No fancy title

Another slow day here in Cosenza, but a good one!  Once again it started earlier than I would have liked, but I got up and ate breakfast (yogurt, grapes, & a piece of tostate with raspberry jam) in the balcony room.  I read for a little while and then decided to get dressed and go out for some of the things I needed for the kitchen and a few things left on my list.  It was so sunny and warm that I decided on shorts.  

Shorts seem to get a lot of attention here in Cosenza; from men, women, young people, EVERY ONE!!  I can’t help it.  I just CANNOT wear jeans and such when it is so hot outside!  Feel like the warm will be gone soon, so I will take advantage of my shorts!  Some may think that I should try harder to blend in, and you are probably right, but I refuse to be miserable and hot.  The truth is, I stick out anyway!  I am  fair skinned (in general, but really am here), and my hair is lighter than 95% of everyone I have seen!  Probably all the reason I should try to blend in, but no can do for now!  Once it is cooler during the day I will attempt to blend in better. 

 

My first stop was this kitchen type store.  I bought a spoon rest because it was annoying to not have one last night!!  Then I went to aqua and sapone to look at their mouthwash and to look again for washcloths, which are surprisingly hard to find; the hotel didn’t even have a washcloth.  Not the size we have.  I have yet to find one!  Then, the loofas (sp??!?!) were the equivalent of like $4.  NO! That is ridiculous…and they had these other strange sponge things, but I didn’t like how rough they looked.  I left empty handed and went across the street to the grocery store.  Once again, this was a better deal.  I got some Dove body soap (which had a coupon attached to it…what luck), some peach drink, mouthwash, and some eggs.  Their eggs are brown, and the most I’ve seen in a pack are 6 and cost more than our eggs.  However, I want eggs for breakfast one day, and I REALLY want some boiled eggs. 

**I HAVE GOT TO STOP CONVERTING IN MY HEAD!! By this I mean that I have got to stop myself from figuring out what it would be in dollars.  I think it will help once Fulbright puts Euros into my Italian account (that should be opened tomorrow), and I am not calculating how much that will be out of my American bank account (still Fulbright money, but I continuously calculate it from my US money.   However, I am sure I will do it anyway because I am astonished at how expensive some things are here, and I cannot figure out why they are so much more.  Olive oil and wine are cheaper! Haha! 

When I left the grocery store I headed back to the “Chinese store”.  I bought a cutting board, a set of knives (cheaper, but could NOT be worse than the knife I was working with last night), a lining thing for the place next to the sink, and a cheap measuring cup!  I was excited to have some of the necessities for the kitchen.  Loaded down with bags I headed back to the apartment.  I like climbing the stairs and when I am carrying things, it is an even better work out!  Once inside, I decided I needed to wash most of the pots, pans, dishes, and silverware.  I cleaned the counters, cabinets, dishes, etc. etc.  If am going to live here, it should be cleaner and more organized.  This took me a little while to accomplish and by the time I was finished, it was lunch time!  Also, I discovered the “dish drainer” while doing all of this!  It is behind two cabinet doors above the kitchen sink.  The bottom shelf is set up to hold plates, etc. and the top is like a wire basket type thing.  They are the length of the cabinet/sink and you can close the cabinet drawers and your dishes are drying out of sight; they drain into the sink.  How convenient is this?!?! It’s wonderful!!  

When I got back, the elevator men had the door to the roof area open, so I stepped out to take a picture; nothing too special, but a different view that I might not have had if they weren’t  putting in a new elevator. 

I made my lunch (turkey/cheese sandwich, left over veggies, and a few grapes).  I sat in the balcony room and read while I ate and the sun warmed my skin!   A nice breeze was coming through the doors as well.  It was perfect!  After lunch I sat and read a bit more. 

 I did a little more cleaning and then decided to venture out into the neighborhood.  I picked a street and headed in the opposite direction of the hotel and places I’d already been.  I did not walk past anything too interesting.  I did see a nice looking café and a couple of stores I might look in the next time I walk.  I ended up at what looked like a small mall.  It had a clothing store, a small best buy type store, and the entire bottom floor was a grocery store.  I went in the clothing store and saw the cutest coats.  Some of them were WAY out of my budget, but some were reasonable.  I didn’t bring a heavy coat because I wanted to find one here.  They had some nice things, but I left, and I decided to go look around the grocery store.  It was the biggest one I’ve been in while in Cosenza (the other big ones were in Rende and another place).  They had so much more; they had ham (lunch meat), green zucchini (zucchini verde), more “jelly” choices, more frozen options (I saw Ritz crackers & frozen broccoli…this means I will buy some cheddar cheese …or something and WILL HAVE broccoli casserole for Thanksgiving), Heinz baked beans, couscous, mustard, and more.  They have McDonald’s Mayonnaise and Ketchup…how strange.

