This first photo is a view from my bathroom window. Taking it was a difficult task to say the least and may or may not have involved balancing on the bidet.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
a penny for the thoughts of a poor college student.
Vino in Italia is cheaper than water. If I am a poor college student, does that make it acceptable to substitute water with wine?
As I and many students like me have learned, Europe is expensive, expensive, expensive! Especially Milano. Thus, to avoid high costs and survive the brutality of no longer relying on the resources of ma and pa, I have put together a small list of viable options to consider when choosing how to spend your denaro. (Applicable to those studying in Milan, yet can be comparable to other cities):
Uno) Live off of eggs, bread, mozarella, yogurt. Its the cheapest, and provides you with suitable protein.
Due) Sometimes, take advantage of the aperitivos. Usually at every cafe in the evening. For a set fee, you can enjoy a drink and an unlimited buffet of Italian dishes. Delizioso!
Tre) Don't eat. You won't spend extra money on food and you'll be thin?
Quattro) Avoid insanely expensive club cover charges (anywhere from 10 to 30 euro) and attend 'international night' events hosted at many clubs any night of the week. Free is my kind of party.
Cinque) As the metro and other forms of public transportation shut down after 12:30 am, avoid high taxi costs by either a) going home before the metro closes, b) squeezing 8 people in one cab, c) hitch a ride from an attractive Italian on a Vespa, d) walk home (come on, Milano is not that big).
Sei) As hard as it sounds, refrain from shopping or purchasing those fantastic cowboy hats and 'glow-balls' from the gypsies on the street. Remember, 5 euro is NOT 5 dollars.
Sette) See wine versus water dilema above.
Otto) Try to get price reductions by showing your school identification everywhere. If that doesn't seem to work, try batting your lashes or crying.
Time to study for my primo Italian test tomorrow. Wish me fortuna!
As I and many students like me have learned, Europe is expensive, expensive, expensive! Especially Milano. Thus, to avoid high costs and survive the brutality of no longer relying on the resources of ma and pa, I have put together a small list of viable options to consider when choosing how to spend your denaro. (Applicable to those studying in Milan, yet can be comparable to other cities):
Uno) Live off of eggs, bread, mozarella, yogurt. Its the cheapest, and provides you with suitable protein.
Due) Sometimes, take advantage of the aperitivos. Usually at every cafe in the evening. For a set fee, you can enjoy a drink and an unlimited buffet of Italian dishes. Delizioso!
Tre) Don't eat. You won't spend extra money on food and you'll be thin?
Quattro) Avoid insanely expensive club cover charges (anywhere from 10 to 30 euro) and attend 'international night' events hosted at many clubs any night of the week. Free is my kind of party.
Cinque) As the metro and other forms of public transportation shut down after 12:30 am, avoid high taxi costs by either a) going home before the metro closes, b) squeezing 8 people in one cab, c) hitch a ride from an attractive Italian on a Vespa, d) walk home (come on, Milano is not that big).
Sei) As hard as it sounds, refrain from shopping or purchasing those fantastic cowboy hats and 'glow-balls' from the gypsies on the street. Remember, 5 euro is NOT 5 dollars.
Sette) See wine versus water dilema above.
Otto) Try to get price reductions by showing your school identification everywhere. If that doesn't seem to work, try batting your lashes or crying.
Time to study for my primo Italian test tomorrow. Wish me fortuna!
Monday, September 7, 2009
to foam or not to foam.
Example of how real Italians like to party:
Take anything that can literally produce foam. This can be a mixture of shaving cream, soap suds...anything that contains polyurethane...Take some shirtless Milanese, add some alcohol, and voila! You've got yourself a good ol' foam rave experience.
Keep out of reach of children.
This is real people.
This is real people.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
milano is not only a cookie.
Things to consider about Milan and the Italian culture:
1. Everyone drives a Vespa. This automatically makes everyone very cool.
2. Everyone drinks black coffee. Ehem, I mean espresso. This also makes everyone very cool.
3. Italian public displays of affection are, shall we say, very public. What can I say, closeness is part of Italian culture.
