Firenze Day 7: School Starts

Ciao!


I can't believe I have been in Italy for a WEEK now. Can you?


I have a feeling I will have some angry customers since I am a day behind on my postings. Well, wow, where do I begin. I'd first like to say that I am VERY thankful for the invention of Skype. Seriously, I love seeing my friends and family and being able to talk to them. This technology is absolutely amazing! We really don't appreciate these things as much as we should.


Well, perhaps you remember me telling you that my back was killing me two days ago. Yes? No? Maybe so? I was in excruciating pain. All this walking around, standing, climbing stairs, not used to my bed--it's really a mixture of little uncomfortable situations. I couldn't sleep I was in so much pain and when I don't get enough sleep I'm in even more pain the next day...
It is a vicious cycle I tell you.

This is before my second surgery by the way. Just thought I'd add it here. 

I was also kind of stupid because... well... I forgot to bring some medicine along with me on the trip. I can already see your eyebrows furrowing, your eyes reddening, your lip curling around your clenched teeth, smoke bursting from your ears, bellowing:
STUPID!
STUPID!
STUPID!
Yes, I know. I KNOW! That was a really S.T.U.P.I.D. thing of me to do, but it is in the past and we must move on now. Good Lord...
I went to the Farmacia the other day and bought some Ibuprofen. For a case of 400mg it cost me 8.50 Euros. Let me tell you something interesting about the Farmacia--see it is expensive to go to the doctors, especially if you have something rather simple to take care of, but they have these people who work at the Farmacia who are sort of trained like doctors (at least that is what I got from the little explanation on them) and can tell you what you need to take based on your symptoms.
So, I went and got my Ibuprofen and goodness... it helped A LOT. I was thanking the little pill like crazy. Literally, as the pain eased, I kept thinking: Thank you pill. Thank you. Thank you.
Please remember this is the Ibuprofen pill... let's not get sidetracked here.


Yesterday, I had a bit of a mental/emotional breakdown. The nuovo (new) factor was really setting in and scaring the living daylights out of me. I sort of overwhelmed myself.
See, I had my first class yesterday. Italian 101. I have never taken Spanish before. I took Sign Language... which as you might imagine doesn't exactly prepare you for Italian. Our teacher didn't even speak one sentence to us in Inglese. It was terrifying. I felt like an idiot. I catch on to things very slowly. I am slightly dyslexic and that also makes things a bit on the tougher side. Plus other people were catching on way quicker than I was and it drove me insane. Remember how I said my mind likes to break off into two people sometimes? The wild, brave, confident one and the shy, oh-my-god-the-world-is-out-to-get-me one? I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this before, but if not... well, now you know. Here is what my brain did...

Brave A: (Calmly) Amanda, my love?
Wimp A: (Frazzled and about to explode) Whaaaaaaat???
Brave A: (Still calm. Maternal. Ah, life is good with this voice.) Why is our heart rate going up and we on earth is our face resembling that of a tomato?
Wimp A: (About to break down into tears.) Because I don't know what the hell this woman is saying!!! I suck at this!!! I am so stupid!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
Brave A: Honey, let's not pop a blood vessel. We don't want spaghetti sauce spewing all over the place now do we?
Wimp A: (Confused and squeaky) Spaghetti sauce... what? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
Brave A: Take a deep breath.
[Wimp A takes deep breath]
Brave A: There we go... good girl. Now you say you don't know what the heck this woman is saying. True. We don't have a flipping clue. You say you suck at this--you don't. And you are NOT stupid.
Wimp A: Yes I am.
Brave A: Don't make me smack you because then we WILL look stupid. Amanda, have you ever spoken Italian before?
Wimp A: No...
Brave A: And how many days have you been to Italian 101?
Wimp A: This is my first day?
Brave A: Do you expect to be fluent in the language today?
Wimp A: Well... no... I guess not.
Brave A: Then what is the problem? You are learning. Be nice to us please. Ok?


I felt better after that.


But then later that day I was really missing my mommy and my home. Everything seemed to put me on the verge of tears...

This hot, gooey, Nutella infused crepe with strawberries and powder sugar is sooooo good.
Do you know what else has good crepes?
The French Press in Salem.
(On the Verge of Tears)


Mom texts me.
Mom is not here.
I won't be with mommy in 3 months.
(On the Verge of Tears)


See a horse carriage.
Red is a horse.
Red is not here.
(On the Verge of Tears)


As you can see it was an interesting day. Good god that crepe was delicious though. And it is just right across the street from my apartment. I'm definitely going back. Yum! Yum! Yum!


Ok, later that day we had a lecture on traveling and culture shock. Very informative. I really want to go to Venice and Rome on this trip. I know I am going to see a friend of mine in Germany. That will be fun.


Later that day I went with my roommate out to dinner. We have these food voucher thingys. They are awesome! I used my map and found the ristorante. So proud of myself. I can use a map! An Italian map. (If this makes you go: Whoop-di-do! I'm scowling at you--just so you know.) I have 25 food vouchers. This restaurant was delicious!!! Absolutely delicious!!! I got a salad with tuna, eggs, and mozzarella--the great things about Italian salads, is that you control the Olive Oil an Vinegar that goes on because you are the one who puts it on--and I also got some spaghetti. SOOOOOOOOO GOOD!!!! I can't seem to emphasize this enough, but the food here makes me feel as though my body has finally clicked to LIFE! My best way of describing it.
Italians don't give you boxes to go. They don't like the idea of you taking their food, putting it in the fridge and then reheating it. It hurts them to think that. But I just put the rest of my food that I couldn't finish back into my roommate's pizza box.
Then we walked back home...

I didn't pay attention. She expected me to, but I talked more than I paid attention. Not good at night in Italy where I don't live. So we went a little further than we should have... into a scary zone. We passed by these smoking (they were actually smoking... this is no adjective) Italian men who told us we had nice a**es. This was a bit of a shock to these fragile Mormon ears of mine. (Sidenote: What makes a good looking butt? I don't know what is a good looking butt. I seriously don't. I don't think about these things. I don't go staring around at people bottoms, thinking: Man I wish I had that. I think if you can sit on it that's all that matters, right.) The politer thing to have said would have been: What nice curvature you have.
So I just looked forward and walked with a purpose... even though I knew we were going the wrong way. Then I realized we had to pass them again due to this fact. That was fun...
We finally made it back, but man, did we ever go a long ways the WRONG way. Not fun at night when all you can think about is... sorry Erika J. I am going to use you as an example again--Erika: This is the part where we die.
Made it back. Went to bed.
Really hot last night. Could hardly sleep.


Ok, more happened today, but it is getting really late here and I need to go to bed because my eyes are flickering like a fading candle. I will explain more. I have a LOT more to say.


Arrivederci!