Spill the Milk

It's true, I should post some stuff regarding my trip home. I'm heading back to Bologna tomorrow, so - as always - my blog is chronologically messed up. Oh well. What do you want from me? I have dry socket. It hurts.

My time at home has been great, despite the ouchy wisdom teeth problems. Perfect weather, lots of loved ones, plenty of kimchi. I can't ask for more! One of the highlights was my trip to NYC, which was too fast (it always is), but included a lot of adventures. New York City in the spring is so wonderful - it's really full of energy, and people seem cheerful (whereas everyone is mean in the winter).



One of the highlights was going to Jean's new second home, a super unique Japanese restaurant, Kajitsu, in the East Village. The food, which is served in a bunch of pre-set courses, is amazing - it's all vegetables, but you come out feeling as if you've eaten a million different food groups. Everything - literally, from floor to ceiling and every plate and chopstick - is specially selected and beautiful to look at. The bowl pictured above is 200 years old. I can't even believe we were allowed to touch it.


This lovely creature comes with the restaurant.

Of course, too much elegance is not something we can sustain. So we found the Ukrainian Festival down the street and I became determined to win a stuffed animal by knocking over the cans. But how difficult is this game?! It was impossible, I sucked, and truth being told I may have started out with some kind of alcohol-related handicap. Pictured below is one of my attempts to throw the beanbag.



This is how I ended up NOT winning, despite my leaning over the barrier and the fact that the guys running the stand blatantly re-organized the cans so that I had a better chance.



One can away from a neon stuffed dog!
But wait . . . we couldn't leave without taking photos with my kind, cheating-inclined stand managing friends.



After this grand scene, I had to leave New York to go to Rosa's graduation. That's for the next post. But first there are some required photos.

Like a cliched shot of New York:


And me with the best cat in the world:

He's awfully photogenic, especially when he poses for the camera and appears to have both eyes!

Green Grass

This is a belated post to commemorate spring in Bologna: commemorate because it's over. According to my handy Mac weather forecast, this week is going to have temperatures in the 90's. (I'm in Cambridge right now, so I can say this without actually feeling the icky sweaty humid fear of that weather.) So, spring in Bologna is a thing of the past. It's beach time.

But there were some great times.



This was a picnic that included real plates and silverware, salad (with salad dressing made on the spot), and cake. Among other things. I think that it was probably worth five stars. During this weekend (the weekend of May 1) I played frisbee twice, and was terrible. I remember being pretty good at it when I was younger, but I guess I lost my skills somewhere along the road to becoming about extremely tall and uncoordinated.

And here's the view from my new apartment, starting June 1!


Hopefully I'll be done moving after this. I have an awesome new mattress, too. The only thing missing is a shower, but I swear I'm going to get really good at washing myself using this facility here:


The photo doesn't even do it justice. The tub is about two feet long, the eaves of the apartment are basically three feet above it, and I'm going to have to become a pro at washing myself with one hand while kneeling. As my new landlady told me, at a pause during her endless stream of cigarettes and advice on romance: if a six foot tall French student managed to shower there for five years, I can certainly do it. I'm shorter than him by two inches, after all!

Next post will include info on Rosa's graduation, lilacs in Cambridge, and my awesome tooth extractions. Not the front teeth, though.

Joy

I was recently reunited with the (musical) love of my life, Ginevra Di Marco, when my choir sang with her for the second time. For my few regular readers (hi parents!) you may remember that we participated in a concert with her last March. She and the super-talented musicians she works with recently released a new album and had a concert in a beautiful old theater in Florence. That's rehearsal, below.



I am a truly rabid fan of this woman, with an enthusiasm that's probably seen most often in connection with Michael Jackson or Madonna. But Ginevra's voice is better. This was my general feeling during the concert . . . with my fellow fan, Sarah!



Like any good fan, I took photos of (and then stole) the song list.



Last year we were all starstruck and excited to participate in an event with such a talented singer, but for some reason this year was even more special. Maybe because the faces are familiar and we felt more comfortable onstage with her - I really don't know. But there's something really thrilling about being onstage with a musician whom you respect and admire, both for her talent and musical choices (plus the talent of her band). Also, the choir kicked butt. And the theater, which had a capacity of more than 700 people, was full.

(Didn't take this photo or the next, but they give you an idea of the whole setup.)


Mermaid hair and amazing-ness.


And, of course, a photo with her (with the same people as last year, for tradition's sake)! I am attached to her arm which is holding a cigarette; this does not diminish my excitement!



It was definitely a Sunday well spent. And my inner fan will remain slightly calm until next year.