E-mail Address Change

Johns Hopkins has kind of changed our email addresses from the original ones we were given, we actually have mulitple reflecting different campuses, but the one that seems to work now is:
hkauffman09@jhubc.it

If you have sent me a message in the last month or so and I haven't answered, please re-send it to this email addy and accept my apologies!

Milano

Waking up at 6:30 on a Saturday morning is only acceptable if your plan for the day is going to be incredible... and I had no idea what to expect when I climbed aboard the Eurostar to go to Milan with three friends.

We were traveling with my friend, Yumna, as she was going to the airport in Milan to fly back to the states and have her citizenship interview. She has possessed a greencard for 14 years and has lived in the U.S. full time for 4 years... of course 4 weeks after she leaves for Italy she gets an appointment for her interview :)

We arrived with just enough time for her to see the main Piazza and the Duomo- Europe's fourth largest cathedral.

Unfortunately, pictures are unable to capture it fully. The pink marble stones are each boast a different hue and give the massive building a color unlike anything I have ever seen. Outside, figures representing church elders, biblical figures, and martyrs are on just about every wall. Spires reach to the heavens and one can actually climb up to the top of the Duomo and see the spires up close and get a good look at the city.

We found a self service place that overlooked the city in the galleria (the same meal on the ground floor of this building would have cost enough to take the train to and for the first time since getting here, I got to make my own salad! No olives!

After refuelling, we decided to take a chance at getting into the last supper, which is painted in a simple but lovely church northwest of city center. When the tickets were sold out, we tried every tactic available but were unable to see the painting which Dan Brown has turned into an object of controversy. However, the church itself is lovely and a marked contrast from the extravagance of the duomo!

Being that I am usually the planner of such excursions, I get to slip in things of interest to yours truly, even if they are a bit odd. Enter the memorial cemetery. This place, north of the city center, is a walled in menagerie of crypts, mausoleums and extravagant grave coverings. The graves often had figures depicting women tearing at themselves with grief, or young man decked out for battle.

We also discovered that the cemetery has a keeper who was busily patrolling the area

After much all of this running around and acclimating ourselves to the cities very user-friendly public transportation, we traversed the streets dedicated to high end fashion stores, and even this girl who never pays more than she can count on her fingers for clothing found herself drooling a bit. Everything in Milan is expensive, yet somehow I found a cafe that was perfect for people watching in which my travel buddy and I were able to enjoy cappuccinos and then wine for a total of 5 euro. It made us feel rather smart, something we needed after we had managed to get lost coming back from the cemetery...

Sunday marked the first day I took it easy since arriving. It also marked one month since my arrival. Tomorrow, I will complete my Italian final and next Monday, my real classes start. It is a shame that the carefree weekends will come to a halt and trips away will once again be luxuries carefully plotted around studying. Oh, it's so rough to be a graduate student

Fun with Italian

I feel as though I am contributing to Italian linguistics:

forchette = fork

cucciaio = spoon

Therefore, cuccette = spork!

This is how we learn in graduate school:

Every day that I leave my apartment, I am loaded down with books, my computer, purse, and a huge bottle of frizzante water to get me through my long day of studying Italian. When there is trash to throw away, I have to finagle my way through lifting the giant dumpster's lid and chucking a bag up and over the rim while now disposing of my own possessions...

Yes, I have been living here almost 4 weeks and just yesterday did I discover that there is a foot pedal at the base of said dumpster... Foot pedals! Brilliant!

Living in a new land is always a humbling experience. I have learned prettymuch every lesson the hard way or vicariously through friends. Look down when you run, they don't curb dogs here. Shop around for your soda/water/panini- the same thing costs something different even 20 meters apart on the same street. The list goes on and is far from complete!

Sciopero!

We planned a lovely weekend in Cinque Terra- all the arrangements had been set and Friday afternoon on September 12th saw many fidgety SAIS'ers who were anxious to get to what is perported to be one of the most beautiful coasts in the world.

