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Sprechen sie Deutsch? What A Spring Break!

Guten tag! Bon jour!

I apologize for taking so long to write about my spring break adventures. This week has been quite hectic considering I blew off everything I needed to do until I got back to the villa. Who cares..it was worth it!

Spring break was unbelievable.

It began Friday morning with a train ride to the Pisa airport and a flight into Paris. There were 7 of us total traveling together in Paris, but only 3 of us (myself included) stayed with my friend and former teacher/coach John Kim. A little too big of a crowd to travel with, if you ask me, but we had a fun time nonetheless. On the first night, Kate, Emma and I finally arrived to John's apartment, and he was waiting there with bread, cheese, and champaign. What a way to kick off Paris, right? With our bubbly buzz, we went to the Louvre at night, and that was probably one of the coolest memories of my time in Paris. No crowds. No lines. No massive groups of Asians huddling around the Mona Lisa. We had her all to ourselves and stayed until close. Because of the art history class I'm taking, I was able to analyze the paintings and explain them to John. Always embracing my innernerd.

To be honest, my time in Paris is kind of a blur. I love that city but this was my second time there, and this time was very rushed. We only stayed from Friday afternoon until Monday morning, so the time was filled with hitting all the tourist attractions because the other girls have never seen them before. My time there was still wonderful, of course, because Paris is so charming and exciting no matter what you do, where you go, or what you eat. Some of the main spots we hit were the Musee d'Orsay (saw Claude Monet my favorite), Notre Dame (actually went to a Sunday mass there because a few girls I was with are Catholic--don't worry, I didn't take communion if you were wondering ;) ) Sain Germain Des Pres, Montmarte, Moulin Rouge, Champs Elysees, and probably more. My memory of Paris is hazy, but I know loved being there and seeing John again. I need to stop smoking so much pot...

Hi grandma!

I'm kidding!! I wouldn't do pot, just acid.

Now let's move on to my favorite part of spring break: Frankfurt, Germany. Land of the Deutsch. Land of Apple Wine. Land of the Blum (which I learned means flower in German!). Home of the Levi Family. The coolest family in Europe. The family I am proud to be a part of.

My journey to Frankfurt began in the coolest way. John brought me to the train, helped me get situated, showed me to my seat and gave me a big send off hug. From there, I was on my own. About an hour into the train ride, a German woman with a baby was having difficulty with her luggage, so I got up to help her and must have said "here you go" to give away my American accent. I sat back down, and the young Indian guy sitting next to me turned towards me and said, "That was nice of you." That was the beginning of a 3 hour conversation that lasted until we reached Frankfurt. Within that 3 hour conversation my new friend Vikrant and I talked about our backgrounds, Indian stereotypes, racism in both Paris and Germany (and how he is affected by it), communal living (he grew up this way), conformity, how difficult it is in India to NOT conform, and his music career. Oh yah, we also discussed our views on the 2012 world apocalypse and he said that he is ok with the idea of it happening. Why you ask? Because then finally everyone will be forced to come together and rely on each other. No more living in lonely isolation. That is a beautiful way to look at it, I thought. Vikrant is a musician and attends a music school in Paris. He is actually coming to perform in Florence in April, so we exchanged names/email because I told him I will bring friends and see him at his show! Interesting start to my journey alone, don't you think?

I arrived to Frankfurt and started walking down the station looking for Vera. She spotted me first, ran up to me with such excitement, and gave me the biggest bear hug. It felt so good instantaneously. I knew my week with her was going to be amazing. And it was. She was so elated that I was there, and the feeling was mutual. My first day in Frankfurt was unforgettable. Vera took me to where my great grandpa Erwin Levi and great grandma Oma Levi lived during the Holocaust with all of the Levi children (one was my grandma Hilda). Outside of the apartment was a golden cobblestone on the sidewalk with Erwin Levi's name and deportation date to Auschwitz. (Pictures are on Facebook) It was incredibly moving. Vera, then, showed me my Oma's earlier and later apartments, Vera's home growing up, and the hotel where my mom and dad stayed when they came to Frankfurt. After all of that, Vera and I worked up such an appetite that we had a huge German meal and stopped for some tea and cake after that. This woman knows how to eat! We hit it off like we've been known each other for years. It was scary how similar she is to my mom, but I loved that aspect every single minute we were together. Later we went back to her apartment, and Daniel was there waiting for us. He is the funniest man. I love love love Vera, but I must say, Daniel and I have some sort of interesting connection. He is what I like to call, Silent But Deadly. (And no, not the gas) He is a relatively quiet man, but when he has something to say, he is dead on and it's usually hilarious. He is sarcastic like me and we kept going back and forth with each other the entire week. I'd make fun of him, and he'd make fun of me. Then we'd make fun of Vera together. It was the best! He is the best.

