Florence Study Abroad, Part II: Food and Fun

I've been in Florence for about two weeks and things have been so crazy here. Time is moving so quickly and I haven't gotten around to posting. This post will be full of information and pictures of all the stuff I did that first week (that I can remember).

So last week, after I got settled in, we started exploring a little bit. I didn't know anyone on this trip, but I quickly linked up with a large group of girls who all knew each other. It's really easy to make friends on study abroad if you don't know anyone. Everyone always wants to do things and you can tag along for adventures anytime you want. It's also nice, because you're together for a month so it's some intense, speed bonding. I've gotten to know the majority of the 22 people on this trip fairly well after just two weeks (which has felt much longer and much shorter at the same time?).

The first couple of days, we walked around and got acquainted with the city, shopped and tried out some food places. I struggled a bit with the food here at first because it wasn't at all what I expected from Italian food. American Italian food is actually a mixture of five different cuisines from regions throughout Italy that have nothing to do with each other, all thrown onto one menu and labelled "Italian" food. Tuscan Italian food is WAY different: I had a really hard time finding chicken and fish, until I went to the supermarket (more on that later). Portions are much smaller here. Most places have only pasta dishes and pizza, which are staples and all I ate for about four days straight; all of those carbs really make you crave some protein. Here's some of the things I ate that week:

Dinner the first night; margherita pizza!

Lunch the second day; cheese gnocchi with bread (and spicy olive oil)

 Dinner the second night; pesto penne

Dinner the second night; fresh bruschetta

This week, finally, I went to the supermarket and located the hot food counter where they were selling breaded chicken cutlets and potato croquettes (spiced mashed potato, breaded and baked into little tubes--think mozzarella sticks but with potato and less/no cheese). This was the first time I had had chicken in nearly a week and a half. My diet at home consists almost entirely of chicken with occasional fish, so I nearly cried when I saw this counter. Even better, the food was very cheap in comparison to eating out all the time (just under 5 euros for two pieces of chicken and three croquettes!). Suffice it to say, I will be returning for lunch here often, since it's cheap, close, and delicious. 

Another weird thing about eating here is the actual set up of the restaurant paying system. Water is not free like it is in the US; you can only get bottled water which is about 2 euros per bottle. They basically don't understand if you ask for tap, even though I'm pretty sure the water here is potable. You usually pay for bread for the table, by the basket. There's also usually a cover charge per person for sitting down at a restaurant (can range anywhere from 1,50 to 3 euros per person). However, there is no such thing as tipping here, since it's included in the price of your food and I guess in the cover charge (coperto in Italian). 

The first week was basically dedicated to getting to know the city. Sunday and Monday we explored the city and shopped. Tuesday, our class took a trip to Santa Croce, a Franciscan church right near our hotel, where we observed the beautiful Giotto frescoes on the walls. Right after the trip, we went over to the Duomo to see the Epiphany parade. Epiphany is a national holiday in Italy on January 6th, basically the equivalent of Three Kings' Day. Afterwards we got gelato.

Santa Croce

Courtyard of Santa Croce

A really cute street

The Three Wise Men at the Epiphany Parade (riding horses!)

(I'm short so this was a difficult picture to take)

Mango and berry gelato

On Wednesday my friend and I climbed to see Palazzo Michelangelo, which has a beautiful and picturesque view of the city of Florence. The climb took us about 30 minutes.

The view from Palazzo Michelangelo

As you can see, the view is beautiful. You can basically see the whole city from this point, including the Arno, Duomo of Santa Maria del Fiore (far right), and the belltower of the Duomo. Bonus points for beautiful mountains in the background.

On Thursday, a group of us went to the Jewish Museum and Synagogue which had a beautiful, Moorish design on the inside. The majority of the church's Jewish congregation had fled from Spain during the Inquisition, so they were mostly Sephardic and the temple was set up in the Spanish style. One interesting thing we learned was that the temple was designed in the image of a church, since they had no other models to base a Jewish synagogue on. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take pictures inside the temple.

By Friday, we were all wiped but my friend group had decided to go to Rome that weekend. I'll save that trip and the subsequent week for another post since this one is already packed with pictures and information! Hopefully I can get around to blogging in between all the stuff I've been doing here.

