Spring Break: Brussels, Amsterdam, and Dublin

My Spring Break, sadly to say, was like a nightmare coming true. It was a lot of fun, a lot of stress, too much cold, and a tiny spark of drama. Well you know what they say about traveling with friends. It can either make the experience or break it. In this case, it broke it. 

I tend to enjoy more spontaneous adventures and having things unplanned so that the magic can work but the two friends I was doing Spring Break were the exact opposite and preferred to have things planned. Not to mention that all three of us had very different interests so it made it even more difficult to plan things. We started in Brussels, Belgium and even though it was late March by this time, it was snowing and beyond cold. We had to lug our duffel bags around with us the entire day and we got lost...a lot. We were on such a time crunch in Brussels that we didn't get to see or do much but we ate BELGIAN WAFFLES and FRIES. 

The ultimate tourist waffle: Belgian waffle doused with Nutella, slices of banana, and sprinkled with chocolate drizzle and sprinkles. YUM :B

With my Belgian fries :B 

We took Megabus from Brussels to Amsterdam, which I highly recommend if you're interested in budget traveling (it only cost us 8€!) Amsterdam is probably one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen but one that I would never want to return to just because of the experience I had. Since Holland is one of the big banking regions in Europe, they only accepted cards with chips in them. Long story short, none of our cards worked and only my card got rejected by every ATM. Next thing I knew, I was out of cash because I had spotted for some people and they paid me back by paying for other expenses. Traveling is never fun when you're broke because you're constantly surrounded by things you can't do, see, or eat because you can't afford any of it. BUT it wasn't all bad. My friend Mike from Pacific was traveling Amsterdam at the same time so Marie and I went out to meet with him and grab a beer. He took us around the Red Light District and my heart sank so much when I saw those girls, so young and beautiful, selling themselves. Even though I knew it was their choice and decision to go into prostitution, I just couldn't stop thinking of what would make them even consider that to be a choice for their lives. It was just so heartbreaking. To my shock, the Red Light District is one of the most beautiful parts of Amsterdam, with the canals glistening from the light of the moon. The next day, we ventured into Den Haag and Leiden to meet up with one of Marie's sorority sisters, Fien. Thank you so much Fien for everything! On our last day in Amsterdam, we went to see the Anne Frank House. My heart was so heavy just imagining two families living in such a small space, praying for the day that they would be free to wander around without persecution. I never appreciated Anne Frank's diary when I was younger but looking back to it now, I can really say that she was an admirable and brave young woman. Afterwards, we wandered around Amsterdam looking for fresh stroopwafels and after a few hours and the help of the many Dutch people we asked, we finally found them! 

With Mike in front of the Red Light District in Amsterdam.

In Leiden.

My favorite and best part of the trip was probably in Dublin. I love the Irish. They are so friendly and jolly! Maybe it was their cheerfulness that lifted my spirits. Compared to Brussels and Amsterdam, Dublin was a lot warmer so it made sight-seeing a lot more bearable. We went on a walking tour of the city and we were welcomed with a 100,000 welcomes, or "Cead Mile Falite" as they say in Gaelic. We did the Guinness Factory tour, a must if you ever visit Dublin even if you don't like beer or Guinness. In Ireland, we did more spontaneous and unplanned things, and went our own ways. By this time, we were kind of starting to get sick of each other (don't travel with friends!). Another one of Marie's sorority sisters who goes to Trinity College met up with us to show us around Dublin at bit. We had the best pub food at O'Neills :B noms. The next day, we took a bus tour to see the Cliffs of Mohr, another must if you visit Ireland. Our bus driver was so jolly (the Irish!) and he made every second, minute, and hour of the tour as enjoyable as possible. Even though it was a wee bit chilly, seeing the ocean made me think of home and long for those sunny days at the beach again. Ireland is filled with so much magic that everyone can't help but be charmed by it. 

Sippin on my Guinness during the Guinness Factory tour!

Marie creepin on my Guiness.

The girls exploring Galway! 

Cliffs of Mohr

After ten days of traveling with two girls that travel on a different pace than I do, I realized how important travel buddies were. I love both Madeline and Marie as friends but let me just say that I probably could never do a trip with the both of them ever again. But exploring these parts of Europe were an adventure in itself and I'm glad I had the opportunity to experience it. Thanks Jesus! <3

Top of the World!

So I heard a rumor that the cupolla of the Duomo was going to be closed off after Easter for the next three years for restoration. This news was very disappointing to me because it was my plan to say good-bye to the city on my last couple of days in Florence by climbing the dome. I didn't want to miss my chance to climb the Duomo since I doubt I'll be able to make it back to Florence anytime soon so right before we (Marie, Madeline, myself and Ben) left for Spring Break, we decided to climb to the top! Over 400 steps later, we made it to the TOP! 