Vera and Daniel had such a passion to get to know me, and it did not ever feel forced. I could tell they really loved having me around, and this made me feel incredibly special. I am their 2nd cousin, 26 years younger, essentially a stranger, and not at ONE point did it ever feel that way. It was like we were all adult best friends from the first meal we had together, which was spent laughing, drinking, and stuffing our face with German meat and potatoes and cakes. We shared stories, and I learned all about my mom and dad, and how much they love them, my grandma, and uncle Rick. Hearing about how the German family perceived the American Blum Family (since we are their only American connection) was fascinating. Their beautiful American cousin Dianie, they called her, would come to Frankfurt, and the whole Levi family would drop everything to see her. She was a celebrity to them, the best kind, and each individual in the German family felt some special relationship with her because she made it that way.

During the days, Vera and I would explore, attend different museums and art exhibits, eat delicious meals, and have long, deep discussions. Daniel would join us at night because he worked during the day, and the fun would continue. One day Vera and I took a trip to Berlin to learn about the city's history. We had a private tour guide Johannes, and boy, did he know his stuff! He took us to both West Berlin and East Berlin, and showed us the hidden spots no typical bus tour could show you. Around 11am things went down hill. I was experiencing severe cramps in my stomach and they progressively got worse to the point where I couldn't walk, sit up, or breathe without feeling a stabbing pain. I tried to tough it out for as long as possible but by 3pm, Johannes looked at Vera and said to her in German that Hayley needs to go to a hospital now. Vera completely agreed because my face was turning white and I looked like hell. They rushed me to the Berlin hospital where Vera and I waited in the ER for 2 hours before seeing a doctor. Finally, they called my name and the doctor I saw was a complete jerk. He didn't believe me when I said I wasn't pregnant (even Vera laughed at that one) and then he decided I had gastritus. So, he gave me a blood test and an infusion of drugs in my arm to calm my stomach. Vera was my guardian angel throughout this entire process, holding my hand, and telling me funny stories when I was fainting from the sight of a needle. When I gained full consciousness she kept up with the stories and soon I was laughing again. Thank god for Vera. Blood came back normal/healthy, but the drugs didn't work. After being in the hospital for 3 1/2 hours, Vera thought maybe we should get a hotel and stay in Berlin, and I refused. So on the train I curled up on 2 chairs like a little homeless girl (haha) and we eventually made it back to Frankfurt after quite the long day. The next day I saw Vera's personal doctor in Frankfurt, and the conclusion was that this was a bad case of irritable bowel..what else is new in my life?? No more Parisian baguettes for me, that is for sure!!

Health today: I'm on the road to recovery, not back to 100% yet, but hopefully soon soon soon!

Daniel and Vera were the best with my situation. They never once made me feel like a medical case or burden, but at the same time they took care of me. All I'm going to say is thank the lord this happened with them and not in Italy or in Paris. Having family by your side, a loving family, at a time like that, was amazing and extremely appreciated.

Forgetting now about Berlin, the best memory of my journey in Frankfurt was the last night I was there. Daniel and Vera planned a family reunion dinner in my honor. I was both excited and nervous to meet all of my mom's aunts, uncles, and cousins. Excited to finally meet them, but nervous that I would disappoint them that I didn't know any German and I knew the focus was on me. However, the moment I walked into the restaurant and saw all of their faces, that nervousness went away. They were so happy to have me there and came up to me with hugs and kisses. My mom's aunt Ingrid was crying she was so happy to see me. And the fact that I didn't know any German was fun! Daniel and I were a little duo, and he was the parrot on my shoulder translating everything people were saying. We had a great time the entire night and I had really great conversations with members of the younger generation because they knew a decent amount of English. Everyone kept asking me when I am coming back, they want to make this a tradition, and how long they have to wait to see me again. Now I felt like the celebrity. I was so honored they felt this way about me! I have decided that I am going back to visit in 2 years, on Daniel's 50th birthday, and we are going to celebrate it with lots of beer and apple cake.

