La Dolce Vita

Venice and Obama

2009-01-21T04:48:00.000-08:00

I'm back my popular demand. Apparently you guys really do want to know whats going on here. I figured I would just write whenever something exciting happened but, I guess I can tell you about all the boring stuff too.

I still don't really know my way around Padova yet. Everywhere I go is with a big group of people so even though I'm trying to pay attention to landmarks, and street names, etc. I just kind of move with the crowd until we get to where we are going. Eventually I'm just going to have to wander around by myself a little bit and get lost so I can try and find my way back.... but not yet. Like I said before, Padova is beautiful. Filled with old buildings and piazzas, and everything just feels very historical (even though there are clothing stores, cell phone stores, resteraunts, etc. everywhere)

Our dorm is really far away from everything though, so we've been taking the bus to the Study Center everyday. Eventually we're all going to get bikes, because thats how the majority of people get around here, but I haven't been on a bike in probably 9 years, plus its cold!!! To buy a cheap (ie. stolen) bike you just have to like wait around this statue until some guy comes up to you and tries to sell you a bike. Thats a big difference from the OC huh?

Last weekend I went with some of my friends to this big open market they have every saturday. It was basically a swap meet, but in this giant open area. It was really fun (I bought myself a Pashmena scarf for 5 euro) but it was freezing!! I bought a cappucino on the way to the market, that was delicious. My friends said it was the best one they'd had in Italy (it was only my first) but I loved it. Im already sad to go back to the US to try a cappucino at Starbucks because there is no way it can be as good. We got lunch at this cafe and I got my first Italian pizza. It was called a Vegetarian pizza and I thought it would have some mushrooms, peppers, you know the usual. It came out with giant chunks of eggplant, polenta (i think), onions, on it. I really enjoyed it. The pizza here is a lot less greasy than the pizza in the states.

The next day a group of us went to Venice for the day. Its a pretty short train ride and the train station is right on the Grand Canal. It took us like an hour and a half to do the 20 minute walk to the Piazza San Marco because we kept on stopping to take pictures. Venice actually did look like the Venetian Hotel in Vegas except less perfect and more crumbly. We really didn't do anything except walk and take pictures, and then it started to rain. So we ran into a cafe and bought crepes (not really Italian food, but yummy).

We started our ILP class on Monday. ILP is the language class we're taking to get us ready for taking actual italian classes at the University of Padova. Its kind of wierd because usually they divide the different skill levels into different classes, but because there are only like 15 of us who have come for the second semester we're all in class. So there are kids who are like basically fluent, and kids who are stuttering and trying to put 3 words together to make a sentence (ME!). Its going ok so far though, a little bit frustrating, but its only 3 hours. And then we have the rest of the day to mooch of the Study Center's internet and update blogs :)

Monday there was also this thing where people meet at a a bar and try to speak English with Americans, so we thought we would go and try to meet some Italians to speak Italian with. We walked for about 30 minutes to get to the bar, because at night the busses are very infrequent. When we got there I ended up not talking to any italians, but only brits! It was fun though, even if I didn't get to practice my Italian. I had my first Spritz, which is a specialty of padova. I can't really tell you whats in it, because I don't know, but it was good.

Yesterday we ran to Bologna for the afternoon (not actually ran, but took the train) because we were told there was a big thing happening for the inauguration. It turns out that it was just about 100 americans watching CNN in a bar (something we could have done here) but it was really nice to see my friend Emma who has been studying there since september. I might go up there and stay with her for the weekend in a couple of weeks.

Thats just about everything I've done so far. I hope everyone is doing well, and everything is good. Don't forget to keep me posted on how everything is going with you!!!

Love,

Shelly

Days 1-3

2009-01-15T02:06:00.000-08:00

Hello peoples
I finally have internet access so I thought I would let you all know how everything is going so far.

My trip to venice was pretty smooth and uneventful. I had a layover in Zurich and before we landed I saw advertisements from the plane, spelled out in shrubs. The mountains of switzerland were covered in snow and they looked like a hallmark card. I can't wait to visit there! I can taste the chocolate now... :)

I met my friend from high school Robin at the airport, and I spoke my very first Italian in Italy ordering a sandwich and cup of water at a little cafe in the airport (btw, they charge for cups of water, and it was a teeny little airplane cup. Kind of a bummer)

Robin and I then took a bus to the train station where we walked to our hotel. Unfortunately my humungous duffle bag was ridiculously heavy, and walking what should have been about 10 minutes took a lot longer. Robin was a true friend though, and switched off between pulling the duffle and my other suitcase to help me out. Our hotel room was tiny, as most European hotel rooms are, but comfortable. We tried to follow an episode of Italian CSI but it was even more complicated and ridiculous than CSI Miami (without the awesome theme song).

The trek back to the train station the next day was poopy once again. Even more so because Robin had her luggage with her too. But we managed to make it to Padova, snag a cab, and get the keys to our apartment.

Turns out Robin and I are roomies (an amazing coincidence that I still havent gotten over) and our apartment is in a word: awesome. Its huge, with cumfy couches, stocked with plates, cups, etc. Tons of closet space and and even a tiny little TV where we watched some Euro MTV. We took an adventure to the supermarket where I got yelled at by the cashier because my shirt kept on setting off the alarm. I also advised Robin not to buy toilet paper, only to discover that we had none when we got back. OOPS. Luckily, my friend from UCSD Jolene spotted us a roll.

We met some of the other kids also living in the dorms, but it seems like a majority of the students who are here for the 2nd semester are doing home stays. Wandering the halls of our building we also met a candian, an american, and a new zealender doing a program here. They seemed nice enough and gave us some helpful advice such as: Don't leave your bike overnight anywhere because it will be stolen the next day. Good to know...

Right now I'm at the UC Study Center in downtown Padova which is beautiful! About as Italian looking as you can get, filled with open air markets and historical buildings. The staff here is giving us lunch in a bit (woo hoo for free food) and then I think some wandering will be done.

So if anyone is actually reading this and finding it exciting, I hope you enjoyed this ridiculously detailed account of my first few days in Italy. Please comment on my fabulous flair for writing (but not on my horrible grammar. All of the punctuation marks are in different places!), and let me know that you still remember me and love me and miss me.

Hope to hear from someone soon.

Love,
Shelly :)

Test Post

2009-01-11T00:49:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

I've decided to create a blog to document all of my travelings while in Italy and wherever I may find myself in the coming months. I will hopefully update this pretty often so I can fill you guys in on whats happening with me, and hopefully this will also remind you to keep my in the loop with whats happening state-side. I haven't left yet, but the countdown is getting closer and closer, and I just wanted to make sure this thing works before I leave. So stay tuned and look out for my first real post :)