Hi everyone,
The ball's rolling now and I've been to my first couple classes. More about that later. Also, I'm planning right now for my big trip to Rome for the weekend to meet up with friends in the BC Chorale. I'm traveling by myself for the most part, and my friend Dajan tells me it's a good way to move quickly through an area and breathe in a full experience.
But this entry is all about cose da mangiare, you know, food. Cibo, in italiano. It's really important. Seriously. I knew I would miss my mom's cooking, and I do. But not as much as I do at BC, not by a long shot. I have eaten extremely well each day I've been here, and I don't think it'll slow down any time soon.
Our program supplies us with a kind of meal plan. We have vouchers through a national Italian program that are accepted at a good amount of restaurants in Venice. They're also accepted at the places to eat on the island of San Servolo. I'll talk about these first. There's a bar/cafe in the same building as the VIU classrooms, and it's turned into a hangout place for the students before and between classes. There, you can get panini and all kinds of coffee, but also wine and other alcoholic drinks. This place resembles the bars and paninoteche you can find in Venice. Today I ordered a panino spec (which is dried prosciutto and cheese - very good).
Then there's the mensa, or the cafeteria. The food there is AMAZING, which I know sounds weird. But this is the best cafeteria ever... I just can't express the variety, or how much food there is!!! One thing that's starting to make sense is that Italians eat their largest meal in the afternoon. Lunch, il pranzo, is the biggest meal, and then after that most shops close for a few hours. Lunch at the mensa consists of a first course of soup, rice or pasta, always with the best kinds of sauce. There is also consistently an incredible second course... here are some things I've had recently: caprese (which is tomato and mozzarella, and they put it on a thin piece of bread), turkey steaks, vegetable pie, eggplant... I can't remember all of them. But they are always sooo good! And the bread is INCREDIBLE here... bread is my favorite food so I have to say that. I also have to include that the meal includes (other than first, second and bread) some kinds of fruits if you want; they have apples and oranges and sometimes bananas (I usually don't get the fruit since I'm allergic). But also they have different kinds of drinks. The bottled water is either bubbly or not, I go back and forth, and they also have bubbly orange drinks (that's the best way to describe it - it's kind of like orange soda but way better, and it seems healthier). There is also wine in our cafeteria... I know, weird, right? It comes in juice boxes, like the kind you had in elementary school. There's beer too, but it seems kind of sketchy.
The food in Venice is also amazing, if a little more costly (you could get everything I mentioned before at the mensa for 8 euros). There are a few different kinds of places to eat here, so let me list them: bars, or cafes (they're kind of the same thing) and they are where you can get a coffee and pastry in the morning. They open around 8, maybe before, and it's fun to watch the owners put chairs outside because they're usually really small inside. Once warm weather starts, everyone's outside sipping an espresso. There are rotisserie or paninoteche where you can get something to eat during the day. These places are so cool. You order your food, and a drink, and you can either sit or stand. A lot of people end up standing at the bar because there aren't many places to sit, though (especially during Carnivale with all the camera-toters). Standing at the bar is great though because you're right in the center of the place and have a great spot for people watching, one of Venice's main activities. But anyway, my favorite places like this in Venice are the Bar Al Verde (Green Bar) and the Rotisseria Gislon. A lot of my friends are telling me about this place called Aioche (pronounced A-Okay) so I'll try to hit that place some time.
As for dinner, there are practically a billion trattorie (like sidewalk restaurants, I'd guess) on every corner. These places are larger than the lunch places I mentioned and are almost always pricier. They are so comfortable though and it's easy to find yourself there for a good hour and a half, two hours with friends. Dinner isn't as big in Italy, so you'll usually find some smaller pasta dishes like gnocchi or spaghetti allo scoglio (seafood spaghetti). Seafood is very popular in Venice, also cheap because we're so close to the water. I've only had a little seafood since I've been here, but we'll see if that changes. I hope so. Italy is also obviously well-known for its wines. Even the cheapest wine is great (even though I make no claim to being a connoisseur) because it's such a regional industry. There's also prosecco, which is a kind of champagne which is a lot cheaper and on the rise. I think we'll be visiting a prosecco factory later on this semester.
So that's most of my info about the food. I'll check in later to tell about classes. Off to bed now, time to get sleep before the last day of Carnivale!
Ciao,
Andrew
Monday, February 23, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Una cosa buona... e una cosa cattiva
A good thing and a bad thing. That's what the past 24 hours has been like. Let me elaborate. (Fami elaborare, you know).
I've been pretty successful "shopping for friends" as Emily and I called it when she visited me. I get along really well with all the other students here. Most of my closest friends are Americans, which seems normal since I'm in a different environment. We do stick together with the German, Israeli and Irish students. We've been out each night to see what Venice is like when the sun goes down. Where are the young people, the students? Where do they go, what do they do? How is it different or similar from what young people do in the USA?
