I’m now starting week 4 of 5 here. This means that I’ve had one week of vacation and two weeks of class, and am over the halfway mark in this adventure.
On the one hand, this is incredible, because it’s by far the longest trip that I’ve ever taken. But on the other, it feels like I’ve only just arrived, and I have so little time left. I’m finally starting to build routines, damn it!
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Posted by gatoruptown
One of the biggest changes in this 5-week trip in one place, versus previous week-long trips spanning multiple places, is that I have to actually buy groceries and make food. (I certainly can’t afford to eat every meal at restaurants for more than a month.)
I knew this coming in, and in fact made a trip to the grocery store as one of my first excursions in town. And yet, despite having gone several times, I still find myself amazed every visit.
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Posted by gatoruptown
I’ve been worrying that I haven’t been getting enough true immersion in Italian here. A few hours of class in the morning, sure, but then I’ve been spending most afternoons and evenings in my apartment, working (in English).
How fantastic, then, that I’ve discovered that Netflix’s collection of American movies and television shows in Italian is far bigger than I realized!
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Imagine my relief when I discovered a movie theater in Siena, right next to the supermarket and around the corner from my school! And in fact, the first week that I was here, they were playing Toy Story 4, something that I had been excited to see.
The experience was not quite what I had expected. Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted by gatoruptown
I’ve officially started my Italian language school, and I thought it time to check in with my readers… I passed the entrance exam, skipping over the first week of class, and have now completed two days of the second week.
I am loving it.
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Posted by gatoruptown
One of the highlights of my brief visit to Siena last year was a wine tasting that we stumbled upon, when a restaurant was empty around lunchtime and the host agreed to take us on a journey with him, pouring us many different wines and regaling us with stories about each one. It was so incredibly memorable that I knew I needed to go back on this trip.
I went, and was not disappointed. What an evening!
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Even before coming here, I had a scheme: I wanted to find some cafe on the walking path to my morning classes, and stop in every day for an espresso and some chit-chat. I wanted to become a regular, my very own Norm to their Cheers. (Kids, ask your parents.)
Imagine my pleasant surprise upon arrival, to find that there’s literally a cafe outside the door to my apartment building.
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Posted by gatoruptown