Climbing the stairs up the Duomo! Here with Marie creeping up on me! 

Giotto's campanile from the top of the Duomo. 

From L to R: Madeline, Marie, Ben, and myself.

Playing Catch-Up

I'm very sorry to all of my readers for not keeping up with my blogposts! I promise to try my best to update this at least once a week! hehe

So much has happened since the semester started that I don't know where to begin. We're going into our fifth week of school which means I haven't blogged for five weeks and midterms and SPRING BREAK is just around the corner! God has blessed me with so much this semester and everyday I wake up with more reasons to continue thanking Him for what he's done for me. For the first time (EVER), my close group of friends are all Christians. My roommate Madeline and I go to church and Bible study together and although at times it feels weird, I'm glad to have someone who will push me to go to Church when I have those days when I don't feel like it. Having such a close group of friends who share the same faith as me has made being abroad much more easier. My heart weeps when I meet other study abroad students who long to get "blacked out" and "shit-faced" drunk every night. There's nothing wrong with drinking but why would anyone want to wake up the next morning not remembering what they did the night before? 

Looking back at my photos, I'm coming to the realization that I've done so much within the first half of my semester! I went to Venezia for Carnevale and got to visit the islands of Murano and Burano. I visited Steph in Torino the same weekend that Mike was visiting her so I got to see another Italian city and see two great friends at the same time. I also got to revisit Pisa and take my touristy photo and see Joyce and Guido again in Montecatini. I went to Rome to have my own Lizzie McGurie adventure and I got to see Papa while I was there! But what makes me so happy about this semester is being able to fellowship with everyone from Church. Just last weekend, the weather was so beautiful and EVERYONE was able to come out to Cascine Park. It was so wonderful to be able to have a mini picnic and sing praises to Him. And the most amazing thing was being able to see how our worship to the Lord was immediately changing the atmosphere in the park. People kept looking our way to see what those "strange Americans" were doing and I know God will work wonders in all those who were there at the park that day. 

Last weekend, I had a mini breakdown. On Friday, my wallet was stolen again for the second time. This week was such a struggle to get through because I was running low on food and I had absolutely no money. Everyday was a test to my faith and trust in God. I was stripped bare of everything I had and the only thing I had left was my faith in Him. My wallet still hasn't been found but I believe that he will work another miracle for me. In the meantime, I only have more words of thanks to say to Him.

Enjoying the sun on the island of Murano with my roomie and Marie! 

Got to see these lovely peeps in Torino! 

Enjoying the night out and supporting DJ Simo!

On the Spanish Steps in Rome!

Enjoying a nice sunny day in Florence!

Meet Kayla

To be honest, after the semester ended its been very hard dealing with everyone returning back to the States and the idea of having to make new friends and undergo the whole awkward introduction phase again overwhelmed me. I was beginning to feel very lonely. I picked up traveling on my own because I wanted to break out of my shell (and leave the house) but it didn't help because my loneliness was coming from my empty relationship with God. I was spiritually empty and my soul was craving for the word of God but rather than seeking the Lord, I tried to satisfy my emptiness with materialistic things--shopping, watching movies, traveling, etc. When I came back from my self-traveling, I finally decided to fully surrender to the Lord and I told him my needs. I was lonely and in need of a good friend, someone who could keep me accountable with my relationship with Him and also be my good travel buddy.

Then comes Kayla. Kayla, as my mom puts it, is an angel that God sent to me from heaven. Just to give you a little background on Kayla: she studied abroad in Florence a year ago and after her program ended, she returned back to the States, finished and graduate from university, and had found a job. Basically her life was set. But one day, God told her to return back to Italy and after much contemplation and seeking the Lord, Kayla decided to quit her job, sell her car, and buy a one-way ticket to Italy. Isn't she crazy? Crazy for the Lord! Luckily for me, Kayla was going to stay with the same missionary couple, Joyce and Guido, that I was staying with! Praise the Lord! I got an accountability buddy and a travel buddy all in one! 

Within just minutes of talking with Kayla, I knew that we were going to have a great time adventuring around Italy together! Our first day in Montecatini, we went on an impromptu hike to Montecatini Alto and got to know each other better and talk about our past relationships and just delve into God's goodness. Even though I have only known Kayla for just a little over one week, I feel as if I have known her forever! She really is my sweet sister in Christ <3 

Brothers and sisters in Christ -- presso Viareggio.

My new friend Kayla -- presso Lucca

From L to R: me, Sara, Steven, and Kayla after a hard Zumba workout :P -- presso Montecatini

Self-Traveling

After I returned from my adventures in Paris and London for the holidays, I decided to try traveling on my own for the first time. I needed time to reflect on my time in Europe and just take every moment to be grateful for all of my blessings. Being able to come to study in Europe, especially with my family's and my financial state, and still be able to see as much as I did and do, it truly is something that only God can provide. And He truly really does provide. 

