Pattymelts in Paradise...

My two weeks at home began ideally and never really stopped having a surreal air of pleasantness. Real breakfasts. Italians don't really fancy them. But a fresh omlette full of sauteed onions, ham, and melted cheese accompanied by rye toast let me know that I was back in the land of well... everything. I polished off my own and helped Mom with hers... I'm a good helper like that.

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The first day consisted of little major activity. I had a wonderful run around the town, enjoying the cool air on my skin, breathing it in as it almost intoxicated me with its clean aroma full of honeysuckle, freshly cut grass, I never really realized how amazing the air is in this small town, but after 3 years in D.C. and a year in an ancient (beautiful) city without plant life, the contrast smacked my olfactory senses and made my jaunt all feel all too short. The birds serenaded me and bullfrogs welcomed me back with their guttoral greetings. I never realized how big the cars were or how many pickup trucks and SUV's people own around here, and how few motorcycles and scooters, until that first day. I couldn't help but jump a bit when a loud Harley passed me!

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At beer o'clock, Mom and I headed out to her new backyard swing and I told her more stories about Italy and my adventures. She regaled me with tales of her activities and drama in her circle of friends. I enjoyed a blueberry ale from my favorite place in Maine and then took a nap, awaking to a splendid dinner with real, Idaho russet baked potatoes (completely absent in Europe).

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The next day, I got to see ol' Hanover again and sample some of its best features. After an amazing breakfast at Perkins, a trip to the Hanover Shoe Farm brought coos from Mom and me as we watched newly born horses struggling to stand on their wobbly legs and cautious mothers staying close. One of the horses had been born that morning and was clearly exhausted from the process. It stood only long enough to drink some milk and then tried clumbsily to fold its long, lanky legs under itself -how the heck do I work?- to lay comfortably.

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After this, we went to Snyders to pick up some local snacky goodness, (it's hard to live in a land of amazing fresh snack foods and then try to eat old packaged salty things away from there... it does incentivize healthy eating though...) and then did a very bad thing. We went to the enormous Giant supermarket. (I refer to the PA Giant, not those silly MD/VA ones which just can't compare)

And we said "Yes" to each other to EVERYTHING the two of us wanted. Hungry 5 year olds couldn't have done better than us...

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We returned home just before a big storm hit with a car full of 3 kinds of ice cream, oreos, tastee kakes (holla at ya, PA!), 4 boxes of cereal (but two were very healthy, I swear!) hot dogs, veggie burgers, fresh breads, Pennsylvania apples (still the best I've tasted)- oh the list goes on! Plus, there was a Dunkin Donuts stop on the way home (it's not fair! They lure you with cheap coffee and then expose you to dozens of fresh goodies!). Looking at the counter after we had unloaded the car, we just laughed as we rushed to get the ice cream to safety.

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I took the most exquisite run as the thunder roared and lightning illuminated the darkened sky just as twilight made its appearance. The air added to its bouquet the fresh rain smell and the froggies were excitedly chirping for the inevitable shower. A light spritz and a gentle breeze made the temperature simply perfect for a jog.

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I spent the next day, after having french toast that I actually liked for the first time in my life (Mom is magical- made it with a croissant and cooked it perfectly so it was crusted on the outside and custardy on the inside) catching up with my Aunt, cousin, and 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Hash, who I had not seen since I was in her class. Mom and I planned to swim in Aunt Lydia's pool, one of my favorite places to hang out since I moved to Stewartstown (when I was 5), but the cool day wouldn't allow for anything more than dipping in toes followed by shrieks. It certainly wasn't too cold for double chocolate brownie ice cream in fresh Snyder's pretzel cones though.

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The next day consisted of a run, some light housework, and after 12:000, nothing else. Mom insisted I needed a few "couch days" to rest up before jettisioning off to Russia and I was happy to comply. Dad brought barbeque from Chubby's to ensure we could spend the whole day being lazy nad not have to worry about cooking dinner. I made my way down to the playground to swing a bit, but other than that, my butt, the chaise, and occasionally a adorable black cat were united for the whole day.

