LIVE & LEARN

Wednesday is my clubbing night.

The weather yesterday was temperate - not raining (for once!) and not freezing. Y'know, a moderate 50º or so. My roommates and I finished applying our eyeliner and mascara and took a few going-out pictures before we were finally ready to hit The Gallery.

"Aren't you going to wear a coat?" Erin inquired, in the more friend-than-mother sort of tone.

"No, it's really warm out and I don't want to have to check it when we get there." Bedecked with a rhinestone necklace; royal blue, cinched sweetheart-top, my favorite DKNY jeans and my newest purchase at the market: knee-high black, high-heeled boots (only 10 euro!), needless to say, I was feeling pretty good. The 5 minute walk to the club wasn't a big deal, I knew I was going to be hot the moment I got in there and hit the dance floor. Why bother with a coat for 5 minutes?

Betsy followed me with the idea and left her coat behind, while Erin threw on hers. After finishing the photo shoot, the three of us left our apartment and headed towards the discotechque. As I had remembered, it was a comfortable cool outside, but nothing I couldn't handle for a few minutes.

We rounded the corner to the Piazza del Campo, and we were all feeling pretty hot. Betsy had bought boots at the market too, and we were strutting our stuff on the cobblestone streets of Siena.

Then all hell broke loose. I kid you not.

Guys on THE OTHER SIDE of the Piazza turned to stare at us while a group of men walking by were making comments in Italian that I can only *imagine* what they meant, and another opened his coat in a mockery of us.

I have never had so many guys turn around and stare at me *in my life*. You'd think I was a celebrity or something. Goodness.

Then a guy came up to me and asked for what appeared to be a lighter for his cigarette - which none of us had. All he said was, "Prego...." in a suggestive tone. We all just laughed and kept walking - a little faster this time.

We rounded the corner and Erin stated:

"Katie! He thought you were a prostitute! "Prego" is something you say in a store. He wanted to buy you!"

OH MY GOODNESS. I received a few more obscene-ish gestures, long stares and smiles, and more Italian directed my way that I couldn't yet understand.

But, never, EVER, could I have fathomed being mistaken as a prostitute in Italy, just because I chose not to wear a coat over my tank top and knee-high boots.

.....

So apparently they think I'm a hooker. Great.

United States vs. Siena

* Italians don't use dryers. That's why you always see pictures of clothes hanging out windows - that's how the do it.

* Siena is very health-conscious. Everything is organic. :)

* It is an ITALIAN LAW that you HAVE to recycle...everything. (wish more countries were like this!)

* Peanut butter is 5 euro for 8 oz. I will not be eating peanut butter for the next 4 months.

* EVERY guy that walks down the street is attractive. I'm not kidding! My apartment-mate asked, "Where do they keep all the ugly ones?" Guess what? There aren't any! :)

* Italian men are really not as forward as everyone thinks. Honestly, I'd say that they are comparable to the men I have been around in the States.

* NO ONE is overweight here....maybe 1 out of every 500 Italians I've seen.

* Stores shut down from 1-3ish every afternoon for siesta! (I thought that was only Spain & Latin/Central America!)

* On Friday and Satruday nights, Sienese spend their time walking & socializing in the streets - moreso than in pubs, bars or clubs.

* Sienese have a wide variety of dogs which they walk any time during the day. I think I am going to start a photo series of dogs & their owners...when I know a little more Italian. :)

* Italian and Spanish really are very similar....so maybe I'll mix the two. :P

* You are not required to tip. But, you do have to ask for your check when in a restaurant.

* THERE IS NO SALES TAX ON ANYTHING!!! :)

* The gelato here is *amazing*!

Back in High School...

So maybe it's not supposed to be like this, but to a point, this feels like high school again.

There are 31 American students studying abroad through the IES Siena program. With so many different personalities and lifestyles I know there is no possible way to be close friends with every single person (although, I am the kind of person that wishes there was...).

It has been less than a week since we all arrived in Italy. People are settling into their surroundings and getting acquainted with fellow study abroaders (yeah, I know that's not a word...oh well). And perhaps it's a natural thing to form cliques....? I don't know, but I don't like it. Cliques are forming. I thought I was away from all that when I graduated from high school and started college. The last time I walked out the doors of Belchertown High School, maybe I assumed incorrectly - thinking that all the cliquey-ness would be left behind.

Eh.

I feel like it's first-semester freshman year all over again.

Irish Pub...in Italia

Went out tonight for a drink with some of the girls - then on to the Irish Pub where there was live music.

Country music.

With a confederate flag painted on the band's speakers.

I kid you not.

And the guys were wearing cowboy hats!!

Cowboys in Italy?

Apparently.

I approve. :)

Love at First Sight

...No, I'm not talking about men.

The moment I left the airport and crammed into a taxi with 7 fellow IES students and ALL our luggage (wondering if we should fear for our lives due to the rumors we had heard about Italian drivers) and began to drive from the airport to our hotel in downtown Rome, I absolutely fell in love with Italy.

