this is my stop

Ok so I've figured it out. here's what Italy is like:

You want to get a book from your school library. So you go online, search, and request your books in a foreign language. You can't just go into and surf the stacks because they make people get your books FOR YOU (are you capable of doing it yourself? Are YOU up to the challenge of physically searching for your own books? Italy says no).

THEN, you're all set to go to Universita Cattolica but no map really tells you WHERE the library is. So you go to your academics advisor who doesn't know where it is and she has to CALL them to find out how you get there. It's still not on a map so she tells you the general direction. THEN you have to go to Cattolica and try and find the library, which is away from the two cloistered main sections, through several corridors and courtyards and clusters of buildings to find some building named after a (wait for it) Italian Saint.

THEREAFTER, you go to the building that its in and try and follow the signs to the library, passing a red door that seems REALLY inconspicuous. Following, you keep walking until you can't find it anymore and then you ask someone, in your botched Italian, where the fuck the stupid Art History library is (because its NOT in the general library, OH NEVER).
Of course they tell you it was the red door because its always the red door. No sign, no window in, no nothing. Thats how all their libraries are--there's no general set of stacks where most books are like NORMAL libraries. Everything's separated and they're all hidden in small halways and different buildings.

Whatever, you go there and tell the guy you've requested books and he FINALLY gives them to you, telling you that you have to bring one of them back within 6 hours but it doesn't matter anyway because of course its in a language that you barely skim the surface on when it comes to understanding.

This, ladies and gents, is the backward, most unhappy first world nation that I live in and somehow love. I have about a month left here. I can't even begin to tell you how I feel about it because I'm not really sure I know.

che cazzo fate, gli italiani?

So this morning I was heading to class and the metro wasn't functioning. Whatever, I walked and was late (usually I walk, but sometimes when I run late I take the metro because its a bit faster).
Later, I find out that someone had jumped in front of a moving train. Oh boy, what a way to go.

APPARENTLY, this is common in Milan (can anyone help me out? Does this happen frequently in New York? Do I live under a rock?).

I had heard a while ago that Italians are the most unhappy people on earth. Silvia told us yesterday in class that their population is decreasing because nobody's procreating ("my Davide--one child for everyone in Milan...!"). I wonder why this is--with all the prosciutto and more than decent wine you could want, why would you be so unhappy?

This country is really cool, but so goddammed backwards (and apparently, really really bogged down with Mafia problems, especially in the south), and its no wonder that they aren't cultural pioneers (I suppose their time died when the renaissance did?). My friend Ross says its because they're so complacent. I might have to agree, I went through a point in time during my life where I got everything I wanted and all I wanted to do was go to sleep and never wake up because I was so bored.


WELL. How uplifting a confession! Times have changed, though (I like waking up. Well, most mornings, anyway...). But hopefully times will change for Italy, too. Although I think their government has to change if that's gonna happen...

this is our decision

Number one thing I miss about America right now?



...BACON.

That's it. I had breakfast today with Melissa and we decided on pancakes. We went to the grocery store and bought maple syrup and mix. And then there was the pancetta, the Italian cop-out version of bacon. Seriously, I-Ties, get on that.

Also, passover is tonight, isn't it? Le sad, because Matzoball soup sounds so good right now. I could really just waltz into a juniors and be so happy.

But that's the crazy thing, is that I really don't want to leave Italy now. Milan is ugly, I'll give you that. But I'm just starting to crack its gross shell (ITS LIKE AN OYSTER, GET IT) and am getting a really good taste (read: not of its gross "SUINO" pancetta. PIG? You call that PIG? I'll just stick to prosciutto, k thx) of what it has to offer--discovering the Brera district and having espresso and gelato sit breaks. This thing called "Zona Tortona" is going on right now; an interior design expo deal and there are lots of parties going on. I live on the corner of Via Tortona, all this stuff is happening around me. I keep walking on rugs made of some pasticky- esque shag fabric that are out all over the streets. People keeping passing us postcards telling us to come have free drinks all over the city.
Tonight we're supposedly going to a party in a huge traffic tunnel that they're blocking off. Who knows.

Striking discovery: Milan is actually pretty cool.

I shouldn't go, but I can't really help it when I feel this pressure

SO. Back in Milan!
Berlin was great. It's not a pretty city, kind of like Milan, only I found it closer to home. It's very big but spread out, so often times you don't see a lot of people walking around. I stayed with my friend Camille, whom I lived with my first year at Mount Holyoke. She has the most darling apartment, is really witty and sweet, and cooks great food (and when I ask her for recipes she rolls them right off like I'll remember them even a minute later and as if they're as easy as pie...which is not easy. I want those recipes, cam!).