I packed my bag and went out to explore more of Italy. After all, I am studying in Italy and what better way to practice my much forgotten Italian than by exploring more of Italy? I bought my train tickets and set out to see Bologna, Ravenna, Rimini, and the Republic of San Marino. 

As the train approached Bologna, I saw white, fluffy snow piled on top of the tracks. There must have been at least three inches of snow on the ground! Snow was falling on my head as I walked out of the station to find my hostel. IT IS NOT FUN LUGGING A DUFFEL BAG WHILE WALKING THROUGH SLUSHY SNOW! I had heard great things about Bologna. It was supposed to be Florence without the tourists and I was excited to see a true Italian city. But more importantly, Bologna is best known as a bustling metropolitan with lots of students due to one of the oldest universities being in Bologna and as the gastronomical capital of Italy. Bologna is the city where pasta alla Bolognese, ragu, and pesto come from. My friends had told me about the food stalls and food markets that fill the piazzas around Bologna but I guess the cold winter months made all the vendors close down. As I was exploring around Bologna, little balls of fluffy snow started to rain heavily down. I got so excited because this was my first time seeing snow fall from the sky (that I can remember) and started to take pictures. A passing Italian man looked at me taking pictures and he started to laugh at me, asking me why I was taking pictures. 

A snowy day in Bologna.

With the weather getting worse, I had to cut my travel plans short. The next day, I took a trip out to Ravenna to see the city of Byzantine art. Everything that I had learned during my first semester, I could apply in this city. For all those art history buffs out there, I SAW THE BASILICA OF SAN VITALE! Jesus pieced together by thousands of stones and gold on the ceiling of the dome was breathtaking. I only wish I had more time to see the tomb of the poet Dante Alighieri but sadly, I had a train to catch.

A street in Ravenna.

I have to say that Rimini was my favorite. Located on the Adriatic coast of Italy, it is the hometown of the renown Italian director Federico Fellini. Many Italians flock to Rimini during the warm summer months to relax along the coast and get their tan on. Rimini is your typical small Italian town where everything closes between the hours of 13:00 to 15:00. And since it rarely sees tourists, many of the local Italians in town are willing to help with a visitor! As I was walking along the streets, so many cars and passerbys would wave at me and smile! It felt so nice to be welcomed. 

A small boat docked in Rimini.

Paris for Christmas, New Year's in London! Part II

So this is the story of how a wonderful vacation turned into a nightmare.

Originally, I had no intention of joining the rest of the group for New Year's in London. I had already been to London for my Fall Break and I didn't feel the need to go back. But being surrounded by everyone else over Christmas made me really want to be with people for my New Year's festivities. After all, it was the one holiday that my friends and I would always celebrate together back home in Hawaii. So I bought a $200 plane ticket to London during our stay in Paris and to a certain extent, I was actually looking forward to doing all the things I never got to do during my Fall Break. But within days of spending time with everyone in our apartment in Paris, everyone came to the realization that even though we all share the same/similar majors, we were all so very different. Deidre's insistence that she shouldn't have to pay her 3 euros worth for the white bread and white pasta that she didn't eat was causing much frustration amongst the people in the group. Michelle's calculations to divide the cost of groceries was getting confusing. But overall, Paris was a nice trip. Things started to go downhill with the realization that even though they were going to London via train, they still needed passports. Alexis, who had joined the rest of us two days later had left her passport in her boyfriend's pocket and he had taken it back with him to the Netherlands. So Alexis couldn't go to London. I chose to meet up with everyone two days later. 

From L to R: me, James, Dawn, Logan, Kristen, Sam, and Deidre. 

Big Ben at midnight!

Fireworks over the London Eye

Before I even set foot on British soil, I realized how big of a mistake I had made. The hotel that they had booked for London was a ways out of the city center. No one could pull out cash from the ATMs. Anna's card was eaten by the ATM machine. They couldn't afford to pay the hotel for the number of days they had booked. No one knew how much they had to pay for the hotel. The hotel was shitty. By the time I arrived, Dawn had decided to pay her share and leave. Anna and her boyfriend had booked a different hotel for the two of them. I went with Dawn to her place in Reading. Michelle had contacted James without telling anyone and had secured herself housing for her and Shannon. Logan, Kristen, and Deidre were left by themselves. To add to this mess, I discovered the day before I flew out to London that I could not transfer money into my checkings account and was limited to just 80 pounds for a week in London. And if you know London, 80 pounds will get you nowhere. 

