Milano è una bella città...

...ma mi preferisco Firenze più di Milano.

Signs of Christmas in front of the Milano Duomo~!

As you may know, I missed my flight to Edinburgh the other day so I've been bumming it out with a friend of mine who is studying abroad in Milano. Milano has a lot of charm and I can see why many fall in love with this bustling metropolis city. But I must admit, Firenze will always have my heart. There's just so much more beauty and charm. I love being able to step outside my apartment and walk the same streets as all the famous artists did and to see their works sprawling over the city. Milano has the same but that beauty is hidden by all the things that make up a city. Towering buildings and large billboards cover all the Italian artistic beauty. Milano is a beautiful city but I will always prefer Firenze over Milano.

HO FINITO!

I am done with FINALS WEEK, packing, cleaning, and moving out of my apartment.

Sadly, I overslept and missed my train to the airport to begin my winter break adventures. I took the next train out, hoping that I'd still be able to make it to my flight but the heavy snow on the train tracks caused a slight delay and I missed my flight. Thank God for Michelle. She's letting me stay at her place in Milan until I flight out to Paris to begin my Winter Break adventures~! <3

This past semester has been an emotional roller-coaster ride. I've had the greatest of ups, the lowest of downs. But overall, I enjoyed every moment of it, or at least came to terms with accepting what happened. I had a rough start and ending with my roommates. The cultural differences made it really hard for me to understand them and for them to understand me but I think we ended on a positive note. I've made some amazing friends and I will never forget their friendships. I'm going to miss them so so so much! I can't imagine Florence without them... But cheers to the end of the semester and for the new adventure that lies ahead! c:

Thanksgiving Weekend in Budapest!

Its finals week. So what better way to procrastinate than by updating my blog? 

Spent my Thanksgiving weekend in Budapest with Kayleen and Michelle! And guess what? Our flights cost only 99 cents! I repreat, 99 cents! So add in taxes and our roundtrip flight cost 15 euros! Talk about budget traveling! 

Our excited faces when we landed in Budapest! 

Budapest!

Besides spending Thanksgiving night sleeping at the airport, Budapest was wonderful. Its the perfect place for travelers on a budget. You can buy alcohol for as cheap as 20 cents a shot! The sole most expensive thing I spent my money on was my entrance ticket into the Budapest's renowned Thermal Baths and that alone cost less than 20 euros!

Budapest is so rich in its history. Every where you go, you can see remnants from its days under the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the impact of communism, and the growing capitalism of today. Architecturally, judgendstil architecture embellishes many of the buildings and creeping besides these buildings are the drastically compact and plain communist buildings.  Throughout the town, the colors of fall decorated the trees while Christmas ornaments could be seen all throughout the main piazzas of Budapest. I loved the Christmas markets! It was as if I was walking through a winter wonderland filled with all things Christmas, delicious foods, and amazing arts and crafts.

The thing about traveling that I love so much is the different people you get to meet. The people in our hostel were so friendly, especially the staff. If you ever happen to visit Budapest, stay at the Groove Hostel. The staff let us check in at 6am in the morning, gave us so many tips and pointers for where to get the most authentic Hungarian food, have a good night out, etc., arranged a taxi for us back to the airport so we wouldn't get gipped off, and let us chill in the hostel instead of having to spend another night at the airport (they even offered us the bed!) Its funny because many people say that Hungarians come off as unfriendly but I think they're one of the most friendliest people I've met so far! It shocked me to hear how as a post-communist nation, the people of Hungary still continue to think in very communistic ways. Maybe that's the reason for the unfriendly vibes?

Did I mention that we got to meet up with Julia?!?

Hummus! Gyahh! 

But when I booked my flight to Budapest, I was really looking forward to the baths so I was thrilled to have spent my Sunday night relaxing and enjoying the nice heated mineral waters of Budapest! LOVE LOVE LOVE The water was so warm and relaxing and then jumping in from the hot sauna to the ice cold water and back outside into the cold air...it was definitely the break from school that I needed. Not to mention that Kayleen and I met two Canadians who stroke up a conversation with us. We were both quite positive that they wanted to ask us out for drinks but since we were clear that we were leaving that night, I think they didn't bother (shucks!). It was nice to meet fellow North Americans...a little piece of home away from home. I can't wait for more adventures with Kayleen and Michelle! <3

Finals Week.

Bring it.

My first finals week in a foreign country. Its a lot different from what I'm used to. This whole having exams in addition to essays and projects (due the same week) is starting to get to me. I know I should not have procrastinated but its so difficult not to especially when you're in a foreign country. You only have so much time to enjoy it with the people that you've gotten so close to this past semester that, you know, you have to put off studying to spend a couple of hours or days hanging out with them. #yolo But the most difficult thing about Finals Week in Italy is that there's no sufficient place to study. I've never been good at being productive in my room but the library is only open until 9:30 and the public library in Firenze is closed on Sundays and has restricted hours on Mondays. Yay me! One paper and two finals for tomorrow, then one oral exam on Wednesday, and two more finals on Thursday separating me from Winter Break adventures!! :D

The Hardest Thing...

The hardest thing about studying abroad...

Its not the classes.

Its not the language barrier.

Its not adjusting to the cultural differences. Although that was a big challenge.

Its having to say good-bye to all the amazing people at the end of the semester. Its crazy to think how fast the semester went by. And how much you can get to know a person within a semester's span! I will miss all of the friends I've made this semester. Even though all of us will be returning back to their homes in different areas all over the world, everyone will still have a special place in my heart. Friends forever <3

Brittany and Albiola <3

Jimin and Mahea <3

Jimin, Michelle, and Briana <3 

Jessi and Brianne <3

Anna <3

Volunteering at an Italian High School

With my group! 

