6.12.11, 16:10
So I originally wanted this blog to be about my European adventures as well as pictures of them, but I’ve just been so busy that I have no time for writing! I’m so bad at keeping up to date in my journal. But the other day, when my internet was down, I decided to write about my day. I have less than 7 days left here in Italy.
12.6.11 4:10 PM, aka 6.12.11 16:10
So life’s been pretty busy here in Firenze. I’ve been doing a lot of work lately, but I’m here for only two more weeks. I decided I write down my day. I’ve been so terrible at catching up with my journal that I never actually write in the moment. Well, now’s the moment. I just walked home from the Christmas Markets at Santa Croce. On my way, I walked through Piazza Annunziata and found the symbol of a black man’s head on the church there, but the Medici coat-of-arms was on top of the front entrance, meaning that they probably commissioned the building. I did a presentation on coats-of-arms this morning actually. In fact, I stayed up till 4 am this morning trying to finish my paper on it. Afterwards, I had Italian, and one girl in my class, Marissa, suggested we go get Chianti burgers at the Christmas market. It was honestly the most delicious burger I’ve ever had in my 20.8 years of life. Two words… truffle sauce.
I saw an awkward looking old man standing near a bus stop at S. Annunziata, with a gigantic grey beard and black hair, wearing a bright magenta windbreaker. I’m not sure if he was homeless or not. There are so many homeless people here. They beg for money and display their deformities and pictures of their kids, or pretend they’re pregnant, so you feel bad for them, being so low in social class. As I began to walk through Piazza San Marco, I noticed there was a café called Twins café, and wondered if Tess had known about it when she was here. I then noticed three girls walking together all with the same hairdo – a large head of flowing, bouncy, curly locks – ranging from dark blonde to mid-brown. I’m pretty sure they were triplets. As I got closer to my street, a male in his mid-20’s, maybe, starting pedaling his bike right next to me. He started talking to me, but I ignored him as I do most Italian men. But he was literally talking right at my face so I decided to look at him. He wasn’t as unattractive as most men who try to talk to me. He asked if I spoke Italian and I answered as I usually do “un po.” We had a short conversation, only touching upon the basics: his name is Neo (spelling?), my name is Rachele, “piacere,” I’m from Massachusetts, I study Italiano, Art, Art History, Psychology, and he replies, “tutto,” and I chuckle and say, “non tutto.” We get to my street and I say, “vado this way,” and point in the direction of my apartment, wave, and he goes off in the direction we were just walking. I’m really going to miss little interactions like this. Don’t get me wrong, men are creepy, but this was a little deviation from the norm.
Lovely day, now it’s time for a nap.
