, so I guess it's not the end of the world, but I'm still mad and I am definitely not looking forward to telling my parents. Ug.

I definitely know I wasn't as devoted to my schoolwork as I could have been this semester, but I was more stressed than ever with all of the preparation for studying abroad, etc. Not to mention the constant drama in my apartment, and my social calendar dwindling down to one person 97% of the time. You know who you are. ;P I had a lovely semester, I really did. I just hope this wasn't the fee I had to pay for it.

Christmas went just fine! I got money, some books about Florence, Beedle the Bard, travel accoutrements, two thongs in my stocking (from my MOTHER, sheesh. Right, Em?), these shimmery purple dark chocolate M&Ms, and a REALLY SOFT brown blanket. And of course, I got to see Ab-Fab, which was wonderful! :)

Hope you all had a good haul yourselves!