Cemetery

So, I got up a little late for my class at the gym today so I decided to attempt to go for a bike ride. I have taken the bike to the gym but, hadn't yet just rode around town so I thought I would try it out and tour some parts of town that I haven't seen. Luca had told me that there was a sidewalk bike route that went for a good distance so I figured I would just follow that. Well, that didn't turn out so well and I was getting really angry. The sidewalk stopped way before I thought it would and even before that there was construction about every two feet, so I spent more time walking my bike than riding it.

But eventually, I took a little side street and it got much better. So I was riding along and I came to this really pretty street next to the church that I pass everyday on the way to pick up Chicco. I had wanted to see what was down there so I went down it. Andrea had told me it was only really the cemetery but I figured I could at least check that out.

WOW! I am not a religious person at all and don't even really appreciate art so me saying this is a pretty big deal. The cemetery is the most beautiful cemetery I have ever seen. I literally could not believe it. I am considering going back to take pictures but I am not sure of the etiquette about taking pictures in a cemetery, I am sure it is not really highly recommended. So I will have to find a time when there aren't many people there. Anyway, for now I will just have to describe it. From the looks of it, the Italians have so much more respect for the dead than Americans do. Not that we don't respect the dead, because I always thought we did, until today. When you enter the cemetery (I now realize I'm not quite sure how to spell that word so I apologize), it looks like a florist or something. There are literally flowers on every single grave, and not just one or two. There are a lot. They even have little containers of water all around so that you can water the flowers when you come. The cemetery is huge, and there are just graves everywhere of every different kind. There are walls of graves piled high. There are those buildings with graves inside (don't know how to spell that word either). There are also mostly family plots of all kinds so there aren't many single graves but more entire families. Almost every grave has a photo of the person on it, as well as their name and dates. There is even a small section that I found for children, which was really sad. Especially because many only had one date, both birth and death. Very sad. Anyway, I was absolutely amazed, and even knowing not one person in there I think I could easily spend an hour just walking around the place.

Just thought I would share my amazement with you all. Despite the morbid topic, it actually turned out to be a pretty good morning and I will definitely go again.

Lazy

On another note, I have become increasingly more and more lazy since I have been here. I think it has something to do with the fact that I hardly have any responsibility, so there isn't very much that I actually have to do. I mean I have even put off replying to emails, that at the time I read them just simply require too much thought for me to have at that moment. So now I am actually sitting down to do a whole bunch of things that I have put off all week.

I guess now is the time to do it because I will never be able to do this again, at least not anytime soon. Or at least that is what I keep telling myself as I crawl back into bed with a book.

Also, the only thing I would feel guilty about is that I am not experiencing everything completely, but I think for the most part I am. And I try to see at least one or two new things every week. It's just not realistic to expect to do something new and exciting every single day, but I am certainly trying. Regardless, I came here to enjoy a new country, learn the language and enjoy the next year of my life, and I am definitely doing all of that! So I'm happy!! :)

One More Thing

One of my fellow expat friends reminded of what is probably the number one thing that I miss about America, each and every day. I somehow forgot to mention it (maybe that is a sign that I am getting used to it after all).

I really do enjoy reading other expats blogs as ir is quite comical to hear about them going through, and how they got through, some of the same things I did or still am going through.

Anyway, the number one thing I miss is...

GARBAGE DISPOSAL!!

I miss it so much. Here we have to dump all of the extra contents of our food out into the trash, which is it's one separate can so it is never very pretty. I don't know how people can stand but since mine contains mostly of fruit remains, it smells so bad that I had to put it outside. It is really annoying and really gross, and now that its outside and it is cold outside, I have to put shoes on to go out there. Ugh! So much work!

She also reminded me of how I miss grapes. Ok, so they have grapes here that actually look delicious and refreshing, obviously more so in the summer. So I was tricked a few times by them,. but they are deceiving because they have seeds in them. Biting into a grape and finding a seed and then to have to find somewhere to put the seed is just far to much work for me for a piece of fruit. So I will have to wait until I am back in America for some seedless grapes.. And on that same note, something that I knew I would miss when I came here, is skim milk. Now, I have been very lucky because I was thinking that all I would find was whole milk but they actually do have whole, 1/2 whole (as they call it), and skim. However, these all come out of boxes that are not refridgerated. So it is not fresh milk. The only fresh milk that they have is whole. So while I have been lucky and been able to use milk for my cereal, I havent really been able to drink much which is something I never went one day without back at home.

Venice

This took a little longer than planned because the website wasn't working with me but, here are some new pictures, some of Castelfranco and most of Venice last Thursday.

http://s226.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/ryetoasty/

I met my first American expats last Thursday and we had a really good time. It is always good to talk to people who are going through the same, or similar things as you.

And today I met a Canadian woman for lunch and I enjoyed that as well. She has two kids that are around my age so I am very excited to hopefully meet them soon!

Home

So since my return to America is getting closer (only 40 days now!!) I have been thinking more about the things I really miss from home (aka the things that I will get as much of as possible in the 10 days that I am home):

Here they are:

Starbucks- since I don't really like coffee, I haven't had any at all since I have been here, but in Starbucks I usually don't get coffee anyway. I miss all of the other drinks and the atmosphere. This one came to me when I was watching Grey's Anatomy and saw a Starbucks cup in Meredith's hand. I have never been an addict of Starbuck's but apparently for me it is one of those things that you don't miss until it's gone. (I want some peppermint hot chocolate!)

