Duty

So I am sitting in "America and the World Since 1945" a fascinating class I audit only because I learn so much about my own country and the professor is so eloquently spoken... so you can effectively call me a nerd. Anyway... he has said the word "duty" like 8 times in the last 2 minutes... and I can't stop giggling. Thank God I am sitting in the back.

What? You mean I have to take Tests? I'm just here for the Gelato!

After falling off of the face of the earth for about a week and a half, I am happy to announce that I survived midterms! My brain was a mish mash of graphs, indifference curves, supply and demand, and trying to wrap my brain around Krugman's economies of scale approach to trade... yeah.


Mixed into that was trying to stuff in Russian vocabulary and grammar (what language needs 6 cases?). Here is an example of the wonderful exceptions and rules we get to contend with while studying the language of the Motherland:

If you are talking about one of something, you use the nominative singular case.

If you are talking about 2,3, or 4 things, you use genitive singular

If you want to discuss 5 or more things, you use genitive plural.

Seriously?

Yana, my Russian language teacher, told us once that maybe big decision makers at various points in history drank too much vodka , fell over, and said things incorrectly but because they're in charge it had to stick. Yep, another exception to the rule! Khorosho!



After completing my last midterm last Wednesday, I rushed home to pack a very small bag so as not to disobey Ryanair's regulations and Thursday afternoon, I flew to beautiful Germany!

As I landed, I could not get a rediculous grin off of my face. The cold air and falling rain were completely lost on me. I simply love that country and being surrounded by the old familliar things I had forgotten how much I adore... Apfelschorle, bars that serve each kind of beer in its own glass, bakeries around every corner, people who walk everywhere (and for fun!), things running on time, oh it goes on. I ran around the airport talking to everyone who would speak w' me. I was happy that my language skills, while horribly deteorated, still exist somewhere in the back hollows of my brain (trying to distinguish itself from the terrible Italian and Russian concepts that muddle my thoughts).



Perhaps the ticket is cheap, but it lands a passenger at Frankfurt Hahn's airport, about a zillion miles from anything but other Ryanair planes. To get anywhere, hop on a bus. Mine took me to Frankfurt's main train station (which is an hour and a half from Hahn... indicating that perhaps the first part of the airport's name is a bit of a stretch...). My bus ride was enhanced by the lady sitting next to me, a Mexican Mormon who had actually done her LDS mission work in Allentown, Pennsylvania... needless to say she had an interesting story to tell :)

Add a train ride to the mix, and finally I was in Stuttgart, walking down the train platform. People around me broke off from the herd as they found their friends and family and hugged them. I knew my hug was waiting at the end of the platform... yep, there it was! Aunt Mary was a willing provider. We took the S Bahn to her car and she drove me to her lovely place outside of the city.

That day, I rode in: A taxi, plane, underground, bus, train, and privately owned vehicle. Put John Candy and Steve Martin to shame ;)

The next day, I got the supreme honor of going onto the base and getting to experience the commisary! Oh the peanut butter! The beef jerkey! The concept that salads don't have to ALWAYS have balsalmic vinegar on them... wonders to be beheld. Dr. Pepper!

We had a lovely evening prepping for the next day, which was dominated (save a run and a trip to the Ritter Sport outlet- holla at ya Knusperkeks!) by getting ready for our Thanksgiving Day, observed. Snow joined us in afternoon and decorated the landscape, enhancing the festive nature even if we didn't have a parade to watch.

I made my first ever pumpkin pies (which I added some secret ingredients to, much to Aunt Mary's chagrin). Three guests joined us for a wonderful dinner party. Our gracious hostess made a champagne punch, and we began with pumpkin soup, followed by salads, followed by a very traditional meal... Turkey, mashed taters, cranberries, stuffing- cornbread and regular, green beans, and just to mix it up, some roasted veggies, Italian style with a balsalmic reduction (wonder who made that...). Oh it was fantastic and the company was wonderful.

The next day brought snow and a return trip, this time on Air France. I returned to Bologna refreshed and ready to take on another half of a semester. This Thanksgiving day, I am shirking tradition with friends... two of my girlies are hosting a middle-eastern themed dinner party. Not to worry, Student Government will be hosting a HUGE thanksgiving dinner on Saturday that will dominate the day... after of course I am out of Russian Politics class. Multi Cultural Thanksgivings! I am grateful to be here and have this opportunity.

