So my internet died. Here's all the updates. yeah, it's a lot:
1/28/09
Well, stay-in-bed sickness took hold. The fact that every joint in my body ached and my throat burned meant I went straight home after Italian on Tuesday, passed out, and stayed in bed the rest of the night, only emerging to get a gelato, which did help my throat. My energy was zapped and I needed to stay in bed. I decided not to go to class the next day unless I felt significantly better. In the morning, I didn’t feel better at all. In fact, I felt a bit worse, so I called school, told them what was up and that I was staying in bed, and they said fine. I proceeded to sleep, eat cereal (for lack of energy to make food) and watch 30 Rock for the rest of the day. Until… dundundun!! The football game! Yes, indeed, we had tickets to Florence vs. Napoli last night, and my ticket was already paid for. Being the cheapo I am, I wasn’t willing to let that money go to waste. I saved up my energy and trekked across town to the game with FlorenceForFun. Ooooo my goodness. I’ve never seen such angry fans in my life. The away section was glassed off from the rest of the crowd, which was probably a good idea. We scored the first goal, and everyone was jumping around in happiness, and everyone started motioning for Napoli to suck it. A minute or two later Napoli scored, and the Napoli fans raced down the stadium seats to the glass while our face ran over to the other side of the glass. Everyone was yelling and gesturing generally disgusting things. Then they brought in the security and police, who made a line blocking the area in from of the Napoli fans from everyone else. On the other side of our section, a group of people got sectioned off completely by security from the rest of the crowd. We think we must have missed a fight when we were watching all the yelling. When we scored again, our fans went nuts, pushing through the security line, or at least getting right up to them in order to yell at the “Napoli whores” to “suck their *swimsuit area.*” The funniest part was that they guys that wouldn’t give up were a couple 50-somethings. One took off his belt and started whipping it at the glass. It was confiscated by security after that. His friend had a scarf that he used to illustrate the various things he/Florence would do to Napoli fans. Even when security was in full-force, these guys kept coming back. I thought it was great! Yeah, if a full-blown riot had broken out it probably would’ve been more frightening, but I trusted Alexander Petrovsky (or the police chief guy who looked exactly like him) to keep things under control. We were in the front row of this section too, so we got a good view of all the action, both on the field and off. Basically, I’m really glad I went and want to go again. Unfortunately we can’t sit in the section with all the huge flags and where singing started because we’re not members of the EU, but that’s ok. Our section cheered, jumped, and sang with the rest of them. Honestly, I’ve never seen people that angry about a sport, and it was awesome. Never ever ever would those people have been allowed to stay in the stadium at a U.S. game. I was a grand ol’ time.
This weekend I’ve decided to go to Milan with my friends. I’m feeling a bit better, even though I still have a cough, but I’m not achy anymore and the swelling in my throat is going down, so I think I can manage Milan. They started planning yesterday while I was bed-ridden, but I decided to join in, mostly because a) it would suck to be the only person here this weekend and b) I really want to see The Last Supper in person. So! We’ll take the train up, stay two nights, and train back down. First to pick up some Dayquil…
Baby steps…

2/3/09
Long time no blog.
Last Thursday was quite possibly the easiest day of class ever. I only had Italian, any most of the class was taken up by going to get our books. Afterward, Alyssa, her boyfriend Nick, and I went to see the Medusa exhibit at the Uffizi. It was in a separate little building and was completely free, which was rad. I could only read about ½ of the informational panels because it was completely in Italian, but I caught a bit at least. I always like going to museums. I feel all cultured and crap afterward. And, again, this will sound really American, but it’s incredible to see the really old artifacts that have survived. There were journals and books from the 12-or-1300 (I can’t remember for sure), old armor with Medusa by the heart, trusses with Medusa hair. After the culture, we hiked up the hill to the Piazza dei Michelangelo. On the way up these long, old stairs (which are something Catholic… someone help me out here. There were crosses and you’re supposed to climb up the stairs on your knees.), there was a cat commune. Yes, a cat commune. They had little houses and kitties were running in and out. One tried to smack Alyssa. It didn’t have claws and she was wearing a coat, so it was funny, not frightening. The piazza had the most incredible views of the city and we got there right as the sun was starting to set, so Florence looked incredible. Pictures to come on either facebook or some sort of webshots deal. We looked around a bit, counting multicolored umbrellas (even though there wasn’t a cloud in the sky) of the large groups of Asians, then headed up to the church there. Name? Non lo so, and mass was going on so we couldn’t sketch around inside, but there were these elaborate crypts outside. There was one of a husband and wife, both born around 1914. The husband died in 1944 in WWII and the wife died 60 years later in 2004, and she waited the whole time for him, and was then buried with him. Nick and I did a verbal “awwww.” Well, I did. Nick’s was on the inside. We walked down the hill just as the sun was setting.