We've found a couple places in the city where Italian students gather during the night. There's a club called Torino in the Campo San Luca, where there's live music each night (I think) until 11. The crowd stays until late though. Another place we've gone is in Dorsoduro, another of the sestieri of Venice. It's called Campo Santa Margherita, and it's a square surrounded by bars and clubs. At the front of the campo is a stage where a DJ plays until around 12:30, and then moves to Stazione Maritime where the party supposedly continues. We've never been there, it's a little too far away, and by midnight we have to start thinking about the next vaporetto (12:25, 1:30, or the 2:10 that you have to call for).
Campo Santa Margherita is an unbelievable place though. Especially now, during Carnivale. It's so much fun to just watch the people go by and to look at their costumes. Yesterday I saw witches, mummies, dentists, and a tiger. There are also the standard maschere (masks) that you see on postcards. A couple of my friends wore theirs. In addition there are some costumes that are really out there and some that you just can't tell what they are. And I have to add that even though I'm talking about Italian college students here, little kids dress up too; I saw a bumblebee yesterday and a few days before, a chicken. Ridiculous, huh?
Anyway, we got to Campo Santa Margherita around 9:45. We met up with some VIU students who live in apartments in the city, and we went to the center of the campo. One thing that's really different from the United States (and this is everywhere in Europe, I believe) is that open containers of alcohol are allowed on the street. So people were just walking everywhere with beers, wine, etc., but most Italian students order spritz, which is a mixture of wine and something called Aperol (which sounds like a cleaning fluid but isn't). It's orangy-red and tastes a little like orange soda at first, but has kind of a motor-oil aftertaste. An acquired taste, I'm guessing. But it's the cheapest and most popular drink at the campo.
There's always a DJ at the front of the campo on a stage surrounded by sand. There are a lot of smoke and colored light effects that made for a great atmosphere. Most of the music they play is euro-techno, but there are surprisingly a lot of American hits thrown in. Last Nite by the Strokes, Mr. Brightside by the Killers. I really like those songs, but I liked the other ones that they played too - in my opinion, so much better than the rap and hip-hop that we suffer through in the States. And another thing - at the campo, people dance, something you don't really see Americans do much at all. At least, Americans my age.
Because Carnivale is in full swing, the campo was absolutely packed and rocking. It was so hard to move around. The weather was kind of warm too, so coats were just randomly tossed on the ground. This weekend in general, Venice is packed to the gills with tourists. As I heard one man say on the street yesterday, "Carnivale is all tourists, mostly French tourists." But the night life in Venice is fun, and definitely interesting. There aren't any "night clubs" that you usually think of, you know, discotheche - but the campi are where everything takes place.
Ok, so exploring Venice at night was the good thing (cosa buona). Now, for the cosa cattiva. I mentioned that we had to decide which vaporetto to take. Well, it got late and we were too packed in by crowds to even think about making the 1:30, so we had to bank on the 2:10. I called the vaporetto hotline, spoke in Italian, and ordered the boat. We got back around 2:20, and I always catch up on email and try to skype before I go to bed each night, so I didn't get to bed until 3.
Sooo... sounds ok so far, if a little late. But the kicker came at 9:00 in the morning on Sunday (and we kind of knew this was going to happen) when the maids for our residence hall knocked on the door. We had to wait in the lobby for 2 and a half hours as they cleaned each of the rooms. Normally that would be ok, but I was just really tired so I just sat there patiently. Some of my friends went to the bar on the other side of the island for breakfast. I just brought down my cereal. Anyway, here I am on my computer now, and my room is clean. So it's good now. I spoke to the ladies who cleaned our room after, and they explained to me (in Italian) that the next time they do this, we'll be in class. And also, the day they do it changes. So everything's okay now.
I'm about to go down to the mensa (canteen, or cafeteria) for lunch. Next time, if nothing too interesting happens, I'll tell about the food here. I have to say that the mensa is AMAZING. But so is all the food in Venice. More later, ciao.
I've been pretty successful "shopping for friends" as Emily and I called it when she visited me. I get along really well with all the other students here. Most of my closest friends are Americans, which seems normal since I'm in a different environment. We do stick together with the German, Israeli and Irish students. We've been out each night to see what Venice is like when the sun goes down. Where are the young people, the students? Where do they go, what do they do? How is it different or similar from what young people do in the USA?
We've found a couple places in the city where Italian students gather during the night. There's a club called Torino in the Campo San Luca, where there's live music each night (I think) until 11. The crowd stays until late though. Another place we've gone is in Dorsoduro, another of the sestieri of Venice. It's called Campo Santa Margherita, and it's a square surrounded by bars and clubs. At the front of the campo is a stage where a DJ plays until around 12:30, and then moves to Stazione Maritime where the party supposedly continues. We've never been there, it's a little too far away, and by midnight we have to start thinking about the next vaporetto (12:25, 1:30, or the 2:10 that you have to call for).
