Tuesday, February 12

 
i feel that i have never appropriately explained the swede phenomenon in this country.

they are everywhere.

they make up at least 30% of my school (the centro, not syracuse, or americaland, as i like to call it, since once you enter these doors you never here a lick of english and it is like a little american theme park sheltered from the world of italy.) and we spot them everywhere we go. there is one with dyed red hair that we see so much it is spooky: coming out of our movie theatre; walking down the street by my house; sitting behind us at the soccer game (think of how big a stadium is, and think of the odds of that); we even saw him this weekend in venice. there were millions of people in venice this weekend, and two separate groups of us ran into him.

it's creepy.

also they are like little language robots. each one speaks an average of four languages. it's amazing. we had a midterm the other day, and i knew it was tough because they were asking me about the questions after.

i just wanted to say, "hello, you're the swedes."


posted by from shannon at 10:27 AM

Sunday, February 10

 
today was one of those wonderful days where i was just glowing to be in italy.

so why am i now stuck in the dungeon that is our computer lab, working on an r.a. application that is kicking my ass? bogus.

at least i have andrew and something corporate keeping me company. i want to be somebody's punk rock princess. i am sitting here adorably in my hippos t-shirt with my hair in little spikey twists, so how can i be doomed to spend this valentine's day alone? won't some guido come sweep me off my feet and feed me tiramisu in bed? oh geez.

i am procrastinating. i am going to be pulling a late night. che triste.

but at least while i am up at 2am writing about my unyielding admiration for the principles of community, i can glance up at the mask now hanging above my bed and remember that i had a wide-eyed, whirlwind, incredibly special weekend in venice at carnevale. it was one of thoses things on my lists of things to do in life that i can now cross off.

and although this wasn't exactly on my list of things to do before i perish, i also had a nice time last night back in florence, with my two best girl friends here and some visiting italians we met, drinking wine under a clear warm night sky. it was one of those nights that this trip is about, if that makes sense. the italians didn't speak any english but it didn't matter and it was great. also we were drinking in front of a church so it was kind of like i went to church which should make my catholic mother proud.

one of my eyelids is twitching. what does that mean?

i should go now.




posted by from shannon at 9:58 AM