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Friday, Dad worked from home while Mom and I ventured out in a rainstorm to get mani-pedi's from her awesome Sicilian hairdresser who made me miss my former home as she spoke to me in Italian and I told stories of my trip. After getting my hair trimmed for the first time in almost two years, I felt lovely despite the grey soggy exterior of the salon. Mom and I emerged two unstoppably gorgeous creatures. The rest of the day was another trip down memory lane as we went to Hoss's, the source of both my high school and college revenue and my desire never to procreate, and then to the movies at the West Manchester Mall. The wing with the theater had its unmistakeable characteristics- hoards of teenage boys in ill-fitting clothing and cliques of girls in equally badly sized clothing, albeit the other direction, endless chatter from the ticket queue accompanied by the bells and chimes of the arcade, and the most unusual combination of smells eminating from pizza, popcorn, and soft pretzels from all the food stands in the vicinity. I think there is no better way to spend a rainy day than in a theater escaping to another world. This time we all went to the Smithsonian and the personified Abe Lincoln made me long to get back to D.C... soon enough!

The weekend whizzed by, full of family I had missed seeing for many months. The pause in the workweek was dedicated to celebrating the Golden wedding anniversary of my amazing grandparents. We began the fun when Dave and Gillian arrived at our home with Turtle and the human family members all packed into one car to meet the rest of Mom's family at Alfred's Victorian, a great 19th centruy mansion which has been impressing the greater Harrisburg area's residents with its culinary creations for many years. Mom's dinner came with a free cookbook, makikng me green with envy when it turned out to be full of stories and recipies from my beloved northern Italy!

*The happy couple*

The next morning, bright and early, we went to Grandma and Grumps' church for the 9:00 am service, during which I probably was condemmed to Hell for laughing the whole time thanks to Rae. the minister began the ceremony for my granparents. They recited traditional vowes and then read their own, brining tears to our eyes. It was amazing to see the love that flows so strongly between them fifty years after they first promised their lives and souls to one another. The small reception in the church basement was catered by the sweet UMC ladies and after our snack, we headed into the great outdoors for eight hundred million family photos. After spending some time at the grandparent's house just visiting and sampling some snickerdoodle wedding cake, we all headed home to spend the remainder of the evening pooped on the couch (with pizza!).

*Heather loves her big brother!*

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On Tuesday of the following week, Mom and I went to Roots and I got to see one of my favorite amish markets in full bloom under the bright sun. So many fruits and vegetables grown right on the farms down the street. And amish women can bake! Their goods are just unbelievable- the cakes, danishes, breads, cookies, etc. are simply fantastic, all made by hand from scratch, and so fresh. The air there smells of freshly baked sweets, in other parts of the market, you get overwhelmed by the aroma of fresh flowers or fruits, and in still other parts, you smell smoked meats. It really is an experience. Also present is lots of handmade woodwork furniture that never ceases to impress me given my inability to mold playdough into anything recognizable.

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We exited with special catnipt toys for Vinnie, who had begun sleeping on my bed again in the same spot he used to when we lived in D.C, stickybuns fresh from the oven, lots of fresh produce, just-squeezed lemonade, and of course some whoopie pies. Plus, I scored two pair of sunglasses and a watch for under twenty bucks.

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The evenings usually concluded with a family dinner. Mom made one of my altime favorite comfort foods- her meatballs- which, although I don't particularly like hamburger all that much, must be made with ambrosia because they always taste sooooo scrumptious. She used hamburger chopped just for her from a cow the folks had purchased. She used the same meat to make pattymelts one night that almost made me faint. Also we had grilled veggies all the time, grilled chicken with homemade bbq sauce, twice baked potatoes, salads, all the wonderful American foods that I can't really say I missed (c'mon, I was living in Italy!) until I tasted them and remembered how much I loved them :)

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The day before my departure to Russia, I finally got to spend some grossly overdue time with my old man. We took a motorcycle ride, fulfilling one of my fundamental wishes for my short visit home, and visited the Nissley Winery, sampling the creations and meeting the doggies. Afterwards, we had ice cream for lunch at the Jigger Shop. What's a Jigger? If you've never had one, well it's hard to describe the dessert that has about twice the sugar of even the most child-friendly treat and tastes every bit as sweet as it really is. From their website:

Jigger - "Our Specialty"Two and a half scoops of vanilla ice cream made with your choice of chocolate or butterscotch topping, whipped marshmallow and our secret touch... Jigger Nuts!

I really don't know what a "jigger nut" is, escept that it sounds kind of dirty and like an insult, but it is neither...

The frozen confection geniuses there freeze the ice cream in the sundae dishes so they are ready to go on the fly, and one can eat it as slowly as is necessary with something so overwhelming and it stays frozen until the last butterscotchy spoonful!

Me: Coffee! I need coffee!

Dad: Me too. Do you want anything in it.

Me: Black!!!!!!