I am thinking of each of you and wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving day filled with TOO MUCH of everything: Family, football, food, pie, ice cream, walks, laughs, trivial persuit, parades, and naps!

Cheers and love to you!

Chocolate Festival!

There is a sad consequence to my decision to move to Italy... my yearly pilgrimage to Fairfax, Virginia for the annual Chocolate Festival with the beautiful women on my mom's side of the family is a victim of geography.

While I may miss this wonderful opportunity to sample the D.C. metro area's finest confections, fear not, I have found another chocolate festival to fill the hole in my heart (and belly).

Perugia is a populare small city that has its own chocolate company and hosts a big chocolate festival each year. It's most well known product has to be "Baci" (Kisses- yummy chocolate bon-bons that are filled with hazelnut goodness- you can get them at the checkout of any grocery store)

This year, the event was sponsored by Eurochocolate, a Europe wide chocolate organization that has festivals a few times a year in different European cities. The next one is in February in Switzerland!

The entire small city, a beautiful place, transforms to accomodate the massive influx of chocolate craving Italians and foreigners! Special "Choco-Line" busses circulate perpetually taking drooling visitors from the train station up the great hill to the ancient part of the city. Rachel and I wanted to do it in a day, but knew about all our school work obligations so we got up at 5am on Sunday, hopped on an early train, studied on the way there... ok that's a stretch... we began studying when we were spotted by a group of Ph.D. students from Florence who had been partying all night in Bologna. They were from all over Europe and convinced us to join them as they sang Irish and Scottish folk songs... much to the chagrin of the sleepy eyed passengers who were not still drinking Heineken at 7:15 am. We didn't partake in that part but enjoyed the camaraderie on our commute.

Once you arrive and take the bus, you make your way up a walkway to an old stone castle where the stands begin. Exiting the establishment, you find yourself completely crowded on each side and herding yourself along in between all the stands by every chocolate maker you can imagine. Some are giving small samples- be ready to push! Chocolate liquor, chocolate bars, confections, spreads (think of 20 varieties of Nutella), crepes, truffles, even pasta with cocoa in it are everywhere you look. It's hard to fully describe the smells, but heavenly begins... It was great to see all the fancy chefs in big hats putting together plates of chocolate slices and cream or making new bon bons. Live music peppered the afternoon but the majority of the noise came from the masses anxiously ordering their deliciousness! Children milled about with candy in both hands and smears on their blissful faces. Parents juggled balloons and bags of treats and tried to find the time to dabble in the liquors served in chocolate shot glasses. Pictures try to make up for my vocabulary inadequacies:

In addition, there were some specialty food stands set up. I got to sample truffle (the mushroom variety) spreads, truffle cheese and salami, and ended up buying some porcini/truffle spread that made the most incredible pasta and eggs for me for a few weeks to come :)
We hopped on an over-crowded train early in the afternoon and had to stand for over an hour until our connection in an unknown city (the train out of our normal connection city was completely sold out by the time we tried to get our tickets that morning- this chocofest is serious business) and found a wonderful street market where we found wonderful mediterranean dried fruits and olives that provided some real substinance to the day.
Amazingly, we got a lot of schoolwork done on those long train rides and counted the entire day as a success. My roommates, who bailed at the last minute, were also most grateful as they were rewarded for their absence with treats :)

More about classes

Contemporary Russian Politics is another class around which I am trying to wrap my head. It is taught by a visiting professor who flies in every other week from the University of Glasgow to teach us. Because of this, I only have the course every other week, but two days in a row- Friday evening and Saturday morning. Yes, that sounds dreadful, but since weekends are often consumed by studying anyway, it's really not so different from how one would spend a typical Saturday morning.

Professor White is properly British. He always pronounces the "h" in words like "what" or "why." He makes witty observations- pointing out with a chuckle that "per capita" is like saying "per heads" rather than "per head"and should therefore be "per capot," but doesn't think this will catch on... ahahaha (yes, exactly 3 ha's from him).

