Il Dolce Far Niente http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com the sweetness of doing nothing posterous.com Tue, 22 Mar 2011 19:12:16 -0700 Bad Mood http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/bad-mood http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/bad-mood I'm on the fourth day of a bad mood, which has consisted of giving dirty looks, thinking mean thoughts, stomping around in my house, slamming doors, and other passive-aggressive type behaviors.  My apologies for the unanswered calls and texts.  When I get into these moods, its usually best to try to calm down before making contact with society, unfortunately going to work and to the store for cat food are still necessary.
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Because I am in ill-spirits, I will say no more.  I am going to try the usual things that make me smile: 1. Wearing high heels (no stomping!) 2. Drinking iced chai lattes 3.  Hand washing the floor 4.  Lighting candles (preferably at the same time)

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1635961/me21.jpg http://posterous.com/users/cQczTF0uxH1vc Maryjane sweetlydoingnothing Maryjane
Tue, 21 Dec 2010 21:50:16 -0800 Barcelona http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/barcelona http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/barcelona [caption id="attachment_196" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Plaza de Cataluna, Barcelona"]
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[/caption] Dates: October 29 to November 1, 2010 Flight: Vueling, another smaller airline in Europe that offers reasonably priced flights.  I can't say I remember much of the flight because I was so exhausted from the Amsterdam experience. Stayed at: Cataluna Hostel, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes.  Unfortunately it is not longer listed on hostelworld.com or google maps, so maybe it was shut down or something. You would think that after getting lost on our way to the hostel in both Paris and Amsterdam, we would have triple checked the address and directions.  This was not the case.....  Jacob and I split up from the girls who decided to take a cab, took a bus and a train to the stop right by the hotel.  Unfortunately from that point, we had neither the name nor the address of the hostel.  After walking up and down the street for a long time, and realizing that not even getting into a cab would get out out of our predicament (because we didn't have the address), I will admit that I began to get very frustrated with Jacob and the situation and started to freak out.  Eventually we went into another hostel on the street and paid the manager 5 euro to let us use the internet, only to discover that the hostel was less than two blocks away on the second floor of an unmarked building. When we did arrive, I had to take several moments away from the group to calm myself down, throw my clothes into the wash machine, and use the internet. Eventually when I got myself back into a neutral state, I was able to rejoin everyone else and we decided to go for dinner.  We walked only a couple blocks away to a restaurant called Citrus for dinner.  Thankfully the wait staff spoke enough English and we knew enough Spanish to seat us and to order (I discovered that in Spain, or at least Barcelona, most people do not speak English.  In Amsterdam, however, literally almost everyone does.) The food was delicious, especially the tapas (small dishes/appetizers) and the service was pretty impressive for Europe.  I would definitely suggest it for people visiting Barcelona. Citrus PASSEIG GRÀCIA, 44.  08007 Barcelona, Spain [caption id="attachment_211" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Group at Citrus"]
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[/caption] That night we went out to try to find dancing, however like Rome, this was nearly impossible.  The night was almost a failure except for the "Harry Potter" shot that we got at Chiputos, C/ Aribau, 77, 08032 Barcelona, Spain. [caption id="attachment_212" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Harry Potter shot"]
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The next day we ate at the restaurant next door, Tapa Tapa.  Tapa Tapa was a perfect choice for lunch. I went with Jacob, Kelli, and one other girl from our group.  We ended up ordering and sharing several small dishes (the risotto was especially good) as well as sangria bianca (made with white wine instead of red).  The sangria was excellent and the food was all extremely delicious and affordable.
PASSEIG GRÀCIA, 44, 08007 Barcelona, Spain
[caption id="attachment_213" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Jacob & I at Tapa Tapa"]
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[/caption] [caption id="attachment_214" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Sangria Bianca"]
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We decided to go out that night to celebrate Halloween, although technically Halloween was the next day.  Kelli called the number listed on the website for the Sutton Music Club, C/ TUSET, 13, 08006 Barcelona, Spain. She had us put on the guest list and we began our search for Halloween Costumes.  Considering how many people were packing into the costume shop we were at, it was surprising how few people we saw actually in costume later that night.
We spent what felt like five hours walking up the aisles of the costume shop, picking through the limited selection and fighting frustration and claustrophobia until we had all chosen costumes and spent a small fortune on them.  We then headed over to H&M to find more articles of clothing and back to the hostel to try them on.
Dinner that night was uneventful, and afterward we hurried to get dressed and leave so we could all go dancing......
[caption id="attachment_215" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Halloween"]
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The next day, no one really felt like getting out of bed, and when we finally did, we went to a restaurant called Obama, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 603, 08007 Barcelona, Spain.  The food was very good, especially the Vegetable soup and the Turkey Avocado Wrap (which I had).  The decorations alone were totally worth seeing.  The owners must have spent at least 200,000 euro decorating the place!
[caption id="attachment_216" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Waiting for our food, at Obama's..."]