I had the privilege to go to an Italian high school to help them improve their conversational English.  The school we visited was called Liceo Artistico Leon Battista Alberti.  The school is divided into various campuses throughout Florence, each campus focusing on a specific subject.  This school that we visited in particular was the art school.  As soon as we walked in, we saw walls lined with artwork that had been done by the students.  Seeing all of this, made me wish that my high school had emphasized the fine arts a bit more.
Talking with the students, I was very surprised to find out their ages.  They ranged from as young as 14 years old to 18 years of age.  I never realized how distinct differences in age were in your physical appearance and level of maturity!  Even though they were very young, almost all of them smoked cigarettes!  They asked me to come with them during their 15 minute break to smoke a cigarette.  I don't smoke so I just went outside with them, tried my best to not cough, and continue talking with them.  For fun, high school students in Italy go out with their friends to the bars.  Before the recent change in the law, they could buy cigarettes and alcohol at 16.  They can also ride motorcycles (vespas) as early as 14!  Their faces dropped in disbelief when I told them that in America, you had to be 21 years old to buy alcohol. :P  I asked them what kind of music they listened to and they replied back with the names of American singers and bands.  From Bob Marley to Rihanna to Beyonce.  I asked them about Italian music and they said no one their age listened to Italian music.
Its crazy how different schools in Italy are compared to America!

Budapest bound with Kayleen and Michelle~! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Dolcemente & Kandinsky

This past weekend, Pisa held its annual Dolcemente festival.  Dolcemente was a smaller version of the Perugia Chocolate Festival but with different sweets.  Jimin, Stephen, and I literally walked around the venue five times to sample every bit of sweetness they had to offer.  From gelato to chocolate to biscotti to nutella...ahhh dessert heaven!  As much as I enjoyed all the sampling, my favorite part was being able to practice our Italian.  Its shocking how much you can forget in a week (Fall Break)!  I always thought I knew the basics but when we had to actually speak Italian in Pisa, I realized how little I knew!  After all the sweets, we had to get something savory to balance out our palette so we found the nearest and cheapest thing possible: kebabs and falafels.  It was Stephen's first falafel, my second, and Jimin's bajillionth.  All that food had created mini food babies so we avoided going back to Dolcemente and chose to explore Pisa instead.  We ran into a lot of Italians who were on their way to Lucca for their Comic Con.  I never expected Italians to enjoy comics but I guess we're all similar in different ways.
We headed back to Dolcemente so that Jimin and I could go on our tour of Kandinsky.  Honestly, I wanted to come to Pisa just for this exhibition.  I studied a lot of Kandinsky's works in my art history class last semester and being able to easily attend an art exhibit where his works were on display just had my inner art history geek popping out.  What I thought to be a tour of the Kandinsky exhibition itself turned out to be a tour of Pisa + Kandinsky.  Our tour guide was very sweet.  Apparently all the tours were supposed to be in Italian but he translated the tour into English just for us!  I felt very bad and sorry because he was running out of breath and was switching back and forth between Italian and English so that the two of us could understand.  His English was almost perfect and for a middle-aged man, both Jimin and I found him to be very attractive.  But Kandinsky.  Artgasm.  That is all.

Fall Break: Dortmund, Cologne, and Milano

I was very sad to leave Berlin but I had promised to visit a friend of mines in Dortmund so I packed my bags and hit the Bahn.de to go west.
Dortmund was a very interesting city.  I saw many people from diverse ethnic backgrounds, discovered that the McDonalds in Germany offers Bubble Tea (boba!), and that beer was very, very popular.  Johann, my friend, did his best to show me around but there's not so much you can do when the weather is 10 degrees Celsius.
The next day, we took a day trip to Cologne to see il duomo di Colonio c:  I love being able to see the works of art that I study.  I had just finished up gothic art and architecture the Tuesday before Fall Break so being able to see German gothic art with my own two eyes was astonishing.  As much fun as being able to see Dortmund and Cologne were, I have to say that I loved Berlin the most.

Can you spot il duomo in the background?

 But my adventure in Germany had to come to and end...and I had to resume my Italian adventure!  I flew into Milano and decided to spend the night and day with my friend Michelle c: Seeing a familiar face in a foreign country is very refreshing.  Milano wasn't my favorite city (it was cold and rainy) but her face definitely brightened up my day.  Love you Michelle! <3  When the weather sucks, all you want to do is stay in bed, eat ice cream, and watch sappy movies.  It was one of those days.  But we managed to get out of the house, see il duomo a Milano, do a little shopping, and I got to spin on the Bull's testicles for good luck! c: There was so much to do, yet so little time...looks like I'll have to make my way back up to Milan another day!

I got to see her cute face!

As much fun as my Fall Break adventure was, you have no clue how happy I was to arrive back in Firenze.  As soon as I stepped off the train, a smile stretched across my face.  I didn't care about the pouring rain or how cold it was, I was just too excited to be back.  Firenze is home and home is where the <3 is.

Fall Break: Berlin

Ohh Berlin.  This was the highlight and probably my favorite city in Europe so far.  I met up with Jimin and Mahea in Berlin and as soon as we arrived at our hostel, EastSeven Hostel, which I highly recommend, we found out that we had been upgraded from the 10-people dorm to the 3-people private room!  I've stayed at four different hostels throughout my time in Europe and EastSeven is by far my favorite.  The staff are so friendly and all the people that we met at the hostel were amazing.  The atmosphere was perfect for bonding and the hostel was very clean and tidy.
Mahea had flown into Berlin a couple hours before Jimin and I arrived and had already made new friends with these two girls, Tori from Australia and her Dutch friend Marla.  We talked with the guys from Switzerland who were flying out the next day and managed to convince one of them to go out clubbing with us!  Marla took us to an area filled with clubs and we randomly chose to walk into Cassiopeia.  Let me just say that Europeans sure know how to party.  Nothing starts until 1am and the party can go on into daylight.  We drank German beer (amazing!), danced, created a dance circle with other people in the club, pulled other people into our dance circle, and had a blast.  Afterwards, we went to the Reggae section of the club...a lot of groping (no bueno) but great music.  LOVE BERLIN!

