Here I am, finally arrived in Bologna after 18 hours of flights and layovers. The flights really weren't as bad as I imagined they'd be. I actually managed to sleep through most of them. Some funny things I saw along the way:
-The Smoker Zoo: in Frankfurt's airport, there are designated smoking areas. By designated smoking areas, I mean there are big glass boxes that people stand in and smoke while everyone walks by and stares at them. It was pretty bizzare-o, and I felt like I was watching animals at the zoo. Stinky animals.
-Lavazza coffee ads: Again in the Frankfurt airport, there were ads all over the place for Lavazza espresso. Everyone knows Europe is a little more 'open', so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that most of the ads featured a nubile young lady emerging from a water fountain with her wet dress clinging to her body and revealing pretty much everything. Why that is needed to sell what is basically an addictive substance I don't know, but I wasn't about to file any complaints.
-I tried calling my new friend and landlady Maria as soon as I landed at the airport. The payphone said local calls cost .13E, but it only took credit cards so I couldn't use the few eurocoins I had already acquired. So I swiped my card, dialed the number, never got a dialtone, and after about 30 seconds of dead-air I gave up, with which I was rewarded with statement from the phone that my card had been charged 4.5E. Thanks.
-Maria picked me up at the airport and took me to my new home. When we arrived, another roommate (Alice) was there, so we all sat around chatting. About 10 minutes later, the sound of opera filled the air. Yes, there is a real live opera singer somewhere around where I live, and apparently she likes to treat the neighborhood to a few songs here and there. Ah, Italy.
Well, I think it's time for a nap. More to come later.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
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glad you got there! huzzah!
ReplyDeleteThey have smoker zoos in the Vegas airport too. Do you speak English with your roommates or Italian? Are they hot? Do you like your place? What's the town like? When do you start classes? How many bags did you bring for a two-year stay? Will there be enough room for me when I come visit? Is everyone furrier than you (or at least as furry)? As a first post this is very dissappointing, so many unanswered questions...
ReplyDeleteLOL settle down Alee- they speak both english and italian, so we speak both at home (usually when one or the other becomes unclear). i like the place, it's very quaint. it feels like a bunch of students live here, but not in a bad way. i don't know what the town is like yet, i haven't ventured out too far, just enough to go to the market and get some food. i brought less baggage than you would bring to vegas. and there is a pull-out couch you can sleep on when you come visit! not everyone is furrier than me, but there is some stiff competition and i haven't met many people yet so there is still hope. i hope that clarifies some of the mystery. PS they already taught me a drinking game called 'capitane pif'!
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