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That afternoon we shopped more, did some sightseeing, in particular Sagrada Familia.  Sagrada Familia has been under construction since 1882, designed by Antoni Gaudi.  Constructed hopefully will be completed by 2026, but at this point, it is still hard to determine an exact date.
[caption id="attachment_217" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Sagrada Familia"]
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Later that night we had Paella for dinner.  I'm unsure of the exact restaurant we had it at, however since paella is a Spanish specialty, it will be good almost anywhere you might order at it (although pricey!).  The next morning we left the hostel at the crack of dawn to catch our 6:15 Ryanair flight back to Rome.

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1635961/me21.jpg http://posterous.com/users/cQczTF0uxH1vc Maryjane sweetlydoingnothing Maryjane
Tue, 21 Dec 2010 19:03:04 -0800 Risotto con Cime di rape http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/risotto-con-cime-di-rape http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/risotto-con-cime-di-rape One of the most delicious dishes that I tried in Italy was made by my host family.  Risotto con cime di rape is Risotto with "turnip tops."  I am going to attempt to make it this Christmas for my own family with a recipe I found on the internet.  However to find the recipe I needed to find out how to say "turnip tops" in Italian first.... for any of you who may have tried to translate food terms into another language, the literal translation is not always (or usually) the best one.  I am going to link to a website that translates names of Italian dishes and ingredients into English, French, Spanish and German. http://www.todine.net/dizionario.html Also just a fyi... the page is in Italian so if you need some help getting into the right section, here are the translations:  Antipasti: Appetizers Primi: First Course (Including Soups, Pasta, Rice, etc) Verdure: Vegetables Preparazione: Preparation (link is broken) Carni: Meat Pesci: Fish Salse: Sauces Uova: Eggs Salumi: Cold Cuts Formaggi: Cheese Dolci: Sweets Frutta: Fruit Burri e Salse: Butter & Sauces Erbe, Spezie e Aromi: Herbs & Spices Altri Ingredienti: Other Ingredients Bevande: Drinks Another very useful tool when translating recipes is a conversion calculator.  This conversion calculator converts from grams to volume, which is much more helpful than from grams to ounces: http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/cooking-conversions/cooking-conversions-calculator.aspx

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1635961/me21.jpg http://posterous.com/users/cQczTF0uxH1vc Maryjane sweetlydoingnothing Maryjane
Fri, 19 Nov 2010 10:56:57 -0800 2 Weeks until Im headed home http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/2-weeks-until-im-headed-home http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/2-weeks-until-im-headed-home The past three weeks have been insanely busy for me, making it almost impossible for me to correspond with anyone, let alone write here. My computer broke the day before I left for my holiday in Paris, Amsterdam, and Barcelona. When I returned to Rome, I was here for only 5 days before heading off to Florence and Tuscany and the past weekend my boyfriend was here from New York. We went to London for a night and today I am off to Germany to visit my family. Needless to say, I have been spending a lot of time in airports. Besides Germany, I still have one last trip to Dublin planned before returning home. Will write more soon!

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1635961/me21.jpg http://posterous.com/users/cQczTF0uxH1vc Maryjane sweetlydoingnothing Maryjane
Wed, 13 Oct 2010 20:28:43 -0700 Things I hate & love about Rome... http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/things-i-hate-love-about-rome http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/things-i-hate-love-about-rome So being that today I am half done with my study abroad trip, I feel that I can now begin to explain the things I hate and love about Roma...  I decided to do eight and eight (my favorite number). Will not miss: 1. Being "surprised" every time I enter a public bathroom and discover not only is there no toilet seat, but there also is no toilet paper.   [caption id="attachment_101" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Stop taking toilet seats for granted! This is one of the nicest bathrooms in Rome."]
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[/caption]   2. Optional use of deodorant by 50% of the male population.  Packed metro cars at the end of the day (and the middle of the night, for that matter) means that the air is filled with the most awful, inescapable, acidic odor I have ever experienced.  The bums in chicago (and any US city for that matter) are put to SHAME!   [caption id="attachment_151" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="One of the trains..."]
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[/caption]   3. How its almost impossible to find food after 2 am. 4.  Paying for water at restaurants. And forget about having it on ice! 5.  Dancing (in public) is confined only to discotecas....  which are only open on Saturday nights from 11PM to 4AM.  These places are filled with leering men who assume that because you are there, there is a pretty good chance you would be willing to go home with them. 6.  The difficulties involved with getting yourself home if you choose to stay out past 11:30 PM.   [caption id="attachment_102" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="...one of my friends waiting for the bus"]
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[/caption]   7.  Lack of Mexican food 8.  Cobblestone. Things I love about Italy: 1. The piazzas and how everyone spends time outside in public in the piazzas with their friends.   [caption id="attachment_150" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Spanish Steps, 7PM"]
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[/caption]     [caption id="attachment_146" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Piazza Navona, 11PM"]
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[/caption]     [caption id="attachment_149" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Trastevere, 2AM"]
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2.  The most delicious bruchetta ever. 3.  Gelato shops on every single street. 4.  Not having to tip at restaurants.   [caption id="attachment_147" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Dinner with part of the group (No reservation so we had to sit in the basement!)"]