Finally Sunday I said bye to them at the airport. I was so sad to leave them and go back to Italy. I know that sounds ridiculous. What a hard life going back to Italy, right?? I guess I was so bummed out because my time with them was so relaxing, enriching, and unbelievably fun. It was nice to feel cared for and to feel like I was part of a strong family base. Now I feel included in the German family members, and that is all I could have ever hoped for. Remember how I dreamed this would be only the beginning of a tradition? Well, it is reality now. I finally understand why my mom had such a deep care for her family abroad. They are such warm, loving people, and I cannot wait to embrace them again soon.

Besides spring break, everything else is great over here in the villa. My roommates and I are super close. They are such great friends and seeing them after break ended was very exciting. There are only about 7 weeks left here..time is flying, so I must continue to take advantage of everyday. I don't let myself forget where I am and how lucky I am to be here. (I have certain friends back home to thank for that)

Once again, I want to thank you all for letting me share my thoughts and experiences with you. The fact that you read my blog makes me more happy than you know!

Loving keepin' it real,

Hayley

Proud to be her daughter

Yup, you guessed it. "Her" in the title refers to Diane Blum. I have been thinking about her a lot lately. While living here in Italy, I feel more connected to her than ever. We share many of the same qualities, and I feel honored to carry on her legacy and hopefully make one of my own.

Today I have 4 events/ideas to catch you up on.

1. Like I've said in previous posts, living in this Villa has been a very unique experience. I've never lived amongst so many people in my life. I have 2 roommates in a small room, we share a bathroom with 3 other girls, I walk out of my room and enter the library where there are 1 or 2 people (at a minimum) at all times, I eat in a large dining hall with 55 individuals every meal, and I walk down the corridors and pass at least 2 friends anywhere I go. Life here is like that every single day. And guess what? I LOVE IT. I grew up in a home that had enough space to fit a tiny village. There was too much space for only 4 people, which soon became 3, and then 2. So much along time, so much isolation. I refuse to go back to that living style. I love living here in a community type setting. I love seeing so many faces and bouncing off ideas from multiple individuals in a day. For this reason, I decided to plan a party to celebrate all of us living together in harmony. This party applied the theme: Dress your own stereotype. It was a major hit! Everyone embraced their inner stereotype even if their stereotype wasn't true. There was a Wisconsin hick (a kid who everyone knows as loving country music), a stoner (he had never smoked before but looks like a druggie with his long hair), two preppy sorority girls, a country club yuppie, a JAP (me), a teeny bopper, two frat stars, a fashionista, and so many more. We all got creative and put a lot of effort into the theme. The party was in the Villa's basement and many hilarious memories came out of the night. The next morning at breakfast, everyone I saw thanked me for putting together such an amazing night. Some even said it was the best time they have had so far on the trip (as far as night life goes). I was elated! Just last night a few of the boys were asking when I'm planning the next party and what the theme will be.

Similar quality to Diane #1: Extroverted personalities

2. Friday was one of my favorite days since being here. I went into downtown Florence by myself and made plans to meet up with my Fascism professor Scott Spector. He is middle-aged, gay, Jewish, and incredibly neurotic. He's hilarious. We met outside the Duomo's doors by noon and kicked off our journey. First he wanted my advice on some shoes, so we went into this upscale Italian shoe store, and I convinced him to buy the handmade leather shoes. Ha. Then he wanted to show me cathedral that had early Renaissance frescoes on the walls. He didn't know how to tell they were from the early Renaissance, so I explained to him how I knew (thanks to my art history professor) and he was impressed! From there, he took me to the Jewish synagogue which was beautiful with its limestone dome and unique architecture. We got a kosher lunch at a nearby restaurant, and then I started the Hayley interview. I am not one for superficial conversations..you know, on the surface stuff. Instead, I learned about Scott's upbringing, his family, his views on scantron evaluation in large universities, and his political ideology. After the meal, we did a bit more exploring and then I split off on my own. I did a lot of walking, observing, and evaluating. And if you know me at all, you know this is probably one of my favorite things to do. I realized how much I enjoy being an active observer of other cultures, but at the same time, I felt integrated with the Italians around me. When I'm surrounded by Europeans, I feel an inner peace and a strong connection to my roots.

