Becoming Italian

Okay, so I'm not really trying to become Italian. But, I am getting adjusted to the differences.

The past few days have been really nice. Friday was the big Carnival in Verona. It is always held on the Friday before Lent begins and back in the day (many years ago) this Friday was the day that everyone got free Gnocchi. Gnocchi is pasta made from potatoes. I think they cook the potatoes, mash them, add eggs and maybe flour. Anyways, you can get them with cheese, red sauce, olive oil, etc. Obviously they don't give them away anymore but pretty much every restuarant served them. I got some for early dinner and they were pretty good. I'm not the biggest fan of red sauce but it was hot and very filling. The Carnival itself was pretty crazy. Some of the floats were intense. They were all very colorful and most were well made. Some had American music playing from the float and also from the marching bands, which was neat. Everyone was throwing loads of confetti so that was funny. Most of the kids were dressed up and I must say that some of the babies were absolutely precious.

Saturday we got up to go to the Saturday Market in town but arrived when it was closing. It was a beautiful day though so we ended up just walking all around town. I really love walking in Verona. I have most of the city down which is nice, but there is still much to explore. Saturday night we spent planning more weekend trips. It's kind of hard planning 3 weeks in advance but to get the best 3-day trips we have to plan ahead.

Today was another chill day for me- and I really enjoyed it. A lot of people in the group went into Venice today for their Carnival. I wanted to wait and see the real Venice when it wasn't jammed packed with people so I decided to see more of Verona and rest while I can. I attempted to cook my own Gnocchi for lunch today, but it wasn't the best. I think I over-cooked them. Anyways, my friend Ginny and I walked around more of Verona today. It was another gorgeous day for walking. We stopped once for a pastry. I got a small creme filled type donut covered in sugar. It wasn't much bigger than a Dunkin Donuts Munckhin but it was absolutely delicious. After we walked for a good 3 hours we ordered in pizza. I got vegetarian. It was full of vegetables. Most of it was good, I'm just not a huge fan of artichokes. I haven't really had authentic Italian food yet, but I have plenty of time for that.

So here are a few things I am having to get used to while in Italy. Enjoy!

1. Purple. The color Purple is everywhere! Everyone is wearing it and its in all the stores. I know it's a color of the season, so if you don't have a token purple item yet, get one soon! I'm glad that I randomly brought 3 purple shirts on this trip. My attire is already half Italian. ;)

2. Siestas. Okay, so here in Verona almost everyone takes a "siesta." Siesta means nap and I think a lot of people still take them but its also a time for shop owners to eat. So, between 1 and 4 most of the stores close. Ironically, thats probably when most American's are the most productive. Everytime we have actually made it out of the apartment its been during siesta time. Hopefully I'll make this adjustment soon so I can go into more local stores.

3. The internet. It's interesting that almost every America website that I've gone to has switched to Italian. I mean I'm trying to learn the language and all but this switch is just too much to handle. Also, I can't watch any American shows here in Italy, lame. And I can't use Pandora radio either. Oh the things you give up to live abroad. Just kidding, of course.

4. Dogs. Apparently dogs are rather popular in Verona. They are literally every where. I don't know if its an Italian thing or a European thing. Either way, I'm not used to it and I have to watch where I step in some areas.

5. Coffee. So, there are many cafes around Verona. When Americans want coffee they go to a local coffee shop and order at least 8oz of coffee. Sometimes its loaded with creme and sugar. In Italy, Italians go to the cafes and order what we consider espresso shots. They stand at the bar with their tiny cups for a few minutes, drink it and leave. Its the most bizarre thing to me but I guess they're getting almost the same amount of caffiene in half the time. Its probably one of the few things that they do faster then us.

So class starts tomorrow. It'll be weird being in class since I have been out of it since the beginning of December. The first class is over Italian culture and history. I'm excited to learn more about this country and get to know more of the people in the group. Our trip plans for this coming weekend aren't in concrete yet but hopefully will be soon!

I hope all is well back in the States. Enjoy the Academy Awards!

Love from Italy to you,

Rebes