Campo Santa Margherita is an unbelievable place though. Especially now, during Carnivale. It's so much fun to just watch the people go by and to look at their costumes. Yesterday I saw witches, mummies, dentists, and a tiger. There are also the standard maschere (masks) that you see on postcards. A couple of my friends wore theirs. In addition there are some costumes that are really out there and some that you just can't tell what they are. And I have to add that even though I'm talking about Italian college students here, little kids dress up too; I saw a bumblebee yesterday and a few days before, a chicken. Ridiculous, huh?
Anyway, we got to Campo Santa Margherita around 9:45. We met up with some VIU students who live in apartments in the city, and we went to the center of the campo. One thing that's really different from the United States (and this is everywhere in Europe, I believe) is that open containers of alcohol are allowed on the street. So people were just walking everywhere with beers, wine, etc., but most Italian students order spritz, which is a mixture of wine and something called Aperol (which sounds like a cleaning fluid but isn't). It's orangy-red and tastes a little like orange soda at first, but has kind of a motor-oil aftertaste. An acquired taste, I'm guessing. But it's the cheapest and most popular drink at the campo.
There's always a DJ at the front of the campo on a stage surrounded by sand. There are a lot of smoke and colored light effects that made for a great atmosphere. Most of the music they play is euro-techno, but there are surprisingly a lot of American hits thrown in. Last Nite by the Strokes, Mr. Brightside by the Killers. I really like those songs, but I liked the other ones that they played too - in my opinion, so much better than the rap and hip-hop that we suffer through in the States. And another thing - at the campo, people dance, something you don't really see Americans do much at all. At least, Americans my age.
Because Carnivale is in full swing, the campo was absolutely packed and rocking. It was so hard to move around. The weather was kind of warm too, so coats were just randomly tossed on the ground. This weekend in general, Venice is packed to the gills with tourists. As I heard one man say on the street yesterday, "Carnivale is all tourists, mostly French tourists." But the night life in Venice is fun, and definitely interesting. There aren't any "night clubs" that you usually think of, you know, discotheche - but the campi are where everything takes place.
Ok, so exploring Venice at night was the good thing (cosa buona). Now, for the cosa cattiva. I mentioned that we had to decide which vaporetto to take. Well, it got late and we were too packed in by crowds to even think about making the 1:30, so we had to bank on the 2:10. I called the vaporetto hotline, spoke in Italian, and ordered the boat. We got back around 2:20, and I always catch up on email and try to skype before I go to bed each night, so I didn't get to bed until 3.
Sooo... sounds ok so far, if a little late. But the kicker came at 9:00 in the morning on Sunday (and we kind of knew this was going to happen) when the maids for our residence hall knocked on the door. We had to wait in the lobby for 2 and a half hours as they cleaned each of the rooms. Normally that would be ok, but I was just really tired so I just sat there patiently. Some of my friends went to the bar on the other side of the island for breakfast. I just brought down my cereal. Anyway, here I am on my computer now, and my room is clean. So it's good now. I spoke to the ladies who cleaned our room after, and they explained to me (in Italian) that the next time they do this, we'll be in class. And also, the day they do it changes. So everything's okay now.
I'm about to go down to the mensa (canteen, or cafeteria) for lunch. Next time, if nothing too interesting happens, I'll tell about the food here. I have to say that the mensa is AMAZING. But so is all the food in Venice. More later, ciao.
Friday, February 20, 2009
La Universita
This week has been orientation week, so nothing really has happened yet classwise. We went to introductory lectures by the professors, which give us sort of an overview of what we'll be experiencing. The courses are conducted in English here, which makes it more difficult for students for whom English is not their mother tongue. So I'm anticipating that the courses will maybe move a bit more slowly than in America.
I'm taking a course on Venetian residential architecture, which will feature class lectures and discussions with a weekly trip into Venice to explore examples of architectural methods and styles. My professor is a woman from Ca' Foscari University (a local Venetian university) and her opening presentation proved that she knew a lot about the history of Venice's construction. I think the class will give me a better historical perspective on the city.
I'm taking another class with a Ca' Foscari professor, David Newbold (actually English by birth). His course is "One World, One Language?" and it focuses on the dominance of the English language in our modern world. It seems really more sociological than anything else, but very interesting to me since I study the literature.
I have a class with a BC professor, David Northrup: "History of Islam in Africa." Again, globalization is a big theme in this school's course offerings, and there are a few students from Israel that will add greatly to the discussions of the class.