He is brilliant and has studied subject extensively- having met with pretty much every influential Russian you could name and has a story about all of them. We are learning about what a democracy really is and whether Russia is moving towards this or away from it. The reading for this coming Friday is all about elections since the fall of the Soviet Union. I find it very interesting but am intimidated by the thought of taking a final on it all!

Hope everyone is recovering from election excitement- people here at SAIS went crazy and there is an air of excitement all about (if you ever wondered about the political sway of higher education... well lets just say this was bigger than the superbowl, world series (go phillies!) and olympics combined!). Cheers!

Paradise

Tuscany... and olive grove... a stone house up a windy mountain road that overlooks the countryside... a brick oven... a hostess eager to utilize said oven... a host eager to share homemade blueberry grapa... I can't say much more than that.

The third Saturday in October was honestly the closest thing to heaven I think I've ever come. 11 good friends made this trek to Morgan's parent's newly purchased weekend home, which used to be a Buddhist retreat. We went to help harvest olives from a grove that had been neglected by its previous owners.

Hard at work!

Each of us was truly blown away by the hospitality shown to us by the caretakers. They drove to the bus station to pick us up, fed us homemade delicacies- bread, pizza, cheeses, infused olive oils, apple streudel... it goes on. Wine flowed freely and the weather turned from dreary to cheery as removed our Bologna/SAIS shackles and embraced the kindness afforded to us.

The evening affords the opportunity to see so many stars in the clear sky. Its so humbling to see different constellations and patterns than you are used to seeing on the East coast... and comforting at the same time to find the familliar ones from back home, even if they aren't where you are used to seeing them

The home isn't yet furnished so we laid on yoga mats to "sleep." We were also blessed with an extra hour!

We were there for only 20 hours yet I don't think any of us were the same when we left... Sunday, in the library, when we saw one another, we just would share a wistful smile. It was truly nirvana and when I need to escape, I just close my eyes and remember that world far from graphs, essays, and reading lists... ommmmmmmm....

Guess What?

2 Fridays ago, I humbled myself before the student body and told them, straight from the heart, why I wanted to represent them. I had written a speech but left it at home and just spoke as I felt.

Four days later, I was elected to the Student Government! I am so happy to report that I am class treasurer and chair of the Career Development committee. Meetings/luncheons/assemblies have dominated my time ever since and it's all just beginning! Still, I have the opportunity to do good things for my classmates and intend to give my all :)

In other representative democracy news, I voted today.

And Happy Happy Birthday to my beloved big brother :) You make 29 look fantabulous!

I realize that I have said almost nothing about my every day life here! I've been in normal classes for three weeks now! The time has flown like nothing I have ever known. I can't stress enough that every second is consumed by my studies and activities.


Where to start? I guess I can say a bit about my classes. They only take up 2 hours each a week, but actually require the majority of my waking moments.

I am taking 4 classes, auditing one, and taking a language course (which isn't for credit) because I must pass a Russian proficiency exam before I can get a degree in my dual concentration of International Economics and Russian and Eurasian Studies, with, if I can make it work, a specialization in Emerging Markets.

My four classes are: Macroeconomics, International Trade (another economics course), Contemporary Russian Politics, and Science, Technology, and International Affairs.

Macroeconomics is being taught this semester by a gentleman, Professor Elson, who is an economist rather than a professor. He is visiting for the semester from D.C. where he works for pretty much every influential economics organization in the District. He is an older man and very considerate. Because he is not a professor by trade, his lectures are absent of the normal banter professors have learned makes their lectures bearable, but his experience in the field brings a great perspective on a course that is so strictly theory (everything we learn is prefaced by "here are the assumptions for this model to work..."). It is a required course of everyone and while not the most enthralling, gives us a grounds to work on and the illusion we have some idea of what's going on with the financial crisis.

International trade theory is taught by an amazing man, Doctor Plummer. He is always on European television. Whenever there is a newsworthy event in the economic world, he is giving a perspective on it to some news source. This course is, again, a requirement of all of us to get our economics concentrations satisfied. It is great to have a course that makes logical sense and isn't solely based on readings and theory. Sometimes you brain gets burned out and you just want to draw an indifference curve rather than read another 50 page essay on the prerequisites for democracy!