4. Pedrestrains apparently do not have the right of way. Thus, you must look 6 times before crossing the road and be wary of random automobiles, scooters, etc, that may appear out of nowhere.
5. Generally, everyone is very attractive, and generally, everyone has a fantastic sense of style. This makes everyone uber cool, once again.
6. Sitting down on the floor, on the steps, on a ledge, etc, in any public place immediately makes you a 'gypsy'. If you do this, you will get stared at and most likely will be given change.
7. Italians need lunch breaks too, so generally from 1 to 3 pm, every store shuts down.
8. Alcohol is to be consumed for enjoyment with food, and not for the sole purpose of intoxication. Silly Americans.
1. Everyone drives a Vespa. This automatically makes everyone very cool.
2. Everyone drinks black coffee. Ehem, I mean espresso. This also makes everyone very cool.
3. Italian public displays of affection are, shall we say, very public. What can I say, closeness is part of Italian culture.
4. Pedrestrains apparently do not have the right of way. Thus, you must look 6 times before crossing the road and be wary of random automobiles, scooters, etc, that may appear out of nowhere.
5. Generally, everyone is very attractive, and generally, everyone has a fantastic sense of style. This makes everyone uber cool, once again.
6. Sitting down on the floor, on the steps, on a ledge, etc, in any public place immediately makes you a 'gypsy'. If you do this, you will get stared at and most likely will be given change.
7. Italians need lunch breaks too, so generally from 1 to 3 pm, every store shuts down.
8. Alcohol is to be consumed for enjoyment with food, and not for the sole purpose of intoxication. Silly Americans.
9. Tips are included in checks and not to be handed in addition to the price requested. Doing so results in frustration and offense.
10. Hand gestures are standard forms of communication. Theres a signal for everything. Useful to make across large rooms.
11. No need to be startled or embarrassed when you catch both men and women intently staring at you. Italians are just curious in nature and love checking everyone out - take it as a compliment...well, sometimes.
12. It takes hours to do simple tasks like fixing the internet, mailing a letter, checking out at the grocery store, etc, etc.
13. It is possible to ride a bicycle, while wearing stillettos.
14. There is no such thing as a single file line.
15. Communism and socialism are perfectly acceptable.
See, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHWBL9_alKs to give you more of an idea.Tuesday, September 1, 2009
day 2 in milano.
Ive been in Milano for a week now, yet it feels like I've been here for months.
Our second day in the city, the study abroad program organized a trip to the Termemilano Spa. A spa. Fully equipped with mud baths, thermal pools, saunas, 'fire rooms', 'water rooms', massage areas, you name it. When we got to the spa, it was quite obvious that we were not from the area, let alone the same continent. Imagine 100 students running around the place like its a water park, clothed in white bathrobes. Like the Americans that we are, we went straight for the food and free booze. Delicious foccacia bread pizzas, creamy yogurts, pungent cheeses, and beautiful fruit arrangements donned the table. Waiters carried in champagne glasses on silver trays. I kid you not, this was like a little slice of heaven.
The opportunist that I am, I decided (along with some friends) to take advantage of this wonderful occasion and take some fruit 'for the road'. So, with our hands full of bananas, peaches, apples, and oranges we were abruptly interrupted by a lady who questioned our suspicious activity and told us that quote, 'If you want to go to a supermarket, go somewhere else'. How pedestrian of us.
We managed to 'obtain' some goods nonetheless.
Our second day in the city, the study abroad program organized a trip to the Termemilano Spa. A spa. Fully equipped with mud baths, thermal pools, saunas, 'fire rooms', 'water rooms', massage areas, you name it. When we got to the spa, it was quite obvious that we were not from the area, let alone the same continent. Imagine 100 students running around the place like its a water park, clothed in white bathrobes. Like the Americans that we are, we went straight for the food and free booze. Delicious foccacia bread pizzas, creamy yogurts, pungent cheeses, and beautiful fruit arrangements donned the table. Waiters carried in champagne glasses on silver trays. I kid you not, this was like a little slice of heaven.