From L to R: Tori, Marla, me, Jimin, Switzerland, and Mahea c:

We didn't go to sleep until 5am but we somehow were up and about by 9am!  That's the European lifestyle for ya!  We went on this alternative tour of Berlin done by a very alternative guy who lives with his alternative girlfriend in their alternative house with their alternative pets.  Very alternative.  It wasn't the best tour but we saw some of the sickest graffiti in the world, including Finbarr <3.  Deciding to go to Berlin on a whim was the best decision I ever made.  So much street art!

Sending some love to one of my favorite street artists!

After the tour, we grabbed some noms at YAAM where we ate the most delicious Jamaican food c: We walked the East Side Gallery (Berlin Wall), went back to our hostel, drank the best apple liquor, enjoyed German sausages, made friends with the hostel people, smoked a cigarette for the first time, took a puff or two of a joint from Amsterdam, learned how to dance from the Brazilians at our hostel, made a bunch of plans to go out and do hookah and go to another club, but in the end, all three of us ended up crashing out on our beds.  It wasn't the most exciting thing to do but it was all worth it in the end.

EastSeven Hostel! The BEST hostel I've ever stayed at. c:

Fall Break: Edinburgh

The land of kilts and Nessie c: hehe

Edinburgh had a charm that London didn't possess.  The Scots are overly friendly and it was just another reminder of the aloha spirit back home.  I had such a hard time understanding their accent though!  But I enjoyed hearing them talk c: hehe

The best part, I WAS REUNITED WITH KAYLEEN~! <3
She cooked me the best and healthy foods (yummm!) and showed me around Edinburgh.  We met up with Julia, who Kayleen met on her trip to Dublin and just happened to be passing through Edinburgh. The three of us went to the National Museum of Scotland, took pictures at Greyfriars Bobby, went to the Elephant House where J.K. Rowling wrote the Harry Potter series, took pictures with a cute guy wearing a kilt, visited the Scottish Parliament, visited the Queen's Palace (she wasn't home), went shopping for a wee Scottish jumper, and cooked a scrumpcious dinner at Kayleen's house c:

Reunited with this cutie~! <3

Men in kilts c: ohh myy~! (;

Lovely time spent with these two ladies c:

Fall Break: London

British accents.  That is all.

I loved London.  It felt refreshingly nice to be able to use English again, although I had the constant urge to constantly say grazie and ciao to everyone.  What started off as the worst beginning to our Fall Break adventures ended as the best start.  My roommate Sierra couldn't fly out to London with us on the same day.  Lets just say that Ryanair is not the best for customer service.  Our first night in London was drab.  Jimin, Amanda, and I eventually found our way to our hostel, ate delicious Chinese food, faced some credit card problems, dealt with the pouring rain, tried our best to ignore our creepy hostel roomie...
The second day, we went on a FREE tour of London (the Royal tour).  Our tour guide, Jo, was amazing.  She had so much enthusiasm and passion for her job that all of us just had to tip her!  London looks very much like the English version of New York City.  But I think London has just a little bit more charm...but it could just be the accent that makes me weak in the knees.  After the tour, Jo took us to a little pub where we ate FISH & CHIPS!

Fish&Chips

So our original plan was to hit the London clubs and dance the night away.  But the cover charge to get into a club in London is roughly 20 pounds, which equals about 35 U.S. dollars.  No thank you.  Instead, we went on the alternative pub crawl hosted by the same tour company c:  We reunited with Sierra at our second hostel and went out to experience the London nightlife.  Turns out, we were the only ones on the pub crawl.  But what started off as the biggest FAIL and boring night turned into the best night ever.  We managed to convince our tour guides, Damien and Manuel to take us to the clubs in east London.  Only problem is that on Sunday night, no one rarely goes out because of their early Monday workday.  ):  We hopped from one club to the next, hopped on and off the metro and the bus, walked all over London, and eventually ended up at Manuel's flat.  His cousin, Simon, was hands down the funniest person I have ever met.  He had so many Asian jokes but for the first time, he was in a room surrounded by Asians (his cousin Manuel is a quarter Chinese, Jimin, Sierra, and I are all Korean).  Just picture a Portuguese man downing five cans of beer, saying "I'm a very, very thirsty man," singing Call Me Maybe, and cracking Asian jokes all night.  Funny thing, he was the same guy who served us our Fish&Chips.  Simon was the sweetest.  He walked us over to the train station when we left.  Thanks to Manuel, Simon, and Damien for the best night in London~!

Girls night out! From L to R: Jimin, Amanda, Sierra, and yours truly c:

Perugia Chocolate Fesitval

Welcome to Chocolate Heaven! and the pathway to get Chocolate wasted.

"Posso assaggio per favore?"
All of us were given a Chococard which gave us access to sample all of the chocolate from the vendors.  Literally heaven for me c:

Cioccolato fondente, con nocciola, con arancia, con caffe, cioccolato birra...ahhhh...I just want to go back to my chocolate heaven.  And the best part?  Cute Italian guys giving you all these chocolate samples c:

My favorite: Kebab al cioccolato con lampone sciroppo. :B noms

Italian style hot chocolate with white chocolate shavings c:

The chocolate lovers crew! 