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[/caption]   5.  Long walks through the city late at night which allow you to see all the streets, monuments, and fountains when they are not crowded by tourists.
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6.  Sitting outside is always an option when going to a bar or a cafe. 7.  Italians dress themselves so well, I cant help but be filled with envy when walking down the streets. 8. The sound of cars driving on cobblestone.

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1635961/me21.jpg http://posterous.com/users/cQczTF0uxH1vc Maryjane sweetlydoingnothing Maryjane
Mon, 11 Oct 2010 19:08:09 -0700 Ciao! http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/ciao http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/ciao Even if you don't know Italian, certainly you are familiar with the phrase "Ciao!" (pronounced: chou) which is used as an informal greeting or way of saying goodbye.  Typically we use ciao when saying hello or goodbye to our friends or greeting people that you are acquaintances with. Typically you do not use "ciao," when you are greeting people you do not know... for example at the bank or in stores, it is more polite to say Buongiorno (good day) - use this in the morning or anytime before 3 or 4 PM. Buonasera (good afternoon/goodevening) - used in the afternoon, and always after sunset. I have also heard people use the term: "Salve," which means "hello," however is more formal than ciao. When answering the phone, most Italians say "Pronto," (go ahead) or "Si" (which means yes). However, back to the word Ciao! I recently discovered that this term was used during the Middle Ages.  During the middle ages, it was common to greet someone by saying "Sono vostro schiavo," which was shortened to "ciau." ("Ciau," is from the Ventetian dialect - coming from Venice.  It is important to remember that different dialects are spoken in different areas of Italy.  Some of them are so different from Italian that it is impossible to understand what exactly is being said if you are not familiar with that dialect.) "Ciao first appears in English in 1929 in Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms, which is set in northeast Italy during World War I."  (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ciao)

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1635961/me21.jpg http://posterous.com/users/cQczTF0uxH1vc Maryjane sweetlydoingnothing Maryjane
Sat, 09 Oct 2010 14:07:35 -0700 Another Week in Italy http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/another-week-in-italy http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/another-week-in-italy Last weekend (& the beginning of this week) were a little less than fun since most of the people in my class went to Munich for Oktoberfest and I stayed in Rome to draw all weekend. I haven't written too much about my drawing class, because quite honestly its embarrassing how untalented I am when it comes to drawing. It takes me several hours to make a drawing that looks even slightly finished and for the most part, I don't enjoy it at all. However I did do one decent drawing, a copy of Raphael's "The Prophet Isaiah," which is located in Sant'Agostino.   [caption id="attachment_126" align="aligncenter" width="180" caption="Original painting by Raphael, "The Prophet Isaiah""]
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[/caption]     [caption id="attachment_127" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="My copy of "The Prophet Isaiah," Grade Received: B+"]
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[/caption]   Everyone was pretty impressed by my "copy" of a painting or sculpture.  On Tuesday morning we had a three hour class, where one-by-one we discussed ever single persons' drawing.  Kind of a boing process, however, I felt that it was extremely helpful to step back from my drawing and look at it subjectively.  Our professor, Matthew, reminded us several times how important it is to build distance into the drawing process. For fun, I am going to include some of my other drawings/art projects that were due on Tuesday. 1.  A one point perspective drawing (which I did in the internal courtyard of the Palazzo della Cancellaria. 2. A map of Rome, including some of my favorite places to eat. 3.  Several of my altered postcards, part of a project we had to do that involved 12 postcards with images art and architecture.  We were required to cut parts out and/or glue new images on to either glorify or mock the original image.   [caption id="attachment_129" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="One point perspective drawing, Grade Received: A-"]
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[/caption]     [caption id="attachment_130" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Il mio piano di Roma, Grade Received: A"]
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[/caption]     [caption id="attachment_132" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Altered Postcards"]
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[/caption]     [caption id="attachment_133" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="more postcards..."]
