Random Musings

I realized, while watching Meredith pen the great american novel last night, that I really need to include more information in my blog. Because, you know, this is going to be my basic memory of the entire trip, having, as I do, a terrible memory of my own. I got up early today to do some homework and check out a vintage shop meredith had mentioned to me near the school. It wasnt so much vintage as your basic secondhand, BUT I found a gorgeous rabbit fur coat for 70 euro. Thats $85 for you gringos. Luckily or unluckily, I had decided not to take my money belt with me today, so I had no credit card and not enough cash. Im going to ask Meredith to go back with me after our Baroque class to see if I actually want to buy it or not. My worry is getting it back to the States, together with my cream colored coat. Thats a lot of coat to fit in my suitcases. I stopped in at a Mailboxes Etc, we have not one but two of them on our street alone, and found out that to ship merely 1 kg to th east coast it costs 35 euro. 10 kilos costs 100 euro. Jesus! Oh yes and my other worry is being stoned by my anti fur mother. See, but the rabbits are already long dead, and its so pretty, and I wants it, I wants it!

So, random things about the city in which I live....Im having the hardest time trying to find something to get drunk on. I dislike wine immensely, beer is out of the question, and Ive asked several liquor dispensing individuals about the possibility of an Amaretto sour with no sucess. Sara reported having had one but that it was terrible. Now, if I can just find out where one purchases sour mix, being unable to find it at the tiny supermarket where we shop, I can pick up the lovely economy size bottle of Disarrono and have myself a wonderful time. As it stands, this Friday we intend to purchase either the $4 vodka or $6 rum and get drunk in our apartment before we go out.

Everyone and their mother here wears boots. I don't know how they manage it with the insane cobblestones that are far too easy to trip over. In Rome, I actually saw a woman at the Colosseum--which had some of the worst cobblestones, plus slanting, uneven stairs inside--in stilettos. The insanity! So basically you're easily pegged as a foreigner or just a poor dresser for not wearing your jeans tucked into some kind of boot. Ah well. I have been spoken to in Italian several times, so maybe I just look like some kind of Italian country mouse to them. Oh and I helped an Asian lady find the Duomo yesterday! Except I think I sent her the wrong way, and I lost my wonderful Rae-given Berlitz map shortly thereafter. So it wasn't really a good thing.

I must admit that I'm suffering from the lack of reading material. I was very excited by the idea of the Paperback Exchange, but sadly it was not at all as whimsical and cheap as I had hoped. It was depressingly upscale and used English novels were priced about 6 euro. There was a bargain section, but the selection was so meager I almost considered buying "Middlemarch" because it was fifty cents. Except then I realized it would probably make me want to kill myself. I've finished reading Lamb twice, and read Carla's pride and prejudice, but I need more books. Stay tuned for news of Michelle's Booksearch.

I started classes yesterday. Italian looks like its going to be fun, if I could just stop calling it Spanish class. Museology looks to be hard but interesting; we go to six museums during class hours, and have to visit another six on our own and write reports on them. I didn't really know what museology entailed, but I started reading the textbook today and spent half an hour learning about market research and viability assessments. It's eerily utilitarian, something I never expected from any art history class.

Meredith and I have Baroque in about an hour, but I think I need a panini to hold me over until then. Yes, I have consented to like these meatless sandwiches--and I like the ones at the bar across from the school best because they're 1.80.