Happy Thanksgiving!

yes yes, I know I am a whole day early... but oh how I am going to miss the whole Thanksgiving celebration! All the cranberry sauce and the turkey and the sweet potatos, ooooh! and the pumpkin pie! Please, everybody eat lots of pumpking pie for me!! Yummy yummy yummy!

So I am leaving tomorrow morning early early to go to Napoli and Capri and I am so excited! I will tell you aaallll about my adventures when I return. And, since so many of you have been asking, I will also soon include an update on my status with my honey. Patience, patience!

A dopo, ragazzi!

Hey y'all. It's me again! I am feeling nostalgic, maybe because of Thanksgiving coming up, or maybe because I haven't talked to a lot of you in a long time. But I just wanted to let you know that just because I'm reeeeally far away doesn't mean that I don't think about you. Here are some shots out to some special people:

"I have no sense of history? He wears a brown tie!"

"How's my mascara??" [pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream] "oooooooh! Are you hyper?" [strange accent which unfortunately cannot be duplicated on the computer] "ha ha ha HULP!"

"It's like an orange on a toothpick!"

"Say you're freakin'..."

"No, I'm the fattest cow!"

I loooooooooove yoooou! *squeaky mouse voice*

*shit!*

"Who Ak? Akinelle? Yeah, he came to London. He was nice." *grumble*

"Waves of mercy, waves of grace. Everywhere I look I see your face. Your love has captured me. Oh, my God, this love how can it beeeeee?" [wheeeee! complete with motions, too]

"That sounds CRAAAZY!"

Erin is sick. Alas! I tried to be good and go to sleep early last night, even though I reeeeally wanted to go see the niners game at this one pub. So, like the good girl that I am, I got into bed around 10:15 and turned off the light and shut my eyes and tried reeally hard to sleep. But my italian mamma was watching TV (like she does every night) reeeeally loudly and so there was that noise. And then Deborah was breathing reeeeally loudly. And then there was a freaking mosquito! So I really could not sleep! I contemplated getting dressed and calling Klodi to see what he was up to, but then my stomach decided that it really didn't want to have had what little dinner I actually ate and so it took matters into its own clutches and then there was no more dinner. And so at that point I was so weak and tired and then I just sort of collapsed into bed. Yes. So now I am trying to be good and do some work for a major paper that I have for my art history class, but it's just soooo tiring and I want to take a nap or something. Oooh, or cuddle up on a couch with a blanket and watch a movie and drink tea. My throat really hurts. Meh.

Oh yeah! The "Boogie Woogie" class. Well, it was swing. Sort of. It was a kind of version of West Coast. Which of course I never have actually learned. So it was such a tease! On the one hand it felt so good to have some sort of swing except it just wasn't satisfying because it wasn't Lindy and it wasn't DogHouse and I miss California!!!!!! Afterwards I went to a hip hop class which was fun. Dance classes are funny because they play American hip hop music that I am absolutely certain they do not understand because the lyrics are just so offensive. But it is sort of nice to have a taste of America for a while.

Yeah, I definitely miss California. But hey... only 4 more months to go, and such a lot can happen in that time!

Ciao tutti.

So tonight I am finally going to go check out the dance class called "Boogie Woogie." Should be interesting. Update to follow. Then, more dancing at Maracana? Spero di si, ma spero che il barista dall'ultima volta non sia li'. What else? Ah! Domani should be interesting, a day plannined with Klodi. Well, "planned" in the sense that we haven't planned anything but we've planned to plan something, so it at least should be an adventure.

On a somber note, today is my parent's hearing... please please pray for my mom that she would just put all her trust in God no matter what happens and my dad that he might be moved somehow... *sigh* *stress*

And we're dancing (yow!), and it feels alriiight! I can't control my desire! We're dancing, yeah, yeah, Yeah!

Let's dance.

A Reflective Mood...

How strange it is to see such splendors in the world. Such beauty and movement and life. God, this world is so amazing. And so cruel. How can it be that beauty lives side-by-side with hate, wealth and splendor with poverty and desperation. Why are some people on their knees in the rain and begging for mercy while others casually consume the most extravagant of of luxuries? Yes, there has to be beauty in everything. But when I empty my change into her plastic cup I want to cry because she looks up with those eyes and open mouth but what have I really done for her, what can I really do? The music that fills the air here, that is beautiful. Maybe it helps, somehow.

ahhhh Venezia... what a weekend!