Similarty #2: Love for European culture

3. Saturday I went on a day trip to Perugia. I went with my roommates Kaitlyn and Meagan and a few other people who enjoy being active explorers..precisely what I wanted in a group dynamic. We had a wonderful time together. My humor comes out so easily with people I feel comfortable around, and the day was filled with good food, beautiful sights, and never ending laughter. My favorite moment from our visit to Perugia was when I got us into the famous Umbrian art gallery....fo' FREE! Yah, you know it...I worked my magic. So this is how it went down.. My friend Ryan and I went up to the ticket collectors at the front of the gallery and since Ryan doesn't know much Italian I talked. I asked them how much it cost for a ticket, and this dude said it was 7 euro. (keep in mind this whole convo is in italian). then i said, "but we are students, can do we have a different price?" and he said, "well what do you study?" i said, "we are art students." and he nodded and said, "then you get in for free." I look at Ryan and gave him the look of OHH HECK YES. but WAIT, it's not over. The dude told us we needed to go downstairs to the ticket booth. Crap. I find the rest of the group and I brought them to the ticket booth and faced another non-english speaking Italian. I explained to the woman that a man upstairs said we can get in for free because we are art students, and she had this smug look on her face and said, show me documents to prove it. I turn around to look at everyone and they read my "uh oh" face. So my roommate whips out her Wisconsin ID, license, museum card (that only works in Florence haha) and her Villa address card. HAAAAA. She hands them to me and i slap them on the woman's counter. She looks at me again and says, "none of these say you are art students" and i said "our university doesn't put that on our ids" and flashed her my puppy dog eyes. She gave me a final look of, "wow this is complete b.s." and struggles for a moment..next thing i know she types in 7 tickets to print..and gives them to us FOR FREE. OH babbyy. The minute we walked away w/ our tickets we had a quiet celebration and spent over 2 hours in this spectacular museum that contained original works by some very famous artists. We all embraced our inner nerd and analyzed the paintings. It was amazing.

Similarity #3: Determination...with a bit of charm on the side

4. Since I won't be blogging for a while (due to lack of computer access), I wanted to tell you about my spring break plans. Spring break begins this upcoming Friday Feb. 19th. I am flying to Paris, France with two friends Kate and Emma and staying with my old softball coach. His name is John Kim and is this awesome guy who is working as an English professor in Paris. He and I have remained in touch since I was a sophomore in high school...we relatedly in the fact that both our moms passed away from cancer, and John actually knew my mom because she would come to my softball games (even when she was on chemo) when I was a freshman. He was so nice to offer us his living room in his apartment, and just sent me a message that he is exciting for our arrival. He is going to show us around and celebrate break with Kate Emma and me! We are spending 3 nights with him, and then I'm going off by myself to Frankfurt, Germany. 2 days before I left for Italy, I found my mom's first cousins' telephone number and called it praying that was still their contact information. 3 hours before I left for the airport, I got a call from Vera (my mom's cousin) and I couldn't believe it! We exchanged email information, and ever since we've been in contact that way. Vera and her husband Daniel offered me to come stay with them for as long as I want, so I thought spring break would be the best opportunity. I haven't seen Vera or Daniel since I was in 6th grade and my mom was on her 2nd round of chemo. They are the only German family I remember meeting of my mom's (the rest i met when I was 2.) I'm going to Frankfurt and staying with them for 6 nights...I cannot even describe how excited I am. This is going to be a very moving experience. They were so excited once we finalized the plans that they called all of the German family and planned a reunion dinner in my honor. Vera's mom Ostrid was crying, they told me, when she heard Diane's daughter was coming to Frankfurt. NO ONE ELSE IN THE FAMILY SPEAKS ENGLISH. All German only. This is going to be the ultimate experience and I CANT WAIT. I plan on doing a lot of smiling, cheek kissing, and eating the food they throw in front of me. Living in Italy is an incredible opportunity, but this adventure I'm about to embark on makes my journey here that much more special. Being with my mom's family is something I've been dreaming about for years. This is only the beginning. My plan is to build such a strong connection with Vera and Daniel that these visits become ritual. When my mom is in my life in any form, I am beyond happy.

