01/17/2009 Fiesole 7:30 p.m.
I didn't get much sleep last night because people were extremely loud and obnoxious when they returned from the bars around 2:30 a.m., and the noise continued in spurts until around 5:00 a.m. Hopefully that d
oesn't become a routine thing. I'm pretty sure it won't last, because hotel guests complained about the noise last night. So this day started off on the wrong foot, but I decided to go on a walk with Bob (our program director), Eldon, Ashley, and Carla. I thought we were just going to walk down to Florence and come back, but it turned out to be an all day affair. I felt a little bit out of place because I hadn't had time to shower before leaving and I was wearing a sweatshirt, which definitely pegged me as a tourist in Florence. However, the day did redeem itself. Bob took us into the parts of Florence outside of the main touristy areas. He also took us out for lunch and cocktails. We ate the best Chinese food that I have ever tasted! I know, it is ironic that this excellent Chinese food is found in Italy. For 10 Euro we got a full meal, which included your ch
oice of Chinese tea (very authentic, loose leaves), wine, or a half liter of mineral water for beverage, two spring rolls, Cantonese or white rice, a main dish of chicken, veal, pork, or vegetarian options, and a shot of grappa (Italian hard liquor) or coffee. For my main dish I had pineapple chicken (see picture), and we all had shots of grappa afterward. Unlike in America, it is quite customary for Italians to drink wine with their lunch and take a shot of grappa afterward. Some Italians even begin their day with a shot of grappa in their coffee. This is not in any way frowned upon or discouraged here. To top off the great meal, we all received hot towels from the waitress/owner when we were done. We then walked around Florence some more, window shopping the designer label shops. Bob walks at a very fast pace and is intolerant of dilly-dallying, but you see and learn a lot when you go with him. He is like a walking encyclopedia. He knows everything about all the current celebrities, and he also knows everything about history and politics, it seems. I have never asked him a question that he could not answer. In the afternoon, we were all getting a bit weary, and Carla needed to use a restroom, so Bob suggested that we sit down and get some drinks. But, get this, we did not just stop in at some dingy cafe, we went to the lounge of the Hotel Lungarno on the Arno River. The hotel is owned by the Ferragamo family, and a classic double room costs 380 Euro per night. The price of cocktails can be left up to your imagination. So Bob treated us to drinks, and I tried a Cosmopolitan for the first time. The lobby looked over the Arno, and we sat in plush white couches and sipped our drinks. It was a very nice place to stop and rest, although I would probably never do so on my own dollar. After the drinks we went separate ways: Bob and Carla rode the bus back up to the hotel and Eldon, Ashley, and I stayed in town to go to English mass at the Duomo. After mass they announced a social group for Catholic students studying in Florence, and I think I may join. I really would like to meet some people outside the group of 15 SMU students who came on this trip. It is difficult to meet Italians because I don't speak the language so well yet, but I am improving. It will be nice if I can get to know some English speaking people outside this group because, even though it is great fun spending time with many of my fellow SMU students, only speaking to 15 people for four months sounds like a nightmare to me!
oesn't become a routine thing. I'm pretty sure it won't last, because hotel guests complained about the noise last night. So this day started off on the wrong foot, but I decided to go on a walk with Bob (our program director), Eldon, Ashley, and Carla. I thought we were just going to walk down to Florence and come back, but it turned out to be an all day affair. I felt a little bit out of place because I hadn't had time to shower before leaving and I was wearing a sweatshirt, which definitely pegged me as a tourist in Florence. However, the day did redeem itself. Bob took us into the parts of Florence outside of the main touristy areas. He also took us out for lunch and cocktails. We ate the best Chinese food that I have ever tasted! I know, it is ironic that this excellent Chinese food is found in Italy. For 10 Euro we got a full meal, which included your ch
oice of Chinese tea (very authentic, loose leaves), wine, or a half liter of mineral water for beverage, two spring rolls, Cantonese or white rice, a main dish of chicken, veal, pork, or vegetarian options, and a shot of grappa (Italian hard liquor) or coffee. For my main dish I had pineapple chicken (see picture), and we all had shots of grappa afterward. Unlike in America, it is quite customary for Italians to drink wine with their lunch and take a shot of grappa afterward. Some Italians even begin their day with a shot of grappa in their coffee. This is not in any way frowned upon or discouraged here. To top off the great meal, we all received hot towels from the waitress/owner when we were done. We then walked around Florence some more, window shopping the designer label shops. Bob walks at a very fast pace and is intolerant of dilly-dallying, but you see and learn a lot when you go with him. He is like a walking encyclopedia. He knows everything about all the current celebrities, and he also knows everything about history and politics, it seems. I have never asked him a question that he could not answer. In the afternoon, we were all getting a bit weary, and Carla needed to use a restroom, so Bob suggested that we sit down and get some drinks. But, get this, we did not just stop in at some dingy cafe, we went to the lounge of the Hotel Lungarno on the Arno River. The hotel is owned by the Ferragamo family, and a classic double room costs 380 Euro per night. The price of cocktails can be left up to your imagination. So Bob treated us to drinks, and I tried a Cosmopolitan for the first time. The lobby looked over the Arno, and we sat in plush white couches and sipped our drinks. It was a very nice place to stop and rest, although I would probably never do so on my own dollar. After the drinks we went separate ways: Bob and Carla rode the bus back up to the hotel and Eldon, Ashley, and I stayed in town to go to English mass at the Duomo. After mass they announced a social group for Catholic students studying in Florence, and I think I may join. I really would like to meet some people outside the group of 15 SMU students who came on this trip. It is difficult to meet Italians because I don't speak the language so well yet, but I am improving. It will be nice if I can get to know some English speaking people outside this group because, even though it is great fun spending time with many of my fellow SMU students, only speaking to 15 people for four months sounds like a nightmare to me! 
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