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[/caption]   So besides doing the drawings and postcards for class, I actually wrote and sent out several postcards to family and friends this week.  (If you are reading this and feel like I have excluded you in some way, by all means, email me your address and I will send you one asap!) And on the topic of mail, I spent over an hour at the post office yesterday!  My uncle is very sick with Leukemia right now and after battling with the disease for 10 awful months already, the end is still not in sight.  Since one of his favorite things in the world are nice cars, I bought him an official Ferarri hat and after buying a 1.40 euro box and paying 4.20 euro in postage, it is on its way to America.  Sitting in the post office was less than fun, however, because when I arrived there were 100 people in line ahead of me (you have to take a number).  I was able to communicate with the woman (when I finally was able to have my turn) in Italian.  Every time I successfully have a conversation, solely in Italian, I have a mini celebration within my own mind.  Piano piano, I am learning this crazy language! This week was pretty standard/routine for me, however the "standard day" for an American student in Rome is as luxurious as you would probably expect. I have Italian class every day from 2:00 to 5:00 PM (with a 15 minute pausa for un cigarette o un cappucino  in the middle).  On Thursday mornings, we have art history.  This week was somewhat of a nightmare because our instructor, Paolo, gave bad directions and more than 50% of the class spent at least an hour walking around, confused, in Villa Borghese.  When I/we finally realized that the Gallery was completely opposite of me (at least a mile away) within the grounds of the Villa, I/we gave up and went to get breakfast -ie pastries and coffee- and on an adventure of our own to check out a "secret keyhole" on the opposite side of the city. Typical days for me in Rome include pastries for breakfast (or bread with Nutella, yum), long walks, frequently being lost or "confused," shopping/communicating with sales people in broken Italian, an occasional cigarette, gelato-although I have been limiting myself recently, looking up words in the dictionary, holding my breath on the train, pasta for lunch & dinner, weighing myself and praying that I haven't gained another kilo!, talking on skype with my boyfriend, having a slice of pizza as a snack, meeting up with friends in Piazza Barberini, sharing bottles of wine, constantly asking for directions, running late, giving advice to tourists, people watching at various monuments, and spending several hours just sitting around, talking, in both English and Italian.  (That might have been the longest run-on sentence ever.) The last thing that I have to report about my week is that last night I went with my friend Kelli and her host sister, Fredericka, to Fredericka's boyfriends' bands' show.  -I hope that made sense.- Anyways, I showed up to her house and waited outside for her and her host sister.  Fredericka is extremely cute and speaks in amazingly fast Italian.  The fact that I understood anything she was saying at all, is a testament to how much I have learned in the past month. The place that we went to was a small Italian club and I suspect we were the two only Americans that had been there, ever.  Everyone was speaking only in Italian, which was exciting and stressful at the same time.  The band, Kruk,  was pretty decent.  Kelli tells me that they are moving to London soon to try to make it big.  With a little help on their lyrics, I could definitely see this being possible.  The show was only for one hour, but including the time we waited before the show started and getting pizza and "saying goodbye" afterward, we were there for almost 4 hours.  Saying hello and goodbye in Italy is a big deal. You literally have to say something and kiss (on both cheeks) every single person.  However, the kissing doesn't apply to people that you don't know - only a few people kissed Kelli and I, because obviously no one knew us until that night.

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1635961/me21.jpg http://posterous.com/users/cQczTF0uxH1vc Maryjane sweetlydoingnothing Maryjane
Sat, 02 Oct 2010 21:19:54 -0700 Living with an Italian host family http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/living-with-an-italian-host-family http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/living-with-an-italian-host-family Each day I realize more and more how lucky I am to have been placed in the host family I am in. Maria, my "mom" is extremely sweet and helpful when I need things. Even though I try to insist that I can do my own laundry, she always ends up doing it for me. She works as a high school Latin and Italian teacher, which is good and bad at the same time (my Italian is improving "piano piano" (little by little), but I still feel like an idiot most of the time. The two daughters, Livia and Agnese are wonderful as well. They always make me feel like I am part of their family. This week, I returned home from school and just as I was walking up to our building, Maria and Agnese were leaving to do the grocery shopping. They asked me if I wanted to come with and seemed a little surprised (happily surprised) when I said Yes! We went to a grocery store called "Emme Piu" which is literally two blocks from our house, something that I had been completely unaware of. For anyone who has not spent a lot of time with people who do not speak the same language as you, I will try to explain what it feels like: It is often very frustrating, especially when there is something you want to communicate, but you can't because its too complicated. Our conversations are somewhat limited unless they. start. speaking. extremely. slowly. pronouncing. one. word. at. a. time. I never feel "smart," when I am around the family because of the language barrier, however I try to not let that stop me from spending time with them. The trip to the grocery store was a lot of fun, but it made me miss my own mom a lot! Afterwards, they showed me a huge gelatoria, which is supposedly extremely famous. Since I have already gained a lot of weight, however, I am limiting myself to one gelato a week. (So far, this diet has not been successful!) I have dinner with the family 4 times a week, Monday - Thursday. We usually eat around 8:45 and I look forward to it for several hours before because the food it always so good. I dont think there has been a single time where I havn't enjoyed dinner at home. I am proud of myself for being more adventurous with food! I now eat cheese, and for those of you reading who know me, this is a huge step in my life! At dinner we have conversations about all kinds of things: our families, religion, politics (how none of them like the Prime Minister, Berlusconi, because he is involved in so many scandals, his mafia friends, and several times they have referred to him as a fascist and a criminal!), Italian language and the meanings of different words, shopping, men, and Italian life compared to American