Most of their prices were better.  So, I am thinking that this weekend I am going to walk there (a decent walk) and stock up on some things that will last.  I will enjoy getting fresh veggies every few days, but I want to have some of my staples and not continually run to the store for them.  The one thing that I am really confused about is all of the non refrigerated milk options.  There are so many kinds and it freaks me out a big.  At home I had been drinking almond milk (which I CANNOT find), and I know you can buy that unrefrigerated.  The idea of unrefrigerated MILK freaks me out; it couldn’t be real milk.  I’ve seen soy milk, but haven’t bought that either.  Hmm…I suppose for now that yogurt and cheese will be my dairy products.  Anyway, I spent a lot of time wandering the aisles looking at all of the products.  I actually enjoyed this!  It was fun to see what all they have (or don’t have).  I decided that I would come back, but since I had a lot of things in mind to buy, I wanted to get two heavy things out of the way today: shampoo and conditioner.  Let me just say, that I probably stood at the shampoos and conditioners for at least 20 minutes reading the labels  and looking up the words in my dictionary!  A few people walked by and gave me strange looks, but I didn’t care.  They had Garnier Fructise, Loreal, Herbal Essences, & Sunsilk; these were the four familiar brands.  The Loreal was on sale for the same price as the cheapest of the others, so I stood there and deciphered the code (Italian on the bottles).  I ended up with a shampoo for split ends and a conditioner for anti-frizz or something; honestly I don’t really remember which was which.  What I do know is that I looked up A LOT of vocabulary words.  Hey, how else am I going to learn?!?!? While I was standing there, my momma called!   I know that it is costing us a fortune to use our cell phones, but it makes me so happy to talk to her and be able to discuss every day things with her!  After I finally decided on a shampoo and conditioner, I checked out.  

Before I left I used the somewhat sketchy bathrooms…great quad workout…why Italy? Why? 

A bit of old Cosenza mixed with the new

As I walked home it was beginning to get cloudy and I felt a rain drop or two.  However, I made it home without getting rained on; thank goodness!!  By this time it was nap time for all of Italy, so there weren’t many places open.  When I got home I ate a snack of a banana and what was left of my first peanut butter pack (the little individual packets of Peanut Butter & Co. PB you can buy at the stores at home).  It was a great snack.  I also had a small treat that Lilla had bought me the other day.  When I finished I packed my computer bag, put my purse stuff in that bag in order to downsize in case of rain, grabbed my rain coat and stuffed it in as well, and I was off to the hotel to use the internet.  An uneventful walk, but nice nonetheless. 

When I arrived at the hotel, Massimo and the bartenders were standing at the doors as I walked down the carpet to one of the outside tables.  Massimo didn’t even acknowledge me; I figured he must be angry about yesterday.  Oh well, I sat down and tried to let it go because I was still able to use the internet.  I was able to talk to my Erin; briefly, but it was good just to be able to…type to her.  That sounds so weird, but I’ll take anything at this point.  We did set a skype date for Sunday! So, Sunday around 4 I will be at the hotel ready and waiting to see my best friend’s face!! WHAT A TREAT IT WILL BE!!!  I was also able to talk to April on facebook; another treat! I LOVE being connected to those whom I love! I was able to email my momma back and forth quite a bit, so life felt slightly “normal” for a bit!  It was nice to be able to discuss things and get her opinion on things; such as a coat I’ve been eyeing.  I updated my blog, played on facebook (where I had like 85 notifications…CRAZY!), sent/read emails, and used skype phone to talk to Mrs. Malissa (so good to hear her voice!!!), I left a message for Kelly, talked to Mrs. Lois for a moment, & eventually Heather!!  I was also able to use skype to video chat with my daddy!  I probably sat at the hotel for about 2-3 hours (I really lost track of when I got there and everything, so it could have been less).  At one point I walked inside to use the bathroom and Massimo still wouldn’t really acknowledge me.  Then, when it was raining and he and the bartender kept coming out, he finally approached my table.  I apologized for yesterday and he was good; he finally smiled and seemed to be acting friendlier.  The bartender offered me un caffe around 5; I accepted a cappuccino; once again free of charge and I was so grateful for the kindness. 

When I was packing up to leave, Massimo approached me and was just talking.  He asked if we could meet Thursday morning; again at my apartment.  This time my plan is to “run out” for something and when he calls I’ll be waiting in Piazza San Loreto which is at the end of my street.  I am just uncomfortable with the whole meeting at the apartment thing.  I would not mind getting a coffee with him and being able to practice Italian, but I do not intend for it to be anything more.  I am so paranoid and can often become quite closed off to new people, especially men, because I don’t want to be in any sort of uncomfortable situation.  That being said, I am treading lightly here and doing nothing to appear as though I am interested in anything more than I am; which is friendship.  I am not being naive here; I am well aware of how he may or may NOT be thinking!  Prayers please; for discernment, guidance, protection, etc. 

Before I left the hotel I asked them (Massimo and bartender) where you can buy mattress toppers.  Between my dictionary, google translate, & our broken Englitaliano (my new word for the broken English & Italian that I manage with people some days…inspired by the movie Spanglish).  He thought of a place and called to check prices.  Surprisingly, it is going to cost about what I anticipated, (15-20 euro), so I was excited.  They gave me directions and told me that the store was still open, and it isn’t too far from my hotel.  However, when I got outside, I realized that it was getting dark and I didn’t want to go looking for a new store in the dark!  So, headed back to the apartment with the plan to do it first thing in the morning, giving myself time to do that and come back and clean some more and eat lunch before going with Francesca to the bank!  

I was so hungry at this point, and I was excited to make dinner.  I decided to make the same veggie dish (minus the spinach, which will be used in eggs), some pasta, and a hamburger patty.  I mixed the veggies over the pasta (inspired by Francesca once again).  The dinner was wonderful and it was so much easier with my cutting board and nicer knives. 

I put the veggies over the pasta...SO good!

I sat down to eat with my book and the doors to the balcony open so that I could get fresh air and sounds from the streets.  I watched the Farmacia and others stores close while I ate!  I wonder what those people’s lives are like?!?! I wonder what they had for dinner.  I was pretty proud of my dinner again.  When I finished I sat on the fouton to read and enjoy the fresh, smokeless air.  Massimo asked me earlier if I smoked, and I know the look on my face would have said it all; I looked utterly disgusted, especially because he was standing near me with a cigarette.  I cannot handle it…hurts my chest!  It is hands down my LEAST favorite thing about Italy (which I know you all know from November…or just knowing me, therefore I will spare you a paragraph long rant).  

I suddenly jumped up remembering that I wanted to check and see if Gilmore Girls would be on again at the same time it had come on the night before.  OH MY GOSH…it was coming on in 15 minutes! So, I read for a few more minutes and then came to my room to watch Gilmore Girls! It was so bizarre not hearing their voices; they talk fast as always, but it is even FASTER in Italian I believe.  I know all of the episodes of Gilmore Girls, so I knew what was happening, and I understood a good bit of it in Italian.  For my Gilmore Girls fans, it was the panic room episode; the one where Rory/Dean double date to Pippi Longstocking with Lorelai and Luke!

They have a weird name for it

When that was over I started flipping channels and landed on Sex & the City in Italian.  I had also seen Criminal Minds; SOS Tata which was actually in Itailan and tata means nanny; another Twilight movie.  I watched 3 or 4 episodes of Sex & the City while I wrote this.  They only show one short set of “commercials”, which is nice.  Two of my favorite SATC episodes were on: 1. The one where Big is moving to Napa and they dance to Moon River; dancing to a classic song, now that is romance 2. The episode where she goes to the Paris theatre (I’ve been there)…where she LOVES NYC!; the fleet week one and she expresses her love for NYC and tells the sailor boy not to insult her first love.  I love this episode because I LOVE NYC , and I am protective of people saying bad things about it.  I suppose I might feel differently if I had lived there longer, but NYC is still #1 in my heart!!  

**Note about Cosenza: I told Erin this today because I think of her EVERY TIME it happens.  So, there are very few cross walks here that have little lights for the pedestrian.  If you want to cross the street, at a cross walk or NOT, you must be brave.  You have to just step out and make the cars stop.  You have to judge your timing carefully and try to wait for a break in traffic.  However, if there is no break in traffic, you just keep your cool and make someone stop.  It takes courage, but otherwise you’d never cross the street.  I think of Erin because she hates when I run across the street without a signal.  She’ll swear to you that I almost got her killed in NYC.  I suppose I have the New Yorker state of mind where you cross when you can , while respecting the lights as often as possible.  Not that I wouldn’t think of Erin daily, and I do, but this brings a smile to my face every time it happens. 

I finally got HOT water for a minute during my shower.  It was a wonderful minute!   The water pressure is almost nonexistent and I am freezing throughout the shower that I forget to do things like wash my face!! Bleh!  I’m still getting the hang of the weird routine!  I do have to start going to be earlier; Monday I have to be ready to go with Virginia at 7:30 a.m.  

P.S. I have got to stop picking my lips.  

Watching some of SOS TATA was interesting; they speak slowly, so it is a great learning experience. 

Impara con me:  Nel nome del Padre, del Figlio, & del Spirito Santo.  In the name of the father, the son, & the Holy Spirit.