End of the Month Musings

As the month comes to a close and I muse on things I have not yet mentioned to you, I felt it appropriate that I leave you with a few thoughts.

1) Always be aware of what you are saying to someone when speaking in another language. Remember my Italian lessons with Marco? Well. . . Marco and I were discussing the Florence versus Liverpool soccer match and drinking doing games. Marco subsequently asked if I ever get drunk while going out for a beer with my friends. Assured that I knew what I was saying in Italian, I vehemently stated that I never get drunk. The very next day, while talking with my fresco professor, I found out that the word I assumed was NEVER is actually the word for always.

Great, my doorman thinks I am a lush.

2) I think it is an absolute crime that, in Europe, Nutella is significantly less expensive than peanut butter. For those of you who know me well, you know that peanut butter made up a hardy portion of my diet back home. I am devastated by this price shift, and believe that the Europeans need to be enlightened about the atrocity they foster: you can buy a 700 gram jar of Nutella for 2 euros, but can only get 150 grams of peanut butter for the same price! To whom would I write a disgruntled letter?

3) The bathroom situation out here is incredibly different! People warned me that I might have an issue finding public restrooms. . . but I never imagined that I would have to search as long and hard as I already have. Often times, bars (local cafes) won’t let you use the bathroom without purchasing something. While this is not terribly unusual, there are usually no large grocery stores to rescue a person in need.

In fact, the situation is so intense that the art history professor at SACI, Helen, has a notorious issue with bathroom usage! In fact, one of my friends, on the return trip from Lucca, asked Helen how long the trip would take. Helen casually responded, “oh, about an hour.” Then, suddenly, a look of horror crossed her face and she asked my friend in return, “why? Do you have to use the bathroom?!”

So, dear friends and family back home, make sure you really KNOW a language before you speak it, complain to anyone and everyone about the atrocious price of peanut butter in Europe, and be grateful that public restrooms are plentiful in the United States!

I love you all, and please stay tuned for next month’s installments!

Brandi