Microadventures: From right in Florence all the way to Berlin

Microadventures

In my writing and rhetoric class this last quarter, a classmate did her final presentation on the importance of adventuring. In it, she touched on a book by Alastair Humphreys, Microadventures. 

Humphreys won the 2011 National Geographic Award - Adventurer of the Year and now works as a motivational speaker as well. His bestseller is meant to inspire people of all backgrounds and means to adventure. He acknowledges that barriers like finances, time constraints, or fitness levels often make it difficult for people to plan adventures, but presents many options that are accessible to everyone. 

“Sometimes all you need is to climb a simple hill, to spend time staring at an empty horizon, to jump into a cold river or sleep under the stars, or perhaps share a whisky at a small country inn in order to remind yourself what matters most to you in life.”

— Microadventures

I have yet to read the book, though it’s definitely on my reading list. But as my classmate pointed out, adventure clearly matters a lot to a ton of people in this world - after all, here you have a man who has sustained multiple injuries and mishaps while traveling, yet now dedicates his life to inspiring the world to adventure more. 

The biggest takeaway I got from my friend was that adventure is key to helping us, as individuals, discover a bit more about ourselves and in turn, relate to other people better. But my friend, in her project, also touched on how to get the most out of your adventures. Naturally, we all have preferences, but cliche as it sounds, I think that what makes all the difference is an element of tension. By tension, I mean situations where you’re not completely comfortable, or where things aren’t so familiar to you. 

Venice and Berlin

Since my last post, I’ve taken a day trip to Venice, and then spent a weekend in Berlin. You can imagine that the two are drastically different places. Though I don’t mean to dissuade anyone from visiting Venice, after traveling to so many places in Italy, I found this particular trip to be very underwhelming. 

In hindsight, I think it had to do a bit with Venice being such a huge tourist site in the first place. Think for instance, how many pictures you’ve seen of people in gondolas surrounded by colorful buildings. Venice had exactly the things I expected it to, and nothing more. It didn’t challenge me to think beyond that.

But then again, perhaps the same could be said about Berlin. Like Venice, it’s a top 10 European city to tour on TripAdvisor. Berlin is known for being rich in World War 2 historical sites and exclusive clubs, among other things. So, I think there were three things in particular that helped make this my most memorable trip thus far.

1. People
2. Hidden Gems
3. Reflection

People

Since I’ve started at Stanford, my perspective of what a friendship is has changed quite a bit. Up until college, you’re surrounded by people that you’ve likely grown up with or known for a good amount of years. Meanwhile, I’ve made tons of close friends at Stanford, but I do think it’s interesting that the longest I have known some of them for is less than 2 years. 

What I discovered last summer in Singapore is that travel adventures really help me bond with others. Whether it was my mentor or friends I met from other American universities, exploring new places together gave us some of the most exciting memories that come to mind most when I think of defining life moments. Being thrown into a completely new situation together forces you to work together to understand relationships between what you’re learning and what you already know, to open up about past experiences that everyone can relate to, to slow down and reflect. 

What I discovered in Berlin is that just as exciting is exploring an unfamiliar area with someone who is familiar. I was lucky enough to meet up with some good friends from Stanford in the Berlin study abroad program. As I’m typing, I realize that interactions with friends on campus are often very routine. You maybe see them in class, before you leave in the morning if they’re your roommate, for coffee one a week, etc. Going to a new place with someone you already know forces you to try new things - there’s no way you have routine established in a place you’ve never seen. For me, that naturally breeds closeness. You're bound to learn some new things about a person you thought you knew already.

A Hidden Gem - Teufelsberg

My absolute favorite place that I went to at Berlin was not the Berlin Wall, the Reichstag, or even the Birkenstocks factory store. It was a less hyped up place called Teufelsberg, a man made hill of debris created 20 years after the war. Underneath the debris is a buried, unfinished Nazi training camp. Clearly, the place may not be for everyone. It isn’t manicured in any sense - it’s quite the opposite. You see graffiti artists taking their places at a small slab of a wall, or get a bit of a scare when you walk up the stairs to the top level in pitch darkness. But then, you reach the top and you have a breathless view of everything below you. The slight discomforts force you to be alert, which leads you to not just stroll by something you’ve seen millions of times before in pictures, but to actually take in a sight and the feelings that come with it.

Reflection

And then, we come to the last, but perhaps most important aspect. I would classify myself as a more extroverted introvert. I do love people, but I always need time to recharge just by myself. While traveling in groups thus far has been a lot of fun, spending a good amount of time on my own on this trip was just what I needed. I started my mornings with a bit of meditation and reading (currently I’m on Julian Barnes’ The Sense of an Ending). I spent the days with some pretty cool people, then ended them with a bit more reading. Mixing in some of my favorite routine activities with new experiences helped me internalize what I was experiencing and figure out how these new learnings could translate into what I do on a regular basis.

And the biggest thing about reflection - it reminds me to slow down my pace of life. I had a great sophomore year on campus, but there were times (talked about extensively in some past posts), where I mistook burnt out, spent, and constant stress for happiness. Slowing down reminds me to not glorify the idea of being busy, but to fill my days with things that are meaningful to me and my own standards.

Random Updates

1. Had my second cooking class - on the menu was three meet ravioli and tomato bruschetta
2. Tried out Mosaico, an English speaking Evangelical church here in Florence and really enjoyed it
3. Took a day (Monday, which we had off since it was a holiday dedicated to Italy’s freedom from Nazification) to hit up popular Florentine sites like the Pitti Palace and the Bardini Gardens
4. Saw a silent comedy film with a live orchestra on that same Monday with my host family
5. Went to Ritter Sport in Berlin, quite possibly the best chocolate shop I’ve ever been to. You can pick your ingredients to make your own bars. How cool is that? (pretty dang cool)
6. Saw Tchaikovsky's Iolanta at the Florence Opera. Courtesy of the Bing center.

Next Up

Went to the luxury outlets today and will be staying in this weekend to explore Florence more, and then London the next weekend. Thanks for reading! xoxo

An Italian Perspective on "Foodie"

Hello! This post is all about my love for food, and my appreciation of the Italian lifestyle of food. Since my last post, I’ve taken my first cooking class (called Florence for Foodies, essentially 1 unit for watching a top 3 MasterChef contestant cook in front of me and then for eating). The next day, for my Growing Up American, Growing Up Italian class, we went to the market to pick out fresh ingredients and prepared a meal together. So yes, quite a bit of food. Zero complaints about that.

What a real foodie is

See, in general I’m a huge fan of food. I was a very picky eater when I was younger (may or may not still be), where my mom had to find creative ways to put vegetables in food without me knowing, because I refused to eat anything green. I had a huge fascination with junk food (my favorite being all types of Cheetos)  and would sometimes not eat actual meals at all. About fifteen years later, I’m much less high maintenance with regards to food, but I’ve also come to appreciate the significance of food beyond just its taste. No matter how bad of a day I’m having, if I have an amazing meal, I’m happy for at least the next few hours.

I think as you grow older, your capability for synthesizing memories and information grows. Especially now that I’m moving around so much (between San Diego, Stanford, going abroad, internships, etc.), I’ve come to associate certain meals with significant periods of my life. For example, Lobster and Fried Squid at Imperial Mandarin, a Chinese restaurant back in San Diego, isn’t just my favorite dish because it makes my taste buds sing – I love it because it means I’ve likely just landed back home after a crazy week of finals, and finally have the time to be fully present with my family as we share a meal. It’s the first thing I’m craving when I land at the airport, and my parents know that without me saying a word to them. An Acai bowl at Del Mar beach isn’t amazing just because it’s basic and so Instagram-able – it’s great because I’m fully enjoying the highlights of my lovely hometown. 

There’s so much more to food than just the dish. For instance – going to a restaurant with a large group and buying a few dishes to share and eat family style means that I’m with a group of people who I’m very comfortable with. My old a cappella group actually has a tradition of going to Mountain View some weekends and getting Pho and Boba, then singing in a garage nearby. With some friends, I explore different “hipster” cafes. Obviously, the latte doesn’t warrant five bucks just because of the pretty heart the barista made in the milk foam – it’s about consuming the adventure and ambiance of a new place.

A required reading for my culture class

But the Florence Foodie culture, like I said, is a lifestyle. “Foodie” here doesn’t just mean that you take pictures of all your food with such angles and filters so that you can get a million likes for making your dish seem more impressive than it is – in fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen an Italian person take a picture of their food. According to one of my class readings by Beppe Severgnini, Italians are “consummate professionals of culinary consumption” (21). Quite a lofty claim to make, but a few weeks in Italy and you would know that his claim is rather on point. For example, it’s not socially acceptable here to walk while eating food or even drinking coffee (Hence the confusion my host parents had when I gave them a coffee cup with the California flag on it). Besides gelato, nothing is meant to be consumed quickly or on-the-go. That’s also probably why the only fast food places here are American. A lot of thought goes into preparing a meal – families, like my class group did this week, go to street markets together and pick out fresh ingredients together. They pay close attention to which foods are in season, much like we do to seasonal fashion trends.

“Consummate professionals of culinary consumption.”

— La Bella Figura

Back to Severgnini – in a nutshell, Italians have very strict rules about how food should be consumed to maximize satisfaction. This so called “food fascism” apparently isn’t pretentious though – it’s just that Italians are very sure that their way is right, and therefore don’t see why anyone wouldn’t follow these rules. “She had ordered a cappuccino after her evening meal, and the waiter refrained from calling the police,” recounts Severgnini about a woman he’d met (26). Or this one – “If we chose the wrong starter, it’s so we can complain about it later,” as he believes sums up the Italian foodie mindset. At the dinner table for example, my host family won’t let me have the next course until my first plate is finished, and there’s always exactly three courses. On menus in restaurants, it’s very common to have sections labled “first course” or “second course” – in other words, they want to tell you how to think. It’s also common to devour your food instantaneously – as I’ve discovered that I’m apparently a very slow eater.

“Around an Italian table, people reason, argue, and learn to defend their points of view”

— La Bella Figura

The food culture here is strongly tied with family values. “Around an Italian table, people reason, argue, and learn to defend their points of view” (52). You’re not meant to go to the table, eat, and then head straight back to your room. You’re meant to sit for an hour afterwards and talk about your day – in a very straightforward manner. Unlike in American culture, you don’t adopt a “customer is always right mentality” and keep smiling when you’re actually annoyed – you let people know what’s on your mind. This teaches youth to form their own opinions and be able to defend them confidently. Families really stick together here. It’s not uncommon to have “adult children” who still stay with their parents, not necessarily because they haven’t found jobs or their own paths in life, but just because it’s a cultural norm. Among other things, Severgnini describes the Italian family as a counseling service, an employment agency, a “market where nothing is sold, and lots of stuff is given away, everything haggled over” (60). Moving is a lot less common, as your home is indeed where your heart is. Once you unpack your stuff out of packing boxes, you’re likely there to stay.

Mama, I learned to cook!

 So, as I mentioned, I got to take a cooking class this week at a school called Desi Nare. It was led by Chef Enrica Della Martira, who placed third at MasterChef. I may or may not have a mom who gets on my case for having zero homemaking skills. She may or may not have been right – up until I took this class at least! We made these things from scratch –

·      Potato Gnocchi with Ragu Meat Sauce

·      Veal Rolls with Tuscan Ham and Cheese

·      Think Chocolate Cake

Spoiler alert – everything was absolutely delicious. Nothing quite helps me bond with people like cooking and eating a meal together. 

Food week for my Growing Up Class

Then there was my actual class where I don’t just eat for a free unit. My group was told to go to Mercato Centrale and get the following ingredients:

·      Cured meat/cooked beans

·      Cheese and olives

·      Caprese Salad (tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil or parsley)

·      Fruit or Dessert

·      Bread

·      A Non Alcoholic Drink

This activity just added to my admiration of the foodie culture here. There’s very specific types of meat, and I sadly didn’t know the difference from one to the other – I decided to just go off the seller’s recommendation. It’s also fun to watch them cut fresh ingredients right in front of you. I also really love that commerce here is very much based on relationships rather than competition. It’s the reason that gelato shops can exist literally 10 steps away from each other and not go out of business. If one tender didn’t have something, he would point us in the right direction of a friend at the same market who did. If someone was short 1 Euro for something, they would go ahead and give them the stuff they purchased and trust them to come back later. I could not see that happening anywhere in the Bay Area.

Other Updates

·      Started some projects in art class

·      The competition for the best pizza place in Florence has ended. Thank you to all the diligent contenders but I have to give it to Gusta Pizza

·      I’m going to be a tour guide! I’ll be volunteering with Ars et Fides, a nonprofit that gives tours of churches and museums here in Florence. Starting next week, I’ll be giving tours at the Duomo.

·      Went back to Rome for my High Renaissance Art History class. We hit the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, and went to a dorky Ice Bar. Also, thank goodness that Slim (my roommate) and I are both into photography, because for once I actually have nice pictures of myself from a trip, not just pictures of other people and empty landscapes. Two as a sneak peak - 

Colosseum

Back to the Vatican - though it feels like years ago that I was last there (it was 2 weeks ago)

·      Went to a Florence and the Machine concert at the Unipol Arena in Bologna. She is amazing live.

·      Coming up: a day trip to Venice tomorrow, a soccer game on Sunday

Thanks for reading! xoxo

Firenze - Week One and a Half

Hello lovely readers ! A few things have happened since my last blog post. Among the highlights are -

• My first weekend trip to Rome for Easter
• The start of classes
• A day trip to Lucca

As predicted, keeping up with my blog has proved harder done than said due to spotty wifi and general laziness. 

Rome

 Anyway, let’s start with a recap of my trip to Rome. Now, I’m not Catholic, but I’m really thankful for the cultural enrichment that came with experiencing Easter service at St. Peter’s Basilica. It’s actually quite interesting how our group of seven happened to get in on the event. Usually, you have to book tickets way in advance of coming. 

We were simply taking pictures around St. Peter’s Square, when suddenly we saw a crowd of people lining up. I definitely had no idea what was going on, but before I knew it we were shoved into the line as well. Somehow we ended up going through a security check, and realized that we were in front of the line for the Easter Vigil. One problem - no tickets. 

The crazy thing is, 3 of us randomly ended up getting tickets from nuns and monks who had extra ones in the crowd. While there’s a lot that I don’t know about the Catholic faith, it was very cool to see how invigorated the crowds of people were - how willing they were to stand in line three hours before a mass to celebrate a special day. That level of faith and commitment is so admirable. 

The rest of us (me included) who didn’t have tickets for the vigil ended up walking around Rome and grabbing dinner and dessert. Pizzeria Baffetto, the place we went for dinner, was absolutely amazing. They made thin crust pizzas that seemed to just melt in my mouth. Luckily, as Americans we’re used to eating a few hours earlier, so we beat the rush of people who crowded around to wait in line for a table starting at around 8 pm. The Gelato place next door - Frigidarium - was also absolutely amazing. I got a small cup of vanilla with a chocolate shell on it.

After we finished, we went back to watch the remaining portion of the Easter Vigil, which was streamed live on screens outside of the church. There, we talked to two Swiss guards that told us that if we came early enough the next day (Easter), we could try and get seats for the Easter service, even if we didn’t have tickets. So, that night we went to bed early.

The service the next day was set to start at 10 am, but we were in line by around 8 am. Surprisingly, we had no trouble getting a seat very close to the front. A good portion of the group I went on the trip with were Catholic, so I was happy to see them so excited to see the mass live. There were people from all over the world who’d taken time out of their very busy schedules for the annual event. Quite a once in a lifetime experience.

The crowd outside of the church on the evening of the Easter Vigil

 A walk through the lovely streets of Rome

Yay for the first new basic profile picture of the quarter

The crowd going wild as Pope Francis is paraded through the crowd on Easter Sunday

But of course, nothing tops off Easter like a great meal. We went to an authentic Roman place and had their special Easter meal, which left me full for the rest of the day.

The rest of the night was spent doing your typical tourist things in Rome - whether it was throwing a coin into the Trevi Fountain or going to the Coliseum. 

The first part was the apertivo - the appetizer...though for a while we thought this was the full meal.

From Frigidarium - quite possibly the best gelato I've ever had

Program Retreat

We came back the next day just in time for the Stanford retreat to Castello Vicchiomaggio. 

 We got a guided visit of the Castle, Vineyard and Cellars, and had a lovely lunch there. It was so good to see the whole group again, and it reminded me again that there were so many interesting people that I’d have the opportunity to get to know.

Classes

Monday marked the last day of our orientation, which meant that classes began on Tuesday. Of course, classes are never completely fun, but they have a different feel at Stanford in Florence vs. on campus. For one, I’m very excited to be learning Italian, though of course it’s a gradual process. But, it’s been very nice being able to at least say a few things to my host family over dinner vs. just sitting around and smiling. 

A class I’m currently shopping is called Growing Up American and Growing Up Italian. The class focuses on the differences in the cultural cycles between the two. Though the first class was very high level rather than specific, it got me thinking about how so much of who we are is shaped just by the birth lottery - where we’re born.

“ We are produced by the past and we live immersed in the past.”

— Benedetto Croce

This was on one of the first lecture slides of the class. American culture for example, very much focuses on individual success and standing out, while many other cultures value fitting in and group identities more. The class will involve us going out and doing typical things in Italy, from shopping to mailing a letter, to help us understand the differences in our cultures and what causes them.

On Wednesday, I had my first class on the High Renaissance with Timothy Verdon, the class that everyone told me to take. Verdon was an art historian who got his Ph.D. at Yale and has been a Roman Catholic priest in Florence since 1994. He’s insanely well connected among the churches and museums here, and obviously very well informed about all its pieces. We’re lucky to have him.

Last but not least, I also shopped a drawing class. I was happy to learn that the class was intended for absolute beginners. Our first day, we went to the Academy museum and were just told to sketch a few of the pieces. Our professor, Filippo Rossi, came around and gave everyone individual feedback. We’ll have our first workshop on Monday, and I’m pretty excited. I think it’ll be really cool to see how I progress in my 120 page sketchbook. I'll also try to post the things I learn about drawing in my learnings section every workshop!

The two classes I have yet to start are Bioethics, which counts for my Science and Technology concentration for Public Policy, and also my cooking class.

A day trip to Lucca

A few of us wanted to go just an hour up to Lucca. It’s known for it’s Renaissance walls that circle its center and also its beautiful tree-lined pathways. It was a very low key trip where we checked out a famous bakery, the famous Roman amphitheater, and then just hung out at a large meadow and got to know each other better.

First glitch of my Italy trip - somehow my memory card got wiped. Currently trying to retrieve my pictures somehow, but of course, no trip is absolutely perfect.

*Update* Photos recovered, yay! Enjoy - 

Tomorrow will be dedicated to a time of rest and just exploring Florence. It’s very hard to resist the urge to just keep spending every second of every day seeing something new, but I’ve come to really appreciate the value of quiet time and reflecting. After all, there’s no point of rushing through things if you can’t take time to enjoy them, and if you aren’t truly happy.

Ciao Firenze!

Hello from Florence! It’s now my 3rd day here, and I’m quite excited for what lies ahead.This first post is a reflection on what brought me to Florence specifically, and what I’d like to do while I’m here. 

First days Recap

But first, let me fill you in and what I’ve done so far. I landed at about 3 pm on March 23rd, somehow exhausted even though all I’d done on the plane was binge watch movies. I jumped on a taxi and showed the driver a paper with the center’s address on it - he didn’t speak English. The whole time he was talking to me, all I could do was nod happily and insert the word “bene” here and there. This, I thought to myself, is where I may start to regret not taking any Italian. But even without understanding completely, I could at least pick out a few similarities to Spanish. Most of all, I couldn’t help but notice how easily the words rolled off his tongue and flowed so naturally. Eat Pray Love didn’t lie about how beautiful the Italian Language is. 

photo courtesy of www.windowsonitaly.com

The center itself is a part of the Palazzo Capponi alle Rovinate, an early Renaissance-style palace. The center is filled with million dollar paintings and artifacts - it’s essentially a museum. It’s still surreal that this is where I’ll be spending the bulk of my time for the next two months. And most of all, just from a couple days here, I know that it’ll be a blast getting to know the other 45 students here. Surprisingly, at least half are also sophomores and at least half haven’t learned any Italian yet either. If there’s anything I’ve learned from my last summer, nothing bonds young people together as quickly as exploring the world together.

Also, can I say my roommate is absolutely bomb? We’re both into photography and traveling, though she’s an actual explorer who breaks into skyscrapers in Bangkok while I (the lame one) went to shop at the tourist night markets when I was there instead. Her name is Sungmoon, Slim as a nickname since her last name is Lim. She started traveling on her own since she was 12, and has over 5,000 followers on her travel Instagram even though it only has 8 photos right now. She’s an urban studies major who worked for the United Nations last summer and speaks French, Korean, and Spanish. I know, she’s great.

We’re hosted by a lovely retired Italian couple - Vittorino and Adele. Vittorino used to work at a bank and now volunteers with the workers union, and Adele was an Italian teacher who now hosts dance socials and sings in a trio. They speak very little English, and we currently speak minimal Italian. Their daughter, Federica, their daughter, was there to translate for us just for our first night. She actually studied Chinese in college. They have to be the warmest, cutest, loveliest couple I’ve ever seen. There’s some things that can be felt even with the language barrier. I feel so lucky to have them as hosts.

Also, let’s talk about how great it is that I’ll be having home cooked Italian dinners almost every night this quarter. Italians tends to have smaller breakfasts (a warm drink and a pastry of some sort), but very large, multi-course dinners. They also eat a bit later in the night, around 7 or 8 pm, and have small snacks throughout the day. The dishes were pasta with pesto, steamed vegetables, white pizza, and a mozzarella and tomato appetizer. I love how big of a part food plays in Italian culture. They prepared the meal together, served each other, and then we talked for about an hour or so even after wiping our plates clean. What a nice change from quick dining hall meals that I stuff in my stomach purely for sustenance. I’m inspired to actually learn Italian and practice it. This will be my first time learning a foreign language while I’m fully immersed in the respective country for a long period of time.

Quotes to live by

While I know that some orientations tend to have a stigma of being boring and useless, I’m really thankful that we have a week to just adjust to Florence. Also, after planning all my own trips last summer, it’s really nice to have a great team taking care of us. Ermellinda Campani, our program director, had us reflect on a few quotes.

Two came from The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles. The book reflects on how often Americans’ misunderstanding of foreign countries leads to the destruction of those cultures. We focused on the parts in the book that described the differences between a tourist and a traveler.

“The traveler, belonging no more to one place than to the next, moves slowly, over periods of years, from one part of the earth to another.”

— Paul Bowles

 I think the quote is especially relevant for college students. I have a home in San Diego that I grew up in, but also Stanford, where I’m spending the bulk of my time now. I lived in Singapore long enough last summer to be quite familiar with it, and it did start to make me feel “at home” before I left. But then there’s also Indonesia - where I was born and where most of my extended family live. So, I’m not quite sure where I think a traveler’s home is, or even what defines a home. But, the key words here were “moves slowly”. Last summer, I got a taste of many parts of Southeast Asia, but outside of Singapore and Indonesia, most of those trips were rushed over a period of 2 or 3 days. While I want to hit a couple other European countries while I’m in the region, I also want to take in everything else that Florence has to offer. I don't want to be bound to a to do list - I'd like to let myself go with the ebb and flow a bit more.

The next part is that inevitably, when you go to a foreign country, you’ll face discomfort in some form - psychologically, emotionally, or physically.

“Another important difference between the tourist and the traveler is that the former accepts his own civilization without question; not so the traveler, who compares it with the others, and rejects those elements he finds not to his liking.”

— Paul Bowles

I like this a lot. I think a lot of times, people try to find familiarity in new places. Think Chinatown in San Francisco, or ethnic groups at Stanford, even. While that’s great, there’s something to be said about embracing a new culture as it is vs. trying to mold it to fit your ideal situation.

Goals

And the last quote, saved for last because I think it sums up my current mindset pretty well.

“Null dies sine line.”

 This literally translates to Apelles, an ancient Greek painter who wouldn’t let a day pass without sketching at least something - anything really. We were asked to fill in the blank for ourselves. What are the things that I don’t want to go a day without doing?

First, I want to think back to what brought me here in the first place. I applied on a whim during Fall quarter when I realized the language requirement was waived. I missed traveling after a whole summer abroad, and I’d always had a fascination with European History. It just so happened that I took a music theory class with an Italian Professor, who convinced me to take the opportunity. I’ll be honest and say I didn’t think much about what I’d do once I actually got here until I got off the plane in the airport.

But, now that I’m here, I’ve made a list (non-exhaustive, but a start nonetheless):

• Getting back into some hobbies I love, but haven’t had the time to nurture: I can’t actually recall the last time I read a book cover and cover purely for leisure. I haven’t photographed outside of some scheduled shoots with customers since last summer. I haven’t blogged consistently since last summer, either. I also haven’t had a chance to practice much music, and after learning a bit more about musical history and composition this quarter, i want to delve right in. These are some of the things that make me happiest - that really help me express myself, and I can’t think of a better place to start getting into them again.
• Learning for the sake of learning: I love Stanford, I really do. But I think it’s too easy to get caught in the mindset of seeing classes as a means to an end - particularly to set you up for certain careers. I’m excited to learn about Italian culture, language, film, art history, and biotechnology this quarter just for fun. It’s exciting that I’ll be learning more about the things that I see around me everyday, and that what I’m learning will help me better connect with the people I interact with everyday.
• Engaging in Italian fashion: While I love my denim shorts, tanks and flip flops for my lovely San Diego, I love how Italians dress up a bit more. I’ve been told a couple times here that they dress for seasons rather than weather. Rather than stand out as a complete tourist, I’m excited to learn about the norms in one of the leading countries for fashion design.
• Attaining Cultural Competency: This was brought up in orientation, but I actually first heard of it in a social entrepreneurship class last year. In the context of that class, we discussed how Americans are often notorious for unwanted intervention in a foreign country, even if they truly believe they are helping. Italy is a country full of years of history, and as a traveler and a resident for this quarter, I have the responsibility to respect and abide by these norms. That goes from adjusting to small breakfasts to going to a local gym instead of jogging around the streets (since no one does that here). 

What’s next?

Look out for my next posts about wine tasting or the Vatican city this weekend for Easter, photo dumps, book reviews, and more. Can’t wait to share more!

P.S. Some Photos

My first time trying gelato at a shop near my homestay. We asked to try flavors. The lady said only one sample was allowed - "It's gelato. Just trust that it's good," she said. She was right.

And please have a look at my first orientation dinner onsite :)

The menu - note how many dishes