life in general. This week at dinner they told me that they could tell how much my Italian was improving, however, I still feel like I am completely in the dark! Yesterday morning, I went with my older host sister to get our hair cut. This was the first time we have really been able to bond. Usually I talk to her younger sister more because for some reason I can understand her Italian better (and she speaks some English). We had breakfast- which in Italy means pastries and coffee-and talked about a recent tragedy in her life. Last week, her boyfriends father killed himself, after struggling with depression for a long time. It was very devastating for her boyfriend, as well as for her because she is very close to the family. Despite the sad conversation, I can tell she is very strong and she wants to be there for her boyfriend right now, she is spending the weekend in Naples with him. Our haircuts went pretty well. I was a little horrified at first because the hairdresser cut my bangs extremely short! However, now I am quite fond of my haircut because it is completel different than anything I have ever done before. Several people at school told me I looked like a rockstar, my mom said I looked Euro, and my host family loved it and said I looked very fashionable. I guess that makes me a fashionable european rockstar? There are worse things that could happen i guess. :) [caption id="attachment_121" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Me & Livia, new haircuts (my bangs look really short in this photo)"]
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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1635961/me21.jpg http://posterous.com/users/cQczTF0uxH1vc Maryjane sweetlydoingnothing Maryjane
Sat, 02 Oct 2010 20:47:31 -0700 Adventures in Pompeii, Sorento, Almafi, and Capri http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/adventures-in-pompeii-sorento-almafi-and-capr http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/adventures-in-pompeii-sorento-almafi-and-capr Late on Monday night, I returned from a weekend class visit to southern Italy, specifically the places mentioned in the title. Unfortunately, I was not able to take many pictures because my camera is currently either unable or unwilling to turn on (my suspicions are that it is not a fan of European batteries, or Europe in general). However, I was quite impressed with southern Italy and the breathtaking scenery. We woke up at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning to take a bus down to Pompeii. (It started raining as soon as we got there, but fortunately cleared up just after 50% of the people in our group, including myself, had purchased umbrellas.) For those of you readers unfamiliar with the area, Pompeii is the cite of the catastrophic volcano that erupted in the 1st century and literally burying the entire city. However because almost 15 feet of ash covered the city before the volcano erupted, the lava did not destroy the city and it remains almost completely intact after 250 years of excavating. I was very impressed by Pompeii because since it was covered by volcanic rock for 1600 years, it was not changed at all since the volcano erupted. The main road of the city is east-west, has a road, sidewalks, and even lead piping that were fed by the aqueducts and channeled into fountains. Many of the buildings still are covered by the original paintings, and in some of the stores/restaurants, it is possible to see the counters and pottery that were actually used. Nothing looks like it has been touched which is amazing for how old it is. [caption id="attachment_107" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The interior of one of the stores in Pompeii"]
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[/caption] We were told by the guide that over 3000 human bodies remained  preserved inside the ash and rock and some of the plaster casts are on display.  I personally found them to be very disturbing and sad.
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After our 2 hour walking tour, we were free for lunch.  Several of us went to a restauraunt close by.  It was reasonable priced, however, we ended up paying 20 euro in service charges (on a 50 euro bill), which is almost unheard of in Italy! Afterwards we piled back on to the bus and headed to our hotel in Sorento.  The hotel ended up being way up in the mountains above Sorento and everyone was disappointed about how cold and windy it was.  This did not stop several of the boys from jumping in the pool and acting like 12 year olds while the girls bundled up, drank wine, and enjoyed the view.  Later that night we went to a restaurant and made our own pizzas. [caption id="attachment_109" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="View from the hotel in the morning"]
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Day 2: We woke up at the crack of dawn to have breakfast and head down to the Amalfi Coast.  Which involved taking a tour bus through the mountains for several hours.  I did not enjoy this experience very much because I was car sick, and in general, I try to avoid being touristy as much as possible.  Let me tell you, there is nothing more touristy than being on a tour bus on the tiny mountain roads in southern Italy.  When we finally did reach Amalfi, I felt extremely sick and ill tempered and probably did not get as much out of the experience as I would have liked to.  We did see a beautiful church and I was able to do a little bit of shopping and get something to drink, so by time we left I was in a much better mood. [caption id="attachment_111" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The Cathedral of Amalfi "]
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[/caption] We had lunch and a drawing class in the small village of Revello.  The panino I had for lunch was one of the worst so far in Italy, however in general the town was adorable.  We took some pictures while we were there, and then got back on the damn bus for another 3 hours to go back to Sorento
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[caption id="attachment_113" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The church of Ravello"]
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[/caption] [caption id="attachment_114" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Just outside Ravello, taking a break from our drawing class"]
