Appreciation

Taxi Drivers at Be Bop, Nov 12


It has taken awhile to appreciate the beauty of Firenze. It is something that I wouldn't be able to discover through a book or tourist guide. Some of my favorite things include having a seat on the bus just so I'm able to give it to an elderly person to make their day more comfortable and also listening to Italians sing to live American/British music, performed by the Taxi Drivers. They are parts of my own experience that make my heart sing. I've also been noticing just how much I recognize more with Europeans than the Americans I've met here. Now I'm not about to make a wide, sweeping generalization about how I love all Europeans. All people are different with unique personalities. I have felt more relaxed around the Europeans I have met here though. It's refreshing to talk avidly about cultural differences, news issues and even comment on fashion with my European friends. From band members to bartenders, pedestrians to shop owners, I'm starting to realize the warmth that I feel from them. When I first got here, I wasn't aware of it. I was too concerned with trying to not stick out like an American tourist and painfully tried to use my few Italian words in an attempt to be more accepted by the Italians I met. That mindset sent me on a roller coaster and was exhausting to say the least. Culture shock I think they call it. I've loved the past few weeks and Firenze is starting to finally feel like a second home instead of a historical location filled with museums and pizzerias. It's getting emails from my Mexican and Spanish friends about coming to play with them at a soccer game. It's being recognized and greeted by bartenders at my favorite pubs. It's meeting Lithuanians at a Scottish Pub and sharing a meal with them. It's getting a free Euro-style haircut at a hairstyling academy and being invited back for hairstyle modeling photos to promote the school. It's recognizing streets finally and not feeling out of place. It's being called up on stage to karaoke-sing Britney Spears "Oops I Did It Again" just because my Italian friends think my name is funny. It's relearning my love of American music because I close my eyes to sing my heart out and get goosebumps of happiness.

Here's a short video from the Taxi Drivers performing Wednesday night at Be Bop Music Club. Notice Lorenzo, the drummer, making faces while playing. He's my best friend in the band and feels just like a brother to me. I always sit in front where I can see him play because I admire the joy he takes in playing.

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Their cover songs of the Red Hot Chili Peppers are what first impressed me about them. This Saturday, I'll be singing along with them at Loonees Music Bar. I'l have to brush up on my lyrics before then, just to make sure I don't forget them. :)

This morning I went by the Mercato Centrale, or Central Market of Florence. Talk about fresh....there are a myriad of different stalls where you can find different merchants chopping up fresh meat, adding more ice around their daily fresh fish, making pasta and serving it in bulk and also personally selecting fruits for you from their mini produce stall. Mercato Centrale:

one of the meat stalls

the second-floor fruit section

Tonight I am going with my host mum Elisabetta to her father's house for dinner. I'm sure I'll have a treasure trove of stories from it afterwards.

I hope all is well with you too, my friends. Let me know how things are going!

Thursday to Monday - an extended weekend

road in Florence


As I write this blog, I'm listening to a local musical group who plays nightly in the streets of Florence for spare change and to sell their CDs. One signer and one accordion player, both of who are spectacular. It makes me want to dance and gesture out the words with my hands. Bella!

Thursday was a night at Loonees for the Taxi Drivers band again. Before going to see the band, I stopped by a Scottish Pub to see my friend Marco for "6 euro beer and crepe night". While there, I met three students from Lithuania who are studying architecture here in Florence for a year. They actually found me, because they heard me speaking English and tapped me on the shoulder to talk. The relaxing hug and glue of the English language in a foreign land. Love it! Marco and I with the Lithuanian girls:



Ignas, the third Lithuanian, dancing at Loonees (far left):



Ignas and I were the only ones who eventually went to Loonees. As you can see from the photo above, it was an exciting night. The Taxi Drivers band played everything from country fiddle to funk.

my favorite drummer, Lorenzo, of the Taxi Drivers. so concentrated!

Looness live music bar...underneath an apartment complex, 14th century construction

After Loonees, we spent the night in the crowded Lithuanian apartment and then I had a wonderful breakfast made by my hosts. Hard-boiled eggs, native honey butter and a type of dark bread. It was utterly delicious.



Friday night was similar, except that the Lithuanians were busy so I met other friends at Loonees for a second night of the Taxi Drivers. Saturday night I didn't have any events planned except for a football game with Marco again (he's from Spain) and a few other friends.

Marco taking the ball

Sunday night was karaoke at Loonees. There was a large group of Italians singing loud and proud, and they covered many Italian ballads which I was happy to hum along with even though I hadn't the slightest clue what the message was.



Afterwards, I went out for a walk. There was a beautifully lit-up carousel in the middle of a piazza.



And as an end note, regardless of political opinion or representation, the excitement over Obama has been amazingly surprising over here. There were multiple parties held around the city for him and the election night. His photo is everywhere. So I'm happy that the world is excited about a new presidential term. I'm an optimist, not a Democrat or Republican.



I also have a new haircut, free to me via a local hairstyling school where semi-professionals work with a main teaching professor. They spent 2 hours on me Monday morning, but it was a very relaxing experience. It is still the same length basically, just much lighter and more feathery. I'm very happy with it. Like the stylist said, "rockstar" (Grey's Anatomy reference! woohoo!)!