I love it here. Even if I miss "The Golden Girls" so much that I had a rather extended dream about Bea, Betty, Rue, and Estelle last night. It was the wrap party for the final episode - so it must have been the early 90's - and I was standing by the food table (already forgot the showbiz lingo for whatever that is) chatting with her about the storyline.
The law program started today and I met a bunch of law students from all over the country. It was the most American day so far, with American voices and people discussing their various difficulties in getting along in the city, and it sunk in with me just how lucky I've been with all the help I've been getting from my Italian family and friends. I went to another part of Florence to see my classmates' 3-bedroom pad and it was absolutely a palace. For a moment the quaint charm of my studio faded and I was envious of their 3-story European house, complete with a kitchen filled with small and sleek appliances, a rooftop terrace, and each person couched in their own bedroom with a large bed and thick mattress. But then I weaved my way through the streets back to my quartiere, and was mollified by the sight of Gucci and Benetton and other stores that make my neighborhood one of the most desirable places to live in all the world. Their neighborhood is on the outskirts and you have to pass by a ghetto where street urchins lurk. I went into the bar closest to my building for an afternoon coffee and the owner recognized me. "We met a few days ago," he said, referring to the first day when my aunt and I went in. Giorgio asked me my name, and said that me and my name were very pretty. Of course, he had to write "Karen" out because he could not understand it by pronunciation alone. He told me that I would have to make his bar my local bar, and then he taught me the word for "matches," which I needed for the candles I bought. It was all incredibly endearing and we shook hands and said "Piacere" more than a few times.
Tired of the high carbohydrate diet, I also wandered into a local store and got fresh tomatoes, arugula, tuna, and a box of arancia (orange juice). Who says you can't be in The Zone while you're abroad?
posted by Lucy Sloan @ 10:13 AM
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