OPRAH- this one is pretty simple and self explanatory, I just missing having the option of turning her on in the afternoon.

TIVO/Satellite TV- on that same note, I miss the TV that we have at home. We don't have TiVO anymore but I can't even remember the name of what we have now. In Italy, they have Sky which is satellite TV, where you can watch things in English, but I don't have it and it's not the same. I miss DVR!!

TV I understand- still going on that same note, I just miss TV in general. I mean I watch a little bit of it here and it is helping my Italian but while I'm still in the learning stage, it is really hard to focus. It just not as entertaining when you put learning into it. And even Finding Nemo isn't as funny in Italian! :( However, starting tomorrow, every Thursday night I will be watching (old I think) episodes of Grey's Anatomy, which will be awesome. Not even a different language can keep me away from being entertained by Grey's!

Magazines- yeah, I miss my trashy gossip. While I have never been a fan of the really trashy magazines like US and stuff like that, I mostly miss People. I have been reading a ton of books but it's just not the same without a magazine to read once a week. However, I have started reading some Italian magazines (attempting to) so thats entertaining and they have Time magazine in English in the library so I am making that a weekly tradition.

My books- ok, this one is not so bad. I have read at least about 10 books since I have been here and I love reading so it is making me very happy. I have been lucky enough to have my mom send me a bunch of my books, but I just miss my collection. Since I could never really read for leisure in high school or college, over the years I have started a collection of books I want to read. And I have so many that I don't remember half of them. I just wish I had them here.

My movies- same as above. I have a few here that my mom has sent me, but my collection of movies is one of the best things I own. Hopefully by the end of this week, I will have a season of Friends from home though and that will make me very happy! :)

Malls!- yeah they don't so much exist in Italy, at least not that I have found. I mean there is definitely shopping everywhere you go but I miss just being able to go to the mall for the afternoon and walk around or be able to find anything and everything you want or need.

Different kinds of cereal-maybe I am being a little picky because I am very lucky to have even found cereal here at all, as most Italians don't really eat breakfast. Ever since I can remember, I have had cereal for breakfast just about everyday of my life, except the occasional big breakfast from my mom on the weekends. So cereal is a big deal to me. Now, the grocery store below my apartment (which is very convenient) has about 15 or so different kinds of cereal but they are all basically the same thing. So out of those I get the same 2 or 3 kinds every week. I am very excited to go home and go to the store and see that glorious cereal isle. (Which I have always taken for granted)...by the way, I miss American grocery stores too.

Ok, that's about all for now. If you notice, I have found ways around most of things that I miss but it's still just not the same.

CIAO!

Public Bathrooms

Anyone who thinks public bathrooms in America are bad, take a look at this!!





I really dont understand how it is even possible. I mean this is not a third world country, and yet I feel like it as soon as I step into one of these things!! GROSS!! I have to say I think it is one of my least favorite things about Italy!!

Happy Days

Yeah I know it has been almost two weeks since I have posted, but nothing has happened that I could really write about. The past two weekends have been pretty quiet and I did a lot of babysitting rather than going out. On Sundays, I usually go to another town nearby in the afternoon and walk around. This past Sunday I went to Castelfranco, which was pretty cool, other than the fact that as soon as we got there our waitress spilled my wine ALL over me, so I had to walk around the rest of the afternoon like that.

For some reason, I have been exceptionally happy lately. I'm not really sure why but I think it has to do with the fact that I am getting more and more comfortable here and have established some pretty good routines. Yesterday, I had a perfect day. It was nothing too exciting but for some reason to me, it was perfect. In the morning, I went to the library for a "women's meeting," and to sign up for a card. Unfortunately the meeting turned out to be down the street so I decided to wait until next week to go there. But I got a library card and walked around the library. I spent over two hours there. I looked at all the english books they have, the movies, the english magazines they have, and I sat and read Time magazine and then my book in the periodical room. I think I will make that a new routine, to go to the library once a week and read the new Time magazine.

Anyway, then I was really proud of myself because both of the watches that I have here stopped, and needed new batteries. So I went to the jeweler and asked him if he could put new batteries in. He did and it was very cheap. So I successfully had an entire conversation in Italian, which I have done before but for some reason yesterday I was proud.

Then I came home, ate lunch, and took a nap. When I woke up, I actually got it together to go for a walk to the gym and work out for about an hour, where I finished my book. It felt good to have made myself go. And then I had dinner with Luca and Chicco and went to bed. But it felt like the perfect day. :)

I was thinking yesterday about how weird it will be to go home in the middle of this journey, because I have gotten so used to life around here. I am used to going to the stores and saying Ciao or Boungiorno when I walk in, and saying Scusi or Permesso as I try to walk around someone, and saying Quanto Costa when I want to buy something. I know these are just little things but they are things that I do everyday and it will be weird to have to stop that when I'm home. I'm sure I will use some Italian by accident and it will quite interesting, but also cool because that means I am learning!!!

Ok, thats all for now, tomorrow I am heading to Venice for the day, so hopefully on Friday I will have some new pictures to post.

Ciao!