Yours truly with a YELLOW flower balloon c: 

I went to the Perugia Chocolate festival with the intention of only sampling and only buying one or two of my favorite chocolates.  In the end, I spent a total of 50 euros on JUST CHOCOLATE.

Today, my grocer asked me if I wanted a bag in ITALIAN. He then proceeded to ask the other American students standing behind me in line if they wanted a bag in ENGLISH. I feel so accomplished!

Photoshoot FUN

This past Sunday, when I should have been stuDYING for my midterms, I decided to help my friend Vanessa out for her photography midterm.  Let me tell you, there's nothing more fun than not studying when you have to.  We went to her side of Firenze, which is on the opposite of the Arno, roughly about a 40 minute walk or a 10 minute bus ride.  I happened to get off at the wrong bus stop (I still can't figure out the bus system here) and walked around, for what felt like eternity, trying to make my way back.  Luckily, where I ended up was where they were heading c:

The photoshoot was in front of what has to be the sickest graffiti in all of Firenze.  All these walls underneath the overpass were just so amazing!  I've told myself that I'm definitely going back there again to take more photos c:

I've never modeled before so it was definitely a lot harder for me than for the other girls who are so photogenic and beautiful!  I wore bright red lipstick for the first time!  Anddd I took pictures while JUST WEARING LEGGINGS.  If you know me, I never do the shirt and leggings look.  I always have to have a pair of short or something on.  My KOREAN PANCAKE ASS does not look very attractive in just leggings.  It didn't help that one of the girls had a full bootie and boobies poppin everywhere.  Sometimes, I just really wished I wasn't Asian. 

These aren't the photos that Vanessa took but here's a sneak peak at the mini-photoshoot in front of the sickest graffiti in Firenze~! <3

The skirt covers my KPA! 

Giancarlo Who?!?

I'm so sorry I haven't been updating my blog as much as I should >__<;; But here's something that I was suppose to upload a long time ago!

To get to my classes in Piazzo Strozzi, I usually pass by Piazza della Repubblica.  As I was rushing to get to my classes yesterday, I noticed a huge crowd gathering in Repubblica.  So naturally, after class, my friend Mahea and I, went to go check out what all the commotion was all about.  Apparently, the UEFA trophy was on display and people could have their five seconds of fame and take pictures with the trophy.  We wanted to take pictures with the trophy because we're cool like that and just be dorky tourists for a few minutes.  There was also a famous soccer player from back in the day named Giancarlo Antognoni (yeah, I don't know who he is either) but I figured since he was famous, it was worth getting his signature and taking a picture with him.  I love Italy~! <3

Meet Giancarlo! 

SPONTANEOUSLY BOOKED A FLIGHT TO BUDAPEST WITH LA MIEI AMICI~!

You guys, Kayleen and I found a flight to Budapest, Hungary for 99 cents.  I AM SO EXCITED!!  And since we're flying out from Milan, we convinced Michelle to join us!  Its going to be the most AMAZING adventure everrrrrrrrr! c: November 22nd, come sooner!

God Provides

The past month in Firenze has been a whirlwind of emotions.  I've been on a soul-searching path to figure out who I am, what my purpose in life is, etc. etc.  Honestly speaking, I still haven't got the faintest clue as to why I'm even in Italy.  But one thing I can say for sure is that God Provides.
As much as I love the city of Firenze and all of its artistically beautiful artifacts on every corner, my roommate situation hasn't been the greatest.  Melody and Sierra are wonderful people but living with them, its been very difficult to branch out from the Korean clique that they've created.  On top of that, both of them tend to be less adventurous and much prefer to build up this barrier rather than trying to integrate or become more acclimated to the Italian culture.  So for the past month, I've been doing majority of my "getting-lost" adventures in Firenze on my own or with some of the friends I made in class every once in awhile.  But there's only so much you can do on your own before you get lonely.  And I've felt very lonely in Italy most of the time, maybe to the point where I've debated contacting my ex.  But like I said, God Provides.
During my time of hardship, God sent me so many signs to just accept the situation that I've been placed in and to just be grateful for what I have.  I mean, how many people get the opportunity to come to Italy?  I am most definitely living the life that would not have been possible without God's grace.  I feel so blessed to have found a church that openly welcomed me into their arms in the most Catholic country in the world.  The people that I've met and become friends with, are another reminder that God is always there for me.  Brittany, Diego, Stephen, Chapman, Abiola, Victoria...  I'm really excited to finally have Christian friends--people that I can talk to and be able to freely converse with them about my spiritual journey.  Especially now that I'm in Italy, I've been finding it very difficult to focus on the bigger picture of why God has brought me here and instead of getting caught up in what all the other American students are doing.  Praise the Lord~!

Some things are just meant to be...

Today, I was supposed to go to Cinque Terre, the one place on my Italy to-do bucket list that I've been itching to do.  But the night before the big day, I just wasn't feeling it.  Italy has brought out this inner free-spirited character that I never knew existed.  I guess the fast-paced and hectic lifestyle of America weighed down my inner flowy view of life.  It didn't help that Cinque Terre was on Sunday, also known as the only day that God asks me to devote some time to Him.  With all the blessings and greatness he's sent my way, I just had that gut feeling that I shouldn't go to Cinque Terre, but go to Church instead.  Most people will think I'm crazy that I threw the 40 euros that I paid for my Cinque Terre tour down the drain, just because I felt that Cinque Terre wasn't happening at the right time.  But gut feelings are gut feelings and they're usually right.  And I was totally right to go with my gut feelings today.  So much amazingness happened in Firenze.  I got to enjoy the beauty of street performers playing on their viola, bass, and guitar; marvel at the 50 years of alternative energy being celebrated in Firenze; run into my ITALIAN FAMIGLIA again!; and go on a random photo adventure through Fiesole.  So much amazingness!  Yes, I blew off 40 euros but there are some things that money can't buy.  What good is visiting Cinque Terre if you can't even hike the infamous five trails?!?  I can't help but be content with my decision to stay in Firenze today.  Some things are just meant to be...