The opportunist that I am, I decided (along with some friends) to take advantage of this wonderful occasion and take some fruit 'for the road'. So, with our hands full of bananas, peaches, apples, and oranges we were abruptly interrupted by a lady who questioned our suspicious activity and told us that quote, 'If you want to go to a supermarket, go somewhere else'. How pedestrian of us.
We managed to 'obtain' some goods nonetheless.
buongiorno italia!
A little late in my posting because I've obviously been running around the streets of Milano, I will try to briefly recap my past couple days.
Fly out of Newark Int'l via Lufthansa Airlines (great if you enjoy the company of well dressed Germans and an pretty variety of in-flight entertainment), on Sunday night. I was strangely excited to see that my plane contained a large quantity of bathrooms on each side and even down a few stairs to a secret lower floor! Hm.
Arrived in Milan-Malpensa airport around noon after a connecting flight to Munich (I also really enjoy that airport). Picture me with two stuffed suitcases, a medium sized backpack, and carry-on bag that is rather large after a fiasco at Newark in which I had to repack to my checked bags due to the weight limit. What stress! I am in a unfamiliar city with an unnecessary amount of luggage which I need to drag with me to an express train that will take me to my program's center.
Nevertheless, I make it. I'm greeted by the loveliest staff members who literary welcome me like a long lost child with open arms and bowls of pasta. Well, not really the pasta, but you get the picture.
I receive keys to my apartment and hail a taxi to drive me and my extra caravan of personal belongings (I deemed it neccessary to pack a full closet, a full set of toiletries, peanuts [thanks mom!], lots of shoes [although I forgot my sneakers- cool.], and bedding [even though it turned out my bed was prepared] ).
My apartment building is pink. Very appropriate considering I live on Via Monte Rosa. We (my three apartment-mates and I) have a dog that lives in the garden. True story. I have little place, but its cozy and managable. Apparently we live in the "aristocratic section" of Milan. Rather far from clubs, bars, and such, but a residential area you want to be seen living at.
My Blackberry doesn't work and I do not understand this. I purchased a phonecard, yet no one in Milano can explain to me how to operate a pay phone. No one. I am starting to get anxious.
Fly out of Newark Int'l via Lufthansa Airlines (great if you enjoy the company of well dressed Germans and an pretty variety of in-flight entertainment), on Sunday night. I was strangely excited to see that my plane contained a large quantity of bathrooms on each side and even down a few stairs to a secret lower floor! Hm.
Arrived in Milan-Malpensa airport around noon after a connecting flight to Munich (I also really enjoy that airport). Picture me with two stuffed suitcases, a medium sized backpack, and carry-on bag that is rather large after a fiasco at Newark in which I had to repack to my checked bags due to the weight limit. What stress! I am in a unfamiliar city with an unnecessary amount of luggage which I need to drag with me to an express train that will take me to my program's center.
Nevertheless, I make it. I'm greeted by the loveliest staff members who literary welcome me like a long lost child with open arms and bowls of pasta. Well, not really the pasta, but you get the picture.
I receive keys to my apartment and hail a taxi to drive me and my extra caravan of personal belongings (I deemed it neccessary to pack a full closet, a full set of toiletries, peanuts [thanks mom!], lots of shoes [although I forgot my sneakers- cool.], and bedding [even though it turned out my bed was prepared] ).
My apartment building is pink. Very appropriate considering I live on Via Monte Rosa. We (my three apartment-mates and I) have a dog that lives in the garden. True story. I have little place, but its cozy and managable. Apparently we live in the "aristocratic section" of Milan. Rather far from clubs, bars, and such, but a residential area you want to be seen living at.
My Blackberry doesn't work and I do not understand this. I purchased a phonecard, yet no one in Milano can explain to me how to operate a pay phone. No one. I am starting to get anxious.
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