Well, that's half of them, I believe I will save the rest for another post as not to bore any of you! Hope all is well and hope to hear from all of you soon :)

Fingerprints and cobwebs

In part of the never-ending buerocratic process of getting permission to live for the year in Italy (the visa is only the beginning!), I was fingerprinted yesterday by government officials.

As a bunch of in-shape students had to trot to keep up with the short, bald nearly elderly man who works at SAIS who was leading the way (he's all business!), we wondered if we would get to do impressions of Iraqi's voting and be covered with ink for the rest of the day. These thoughts were reinforced when we entered the big old building in which the office sits. The waiting area had been inhabited by spiders, who had left their evidence high above on the ceiling and a hole was in the stone outer wall, large enough for a pigeon to enter through.

Here comes the dichotomy of this city- infared machines read our fingerprints while the building crumbled around us. Ah fair Bologna, will you ever let us unravel your mystery?

Oh the plus side, there still is no real international fingerprint database, so I can still commit crimes in most of the world! Hooray!

Pisa Mezza Maritona!

"Pisa is not worth a day trip"

This was the advice I'd gotten from many people about the city known for this tower which, if you grew up in the 80's, reminds you of a V-8 commercial. There has to be some excuse to go here for a little bit... just to see the tower... think... think...

Aha!

I'll con a bunch of my friends into getting up at 5:30 am to run a half marathon through the tiny city! That'll be easy! Actually, after telling people about my fabulous time at the Bologna mezza martitona, it was easy to build enthusiasm.

And, I'll get a friend with a car to sweeten the pot! Enter Henrik, the German who came here from Austria (look at a map) so he was able to bring his VW station wagon and transport 4 ladies (this took an incredible amount of persuasion on my part, let me tell you...) .

Now, as a side note- Italy has rules for everything. To participate in a sport or join a gym, you need a note from a doctor saying you probably won't drop dead. If you want to compete in a sport, you need an exam from an official medical office, along with a urine test and an cardiovascular exam to say that you REALLY probably won't drop dead. Is a half marathon really competitive? According to the people we called a few weeks ago, it's not. According the the man in charge of the event, indeed it is. So some of us had the insufficient certifications and did not know if we'd have the chance to run legitimately. Luckily, when we got there, the staffers there didn't care if we had our proper certificates and gave us our numbers! Success! Our friend who had come the day before wasn't so lucky as he had to face the race official... but two blondes pleading our cases couldnt' have hurt our cause.

Pop! After incomprehensible italian announcements from a fuzzy loudspeaker, the gun sounded and just under 1,000 people set off down a straight tree lined road away from the park and towards the city.

An old stone wall surrounded the city and as we ran in under one of the gates, we were greeted by a baptismal, a church, and one tower most leaning! The rest of the city passed by in a few more kilometers. I ran with two lovely ladies, Kristen and Helena, and enjoyed my role as unofficial cheerleader. It was my first experience of running with an Ipod and I have to say I rather enjoyed it... not sure the girlies enjoyed being serenaded by my Bon Jovi rendition... but we really WERE both halfway there and livin' on a prayer!

After we had no more city to run through, the course took us across the river and through some lovely countryside. We passed some roadside stands, people on horseback, and magnificent views of forests, vineyards, and country homes. The end of the course brought us back to the straight road, which seemed much longer after 10 miles had passed. We crossed the finish line together in 2 hours, 1 minute and ten seconds. Some of our friends were already there waiting for us!

Afterwards, we enjoyed the free cookies, cakes, pasta (!), and fruit and collected our reward: a running outfit with shorts and a tank top with the name of the event. Our medals bear an impression of the leaning tower on the reverse side.

The weather this day was so lovely that we spent the next few hours lounging in front of the tower on the grass. Without a doubt, the best part of this was watching everyone setting up their pictures- trying to use perspective to look as thought they're holding up or pushing down the tower!

Of course, we were above such behavior...

Another reason to love Russia

You simply must watch this, especially if you ever questioned my decision to specialize in Russian and Eurasian studies.

http://edition.cnn.com/video/?/video/world/2008/10/08/rogers.uk.putin.judo.video.itn

Parma

Any city that has its own internationally known cheese and produces the best ham in all of Italy is certainly worthy of a trip. Fortunately, this city is less than an hour away using the train.