Reunited with our Italian famiglia~!

Mi piace Fiesole~!

Fiesole will always have a place in my heart.
Today was and will probably be my most favorite day in Italy.  Not only did my roommate Melody and I discover a new, authentic Italian market, Sant'Ambrogio, I went on an adventure to Fiesole with Mahea, Jessi, and Brianne.  We went there for the Truffle Festival and to our disappointment, we found out that the festival had ended last weekend.  We were on our way to the church of San Francesco when we came upon a true Italian style picnic: large families bustling with laughter, quickly jumping into songs, and enjoying their food and wine.  We were taking pictures with the scenic view of Fiesole in the background when suddenly, one of the elderly men from the Italian family gestures at us.  He started to blow us kisses and motion with his body that we were like fleeting angels.  Jessi, Brianne, and I were very much confused as to how to respond so we just stood there rigidly, just laughing and smiling.  Mahea, on the other hand, with her classy and elegant self, blew the kisses back.  The guy continued to blow more kisses and then he offered us some vino (wine), which we gladly accepted.  We immediately became a part of this loving party.  I even want to say that we met our Italian family.  We took, god knows how many photos, together and exchanged friendly hugs and kisses.  No one spoke English and none of us knew Italian so the conversation quickly turned awkwardly silent but we had a good time, and I'm sure they enjoyed our international presence!  Plus, they gave us the best wine I've ever tasted!  We eventually parted ways but being in a small town, we were bound to run into each other.  And every time we did, we shouted Ciao~! and blew some more waves and kisses.  On days like these, I tell myself that I just might not go back home to America.  Mi piace Fiesole.

Salute~! Con mi famiglia italiano. 

Volunteering and Curry Lunch

Today, I had the wonderful opportunity to volunteer for a local Italian community service event.  The Italians definitely take keeping their environment clean much more seriously than Americans do.  Through my school, Lorenzo de' Medici (LdM), we were able to sign up to take part in Pulire il Monde, an event where local Italian non-profit organizations and schools come together to pick up trash and clean Cascine Park.  As soon as we arrived there, they clad us in cute little yellow aprons and hats, gave us brand new gloves, and trash bags.  We walked around the banks of the park picking up as many cigarette butts and other pieces of trash.  It was most definitely a rewarding experience.  There wasn't as big of a turn out, particularly on LdMs part as I was expecting there to be, but I have to say, when you get five dedicated people who are helping out on a Friday morning because they want to, not because they have to, you accomplish so much more.  They even had the local TV news anchors come out to film us picking up trash.  Let me repeat that, LOCAL TV NEWS ANCHORS CAME OUT TO FILM US PICKING UP TRASH!!!  Does this even happen in America??!

Don't we look cute in our yellow aprons, yellow hats, and with our yellow bags? :P

One of the girls getting interviewed! So jealous!

All the cigarette butts we picked up :/ 

What's the best way to reward yourself after doing something super rewarding?!?  EAT ASIAN FOOD!  Duh?!  I had been planning this event for a couple of days.  My mom had sent me a care package of oatmeal and curry and I wanted to invite some friends over and have a feast, since the PB&J  and ramen noodle diet is really doing us no good.  It was so much fun to hear everyone's stories, eat good food, and just enjoy everyone's company.  We've decided to officially make this a monthly thing (at the least).  Halloween, Thanksgiving, and a going-away dinner in December.  I'm excited to see how this semester plays out! c:  Mi piace Firenze!

Udon noodles, ramen, and curry~!

Melody, Sierra, Brianne, Jessi, Mahea, and Anna (from L to R)

Some thoughts on the Korean Culture

I think I'm starting to experience a little bit of culture shock.  But its not the Italian culture that's putting me into this phase of shock and disbelief.  Its the Korean culture.  As I've mentioned before, both of my roommates are from Korea.  I guess you could say that they're your typical average Korean girls who live a very Korean lifestyle.  But even though I knew that my roommates were going to be Korean before I even came to Italy, I never expected to feel disoriented by the Korean culture.  After all, I had grown up with it.  My parents were strictly Korean in their ideologies and their way of life.  Maybe the generational factor has an influence but I am truly undergoing culture shock.

A couple days back, while have a chat with both of my roommates, we discovered that Melody had undergone plastic surgery to change her mono-lids into the infamously desired double eyelids.  The conversation swiftly switched gears to the list of things that both Melody and Sierra wanted to fix under the knife.  A nose job, double-eyelid surgery, breast implants, jaw restructuring...the list went on and on.  I was very much in shock.  Here were two already beautiful girls and they wanted to completely transform their faces to conform to the set ideals of Korean beauty.  I asked why.  Their response was simply that all of their friends were doing it and they didn't want to be "the ugly friend."  I guess my face must have clearly expressed the disturbance I was feeling at having heard this that one of them ventured on to ask me, "You're perfectly content with the way you look?"

To be honest, I know for a fact that I've never felt pretty and I would never describe myself as being pretty.  I have a very average face.  I don't think anyone has ever felt appalled by looking at my face but I know that my face is far from perfect.  I mean, who has a perfect face?  But even with all of the imperfections that I may have, I would never get plastic surgery or change my face in any way.