Similarity #4: Family oriented and Always looking to build deep connections

I love growing up. I love the surprises in life. I love being open.

Keepin' it real,

Hayley

This is Real Time, The Clock is Ticking, WAKE UP

I believe we, as Americans, have a responsibility to inform ourselves of what is happening in our nation. If you are ignoring the effects of our economic crisis, then what are you doing here?

America is founded on civil liberties in which we have the freedom to choose not to be blind sheep. I don't know about you, but I am not a fan of putting my life's destiny in the hands of others. The world I would like to live in, make a family in, and grow old in does not include chaos and revolution. In order to ensure a peaceful future, we collectively need to act. That means everyone! Don't hope that your neighbor, your friends, your parents, your god, your state senator, or your president will pick up the slack. You should want to participate because this is YOUR life (and you only have one). Spread the word to those around you and let's begin this fight against an economic armageddon!

There are 2 parts so make sure you watch both!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgQFzEUBADg

ROM-ah RO-mah mah

I have officially lived in Italy for one month, can you believe it?!

Last night, I got back from Rome, and I cannot even begin to tell you how spectacular it was. I love Florence, don't get me wrong, but there is something about Rome that is so invigorating. The first day we kicked off the trip with a tour of the Roman Forum. This form dates back to 1st century and was used as a political center, a market place, a social space, and a place of prayer. The archeologists have discovered more and more layers to this forum meaning that underneath it's current main level, there are other ruins and stone figures dating back to ancient times before the 1st century. However, these archeologists were stopped from continuing their digs because it was tearing up the ground. Julius Caesar was just one of the few notorious leaders that walked about in this forum. Being there was an incredibly moving experience for me.

The Roman Forum was my absolute favorite thing to see...but other places that I visited were the Pantheon, Trevi fountain, Colosseum, Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica, Villa Borghese, another famous Villa with Rafael's works, the Trastevere area (my favorite place..very hippy-esqe), and the Spanish Steps. The history behind these buildings and areas is fascinating. Florence is where Italian art and architecture is the focus while Rome is where ancient ruins, politics, emperors, religious figures, and activism began and still found today. Of course elaborate art and architecture is found in Rome too, but those elements have a different purpose there and tend to support the political and religious activism of the city.

Favorite piece of art I saw while in Rome: Bellini's statue of Apollo and Daphne. google image it.

This statue marks the high Renaissance period as it begins to move into the Baroque period. Bellini carved the 2 mythological characters, their draperies, the branches, the bark, the leaves...EVERYTHING out of ONE piece of marble. It's remarkable. It pays attention to the human form unlike anyone before him ever had. Bellini's statue gave me the chills.

What else can I tell you about Rome? Hm...Roman bar life is fun! I spoke Italian with one of the bar owners of this place called the Drunken Ship and he gave me 3 free shots... after those three shots I turned into ghetto Hayley and had a "walk it out" competition with this blonde chick from L.A. And I won. I got an applause from the crowd...it was embarrassing but hilarious. When in Rome, right?

Tonight I'm going to the Florence vs. Milan soccer game in downtown Florence. It's going to be nuts.

I still cannot believe I'm here having all of these experiences. I never take it for granted. There is something to be said that it's been one month now and I've been insomnia free! Every step of every experience is enjoyable. Waiting for delayed trains, getting lost in the city, tripping over a cobblestone, standing on a crowded bus, misunderstanding an Italian's directions, setting off beepers in art museums, not knowing what you just ordered, and pissing off grocery store clerks with your American ignorance... all of these things are not a burden. They are fun, they make me laugh, they thrill me, and I'm going to miss every single one. Most people have little patience for these types of occurrences, but to me, they make life exciting, spontaneous and surprising. Shout out to Alan Blum for making these amazing moments possible. Also, shout out to my friends for consistently wanting to hear and read the overly analytical descriptions of my experiences. I appreciate you more while living here.