Having hopped on our train about 30 seconds before it took off, six of us settled in for our 3.5 hour train ride to the small town where we would connect to the small train which would take us to our rooms for the evening. We excitedly discussed our plans and speculated about the serenity that was going to embrace us upon our arrival.

The train arrived on time in La Spezia and two of us scurried to get some sandwiches while the rest rushed to the platform where the train was just pulling up... yet it was dark and deserted. We scratched our heads and eventually found a conductor who told us that no more trains would run tonight... "Sciopero!" This was a word we had ironically just leanred in class the day before. Yes, Italians enjoy their strikes and we found ourselves stranded, about 20 miles from our accomodations.

But we're not ones to let this get us down! Some called and cancelled reservations while others scoured the area for affordable hotels. We found a great, if tiny and spartan, hotel where the portly old front desk man was all too happy to help us with our Italian and with plan B's. He even told us he'd keep the doors open late so we could check out this fair city.

We celebrated our new situation with spumante and then headed out into the town around 11:00. It turns out we were stuck in a great little city that had its yearly festival that weekend! We were greeted by street performers, live music, lively crowds and an overall exeuberence that was nothing if not contageous.

We got up early and headed to the only means of transport to Cinque Terra- a boat ride on the open seas... which were a bit choppy due to the overcast, somewhat rainy weather. Upon our arrival to the ticket booth, we found ourselves stuck again as the boat would only take us to Portovenere, a town south of the five cities whose existance we were questioning at that point. We cut our losses and took the boat, finding that the clouds coming down over the mountain provided a view we would never have gotten on a clear day.

Portovenere greeted us with the best pesto we've ever tasted, and even gave us an opportunity to satisfy a craving after the shops closed. (Yes, that's a vending machine)

The castle on the hill overlooking the city was in ruins and was ours exclusively to explore as the weather had driven off any other tourists. We ate fresh figs off of the trees and discovered hidden rooms, vineyards, and even a kitty cat.

A church stood on a precipice overlooking the sea. We arrived there just as a wedding was being completed. The bride exited the church, bells rand, and twelve white doves preceeded her outside. We all knew that we would have never discovered this place had everything gone to plan. Lauren and I spend the early evening exploring La Spezia's hills and seaside views via a huge run and all of us had one of the best and most affordable meals since arriving in Italy.

Sunday provided us with weather worthy of Cinque Terre and the trains were kind enough to operate. We finally got to these lovely little cities and had breakfast overlooking the sea. We took the "lover's path" to the next city and after exploring each place for a few moments, we hiked to the next. The paths connecting these cities are maintained by the National Park and offer differing types of hikes. Some paths are paved and right on the sea, some climb into the mountains and offer a rigerous hike, but all remove you from yourself and your cares while you breathe fresh sea air and hear the pebbles rolling over each other on the beach.

An attempt to put our feet into the water ended with all of us soaked from the waist down and I was eternally grateful for my lightweight pants that dried in the time it owuld take jeans to stop dripping. We got to the 4th village, Riomaggiore, just as the rain began and it just so happened to be (well past) lunch time. We wasted away the next few hours with wine and lunch on the shore under a big umbrella and sunned ourselves on giant rocks after the rain subsided.

The rest of the evening went without incident and we even got our homework done on the train ride home. No fewer than thirty of our classmates spent the following weekend doing just as we had done... except they all had backup plans. Sometimes the best things happen when everything goes wrong.

Contact Information!

Sorry I've been so lax on this one:

Mail: Heather Kauffman
c/o Johns Hopkins University
Bologna Center
Via Belmeloro 11
40126 Bologna, Italy

My Cell Phone: (+39) 348-129-5085
If you are calling from a normal phone line, use 0039 and then the number, if you are using a calling card (a great option, they're very cheap), the you will be able to drop the 00 and just use 39 (Italy's country code)

John's Hopkin's Number: (+39) 051- 291- 7811
Email: Hkauffman09@jhubc.it

Mezza Maritona!