Lets just say that both of my roommates were clearly offset by my being fully satisfied with my looks.

Its officially Fall~!

Are you as excited for Fall as I am??!?  Coming from Hawaii, where "fall" is constituted by temperatures dropping to the 70s--in other words, nonexistent.  I'm so excited to finally see fall fall.  With all the leaves changing color...trees laden with bright orange, yellow, and red leaves...and the puddles of fallen leaves raked into piles on the ground.  The lack of trees in Firenze might make seeing fall a little more difficult but I'm just so excited to finally be able to experience some of the seasons during my travels!  I can already feel some of the autumn breeze drifting through Firenze though.  Looks like its time to bust out the boots, sweaters, and scarves!  And whats even better?  Listening to some classic favorites like Autumn Leaves by Nat King Cole and Billie Holiday.  Nothing screams "Falls here!" better than these.  So grab your boots and your scarves, bundle up, and listen to some jams because Fall is officially here!

Are you excited for Fall as much as I am??!

Siena and San Gimignano

Sorry its been awhile since I last updated this blog.  I never realized how hard it was to keep the world posted with your life until I started this blog...hehe.  But I'll try my best to post every weekend at the least!

Today was my first trip outside of Firenze, unless you count Fiesole.  My roommate Sierra and I adventured through the breathtakingly beautiful towns of Siena and San Gimignano with Bus2Alps.  It was a pricey ticket for what we did (50 euros to get a basic tour) but our three course meal and wine-tasting for lunch at a Tuscan villa was probably what made the entire trip worth every cent.  Imagine Tuscany.  Beautiful rolling hills of green and fresh, crisp air.  Yup, that's where I ate my lunch today.  Carlos, our host, gave us pointers on how to properly drink vino (wine).  From how to hold your glass, the number of times you have to swoosh the wine, and how to smell and drink.  We probably tasted about five different types of wine.  I have to say that my favorite was the Chianti DOCG, a light wine usually drunk with the first course.  The lightness is probably why I loved it so much.  Since I just recently started drinking, I'm not as strong a drinker as everyone else and I could definitely feel the throbbing of the wine after my third glass or so.  The three course meal was delicious!  It was your typical Italian lunch, starting with a small appetizer consisting of fresh greens drenched in olive oil, a slice of bread, salami, and some cheese.  I'm definitely used to much more spices overflowing in my mouth so this was a bit bland for my taste.  But I did have a bite or two of salami, which is surprising considering the fact that I haven't eaten meat in roughly six years or so.  The second course, which was my favorite, was a hearty soup made with the freshest vegetables.  According to Carlos, it took a total of seven hours for the soup to cook!!  SEVEN!  The soup wasn't too rich or too watery, but just right.  I loved the burst of vegetables in every spoonful.  And when I dipped some bread, mmmmm.  Soooo good!  The third and last course was lasagna drenched with truffle oil.  I'm not the biggest fan of lasagna (because of all the cheese and beef in it) but you could just taste all the heart and care they put into making this lasagna.  I couldn't finish it because of all the wine I drank, but this meal will probably be one of the best meals I'll ever have in Italy.

First course: salad with olive oil, toast, salami, and cheese.

Vernanccia di San Gimignano (LEFT) and Chianti (RIGHT)

Second course: soup!

Third course: Lasagna with truffle oil!

Siena.  Everyone that has been to Italy has told me to visit Siena.  Now I can see why.  Its a much smaller town in comparison to Firenze but it possesses things that even Firenze does not have.  The views of the rolling Tuscan hillside, the greenery surrounding the city limits, and the fresh, crisp air!  Ohh, how I would love to live in Siena.  The medieval and renaissance architecture is present in almost every corner.  The Duomo is so much more outstanding compared to Firenze's Il Duomo, despite its stark black and white colors.  Something about the fine details just screams for your attention.  But my favorite part would probably have to be the circularly shaped Piazza Il Palio.  This is the famous square where Siena's horse races are held biannually.  The square was much smaller than I expected it to be but there's something about it that just commands for attention.

In front of the Duomo with the roomie!

San Gimignano.  I have to admit, I've never even heard of this town.  But honestly, besides the lunch, this little town would probably be my favorite part of the trip.  The drive up to San Gimignano is enough to fall in love.  There's so much greenery--its literally the epitome of Tuscany!  Its what I imagine when I think of Tuscany.  And to make things even better, this town is home to the world's best gelateria.  Yes, you read it...THE BEST!  I tried the kiwi and lampone (raspberry) flavors this time and mmmmm mmmm mmmmmmm...soooo goooood!

Eating gelato from the best gelateria in the world! Flavors: kiwi and lampone (raspberry)!

If I have the chance, both Siena and San Gimignano are places that I want to visit again.  One day is never enough to see an entire city, no matter how small!

Martini Mondays

My first happy hour!  And I'm not even 21 yet!  Ohh the thrill of being an "underage" American ordering alcohol in Italy!

I don't usually drink.  I actually took my first two shots on my last night in America.  Alcohol is definitely an acquired taste and I don't think I'm actually ever going to enjoy drinking.  The martini was not as bitter compared to some of the wines that I've had here but I could still taste the bitter sting of the alcohol.  And it doesn't help that I started to feel buzzed in the head after a few sips!  #lightweightproblems

So how did this all happen in the first place?

I met with my group at Astor Cafe to work on a project for my international marketing class (I know, we have projects already).  We started to get reallllllly hungry after using our brains too much.  And then we found out about Martini Mondays.  With the purchase of a martini (7 euros), you get a free buffet!  Well, its not really free but for 7 euros, come on!  So Kelsey, one of my group members, and I decided to treat ourselves to some delicious martinis and even more delicious pasta, quinoa, pizza, and more!  YUM!  With my too-lazy-to-cook diet in full swing, I might just become a regular at Astor just for Martini Mondays.