The class I'm anticipating the most is Shakespeare and the World of Venice, taught by a professor at Ludwig Maximilien University in Munich (that's where my roommate Tim is a student). It's a little basic compared to what I've studied with Prof. Sofer at BC, but I'm interested in what approaching the same text a new time with different people from different countries will bring. The professor is stressing Othello and Merchant of Venice as plays about outsiders, and therefore Shakespeare characterizes Venice as a place where interaction with outsiders is frequent. There's globalization again.
I'm also scheduled for an intermediate italian class - I wish I could take a more advanced course, but the encounters I have with locals in the city is good enough. My friends are asking me to translate for them from time to time, and I also frequently end up speaking or ordering first at their request.
We're still going through a lot of bureaucratic processes... soon, everyone will be done with their trips to the tabbaccaio or post office, and then school will start. I'm actually ready to get back into the classroom, believe it or not - it's been a long time - more than 2 months!
Anyway, I promised I'd say a bit about Venetian night life, such as what goes on at Campo San Luca or Campo Santa Margherita. More on that later. I'll also tell a bit about the food and the kind of things we do for our meals here in Venice. I should also add now that next thursday I'm taking a bus to Treviso, where I will spend a short night before flying to Rome to visit friends in the BC chorale. I am so nervous about that trip!!!
I'm taking a course on Venetian residential architecture, which will feature class lectures and discussions with a weekly trip into Venice to explore examples of architectural methods and styles. My professor is a woman from Ca' Foscari University (a local Venetian university) and her opening presentation proved that she knew a lot about the history of Venice's construction. I think the class will give me a better historical perspective on the city.
I'm taking another class with a Ca' Foscari professor, David Newbold (actually English by birth). His course is "One World, One Language?" and it focuses on the dominance of the English language in our modern world. It seems really more sociological than anything else, but very interesting to me since I study the literature.
I have a class with a BC professor, David Northrup: "History of Islam in Africa." Again, globalization is a big theme in this school's course offerings, and there are a few students from Israel that will add greatly to the discussions of the class.
The class I'm anticipating the most is Shakespeare and the World of Venice, taught by a professor at Ludwig Maximilien University in Munich (that's where my roommate Tim is a student). It's a little basic compared to what I've studied with Prof. Sofer at BC, but I'm interested in what approaching the same text a new time with different people from different countries will bring. The professor is stressing Othello and Merchant of Venice as plays about outsiders, and therefore Shakespeare characterizes Venice as a place where interaction with outsiders is frequent. There's globalization again.
I'm also scheduled for an intermediate italian class - I wish I could take a more advanced course, but the encounters I have with locals in the city is good enough. My friends are asking me to translate for them from time to time, and I also frequently end up speaking or ordering first at their request.
We're still going through a lot of bureaucratic processes... soon, everyone will be done with their trips to the tabbaccaio or post office, and then school will start. I'm actually ready to get back into the classroom, believe it or not - it's been a long time - more than 2 months!
Anyway, I promised I'd say a bit about Venetian night life, such as what goes on at Campo San Luca or Campo Santa Margherita. More on that later. I'll also tell a bit about the food and the kind of things we do for our meals here in Venice. I should also add now that next thursday I'm taking a bus to Treviso, where I will spend a short night before flying to Rome to visit friends in the BC chorale. I am so nervous about that trip!!!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
La Mattina
Ciao famiglia e amici,
This entry is going to focus on the things I've done at night in Venice. I usually go into the city twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. I'll actually tell you about my morning trip first. On Wednesday morning I went into Venice to process my paperwork for my residency agreement (permesso di soggiorno). It seemed daunting at first; I had to go to the tabaccaio first to get a marca da bollo (a stamp that makes a document legal) and after that I would have to go to the post office behind Piazza San Marco to process my paperwork.
I arrived in Venice at 7:45. Although Carnivale makes the streets crowded every day, especially near San Zaccaria where I catch the vaporetto, there were not many people around in the early morning. It was incredible to walk through the Piazza while the campanile rang. Shopkeepers were opening up their stores and setting up tables and chairs. Young men pushed carts of goods through the stone streets. Local Venetians stopped into cafes for a cup of coffee and a pastry. It was also really cold, probably low 30s F. What was really cool was the fact that I felt like I lived there. I mean, I had business to do, I had errands to run... in Venice!
The tabaccaio was easy enough to find, as was the post office. (It's getting easier and easier to navigate in this city). But stores in Venice don't open until 8:30, so I took a walk through the western part of the sestiere S. Marco (Venice is divided into six sestieres). I actually found the opera house, the Grand Teatro La Fenice. I've read about it and am absolutely dying to visit it. They are playing Romeo and Juliet now - I'll just cut to the chase and tell you I'm probably not going. We tried to get tickets today but they are sold out of tickets. The only ones left are either too expensive or are "solo ascolta" - meaning you can hear, but not see the stage.