I honestly believer you need a cup of bitter joe to make it through one of those sundaes. But we both conquered ours and then took a nice hike up to the Governor Dick (giggle) tower to take in the scenery. We then climbed the tower, and I got my ego handed to me as Dad beat me to the bottom. Any tower that provides 2 passageways so you can race is alright in my book! We then split some lovely, carb- free red wine (since one of us had used up his carbohydrate allowance for about a week on the aforementioned treat!) and chatted in the forest for a bit before heading home and spending the evening with Mom sharing our days and eating sushi.

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The next day passed in a blur as I quickly packed my bag and got ready to venture out again. Luckily, my bestie made it to the airport and I got to see her gorgeous face and hug my other half before venturing over the Iron Curtain. What adventures awaited me, I didn't know but I knew I would cherish the memories of all the family time and knew I was blessed to never have to question their support, no matter where this crazy life takes me... or I take it.

Mom's Kitchen: Where the only thing "Lite" is the soy sauce!

After the hugs came the first words each and every girl wants to hear upon returning home and seeing their parents after a year abroad, "You got your nose pierced!" Well, maybe not the words I was expecting, but a rational choice on their part.

The flight home was a bit unbearable, not due at all to the nice individual sitting next to me who only had to go to the bathroom once and spent the rest of the time keeping to himself or sleeping... if only all plane neighbors could be so perfect. Rather, it was because any flight over 4 hours by yourself turn from exciting to tedious rather quickly and half of my movies had problems iwth the audio, so I was limited as to the amount of mindless entertainment to which I was privy... I did succeed in losing a few brain cells to "Bride Wars" though so it wasn't a total loss. The customs line went on forever, but at least it was a definite line where one knew who was in front of them and where to go. America, while difficult to enter, is at least organized in its strictness.

My bag arrived, but unfortunately my best friend was late and couldn't make it to greet me. I was nothing short of exhausted since my body thought it was the middle of the night and all day I had eaten one airline meal along with a few tiny italian cookies for "breakfast." I didn't feel hungry but felt the crankiness threatening to come out.

In the parking lot of the airport, I jumped up and down three times and shook my head to rid myself of any lingering negative thoughts and made myself happy. Look around! You're in Virginia! You're about to get into your car and go HOME. You are with the two greatest people you know. You will soon see Vinnie again! It worked. Plus, I knew I wouldn't have to worry about being hungry again for at least two weeks and those pants, which I had to buy in Bologna because I was too skinny for my normal ones, well their days were numbered. I was going home!



A stop at Sheetz on the way home was the perfect way to get a taste of one of my favorite PA originated institutions. A mini pretzel melt, a hash brown, and a cream soda were happily consumed by the girl who can't get enough of her east coast goodies, no matter where she travels. I talked my parents' ears off the whole way home and when I returned, I was impressed with the home improvements they had made. Mom's garden was lush and expanded. The windows in the house were all new and the house's exterior looked made over.

I just couldn't help but giggle as I stood in the familliar kitchen, taking in the Kitchenaid appliances, the huge silver refrigerator, the awful tiled floor, the kitchen table that really is more a place for piling everything than a functional eating place, the operating yet broken dishwasher that was broken when I left, the strawberries picked that morning from the garden, oh it was all beautiful.

And then he was there before me. My Vinnie. Having suffered from a bout of depression at my absence, the poor guy no longer had his luch black coat that used to be his greates glory, at least the back half of him didn't. He was too skinny but none of that mattered. I knew he had spent the last 9 months being spoiled rotten by his "grandparents" and enjoying the nature channels available from the many windows that were always open. I petted the suspicious puddy tat and then he ran off. I knew I would have some groveling to do to get back in his good graces.
The pillows in my room had Reeses Big Cups on them... Mom knows how to make the little touches. We all stayed up too late chatting, and I fell asleep exhausted but smiling. I was home.

Phone Number

The country code here is 7. My mobile number is: 8-915-047-30-76.

If you need to call or send a text message (feel free!), I am 8 hours AHEAD of the east coast, and 2 hours ahead of most of Europe.

The Muscovite returns...

Day number five of the same clothes... and like yesterday and the day before, the airport tells me they will deliver it today.

Meh, I have clean underwear, my passport, and a toothbrush. I would say I'm set.

Back in Russia. It is a strange deja vu that hits me at times. I can honestly say I never thought I'd be back here so soon. Today, I took my old metro line to work and got on at my old station. Nostalga hit me almost as strongly as the aroma of body odor mixed with perfume and baked goods that innundate each metro station.
The people on the metro crowd in and stand so close that they can't smile... the only "personal space" they have is their introvertedness which they protect behind frowns and downward glances. Metro is only half of my voyage. I take a van called a "Marshootka" which is a minivan that operates kind of like a taxi or bus. Many of them run from the metro stations to all destinations- they're numbered but other than that, it just looks like a youth group rally with all the similiar vans (except the passengers are largely silent rather than singing about salvation). You pay the driver and he drives his route, stopping when you tell him. I can take either of two to two metro lines that will both get me to the office. The metro here is enormous but also is the population so the cars are always full during rush hours.