That night I went out to dinner with Ali, Larissa, and Ali’s friend Emily. I got soup for my throat, which was delicious, and the house wine was good. Alyssa and Nick joined us after their dinner. Things got a little heated when the subject of Yoko came up. Note to the world: saying you like/admire/enjoy the art or music of Yoko is a strike against you in my book. Trying to defend it makes it worse. Insulting my knowledge about the Beatles is one sure fire way to get me to peace out. Emily apparently did not know this, even after I said something this effect. I guess she wasn’t listening. She left, and the rest of us went to Fish Pub, where the drinks are cheap and the music is partially calypso. We had a grand old time.
I spent Friday morning trying to get my computer fixed to connect to the wireless internet at school with no such luck. My internet went out at home on Tuesday, which blew. Then I came home, packed, showered, and went off to Milan with Keyana, Jen, Morgan, and Colleen. I was in a separate car on the train and my photography professor was in my car, which was a cool/weird coincidence. I mostly read Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, which I’m really enjoying. And it was lucky I was in a separate car, because everyone else had to pay 12.50 euro for not having their ticket stamped, and the conductor took pity on my and didn’t ask me to pay, probably because I was alone and look a bit helpless. Colleen and I opted to get a cab to take to the hostel, which was great and cheap. I think I overextended my knee, because it was popping and stuff. It’s totally with all the weird terrain/cobblestones here. We found a place called Shut Up! Pizza, and decided to get some delicious late-night food once we were all checked in. I proceeded to pass out. However, I slept awfully because I was paranoid about keeping Morgan and Colleen awake with my cough. I tried not to cough, but then an explosion of cough would come out, waking me up. This lead to me getting tired much earlier in the day on Saturday.
Highlight of the trip: definitely, definitely, definitely seeing The Last Supper. Once again, I got in for cheap. The money gods were on my side. I only had a 50, and they hadn’t gotten their change for the day yet, so I got in for 3 euro, which I had in change, instead of about 5 euro. We had to go through a series of doors to enter to room and had 15 minutes in the room. All three of us almost cried when we saw it (well, each separately, but we all said the same thing afterward), but I managed to keep it together. It’s one thing to see a picture of it and a totally different thing to see it in person. Each person in the painting is so specific and expressive. It was incredible. That’s really all I can say.
Other highlights: The duomo, which is completely white (covered or built out of marble) and huge. It has tons of spires and towers, and the inside is covered in stain glass. I’m pretty sure it has the entire bible depicted in stain glass. I could identify one starting with Genesis, another one just on the life of Jesus, and a third with a little Revelations. It also had this creepy statue of a devil carrying an empty person. Literally. It was like everything was sucked out of its body and only the skin was left. Icky. The glass, sculpture, and alter were all super intricate and enjoyable. AND, outside they had a huge booth/trailer thing advertizing a music festival they were having there this spring, and they had fake Abbey Road cut outs. I took a couple pictures. It was awesome. Then people tried to give me friendship bracelets/sell them to me/steal my stuff, so I ran away. Immediately afterwards we went shopping in the 1st mall ever, which, of course, is filled with all designer stuff. We spent most of the time in Prada, dressing up Jen. I almost bought a Prada coin purse, the cheapest thing in the store, but opted against it. I kind of wish I had bought it so I could say, “Oh, yeah, this is my Prada mini-purse from the store in Milan. Nbd.” Morgan went back to the hostel because she was sick with a fever, and the rest of us enjoyed a lovely dinner, minus a creeper and his girlfriend/sister/who knows who kept intently looking at and watching Colleen. It was weird. That night Keyana, Jen, and I, looking good, all went out to Noon, which was the classiest bar I’ve been to yet. We had a grand time hanging out, listening to quite a mixture of music, and doing a little dancing. We were a hit.
It snowed Sunday the entire walk to the train station. Then we had to wait for 3.5 hours before our train left. Enough said.
Almost caught up!
