vai! vai!

It’s the Sunday before I start classes and I finally think I’ve adjusted to the time difference (evidenced by sleeping until 2pm today.)

My family has been out of town all weekend and I really miss them. They went to a spot they regularly visit in la campagna (the countryside) and have been gone since Saturday morning. So, for the time that I’ve been home, it’s been me and la nonna (grandma), Dina, chatting it up, understanding about 30% of what the other is saying. Despite the language barrier, there’s no doubt she’s one of the sweetest nonnas I’ve ever met and she looks wonderful for being in her 90s! She doesn’t always live with my family, but she recently had a stroke and will be staying here until she’s fully recovered. She told me she’s feeling better every day but still feels really weak. When I returned home yesterday, I was starving but it hasn’t been established yet whether or not we can take things from the fridge when no one’s home/without permission. I asked Dina, “Ho fame. Va bene se mangio una merenda?” She promptly guided me to the kitchen where she asked me what I wanted. “Salumi? Formaggi?” I decided on brie and Dina cut me some bread to have with it. I expected Dina to head back to the living room after getting me situated with a snack, but instead she sat across from me. I had forgotten that it’s very un-Italian to eat alone. Dina and I talked for about 20 minutes, just the two of us, about our favorite cheeses, Italian meals, i dolci, and la campagna. After I finished eating, she finally let me help her do the dishes and I learned the name for hand towel (asciugamano). This snack was memorable partially because it was my first time hanging out with Dina just us and partly because it was my first test in having a long conversation–not asking for directions or ordering a panino–with an Italian who speaks absolutely no English. I cherish this moment mostly because it was one of the first times I realized how much can be understood and felt between two people with so little in common (though we both share a deep love for pecorino cheese).

My family. They get better every day.

Il gato Aurora. Never been a cat person, but I like when she snuggles with me in the afternoon. That may be the only time I really like her.

The kitchen bulletin board. Le mie sorelle are the best. Not sure if they’ve warmed up to us yet, but we’re taking baby steps everyday.

The past couple days we’ve been in and out of orientation, which has actually been really wonderful and helpful. The Stanford center staff guided us through everything from academics, Italian culture, communicating with our families, being safe and aware in Italy (I know you’re glad for that, Dad), how to make our money stretch, and probably most helpful, how to live like a Florentine rather than be an extended tourist. We also got to meet our language partners, which was super exciting! We talked to Silvia, my language partner, and Chiara, my roommate’s language partner, for about an hour, switching in and out of English and Italian. They are wonderful and completely nonjudgmental (I hope) in regard to my narrow vocabulary and my frequent asking of “Come si dice…” Silvia, 25, has played violin forever and has finally finished at the music conservatory in Florence. She loves dancing, running, free climbing (awesome, no?), and soccer (she lives by the stadium). We already have a date to go running this week and hopefully very soon we will go to a discoteca together. She’s pretty shy about speaking English, but I figure it’s more practice for me until she feels more comfortable practicing her English. After we met our language partners, we went on a 2 hour walking tour around Florence with a wonderful guide, who taught us a lot about the history and culture of Florence. It was my first time seeing a lot of the main Florence attractions, and they were all more beautiful than I ever imagined.

One sight on my walk to school: Piazza della Repubblica. The only time walking to school has ever been cool.

Piazza Santa Croce.

Piazza del Duomo in all its glory. Learn how the dome was made here. It’s pretty cool. (You get that, RZ and AA?)

Just tucked back in there. It’s not a big deal or anything.

Just so happened that during our walking tour we ran into a parade celebrating Gioco di Calcio, the tradition of Florentine soccer. During the summer, four teams from Florence’s four historic quarters play a violent version of soccer in Renaissance costumes in the dirt-packed Piazza di Santa Croce and Piazza della Signoria. Sadly, I’ll miss the games, but my excitement was totally fulfilled by the parade.

Piazza della Signoria.

Another view on the walk to school.

Also, yesterday, I tried my first Pino panino and it was AMAZING. Pino owns a panino shop called Salumeria Verdi and has always been a famous figure to Stanford students. He’s really animated, makes wonderful Panino’s, and best of all, he loves Stanford kids. I got a caprese panino with pesto, and it was so so good. The focaccia was the first good bread I’ve had in Italy and the tomatoes were amazing, not to mention the fresh mozzarella. I can’t wait to try more!

Last night was my first night out in Florence (Saturday nights we’re on our own for dinner) and it was totally wonderful. For dinner Julie, a 2nd-quarter Florence student, planned a dinner for 8 of us at Trattoria ZàZà, which had a great mix of Italians and foreigners. I ordered the gnocchetti with a rosè wine sauce which was wonderful, but the winning dish was definitely Alex’s pizza which had mozzarella, greens, ham, and the best mushrooms I’ve ever had in my life. After that, Julie and Stephanie, another returning student, took us newbies to some random little bar where we were told we had to take this famous shot called “Eby’s Shot.” I guess Eby is the name of the bartender, who looks eerily like Einstein. The shot was interesting. Julie marched up to the bar and told him we wanted 6 shots, after which he piled blood oranges, coffee grinds, sugar, and bananas dipped in poppy seeds on a plate in the shape of a smiley face. He told us in Italian to dip one side of the orange in the coffee grinds and the other in sugar. Then he screamed, “MANGIA MANGIA!” so loud I jumped. And as we ate the weird coffe/sugar orange, he poured us shots of Kahlua, vodka, and coke (and probably other liquids, too).Then he slammed them on the bar and practically threw them at us, screaming, “VAI VAI VAI!” (Go! Go! Go!) We took the shot, which was way to sweet for my taste, and then Einstein screamed, “È LA BANANAAAAA!!!” (And the banana!”) and we finished the experience with the poppyseed-dipped slices of banana. It was absolutely hilarious and weird. Part of the reason the shot was so difficult is because all of us were laughing the entire time. I was tired so the night ended right after Eby’s shot for me, but I will never forgot this incredibly odd experience.

Dinner at Trattoria ZàZà.

EBY’S SHOTS!!! (But seriously, how much does he look like Einstein?)

Tomorrow I start my classes and we have our first Bing dinner, a formal dinner for the whole group provided by generous Stanford alumni, Peter and Helen Bing (who also make the whole abroad program happen at Stanford!) I will be taking an art history class which will be taught throughout the cities of Florence and Rome with Timothy Verdon, an art studio class with Fillipo Rossi, a film class about women and femininity in Italian film with the Stanford center director Ermalinda Campani, and accelerated second year Italian with another center teacher Fiorenza Quercioli.

My family just got home, so I’m going to go chat (as much as I can) with them.

Talk to you soon!
Love,
Tessa