When I return home, I am greeted by a beautiful blonde family. The parents are about my age- Nadia is 27 and Sergei is 32. The 7 year old boy, Pasha, has a buzz cut and a rat tail. He is a bit prococious- intelligent and wants to learn and read things. He also likes showing me photos of the family and telling me who everyone is and showing me his toys. Katya is 5, could be a child beauty queen, and is a fluttery little thing- always jumping around except when she is watching a dvd or has an ice cream. She loves to cuddle and will charm anyone within approximately 4 seconds.

They are a protestant family- not so common nor accepted in the land of Orthodoxy. They personify Christianity to a level by which I am humbled. I eat meals on tiny plates (nothing here is super sized!) with them after they say grace and the children never want to finish their meals. But they must eat everything on their plates and finish their Kompot (homemade juice) or hot cocoa before they may have dessert or leave the table.
Meals are simple but tasty. Yesterday, I had a bit of chicken cooked with shredded onions and carrots in oil and salted. It was served with noodles on the side and there were also tomato slices topped with cheese mixed with garlic. The adults have tea adn dessert together after dinner and the children play a bit before getting tucked into bed. Last night we had fresh strawberries :) Not as good as PA strawberries, but I never complain when strawberries appear before me!

The real treat was breakfast- we had blinchik (like a pancake, more like a crepe) rolled up with strawberry jam and served with sweet icing much like what comes with toaster streudles. We also had yogurt. I love european style yogurt- made with whole milk but about half the sugar of yogurt at home. The family eats very healthy food but doesn't eat "low fat" anything so I think I am in the right place!

This moment, I am sitting at my own dest at the office. Two employees are on a monthlong holiday so I get a great desk by a window. It is a small, cramped but friendly office (much like the one I left in D.C. except sunnier!). I will write more about my work later since this entry is getting a bit lengthy and I think I need to do some actual work to write about! Suffice it to say I really think I will like this internship. The work is so interesting and I love the projects they have given me so far.

I will soon write a post about things I have neglected to update, including my two weeks in America!

Paka!

Goodbye, Bologna

How does one begin to sum it all up? To put it all in perspective, to look at it from the outside and appreciate it as a whole… I simply can’t. I’m part of the whole. I can leave and try to start anew… but I am this past nine months and it is me. I will always be in Bologna and the city, SAIS, the people, the food, the laughter, tears, panics, and hopes will always reside within me.

There are more stories, pictures, experiences and lessons than I could ever cover in these silly postings.

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At the top of the tallest tower in Bologna
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So I try to give snapshots but in actuality I will always fall short. To all who read this, I wish you a period of your life when you forget all the rules, when you throw caution to the wind and see what happens, when you let yourself be absorbed by all Italy and its wonderful people offer. Find your Italy and it will stay with you all your days. I can’t but smile though my heart rips into pieces as I leave. I can’t but say thank you to God, to Italy, to SAIS and to each person who made each day brighter than the last. I had no idea life could be this good or that I could be this happy or that I would ever let myself be this happy but now all I can do is smile and know I have found peace.

I remember the girl who flew here so many months ago. She was lost and terrified of the super intelligent people she’d be among and all her habits that didn't fit into the Italian lifestyle.

She’s dead. I ate her.

Oh, and she’s still lost… but she’ll figure it out.

Il Presidente!

On my dad's birthday, I was on a train with 20 classmates at the crack of dawn in what felt very much like a middle school field trip. Our professors met us on the train platform, having ridden in first class, and led us through the streets of Rome. Twenty minutes later, we approached the Palazzo del Quilinale, passed through security, and entered the palace to be greeted by a garden boasting palm trees and other tropical plants. I was reminded why I love this city. Passing by guards who were never under 6'5" and who wore gold metal helmets with a horn on the top boasting a long black horsehair tail, we wound up a stairway to the private office area of the palace where we were granted a private meeting with the Italian President, Giorgio Napolitano. He is a balancing force in the government, being a very proud communist, to Prime Minister Berlusconi, and has a soft spot for John's Hopkins because our institution sponsored his travel visa to the United States when his communist affiliation barred him normal travel admittance. He spoke for only a few moments, all in Italian (thanks to our Director who told him we all understood!) and then shook our hands.