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[/caption] By far, my favorite part of the trip was that evening in Sorento.  Kelli (the ragazza (girl) I am picture with above) and I went shopping and were able to find a lot of things we really liked.  I bought a little black dress that looked like it was made for me, a pair of white jeans, a bracelet, and a bottle of local win which I gave to my host family when I returned to Rome.  We had dinner as a group and then returned to the hotel. The next day, everyone was exhausted and in no mood to venture in the rain to get on the bus so we could go back down to Sorento.  However, thats exactly what we did.  We stood in the rain waiting to get on the boat that would take us to Capri, realizing that this probably wasn't the best day to head to the beach.  The boat ride wasn't too bad, however many people in our group got sick from it.  It didnt really help that we were standing outside in the rain and the sea was a little treacherous.  When we arrived, I took a bus up to the town of Capri with some friends so we could have lunch and do some shopping.  I didn't buy anything, however, because most places were designer boutiques and the people working in them had an attitude.  After a while, we (Kelli, Jacob and I) decided to go sit on the beach until it was time to go back to the boat. [caption id="attachment_116" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Kelli & Jacob on the beach"]
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[/caption] [caption id="attachment_117" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Group photo! In Capri"]
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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1635961/me21.jpg http://posterous.com/users/cQczTF0uxH1vc Maryjane sweetlydoingnothing Maryjane
Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:07:15 -0700 Two Visits to Piazza Capitolini & the Roman Forum http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/two-visits-to-piazza-capitolini-the-roman-for http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/two-visits-to-piazza-capitolini-the-roman-for Yesterday morning my drawing class met in Piazza Capitolini so that we could take a tour of the museum together.  I met up with one of my friends in the morning and we took a bus that dropped us off very close to the Roman Forum (ruins) and a hill that led up to the piazza. ( A quick note about the buses in Rome: some of them have TV screens that tell you which stop you are at, and which stops are next, but most do not.  This means CONSTANT vigilance to your location, which can be difficult if you don't know exactly what your destination looks like.) Unfortunately, my camera was out of batteries yesterday, so I was unable to take pictures.  However, I decided to return today so that I could take some photos, buy postcards (the liberia- bookstore, was closed yesterday as well), and start a drawing of the Arch of Septimus Agustus. The first couple floors of the museum, which was originally a palazzo (urban palace/home) for a noble/rich family, were enormous and filled with sculptures that date back to the classical period.  Although I love art, I personally find classical sculpture a little dull (my apologizes to anyone who is offended by this), however I was thrilled when we went to the third floor which is dedicated to Renaissance and Baroque paintings.  I wandered away from the group into one of the side rooms and I was shocked to see one of my favorite paintings hanging on the wall: [caption id="attachment_78" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption=""Rape of the Sabine Women" by Pietro da Cortona, 1627"]
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[/caption] Before you stop reading, horrified that this is one of my favorite paintings, I will state that I do not condone rape in any way.  The use of the word "rape" in this context refers to the abduction of the Sabine women, not sexual violation.  The Rape of the Sabine Women is the subject matter of  several (post) renaissance paintings and sculptures.  As the story goes, after Romulus (the historical/legendary figure after which Rome was named) had established the city, it was determined that the area needed to be populated with "Roman" citizens.  The solution: to abduct the women from a nearby area in which the "Sabines" lived.  This painting depicts that event. The reason I love the painting is because of Cortona's ability to capture the emotions that women must have felt and translate it into the painting. Another artifact that almost made me scream (from excitement) in the museum was Bernini's "Medusa." [caption id="attachment_80" align="aligncenter" width="197" caption=""Medusa,"by Bernini, 1650's"]
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[/caption] Medusa is a mythological character who, along with her two sisters, was born with snakes for hair and a stare that would turn anyone she directly looked at into stone.  Historically in art, she has been depicted as terrifying and beautiful. Another thing I witnessed in the museum was the restoration of a painting.  Within one of the galleries, an area was blocked off and one of the Carravagio paintings was sitting on an easel in front of a very old, an presumably important man.(**)  When I realized what was going on, I was horrified!  The man was putting a small amount of paint (to repair "micro-cracks" that occur naturally through time) on the canvas of one of the formative masters of Baroque paintings.  When I discussed this with my professor later, he explained that the Musei Capitolini is no longer collecting art, and that their entire budget goes to maintaining and conserving the art that they already have invested in.  He explained to me that it is an ongoing argument in the art world whether it is appropriate to "touch up"paintings that are aging and cracking. **I later wondered... who is this man??  And how was the responsibility of "fixing" a Carravaggio painting delegated to him?  On a tangent I started wondering wondering what he and his wife might discuss at the dinner table that night.... "How was your day sweetheart?  Do anything interesting?"   (In Italiano: Come stata la tuo giornata?  Accaduto qualcosa di interessante?) Anyways, I returned to the Piazza today (not the museum, however) to take photos and to begin drawing the Arch of Septimus Severus. [caption id="attachment_84" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Piazza del Campidoglio, designed by Michelangelo 1536-1546"]
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[/caption] [caption id="attachment_85" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Arch of Septimus Severus, 203 AD"]
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[/caption] [caption id="attachment_86" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The Roman Forum"]
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[/caption] [caption id="attachment_88" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Ruins of the Forum"]
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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1635961/me21.jpg http://posterous.com/users/cQczTF0uxH1vc Maryjane sweetlydoingnothing Maryjane