After arriving at our hotel, receiving warm greetings from the IES Staff, and grabbing our (or at least my) first Italian lunch, the group of already-arrived students decided to explore the ancient city.

Out hotel was only a 5 minute walk from the Coliseum. I REMEMBER LEARNING ABOUT THE COLISEUM IN 6th GRADE!!!!! The fact that I got to see it in real life just blows me away (the above picture is one I snapped at about midnight that night). Yeah, that sounds ridiculous, but there is SO much history that occurred there, and that I only ever got to learn about through text books. To see it in real life was astounding.

Not only that, but Rome is architecturally an intriguing city (no wonder why architecture majors study here). The remnants of ancient ruins, Roman baths, and then all the churches, statues, fountains, buildings, etc. are surrounded by modern apartments and hotels. We were driving through the city, and then, what seemed like out of nowhere, we were passing the old Roman baths - just like that. No warning or anything. They were nestled in a little valley, near a park and other things....the ancient tucked away with the new.

****

I am now in Siena - where I will be living and studying for the next 4 months. :)

I went to the weekly market yesterday. Let me tell you something, I am going to have to send clothes home, because I am going on a shopping spree for clothes next week!!! :) I can't wait until it gets warmer and they start selling sundresses!!! :)

***

I went clubbing last night. It was mostly for American/study abroad students...so there weren't really many Italians. I still had a REALLY great time...once I got someone up to dance with me. If you really know me, you know I go to clubs to DANCE - not to drink. But...while dancing, there were 3 of us in a line, leaning back, dancing, and we all fell backwards. Yep...

...I fell down my first night in an Italian club. Completely sober. While dancing. Wonderful.


**

I started Italian class today. I wish I could just snap my fingers and be fluent in it. I think it's a really sexy language, and would be really sexy to be fluent in, but somehow I don't think that's going to happen in one semester. I keep wanting to use Spanish words when speaking Italian - both languages are quite similar.

*

Next mission: Start taking ballroom lessons. There is a girl who just has to give me the address of the studio and then I will be over there and signing up. Can't wait! :)

Adventure of a Lifetime

I have never been to Europe.

I've always wanted to go, but our annual family vacations never included a flight over the Atlantic to any of the beautiful countries that I had only seen photographs of.

Upon entering college, I knew that I wanted to study abroad at some point during my undergraduate years. I've always loved to travel: put me in a car, load me on a train or on a plane, and I will be happy. While I love having two places that I can call home (Massachusetts & Ithaca), I also have this burning desire to always be on the move - experience new things, and get out to see the world. I consider myself extremely independent, and if I have a desire to do something, I'll do it...whether I have anyone standing by my side or not.

During my sophomore year, I began to throw around ideas of where I'd like to study in the Spring of 2009. After seeing the beauty of Greece in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movie, I decided I wanted to study there. The shimmering, crystal-blue seas, white houses in cozy villages, and the warmth of the Greek people were all appealing (as was the love story, but we won't get into that...). But towards the end of this past summer, after complaining about being stuck on an island (I worked/lived on Martha's Vineyard for 3 months), Mom reminded me that Greece is comprised mostly of islands, and I may want to re-think my study abroad decision.

Heeding her warning, I began to explore other options. I am absolutely NOT a city girl, so I knew that I needed to be near some countryside and farms. Other places I looked into included: New Zealand, Vienna, Amsterdam (although I guess that goes against my "no city" thing, right?) and Siena, Italy. Each had their pros and cons. I narrowed my field to: New Zealand or Siena. I had been leaning more towards Siena from the beginning, and Mom and Dad helped to sway my final decision a little, too. They both traveled to New Zealand back in the 1970s, shortly after they were married. And, both argued that the countries in Europe are all very accessible - so if I want to travel and see as much as possible, I need to be in a connected continent, rather than on an island, next to a larger island - also known as Australia.



With less than four days left before my departure from the States, I have made several personal goals for myself for the upcoming four months:

1. Take lots of photos! That will be easy, but....try to capture the beauty of Europe, not only in its rolling hills and astounding architecture, but in the people that inhabit the villages, cities, work on farms, have stories to tell... I'd like to become comfortable enough with some of the people in Siena to take their photographs, or perhaps follow them around for a day.

2. Find an Italian ballroom dancing partner! In the very least, find a place to take ballroom lessons while I am abroad. Italy has some great ballroom dancers - it would be a shame not to take advantage of lessons while there.

3. Explore and travel as much as I can. As previously stated, I have a burning desire to see as much of this world as I possibly can before I die.

4. Make new friends & keep in touch with those back home. :) Also - there are several lovely ladies currently residing in Europe who will be in my travel plans at some point!

5. HAVE FUN! (this one should be pretty easy though)

I'm sure I will come up with more, but I'll leave it at that for now. I have to finish packing!

Ciao!