Until next time..

Keepin' it real

"When in Bologna"

When in Bologna..do as the Bolognese do...

I have LOTS to tell you about. Where to begin? I just got back from a weekend in Bologna, and it was a really nice time. The trip began with a relatively short train ride, but towards the middle of it, we were in for a big surprise. From the sunny hills of Tuscany, we went through a magical portal and resurfaced in Narnia!!!! Snow covered everything and we all couldn't believe our eyes. How was it possible???? From sun to snow in a matter of 20 minutes. I thought I'd never have to see snow until next winter in Madison.
We finally arrived in Bologna and walked around the town for a bit. We ate, found the university, went to the market, and then found our respective bus stop by me timidly asking this young Italian woman where the bus stop for #25 was. (achieved this bypracticing the lingo we were tested on in class this past week) She was so nice that she walked us all to it and i must have said "Grazie" about 20 times. We got to the hotel, which was really nice, napped and got ready for our first Bolognese meal and night out. The night:

1. wine w/ dinner..i got eggplant parmesean. unreal
2. more wine at a wine bar. had deep conversations about philosophies, relationships, social situations, and lady gaga. yes, lady gaga was a topic of conversation..she's fascinating
3. 3 rounds of shots (all different ones..check out pics on facebook) by the coolest bartender in Bologna. this bar was called Bar College History. How classy
4. went to an Irish pub and had a narcoleptic zombie moment. i am hoping those pics don't make it to facebook.
5. stopped at a Kebob stand (the Italian version of going for a Wendy's or Taco Bell run) and got a delicious falafel pita
6. danced in the cab ride home

Day # 2 in Bologna: We did a ton of walking and exploring, which is my favorite thing to do. My favorite part of the entire day was when we got to La Piazza Maggiore, there was an art competition going on, and I asked one of the artists what it was for. She said they were from the art association of Milan and had constructed the world's biggest white sheet (that covered the whole piazza) and wanted the public to paint on it. Because I asked her, she handed me the first brush. It was a memory I won't forget. Soon all of us and italians alike grabbed brushes and painted anything we wanted on this massive white canvas. A news crew came by where we were painting and videotaped my work and took pictures of it as well as some of the other things we made! After a long, exciting day we headed back to the hotel to get ready for night number 2.
Night number 2: stages 1, 3, 4, and 6 all occurred again
When in Bologna, right?

After a great and successful weekend, it did feel wonderful to say by to Narnia (the snow) and come back home to the Villa where the sun is shining.

Traveling across Italy is amazing but is also quite the adventure. I am really pushing myself to use my knowledge of the Italian language whenever I can, and there were many times this weekend that I was able to contribute a lot because I was able to ask for directions and semi-understood the responses I got back to get us where we needed to go.

Stemming off from using my language skills, I have two more exciting things to fill you in on. I finally met my conversation partner! Her name is Laura, she's 22 years old, I have a female crush on her because she is absolutely beautiful, she plays for a local volleyball team, graduated from school and is now working, and is SO NICE. I am very lucky. We met this past Wednesday and hung out for an hour. I felt so embarrassed after meeting her though because I literally am semi-retarded. I talked so slow because I suck at speaking in Italian and I must have said "sono lenta. mi dispiace" which means "I am slow. I'm sorry" about 8 times because I felt like such an idiot. So then, we switched into English, me hoping she was challenged with it, but of course not!!! She spoke perfect English and the only word that I said that she didn't understand was the word "except." Regardless of my stupidity, we are meeting in 2 weeks and getting gelato :D. I told her i want to meet her boyfriend, her friends, and go to one of her volleyball games and she got super excited!

The last thing concerns my internship. This past Monday a group of 8 of us went to the community service center and heard about (via translations by our student advisor Rosita) what the different jobs were. Some had to deal with spending time alone with the elderly, one had to do with walking children to school, another had to do with cleaning a park, and there were a few others. After the meeting I felt a little uneasy with these tasks because you'd be alone with minimal language skills, so I came up with an original idea and posed it to all the 8 that went. My idea was to go every week, once a week for 2 hours, to the community center and a group of us organizes group activities to do with the elderly. This way we could foster friendships amongst each other (americans..by getting together each weekend and planning out what activity we'll be doing), friendships amongst the elderly, and between us and them. The men at the community center expressed how lonely many of these people were, so I though building a social network through communal activities would be a great way to help them and allivate pressure off of us! Rosita loved my idea and called the association. They loved it too..so now we are going to get a schedule arranged and hopefully start within the next week or so.