I flew in on Friday night, got to her apartment after Fritz (her boyfriend) drove us home. I ate some really good lentil soup and crashed. On Saturday she took me to get my haircut, and THANK GOD because it really needed one. Funnily, the hairdresser spoken English, so cam didn't have to translate (she's fluent in German), which was sort of why I was going to get my haircut in Berlin. Then we went to a Vietnamese restaurant called Monsieur Wong-SO. GOOD. I can't even tell you what I had, but it was some chicken and salad type dish in coconut/peanut/curry/soup-sauce. WAHHHH. I wish Milan had cute ethnic restaurants!
After walking around and seeing the wall/one of the numerous holocaust memorials/parks and fountains and official buildings, cam and I went for a nap, and when we woke up we had Indian food. Oh, India! How I missed your gastronomical presence so! Or the westernized version of that, anyway...
Thereafter, we got ready to go out and went to her friend Greta's apartment, situated in a neighborhood kind of similar to the lower east side--Kreutzberg. We hung out there for a bit and went out to a club. While I wont' divulge many details because this thing is public and I may end up in public service, I will tell you that I did get the full Berlin experience, and that the motto of the club is "do what you want but stay in communication."
...Just kind of imagine one of those episodes of Alias where Sidney is undercover in Berlin and she goes to a club on some mission where they play hardcore techno for hours and everyone's wearing stuff that looks like its from the store Hot Topic. It wasn't quite the same, but there was a lot of techno and well, yeah. I don't know how we did it, but we stayed the club until 5 am and then went home, but ended up getting sidetracked by the search for food. We ended up at a Turkish takeout place at around 5:30, how yum. I was in bed by 6:45, slept until 2 pm the same day (those of you who know me know that I really never do this).

Sunday was a relaxing day, we went to a Biergarten to meet some new kids in Camille's program (she's been in Berlin for a year, some kids only came for spring semester). Although I hadn't had much to drink the night before (honest!), beer wasn't really tickling my fancy at 3 pm, so I had coffee (ANOTHER great thing about Berlin-DRIP COFFEE TO GO. Brilliant, Germany, just BRILLIANT. Dear Italy--can you get on that? Thanks). It was kind of awkward, to say the least. Much of what I said consisted of "hi. I don't live here. I don't speak German. Uh, my name's teddy and I'm friends with Camille..I live in Milan...but we go to school together at MHC...yeah..."
But there were waffles at the end of the tunnel, so it was worth it--we went to the cutest little cafe and sat around for a bit. I had caramel sauce on mine but it was so big I couldn't finish it, and to say the least...I kind of like Belgian waffles better. You all must go to Brussels and try them. They're worth that $700 round trip flight, I swear.

We ate at home that night, and to say the least Cam's LEFTOVER pasta sauce was one of the best sauces I've ever had in my life and I am jealous that I suck at cooking. I will never make a good wife in that aspect (you don't want to order in again, honey? well, I suppose I could TRY boiling some water...), aside from the fact that I maybe don't mind vacuuming.

Monday was a great day, too. I saw the Berlinischer Galerie where they had an exhibit on Emilio Vedova, an action painter that I've studied in my art history class here. We went back to Monsieur Wong for lunch and I had another kind of dish (their menu is really just based around daily specials because everything is so fresh) with beef in it. Spicy, again, but you know how I feel about that getting punched-in-the-nose -kind-of feeling (LOVESIT).
Camille had class after lunch, so I took myself to the Jewish History Museum of Berlin. Gripping, really. I felt a really big need to celebrate passover (when was it//is it? I am such a bad Jew!); I felt really disconnected with my Jewish culture (WON'T SOMEBODY GET ME A PICKLE AND A MATZOH BALL, PLEASE?!). If you ever end up in Berlin, you should really hit up this museum. I was physically affected by it in some ways, as well--there are moments where you have this crazy bodily experience throughout certain parts of the collection, architecture, and moments in time.

I went home after that, registered for classes and relaxed. My last night in Berlin I had dinner with Camille and Fritz, and Greta and Max (who are also dating, Max is Fritz's brother). I cooked, and it was decent. I had a 4 am flight the next day, followed by a full day of classes. Despite having been home in Milan for two days, I am still exhausted, which is why this entry will shortly be followed by naptime.

As soon as I post up photos from Berlin, I'll have a link in the blog. I'm just too tired (read: lazy) to do anything about it now.
ACK, I have a quiz tomorrow in Italian, does that mean I actually have to study tonight?
I hope not... (I may or may not be kidding in regards to my surprise at having to do work).

Berlin is so amazing.
That's all for now. More to come later.

wow, that was nice.

SO. Due for a huge update because apparently this thing is actually read by real, live people (thanks, folks). This entry is seriously long, kids. BTW MY AUNT IS GETTING MARRIED TODAY AND I LOVE HER AND MY FAMILY AND WISH I COULD BE THERE. YOU'RE ALL FABULOUS AND I MISS YOU. POST PHOTOS SOON.

Shortly after I arrived back in Milan from Paris, I was happy to be home, but less than 24 hours later was surprised by my roommates and taken to Nice, France.

