wtf

that's a sugar packet I found in a Bar. That sugar packet has a man in black face on it.
Oh, Italy. Fashion forward, yes. Politically correct, not so much...

advntures in baking and confetti throwing

confetti di carnevale

confetti like this is all over the city

Internet success!
My Wind experience was fairly painless, even if the saleswoman was kind of a stronza. I then walked back down towards the Duomo, since it is so beautiful and sunny out today. Here are some of the pictures from my walk:

I know, I'm a creep for taking this photo, but this chorus line of tipiche ragazze italiane just called to me! I couldn't resist!

beautiful buildings on Corso Venezia

Hello, weekend!
The sun was shining yesterday, a rare treat in Milan in winter, so I took the opportunity to walk down Corso Buenos Aires, one of the big shopping strips, and buy myself a Wind Internet Key. I was guaranteed that the one I chose would work with a Mac, and it does, to a certain extent, but I keep getting this message that it "cannot connect with the remote PPP server", so I can't get on the internet. I have no idea what that means, so it looks like I'll be heading back to the Wind store this afternoon.

To unwind from my Wind experience (haha), I went out for aperitivi and music with Rachel, a fellow Smithie alumna doing the Lombardia teaching program. We got aperitivi at Frida, a delightfully commie spot literally around the corner from my apartment, and then went to Wasabi, a nocturnal music spot a few doors down. Here are some pics:


These guys played CCR, Crosby Still Nash & Young, and The Band covers, and they kept referring to Woodstock. It was awesome.


I love the line-up of guitars here!

I will be attempting to bake for the first time this afternoon; I'm anticipating some desperate down time after having to deal with this internet business. Why is getting internet access so hard in this country?

age differences

The concept of age in Italy is completely different than it is in the United States. I noticed this when I was living in Florence two years ago, and the same applies to my experience here in Milan. When I tell Americans that I am 22, the response is generally that I’m getting older, and need to start finding some direction in life. When I tell Italians I’m 22, I get “Ma sei bambina!” (Literally, but you’re a baby!). The subject of my age usually comes up when they ask me what I’m doing now, and when I reveal that I’m così giovane, they tell me not to worry about what I’m doing with my life. In the US, when I turned 21, I had a security guard at Tiffany’s & Co. tell me that I was “getting up there”, and that I should probably “settle down sometime soon”.

… call me pazza, but I like the Italian version better. What’s the rush?

apartment living!

Addio, Ostello La Cordata, e Buon Giorno nuovo appartamento! I am now in an apartment in Isola, an artsy neighborhood of Milano, and I will be here for the next two weeks. I found the room on craigslist, believe it or not, and the girl who rents the room, Carlotta, is molto carina.

Not much has been going on; I’ve gotten some work doing a translation for a website (a company that the daughter of one of the teachers works for), so I’m grateful for that, although I’m sure they’ll pay me very little. I’m also giving English lessons to two other sons of professors at ITIS. One thing I’ve noticed about work in Italy is that it really just falls in your lap, if you make your abilities known. I asked Chiara about how all her friends got jobs, and she said that they all got recommended by family, friends of friends, etc. We stress ourselves out about networking in the US, while Italians seem to accept the network they already have. I’m sure it is more difficult when attempting to find a high level of work, but for someone who has been stressing out about making money for the last six months, it’s a welcome change to have people come to you with work opportunities.

Here are some pictures of the courtyard in the building where I am living now, and of Carlotta’s adorable apartment.