The post office was great. The man at the counter was very nice and understanding. It really helps me that I know how to speak Italian. Though I can't always understand the rapid speech of the Venetians, I am always able to explain what I want to say. The post office man helped me through the process and I had all my documents so there were no problems at all. I went back to San Servolo after that.
So that's my morning in Venice story. It's so great to see the city come to life. It really makes you feel like a local. One thing I'm planning to do is to make friends with a cafe owner so I can just go there a couple days a week. That's one thing I read about Venice - once you connect with the inhabitants, they treat you with a special kind of reciprocal generosity.
That's all for now. I'll see if I write more later -- I have so much to tell! I've had my first lessons (at least the introductions so I know who my professors are and what they're like) and I also have experienced a bit of Venetian night life. I'll close this chapter with a few funny and interesting things, some cultural, some not, that I've noticed or experienced since I've been here:
1). I met my roommate Tim (from Germany) on Sunday night after I got back from Venice with Jason and Brian. The light in Jason's and my room was off, and we figured our roommates were asleep. We stumbled around in the dark, taking off shoes and coats, when a lamp went on. Tim was sitting up in his bed and he said, "Hello there," in a German accent. Weird first impression, huh? Haha.
2.) I've been mistaken for an Italian several times so I'm not really sure how I should behave or act. 9 times out of 10 my Italian is great in a given situation, such as a restaurant, the bank, or a ticket office. But sometimes (and this usually happens near San Marco or Rialto where there are a lot of tourists) store owners just speak English back to me when I speak Italian to them. It's kind of annoying, but I can see why they do it, I guess. But I've found that I feel more comfortable ordering or speaking to store clerks in Italian.
3.) It is really expensive here. I mean, Europe is expensive, but imagining having to pay for a product, then also for the labor it takes to cart it across a city where there are no cars... yeah.
4.) I went to a bar with some friends called the "Devil's Forest." It promotes itself as a British pub. When we went in, they were playing U2's song "Sunday Bloody Sunday," which is probably my favorite song. They continued to play other U2 songs until we sat down at a table (picture it: a group of 9 Americans). Then, the U2 stopped and they only played American hip-hop. Coincidence? Penso che no.
5.) One big question I have is: who are the people who wear costumes and masks and stroll around Venice all day during Carnival? Are they Venetians? Visitors? Mask enthusiasts? Weirdos? Aliens? Predators? Ok, so this question will remain open.
6.) Shoes. I really think I'm going to bust some euro on some quality shoes.
7.) Opera. If I don't see an opera while I'm here in Italy, I may die.
A piu tardi! I'll tell about my classes and Venetian night life later.
This entry is going to focus on the things I've done at night in Venice. I usually go into the city twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. I'll actually tell you about my morning trip first. On Wednesday morning I went into Venice to process my paperwork for my residency agreement (permesso di soggiorno). It seemed daunting at first; I had to go to the tabaccaio first to get a marca da bollo (a stamp that makes a document legal) and after that I would have to go to the post office behind Piazza San Marco to process my paperwork.
I arrived in Venice at 7:45. Although Carnivale makes the streets crowded every day, especially near San Zaccaria where I catch the vaporetto, there were not many people around in the early morning. It was incredible to walk through the Piazza while the campanile rang. Shopkeepers were opening up their stores and setting up tables and chairs. Young men pushed carts of goods through the stone streets. Local Venetians stopped into cafes for a cup of coffee and a pastry. It was also really cold, probably low 30s F. What was really cool was the fact that I felt like I lived there. I mean, I had business to do, I had errands to run... in Venice!
The tabaccaio was easy enough to find, as was the post office. (It's getting easier and easier to navigate in this city). But stores in Venice don't open until 8:30, so I took a walk through the western part of the sestiere S. Marco (Venice is divided into six sestieres). I actually found the opera house, the Grand Teatro La Fenice. I've read about it and am absolutely dying to visit it. They are playing Romeo and Juliet now - I'll just cut to the chase and tell you I'm probably not going. We tried to get tickets today but they are sold out of tickets. The only ones left are either too expensive or are "solo ascolta" - meaning you can hear, but not see the stage.
The post office was great. The man at the counter was very nice and understanding. It really helps me that I know how to speak Italian. Though I can't always understand the rapid speech of the Venetians, I am always able to explain what I want to say. The post office man helped me through the process and I had all my documents so there were no problems at all. I went back to San Servolo after that.
So that's my morning in Venice story. It's so great to see the city come to life. It really makes you feel like a local. One thing I'm planning to do is to make friends with a cafe owner so I can just go there a couple days a week. That's one thing I read about Venice - once you connect with the inhabitants, they treat you with a special kind of reciprocal generosity.