Parmesiano Reggiano has been produced in this region for almost 800 years, and it used to take an apprentice 12 years to make his first wheel of cheese. The term "Parmesiano Reggiano" is copyrighted and can only be applied to the genuine cheeses made in this region. To maintain this copyright withing the EU, Italy must be able to differentiate its famous cheese from all others. This has given birth to a need for a parmessiano scientisist whose sole job it is to determine what makes this cheese unique. He must use sensory tasting to structure the feeling one gets when eating Parmessiano Reggiano. Oh, what a job!

Upon our arrival, we found ourselves immersed in a giant flea market all along the street going from the train station into this tiny city. We found ourselves as we stood in the center of a piazza and saw before us a uniquely shaped building which, after we entered and paid admission, turned out to be a baptismal. We then wondered into the church on the which also faced this piazza. I've been in a lot of churches, however there's always some small ceiling or chapel that stands out.

We wondered around a bit and found some other neat buildings, but hungry bellies dictated the afternoon's activities and we decided to discover Parma's culinary delights.

We walked up a street and bought a little of everything that looked good. Including sushi! Rachel got to sample her first Sake (it's also good to travel with someone of asian descent... I'm pretty sure this is why we got good Sake and only paid 3 euro total.











We made our way back to the park to share our delightful little picnic and enjoy the sunshine. Parma also has a wonderful park as well as museums. After making our way around a bit more, we took the train back.


Some other interesting finds included:



A Meat Cafe- ham and cheese plates- dreams do come true.

A Communist Rally

And a medieval festival- complete with dueling knights, old ladies preparing food, prisoners being paraded throughout the streets, and people who like costumes a wee bit too much!

...

Then, tired from all our travel, Helena and I hopped aboard the IKEA shuttle and spent the rest of the evening in nirvana. Being that she's Sweedish, Helena was absolutely giddy as we chose our pillows and drooled over room arangements we want for our future homes. Our trek from the shuttle to the apartment took about twice as long as usual because we were both completely loaded down with things for the household and some goodies from the food market.

Bed coverings and pillow cases made us feel like we were finally making bedrooms truly ours and some much needed cooking accessories- like a dish drainer- made us feel better about our archaic but functional kitchen.

Thoroughly exhausted, we decided to spend the next morning in a cafe having a typical Italian breakfast.

Ooooh yeah.













From there, we had to face the reality of classes beginning the next day and keep up with our readings, but it was a lovely way to spend the last weekend before the rigors of the academic year began.


...


And for the record, a week later, I still have some of that half kilo of cheese left... but I do believe I've found a way to eat some each day. It's fantastic.

A request for prayer

While most of my posts are upbeat, I am afraid I have to bring some reality into this one...

This morning I held my sobbing roommate and had no words. Her mother passed away last night. She had been ill but as far as Anastasia knew, her mom was recovering. Anastasia is Uzbeki but of Korean descent so the funeral is three days after the death, which means she won't be able to get home in time for the service. She is trying to see if she can even make it home before Christmas because of time and financial constraints.

"What am I going to do? I'm only 22. I need my mom." Wrapped up in ourselves and our agendas, it's so easy to forget how much we really need those who are ALWAYS on the sidelines cheering for us and ready to take the field when necessary. She lost one of hers at a critical moment in her life. I would ask each of you reading this to please take a moment and pray for her. After that, take another moment and forget all the crap you have on your plate and be grateful for those who got you where you are today. Then call your mom. I wish it weren't 6am in America because that's all I want to do right now.

Thank you.

Compleanno!

Salut!

Pop! The cork flying in the air elicited applause both from the SAIS group sitting on Piazza Santo Stefano and the locals who were also enjoying a piazza night... the strolling minstrels played their recorders and danced in the center of the area.

But lets back up a bit...

My birthday technically started at midnight, where I salsa'd my way into my 26th year. Somehow word got out and a friend actually stopped the music and announced to the whole bar that my birthday had officially begun and the whole (basically populated by us) broke into song!

The following morning began what was one of the best birthdays I could ever imagine. After class, many amici joined me for a gelatto and I was treated by my two girls from the D.C. study group- the ever wonderful Rachel and Yumna. Nutella, praline, and mascarpone (now THAT'S a neopolitan!) adorned my cone with three colors and made me one happy girl as I sat in the sunlight near the town's famous two towers (one of which is leaning).