Yesterday was a full day of class. I don’t know how I got the homework done, but I did. We did neo-realism in Italian Cinema class, which I love, so even though I was 15 minutes late (slept through alarm), I enjoyed the class. I want to go join the library (still have to do that…) and rent out all the De Sica and Rossallini (those spellings are probably wrong) films. I was going to go today, but it’s rainy again. I ran home after class, took the fastest shower ever, made a sandwich, and ran back to class. Hooray for well located apartments! We’re still review in Italian, which is more than helpful. Photography was mostly lecture yesterday, but I actually learned what some of the functions on my camera are. That night I just did homework and slept. It was nice to get a good night’s sleep after the weekend of sleeping on a questionable mattress.
I love my Renaissance Art and Architecture class. We went to Santa Croce. Rocky, our professor, knows more about that church than I thought existed, not only what’s there, but what’s not there anymore, why it’s there, etc. And he has a good voice, so I don’t mind having it in my hear with a little portable radio set. Basically, it’s an awesome class.
Tonight should be a good night. I have a little more homework to finish for tomorrow, then I think a few of us are going to see Revolutionary Road, which I REALLY want to see. Hooray for Kate and Leo! Also, Tuesday nights are Beatles Nights at a club called BeBop. I haven’t gone, but, um, hello! Apparently they have a live band playing Beatles all night long. SO, we might go to that. AND, I will hopefully have internet again at home. Alyssa figured out why it isn’t working, and I must say, 3Internet is fully of tricky bastards. When it logs your time, it logs it in 15 min. increments. So, if you’re on for 2 minutes, it counts it at 15. If you’re on for 16 minutes, it counts it as 30. They conveniently forgot to tell us this when we bought in internet. It’s still cheap, and now we know, so we can watch the time more carefully. But there were bunches of times were I was online for 5 minutes or less, checking email and skype, and those were all counted at 15 minutes, hence I’m out of time. They reopen at 3:30, so I’ll call them a little after that and get this whole thing sorted out.

2/4/08
Revolutionary Road last night was intense. It’s incredibly sad, but I thought it was very well made and acted. I can see why Kate won the Golden Globe for it. But why, I wonder, did they not nominate Leo? Can’t Leo get some love? It’s Titanic at the Oscars all over again…
After the movie, Larissa, Alyssa, Nick, and I went to dinner. Nick got cow stomach under a fancy name and somehow convinced me to try it. I almost legit threw up. The outside had the texture of bread once it’s sat in French onion soup for a while and the other part was like calamari, but chewier. It just tasted like the sauce, but I couldn’t handle the texture one bit and it took all my manners to swallow it. We did go to BeBop after, but it wasn’t the scene I expected. There were too many wasted bitties running around giving us study abroad students a bad name. There were probably 5 girls for every 1 guy. The band was good, and once we found seats, they were fun to listen to. When we decide to leave, it took us about 10 minutes to walk 15 feet to the exit. While sandwiched between Larissa and some guy behind me, my one arm protecting my purse, the other jammed between me and Larissa, five guys walked by and ceremoniously grabbed my butt as they passed. I turned and said, “Really???” They didn’t hear. I thought it was trashy. I walked home, chatting with home on the way. I really don’t feel unsafe walking home alone before midnight. After midnight, there are less people out, but if you’re in a group you’re fine. Alone, I would probably take a cab. I mean, it’s not super dangerous, but better safe than sorry, right?
Classes today were pretty typical. I tried to keep the conversation going during my lit class, because lit classes are boring and awful when nobody talks. Thankfully I had finished the reading, so I had things to say. After classes, I met up with Keyana and we went to the library to set up accounts. It’s free and all. You can check out 8 books, 2 DVDs, and 2 CDs at a time, which is pretty fly. Yeah, fly. We also got internet cards. You get up to 1 hour free on one of their computers and 3 hours free on your laptop. High five!! After that I walked to the train station to find the 3 store there to get more internet time. Once that mission was accomplished, I walked home. I swear to God, every time I walk alone I get followed, not in a creepy way, but in an “American Girl in Italy” photo way. People yelling “Oh my God,” “Oh, you dropped something you better come back,” “Gimme kiss kiss,” etc. The older gentlemen (like old… like 60+) say polite things in Italian. The younger not-so-gentlemen just watch you and say whatever they know in English, like “Oh, my heart” and “ciao you girl.” It’s harmless, and often funny, and if nothing else, it’s a confidence booster, even if it’s only because of my blonde hair. And it happens more often when I’m alone then with other people. Anyway, this happened again the entire walk back home. We started watching the Sopranos season 1 and it was awesome. I’m really happy to have the internet again. Now to skype!