I have so many things to say about my many *many* adventures this weekend! We got there on Saturday around 11 in the morning. And, lucky us, we were there for a historical moment! There was aqua alta higher than it has been since 1979! Oh yes. Since Venice is venulated with channels of water instead of streets, this meant that much of the city was actually under water. Because the level of the water was 1.5meters. Oh yes. In San Marco, the main piazza with the gorgeous church and where (I couldn't believe) tourists were paying to feed the pigeons which resulted in the pigeons flying on the tourists in great hords (eew! I was so disgusted! ugh!), the city had put up these temporary walkways about 4 feet above the ground where everybody was shuttled from one side of the piazza to the other en masse, and even these pseudo bridges were under water! I was talking with an American student in Venice who said that he had to wade through water up to his thighs. Ha ha! It was such an adventure! To get to dinner, we put tied plastic trashbags over our legs and at one point I actually took my shoes off, rolled up my pants, and just had the bags over my feet. Hee hee! Luckily, the next day the water had gone down and so it was actually possible to walk around the city. How beautiful! I have never seen a city like Venice before. Oh my goodness, it was absolutely gorgeous! I was just walking all around the city and absorbing everything, which meant that I became in a very reflective mood and wrote in my journal in one of the churches. Oooh! I also stumbled across this incredible exhibit on Vivaldi which displayed the most beautiful violins and violas and cellos made in the 18th century, and also some very unusual instruments which I made quick sketches of in my journal so I could remember them. It totally made me nostalgic for my lil' bassoon. *sniffle* It also made me think of Bea and Tina and how much I miss you guys! I love you! Ah! And I also got to go to the Guggenheim exhibit! Yaaaay! It was so awesome! I love the Italian Futurist movement. Not to mention that there were actual Pollacks there too! Who'd have thought that IHUM would actually pay off? Hehe... Anyways, I should probably take off right now because I have so much work to do and I am getting stressed and I am tired because the train came in from Venezia after midnight. Ciao tutti, and write to me so that I have some love!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EDDY!

I hope that you are having an absolutely wonderful day! Perhaps not as full of adventures as I understand a certain Friday evening was, but still fun nontheless. =) Just think, now I have automatically 20 more smacks (plus one for good luck) to add to your smack quota. Lucky you!

So... what is new in Italy? Well, I am suddenly swamped with tons of things to do! Not like that is entirely unusual, but it really seems to be hitting me right now. Not only do I have tons of things to do for classes, including research and papers and etc. but I also have my own personal research that I want to do, and I still want to check out soooo many art museums here that I haven't been able to do, such as the Galleria d'Arte Moderna and the Uffizzi (yes yes, I know I can't believe I haven't been there yet). Plus I am really overwhelmed with stuff with my family, and it doesn't help that I am sooo many miles removed from them at this time. Sigh. And then of course there are guy complications which just always make me confused. So, in conclusion, Erin is now having many things to do, and so of course she is writing on her blog! Well, I suppose I should try to get somethings accomplished.

Ciaaoooo

In a place where everything changes, where it's all new, nothing feels the same and it is all confusion... what warmth can be found in the simple sound of your laughter in my ear.

Craziness!

Wow.... how can I even begin to describe the craziness that was the club last night? I don't know where to start! Well, we went out to this club called Maracana to celebrate Deborah's birthday, which was Monday. The club has a Cuban theme, which means that they have a pen of four peacocks (don't ask me why!) and performances of Cuban dances in the beginning of the evening, around 11pm. This was wonderful -- the dancers were sooooo hot! Ohhh my goodness! They started out doing this dance with soccer balls, and the guys had soccer jerseys and everything *but* -oh glorious night!- with each successive performance the clothing got less and less. Tee hee! The next performance was of capoeira. It was so cool! I can't believe how strong they all were and what they could do with their bodies. It was really amazing! Ahhh, there was this one guy who looked sooo much like Malcom on Y&R! Jialin and Akila, I think you're the only people who know what I'm talking about, but daaaaaaang! He was soooo hot! And I got to talk and dance with him later! Tee hee! Oye, I am geting a little ahead of myself. Well after the capoeira there was this guy who did this very intense performance with these heavy balls on strings which he was swinging around and hitting on the floor and he looked veeery intense, like a hunter in the rainforest! And then there was the final dance that would have been very much appreciated by all the guys out there because all the women were very scantily clad and they were dancing and shaking their nearly-naked and sparkling bodies, and it was actually pretty cool but I was a tad scandalized by that.