Dawn's parents booked a hotel room for her and a friend--me--for New Year's Eve. Dawn had told me that it was cheaper than the hotel option that Michelle had (100 pounds for 3 nights). Once we get to the hotel, I find out that her parents had booked the Sheraton hotel which I would have to pay her 70 pounds for one night. 70 POUNDS FOR ONE NIGHT! 

But New Year's Eve! Everyone was hyped up for the 15-minute firework show that would overlook the London Eye. Dawn and I met up with James, who had separated from Michelle and Shannon, and we were camping out for the show (none of us wanted to). We managed to find Logan, Kristen, and Deidre amongst hundreds of people camping out for New Years festivities. It was great to catch up with them because the whole point of this trip was for all of us to be together. 

Big Ben struck midnight, fireworks blasted over the London Eye, people were cheering, New Years hugs and kisses all around us. The end. It took Dawn and I four hours to get back to our hotel (at least public transportation was free for the rest of the morning). As great as that firework show was, it was not worth the $200 plane ticket + the 80 pounds I spent on transportation + the 70 pounds on the hotel that I was barely in. New Years in London made me realize how much I missed being back home in Hawaii and my family and friends. But I can't complain because how many people can say they spent New Years Even in London--at one of the biggest New Years festivities? I am truly blessed! 

Christmas in Paris, New Year's Eve in London! Part I

Ciao Ciao ragazzi!

Buon Natale e Felice Nuovo Anno a tutti! <3

This was the first time I spent the holidays away from my family and friends back in Hawaii. The SIS students studying abroad in Europe managed to get together for a week in Paris to celebrate Christmas followed by another week in London for New Year's Eve. It was nice to see familiar faces again and to spend the holidays with friends.

After missing my flight to Edinburgh and bumming it at my friend Michelle's place in Milan for a week, I was ready to explore what Paris had to offer me. It was my first time traveling entirely by myself and getting lost in the middle of Paris' Chinatown at night was not the greatest way to start my Parisian adventure. It was dark, it was cold, and to top it all off, it was dripping rain. As my feet started to swell up in my new wedge booties (what was I thinking?!?), the tears started to flow down my cheeks as it became more apparent to me that I was lost and could not find my hostel. Just past midnight and after asking many Parisians, I was able to find my hostel. I have never been so grateful for a roof over my head and a nice warm bed to fall asleep in.

I wanted to be in Paris before everyone else got in because I wanted the time to see the extensive art collections. As soon as I awoke, I was out the door to find my way to the Louvre. Luckily for me, almost all of the public museums in Paris are free to EU residents and/or if you have a study visa for three months or longer. In other words, I GOT INTO THE LOUVRE FOR FREE!! As an art history major, its overwhelming to your mind trying to process all of these masterpieces from different time and stylistic periods all at once. Having studied some of the early pre-Renaissance Italian art during my first semester in Florence, I felt a deeper connection to the works of Giotto and Cimabue. But my deep love for the Neoclassical French artist Jacques-Louis David had me breathless the moment I saw his many works hanging off of the velvet red walls.

Exploring Europe has had many firsts for me. But Paris will forever be home to my first couch-surfing experience. My host, Orlando, was very sweet, but to be honest, unless I'm going to couchsurf with someone else, I would have rather paid the extra 20 to 30 euros for a hostel.

It felt great to be reunited with everyone else that night. Although not all of us were really friends to begin with, the week that we spent cramped up in that apartment definitely brought us closer together (9 people in a 6 people apartment!). So much happened during that one week time span that my memories of it are all blurred. Here's my recap:

Sacre-Coeur with these lovelies

Disneyland Paris on Christmas day!

Chateau de Versailles

Ohh heyy! How is [insert country here]? Lots of hugs. Shittt, did we really finish off 6 bottles of wine in one night? Back to the Louvre! Christmas markets! Is that the Eiffel Tower? Lingerie! They sell macarons at a lingerie store? No, Laduree! Versailles! Can you take a picture of me? Its cold, lets go back. Uhh, I can't eat white pasta and white bread because I'm lactose intolerant so I shouldn't have to pay for that bread, etc. Jewish + Gay quarter in one location? The best FALAFELS in Paris! ALEXIS. Midnight mass at Notre Dame! Deidre, this isn't the H&M dressing room. You guys, I'm not drunk enough for mass. Lets speak in different languages! Holy shit, is that the line for mass? I really need to pee. Yes, the line is moving! You guys, I really want to stay until mass is over. Logan brought his French friends over. Oh I'm learning how to play the guitar! Hysterical laughs. DISNEYLAND PARIS FOR CHRISTMAS! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! Fawwwk, I don't know where James is. JAMES! Montmarte and Sacre-Coeur. Eiffel tower! :B Where's the statue of liberty? LONDON bound! I don't have my passport. Shitttttt. Ciao ciao ragazzi~! 

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

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

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.

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!

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!