That's all for now. I'll see if I write more later -- I have so much to tell! I've had my first lessons (at least the introductions so I know who my professors are and what they're like) and I also have experienced a bit of Venetian night life. I'll close this chapter with a few funny and interesting things, some cultural, some not, that I've noticed or experienced since I've been here:
1). I met my roommate Tim (from Germany) on Sunday night after I got back from Venice with Jason and Brian. The light in Jason's and my room was off, and we figured our roommates were asleep. We stumbled around in the dark, taking off shoes and coats, when a lamp went on. Tim was sitting up in his bed and he said, "Hello there," in a German accent. Weird first impression, huh? Haha.
2.) I've been mistaken for an Italian several times so I'm not really sure how I should behave or act. 9 times out of 10 my Italian is great in a given situation, such as a restaurant, the bank, or a ticket office. But sometimes (and this usually happens near San Marco or Rialto where there are a lot of tourists) store owners just speak English back to me when I speak Italian to them. It's kind of annoying, but I can see why they do it, I guess. But I've found that I feel more comfortable ordering or speaking to store clerks in Italian.
3.) It is really expensive here. I mean, Europe is expensive, but imagining having to pay for a product, then also for the labor it takes to cart it across a city where there are no cars... yeah.
4.) I went to a bar with some friends called the "Devil's Forest." It promotes itself as a British pub. When we went in, they were playing U2's song "Sunday Bloody Sunday," which is probably my favorite song. They continued to play other U2 songs until we sat down at a table (picture it: a group of 9 Americans). Then, the U2 stopped and they only played American hip-hop. Coincidence? Penso che no.
5.) One big question I have is: who are the people who wear costumes and masks and stroll around Venice all day during Carnival? Are they Venetians? Visitors? Mask enthusiasts? Weirdos? Aliens? Predators? Ok, so this question will remain open.
6.) Shoes. I really think I'm going to bust some euro on some quality shoes.
7.) Opera. If I don't see an opera while I'm here in Italy, I may die.
A piu tardi! I'll tell about my classes and Venetian night life later.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Andare alla citta
This installment is about my trips into Venice. So far I have been almost ten times already (for example, today I went three times.) Going into Venice is a little hectic now in the afternoons, since there are a lot of tourists here for the Carnivale celebrations. It's exciting to see everyone wearing masks and elaborate costumes. It's also very mysterious. It makes you wonder: who are these people who stroll around Venice in masks and costumes? (Left: Piazza San Marco, Campanile and the Palazzo Ducale)
Anyway, the tourist traffic clogs up Piazza San Marco (although I love the events that take place there at night - for example, there were people on stilts in giant dinosaur costumes that made really loud noises and bend over to snap at tourists heads. Yeah, actually check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPR189R8qKM. And then there is also a group of 12 or so musicians in black robes that played renaissance brass instruments. They must have been on remote-controlled wheels because they looked like they were floating. And oddly, they played "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin. Didn't find a video of that though. I saw all this on Sunday night with Jason and Brian - it was pretty much my first night in Venice. And it left a lasting impression - mystery, exoticism, and of course confusion. The three of us ate at a trattoria between San Marco and the Rialto. It was so nice to just relax after such a long day of traveling.
Yesterday, Monday I guess, we had our orientation for Venice International University. Haha, up until now it must have seemed like I'm not actually going to take any classes at all.... That's not the case though. Luca Pes, the dean of the School of Social Sciences and Humanities, opened up the semester, and then we were led through several montagne of paperwork. Still working on that actually... there's no telling when I'll be done, although it doesn't matter if I finish so long as I'm actually working toward it. E come va in Italia. (To the right is the view from my balcony, by the way).
On Monday night I met up with Emily and her friends from Queen Mary University in London. It was so much fun to see a familiar face! I met her at the lion column in San Marco and then we strolled through the winding streets to Rialto, where we ate dinner. I got to know a little bit more about Emily's university and her friends were a lot of fun. So much fun, in fact, that they convinced me to get a gelato with them. This made me have to run back to the 10:30 vaporetto at San Zaccaria which I missed by literally seconds. (Don't feel bad Emily, I had a great time and would miss another vaporetto to meet you guys again). But I learned from this that Venice doesn't want you to be on time. That's how things work here - it doesn't matter when you get there, but it's how you spend your time that matters. The pace of this city is also more mysterious, if that makes any sense. You can't see more than forty feet ahead of you on average since the streets are so twisted.
Today, like I said, I went to Venice three times. First, I went to the vaporetto station at San Zaccaria to process my application for a monthly boat pass. I got it, no problem - I think my Italian's getting pretty good. Then I followed my map to the supermarket, SUVE, where I bought some cereal, water, crackers and cookies. Basically, junk food, I know, but we're not allowed to cook in the halls at San Servolo (even though some people do). I liked going in and picking out the Italian products. Hopefully I will become friends with some students from Ca' Foscari University - most of them actually live in Venice. I'll be able to cook with them if that's the case.