Plate full of food and a blueberry martini!

An Opera and Mahea's Birthday!

During the spring and summer, Firenze puts on a mini festival called "O Flos Colende" in which prestigious performers put on a show for FREE to the public.  Only in Italy do they put on free opera shows to the public.  Last night, I had the chance to see the Saint James Chamber Choir of Stoccolma, under the direction of Gary Graden, perform a few pieces composed by Francesco Siciliani.  These two hours would probably have to be the highlight of my time in Italy so far.

In all honesty, it wasn't entirely an "opera" but more so along the lines of a choir.  Either way, I've never felt so amazed just sitting in my chair and listening to all the voices smoothly blend and ring in the dimmed light setting of the Duomo.  The artistic masterpieces by Fillipo Bruneschelli lining the walls and ceilings, being surrounded by such talented singers...I feel as if I'm living within a fairy tale dream.  An artist's fairy tale dream.  I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to even be in the presence of so many talented people, both dead and living.  I'm still in a sense of shock to find myself living in Italy every morning.

After the opera, I met up with Mahea and some other friends to celebrate her 28th birthday!  Happy 28th Mahea!  We found an open restaurant and sat down to enjoy some pizza, pasta, and lasagna!  YUM! c:  One thing I'll never understand about Italy is the cover charge.  My pizza literally cost 5 euros but there was a 13.50 euro cover charge. >_____<;;  But the night was still young and the festivities had just begun.  We drank some wine because we be classy and headed to Red Garter to dance the night away.  Then we hopped on over to Twice.  I was very surprised to find that Italian men actually ask you if they can dance with you even in a club setting.  I mean there are some guys who just start to grope at your ass, and of course with my luck, that's the only action I got.  But compared to all the horny old men that try to hit on you on the streets, I have to say that young Italian men have got some class!

Once the club got boring, we decided to head back home but only after we got some fresh cioccolato cornetto!  In Italy, there are many bakeries that can only sell their baked goods to smaller restaurants and stores.  But during the night, they sell some of their baked goods for cheap to desperate and hungry club goers to make some extra cash on the side.  This is technically an illegal activity but I guess when times are rough, desperate times call for desperate measures?  Since this is illegal, there's a rule that you have to be quiet in order for them to even open their doors.  And sometimes if you're too loud, they'll throw water and eggs at you.  So we stood in line for almost an hour to wait for the bakery to open their doors and sell us their precious goods.  But with our luck, they were only selling pizzas that night and none of us were feeling pizza.  We just wanted chocolatey goodness.  ):  So we made our ways back home, empty-handed and hungry.  Maybe next time?

Fiesole

I finally made it out to Fiesole.  As soon as I stepped off of the bus, I felt as if I had jumped into the scenery of a painting.  It was breathtaking.  The air was so crisp and fresh.  The trees danced subtly with the wind.  The streets were clean and waiting to be explored.  I must say that I am more in love with Fiesole than I am with Firenze.  Something about the serene atmosphere of the entire place had--in the best words possible to describe it--almost a spiritual epiphany-like quality.  Its a place where I just want to sit, breath in everything surrounding me, and just come to appreciate the beauty.  I feel so blessed to be living in Italia.  I'm living a life that many others can only dream about.

On another note, the trip to Fiesole was an interesting one to say the least.  I had originally planned to just go with a new friend I had made in class, a fellow "Hawaiian" named Mahea, but my roommates and I had all planned to go to Fiesole together eventually so I invited them along c:  After finally arriving at San Marco, we almost got ripped off trying to buy our bus tickets.  We only needed a ticket to and back from Fiesole but the old man at the bus stop kept trying to tell me that I needed four bus tickets to go to and back.  #touristproblems.  But all my bitterness towards the old man went away as soon as I stepped onto the bus.  I've never seen such a cute bus.  The colors were bright yellow and orange (the main reason why I liked it so much!) and you can't not be happy when you see such bright colors like those!

Fiesole!

To give a little background on the quaint town of Fiesole, it existed even before Firenze was built.  Firenze was all wet lands back when Fiesole was thriving!  You can still see some of the leftover Greco-Roman art here and there throughout the town!  Today, Fiesole is a tourist attraction for those visiting Firenze and want to take a break from all the artwork.  They can come to Fiesole   Mahea pointed this out today but I guess I never really realized it until she said it: Being in Italy is like living in my textbooks.  All those monuments and artworks that I've read so much about, written countless papers on, its all here right before my eyes.  I was a little disappointed because the amphitheater had an entrance fee that all of us were too broke to pay for.  Maybe next time!

Greco-Roman Art!

After exploring the town for a little bit longer, we found a mini park and decided to have our lunch, picnic style.  If it was just a little bit warmer, it would have been the best picnic ever!  We stopped by a pastry shop on our way back to the town center to grab a cup of coffee and enjoy a pastry!  Mmmm...Fiesole is definitely my kind of town.

Picnic time!

Yours truly enjoying her shot of espresso!

Culture Shock?!!?

Lately I've been filled with complaints.  

Like why don't they have Fuji apples anywhere in Italy?!?  Or why hasn't Netflix or Spotify come to this part of the continent yet??!  Or why does this book cost 80 euros when clearly its being sold in America for $7 via Amazon?!??  Or why do guys here constantly feel the need to yell "Ni Hao" to my face?!??  Or why is shoyu so damn expensive here!!??  I guess I've been living in a daze between the fantasy dream life with the reality of culture shock beginning to hit as I wake up.  Italy is a great country but there are moments, especially when I'm at a supermarket looking for Fuji apples, when I feel a sense of superiority, a feeling that tells me that I'm from the significantly better, economically stronger country called America.  I miss the convenience that is America.  I miss being able to walk into any store and finding a large selection and more varieties of things to choose from.  I miss peanut butter.  I miss the cheap, shitty Made in China crap that you find everywhere in America.  

