I guess I'll actually start before September since there were a couple of noteworthy events during the last week of August. The first was that, after more than a month of working at I Tatti, I got a desk, a computer, and a sign in and password for Harvard's ALEPH catalog. So now I was able to make the appropriate changes to the records I find every day that have some kind of cataloging errors. Most of what I do is pretty basic. If there are more difficult problems I still work on those with Angela (Reference Librarian and Assistant Cataloger). Later that day I became aware that I had the stomache virus that Sarah, Kellin, and many others already had.
Sarah and I met Gian Mario (another librarian at I Tatti) at a pizza place near the Piazza Sant'Ambrosio. We had a really good time chatting with him about I Tatti, Sarah's work at Syracuse, and his time teaching at NYU. Unfortunately, while we were still sitting around talking, the stomache virus showed up. I had the visit the restaurant's bathroom a few times. Luckily, this was a pretty descent bathroom which is an unheard of luxury here in Italy.
Thursday 8/28
The only important thing that happened today was that we went to the J. Joyce Pub for the first time. Sarah and I met Dan and Clark there because we wanted to check it out. I found it while walking around a week before and it looked pretty cool. It's a pub with a Irish writers theme. It's also got a great patio that we would visit a couple of other times before it started getting too cold.
Friday 8/29
I watched Manchester United (winners of the Champion's League) lose to Zenit St. Petersburg (UEFA Cup Champion) in the UEFA SuperCup. It's always nice seeing ManU lose.
Saturday 8/30
We went to Sean and Luke's place, which was documented in the last posting.
Sunday 8/31
This was a pretty lazy day. Sarah was working hard on her presentation preparation so I was on my own. Later, I tried to watch Fiorentina (Florence's professional soccer team) play Juventus. I have since learned that they rarely show Serie A (Italy's top league) games on basic television. Instead, there were four channels showing people talking about the game as it was going on. Since I had nothing better to do I watched one. The analysts would be talking about something while one guy was apparantly watching the game on his computer (which was facing away from the camera). Then the guy watching his computer would start yelling about something that just happened and they'd all start talking about what just happened, I guess. Then one of the other guys would actually go over to a magnetic board in the shape of a soccer field and move little black and white circles around on it to show us what just happened. It was thrilling.
Tuesday 9/2
Sarah and some of the others were working the undergraduate orientation this week. On Tuesday I tagged along with them when they went to the hotel where the kids were staying and ate a huge buffet dinner. I am really teking advantage of Syracuse. I get free food, I get free trips, I use their Internet access. I might feel bad for a second until I remember how much it costs for Sarah to go there. Then I start thinking that they owe me some more free meals. Later, Sarah, Kellin, Sean, Clark, Sarah D., Carrie, and I went across the river to the J. Joyce Pub again.
Thursday 9/4
All this week was also orientation for the new fellows at I Tatti. So I met a lot of new people at work also. One of them named Max would figure into our group later. Today on the way to work I experienced my first bus break down. That was fun. They eventually sent a replacement bus and I just barely made it to work on time. That was almost a disaster as I hate being late.
Friday 9/5
I went with Sarah and her class right around the corner to Piazza Signoria where Tom was presenting his prova. Sarah did this last semester. It's where you are going to lecture to the undergrads, but first you must prova your presentation in front of the grads and Professor Hatfield so that they can let you know what you are doing wrong. Tom was working on politics and sculpture in the Piazza Signoria. It was interesting to see what it is these grad students are doing. Plus, I got to meet Prof. Hatfield. Afterwards, Prof. Hatfield took us out for coffee. Then we all went back to Sarah's school so they could work and so Sarah and Kellin could prepare the group's going away present for Carrie, one of the past grads and TAs.
When everyone had had their fill of studying Sarah, Kellin, Sean, Luke, Tom, Sarah D., Carrie, and I went outside to the Piazza Savonarola (the plaza right in front of their school) to chat, have a mojito (seen above), and eat some apertivi. I can't remember if I've mentioned it or not, but many bars in Italy have this apertivi deal where you buy a drink and get to eat their appetizers. I'm sure they want you to drink a lot and eat a little, but many people buy one drink and load up on food. Some places have really delicious stuff laid out. Anyway, we had these 7 euro mojitos and some crappy apertivi. That's right over $10 for a drink (actually about a bottle of liquor in a forest of greens).
Close-up on the mojito.
Carrie and I take pictures of each other taking pictures of each other. Luke and Sarah try to avoid the cameras. The little stand in the piazza is seen in the background.
My nighttime shot of Sarah and Tom and the others doesn't quite work out.
After drinks in the piazza the group moved over to House of Sizzle. Clockwisearound the table are me, Tom, Sarah D., Carrie, Kellin, Sean, Luke, and Sarah.
Saturday 9/6
It was already almost 30 degrees (85 degrees to you Americans) when I got up at 9. I made lunch while Sarah worked on school stuff. I made penne pasta with panchetta, onions, garlic, mushrooms, peppers, and red sauce. I figured that I should describe what I make like Sarah does. We went to House of Sizzle again at 6 to eat and watch some college football. We saw Ohio State barely beat Ohio. It was pathetic. We met a guy named Nick from Columbus and a couple of other guys that we might watch games with in the future.
Later that night Sarah and Kellin talked about watching a movie but instead became obsessed with the show Ciao Darwin. The program was showing models in different types of underwear walking backand forth like runway models while Italian men stared and slobbered on themselves. It was pretty humorous. I actually got tired of watching, but Sarah and Kellin were overly offended yet obsessed with the display. Then they felt compelled to take pictures of the proceedings.
Sunday 9/7
We went to dinner at La Colonnine (could be spelled correctly) to say goodbye to Carrie. She had accepted a job in New York as a student tour company's Director of European Operations. Sarah, Kellin, Carrie, Sean, Luke, Sarah D., Tom, Paola, Clark, Clark's friend, and I enjoyed a great dinner. I really branched out and tried the Pizza Americana. Mary strolled by later and joined us. After dinner they gave Carrie her gift. It was a Florentine flag that Sarah and Kellin got everyone to sign and write a message to Carrie. It made her cry which made Sarah and Kellin cry. Always the sign of a great gift.
Tuesday 9/9
I went off and got a haircut by myself after work. It was scary since I couldn't communicate with them, but they actually did a better job than last time. Later that night Little Cat made a surprise return. We hadn't been graced by her presence since she mysteriously showed up on the roof tops across the street. That cat moves in mysterious ways. She sniffed around for a while then disappeared again as suddenly as she arrived.
Friday 9/12
I left Sarah to her studying and I went off to Carrara. I'll write about that later.
After I got back from Carrara a group of us went out to drink on the steps of Santa Croce. I love that this church is a popular place to hang out and drink. It started raining, which you can't really see in the photo above.
Sarah huddles under the main entrance to Santa Croce with the rest of us to avoid the rain.
I can't remember what day it was that I walked by this beautiful road construction. A lot of the streets downtown are paved with these large blocks. When they have to repair the roads they pull up the stones, mark them with their locations and order, and replace them later.
Monday 9/15
Sarah and half of her classmates had their spill session today. It is a very stressful time for them and they weren't supposed to be done until after 6 or so. So after work I got off the bus really early and just walked around the northwest side of town. From there I walked south towards the river to the neighborhood in which Lara, Steph, and Dan live (by the way dad, in case you were wondering, Casa LSD is on the eastern corner of the intersection of Lungarno Cristoforo Colombo and Via della Bellariva). Anyway, I went into a store there to buy some supplies. Unfortunately every school kid and their parents within a square mile were also there buying school supplies. I really wanted to buy a pencil and paper so I had to forge my way down that aisle. The aisles were tiny and there were approximately 111 people in that aisle including groups of parents who were camped out at either end of the aisle blocking everything. I ran out of there as fast as I could. After paying for the goods, of course. I walked home a new way, a couple of blocks in from the river. Oh yeah! That's where I saw the construction pictured above. Oh well. I'm too lazy to rearrange the pictures. Besides, these Syracuse computers take forever so I'll leave it at that.
As soon as I got home I got a call to meet the group at Piazza Sant'Ambrosio for some post-spill session venting and apertivi. It was pretty cold out for the first time since I've been here. Above, Sarah, Dan, and Tom try to act like they're having an interesting conversation while Kellin, Lara, Mary, Sarah D., and Stephanie have a real conversation.
I've been in the computer lab at Syracuse for too long. Later.
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