Anyway, as I was coming back to San Servolo, I found some friends, (I'm butchering these names horribly) Dajun (Born in Croatia, Lived in Germany until age 10, then moved to Charlotte (I know!!! Unbelievable) and goes to Duke), Tim (Not my roommate - different one, goes to UVA), John (BC - Connecticut) Judith (Munich) and another one of her friends from Germany. (Ok, so maybe Dajun was the only hard name). These friends tried to get their paperwork processed for a monthly student pass from San Zaccaria to San Servolo, but the woman at the window didn't seem to want to help them out. I mean she rejected their documents. They came back to me (I was waiting alongside) and they told me the story. So I went up to the window with my receipt for the monthly pass and spoke some Italian, explained their situation and how I was able to get my papers passed. So the woman at the window finally agreed once she saw my documents, and I was pretty impressed with my language skills.
I got lunch with Dajun and Tim at a Rotisseria near Camp San Bartolomeo. In the afternooon, we went back to VIU for a meeting about an Italian residency agreement, which is a beaurocratic task that will actually take longer than we are here to process.
Tonight, I went out again with a group of 17 - I think we were all Americans. It was good to be in familiar company, but I do want to get some experience outside the bubble. We ate at a fairly inexpensive restaurant and spent a lot of time laughing and enjoying one another's company. Venice is deserted on the weeknights, which is a good break from the crowded streets during the day. The city looks more mysterious at night as well. We somehow magically managed to find our way back to San Zaccaria for the 9:30.
Tomorrow I have my first lessons. I'll let you know how they go.
Monday, February 16, 2009
San Servolo e Venezia
Ciao a tutti,
I am here in Venice now, in my residence hall on the island of San Servolo. It is a small island about 5 miles south-east of the city. My trip was really long, and I have to say I was both excited and nervous. Conor and Amanda were nice enough to drive me to the airport, and my flight left on Saturday at 8:20 pm. It was my first international flight by myself. I sat next to a British family and on the other side there was a large group of British students (British Airways).
I connected in Heathrow, London. We flew over the snow-covered alps into the Veneto region. As we landed we flew over Venice. It was a bright, clear day, and I could see many landmarks I knew and I also could see San Servolo. Once I landed at Marco Polo Airport, I got a bus ticket to Piazzale Roma, then a vaporetto (which is like a water taxi) on the Grand Canal. It was so surreal moving down the canal after a long day of travel. We passed famous places I know I'll visit and become familiar with like the Ponte Rialto, the Ca' d'Oro and Piazza San Marco, of course. The crew members of the vaporetto were very helpful when I asked for directions, etc.
I ended up for a short time on a wrong Vaporetto headed to the Giudecca (long island south of Venice) and had to find a way back. But there was an older man who started talking to me in Italian, so it was a chance for me to practice. He actually asked if I was Italian and I told him no, I was American, but he complimented me on my Italian and wished me the best for my stay.
At San Zaccaria, east of San Marco, I met my first schoolmate, Brian. I saw him at the station, and he had two big suitcases and so I figured he must be a student. He was also from BC, and I couldn't believe it was his first time out of the country. He's from Greenwich, Connecticut. We took the Vaporetto to San Servolo, and I got checked into my building.
The island is so peaceful. I am in a quad with three other guys: Jason Lee from BC (which is amazing because Jason and I actually know each other from school), Tim from Munich and Chunsuke from Japan. He's been here for a semester already. We get along really well. Our room is very large and has two baths. Best of all, we have a balcony looking out on the lagoon. It faces west so we can see the sunset, and to the right we have a grand view of western Venice, including the duomo of the Santa Maria della Salute.
I have to get breakfast now with Tim. Orientation is this week. I'll write back with stories about my trips into the city soon.
A dopo,
Andrew
I am here in Venice now, in my residence hall on the island of San Servolo. It is a small island about 5 miles south-east of the city. My trip was really long, and I have to say I was both excited and nervous. Conor and Amanda were nice enough to drive me to the airport, and my flight left on Saturday at 8:20 pm. It was my first international flight by myself. I sat next to a British family and on the other side there was a large group of British students (British Airways).
I connected in Heathrow, London. We flew over the snow-covered alps into the Veneto region. As we landed we flew over Venice. It was a bright, clear day, and I could see many landmarks I knew and I also could see San Servolo. Once I landed at Marco Polo Airport, I got a bus ticket to Piazzale Roma, then a vaporetto (which is like a water taxi) on the Grand Canal. It was so surreal moving down the canal after a long day of travel. We passed famous places I know I'll visit and become familiar with like the Ponte Rialto, the Ca' d'Oro and Piazza San Marco, of course. The crew members of the vaporetto were very helpful when I asked for directions, etc.
