Weekend Festivities

So I just finished my first photography class and already am in love. Actually I had a very awkward experience following the class where I was exhuberantly talking about how much i already adore the professor (which doesn't happen that often you know, the exhuberant talking) and he was right behind me listening to the whole thing. Oh well, could have been the exact opposite and then way more awkward. It is digital photo which is a little disappointing because I really want to learn about the dark room and my digital camera is not the best, but I am excited to find interesting things in Milan to take pictures of besides the european architecture.

Yesterday I saw a 6 year old girl drinking from a beer bottle. That would be a good picture. My friend Jake and I went out to get lost in the city by taking random trams to unknown destinations. We ended up at a huge cemetary (250,000 sq. meters...HUGE). Here are some pictures of it, although they do not do the monument justice:



We exited the cemetary on the opposite side and ended up in the slums of Milan. I did not even know such places existed in the city so it was interesting to see. I felt a little uneasy because of the amount of cash I had on me, but I put it in my boots along with my credit cards and iPod just in case. I definitely want to go back sometime when I don't have any valuables besides my camera on me.

This weekend was also full of meeting locals. At the bar right down my street we met a group of 20 somethings who were very good at english. They told us about some local places to visit and also that the beer at the Kebap (think local falafel house, but open late and EVERYWHERE...there are two on my block) is cheaper than at the bar, so they buy it there and then pour it into glasses at the bar to hang out. Haha, so clever. Then the next day there was a guy on the metro with a backpack on so Jake and I asked if he was traveling around Europe. Turns out he is from Milan and was just leaving for the weekend to visit friends. He seemed very down to earth and told us a story about his friend losing his hat in a creek. Facebook is amazing because it is so easy keep connections with random people you strike up conversations with on the metro. Hopefully when Pietro gets back to Milan he wants to meet Jake and I for a beer because he wants to practice his English.

I am so impressed with Italians' English. They always apologize for it being bad, but I just tell them it is much better than my Italian, and it is much harder to learn.

I think I am overly lucky, but one day something horribly catestrophic is going to happen to me. I can feel it slowly approaching. Probably something like falling down one of the metal grates on the sidewalk into the subway system right when a train is going by. But at least people can talk about how lucky I was when I was alive. Saturday night I was eating Hazelnut gelato and was said "I really wish they would just give me one of the actual hazelnuts that decorate the gelato display". Not even a full spoon scoop later, a hazelnut was in my gelato. I am also one of the few IES people not cold or sinus ridden. Also, my hard drive crashed and I lost everything, but now Apple is sending me replacement software that I had on my computer such as Word, Excel, etc...but actually I pirated it before so... free software, wishes instantly coming true, indestructive immune system, living in Milano. So lucky.