Ciao! (I'm seriously so Italian).

Repartee, Curry Powder, Hulu Plus, BBC Dramas

This lovely Monday evening finds me attempting to binge-watch Hart of Dixie/Jane The Virgin, but Hulu Plus has foiled me, and just when there was a huge cliff-hanger, too! Or maybe it didn't foil me and the latest episode is just not out yet...must check on that.
I finally went to work, and did a one-to-one with a patient where I followed him around all day as he attempted to convince all the staff to discharge him. If I was unsure of my patient-trailing skills, I am sure now. I can slip between carts and computers and hordes of health care workers like it's nothing! I also am excellent at fetching cookies and milk and juices from the pantry! Also, my patient and I watched a blurry version of whatever movie was on TCM today, so all in all, not a bad day. This week of January has been blustery, which I haven't minded except the snowy roads make it difficult to get to the gym. Fate knows that staying home and eating chocolate chips is better for the soul than struggling with the shoulder press, it seems.
When school starts back we Nursing kids have to take a pharmacology exam that shall deem our worth in this world. I am pretty terrified, and am pretty sure this is related to me not having studied a pinch for it yet. Labetalol, anyone?
Since this is a MHC blog it makes sense to mention that Macaulay interviews are coming up, so best of luck to you kids! The best advice is stuff you already know. Be yourself and be confident! Also, dress well. Alas, I shall never know this new class, probably, but I wish you all the best and am confident that my words have wisdom about varying TV shows have soothed your minds as you have applied to Macaulay.
This week I also applied my smarts to the stove. I toiled away at making rice that did not sog (not a word. I could use sag, but does rice sag? Fine. Rice that wasn't soggy), spinach that remained an appetizing green color, and dal (split pea soup) that was...liquid-y and not clumpy. I also made shrimp curry, and added dye and curry powder instead of curry powder and masala. I had thought it was a very suspicious orange color. I will have everyone know that I prevailed in the end, despite my father asking what was burning every so often, and us realizing later that the curry was missing the main ingredient. Psh. People need change every so often.
Saw the Golden Globes where Tina and Amy debate Colin Farrell vs Colin Firth and DIEEEEDDDD le sigh. I have been trying to watch more BBC dramas but none can top Pride and Prejudice. North & South is by far my favorite besides P&P because hello, Richard Armitage is dreams. He is even dreams as Thorin in the Hobbit. Also, it's a great story and has great acting, that too. Daniel Deronda was interesting, with actors I like. I was surprised at the ending, but pleasantly so. Downton Abbey is not BBC but it is related (uppity British actors and all) and I must say that after season 3 I have lost the will to continue on. -SPOILER ALERT -You kill off the best people in the show, and you expect us to keep watching, you think we'll just put our hearts out there again so they can be ripped apart, well TRY AGAIN, JULIAN FELLOWES. It's true that the season 5 premiere had super high ratings but I think Julian better watch out because as much as I love the drama, Tom and Mary should've been spared this misery and I will not reward their pain. (Fine, I DID WATCH SEASON 4 EP 1 BUT I WON'T GO ON).
I also watched Outlander and I'm sorry but if you do not appreciate Jamie/Sam Heughan you may need to leave everywhere and everything. That Scottish accent! Those dreamboat red curls! That sword-fighting! The book was quite good- the plot was intriguing and refreshing! Afraid to read the other 8 novels, though, since they'll only be full of new ways to separate Jamie and Claire and I'm not about that. Outlander also resonates perhaps a bit too deeply because Claire is a badass nurse yeeeess! Since she's transported back to the 18th century, she only has herbal medicine and leeches to work with, but that stuff works well, yo. I see how they survived in those grimy times. Also, I read that putting vanilla extract on your painful wisdom tooth can ease the pain, AND IT TOTALLY DOES! #allnatural (it is, right?) #soherbalthatIbelonginanothercentury #JKReadtoomuchOutlander

To end on a note of ridiculosity (also not a word. I shall continue using words that are not real. If they could do it in Frindle I can do it too), here is a confession-of-love line that I think everyone should use at a critical time:
"My love for you will always be inflamed. Like the pus that runs from a never-healing open wound, it is constant and deep." #NursingstudentOUT