I know this blog was long. Mi dispiace. Sono lenta. Grazie. Grazie. Mi dispiace. Grazie.

Ti amo.

You can figure that one out on your own :-D

Keepin' it real

My Journey Begins

Ciao from Italy!

I have been living in Sesto Fiorentino, Italy for 2 weeks now and have been inspired by my villa neighbor Danielle to start a blog: Real Time with Hayley Blum. Yes..like Bill Maher...but BETTER. Within these past 2 weeks, I've done a lot, and for those of you who I haven't caught up with yet, I'm going to give the abridged version of major events and updates:
1. made it here alive
2. eating ridiculously delicious food everyday
3. yes that includes gelato
4. survived my first pub crawl and cat calls by drunken italian men
5. had my first week of classes: 1. comparative fascist cultures 2. italian 204 3. italian cinema 4. origins and birth of renaissance
6. starting a community service/social work internship with Sesto citizens that don't know an ounce of English -- wish me luck!
7. meeting my conversation partner Laura on Wednesday
8. explored downtown Florence including the famous Uffizi, Duomo, Baptistery, Santa Croce and Ponte Vecchio
9. day trips to Siena, Pisa, and Lucca (check on pics on facebook..sorry to the adults that refuse to make a facebook...get creative with how to look at my pics)
10. did i mention gelato?
11. roommates are great; other kids from Wisconsin and Michigan are great. Good group harmony and loving everyone
12. I have not been an insomniac for 2 weeks now!!!!!!

Now that you are all caught up...let's get real. Living here in this 16th century Villa owned and constructed by the famous Corsi-Salviati family is a blessing and a gift. I never take it for granted. We have every meal cooked for us by Bruno, head chef and coolest Italian man alive. Then there is Bruno the gardener and Villa landscaper extrordinaire who is about as old as this place. There is Fabio the breakfast buffet organizer and maintenance man. Yes I live in a villa with a man named Fabio, jealous? And the angelic Eugienia. She cleans the bathrooms, the bed's sheets, sweeps our floors, and most importantly says Buon giorno to me every morning when I stumble into the bathroom with my eyes half opened. She alone is a blessing to this establishment. We live the life here at the villa, and I even forgot to mention how we are celebrities while living here. You tell local Italians or Italians in downtown Florence that you are a "Villan" they know exactly who you are and what you're about. E' la dolce vita i miei amici (It is the sweet life my friends).

I am loving living in this community style. I have 2 very sweet roommates who bring me canoli and grande bottled waters. Our rooms are set up in one big square. There are always people to hang with, random doors open, people in the libraries, the Egyptian room, the computer rooms, the Flying Ladies room (aka skyping center), and if all else fails, I have the famous Enoch Brater, director of the program as my next door neighbor. I could always expect Brater's famous Michigan state senator wife to wave a hello to me as I made my way to breakfast at 7:45am every morning. Like I said, this place is full of celebs. But in all seriousness, I have thoroughly enjoyed eating every meal at a table of 6 and having people around each corner to interact with at all times. Each class even has its own little community. For example, in my cinema class, we have to watch a film every Monday to discuss for the week, so we make it an event bringing wine to share and analyzing it afterwards. Or for my art history class, a group of us takes the train to downtown Florence every Thursday morning and takes the bus back after Mariotti finishes her overloading of information lesson. With all of these cohesive experiences, I've noticed a genuine interest in making connections coming from a multitude of people on my program. In my opinion, this is rare..and I wonder if it has to do with the new relaxed environment, the mind set of a fresh start, the actual individuals, or a mixture of all 3. Either way, I'm incredibly happy being here. There will be so many more experiences to come, friendships to form, and realizations to analyze. I'll keep you updated as my life journey continues....

Keepin' it real,
Hayley