Friday, February 1, 2013

Day 4: Could I be more Oriented?!

Today I probably could have slept through the day. The late nights out and the early mornings really are taking their toll on me. Lucky for me, my roommates broke into our pitch black fortress to wake us for yet another orientation...this time for our school. We met infront of the Duomo, snapped a picture or two, and then headed over to a theater with the rest of the students.
The theater too was beautiful, surprise surprise. We listened to speeches first from the dean of the college, who spoke about her experience abroad. Next, we listened to the Italian consulate give out some more safety tips. A lot of it was the same old same old: Watch your drinks, don't walk alone at night. But some of it was actually stuff I didn't think about. A lot of the pick pocketers will do something to distract you, like smash a bottle, or start to quarrel, while the thief is in your back pocket. He also talked about the importance of not smiling or making eye contact if you don't want to solicit unwanted attention, and to do as the Italian women do. This is actually something that I noticed before Mr. Consulate brought it to my attention. Italian women walk with confidence, purpose and a certain icyness. This is interesting too, because I have found the Italians to be nothing but warm and inviting.
After the orientation we were given a half hourbreak to grab lunch. We found a really cute place directly across from the library called Ristorante Pizzeria Lorenzo De Medici. The half hour proved to really not be enough time, but we ended up inhaling some salads. Mine was arugula (which the italians call Rocket), Corn, mushrooms and tomatoes.  We were late to the second part of the orientation, which ended up being much of the same thing. However,  I learned some practicalities about Florentine life. Bet you didn't know: It is illegal to swim in the Arno River (the river that flows under the Ponte Vecchio). It's also illegal to feed the birds, especially the pigeons (though I'm not sure why you'd be interested in doing that in the first place).  It also made me aware of where the important locations will be while I'm out of the honeymoon stage, and actually taking classes

Colleen and I got separated from Kelli and Michelle after this, (A-L last names versus M-Z), and realized we both didn't bring keys. Whoops. So we decided to wait in the cafe right next to our apartment. After a few minutes, Euro-less and in search of our lost roomies, we stepped outside to keep watch for their return. As we reached the door way, we ran into our friends from high school Bridget and Maddy! I was so excited to see a familiar face, we made quite the American scene:


We showed them around the apartment, and then ran a few errands. Later, we got dressed for Michelle's 21st birthday meal! This was the first time that I decided to venture out in heels...but luckily two of my other roommates decided to stumble around with me. Kelli's sister had suggested a restaurant called "La Giostra". All of the wandering around was absolutely worth it. When we arrived, Kelli's friends from Michigan were waiting for us, along with a plate of appetizers and a glass of champagne. Not bad right?! The appetizers were bruchetta with tomato, bruchetta with and olive spread, tomatoes and mozzarella, along with a bunch of other things that I was unsure of. I ordered a stuffed chicken breast, stuffed with vegetables and cheese. It came with potatoes (almost like homefries), and sweet potatoes and zucchini with it. When I tell you to die for...to DIE for. I'm so excited to take my family and Dennis here!
doing some posing while we were lost 


After dinner, full and content, is where the action really started. Our waiter came over with a bottle of grey goose and poured us all shots! I was absolutely shell shocked by this. I'm not a huge drinker, so I ended up taking it and making a "yuck" face by accident. He then left the bottle on the table, which I left the boys to handle. As if that wasn't enough, the second waiter came over with a bottle of whiskey...at that point I had to pass. And after a smooth ten minutes, we were presented with a bottle of tequila, a plate of salt and lemons. I really could not believe it. I definitely sat back during these festivities, but I was so shocked at what was going on. This is something that would RARELY happen in the united states. And if it did, it would perhaps be a free drink or two, not THREE bottles of liquor! We then got the check, and headed to a club called Fullup. We ended up being in the VIP room. Call me paranoid, but I couldn't stop thinking about the fire that broke out in Brazil. They served buckets of champagne, Redbull and Vodka, with these huge sparkler sticks coming out of them. They also allow smoking inside. Not too bright if you asked me....I actually was getting a little freaked out by that, so we made sure to stay close to the door. We danced the night away, and then headed home.


Our waitstaff (and one of Kelli's friends). The guy with the fabulous beard is the chef! He spoke no italian, so the waiter translated for him, while we sang his praises. He sat near by sipping some tea and eating dessert. 
glass on glass

girls with the genius

out VIP Stamps!

Fullup

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