I ended up for a short time on a wrong Vaporetto headed to the Giudecca (long island south of Venice) and had to find a way back. But there was an older man who started talking to me in Italian, so it was a chance for me to practice. He actually asked if I was Italian and I told him no, I was American, but he complimented me on my Italian and wished me the best for my stay.
At San Zaccaria, east of San Marco, I met my first schoolmate, Brian. I saw him at the station, and he had two big suitcases and so I figured he must be a student. He was also from BC, and I couldn't believe it was his first time out of the country. He's from Greenwich, Connecticut. We took the Vaporetto to San Servolo, and I got checked into my building.
The island is so peaceful. I am in a quad with three other guys: Jason Lee from BC (which is amazing because Jason and I actually know each other from school), Tim from Munich and Chunsuke from Japan. He's been here for a semester already. We get along really well. Our room is very large and has two baths. Best of all, we have a balcony looking out on the lagoon. It faces west so we can see the sunset, and to the right we have a grand view of western Venice, including the duomo of the Santa Maria della Salute.
I have to get breakfast now with Tim. Orientation is this week. I'll write back with stories about my trips into the city soon.
A dopo,
Andrew
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Sono a Boston
As some of you may know by now, I'm in Boston right now with my BC friends. I've been here since Thursday night and it has been so much fun so far. We celebrated Conor's birthday at the house on Crosby Road on Friday night and I went to the Macadinos' house with Vittoria on Saturday to celebrate the birthday of Caitlin, Vittoria's older sister. And today is Amy's birthday - so there has been quite a few birthdays since I've arrived!
I have been staying at the Crosby house where I lived last semester, and it is so good to see Will and Matt, who were studying in Spain and Mexico, respectively. It is also really good to catch up with Kaz and Noel and to hear about their travels and studies. It will be really weird to be in Italy, especially right after being in Boston for a week. I can't believe I'll be in Europe in just a week. I honestly have to say I'm kind of nervous.
But I know this will be a great week. I'm playing my new guitar with the Liturgy Arts Group tonight at mass, tomorrow is the Beanpot (although I'm disappointed BC is not playing in the final game), and I'm going to a BC basketball game on Tuesday. There will also be plenty of time to have fun with friends and get in some last words and hugs before I make my grand journey.
I have been staying at the Crosby house where I lived last semester, and it is so good to see Will and Matt, who were studying in Spain and Mexico, respectively. It is also really good to catch up with Kaz and Noel and to hear about their travels and studies. It will be really weird to be in Italy, especially right after being in Boston for a week. I can't believe I'll be in Europe in just a week. I honestly have to say I'm kind of nervous.
But I know this will be a great week. I'm playing my new guitar with the Liturgy Arts Group tonight at mass, tomorrow is the Beanpot (although I'm disappointed BC is not playing in the final game), and I'm going to a BC basketball game on Tuesday. There will also be plenty of time to have fun with friends and get in some last words and hugs before I make my grand journey.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Ciao a tutti!
Hi everyone, I'm just testing out my blog. I just created it... what I should really be doing is studying for the GRE, which I'm taking on Tuesday. That's your birthday, Conor. Anyway, I'm not actually in Venice right now, as you may have guessed, or know. I'm in Charlotte, NC, the typical place.
It's been a busier month than you'd all expect - no, I haven't been sitting at home all day - I've been working an internship with a local publicity group, Life in Charlotte. What I've been up to is a lot of different video news stories concerning events and people in the Charlotte area. I met the founder of Life in Charlotte last summer, when he was offering some communications advice to the government department I was working in. I've done a lot of interviews this month. The most interesting ones have been with the Charlotte mayor, a German-American who won the highest civilian honor of Germany, a Nigerian man who's developing an educational initiative in the US, local vineyard owners, and Nikita Khrushchev's son. You can check out my videos at www.lifeincharlotte.com.
So January hasn't been that bad. Except for the Panthers losing and being stranded in NC while everyone's off at BC. I am so excited to get up to Boston to visit everyone before my grande avventura comincia!
A dopo,
Andrew
It's been a busier month than you'd all expect - no, I haven't been sitting at home all day - I've been working an internship with a local publicity group, Life in Charlotte. What I've been up to is a lot of different video news stories concerning events and people in the Charlotte area. I met the founder of Life in Charlotte last summer, when he was offering some communications advice to the government department I was working in. I've done a lot of interviews this month. The most interesting ones have been with the Charlotte mayor, a German-American who won the highest civilian honor of Germany, a Nigerian man who's developing an educational initiative in the US, local vineyard owners, and Nikita Khrushchev's son. You can check out my videos at www.lifeincharlotte.com.
So January hasn't been that bad. Except for the Panthers losing and being stranded in NC while everyone's off at BC. I am so excited to get up to Boston to visit everyone before my grande avventura comincia!
A dopo,
Andrew
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