An Italian Weekend

Give me a call, it's free for me and well, probably expensive for you unless you get a calling card and then it can be cheap for you. My number: 001-39-3-363-0276. (My actual number in Italy--339-363-0276, but I guess you don't need area codes when you call from the US) Remember that I am 9 hours ahead of you if you're in CA...so try not to wake me up.

Classes start tomorrow, and I'm real excited about it. I'm taking Interior Design, Drawing, more Photography, and ITALIAN!! I was thinking that I would stink at Italian cause I was awful at Spanish in high school, but maybe not cause I will be forced to speak Italian here. Woooo Hooo!

Meg and I have been hanging out and exploring the city a ton; Orientation was on Friday (9/9), and Saturday night we walked to the river and found the sweetest stuff-an outdoor Orchestra!! It was incredible and so fun. Is it weird that I had Chinese food? Probably.

Today is September 11 and we went to an Episcopal Church that is all done in English. Meg and I both loved it. We met a couple who live an hour and a half away and they drive here every Sunday for Church and also on Wednesdays for College dinner night. Meg and I are going to go and hopefully get the in with this older couple so we can go to their house on the coast of Italy. Okay, that's not really why. But they were sweet people.

Alright, time to go. By the way, I found PEANUT BUTTER!!! And it's the natural kind...very exciting.

Peace,
-e.

Goodbye Rome, Hello Florence

I'm here... in Florence. Moved into my apartment today and it turns out I live two doors down from the school I am studying at (SACI- Studio Arts Center International/ saci-florence.org).

Nervous, anxious, excited; all of the above. It's good that a smile is so universal; it really helps when someone smiles back at you when you are feeling all of the above.

My bed sucks- it needs an egg crate (Jeff, will you send me one?) and new sheets. Where in the world do you buy sheets in Florence? I miss California already, everyone smokes here, anywhere and everywhere.

I got my first passport stamp and it was in Denmark. I was only in Denmark for 2 hours. I was all by myself and I wanted to jump up and down and be excited with someone but it was only me in Denmark, looking around for someone I knew. No one. Then I flew to Italy and they didn't even want my passport, no stamp, no customs, nothing! I want a passport stamp from the place that I will be living in for 3+ months. Please people, let's be official.

I came from Rome and it was great, but I can already tell that I like Florence better. Though the Vatican was fantastic; am I the only one who didn't know that the Vatican is its own country? Yeah, well don't feel stupid if you didn't know that. So we (Zac Gordon from Westmont and myself) went into the Sistine Chapel and there are clearly marked signs that you do not talk or take pictures, or use a flash in anyway. Let me tell you, Michelangelo would have been pissed! It was SO loud and so many people were taking pictures. It made the whole experience a lot less enjoyable, especially with the guards yelling "No Photo! SHHH!" every 27 seconds. All in all, it still was beautiful.

Mon (9/5): Arrive and walk around Rome... Spanish steps and some fountain that I should remember the name of.
Tue (9/6): Colosseum and Ecstasy of St. Teresa (Marble Statue) @ this amazing church
Wed (9/7): Zac's birthday, Vatican city, Sistine Chapel, rain storm
Thur (9/8): Rome to Florence by train, only 22 Euros! ($27 USD), checking into SACI, unpacking and settling into the apartment.


Last days in Rome/First day in Florence

I miss you. Comment on this or email me at ekatz@westmont.edu... I like snail mail!!!! (Seriously, who doesn't?)

My address is:

Emily Katz, Fall 2005
c/o Studio Art Centers International
Palazzo dei Cartelloni
Via Sant’Antonino 11
50123 Florence - ITALY

-e.