~~ aLL oN mY oWn ~~

So this week has been kind of exciting. I picked up the fam at the train station on Monday night and I was glad they were back. I actually missed them quite a bit while they were gone, and Ale was excited to see me which made me happy. We stopped for Italian Chinese food on they way home and got some TSING TAO!!!! (Chinese Beer which definitely reminded me of Chiner). Anyway...the food was delicious with an Italian twist. The dumplings were more tastier then in China and had some pretty sweet sauce to dip them in.

The following day, I started to pick up Ale from school all on my own. From the studio, I have to walk to the metro, then walk to school to get him and then walk home. Tuesday I left the studio at 3:45 and by the time we got home it was about 5:30. We need to figure out a more efficient way to get this done. Thursday it was really nice out so the kids were playing outside and Ale was playing in one of those playskool houses, he got so excited when he saw me that he almost knocked down the door trying to get out. It made me happy that he responded to my arrival like that. On Thursday we got an extra special show when I witnessed my first Roma accident. No it wasn't rush hour, or on a busy street, or even lots of cars around. It was on a small side street: Vespa vs. Car....lets just say the car won by a mile...the distance the vespa was away from the car when it was all said and done. Everyone seemed to be ok.

Thursday night I had my first taste of a "chill" night going to a bar and listening to reggae music. Chill meant dancing the night away in a crowded room with lots of sweaty people until 3:30am. Getting up for work the next day at 7:45 wasn't easy.

I had a few more firsts this week too. Friday, I bought my first pair of shoes. That was an experience in itself. First of all trying to find my size in any shoe was difficult, but then to like them was another. I saw some boots that I liked that were only 30 Euros...sweet right...sweet until I tried to zip them and the zipper got stuck. Here I am this big footed American hopping on one foot in the middle of the aisle trying to get this zipper unstuck. I gave up and had to ask for help. They actually had to get a scissors and snip the leather to get the zipper to go down. Only me. I did end up buying a pair of shoes but needless to say not those boots.

My next trip on my agenda was going to get money. I went all the way their and realized that I didn't have my pin, and going out to get money was really my sole purpose for this venture. The shoes were just a bonus. So I had to trek all the way home to get it, and then out again. Typical me. :)

Friday night I met some American girls from the University of Miami who are studying architecture here. They were in Giulio's class that he was teaching. They were very nice and I hope to hang out with them again soon. They will only be here until the end of the summer though.

Last night I met another girl named Heather. She's a friend of a friend of mine from the states. We went for coffee in the afternoon and then she invited me to go out with her and her roommates later. I had a blast. Everyone was very nice to me too! We went to a club called Coyote. It is in an area name Testaccio, which is a hill that was made from broken terra cotta. They have built in bars and clubs in to the base of the hill. It's a pretty neat area. The drinks are super expensive though. $8 Euros!!! We stayed out pretty late again, so today I have been a waste of space.

Giulio and I were supposed to go to the Stadium for Sunday soccer, but it was pouring rain so we didn't end up going. Bummer!!! I am sure that we will have a chance to go again. Instead, I tried to stay awake while we watched the game on TV. We did take a little side trip to a golf course today. It was nothing like in the states. It was all flat but it was still really nice with an old roman wall as a boundary line. Pretty cool. Che Figo!

Well I am starving yet again. And listening to the Chicken Dance over and over again in Italian. As I did this morning at 9:30am...That song is not how I wanted to wake up this morning. Once is more than enough.

Ciao!