Hottie

Following the meeting, we got a tour of the beautiful palace, which was built for the pope in the 1500's. It is like many other palaces with walls ordained in silk upholstry, intricate chandieliers, beautiful moulding, and tons of beautiful furniture you can't sit on.

Here is the picture which is today on the homepage of the President's website. He's shaking Donatello's hand... mine is that blonde/foreheady bump in the background!

After this, Melissa and I scooted uptown to try to drop off visa applications at our respective embassys (Thai and Russian), only to find that they all close before noon! Oh well, we enjoyed seeing a new part of Rome and had a lovely lunch before heading back with the group on the 2:30 train.

Back to reality. I loved my little mid-week escape and felt refreshed to work on a paper, sitting on my desk so i could be right by my giant open window, before making strawberry shortcake to take to a potluck dinner that evening... can you tell someone has spring fever?

It's all in the timing...

13 classmates, a script, and an empty theater dominated my week following Spring Break. With our meager props, ideas, and hard work, we transformed the rented empty theater into a set, even constructing a curtain, in about 6 hours. Together, we became characters as diverse as Rosenbaum’s typing monkeys and Trotsky as we went onstage on Thursday for opening night. It was a smashing success.

The play was “It’s All in the Timing,” six one-act plays written by David Ives, modified by SAIS’s Rational Actors to be appropriate to our audience (mostly SAIS’ers but open to the public). For example “You’re in a Philadelphia” became “You’re in a Bologna.” The plays are all comedies, some darker than others, and all very detached from reality- perfect for stressed grad students. My role was Dawn, a shy, stuttering young woman who falls for a con to learn a new language called “Unamunda.” In our play, “The Universal Language,” I was fortunate enough to act opposite a professional actor. His natural talent made learning lines comprised of a gibberish language much easier. Because the production was made up of six individual plays, it worked perfectly for busy schedules. Everyone was in a play with one or two others and could rehears their little play as their time allowed and the whole group only had to get together occasionally to put them all together. We worked under the direction of Johanna, one of the best friends I’ve met here. She’s German too, so there was no room for mistakes or tardiness! She whipped into shape a diverse group made of people who haven’t acted since high school (like me), pro’s, and those who have never before stepped onstage.

The first night went flawlessly and we all celebrated at a bar afterwards, basking in opening night glory, and enjoying some chocolate (it totally goes with beer!). The second night had a hitch or two but the audience never knew that some people left out a few lines. Before each show and at our group rehearsals, we learned to let our guards down around each other by screaming, doing animal impressions, and meditating as a group. The result was people who, after spending every waking moment for the past week together, were able to completely let loose and work together to put on a production that reflected the genuine affinity we had for each other and for the show itself.

The other plays were “Sure Thing,” which found a couple in a café who can't quite connect until the end. The same scene set itself over and over with the ringing of a bell until the couple gets their timing just right. Next was “The Bologna,” where two friends exist in alternate worlds where one has everything going her way (she’s in a Los Angeles) and one can’t get anything she wants (she’s in a Bologna). In the end, she learns to embrace her current metaphysical locale and finds it’s not so bad. Also, “Philip Glass Buys a Loaf of Bread” was a surreal act in which simple lines are spoken, then at the ringing of a bell, the same lines are repeated in a sing-song manner over and over until the bell again brings the group back to reality. "Variations on the Death of Trotsky" boasts different scenarios occurring if Trotsky didn’t realize he had an axe buried in his skull (well, smashed actually- you can still see the handle), and finally, "Words Words Words" examined the interactions of three monkeys given typewriters to see if they could produce Shakespeare.

After closing night, we had to strip the theater and afterwards, headed to a dance club to boogie our little butts off. Italian men (who, I am sorry, don't deserve at all their debonair reputation) tried to be part of our group, meaning we didn't close down the club but still stayed a good while. I had forgotten how much it takes to do theater, but it is completely remunerated in the bonds you forge with your cast members. You all suffer together from stress, anxiety, you help each other with lines and direction, and all share the jubilation when all that hard work pays off. Saturday had us all feeling a bit empty as we didn’t know what to do with ourselves (and knew that it was time to hit the books again- eep!). A cocktail party thrown by some friends helped with this last night, and today Student Government is hosting an International Food Festival. In a rare act, I will not be cooking anything for it, giving myself a free pass after the last week plus the 5 hours I will spend setting up the event today.

Believe it or not, I only have three academic weeks left and then two weeks of finals! The time here is winding down eerily quickly. The springtime sunshine makes it hard to want to concentrate and gelato beckons constantly! Hope you are all having a wonderful day, wherever you are!