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 14:02:26 -0700 It is possible to eat Guacamole in Italy http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/it-is-possible-to-eat-guacamole-in-italy http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/it-is-possible-to-eat-guacamole-in-italy One of the many things people rant and rave about when they return from Italy, is the food.  If my trip had only lasted one week, I'm not sure I could say the same.  I may have a flu or something because every time I eat, I get terrible stomach pains, nausea, hot and lightheaded afterward.   Today was not as bad, however, because I was able to make one of my favorite foods - Guacamole. I asked my host family a few nights ago at dinner how they felt about Mexican food and in particular, guacamole.  They informed me they do not like it!  I was devastated, obviously because that means I can pretty much forget about finding tacos, fajitas, tortas, guacamole, etc. on the dinner table for the next three months.  (And I have yet to see a Mexican restaurant anywhere in Rome yet) After sleeping in late today and skipping an optional outing with my class to the beach, I decided to venture off to the supemarcato,conveniently located two blocks from my house.  I spent about a half hour in the store, and only bought 8 items. I needed time to check out all the products I had never seen before, however, in this trip to the store, I  only bought products I was already familiar with: 1.  Tomato  = Pomodoro 2. Salad (Mixed lettuce) = Insalata 3.  Red Pepper = Peperoni  Rossi 4.  Avocado = Fichi D'India 5.  Baloney (only now did I realize I bought this- I dont like baloney!) = Mortadella 6.  Pita bread-   I don't know what its called in Italian 7.  A bottle of white wine = Vino bianco 8.  Tissues = Fazzoletti I had some difficulties when I was in the produce section because in Italy, you need to weigh out your own produce before going to the checkout.  I already knew that I had to do this, but I needed the help of an Italian woman with using the machine!  Now that I know how to use it, I'm hoping it will be much easier next time.  When checking out, I noticed a few things: 1.  You have to pay for a plastic bag 0.05 euro 2.   You have to bag your own groceries 3.  It's good to have exact change.  My total was 10.38 euro, but I only had a 20 euro bill. Since there are no 1 euro bills, this means I mostly got coins back. 4.  In Italy when you are buying something, you need to set the money on the counter instead of handing the money directly to the cashier.  In return, he or she will put you change back on the counter but will never put it directly in your hand. And here are some more pictures of my home: [caption id="attachment_65" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Pongo, the dog"]
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[/caption] [caption id="attachment_66" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Kitchen (a little messy!)"]
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[/caption] [caption id="attachment_67" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption=".....Kitchen = Cucina"]
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[/caption] [caption id="attachment_68" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Do I really need to explain? Il Bagno"]
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[/caption] [caption id="attachment_69" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Living room = Soggiorno"]
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[/caption] [caption id="attachment_70" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="First Floor = Primo Piano, the doors lead to my bedroom"]
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[/caption] [caption id="attachment_72" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Stairs = Scale"]
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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1635961/me21.jpg http://posterous.com/users/cQczTF0uxH1vc Maryjane sweetlydoingnothing Maryjane
Sun, 29 Aug 2010 20:04:54 -0700 First Weekend in Italy http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/first-weekend-in-italy http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/first-weekend-in-italy As shocking as it sounds, on Thursday night I sat in the JFK airport, holding back tears and almost dreading my trip to Italy.  The plane took off right on time and I turned off my phone knowing that it would not be receiving any more phone calls for the next three months.  My stress level was pretty low considering it only took me 20 minutes to check my bags and get through security and I was given a window seat.  As it turns out, no one sat in the two seats next to me, so I was able to just lay down, listen to music, and sleep through most of the flight.  The food was surprisingly decent and I was thrilled because a TV monitor displayed the exact altitude, number of miles, and time until we arrived in Rome.  One of my least favorite things about flying is not knowing exactly how much longer I will have to be on the plane! My friend Jacob waited for me at the baggage claim along with another girl in our group - Kelli.  Seeing familiar faces and hearing my own language being spoken instantly put me in a better mood and after I had claimed my baggage, we walked out and quickly ran into an Italian man who offered to shuttle us directly to our hotel.  Since it was the same price of the train and 50% less expensive than a cab, we agreed, making the transition pleasantly easy. I wont bore you with the details of the orientation, because just remembering it makes me sleepy, however it was like most other orientations.  After flying and traveling, the only thing I wanted was a nap, but instead we sat in discussions for a few hours and most of us were practically delusional from being so tired by time it was announced we are going on a two hour walking tour.  Thank God I took pictures because I remember nothing from the tour: [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The street sign that my school is on"]
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[/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="One of the many piazzas"]
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[/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The Spanish Step are only a few blocks from my school"]
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[/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="One of the many Baroque churches"]
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[/caption] After the walking tour, we went to dinner at a large outdoor restaurant.  Here are some tips about eating in Italy: 1.  No true Italian eats butter or olive oil on their bread.   Also it is considered rude to dip your bread in sauce in public. 2.  Dinner is served in several small courses - ours included about 8 different ones. 3.  In Italy it is very rude to NOT keep your hands on the table at all times during dinner.  However it is rude to put your elbows on the table. 4.  Never ask the chef to alter your dish (ie "hold the mayo") 5.  Eat all of the food on your plate (if it is physically possible), if you do not, the chef is insulted. 6.  Only water and wine are served with dinner.  However you may order a coffee (espresso) during desert.  It is acceptable to drink Coke only when eating pizza.  Wine is never drank when eating pizza, soup, or ice cream. 7.  Never tip in Italy because the waiters are paid by the hour.  If you do tip them, only a few cents or a euro if the service was excellent. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Dinner!"]