After spending the afternoon cleaning and preparing for my weekend visitors, I ventured out to Piazza Santa Stefano, one of the most beloved of the town's many piazzas, and the one I find to be the most beautiful.

Portico's make two diagonal sides to the triangular shaped area. Wine bars allow people to sit outside and enjoy the evening with aperitivi. The last side of the triangle is the old church- while there is a main facade that faces the piazza, four additional churches all join one another to make up the entire structure.

Those who who choose not to patronize the wine bars make themselves comfortable on the cold cobblestone or on the smooth brick semicircle and pathways. The university scene brings in many students who fully embrace a more 'alternative' grunge scene. Some among them fancy themselves as minstrels and play recorders, guitars, or whatever they have in their possession and set an atmosphere that the moonlight enhances. Good spirits abound among all who share wine and hospitality.

Some very considerate friends bought me a plant for my room, and others brought a cake... which was really prettier than it was tasty. Also, a random drunken man presented us with a poem that even the Italians among us couldn't quite make out... but we gave him some wine anyway.

I fell into bed that night utterly exhausted but overcome with gratitude that so many people who were strangers just a few weeks before all made my day so special and have become such blessings.

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!

Here!

Viva Italia! I just found out I passed my heinous pre-term class as well! It's about 5:00 here, and about 11:00 am back on the East coast. My flights were flawless... save for my movie screen not working on the long flight and my carry-on busting its zipper. All that is forgotten when everything was on time, the weather is beautiful, the flights were safe and smooth, my luggage decided to also go to Bologna, and I have a lovely hotel room to rest my head in for the next few nights until I get an apartment with the girls from my Econ class.
I need to get out and explore a bit but I fear it will be short since I have not slept in approx. 30 hours. I will try to upload a photo soon. Fear not, I sipped a Guiness in the Dublin airport w' some classmates. 7am or not (ok it was 2am your time) I was going to have a draught! Brilliant!

I've been robbed!

Perhaps not, but when I got home on Sunday evening, everything was gone! My couch is now living temporarily with the Zucker family. The rest of my possessions are a little confused. They are back in my parents' house, but next door to the bedroom they made my own for many years. My whole life fits into a small spare room and you can still move around.

Saturday, I learned about gratitude when my parents and Brian gave up their whole day to move all that is mine. I rewarded them with a little help from the Colonel. Dad and Glen L. provided the after dinner libations.

So now I am sleeping on an air mattress with the wrong size sheets (I use the flat one as the bottom and the fitted one on top because it is too small!) Getting it inflated was fun... especially when your dad equips you with a malfunctioning pump that doesn't even fit the mattress valve. Good thing Brian is full of... well you know where I'm going with that. Giggle. The living room has pillows to sit on and a TV on the floor. It looks like hippies took up residence.

Vinnie was pretty ticked off at me but Friskies saved the day with delicious beef and liver pate.

Other than that, Pre Term, aside from having taken over my life and free time, is going very well and in a week I will be finished with my final! Cheers!

So, Pre-term, Eh?

In the past two weeks, I have quit my job, gone on a big family vacation (holla at ya, Ontario!), studied calculus, and begun my education back up! I am so happy to say that I easily passed my math exam given at the beginning of class yesterday, so I know enough algebra to do economics. The class moves wicked fast and the first midterm is already next Tuesday! SAIS gave us a free lunch today which softens the blow. And we get free beer every Friday... but in the classic economics sense, the beer isn't truly free. We've already paid for it...
Anyhoo, here is a little outline of economics, translated for all of us who have been out of the classroom for a while: http://youtube.com/watch?v=VVp8UGjECt4

Many cheers, eh!

Details about the next month

With so much changing in the near future, here is the upcoming schedule for my remaining time in the states.

Wednesday, July 16: My last day as a Platts staffer

Monday, July 28: First day at SAIS where I begin my pre-term in Microeconomics at the D.C. Campus

Wednesday, August 27: I leave D.C. for Bologna at 7:00 PM, taking the luck o' the Irish with me as I fly on Aer Lingus

Friday, August 29: My first day of intensive Italian classes during the Bologna Pre Term.

Stay tuned, next post after something fun happens. Cheers!