Due Biglietti?

Water on Coco
Originally uploaded by catrberry

I had to order tickets IN ITALIAN for my parents to come see the Uffizi Museum. I mean, I've ordered food, gotten groceries, asked for directions, even gotten museum tickets for myself before, but this time I was nervous.
"Due biglietti per favore?" Stop. Breathe uneasily. Uhhh...what do I say next? Oh yeah, the date...hesitation.
"Si..." Noticing my nervousness, the clerk comforts me. "Va bene."
I laughed, she laughed. "Per il 18 di Octobre?"
It's closed on Mondays. "Eeeeeeeeee...Martedi. Alle nove?"
"Si." I flashed my student museum pass to see if I could get a discount, she got confused, FAIL.
"Uhh...mi dispiace. E....it's for my parents."
"Oh, for your parents. Okay." [Prints out the tickets.]
"Grazie!"
"Ciao!"
I left fiercely perspiring. I don't know why I was so worked up about ordering tickets. But now I have them!
Then I went to the supermarket, bought some produce and bread, ate lunch, and headed to my contemporary Italian literature course...but I went to the wrong building. I had to walk twenty minutes to the right one, and got to class ten minutes late. Fortunately, my teacher was forgiving and gave me a smile.
We analyzed six of Cesare Pavese's poems which were written in the 1940s or so. His main themes are the Italian countryside vs. city and the rise of feminism. I LOVVVVEEEDDDDD his stuff. (If you're interested, go to http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=181993). His suicide note is pretty legit as well...yeah, I said that.
Getting back in the saddle of reading and appreciating literature makes me incredibly happy. I feel like that's where I'm supposed to be. My teacher is really cool; gives us a break, gives us interesting assignments, very much makes it a discussion-based class, but also gives her input of what works SHE loves. Plus, I think she likes me. We'll make this work.
After class I took a nap and then went on a walk with Jess because she had to take photos for her food photography class. So while she took pictures, I took some too. She made me model for her gelato pictures, and she bought me a free one to do it! DEFINITELY worth it.
Then we went to "GANZO," the restaurant run by our school of hospitality and culinary arts, for weekly Wednesday night appertivi. You buy a drink for four euros, and all of the chefs' food creations are available to you...all. you. can. eat. Dinner? Done. It was ALL gourmet, and SOOOOOOOO delicious. We're making it a Wednesday night tradition. How could you pass that up? It's a bit of a walk so you don't feel as bad eating whatever you want.
Samples of some of the things we chowed down on: sashimi tuna, prosciutto and buffalo mozzarella, green beans in sesame, raw carrots and celery, plum and grape torte, vegetable and cheese tempura, some strange green fruit wrapped in salami, garlic pasta, pasta salad with tomato and mozzarella, meatballs, calamari, and even more that I can't remember. Ridiculous, am I right? Then Alexi stopped and bought us some fine dark chocolate with gold dust on top.
I'm definitely learning about food here. I'm enjoying it all. My cooking class requires me to know how foods are best stored and prepared as well as their nutritional value. My roommates are excellent chefs who intuitively feel how to bring out the best flavors in a dish. I'll cook for you guys when I get home, no worries. Mom and Dad, you give me money for the ingredients, I'll make you whatever you want.
After Ganzo, we came back home and decided to do FACIALS! Girl time! Hah. We just used yogurt and orange and put it on our faces. Then we went to the window and watched the garbage men pick up the bags on the street while it dried. It's actually STILL drying on my face right now...baha.
I guess I better wash that off.
Please continue to pray for my grandmother. She's not doing well. It's upsetting to not be with my family right now, and I'm having a hard time.
Until tomorrow.