Amirah

P.S. I forgot to mention that I watched Wuthering Heights (1939) and woah, Lawrence Olivier is smokin' hot. Cathy is terrible, and I suppose Heathcliff is also terrible, but I understand better now why their love is passionate and...terrible. Cathy was dumb though. She had it all! She could've just put aside her vanity and wish for worldliness and upper-class-stuff for true love! Isn't that the life lesson of EVERYTHING EVER, CATHY?! DID YOU LEARN NOTHING FROM BOOKS OR MOVIES?!
I also saw Love Story, which I had seen clips of and thought it silly because the tag line of "Love means never having to say you're sorry" didn't make that much sense to me. However, I have re-evaluated upon watching it and loved it. That acerbic wit! Their young love! Harvard! Lots of scarves! Her supporting him through law school! Parents not agreeing! Sad tragedy that killed a beautiful relationship! You know. Sigh. I used to hate the movies where they didn't end up happily ever after, but am trying to be mature and see that the point is that they valued their time together. "Better to have loved and lost.." etc etc.
P.P.S. I should have, long ago, left off these posts with quotes that were meaningful to me (as Slavena does, which is supa-cool)! Instead, I will just leave quotes from a fiction book that I find hilarious for today.

"Why are you putting on lip gloss, my daughter?” Dad asked. “Trip to the library? Trip to the nunnery? I hear the nunneries are nice this time of year" ...“Is this true, Kami? Are you going out on a date?” Dad asked tragically. “Wearing that? Wouldn’t you fancy a shapeless cardigan instead? You rock a shapeless cardigan, honey.” - Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

“Don't feel bad, Angela," Kami said. "You know guys, they only want one thing. Repartee. I can't count how many times men have admired my well-turned phrases.” - Unspoken
(^KILLS ME)

Florence Study Abroad: The Long and Winding 18-Hour Road

So I finally made it to Florence, after 18 hours in cars, planes, trains, buses, and taxis. I'm exhausted to say the least.

Friday morning I woke up early and packed the remainder of my baggage. I got to the airport at around 3:30 for the international flight and my parents hung around to send me off, being all proud and parent-like. I've never been abroad, or flown alone, so it was a simultaneously scary and exhilarating experience.

The flight was 8 hours overnight, so I basically lost a night of sleep because we arrived 8:30 AM European time. Italy is 6 hours ahead of New York, so it was 2:30 AM at home, and I didn't sleep on the flight. I got one hour of fitful rest, then was woken by breakfast on the plane and a breathtaking view of the snow-capped mountains bordering Milan. Looking out the window literally gave me chills. It was like a postcard, unbelievably stunning. There were small ski towns nestled in the dawn darkness between the white mountains, and as we flew in, we saw the rising sun. I was reminded of the Sylvia Plath poem, "Ariel":

Into the red
Eye, the cauldron of morning

Once I got there, I waited at the airport to meet up with my roommate and some other people coming in on a flight after mine. We took a bus to the Milan train station, then a train from Milan to Florence (2 hours), then finally a taxi from Florence train station to our hotel. The trains in Italy are unbelievably advanced, far better than the ones in New York. They are high speed and very modern, but quite expensive. My ticket from Milan to Florence was 50 Euros. Another problem is how sketchy the train station is; there are pickpockets and shady characters around every corner, waiting to "help" you with your luggage or buying a ticket at the machine. But I have one thing to say about Milano Centrale: it's beautiful.

Milano Centrale

Once we navigated that craziness and boarded our train, I nearly passed out from exhaustion. My suitcase was bigger than me and had to be stored above the seats in racks. I was way too small and weak to do this, but a nice Italian-speaking man with his family was kind enough to help me get it up there and then get it down on my way out. Normally, I'd refuse this kind of help, since it could easily go wrong. But he seemed genuinely kind and helpful. And I definitely needed help with that bag.

I nearly fell asleep on the train, since it was so quiet and smooth riding. Luckily, I got off at the right stop and we hailed a cab for the four of us to our hotel. At that point, I deserved a good meal and a night of sleep. Three days later, I'm still not recovered from that trip or the time difference. At this point all of the days are blending into each other.

When I have more time, I'll post more about what I've been doing the last couple of days.