Dublino

Within twenty minutes of being in Dublin, Meghan, Cinnamon, and I walked into a pub where there was a musician was playing Miss American Pie and everyone was singing along.  Then the biggest disaster of a wedge occurred.  We later found out that it was a bachelor party.  At first, my dreams of Ireland being the greatest place on earth were shattered, but soon discovered that what we witnessed was not too far from the true Dublin. 

Where else would someone find a potato just laying in an alleyway??

Or be so confused by the locals attempts at giving directions that walking 30 minutes on the "carriageway" at 2am in the rain seems like a better idea than paying for a cab.

(tilt your head to the left)

CONESS!!

We took the commuter train to the coast, Howath Ireland.

True Irish meal: Shepard's Pie and Guinness w/ Cinnamon

Dublin Alley

Spending a long weekend in Dublin can teach you:

1. Irish people are the happiest people I have ever met.  Always laughing, and making jokes, even the train ticket seller joked around with us.

2. Dublin is the most impossible city to get around.  Streets aren't marked, maps are wrong, locals all drive therefore cannot give adequate directions for public transportation.

3. They are an hour behind Milan...something that took a whole day to figure out.  It is amazing how different your day is when you think it is an hour later than it is.

4. Just because we speak the same language does not mean there is no language barrier.  

5. that you actually know much more italian than you thought you did.  This is realized when you respond to english directions in italian by habit.  

6. Italy and Ireland might as well be on different planets they are so different.  

7. HOW MUCH YOU MISS STARBUCKS!  (or at least coffee shops of the like)

8. Someone in Ireland likes to put cones in weird places. 

next few agendas - Lizzie is coming to visit from Amsterdam on Friday.  We might go to Florence of Venice by train.  Then BEN is visiting from Tacoma the next whole week! Then we are going on a group tour of a cheese factory in Tuscany, and then MOROCCO!  jkhasdjheuajkhfbga.  That is an excited finger dance.  So many things to look forward too.

bBbboooooK hUnnNt

So tired from running around the foreign campus of Cattolica University to get two books from their library.  I was so proud of myself for figuring out how to ask "Dove la bibliotecha della economia?" before my ventures, but then realized - of course - that I could not understand a word of directions given to me.  After three tries, I finally tuned into the name of the building one man was telling me.  Then it was a trek to find a map of the place, the location, and how to go about checking out the books italian library style.  There is no such thing as shelf perusing in Italy which I think is  shame.  

But now I have the books and I am very excited and proud of my task accomplishment today!  Starting a paper two weeks before it is due is also a feat in and of itself!  Time to start reading about Economic Clusters and Silicon Valley - in English of course.  

MODA

Milan fashion week is coming to an end, and I was lucky enough to have to attend a day of shows.   It was just as I imagined it to be, loud music, skinny models, over the top clothing, and interesting people.  I was not that impressed by any of the clothing I saw, but a lot of the models were impressive and the whole day was extremely exciting and sensory overload!

While our class was only invited to one show, we quickly learned that boasting our Americanism, they were quick to let us into any other show of our choice.  At one point, all the journalists were yelling things at us.  I figured that we were in the way and they wanted us to move fast before the show started.  Then I hear la mia professora explain to them that we were "studenti americani" and that they were actually asking us who we were!  haha. After six shows in one day, I was exhausted.  

I was in Dublin (more later) this weekend during a lot of the big shows, but many students in my program took to the streets for some celebrity hunting and fashion-showing door busting.  My apartmentmates met Giorgio Armani, and there were many other Anna Wintour, Kate Hudson, Nina Garcia, and the list goes on and on of those who were stomping around my new locale.    

Battiglia delle Aranche!!!

It seems so long ago that I went to Ivrea, Italy for the Battliglia delle Aranche with my photo professor and some other students.  My friend Allison and I broke off from the pack as soon as we saw our peers purchasing red caps and headbands to signify that they did not want to get hit by any oranges.  We were there to get messy, and that goal was definitely accomplished! 

 The battle is a part of their Carnevale and there are a number of teams with carts that drive through the town and create a huge battle of flying oranges.  We hung out with three Italians all day and they bought us as much grappa as we needed to forget that an orange to the face might be a little painful.  

I don't know if the amount of fun I had in Ivrea can be topped the rest of this trip.  There was so much laughing all day.  Three weeks later and I still have dried orange smushies on my purse and boots.