In the list of crazy things I said I'd never do but did... I ran a half marathon on Sunday! Bologna was having theirs, which started and ended at my favorite park and ran all around this old walled city. Lauren, a friend from pre-term, and I decided to just show up and give it our best shot. We couldn't register (the website kept timing out and there was no in-person registration) but just lined up with everyone and ran our hearts out.
While we ran, we rather enjoyed giggling at the men wearing necklaces to add even more sparkle and shine to their chest hair than the sweat did. Also, men's shorts are a bit short on the runners here. We also found a man with a mullett that looked like the horrible love child of A.C. Slater and Will Ferrill. Shudders
We took tiny walk breaks every 4 kilometers, which made it very bearable. I could not believe, having never run further than 10K, I was able to run the full 21.5 without much difficulty and didn't even feel terribly stiff or sore afterwards or today. We did not have timing chips since we could't register, but our time was about 2 hours and 5 minutes. I wish I had a picture, but I did get a pendant which I will cherish forever. Here is the website, if you are interested: http://www.runtuneup.it/

The day's fun didn't end there, but I believe I will have to wait for another day. Hope all is well in the U.S.

Meet Heather Jetson...

I now know how paychecks and lollipops feel. I went to the bank the other day after lunch to get some Euros. SAIS has a lovely deal with the bank across the street that allows us to withdraw cash without any fees and with the actual exchange rate... which keeps getting better!


Upon entering the bank, I had to hit a button whereupon a little clear cylinder opened up which was just big enough for me and my purse... and perhaps a small dog. The door proceeded to slide closed behind me and I realizee I was in a giant version of the capsule you use at the drive-up when going to the bank. I don't see any doors and begin to wonder which direction I will go. Will the glass before me open, allowing me to enter into the bank, or will I be subject to an Augustus Gloop-esque fate ala Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? The concept of being sucked into a world of chocolate did seem like a perferable alternative to going back to Italian lessons... however before I could contemplate my fate any further, the door opened and I made my transaction easily. However, I won't soon forget the sensation of feeling as though I would be whisked away...

Bologna!

Red. That's the first word anyone thinks upon entering its gates. It is completely as it's been for centuries, within the old city walls there is no new infrastructure, however this does not reflect the people, who can't help but change with the times. Graffiti plagues parts of the city while other parts boast beautiful little shops, bakeries, cafes, and flats. All businesses and apartments are located in the old red buildings, and because there are so many big strings of them lining every street, it's impossible to see any part of the city from where you are standing. If you find a new place to eat, it's because you literally bumped into it!

It is a University town as well with Europe's oldest university (which sits smack next to SAIS) so students from around the world are starting to move in, as classes start in about 4 weeks for European students.

Yes, there are vespas everywhere and bicycles. It is reportedly a sport for the locals to steal bikes. I leanred today my Italian instructor has had hers stolen 29 times in her life! The cars and drivers are small and nuts. Pedestrians beware.


I am finally settled into an apartment, after three days at a very nice hotel. I will recommend anyone visiting stay at this establishment. Friendly staff, good recommendations, great room, and a superb breakfast each morning!

My apartment is about a two minute walk from the big park outside the city walls, on the southeast side of town. I can walk to school in about 15 minutes if I go quickly... but I like the sights too much so it's been taking closer to 25. My room overlooks the street, Via San Stefano, which has a reputation for being one of the more beautiful ones in the city. It has a big window and makes me choose between opening it to sleep in a decent temperature or sweating to get quiet for my slumber as the miles- long buildings reflect all sound. My friends and I who planned on living together unfortunately had a rather traumatic few days trying to find a place to rest our heads for the next nine months, and unfortunately had to split up. I am living with an Uzbek girl who will eventually be very useful when I switch my language instruction to Russian next month and an American whose Russian girlfriend is supposed to move in in a few weeks. I am fortunate though, two of the girls are still living in a hotel.

More about other topics of interest soon. Just to allay any worries, there is plenty of cappuccino, gelato, and cured meats everywhere and it is all wonderful. While Bologna isn't a paradise, it's certainly full of personality and most importantly, it's miles away from D.C.

Ciao for now!