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[/caption] At one point at dinner, I definitely feel asleep at the table! Yesterday I was pretty homesick in the morning.  I went to the internet cafe a couple blocks from my school to check my email and cried the entire time I was there.  But after I left, I felt much better and was able to pull myself together for the rest of the day.  We had another walking tour and then we were free to do whatever we wished for the rest of the night. And finally, this afternoon, I moved in with my family!  I was nervous because Maria Pia was one of the last people to show up.  Maria is tiny and very pretty and she brought me back to her house (inside an apartment building) which was nothing like I expected.  The interior looks very much like a hip New York loft, with high ceilings, tall bookcases on all the walls, art hanging in all of the rooms, and woven rugs on the floors.  Agnese and Livia, her daughters are very sweet and helpful.  They speak a little English which came in very helpful during dinner while we were making conversation.  I am trying my best to speak Italian, however it is broken and I frequently find myself inserting English words into my sentences. [caption id="attachment_57" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="My bedroom!"]
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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1635961/me21.jpg http://posterous.com/users/cQczTF0uxH1vc Maryjane sweetlydoingnothing Maryjane
Fri, 20 Aug 2010 06:03:58 -0700 Last day at home http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/last-day-at-home http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/last-day-at-home Tomorrow is my last day at home, which means I will be frantically running around buying things like shampoo and trying to pack everything into my new suitcases (which after much thought, I finally bought today! I have found out the information of the family I will be living with: Maria Pia and her two daughters who are 19 and 16.  Maria is a high school teacher who teaches Latin, Italian, and History.  They also have a dog named Pongo.  The family lives about 10 blocks from the Colosseum and in close proximity to many churches that I have become familiar with in my classes.
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My flight to Fiumicino, Rome will leave from JFK, New York next Thursday.  Thank God, it is a direct flight and I will land at noon the next day. As of right now, I am very anxious: about packing, about saying goodbye, about my Italian skills, about missing my boyfriend, friends, and family (not including my brothers-14 &15 who made it very easy to say goodbye after a particularly unpleasant dinner!).  I am hoping that I will love my Italian family and that they will love me.  Keeping my fingers crossed for my own bathroom - just kidding.

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1635961/me21.jpg http://posterous.com/users/cQczTF0uxH1vc Maryjane sweetlydoingnothing Maryjane
Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:55:34 -0700 A short (&incomplete) list of things I absolutely must see http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/a-short-incomplete-list-of-things-i-absolutel http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/a-short-incomplete-list-of-things-i-absolutel 1. The Louvre, Paris
  • Queen Marie de Medici Cycle (Peter Paul Rubens) 1622-1625.  A collection of 24 canvases representing the life of Queen Marie de Medici that originally hung in the Luxemburg palace.
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  • "Wedding Feast at Cana," Paolo Veronese, 1562.  I love this painting because there is so much detail.  It looks like quite the party.
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2. Le Château de Versailles; Versailles, France
  • Especially, the Petit Trianon, a small château designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel for Madame de Pompadour, the long-term mistress of Louis XV of France. 
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3.  Galleria Farnese, Il Palazzo Farnese (French Embassy), Rome
  • "Triumph of Bacchus and Ariadne", Annibale Carracci, 1595-1600.  In mythology, Bacchus, the god of wine and Ariadne, an abandoned princess fall in love and are represented as the ideal married couple.
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4. Uffizi Gallery, Florence
  • "Bacchus," Caravaggio, 1595.  This painting was a gift to the Medici family from a cardinal, however it remained hidden for many years because of its subject matter.
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  • "Primavera," Sandro Botticelli, 1482.  One of my favorite paintings ever.  This painting was commissioned for the wedding of one of the members of the Medici family.
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5.  Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome, 135-137AD.  Historically has been used as a papal residence, fortress, and prision.  The Passetto di Borgo is a secret passage connecting Castel Sant'Angelo to St. Peter's Basilica.
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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1635961/me21.jpg http://posterous.com/users/cQczTF0uxH1vc Maryjane sweetlydoingnothing Maryjane