BUT then I come back to reality and realize that I'M IN ITALY.  This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me and I shouldn't, NO, I WON'T let the little things that I miss about home get to me.  So what if they don't have Fuji apples?  I'M IN MOTHERFRICKIN ITALY!!  I just saw the most amazing street musicians literally a couple minutes ago.  How often does that happen in America??!  I LOVE FIRENZE<3 

Ni Hao, Konichiwa, Ciao Bella

Everyday some random Italian guy will yell out, "Ni hao" or "Konichiwa" to me.

I've also had this middle-aged painter come up to me FOUR DIFFERENT TIMES to ask me the same question: Are you Japanese or Korean?  

Today, a group of teenage boys screamed right in front of my face, "Ni hao."

This stereotyping is getting old.  

Gelato Updates

I've been on the gelato hunt for awhile now.  Based on what I've learned, you can judge the quality of the gelato by looking at its' display.  If the gelateria piles their gelato, then its most likely made from powder.  Also, if they have many many flavors, its rare that the gelato will be homemade fresh.  And a note to myself: if the gelateria is located near or on a very well-known touristy street, its most likely to be overpriced and not that great.  So far, I've tried seven different gelato places and here's my review on all of them:

Gelateria Santa Trinita:
The first gelato I've had in Italia.  For two scoops at a price of 1.8 euros, this place is a must go!  Be sure to try the Buona al Mascarpone--a cream flavored gelato.  I usually don't like anything too creamy but the Buona al Mascarpone is just right: not too creamy but not too opposite of creamy.  This place is supposedly where the first gelato flavor--the Buona al Mascarpone--was created (according to my tour guide).  They offer a variety of flavors at a great price!

My roomies' gelato: Vaniglia and Buona al Mascarpone.

Random Gelato shop next to my apartment:
The worst gelato I've had.  Not to mention that it was 2 euros for only one measly scoop!  I got the mango flavor and it was definitely made from powder!  The place is not even worth noting its' name not to mention that I forgot the name anyways.

Another Gelateria that I forgot the name of: 
I don't think this was a "real" gelateria which is probably why their gelato was meh.  Its also located at the corner of Via dei Calzaiuoli, which is a very touristy street filled with designer shops and overpriced ristorantes!  I got the banana flavor (I was really craving some Coldstone's banana ice cream!) but it was just meh.  2 euros for just one scoop of meh gelato?!??  That's definitely not my cupatea.

Grom:
This place was recommended in almost every guidebook I've read.  I finally managed to find it after searching intensely for two days!  But after trying their gelato, I can see why its a must-go.  This gelateria offers several regular flavors and offers new "seasonal/monthly" flavors.  I tried the Tiramisu and Menta&Cioccolata (mint chocolate chip) flavors, both of which were monthly flavors.  Grom is located really close to Il Duomo but since its on a small side street, its a little difficult to find.  The place looks like an authentic gelateria: its small and their gelato is placed in small metal containers with lids rather than colorfully displayed.  But its popularity may have led to inflated prices.  The cost is 2.5 euros for two scoops a la coppetta piccola (small cup).

Flavors: Tiramisu and Menta&Cioccolata

Gelateria Perchè No?:
By far my favorite gelateria.  I've been here about four times (its conveniently located right next to my apartment).  And the place offers a cute little porch-like sitting place to enjoy your gelato.  For 2 euros, you get two scoops of deliciously homemade fresh gelato.  It even offers vegan flavors.  I highly recommend the Niccolata (Hazelnut) flavor. c:  And on a side note, one of the workers there is pretttttty cuuute (which is probably why I go there so often!).  Its a bit too pricey for me to indulge in gelato that often but the quality of the gelato is totally worth it!  And the name, Perchè No?, literally translating to Why not? is a cute moniker.  Perchè no try this gelateria?

Flavors: Cioccolata and Niccolata. c: 

La Carraia Gelateria:
This place was recommended by another student who's been studying in Firenze for roughly 6-7 months now.  They offer a good deal: 1 euro for a single scoop cone!  I've been here twice and both times I've tried fruity flavors.  The first flavor was the Frutti di Bosco, which is a mixture of various berries.  It had too many seeds for my taste but I guess that's how you can tell its freshly homemade?  The second time around, I got the tropicale flavor which is a mixture of various tropical fruits.  It. Was. Delicious.  Its a ways away from my apartment but I'm willing to make the trek if I can get gelato for just 1 euro.  This place is also both my roomies' favorite gelateria.  They both enjoy the Yogurt flavor but I wasn't too big a fan but then again, I don't care too much for creamy things.

Flavors (from Top to Bottom Right): Pesca (Peach), Tropicale, and Yogurt.

Antica Gelateria Florentina:
This place was recommended by a "local" Korean Florentine.  Its your stereotypical Italian gelateria, opening whenever the owner feels like it (just kidding! but really late in the day) and offering a smaller selection.  When I got there around 8 p.m., they had already run out of the pistachio and melone flavors which I can only assume means that they make the flavors fresh every morning!  And to top things off, they offer pretty cool flavors that I haven't seen in any other gelateria like litchi (lychee) and matcha (green tea)!  But my favorite part about this place is the 2 scoops for just 1 euro!

Flavors: Litchi (Lychee) and Fragola (Strawberry). c: