Monica Learns to Pick Up Fruit with Gloves On

Like a lot of you guys posting on this blog, I am having some trouble squeezing the last two weeks into just one blog post. Everything is so amazing! In fact, I felt a little overstimulated when I first arrived. Living in an apartment forces you to find out how to get things done, and fast. For example, all of us arrived starving on the first night. The necessity of eating helped us get over our fear of talking to shopkeepers (and we subsequently made a new friend, Rodney the falafel guy). Our need for toilet paper led us to find out my personal favorite store, One Price (la spesa a un prezzo certo!). But even just my activities this afternoon sort of sum up the very enjoyable things you can kind of just stumble upon in Firenze. 

I woke up around 11 this morning (the San Lorenzo bells make sure I don't sleep too long) and I went with my suitemates to Santa Croce for the chocolate festival. It was better than the candy forest in Willy Wonka's factory. They had the most amazingly inventive chocolates such as little chocolate sheep, cups, alligators, huge chocolate sledgehammers, seashells, and of course chocolate liqueur. I would have never guessed the fair would be so fun or so exciting if I hadn't seen it myself. That was lesson number 1 I had to learn about Firenze: you have to go out and see things for yourself. Other people's stories just don't do anything justice.

The second lesson is of course is be flexible and forgive yourself for the language barrier issues. I experienced that when I accidentally ordered 11 euros worth of chocolate (I was shooting for around 3). But I took it anyway happy that I was at least able to communicate with the Italian chocolatier. I'm still in the awkward phase of my spoken Italian. 

I suppose the third lesson I've learned so far is just to observe. I learned this after the chocolate fair when Felicia and I went to the antiques market. There were so many interesting things to look at, it can get a little overstimulating. I equate this to the amazing collection of art and architecture Firenze has to offer. But the close examination is worth it; I was surprised over and over again by what I found at the antiques market, just as I am surprised when I pay attention to the details in San Lorenzo church and the facade of the Duomo.

So all in all it's been a great first two weeks. With the new friends I've made and my new sense of adventure, I fully expect it to get even better.

Oh, and I suppose lesson number 4 is don't buy fruit at Centro Supermercato unless you wear their special gloves. 

 - Monica McClain