Yes, so during this performance we had soooo many people at our table, I think maybe 18 or so at a table meant for 8. It was a cacophony of English and Italian and Japanese and laughter and clinking of glasses and music and dancing, all so crazy! Oh, and then there was the waiter. He was from Brasil, and very very forward and persistent, as you shall hear presently. Apparently, I was the most beautiful girl that he had seen that evening as well as lots of other things in rapid Italian which I didn't quite comprehend. It was all flattery and smiles and me not quite comprehending and being shocked and "ma no... ahh, grazie" with all modesty and what is your name? Carina? ahh, Erina ma sei carina! and then he came on the other side near to me and *very* near to me and put his arm around me and was telling me how he couldn't live without my eyes and he wanted to taste my sweet mouth and please wouldn't I give him just one kiss. And please wouldn't I go home with him and he could massage my body all over, and had I ever had a Brasilian kiss? During which I had been pulling away from him but he just kept pulling me closer and closer and kissing my neck... Which, folks, was just the beginning to a crazy evening...

Finally on the dance floor, I went and found my circle of girls and, though we were definitely surrounded by a crowd of guys, we were having lots of fun dancing. Then all of a sudden the guys started grabbing us one by one so I found myself in the center of a circle of five or so guys, which was actually sort of flattering because I had my space to dance and I wasn't really dancing with any of them, I was just dancing and it was nice to feel admired especially since I was feeling a little bad about myself recently. Hell, this evening cured that! Have I mentioned how much I love dancing? Oh it is so wonderful! When I am feeling so bad I can feel so good just by dancing. So I was definitely enjoying myself, and feeling desirable. Ha, I would just have to look at a guy and smile and he would come over with the rest of them. I definitely had two drink offers in the course of a couple of songs (both of which I declined, thankyouverymuch), and couldn't keep track of the guys who loved to say --Sei bellissima! --Sei carina! --Sei fidanzata? and more of rapid Italian which is difficult to comprehend in a crowded room with loud music, at which point they would say Ah, ma non sei italiana! Di dove sei? so I guess it is pretty cool that they don't realize that I'm not italian until they have to repeat things 3 times and then I am always reluctant to say that I am from the U.S., americana, because that solicites even more presumptuous moves on the part of the Italian guys.

For example: periodically throughout the night the dance floor was filled with smoke so that it was impossible to see anything. Which was evidently a perfect opportunity to grab me and kiss me. Yes, I think that at least 7 different guys kissed me throughout the night. On the hand, ooh, on the neck was really popular, and then the most bold of them actually kissed me on the mouth (including the two smoke filled discoteca incidents). I'm telling you-- it was an absolutely craaazy night! I didn't stop dancing until 4 in the morning, and still I wasn't tired!

And then there's Claudio... what am I going to do? I told him that I am pericolosa... but of course they never listen...I don't want to be cursed! He took me home on his motorino and it was so fast! Si si, vedi, sono pericolosa, ti ho detto. Non mi conosci, no, no, non puoi me vuoi bene... si, sei simpatico, carino, ma... But alas.... what is a girl to do?

This, my friends, concludes the evening's crazy adventures. And, as you can see, I am here left in its whirlwind...

God is so amazing! Ohhh, my goodness... I have tears on my cheeks writing this because I am so overwhelmed by how wonderful this is. It concerns my family and their relationship with Christ. I have been praying for so long that my mom (who was raised up Catholic but then rebelled from that as soon as she left the house) and my brother (who oscillates between making fun of me for going to church and reading books about Zen Buddhism) would really feel God in their lives and that they would find a church which was comfortable for them so that they could receive Jesus. They moved my freshman year at Stanford so I felt distanced from them and even though I was growing so much through CCC and The River which I have made my church home, I didn't know how I could share that with my family. Recently, my mom has been having a lot of financial difficulties because of a car accident, my brother's inability to get a job, and then other stuff with my dad, and so she has had to get a second job. Everything has been totally stressful, especially since I am so separated since I am studying overseas and I really don't know what is going on. Especially today I was feeling hopeless and stressed. I was just about to pack up my computer to leave but thought I would check my email one last time, just in case. This is what I got:

from: my mom
subject: I found a Christian Church home

Your prayers were answered! Last week I was led to a church that feels right and I received Jesus too! More surprisingly, Matt went to a Sunday service with me, and I attended my first bible study class. Interesting circumstances abound...I now have a 2nd job which is perfect because I can specify my hours and don't have to leave the med. center. My job is to stay with patients who can't be left unattended for various reasons. My first case was a suicide watch...a woman in her 40's who gave up, overdosed and ended up with heart problems. I prayed that I would know what to say to her if she felt like talking. Was it a coincidence that she was once a member of the church I just found? The pastor had given me his card with both church and home phone number and she agreed to have me call him. He came over that very night to counsel her.

Loooooooooooooove you,

Maman


I am so overwhelmed with the feeling of being completely watched and cared for. God really knows what I need in my life, what my family needs... he has a plan. He has a plan and he hasn't forgotten about us! I am so hopeful now. Everything has a reason. Thank you God, sooo much.

She's Miss California


Wow! Sooo much to write and so little time! Hmm... where to begin... where oh where?

Friday Akila was here! Ooooh my goodness we had so much fun! The day started with me missing her phone call while I was in the bathroom -- ooh the irony! (her telefonino wasn't working so I had no way to get in touch with here) but I got here message that she was in San Lorenzo. So I got ready to go out thinking, ah yes, perhaps I will be able to find her if I go to San Lorenzo! So I went. Of course I thought she was refering to San Lorenzo market when (as I would find out later) she really meant San Lorenzo church. Nevermind that it was also sort of ridiculous of me to think that I could find her in this huge outdoor multistreet market. But hey, I did get to look at lots of cute things.

And then after searching the streets unsuccessfully for my dear dear friend I decided that I would go to the Duomo (the cathedral) and see if I might happen to run into her there. Nevermind that the piazza is always filled with hundreds of tourists. So anyways I sat down on the steps of the Duomo and started to read my book. And then this guy sits down next to me on the steps and asks me if he can use my pen. So I give him my pen, which is apparently a sign that I want to talk to him instead of reading my book, because lo and behold he struck up a conversation with me. Wow, I sound so high and mighty. I swear it's not like I don't want to talk to guys, but seriously, if you knew what comes out of these guys' mouths most of the time... (just wait till the triangolo story). Anyways so I got to talking with this guy, Aleksandro. He is actually from Albania as opposed to Italy, and was very happy when I told him that I was from California in the United States. He proceeded to tell me that he has two sisters who live in California, and how can he get an American girlfriend so that he can go to California too?

Yeah. Anyways, Akila finally called and it turned out that she was right by the Duomo so that worked out perfectly! And so then she came over and found me and we made such a scene at the stairs of the Duomo, hugging and kissing and screaming and falling over each other! Aww yeah, California love! It was soooo happy to have Akila here in Florence! And oh yes, we totally rocked the town! I took them on the beautiful hike to Chiesa San Miniato and Piazole Michelangelo and it was so beautiful seeing the entire city from up the hill! And then we went down to Santa Croce and they went in to see the tombs of Michelangelo and Machiavelli and the beautiful museum while I was contentedly reading my book on the stairs and thankfully not getting into any more trouble with any more guys!

Oh, which reminds me that I haven't finished my story about Aleksandro. So we continued to talk on the steps of the Duomo while Akila and her friend Thai were inside. Which was actually nice because I could practice my italian which I really don't think that I get enough opportunity to do. The problem is when they become a little too friendly and putting their arms around you and asking you sei fidanzata? (are you engaged?) Yes, in fact, I do happen to be engaged. And I happen to have a picture of my fiance as well. --Davvero? Daverro? --Ma si si! Vuoi vedere la foto? Yes, so Eddy you are now my fiance, I hope that is okay with you! But you know, even that knowledge didn't sway Aleksandro from his quest of finding an American girl. I told him to check out the Syracuse program since they have 400 some students and he might have better luck with them. Heh heh... But even then! He wanted to see if he could come with me and Akila and Thai to Piazzole Michelangelo. Even though I told him he couldn't because I need time with my friend who I haven't seen for so long, he was soooo persistent! Finally he was convinced that I wasn't going to let him come, and so he gave me the number of his telefonino and then he wanted to have mine BUT, as you will be so happy to know, I told him "no!" I said that it was a rule of mine that I don't give out my number. Isn't that a good excuse? I was pretty pleased with myself.

