my apartment is really far from where the city is (20 mins up and down hill) so i only come in for class. therefore i have little time for the internet. but i am going to try to work out a schedule so i can update this page as much as i can.
that is LC and I at the airport in Rome.
Saturday:
As you know from my last post, I was waiting for my taxi to take my roommates and I to our apartment. I met my other roommates: two others from UT, one from UIllinois, one from UIndiana, and one from Ole Miss. At first the taxi driver got confused and dropped us off at the wrong place but after 30 minutes we finally made it 30 meters away to our highrise apartment. It is REALLY nice - alot better than I expected. There are 2 bedrooms with 2 beds and 2 more bedrooms with a single bed - thats what Im in. We have 2 full bathrooms and 3 balconies. Our view is AMAZING!
The view from my apartment.
But the city has so many hills, that it is a great hike to my apartment. So the rest of Saturday we unpacked and rested from jet lag.
Sunday:
We met at 10 am for orientation at the main piazza by our school. It is surrounded by two huge duomo (church) with alot of steps and has a magnificent fountain in it. I was told my a local that it was the best Gothic fountain in all of Italy.
LC and I on the steps
Piazza IV Novembre and the fountain
But the one drawback is that the fountain is closed for renovation and wont be running until after we leave. At orientaion a police officer from Florence gave us the low down on how to stay safe here. He had good control of English - enough to make jokes. After that we went on a short walking tour of the central city. Our tour guide was funny and strange. He pointed out an arch which legend has it that if anyone crosses underneath before graduating from college, they wont recieve thier degree - he told us to stay away from it. He pointed out the four buildings that my school has - The Umbra Institute.
After that we registered for classes and bought our books. I am taking Photography 1 on MW and History of Food Culture of Italy on TTH. That night we went out to eat at this quaint pizzeria that so far has the cheapest and best pizza in town. Then we went to an Irish pub that played American club music, which I thought was funny on two planes. Towards the end of the night this older man started talking to us and dancing to the music awkwardly. He kept hitting on the girls and told us he was from Boston, even though he had an Italian accent. We found out the next day that he was a gypsy.
Now gypsies in Italy think of clever ways to steal your money. Most are kids and moms who distract with a piece of paper or baby. So while your eyes are on that they rummage through your pockets. Some gypsy children will knock things out of your hand (sanwhiches, gelato, etc) and then take it once it falls on the ground. Pretty tricky.
Monday:
Slept in late because my first class didnt start til 3. But it was rainy and cold so not a very good day to walk up massive hills. The class was photography and there are 9 people in it. One of my roommates is in the class too and we asked our teacher if by chance she knew where our street was. She had been living there for 6 six years and didnt know where it was. I think we are the farthest group away and we are off the map they gave us. Anyway in photography we will learn how to take pictures and develop film ourselves.
That night we went out again to a bar that had karaoke. Since all the words were in English, the bar was filled with Americans and most of them were drunk. I did meet two girls from The Woodlands so it was fun finding out people that we both knew.
The way commercial places work around here is that they are open from 9-1 and 4-9. They take a break during the day to rest or nap. Also bars are everywhere, but a bar in Italy is different. Here they sell sandwhiches, pastries, and coffee and are open during the day. The pub and club is where people go out to drink at night. But also here is Perugia, the steps at the piazza is a big hangout spot for the Italians. Literally hundreds of people were out on the steps Saturday and Sunday night. Also the night life here is crowded becuase Perugia is a big university town. There are at least 3 universities here in the center of town. Also I never have class on Fridays.
So thats it for today. I will update for Tuesday, Wednesday and today later. I may be going to Venice or NW Italy this weekend. Ciao!
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