People, if you haven't been to the French Riviera, I mean, you should just kill yourselves now.

Throughout the train ride (which was 5 hours, by the way. And we were only there for 36!) back I had seriously regretted not just jumping into the Mediterranean (which I WILL swim in by the time this trip is over, and I'd highly advise betting against it because you'd lose a lot of money) while I was in Nice; it's seriously one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen. I want to go back and stay in a cute little town on the seaside.

Surprisingly, the beach in Nice is rocky, with huge, smoothed out stones comprising its shore. And Nice isn't very clean-cut, either. I actually really liked it--it reminded me of the Bronx/Coney Island (the French DO have white trash!) meets Cape Cod against the Mediterranean. Not quite as wealthy as Monte-Carlo (Which, my God, is quite a sight to see--THEIR train station is covered against the mountain because GOD FORBID the wealthy in Monaco be forced to see a train go through their city...), but still fun.

We stayed at one of the top ten hostels in Europe-- cheap, clean, kept up REALLY WELL, and friendly. Free breakfast--I ate this crazy cereal in the morning that was like frosted mini wheats with NUTELLA inside it: JESUS. America-TAKE NOTE!!!!! THIS CEREAL IS OFF THE CHAIN.

Anyway, we did a bunch of things--mostly walked around old town alot (really beautiful), drank copious amounts of wine (a premature celebration to my 21st), visited the Matisse Museum (he died in Nice), AND the Modern/Contemporary Art Museum, which has really a great collection (MoMA, watch out?). Apparently Andy Warhol's Diamond dust is there, which I kind of thought belonged to Mount Holyoke...hm. We did a bit of shopping too, but it was mostly Melissa and I following Courtney take charge in a department store. Always entertaining :] Overall, I had a nice (an appropriate word for the place!) time in Nice. Go visit.

When I returned to Milan, I met up with my beffy Ariana and her two friends, Jimmy, and Katie, with whom she studies at UCL in London. We had an awesome time, and it worked out really well because Jimmy and Katie needed to stay at my place and two of my roommates were out for a night. We went out to celebrate my 21st, and all three of them treated me like a princess for 24 hours. They got me free drinks (Katie has this amazing way of negotiating with just about anyone), bought me a cake, and took me out to dinner (Sushi--its not a Theadora birthday without raw fish, is it?) with Ross, Miriam (my Italian roommate), and Courtney. During the day we went to my favorite Gelato place and hung out inside the Castello Sforzesco (the biggest castle in all of Europe, btw). It was a beautiful day--Milan gets spring a bit earlier than the northeast. Trees are already blooming and its up in the late 60s daily. Sunny, too.

I've been on vacation for two straight weeks. Well, this entire trip has been like a vacation--I don't do work here because my grades here don't affect my GPA (study abroad is a joke). But don't get me wrong, when I get back to Mount Holyoke I will buckle down (as if its possible to strap myself in tighter there) so I can graduate with honors. This is my last time to give a big middle finger to the world, I don't think my life will ever be this carefree again. Or who knows. Maybe I'll feel the same way right before I have a kid (which isn't for at least another ::gulp:: 9 years).

ANYWAY, I realize that I haven't even mentioned what classes I'm taking here--an Art History course on Modern Art in Milan, which is pretty fantastic. I actually do work and care about this class, even though the work is easy. But I like the art and really enjoy the professor. My final is--get this--a 4 page paper. Are you Mohos not like, in stitches on the floor? Cause this is a huge joke (last semester some of my finals consisted of 20 page papers...)

Aside from Italian (which is great, especially because Silvia Francalanza, my prof, is bomb.com), I'm taking an Italian Language in Music class, in which we use Italian operas to help us understand Italian. Its kind of a frustrating class, but you know, its always fun to bop around to "Largo al Factotum" from Il Barbiere Di Siviglia. Goddamn, Rossini, you know how to write 'em.

The last class I'm taking is photography. I love it and hate it. My professor is a huge joke, and that makes me kind of sad. But I'm glad that I have to work hard on taking good photos and working them on the computer (cropping and making sure you've got the right contrast/shades/color saturation takes a bit of work). The class is just a waste of my time--me and my friend Sky sit in the back and roll our eyes (how can you take a professor seriously when he puts his bike up on the desk and starts talking about the metal on it for about 30 minutes? By that point I can't really care that much how your bike relates to photography).

Woo, okay. In other news I have great housing for next semester, the dorm I always wanted to live in since I was a first year. Its kind of far, but I know I'll have my good friends living there next year. Oh my god, I'm going to be a senior.

Okay, this post is over, I can't even think about my last year of college.

mama miaaaa

Carino Italy,

Your pizza is awesome.
Your beer, however, needs some work. Perhaps some lessons from Belgium would benefit you greatly.
Capisici? Bene.

Ti voglio bene,
Teddy.


Also, more to come about Nice and my birfday.