Aaaanyways, after Santa Croce it was already dark. Akila and Thai and I went to the strada delle firme, a street with all the posh "signed" ie: marked, famous designer clothing to the Ponte Trinita to where Sarah was waiting. We sat with her on this part of the bridge over the railing that was jutting out over the river, looking at the lights from the Ponte Vecchio and the streets reflecting on the water and the little ripples in the lights. Oh it was so beautiful! We are going to go back some time with a bottle of wine and just enjoy the peace of the night and the perspective of reflection. So beautiful. There was also a girl from Germany there who spoke very loudly and complained a lot. But she was nice and we ended up getting together with her that night after dinner. We also met three Italian guys who came and joined us out overlooking the water. This was really funny because by this time it was me an Akila and Thai and the German girl, and I was the only one who spoke Italian and it was a huge garble of languages and accents and laughter and of course very loud since it's Akila, and the guys were from Calabria and the German girl and I was laughing the whole time!

When I finally had to leave I was so full of joy and this giddy happiness! I literally could not keep myself from having this huge smile take over my entire face, and I laughed to myself and I skipped on the way home. See I was just filled with this wonderful feeling of being young and free and happy! Such a wonderful feeling!

Well, the boys gave me their phone number and we were going to meet up with them after dinner. I met Akila and everybody at 10ish at the Duomo but I couldn't find the boys and I called but there was no answer so owell. Oh my goodness, you have nooo idea how hilarious it was to walk with Akila in just the few minutes from the Duomo to the Santa Croce area. Akila exudes this certain je ne sais quoi which is universally picked up by groups of Italian guys as "american girl." So literally in the span of a single minute, *five* different groups of guys approached us with the ever-popular lines: "Hallo! Beautiful ladies!" and one more bold guy kept saying the name of his hotel which I didn't understand what he meant until later that evening. Ew. (Incidentally, this same guy happened to be at the club where we ended up later that night.)

So we headed over to the Santa Croce area where there are lots of pubs and discoteca's and so we were looking for a pub and then all of a sudden comes this voice from a group of guys saying "Hey, California!" So I turn around at this group of guys thinking that it was just another of them. But as it turns out, I actually knew this guy! I met him on Thursday night at this club called XO, and he's nice and likes to dance too which is always a good thing. Yes so he was very kind and took us to this pub down the street where they had a guy playing a guitar and singing reeeally random old American music. Seriously random. From Oasis "Wonderwall" to Elvis "Blue Suede Shoes" which reeeally made me want to swing. I miss swing sooo-oooo much! I think I've said that before. Yes, so the pub was fun and loud and me having to translate everything because nobody understood anybody else and it was so funny! Except that Akila made me taste some of her beer and some of Claudio's too because they were apparently different (one was light and one was dark, whatever that means) and it was sooooooo nasty! Ugh! Never again. Blech!

Then we went back to XO and that is when the real party began. Akila and I *tore up* the club! Oohh yes! It was really OUR club! Oh yes. We had the best time dancing with each other! It was just so perfect to be able to relapse into high school and completely rock the dance floor! Of course we attracted this huge crowd of somewhat sketchy guys who were apparently intruiged by the show that we were putting on dancing with each other. So eventually we made our own stage so that the guys were below us and couldn't crowd us so much. Oh it was so wonderful! Oh my goodness... and then at one point I went into the bathroom to dry off and these two guys came in. And so I, surprised, started explaining in Italian that this was the bathroom for girls. They weren't really interested in that information, but they *were* interested in the fact that I was American. "Ah! Americana? Americana? Vuoi un triangolo? Triangolo?" And they pointed to the bathroom stall. Yes folks, I was propositioned for a threesome. I was soooo shocked and disgusted. I screamed "Whaaaat?" And had this absolute look of horror on my face. And then they laughed and walked out. Traumatizing. Let me tell you. Oye.

So anyways Akila and I continued to tear up the floor, Claudio let me have some of his really yummy drink with Kaluah and Bailey's and something else or other which was so nice since I was sooo hot. Yow! *wink wink, nudge nudge* Bea, you know what I mean. Hehee... So we were there until 3 in the morning at which point I realized that I had to catch a train at 8:30 that morning to Cinque Terre... Ahhh, it was so beautiful there! But that is a story for another day.